Avoiding Common Deficiencies On A Live-Food Diet

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The following is a summary outline of the second episode of “Eat Live, Live Well” by Raederle and Jay. Click here to open the audio for the show.
This episode is about getting enough nutrition on a primarily (or entirely) raw and vegan diet.
[Tooth Care]
It's also not uncommon for an unread raw vegan to develop teeth problems.
There are many possible causes for this, here is a summary of those causes:
  • lack of calcium, magnesium, or another mineral
  • inappropriate toothpaste with fluoride, sugar or glycerin
  • brushing after consuming fruit
  • not drinking water and swishing teeth after meals to reduce acidity in the mouth
  • consuming too littlecalcium in ratio to consumption of phosphorus
To avoid this:
  • Follow a meal plan when first entering a 100% raw diet, or change your habits slowly and learn about the new foods you incorporate.
  • Occasionally analyze the mineral content in your diet by using a free online tool like Calorie Count or Cron-o-Meter. 
  • Drink a gulp of water and squish over your teeth at the end of a meal. 
  • Do not brush immediately after eating.
  • Read your toothpaste ingredients and consider them carefully.
  • Brush with baking soda and drinking water once a week instead of using any toothpaste.
  • Brush with plain drinking water once a week.
[Commonly Neglected Vitamins & Minerals on a Raw Vegan Diet]
  • B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin E, Sodium
  • It is completely possible to get enough of all of these nutrients, but certain aspects of the modern lifestyle make us less likely to get enough of them on a raw vegan diet.
  • As many as a third of Americans are estimated to have a deficiency in B12, vitamin D or calcium.
  • Less than 3% of Americans are vegetarian. 
  • Less than 1% are vegan, and even fewer still are raw vegans.
[What's a vegan?]
  • Vegetarians do not eat meat, and many do not eat fish.
  • Vegans also abstain from eggs, dairy or any products from any animal.
  • Raw vegans also abstain from processed foods including cooked foods. Many raw vegans eat 90% raw and 10% cooked.
  • There are successful, healthy raw vegan people who eat wholly (100%) raw and have done so for ten to fifty years (or possibly more, but I don't know for sure specific examples for more than fifty years).
[Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D]
  • Vitamins B12 and vitamin D are not present in plant foods.
  • There isn't any reliable source of these nutrients – in any diet.
  • Vitamin B12 is created by a bacteria that is found in abundance in soil. Healthy soil is rich in B12.
  • Animals get B12 by rolling in the soil and eating unwashed food.
  • Humans used to get plenty of B12 from well-water, river-water and home-grown produce.
  • Vitamin D is generated from sunlight. Animals, including humans, create it when our skin is exposed to sunlight.
[Artificial Hormones]
  • Contact with hormone analogs from plastics (such as polyester clothing), birth control, prescription drugs, pesticides, and other chemicals trick the body into treating outside influences as normal human hormones. This destroys hormonal balance.
  • Vitamin D is actually a hormone created by the body.
  • My belief is that we will not generate vitamin D correctly if our other hormones are not in balance.
[Animal-Source B12 & D]
  • Animals are no longer a good source of B12 or D.
  • Even “free-range, cage-free” chickens are often kept in barns – out of the sun for their entire lives.
  • “Free range” chickens are only required a few minutes of running around outdoors to be considered “free range.”
  • These chickens are deficient in Vitamin D and so are their eggs.
  • Cows and other animals are given antibiotics.
  • Antibiotics kill off the bacteria that creates B12, and thereby the animal becomes deficient.
  • Pesticides used on the feed crops (corn, soy, grass, etc) also kill off the bacteria that create B12, making the soil deficient.
  • The crops become deficient and the animals that eat those crops.
  • Sea vegetables are often said to have B12. They do not. They contain B12-analogs which are not used in humans.
[Ways To Get B12 & D – without supplements]
  • Use coconut oil, shea butter or another natural oil to protect the skin and get out into the sun daily. Do not let yourself burn. Tan very lightly and very gradually. This only works in sunny climates.
  • Use an oil-based soap that doesn't dry out the skin with the use of chemicals. This enables healthy skin to utilize the sun.
  • Eat plants unwashed from your garden. Ferment your own home-grown vegetables.
  • Have your soil analyzed by a lab to check for healthy B12 content.
  • Have your blood tested to check your vitamin D and B12 levels.
[Getting B12 & D “On The Go”]
  • It is advisable to take a vitamin D and B12 supplement.
  • I take Dr. Furman's Gentle Care supplement which contains both. If you'd also like to purchase his vegan supplements, here is a quick tip: You get free shipping on orders of $30 or more at DrFuhrman.com
  • I do not recommend taking supplements for most other nutrients.
  • You can get plenty of calcium, selenium, niacin, magnesium, potassium, etc, from a plant based diet that is primarily or wholly raw.
  • Beware: many supplements are a scam and do not contain anything bio-available.
  • You can read more about the supplements I take and why in my article "Supplements."
[Vitamin C]
  • Vitamin C is not ascorbic acid.
  • Ascorbic acid is the “wrapping” of the vitamin C complex, which contains an enzyme.
  • Vitamin C is completely destroyed by cooking because it contains an enzyme.
  • Ascorbic acid only affects the common cold by raising acidity in the body.
  • Bacteria doesn't like acidity. Unfortunately, your body doesn't like too much acidity either.
  • There is a detailed discussion of this topic in the book Empty Harvest.
  • Getting enough vitamin C in the diet is easy.
  • Half a bell pepper will provide a full day's supply.
  • Click here to read my article containing ten different ways to easily get enough vitamin C.
[Sodium]
  • (According to the USDA Dietary Guidelines)
  • Daily bare minimum: 500 mg sodium
  • Daily sodium needed: 1200-1500 mg sodium
  • Daily sodium limit for adults: 2,300 mg sodium
  • Daily sodium limit for seniors: 1,200 mg sodium
  • Daily sodium the average American consumes: 4,000 mg sodium
[Raw Food Nutrition: Sodium, Protein & Calcium]
Celery photograph by Raederle 2012
Celery: 6 chopped cups of celery
100 calories
4.5 grams of protein
500 mg of sodium
(Overall 20% of all nutrition needed for the day)
Chard and Marigolds photograph by Raederle 2012
Chard: 5 leaves and their stems
45 calories
4.3 grams of protein
500 mg of sodium
(Overall 21% of all nutrition needed for one day)
Kale photograph by Raederle 2012
Kale: 6 cups of chopped kale
200 calories,
13.3 grams of protein
170 mg of sodium
(Overall 44% of all nutrition needed for one day)
Dulse: 1 tablespoon dulse flakes (15 grams)
32 calories,
5.4 grams of protein
45 mg of sodium
(Overall 15% of all nutrition needed for one day)
Carrots & Veggies photograph by Raederle 2012
Carrots: 5 large carrots
147 calories,
3.3 grams of protein
450 mg of sodium
(Overall 23% of all nutrition needed for one day)
[Totals]
6 cups celery, 5 leaves chard, 6 cups kale, 1 tablespoon dulse – or any sea vegetable – and 5 large carrots
The above combined:
Sodium: 1486 mg, a good amount of sodium for one day.
Calcium: 1104 mg, that is 110% the recommended daily allowance.
Calories: 528 calories
Full day supply of: B2, B6, Folate (B9), Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Omega-6.
[Starting Today]
Let's say someone wants to start eating healthier today, but they don't want to make these common errors, what can they do?
  • Start replacing processed foods with new and exciting recipes.
  • Pick a less-than-ideal food that you aren't attached too and replace it with a new healthy recipe.
Ripe bananas photograph by Raederle 2012
[Easy Recipe: Banana Mash]
The only tool you need is a fork. Takes about three minutes to prepare. Takes about twenty seconds to clean up.
This recipe can be used as a frosting for a treat or as a pudding by itself
  • 1-3 ripe bananas (brown spotted)
Spice options:
  • 1-2 teaspoons of cacao powder or cacao nibs
  • 1-2 teaspoons of carob powder or maca powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cardamom
Texture additions:
  • 1 teaspoon raw dried coconut (sometimes called coconut shreds)
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds, flax seeds or sesame seeds
Garnish Options:
  • Pomegranate arils
  • Fresh berries
  • Mint leaves
[Slow & Easy Transition]
Another great way to start making an easy transition is to start adding something raw to every meal.
  • If you're eating pasta: Let the pasta cool until it is warm before adding fresh raw tomato sauce.
  • Fresh sprouts can be added to sandwiches, wraps, smoothies, salads, pasta dishes or anything at all.
  • A side salad can be present at every meal.
  • Breakfast could be an entirely raw or mostly raw smoothie or just plain fresh fruit.
[Complete 100% Raw Transition]
What if someone wants to make a complete transition to a raw diet and they don't want to mess up?
Get a step-by-step nutritionally complete meal plan to guide their raw vegan diet.
Raederle offers several options which you can see here.
[Iron]
Foods high in iron per calorie: Parsley, dill, basil, spinach, beet greens, asparagus, sage, chard, cilantro, and dandelion.
[Closing]
Thanks for listening to Eat Live; Live Well with Raederle and Jay.
If you have a heath or fitness question you'd like us to answer on the show, e-mail us your question.

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