Cost of Raw Diet

I started keeping track of my average daily food cost for my raw diet. Here is a quick sample. This is based on a 3000 calorie diet.

10 organic Valencia oranges
- $4.99 ($4.49/10 for case) Whole Foods

3-4lbs bananas
- $0.79/lb ($0.71/lb for case) Whole Foods

1lb organic mixed greens
- $4.99 Costco

2-4 organic tomatoes
- $2.00 Whole Foods

Small handful of sunflower seeds, nuts, or some high fat raw food.
Various other fruits and veggies (carrots, grapes, etc....); not more than $5.00/day.

My food costs, on a daily basis, will vary from about $8.00 - $25.00 depending on what I eat, and how much money I had to spend while shopping earlier in the week. This is comparative to the cost of a day on the SAD (Standard American Diet).

There are many things to help with the cost of food as well. For example, you can grow some of your own in a garden, or plant various fruit bearing treas. You could also forage, as many raw vegans are known to do. Our ancestors have survived on foraging for centuries.

Keep in mind, many wild foraged plants are much more nutritious than produce purchased in the store, or picked out of a garden.

Genetic Engineered Products in Food

Please take some time and visit the safe food link on my main web site (

http://hacktorious.googlepages.com/

) and read about the dangers of genetically engineered foods. This stuff is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

Caloric Intake

A common issue when people become a raw vegan is to not eat enough calories. Thus, they loose weight and become sick. People do not realize how much they actually have to eat in a day. You have to make sure you're getting enough calories, especially if you're active, and/or exercise regularly.

The image above (click it to enlarge) was taken from my fitday.com account to show an example of exactly how much I will eat in a day. It is best to eat a variety of foods every day, and vary the foods eaten from day to day.

The key to remember is that the stomach is a muscle, which needs to be trained. It is similar to trying to do a split if you have never done one in your life. Most people have to train their muscles to be able to do a full split. The stomach needs to be trained (stretched) to be able to fit the larger amounts of food, which will be needed to make up for the low amount of calories, and high fiber content.

Typical Raw Breakfast

People often ask me what I eat for a typical meal. Above is a photo of what I ate for breakfast today. All my produce is organic.
- 10 bananas
- 5 oranges
- 12 strawberries
- 1-2 cups grapes
- 2 tomatoes

Not shown in photo:
1 brazil nut (contains proper amount of selenium for day)
1/2 piece sea veggie (contains various nutrients)

Breakfast Nutrition Breakdown:
1440 calories
88% carbs
5% Protein
7% Fat

If your new to raw, and would like to keep track of your meals you can create a free account at www.fitday.com. It is a great site for keeping track of calories, vitamins, etc.... Unfortunately they don't have something to track the amount of sunlight exposure (Vitamin D), or Vitamin B12 for raw vegans. Unless you use supplements.

FYI:
Some raw foodists will eat raw meat, eggs, fish, or other animal products. I on the other hand have found meat, eggs, and fish to be unhealthy to consume. However, I am still doing my homework on insects. Eighty percent, of the world's population willingly consumes insects on a regular basis.

Vitamin D

I chose to go on a Raw Vegan diet for health reasons. There are a great deal of health benefits to eating, raw fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, etc.... For example, it can greatly reduce your chances of getting many diseases (cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc....).

Another important factor of eating healthy, is adequate sunshine, and exercise. I am amazed at how many people think they are being as healthy as possible, but don't get enough sun (sensible amount), or exercise.

Sunshine is very important because your skin needs the UV rays (ultraviolet B radiation) to produce Vitamin D. The Vitamin D is then activated by the liver and kidneys. Without the right amount of Vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium. Vitamin D Deficiency, and Calcium Deficiency are also major factors in common diseases. For instance, Vitamin D Deficiency can increase your chances of prostate, or breast cancer by 50%, as well as other diseases.

By the way, sunscreen contributes to Vitamin D Deficiencies by it blocking the rays the skin needs to produce Vitamin D. However, too much sun exposure can also cause issues. For a typical Caucasian, in the US, you will likely need 5-30 minutes of exposure (arms, legs, and face) several times each week to produce enough Vitamin D for your body. For a typical African American, in the US, you will need a bit more; 30-60 minutes several times each week.

The complexion of your skin makes a big difference. Your location on the planet also makes a big difference. The further from the equator, the more exposure you will need. Also, you cannot absorb an adequate amount of Vitamin D from your food; you must get sunlight on your skin without sunscreen.

By definition, Vitamin D is actually a prohormone, which is converted to a hormone, 125D.

I am currently working on several presentations, and will be posting my slides. I will also try to record the lecture and post it as well.