Costs of going Raw

[Ray]

Hi

The idea of raw is not a new one to me. I like the sound of it, yummy. I haven’t actually done a lot about it. I know myself, and know that i will have to do it so that I get as much variety as possible. The change will have to include family, as I guess going it alone is going to be difficult. I don't want to alienate them, i wish to include them as much as possible.

I have developed some minor problems health wise, I have had difficulties generally that I did not accept or recognise were health related.

I lost my job due to taking too much time off sick, so financially I cannot afford high priced gadgets.

I don't like to the idea at restricting myself to this or that kind of raw food. Dehydrators and a powerful blender are I guess going to be essential?

I'm also looking for talks to attend in the West Midlands.

Please advise.

Regards
Ray

[Raw Rob]

No, a dehydrator and expensive blender are not essential. Useful maybe, but you can get by with a cheap blender - you can get a 600 watt blender for about £30.

Personally I find dehydrated food hard to digest so I don't have a dehydrator. Fresh and ripe fruit and veg is the way forward!

Rob

[sharonjones]

Hi Ray and welcome to RawinUk :D

I too dont have an expensive processor/blender.
I too cant tolerate dehydrated foods so I had to sell my Excaliber :(

Sticking to raw only foods I have found to be rather challenging, i choose alkalising foods that i can eat steamed, i eat lots of interesting salads, and yes you can rope the rest of the family in too and they will most assuredly be healthier and happier for it.

raw doesnt have to be expensive if you stick to local 'in-season' veggies and fruits, you get much more nutrients from the produce and it will taste much nicer because it hasnt travelled the globe to reach your plate.

all in all i can recommend a mostly raw diet, break yourself in gently and transition to it one step, one meal at a time.

best of luck

[Ray]

Hi Sharon & Rob

Fruit, I already eat too much fruit.

I can eat salads, but only occasionally. I'm not a fan.

I have seen many fantastic recipes that use blenders (expensive type) and dehydrators. if I’m not going to use these then what recipes would be suitable. I'm a great meat lover. I'm not sure I could ever wean myself off it. I can't do boring; otherwise I think that would kill by initial interest in raw subject.

Still possible? What ya think? Give me some hope.

Ray

[Raw Rob]

You can still make most of the recipes requiring high speed blenders in a cheaper blender, but it just won't be as smooth. (But if you shop around as I said you can get a relatively powerful blender for around £30, I had a really good Philips blender for several years which is what I have been recommending, but the most recent Philips blender I bought wasn't as good, but some models might still be good.)

Also, don't even think about giving things up, only think about adding new raw stuff in. You will eventually stop wanting the unhealthy food. Personally I'm no longer vegetarian. Most of my diet is plant based but I also include raw dairy - kefir, cheese, cream and butter made with raw milk, and very occasionally some fish or cured (raw) meat.

Rob

[Jax]

Hi Ray and :welcome: funnily enough I've found myself in a similar situation to you.
The change will have to include family, as I guess going it alone is going to be difficult. I don't want to alienate them, i wish to include them as much as possible.I think this is one of the most pertinent ways to save money when embarking on a raw lifestyle - everyone eating the same meal (that they'll also benefit from) is going to be a lot cheaper and easier than trying to prepare 2 or more different meals for everybody. I think there are a few reports around that reckon it is cheaper to eat predominantly veggies/wholefoods as opposed to buying processed products, so you should be able to save straight away alongwith the less usage of electric/gas.



I lost my job due to taking too much time off sick, so financially I cannot afford high priced gadgets.

I don't like to the idea at restricting myself to this or that kind of raw food. Dehydrators and a powerful blender are I guess going to be essential?
As Rob has said it isn't always necessary and maybe best not to splash out immediately until you are sure you will stick to this lifestyle. I'm lucky in that we invested in some equipment before my life went completely pear shaped! However if I hadn't had the equipment and found myself limited with cash I think I would dehydrate foods using the oven method and just used a cheaper blender/food processor - although being careful not to overdo it with the thicker recipes.

[ani]

i agree with everyone
i had a 'normal' blender for years
and bought a more powerful one last year about 60 GBP.
much as i like the smoother smoothies
it has had a few new bits already
and now i am having to use the pulse button
so i will probably go back to a cheaper one.

as for the dehydrator i agree about the digestion
i don't do well in general
although i am really into fruit leathers.
but if you have an airing cupboard
that is what i used for years before getting a dehydrator
and it was def just as good as.

i dont like salads (green stuff)
so i have banana smoothies in the mornings
with other fruits, reishi caps and maca.
and over the years have gone from 1 lettuce leaf
to a head or 2 of lettuce or bag of lambs lettuce
or pak choi.
i also love a pot of parsley in with my bananas.
i admit to having a tbs of raw cacao
in my morning smoothie :)

[Rawalchemist]

Hi Ray:tea: good to see you are on the road to rawdom.
we are on a low budget here and are predominantly raw (well I am and hubby is raw when he is at home ;))
I hardly eat any dehydrated foods even though we make them to sell ~ I prefer simply fresh foods over dried. We do get through alot of salad and stuff as they go in green smoothies which make up most of my daily intake...
I find my main area of concern is not wanting to make foods sometimes, and prefer to just have smoothies, water, chia seeds, some raw chocolate and the odd other home made things...the issue is that I get bored making food for hubby and he can't make food! :noidea:
This happens in phases for me (on one at the moment) then I get back to enjoying food again...

To help save the pennies we grow lots of leafy things in pots and have room for courgettes and summer squash which are now in full production, just planted out bulbing fennel (love it) and sown winter kale and beetroot ~ the autumn is being spent cultivating more of the garden for next years food bit by bit so that we will be fully stocked for next season ~ time spent doing this saves lots of cash!

Most of our expense comes from the superfoods that I feel it is important to invest in but they do last for ages ~ I have maca and spirulina every day without fail and trying to get into the habit of taking sea vegetables more often.
I am working on the spiritual aspect of the raw lifestyle as well as the mental and physical side and as a result invest in foods that help this process, like the etheriums, and essences made by a friend.

Added costs really come in the form of 'treats' like the odd naughty coffee or lunch out if we have time to spend together ~ we would save about £10 a week if we stopped that, but we enjoy it!!!

It is hard to work out the true costs of being raw as it kind of mingles with the business side of things as we have our own Raw business and as such I taste lots of the dishes made for sale and also lots of experimenting goes on which we then eat and share in the process before launching them, so it gets all blurry!

I do not think it works out any dearer than a SUKD really in the long run.

If you are able to travel to Northampton at all we have monthly events here like raw food days and special food workshops like making raw chocolate...and there is often room to stay over.

Blessings
Dawn

[Ruth]

Hi Ray! Most people I have spoken to who LOVE their raw food diets long-term all started off without any expensive equipment, just mountains of enthusiam! If you want to eat more raw and know it's for you, your attitude will be far more important in the first few months/years than any kind of equipment! Indeed it is your enthusiam to learn with the equipment and budget you HAVE which will decide whether you stick with it and enjoy it or not.

We've all known people who can afford gadgets immediately and who find it so affordable to chop and change their lives around to their whims that they have no motivation to stick with things. I believe that this is why those who end up loving and enjoying a raw food lifestyle the most are those who started with less... they had more to look forward to as the relationship with raw developed. As a new gadget was saved for and aquired the diet changed again, making things seem fresh.

I myself saved 2 years for my dehydrator, and have had it now almost 2 years. Like the above people, after a few months of dehdrated food i grew out of needing the added bulk and now live mostly on water-based fruits and veg, seeds and sprouts which is where my vitamix came in. This is a cheap way to eat but does take time to transition to. It took me almost 3 years to save for my beloved vitamix, but before that a cheaper blender was my friend and quite adequate for simple recipes of dressings, sauces, creams, smoothies, pates etc (i just used the practice of delayed gratification over the more complex recipes ie. cake creams which required a high-speed blender!)

If it's any consolation to those who can't afford raw foody gadgets. Your diet may be much healthier than those who can! Starting off without these machines can mean you transition in an easier way; going straight to simpler, less gourmet meals. It all depends on your committment to experiment with what you have.

If i were to reccoment one gadget to start with i would choose the spiruliser. This is wonderful for creating vegtable pasta noodles which can be the backbone of many interesting meals. Mine cost under 10 pounds.

Also growing sprouts is cheap, nevermind the powerhouse of nutrition!

Karen Knowler gives great instruction on how to create a raw food kitchen starting from scratch without gagdets or a huge budget. I reccommend her website http://www.therawfoodcoach.com/ and her articles.

[Ray]

What are reishi caps and maca?

Ray

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

reishi caps are a type of mushroom that are medicinal and maca is a root vegetable from peru xx

[Rawalchemist]

Maca is a powder made from the maca radish grown in Peru ~ an awesome essential food in my opinion. It tastes quite malty and can put you off if you have too much in the beginning but if you pop it in a smoothie it tastes great!
Maca is an adaptogenic food, meaning it restores balance to the body on a cellular level. It has aphrodisiac properties, is very energising and helps support the endocrine system amongst many other attributes(I'm not scientific so please do look for more info on the web) MacaMagic is a great site for info.

I have not used reishi yet but that is next on the list:638:

I am with Ruth on the whole gourmet raw area ~ I just do not do gourmet and find it too heavy for my system if I eat lots of nuts and creamy things.
I love fasting on water with chia seeds in it and at the moment am taking crystal manna capsules each day to boost my green algae intake, having under active thyroid needs lots of sea foods.

I have also gone off avocados recently and now get my fats from olive oil and coconut butter.

[Debbie Took]

Hi Ray

I don't log in here very often, but your message interested me, so hope my replies will be helpful.



Hi Sharon & Rob

Fruit, I already eat too much fruit.

***Ray, I am pretty certain you are not eating 'too much fruit'. I have been raw for coming up to four years now and my diet is 3/4 fruit. Are you eating more fruit than that?

There are only a few circumstances where someone might be eating 'too much fruit' and these are explained in my article here:

http://debbietookrawforlife.blogspot.com/2009/02/fool-for-fruit-pt-2-too-much-of-good.html

I can eat salads, but only occasionally. I'm not a fan.

***You will have a few problems going raw with this attitude towards 'salads'. How do you define a salad anyway? You can actually change your tastes and preferences through eating healthier food. The more you eat it, the more you will desire it.

I have seen many fantastic recipes that use blenders (expensive type) and dehydrators. if I’m not going to use these then what recipes would be suitable.

***I do think these recipes (sometimes known as 'rawgourmet' food and transition food) can be very helpful in the first year or two of raw, although - warning - they're very time-consuming! Blenders - you don't need an expensive one. 95% of raw food recipes can be made successfully with a model under £60. Dehydrator - join as many raw food forums as you can and ask if anyone's selling one. This is because many raw foodists use one for a couple of years while transitioning then sell it.

I'm a great meat lover. I'm not sure I could ever wean myself off it.

***Eating flesh should probably be the first thing you should be thinking of stopping.

Here are two articles on meat-eating - the first from the health point of view, and the second from the 'moral':

http://debbietookrawforlife.blogspot.com/2009/07/no-i-dont-eat-raw-meat-pt-1-health.html

http://debbietookrawforlife.blogspot.com/2009/07/no-i-dont-eat-raw-meat-pt-2-animal.html

If you are only going to read one, please read the second. It's titled 'Animal Rights Guilt-Mongering'.


I can't do boring; otherwise I think that would kill by initial interest in raw subject.

***The fact that you think eating undamaged food might be 'boring' comes from conditioning of many years. We have become accustomed to heating 'abombo-combos' - combinations of foods that are not only indigestible, but also covered with 'condiments' (eg spices, salt) that pervert our taste buds, until, sadly, real food is seen as 'boring'. Of all foods I suggest you re-educate your taste buds with, the best would be fruit. Eating a melon at the peak of ripeness could never be described as 'boring'.

Still possible? What ya think? Give me some hope.

***The problems I see with your going raw, Ray, is that I get the feeling that you have significant doubts, and want others to 'persuade' you to go raw.

To go raw successfully you need to want to do it 100%. It has to make such complete sense to you that you know in your heart that it is the way you must go, whether that's overnight or gradually. If you are not convinced, raw will be an uphill struggle, and you will constantly feel that you are 'missing out' by not eating damaged food.

You could say that eating undamaged food must be 'written in your heart'. You can ask for help for that to be the case, whether from God/Higher Power/Universe/whatever you might like to call it!

(And in the meantime, there are some reasons for going raw here :-))

www.rawforlife.co.uk (http://www.rawforlife.co.uk)

I'm unlikely to be logging back in for a while, so if you do have any queries, please do contact me at rawforlife.

Love

Debbie Took