No matter how enthusiastic a person can be about their low fat raw vegan diet, modern life can provide many obstacles for someone pursuing this lifestyle and many people become discouraged over time. I would like to share some tips I’ve learned that really help to stick with it.
OBSTACLE 1: “I feel hungry all the time.”
While they vary from place to place, most countries have some form of the Daily Recommended Intake of nutrients for a reason. Everybody needs plenty of nutrients, and raw vegans are no exception. The secret is to be liberal with your caloric intake and you will find that you can satisfy every nutrition requirement your body has, which will tell the hunger signals to stop. For most people, this is about 3,000 calories per day and more if you’re active. Don’t worry about extra calories on this diet because thanks to how efficiently our bodies process this type of food, the extra calories will be expelled properly through dietary thermogenesis rather than turning into fat.
OBSTACLE 2: “This diet is too expensive”
To summarize the book Raw Foods on a Budget by Brandi Rollins, you can save money on this diet by using Community Supported Agriculture programs in your area, shopping at u-pick farms, striking deals with your local market, shopping at farmers markets, buying food at the end of the rotation when the fruit is ripe and stores/farmers reduce the prices to sell as much as possible before tossing the rest, growing your own garden, and finding it for free in the wild. You can also check Google to see if there are any classes on Urban Foraging in your area.
OBSTACLE 3: “My friends and family do not accept this diet”
Most people don’t because marketing has taught them that any diet void of animal products is nutrient deficient. The best thing you can do is avoid talking about your diet to people and keep it subtle. Over time, people will notice the results of your choices and they will begin to ask you more questions out of genuine curiosity. You may even choose to obtain a blood test that shows how normal you are. If people can see that you are healthy most will not bother you.
OBSTACLE 4: “How can I possibly get enough nutrition with just fruit, seeds, nuts, vegetables, and leafy greens?”
If you eat enough calories, you will eat enough nutrients. Eat 3,000 calories a day and you will eat more nutrients than your cooked food and animal eating counterparts in proteins (all of them), vitamins and minerals. As an example, a day of eating 5oz package of spinach, another salad with a head of romaine and a medium tomato, 2 large cantaloupes, 8 watermelon wedges, 10 medium bananas, 4 tablespoons of hemp seeds, and 3 stalks of celery is 2,743 calories, 67 grams of protein, 30grams of fat, and a full dose of almost every single vitamin and mineral. Track it on Cronometer.com and see for yourself.
OBSTACLE 5: “Won’t I be B12 deficient?”
Any modern human is susceptible to B12 deficiency, not just vegans. Humans used to get B12 naturally from the soil, but modern farming practices and our obsession with washing dirt and germs off all our vegetables exiles any B12 we might get naturally from produce. To reach recommended nutrient levels, vegans can simply take a B12 supplement or grow their own garden and eat fresh picked produce without over-washing it. Since eating meat and dairy damages the digestive tract, B12 deficiency (and many other nutrients) in omnivorous humans is caused by poor nutrient absorption and is very common even though most people consume multiple times the daily recommended dose from animal products.
References:
About Dietary Thermogenesis: http://www.raw-food-freedom.net/thermic-effect-of-food.html
Tips for cutting raw food costs: Raw Foods on a Budget by Brandi Rollins
Nutrients for one day low fat raw vegan: Cronometer.com
Cause of B12 Deficiency: http://thyroid.about.com/cs/newsinfo/l/blb12anemia.htm