My Reply from Epi Improved thread
Hi Zoe,
I've spent the last almost two years of my life researching diet and nutrition and the human digestive system. I don't claim to be an expert, but I feel confident that I am making the right choices for my family based on what I've learned and how our bodies have responded to the dietary changes we've made.
I don't believe grains and legumes(beans) were ever intended for human consumption. We lack the digestive enzymes necessary to break down and assimilate them. Birds and a few other animals do have the digestive enzymes necessary for grains and beans. This is why so many people have digestive issues (gas/bloating) and disease (celiac) from the consumption of bean and grain products. As humans we feel entitled to eat whatever we want, but that doesn't mean our bodies were designed to eat whatever we could manipulate into a tasty meal.
My breakfast typically consists of a quart-sized fruit smoothie made with fruit, ice, and just enough water to blend. I always include bananas in this smoothie to give it a sweet flavor and creamy consistency. My breakfast is usually 500-700 calories. Lunch is another quart-sized fruit smoothie along with some celery, cucumbers, grapes, or some other finger food that I might desire to munch on while I sip the smoothie. This usually provides around 700-900 calories. My favorite, well rounded dinner consists of a smoothie made with more acidic fruits like pineapple and berries, a raw soup, and a salad topped with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, nuts, and a fruit of some sort (grapes, pineapple, or clementines). Dinner usually provides between 300-600 calories. The bananas I consume at breakfast and lunch provide a lot of calories for those two meals, which is ideal because I am more active during the day than in the evening hours. I snack on fresh fruit if I get hungry between meals. I would say that snacking averages into another 100-200 calories a day. I average between 1800 and 2500 calories. I use
www.nutridiary.com to track my calories and nutrients. I don't enter them in every day, but I will do that every so often just to make sure I'm getting what my body needs. My food varies depending on my mood and what's in season. Some days I may make a fruit salad at lunch instead of a smoothie. Some evenings I may prefer to make a dip and eat veggies and dip instead of a salad.
I get all the nutrients my body requires from the food I eat. I haven't needed supplements since beginning this way of eating. I've had my blood checked three times and each time it has come back perfect. The first time it was checked my insurance premiums were lowered because I was so healthy. My protein levels are right where they should be and my blood sugar levels remain consistent. My blood pressure and cholesterol is perfect. I've always been anemic and I've been on iron pills for this issue in the past. My iron levels now remain normal as well. I don't have to take multi-vitamins and calcium pills anymore. My PMS symptoms, heavy, painful menstrual cycles, and extreme painful ovarian cysts have been relieved. For the first time since puberty, my cycles come regular, they're lighter, and without the debilitating pain I once suffered. My regular headaches have disappeared. My energy levels have soared. My heart rate has come down(used to race). My joints don't creak when I move anymore. I felt like I was much older the way my joints used to pop and creak every time I walked across a room. My seasonal allergies went away. I haven't been plagued by my annual sinus infections anymore. I haven't even had so much as a cold since we changed our eating habits. All body odor left. I really have no need for deodorants anymore. Bad breathe is gone as well. My hair is healthier, no longer dry and brittle. My emotions and moods stay balanced. I can think clearer, like a brain fog lifted. Really, I could go on and on about the benefits. The more I think back to how I was two years ago and how I am now, I'm amazed. I lived on ibuprofens for cysts, headaches, cramps, back aches, etc. I haven't had a pill of any kind in more than 21 months. On top of all of this, I released over 55lbs of excess weight. I went from being lethargic and obese to being healthy and energetic.
The changes I've seen in Elijah have been just as amazing. He used to be tired and listless a lot. He didn't want to do anything and rarely had the energy to go out and play. He just wanted to sit around and play computer games or watch videos. He rarely sits at a game now. When the weather is nice (or even when it's not), he is begging to get out and ride his bike or play with the neighbors. He would cry whenever we had to go to the grocery store because it hurt him to walk around. At the age of 5, he still had to sit in a cart or stroller because he could not keep up. Now we can't keep up with him. His physical abilities have really improved on this diet. Besides that, he hasn't had seizures while adhearing to it. The only seizures he's experienced since being diagnosed 19 months ago was when I let him indulge in some processed foods over the New Year holiday. I have read many, many success stories of adults and children who have healed from many diseases (even epilepsy) by this same diet. I also have a personal friend who came off of 6 different seizure meds with raw foods.
I believe what makes this diet work isn't what I am eating, it lies in what I am NOT eating. When you remove the products that your body can't digest well (grains, beans, dairy, etc) and remove the products that cause adverse reactions in our bodies (MSGs, preservatives, sugars, additives, etc) then our bodies can function as they should. We have more energy because our bodies our not using as much of it's energy on digesting hard-to-digest foods. We feel better and think better because our brains aren't dealing with the assault of excitotoxins. We don't suffer from common colds, viruses, and infections anymore because our immune system isn't weakened by improper diet. When our bodies and digestive systems are functioning as they should, then they can absorb vitamins, nutrients, and minerals much better than before.
I hope this answers some of your questions. If you have more, feel free to ask. I actually started a raw food thread, so I may move this conversation over there so it will be easier to find in the future.