Tuesday, June 3, 2008

A good question from Greg


Greg brought this up just now, and I thought
it would be a good idea to share it with you all,
especially if you don't read the comments...

greg said...

Anthony, I am a professional jockey, and after witnessing the particular diet of an up and coming horse I am training with, I became inspired to be a raw foodist also. Basically, what the owners are doing, and this is so wonderful, they are not using any drugs or steroids, no horse feed, but this horse is being fed a %100 organic raw food diet, but he eats grass grown in mineralized soil also. The bill is through the roof, but the owners/trainer insist. So I noticed the keeper giving this horse MACA and then I put some in my juice. That same day, I saw the horse eating the blossoms off a black locust tree, they like the sweetness, hey just like you.

I have immense pressure on me to maintain a low weight, about 112lbs ideally, so my question is, how do you either get to or maintain such a low weight on a raw food diet? It is possible, I'm trying to live my life without counting calories, yet having enough energy to do my job which is exhausting and so far all the books I've read mention just how to stay on this diet, not maintain a certain physique. I'd like to be in harmony with nature and with my horse whom I spend so much time with.

-Greg

This is such a cool story! I mean really...really cool!
What a source of inspiration. Maybe Im just loopy because
I just woke up, but this is great.

Ive recently heard about trainers feeding the horses the wheatgrass
grown with diluted seawater (90 or 92 mineral wheatgrass)
and have been experiencing major results. Just a side note, and I will
write more about this later, no matter what you are eating, if the soil
in which the plants grow does not contain the minerals,
you cant get the minerals in your body. You can drink wheatgrass
juice all day, but if that grass isnt grown in good soil, youre missing out.

Ok...onto the question. Maintaining weight. Of course we are all
bio-chemically individual. Some burn food fast, others slow. I used to burn
fast, but when I turned 23 or so, I realized that it was pretty easy for me
to put on weight. That gave me the extra push to experiment with my diet.

Maintaining weight simply boils down to calorie imput vs. calories burned.
You can be 100% raw but be eating nuts and dried fruits and you WILL WILL
WILL
gain weight. Its just simple math.
But whats nice about raw is that by eating high-water content fruits
and leafy greens, is that you'll get the bulk without all the calories. Still feeling full.

If you want to stay light, here are 3-4 guidelines. Not rules, but observations
Ive picked up along the way on my own. Maintaining my weight of 165-170
is pretty crucial as well. Here it goes.

1. Drinking lots of water will keep your water retention LOW.
Think about this. When you are super hydrated, the body all of a sudden thinks:
"Hey! All is well...water is plentiful! I dont need to hold onto all this extra cellular water
weight anymore...there is plenty around, so lets shed some baggage..."

2. Working out before breakfast (consuming food energy) is usually the most challenging,
yet ironically, the most rewarding thing you can do in terms of your physique.

Your body will be forced to use stored energy (fat or sugar in your blood from
yesterday) to get you through the workout. This is incredible.
Whenever I had a few days to get ready for a big shoot, and I was feeling a little
puffy, I would make it a point to get to the gym, drink lots of water while there,
then have a nice breakfast afterwards. This is really rewarding.

3. Keep the nuts and dried fruits LOW. I wouldnt even really have this
stuff in the house if youre not ready for it. I have a 10lb tub of hemp
butter from Manitoba Harvest sitting in the freezer, and that is enough
temptation for me. I dont want to be popping brazil nuts in my mouth
like popcorn when 7 of them is 170 calories. OUCH! Thats dense!

High greens, high fruit, especially low sugar fruits like cucumber, okra,
tomatoes, sour apples, and berries. This is HUGE.

4. Eat light in the evenings. The earlier, the better. If you do eat heavy,
try to get some activity in before you retire for the night. If you can
get to the gym and do some treadmill while listening to an audio book,
thats GREAT. But even doing some light jogging-in-place in your room
while watching a documentary will burn the food you just ate.

I try to keep a ledger going in my mind about what Ive eaten, and
then what I need to do to burn it. I dont obsess about it, but intuitively
you'll know what you have to do. I break it down to a daily input-output idea.

If I ate a super heavy meal, I know that I have to be a little more active than
usual. If Ive been doing nothing but fruits and green smoothies, I know
that I can take it easy if I want to. It might sound complicated, but its just
instinct as you get used to it.

If anyone gets into these habits they will soon hopefully reach their
target weight, and at that point they can tweak it.
Less morning exercise...more nuts...whatever. But you
must pay attention. I dont really weigh myself, its more about
the look and the feel. You can just tell when you are happy where you're at.

Ok, thats about it. I LOVE the idea of the maca-drinking horse.
"UM...pardon me sir, I'll have what the horse is having. Thank you..."

-Anthony





30 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a really good post and very helpful. I've always wanted the mentality of a thin person, in that if they eat a heavy meal(s) the day before, they get right back on top of things instantly or the next day. I never really got this until I started to fill my day with fruits and vegetables. Now, I actually look forward to eating better! This just seemed to occur naturally, with little effort. Even if I eat an unhealthy cooked meal, I feel ok about it emotionally, because I know I won't do it again tomorrow because I don't want to. Before I used to beat myself up over it, which led to eating more and more bad food. I've found that I MUST start my day off properly by having a smoothie, or things just get screwed up.

~Anna

Anonymous said...

Hi Anthony,

This is really good information. I wonder if you have had any experience growing wheatgrass in the ground. I read that using the trays only produce mold and can be rather harmful, and the only way to get the true benefits is to grow them in good soil outdoors. What do you think?

Also, I thought you would really like this. You may have already heard of it, but it was astounding to me! Type in Paul Check Dirt 1 on YouTube. There are 9 parts all about 10 minutes long, but it is well worth your time to watch them.

Keep up the great blogs!

Melina

Anonymous said...

Anthony-I am at the lowest weight I have ever been in my life! I am a FFP (Formerly fat person) I tried everything to be thin. Raw made my body lean, mean and a size most people dream of. Since food was my drug of choice throughout my childhood, I didn't want to give it up. To maintain a super low weight, I eat 7 small meals a day. I start at 7 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. and eat every two hours. Now mind you a meal in the afternoon is a peice of watermelon, a small smoothie (very high calorie sometimes so I make it small) an apple with a small amount of raw almond butter (1 tsp) or a few nuts. For my three main meals I might have a small first course (maybe a small raw soup)a medium salad and a dehyrdrated treat or a course like the chili that Matthew Kenney's new raw cookbook has, or just a small wrap with a half cup of veggie juice. Once in a while I add a dessert. The desserts in raw can be very calorie dense so I cut it in half. In between those meals I add a glass of water. So, for a person that LOVES to eat and didn't want to give up my food, my waist size (I'm a girl) is 23 inches, and my hips are 33. Weight is around 105 and am 5'6" tall. As far as exercise, I try to walk at least 20 minutes every other day and do light weights and yoga stretch. The great thing about raw, is the cravings and ups and downs go away. It also eats all the fat off your body. Yipee!!!

Debbie Young said...

I love it! It's Mr Ed does raw!
deb :)

Anonymous said...

To be honest I don't see how anyone can eat any other diet except for raw foods because I have tried everything on the planet and this is the only thing that works. I have lost 55 pounds so far from my heaviest. Yet I do have a concern. I really want to be 100% raw but I was wondering how do I break the food addiction because this is keeping me from being 100% raw. I think in part superfoods might help to combat food addiction but for some reason I get tired of eating the same superfoods: ie vitamineral green, cacao, goji and beepollen. When I feel empty emotionally or get streesed or agitated I eat cooked carbs and even if its 50% raw I feel like crap the next day. It doesn't matter how much walking I do I end up gaining weight the next day.

The other concern I have is it feels as if there is such a sociological pressure to eat food for pleasure. What if we just break away from pleasure eating and just eat for sustinence. This might sound extreme but I feel as if I get into a trap anytime I eat for pleasure. Thanks for the vid. You look cute and that was the first time I've seen you wear white.
toodles- Beki

Anonymous said...

wow, anthony...you never cease to amaze me. this is just so helpful and informative.

especially reading about the horses..i am a horseback rider myself!


thanks! you are just a divine being.

'mila

Michelle said...

Anthony, excellent post! I am trying so hard to get in my run early, 6.45am or so every single day! Especially now that its getting really warm, i have no choice! Then i come home and have a light breakfast! Everything you said here resonates with me though! I'm not there on the evening exercise...after running 5-6 miles i feel spent! I do need to get in some upper body workouts! I'm pretty weak in that area!!! Thanks dude!
M

Anonymous said...

Beki, that was a great post. I do have to say one thing though....I think pleasure eating is one of my favorite joys. You really should try not to feel guilty when you dont stay 100% though, feel great that you are so healthy. If you are close to being 100% then you are doing awesome. If you know you are going to be eating a meal that might not be the healthiest, maybe eat lighter before that meal. For me when I used to feel guilty, that is when I would eat more and work out less. The guilty feelings brought me down. For some, maybe it makes them work harder but not for me. When I know I will be eating something that is denser, or cooked...then I make sure I am pretty empty so my body can try to digest quiker. I dont know if that is the right thing to do but it seems to make me feel better. I actually think that waiting until your stoumach is empty and growling is a good thing. It gives your stoumach and digestive system a good rest which also speeds your metabalism.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous you said: "So, for a person that LOVES to eat and didn't want to give up my food, my waist size (I'm a girl) is 23 inches, and my hips are 33. Weight is around 105 and am 5'6" tall."
you are inspiring! it is soooo weird for i am 5'6" and THAT is my exact goal weight and size! i have it posted with a 'goal' photo of myself. thank you for this! i feel like it was the universe saying "you see! it CAN happen for you too!!"
thank you. and thank you anthony again for your incredible blog.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Aaron. I feel the exact same way of giving the body a rest after eating cooked food. This is what I have done and it keeps me from being derailed from my progress. The reason why raw food is a lifestyle and not a diet is that it is a gradual change as appose to a diet you will do in the short run and then quit because you've lost all the weight. I keep instilling these ideas in my mind of doing gradual changes instead of just going cold turkey. I feel this is the only method that works for me.

Thanks - Rebeka

Anonymous said...

Hi Y'all!,

I don't recall under which post I recommended checking out Yanto, the bale cob expert. I don't think it's been posted yet, so I don't know. But I made a mistake, I misunderstood his name when my friend mentioned him to me. The gentleman's name is Ianto Evans and if you are interested you can check him out at www.cobcottage.com Seriously, bale cob is great. My best friend is obsessed with it! I'm about to start learning more! I've only helped to plaster cob at this point, but it was a great experience. Check it out! :0)

Peace,
Tash
X

katy said...

Greg... that is so lovely... what they are doing for the horse & that you want to be in harmony with it...
happy rides to you both...
mccoll&clan - just to get weirder for you those are my measurements & height too & i love to eat !!
thanks for everything Anthony
peace
kate

Anthony said...

Rebeka...its usually the only way for everyone. I tried 100% when I started, and although I maintained it most of the time, I still had deep cravings which led to some pretty spectacular crashes.

If you are craving...dont feel like its the end of the world to give in. Try to at least have a salad first, then if you are still craving, go for it if you must. Learning how to make raw treats, and especially raw cacao treats and ice cream helped me SO much. The more you know, the easier it is to control.

Best wishes always to you.

Anthony

Tash! Im thinking about Cob a little bit too...they are just so heavy to put directly on a deck. The yurts are so fast and light too, yet still warm. So little materials as well. Id love to build the cob place myself. I think Im going to do a little cob hut off in the woods next summer!!!

Anthony

Anonymous said...

kate-- wow! thatIS even weirder!it's giving me hope though! SO THANK YOU!

anthony--tHANK YOU for sharing your experience, when you first transitioned to raw. At this point, i am still 'waivering' or 'lingering' in this 80% range. but i just feel like, i just need to bite the bullet and GO 100% I never thought about incorporating raw treats when i get a cooked food craving. if you don't mind me asking, what do you suggest as a simple raw treat to make? and, where do you get the ice cream?

Anonymous said...

Anthony-Maca is my miracle food. I don't think a male likes to hear about female problems, but you have a mom, a sister and a girlfriend. So....I was having extreme female problems, so much so that they were going to remove my plumbing. I had a girlfriend that went in for the same type of problem, she had the operation and said things were fine. She suffered a great deal of pain and anguish during the procedure. I somehow felt deep in my heart that I could find a way that my body could fix it. At the time, I was not raw. I suffered so much that, at times, I thought that I would die. I somehow became raw. Don't ask me how, it was just meant to be. I didn't start maca right away, but somehow during my research I started putting it into my smoothies. In less than six weeks, my problem was GONE. I thought that there was no way that a simple powder could do the trick. I am stubborn, so, I stopped being totally raw and stopped maca to see what would happen. My pain and symtoms came back. After a really bad week, I thought I would have to go to the hospital. I started back on maca with raw and have never had the problem again. I read an article from a doctor that said that the hormones and drugs they give our cows (meat and milk products) digested by us can make us fat just like the farmer does to the animal before slaughter. I wonder what other things it is doing to our bodies. We as women are being used as ginnea pigs and have all sort of problems with our female cycles from our food source along with the chemicals from our enviornment on a daily basis. My friend, by the way, is having problems again. She eats meat and the SAD diet. The operation only helped for so long. So.. I started to ask women that had gone raw what type of reaction they had to maca and their female cycles. No pain, no mood swings, a breeze. I had a young family member that was told by her doctor that her body didn't produce enough hormones to have children. I said "TAKE MACA" she said within 3 weeks her body was normal. So, for me, menopause was a breeze, no surgury, no pain and the mood swings are a thing of the past. I still have my female organs and my young family member can have children. A side effect (or a gift) is I build muscle like I am in my early 20's. I wish I had done this years ago. I would have had a much easier time being a women. Not to leave the males out. Just to let you know, (which I am sure you do) maca is nature's viagra. I was extremely hesitant to introduce it to my brothers, (they can be dogs.. at times.. in a nice way) They both have told me that they are building muscle like they were 20 again. They are having a good love life. (I didn't ask the details). Yes, maca, with raw, is truly a great thing.

Sincerely,
A women that loves being a women

Anthony said...

Hi Mila...

Simple raw treat besides fruit...I would say cacao powder, agave or honey, and coconut oil...mix in nuts or seeds or dried fruits of your choice. Try to eat it earlier rather than later...it might be pretty stimulating and is a big heavy. But this should knock out any craving youll have.

The ratio? 1 part powder to 1 part coco oil...then add in agave to sweeten. If its too thin, add more powder. Then put it in the freezer for 30 min or so...youll be all set.

If I knew that back in the day, I would have avoided many ben & jerry's pints of sugar and mucous. Please avoid that.

Much thanks for saying hello...

Anthony

Anonymous said...

random: did you know Jason Mraz is raw?? I thought that was cool, and I wonder if there are other "mainstream" celebrities that are?

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=4818814

to see his blogs about it....

Anonymous said...

Right on, Anthony! SOOO COOL. YAY. By the way, just sunscribed to your YouTube channel under "Rawgini". Oh, and by the way again, I just finished reading the FAQ's at cobcottage.com and the guy, Ianto, who runs the site and his wife, Linda...they are living in a cottage that they built for $500 total! (And Kev told me that the Ianto and Linda live on $7,000/year. He's been to their workshops.) I'm borderline obsessed w/ the cob right now, teehee...but I agree, yurts are amazing too! We have a great little yurt company here in Montana that I've heard about.

Deb, you're funny. Mr. Ed, haha! I used to watch that as a little girl. Mr. Ed does raw! Right on!
:-p

:0)

LOVE

Anonymous said...

teabowbraine on YouTube. Great subscription, Anthony! SO TRUE. I recommend teabowbraine on YouTube, everyone! Cheers to peace and truth!

NAMASTE,
tash
X

Anonymous said...

Hey Anthony. I went to whole foods yesterday and ate pizza. I came home and realized that I can easily transition to 100% raw when I'm well equiped. So I plan to get a food dehydrator soon. I have a Breville juicer which totally rocks! I make carrot juice for my dad. So now I'm ready to be 100% again.

Thanks- Rebeka
I think every step of the way we are evolving in our own way in the Raw Foods Family
Rawkstars rule!- thanks for maca tip I'll be tryin it

Anonymous said...

Anthony,
I saw a little segment on Raw on E! a while ago. It got me curious. Last semester I wrote my comp II essay on Raw. I used your site, (I cited you!)for some of the information. I still read frequent your site because I am so interested. I have to ask. I am 24 and very pretty but I have one burden to bear. My skin. I am always battling my complexion. I saw lots of research and opinions saying there is an improvement in the skin. I do imagine my diet does adversely affect my skin with the sugar and fried foods and such. My concern, however, is the acidity. Did/does the acidity of the fruits and veggies affect you? Dryness, etc? Your skin is flawless. I envy that.

Anonymous said...

Wow - there are some really awesome comments on here. To a "woman who loves being a woman," that's a great story!

How much maca powder do you put in your smoothie? A tablespoon? Anthony, I found some maca powder on mountainroseherbs.com; would you recommend getting it there?

Also, question about wheatgrass. Is taking it in powder form ok? I got some from mountain....com, and I only put a little bit in my smoothies (like a teaspoon), because I can't stand the taste. Is such a small amount going to be beneficial? What do you recommend?

THANKS!!!

~Anna

Anonymous said...

anthony,
thank you! i am going to my local health food store today and trying this out.

you are just so kind!! ^______^

Debbie Young said...

Hey A
Thanks for the bday love.. did you get in touch with John Wells , the off the gird texas guy, ex photographer?
He is an amazing dude, I am going to blog about him soon!
love deb
ps when are you in LA next?

Anthony said...

Shauna, yeah Ive heard about this Jason Mraz guy...honestly I have no idea who he is. I guess thats what happens when you just rent netflix and read books and listen to your same old stuff on the ipod. Im really unplugged when it comes to pop culture these days.

Is he in a band or something? Im glad he is bringing it to the masses as well.

Thanks for putting up the link too!

Anthony

Anthony said...

Rebeka...pizza was probably my last thing to let go of. I actually ate an entire pizza even after I went raw. I would get into these downward spirals sometimes...especially when feeling lonely and I didnt know what to make, so naturally like any addict I would reach for the old vice. It was so amazing to observe how I was acting...I felt out of control really for the first time in my life.

Food is MUCH stronger than we ever give it credit for...or maybe its so strong because it has been a lifelong habit. Both are likely the case.

The dehydrator will put a lot of fun into raw foods...it will help alot. Just balance it out with high-water content foods :)

Anthony

Anthony said...

Debbie! From what I remember, I did talk to him. Seems like a long time ago though.

Hey! Im coming to LA on Wednesday the 11th for a job with Pioneer. I dont know how long I'll be there though.

Two days max. Just when Im getting back to Minnesota, I have to leave again. Yeesh...

Work is work though.

Do more posts!!! :)

Anthony

Debbie Young said...

Anthony
Contact me if you have time for Cru while you are here!
I know, I just did a new post, I have been super duper busy, but daily posts are a must, love yours!
deb

Anonymous said...

That gent Jason Mraz is great, I love him. His music is SOOO HAPPY. His duet, the first song on his MySpace, called "Lucky", I love it! Just my two cents. Goodness, I'm talkative on here right now, aren't I? Oh, well. LOVE!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=4818814

I know what you mean about having a tendency to listen to the same old things, A. I do that too. It is nice to have fresh stuff thrown into the mix here and there, however, I'm discovering as of late. I'm being kinda' random about things I check out here and there as of late.

PEACE,
tash
X

Anonymous said...

"I'm Yours" sounds pretty cool, too. (Second on the MySpace page.) In fact, I might like it best on second thought. It might just be one of my favourite songs now, come to think of it. Some lyrics:

"Well, open up your mind and see like me. Open up your plans and, damn, you're free. Look into your heart and you will find love, love, love. Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing. We're just one big family. And it's our God forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved. So I won't hesitate no more, no more...it cannot wait, I'm sure. There's no need to complicate our time, I'm sure."

Great beat too. Woohoo, Jason Mraz, for bringing raw awareness to the gorgeous music scene! YAY!
:0)Right on. ;-)

CHEERS TO LIFE EVERYBODY ~ !,
tash
X

Postscript: Can you tell through my written words, A...My consciousness level/ vibration of energy is on the rise! It's only up from here! :0)Thank God for raw foods. This blessed lifestyle is helping tremendously.

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