The Perfect Diet
The Perfect Diet
Hey POPsters!
I know a lot of us are in search of “the one”. There are many “the ones” I could be alluding to but the one that I am talking about today focuses on the relationship between you and your stomach.
There are so many diets out there…Atkins, Low Fat, Low Carb, High protein, Vegan, Raw Vegan, Paleo, South Beach… I mean the list goes on and on and on. Which one actually works? Well the truth is…our bodies are so unique that not one of these will work for all of us. It begins with getting to know yourself and what foods mesh with you and which ones just twist your stomach.
The reason why I am talking about this today is because last past weekend I took a full day raw vegan un-cooking course. As you all know, I love eating vegan as much as I can because I love fresh fruits and veggies. I wasn’t taking the class to be “converted” or anything but it did inspire my culinary creativity.Take a look at what we made!!
Collard Green Wraps!
These were soooo delicious! Zucchini, carrots, onions, and mushrooms wrapped inside a huge leaf!
I’ve never made fresh homemade marinara before and this below my mind. RIDIC. Will have to share this recipe later.
Mini portabella mushrooms filled with guac and micro greens over Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (soy sauce).
This was so sweet! I ended up drinking a quart of water after my first bite. HAHAHA. That’s raisins and walnuts mashed up as the base. Frosting is just dates and lemon juice. CRAZY!!
This class was very special because the instructor didn’t make anyone feel like they had sinned if they ate meat or anything cooked. What’s even more special though is that she told us…it’s probably not the healthiest to be 100% raw vegan.
Why?
After years of being raw, she developed cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Now she has to eat a lot of meat proteins. She said that had she had known, perhaps 20% cooked and 80% raw may have been the best diet for her.
Going raw doesn’t make you get cancer, don’t jump to conclusions…but if you’re thinking that there is one perfect diet that will help cleanse you and make you lose weight…there isn’t! Every one is so different. We all react differently to what we ingest. And it all depends what our goals are. If you want to be a body builder or fitness model, you’re gonna need more protein than a normal person trying to be healthy. There have been very successful vegan or even raw vegan competitors. We need to learn how to sculpt our diets towards our lifestyles. Don’t go too extreme that your body becomes deficient in something that it cannot defend itself or function properly anymore. And you’ve got to be careful…because you may not feel it now but 20 years down the road…every bit builds up and boom – something could happen.
Look – remember what I said? Food is your medicine and medicine is your food. You need to be careful of what you put into your body and here’s the key thing – PAY ATTENTION to what it does to you and how you feel. You are your best doctor, but you have to be conscious. If it works, eat more of it. It it makes your stomach turn and you go to bed crying, stop eating it, even if it tastes good.
For me…things that make me feel sick from what I can tell so far are milk and wheat gluten (sad because I love it in Chinese dishes).
What things make your stomach turn? Or do you have a mighty digestive system that can take down anything!!???
After much conversation and reading, what I can conclude is that what is healthiest for our bodies are:
– fresh fruits and veggies (organic if you can, but best is garden grown at home)
– water
Everything else seems like people can say one thing good and then you’ll find books and articles saying it’ll kill you. Ha. Did you know you could overdose on superfoods? Like overmedicate yourself on certain veggies etc? It’s nuts but it’s true. There is no perfect diet or perfect food that will work miracles for everyone…you need to educate yourself on nutrition and use your body to test what works and what doesn’t.
So far, eating clean seems to be a very good diet but beyond just losing weight and giving yourself nutrients…you need to pay attention to your digestive health as well. If you take stuff in and you can’t excrete the toxins daily, there is a problem. Western medicine tells you that if you can go once every 3 days it’s normal but ummm…who wants to hold in waste for that long? The toxins could potentially enter back into your bloodstream making you feel sick and sluggish. You’ve got to keep it moving inside and outside. Stagnation is bad in any sense of the word.
Keep exercising, drinkin, water, and eating tons of fresh produce. In what ratios, I cannot tell you. You need to take the knowledge and the tools and apply them yourself!
Eat well!!!
<3 Cassey
102 thoughts on “The Perfect Diet”
There are 102 comments posted by our users.
Thank you so much Cassey <3 I'm trying out a Paleo diet and its difficult to figure out what to eat. Perhaps its the transition period that's making me feel bad, but I'll definitely listen to my body and adapt as necessary! I'm so glad you've posted this as I needed it. There's just too many opinions and no real answer out there. No perfect diet.
From time to time I am trying different diets. When I start new diet, it is always harder for me to keep the rythm of my trainings. However, I’ve discovered an effective way to improve my overall well-being and increase energy for more intensive workouts. It’s a dietary supplement Multipurpose High-Potency Super Nutritional Complex by Military Grade. It contains a bunch of vitamins and other natural compounds which quickly refill my energy supply. I could never expect such an outstanding result! I am full of energy, even after tough workouts. Moreover, because of more intensive trainings I am losing weight and keeping great shape.
I love eating RAW delicious food. Did it for 6 months at the beginning of the year and never felt better. Then winter hit us here in Perth, Australia and felt the need for warm food. Going back to raw food soon.
Looks delicious, really appreciate sharing the recipes. Great blog.
I wish that woman a full & speedy recovery. There’s really no way to say that any certain thing about her life or diet caused the illness. It could be heavily genetic as well. I think there is a tendency for people to jump to conclusions about people’s diet and lifestyle upon hearing a cancer diagnosis, and honestly, I wonder if just breathing city air could do it.
It’s a good reminder for those of us (often younger) people, who can get carried away with whatever approach to diet we think is best: Anyone can get sick. We will all eventually leave this world. Eating healthy food and exercising improves our quality of life, and reduces the risk of getting certain diseases, or getting them at a younger age. The marathon-running, healthy eating, 40-something wife of my friend just passed away from cancer and left a 10-year-old son behind. She never regretted having taken care of herslef. It’s not time wasted! Eat what makes your body feel good and energized. Enjoy a treat now and then– life is short!
Yes! Thank you. This is exactly what people need to hear. We spend too much time trying to convince each toehr to go carbless because we lost 20 pounds, or to go vegetarian because we lost 25 pounds. We need to understand that we are all different.
I’m glad you addressed how even healthy diets can be bad for you in excess. A friend of my mother’s was an extremely healthy woman–exercised 5 days a week, ate nothing processed, and limited her diet to fruits, vegetables, vitamin supplements, and the occasional lean poultry when she wanted to get crazy. She was in great shape, but ended up being hospitalized several years later because her body had begun to shut down. It didn’t know what to do with all of the excess nutrients she had!! Instead of utilizing them, her body went into panic mode. You CAN have too much of a good thing. Should we eliminate nutrients to avoid this situation? Absolutely NOT! But there’s always the need for balance in ours diets. A well-rounded diet=a well-rounded body.
Great article, Cassey! You’re an inspiration to all of us. 🙂
Cassey, I would love to see a blog post about the pros and cons of cooking your vegetables! The best way to cook them without zapping out all the nutrients, which ones are better to cook and which ones are best when left raw. I’m sure you would have a great take on this, especially after taking raw classes and all of your healthy food background knowledge. You’re so awesome, keep up the great work!
wow! many thanks for that amazing post. I really beloved it with the main. Hope you keep submitting these types of fantastic article content
Hey Cassie, I’m kind of confused about that person’s health regarding cancer from raw vegan food. I think it’s worse to eat protein during her cancer stage because that actually feeds the cancer cells in the body. Meat is a more toxic form of protein and the cancer cells feed off of that as well as sugar. I hope she doesn’t eat too much meat. Meat and milk should technically be avoided. I agree that each person can find their own diet in a sense cause there is no one size fits all. I like the paleo diet but at the same time while I don’t eat wheat or try not to, I’m fine eating other grains that my body needs as a form of good carbs. Anyway, love your videos! I haven’t done your exercises yet but thinking of give them a try. Followed you on twitter too if you like you can follow me back: @lunge4chocolate
Danielle
the key to having the perfect diet is being able to have food that tastes good but is still good for your body. Even healthy can taste like coconut cream pie or tiramisu. Here are my favorite healthy versions
I actually have them for breakfast 🙂
http://healthyrevelations.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/coconut-cream-pie-inspired-breakfast/
http://healthyrevelations.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/identical-to-tiramisu-healthy-breakfast/
I was sad to finally conclude, after years of extreme bloating, “not being able to go”, and skin troubles, that dairy and wheat are just terrible for me. I can eat small amounts of dairy if I take a ton of lactaid pills, but I don’t like to do that often, even though it’s just an enzyme (the pills are expensive). However, a few months in, and I’ve discovered so many other delicious, healthier options. I even figured out how to make nondairy, gluten-free vegetable lasagna, which sounds like a punishment, but my friends who ate it didn’t even know until I told them! It’s become a fun challenge, and I don’t miss the misery and basketball stomach.
I can’t eat mushrooms. That’s something that comes out the same way it got in. My stomach does not digest them. And i love eating raw cauliflower but it gives me the most biggest stomach cramps.
I try to eat more protein. I don’t know how you can go wrong with that. I have never heard anyone ever having problems when they focus on eating more proteins. Because protein is good for muscles and muscles are good basically to burn fat and i mean you just can’t go wrong with protein 😀 It’s good for any situation!
ALL “diets” are a load of crap. The healthiest thing to do is to just listen to your body, what it’s craving, your emotions etc. Expelling a certain food group from my diet has never once made me better. I don’t eat much wheat because I have IBS but I sure as hell could live without my 2 slices of Food Doctor bread I have a few times a week. Just everything in moderation, but this society is so messed up, moderation is like a myth.
HELLO VEGANISM IS NOT A DIET IT IS A LIFESTYLE NOT ANOTHER FAD
Hey! Could you compose a quick 10-15 min workout for those of us that sit at a desk all day that we can do right at the desk? That way we can take a quick break and if we are too tired after the 9-5 we don’t feel too guilty?!
Thanks! Lauren
Ever read The China Study?
Oh my gosh thank you for writing this! It’s great to hear a voice that ISN’T categorically saying don’t eat meat/gluten/dairy/whatever. Everyone is different.
I love cooking and will often use Paleo and Vegan recipes as well as the ones I grew up with (British) and ones I learned in my current location (Southern). Over the years, I have adjusted my diet – less sugar, a little more protein, sometimes almond milk instead of cow’s, etc. – but I don’t see the need to cut anything out. I’m a healthy weight, I have good hair/skin/nails and I’m rarely sick. So when people start harping on at me about how it’s sooo unhealthy to consume meat or dairy I just roll my eyes.
However, I do have some considerations with what food I eat: cost and expiration date. I absolutely could not do the Paleo diet because food is very expensive in my town – I simply do need to stretch out my food with grains. I’m also reliant on other people to take me to the grocery store, which means I batch cook and freeze a lot of meals rather than just eating fresh all the time. On another note, I grew up drinking tea with (cow’s) milk, and that’s a cultural tradition I just can’t let go of.
In talking about the “perfect” diet or what is “most healthy”, the conversation often forgets those who are NOT privileged. It’s great that we all want to reach for optimum health, but I would love to hear more about how to help those who struggle to eat well on a small budget.
Jodie,
Just read your post and I just think it’s fantastic on so many facets. I completely agree that your diet is your own. I’m a lacto-ovo-vegetarian and have been for 6 years. It’s not for health, it’s because I believe animals have a right to live. I always leave my meat-eaters alone because I believe diet is a personal choice as much as politics or religion. However, it seems everyone has an opinion on my living style and has the right to make their own criticisms about how I eat. It makes me uncomfortable. Always the same comments. The same jokes. “Hey don’t eat that doughnut! It has bacon in it.” -___-
Also, I have my blood tested yearly. It covers glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, protein, B vitamins, red blood cell count, and a lot of other medial jargon I can’t remember. Medically, there’s nothing wrong with my diet. My protein sources vary from nuts to seeds to dairy to eggs to plants (whereas most people just assume soy, soy, soy!). My friends and acquaintances can comment all they want, but I’m not really worried as long as My Diet > Average American Diet.
My budget for food is very, very small. About $100-150 a month. I know what it’s like to really have to be careful on what to spend. Veggie burgers? Once every few months. Almond milk? Even less. Fresh veggies? I’ll take frozen. Almond meal? Coconut flour? I’ll pass. I try to avoid anything sold in a can., but I’ll buy a soup here and there. Lots of fresh fruits. Lots of eggs. I switch between kefir, greek yogurt, and cottage cheese (all of which spoil like 4-6 weeks after purchase). I’ll spoil myself with hummus and nuts. But I definitely agree that eating well on a small budget is hard.
You know, I become very sick of people who eat super-healthy, all-organic, “don’t buy oreos, buy organic non-gmo oreos” type of people. I agree with them, but come on get real. Not everyone can afford all-organic, non-gmo, raw, blessed-by-monks almond butter.
Lastly, I’ve never had milk in tea.
“I always leave my meat-eaters alone because I believe diet is a personal choice as much as politics or religion.”
It’s funny you should say that. I’ve had two friends with with fairly aggressive views on vegetarianism. One was a vegetarian herself, and always insisting that vegetarians are automatically healthier than anyone else because there are so many hormones in meat. The other was against vegetarianism on the basis that vegetarians “just eat cheese and bread all the time.” I always wanted to introduce them to each other because they argued in the exact same way about opposite points.
I respect those who do not eat animals or animal products due to their beliefs. However, I have a quibble with this. This isn’t an attack on you/vegetarianism by any means, just food for thought (ha), but I think that the food industry’s ugliness does not stop at meat. I’m thinking of crop farming which destroys wildlife, unfair trade practices for milk and the price of products going up for developing countries when they become more popular in rich countries. Barbara Kingsolver talks about some of this in “Animal Vegetable Miracle”, although her solution to eat seasonably, grow/raise your own and patronize farmer’s markets obviously doesn’t work for impoverished communities.
Sometimes I feel like there is just no way to be entirely moral with your food choices, especially when money is a factor. I think it’s important for all of us to do our best within our means but not to judge the choices that other people make.
As for the tea – if you ever go to England, remember to ask for it WITHOUT milk. People will do it automatically!
when is the march calendar gonna be here?!
Mmmm those look so good! Maybe I will be able to make one some day :). My parents don’t really like the whole clean eating thing, so their is constantly candy, cookies, and other stuff in my home. I ignore it however! There might be cookies sitting on the kitchen table, but I would rather opt for carrots.
Over the last couple years, I have discovered that too much of ice cream, candy, chocolate, cookies, cheesecake, chips, and a lot of other icky stuff like that makes me feel sick. So, I treat myself to them every once in a while, but I avoid them most of the time! I wish I could eat more veggies though
I really need help to adapt your workout calendar ! I only got 40min to workout during the week 🙁
Then only do as much of the videos as you can! 40 minutes will still provide you with a great workout.
This is great timing since my heartburn experience (which I seldom ever have) after my YOLO/splurge meal before game day this past wkend! Although I’ve been cutting back on the unhealthy goods, this was a wake-up call (literally – since I couldn’t sleep) to seriously eat more wisely… Btw, I’m finally doing my #FeelFabFeb #DreamMail homework to wrap up this mo of Feb <3 Can't wait for next mo's calendar =)
I have been sick tha last 2 years now… I have very little energy, my stomach hurts and I feel sick. I’m alergic too milk and gluten. For a week ago I went to a doctor and he gave me a diet. No sugar and eat clean. I have don that for a week (except Sunday, I had birthday), and I have lost 2 kg! I hope the diet works and that I get energy to work out again!
I really loved this post Cassey! It really spoke to me. You’ll HAVE to share that marinara recipe. I am totally obsessed with marinara sauce!
For me, I’ve found time of day is more important than anything. I can eat pretty much anything, but after late afternoon I try to avoid dairy, especially late at night because if I eat it right before bed I wind up feeling sluggish in the morning. When that does happen though, I usually start the day with some greek yogurt and workout and I feel fine! The only other stuff that bothers my stomach is when food is too salty or greasy (i.e. fast food). The absolute worst is soy sauce, which pretty much just tastes like liquid salt to me 🙁
I’ve just recently started trying to eat only what doesn’t make me feel bad. I’m not doing very well at it, though, since I like everything that I’m finding my body doesn’t get along with XD
My body doesn’t like greasy pizza (homemade is fine, unless I make it with whole wheat crust), eggs (if they’re cooked into something, like a cake, I don’t have any problems), too much sugar, or pop. And if I eat a banana too fast, I get stomach cramps.
Forgot to mention, can you give us the recipe for the collard wraps….. and the rest of the stuff? All of it looks really good XD
“…our bodies are so unique that not one of these will work for all of us. It begins with getting to know yourself and what foods mesh with you and which ones just twist your stomach….but if you’re thinking that there is one perfect diet that will help cleanse you and make you lose weight…there isn’t! Every one is so different. We all react differently to what we ingest.”
Love it. It’s so true: all of our bodies are different. Each one of our bodies needs different things and as you said, reacts differently to them. There is no one-size-fits-all diet or lifestyle, because there is no one-size-fits-all type of person!
I personally have issues with dairy. However, my reactions are only severe if I eat it in a very straightforward way, like drinking a glass of milk, or eating a significant amount of cheese. Yogurt actually doesn’t bother me (my doctor says it’s because of the live cultures, which aid digestion) and neither do things like chowders and cream sauces (although, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a significant amount of cream sauce in one sitting :0 ). I’ve begun to notice that some breads, especially overly processed ones, will bloat me some, but I’ll have to give it some time and look into it a little more.
I love that you’re promoting body awareness, Cassey! Learning about your body is as integral a part of the health journey as any. I wish more people would come to understand that, as opposed to following a “fad” and becoming discouraged when it doesn’t work for them.
Keep doing what you’re doing; it’s great to see things like this! 🙂
Excellent post! I really needed to hear this because I haven’t found “the one” diet yet. I can however focus on eating cleaner foods, fruits, veggies and getting my water in. If that’s the key then I don’t need a plan. Very informative!
The biggest enemies to my nutrition are sugar, fake sugars like splenda (I use honey, maple syrup and cane sugar now), fast food and msg. Fried foods from restaurants and Chinese take out are really bad. Everything else seems ok in moderation. I have noticed the cleaner I eat the more things like mayo, sour cream, etc. start to bother me. Also, I would LOVE to find a suitable alternative to my coffee creamer. I make my own and can taste the chemicals in store bought now, but it still has sugar in it.
Have you tried Vanilla Almond milk? You can get it unsweetened.
Tiffany, what about organic half & half in your coffee? That’s what I’ve started using and it’s pretty good. I’ve also seen non-dairy organic versions made from soy, almond, or coconut milk. I used to make my own too with half milk and half sweetened condensed milk and that stuff was WAY too sweet for my tastes, which is why I switched. I agree with you though, store bought creamer is too chemical filled. The last time I tried a “natural” store bought creamer I wound up dumping it because it tasted so gross.
For me its more times of the day than certain foods. After about one i find it really hard to eat a regular sized meal, and i hate the feeling of being overfull with a passion so to much food, or eating at the wrong time might be my downfall.
Quote for the day: “you need to educate yourself on nutrition and use your body to test what works and what doesn’t ”
That’s all said, I think.
Thank youl
Hey! Great Post! And that cooking class looks amazing, I’m thinking about taking one as well to learn how to make healthy raw foods.
I am a vegetarian myself and am trying to cut out as many “animal products” as possible. However, I notice that when I’m not eating things like yoghurt and low fat churd cheese (is this a word?I’m not a native speaker…) I feel weak and slow, especially when I work out a lot. I can’t seem to balance this with soya products either. So I’m glad you posted this, now I’m even more certain that it’s better to listen to your own body instead of strictly following one diet.
I also wanted to add to your post that I love how so many in the comments are saying that they changed to being vegans or vegetarians! Not because this is “the best diet” but because it’s good for the environment, too. I think that eating environmental friendly is an important factor that we should pay attention to in our diets, not just the factor of our own health (obviously, that comes first). So even if you can afford the nicest steaks that come from the happiest cow ever, you shouldn’t eat that a lot because it produces a crazy amount of CO2.
I also NEVER throw food away and only buy food in moderation so I don’t waste anything.
Hey!
No, churd is not a word. I think you meant to say ‘curd cheese’. 🙂
Great post! I myself had to find out that the most important thing is to listen to your body. In 2010 I discovered that I suffer from lactose intolerance (though suffer might not seem the right term as it is quite easy to avoid milk sugar). Then, one year later, I was diagnosed with fructose malapsorption. There are almost no veggies and fruits that I can digest. Green salads, avocados and papayas are ok, zucchini/eggplants/potatoes/some mushrooms/peas/rhubarb in small amounts, and even smaller amounts of tangerines, lychees, raspberries, redcurrants and bananas. Plain sugar, too, consists of 50% fructose. I even had to change my toothpaste because of the sugar alcohols.
Unfortunately I’m still getting worse, so in a few days I’m going to be tested for celiac disease.
But because of regular workouts I was able to recover my appetite so that I can maintain a healthy weight. I’ve got to say that you are such an inspiration, Cassey, and that it’s at least partially thanks to you that I’m succeeding in living as healthily as possible under these circumstances.
Thank you.
I think I pretty much have the mightiest digestvie system. I call it my steel stomach. It takes everything and anything and never feels bad. It kinda makes it difficul to decide what I should and shouldn’t eat. I’ve never felt bad ever eating, never had food poisoning (!) even after eating fast food in shady restaurants 😀
unfortunately i have a very UNmighty digestive system. i try to eat clean as much as i can, but sometimes even that doesn’t work for me. if i eat a little too much of one thing, i get sick. it kind of sucks, but i’m learning to deal with it. (greek yoghurt might be one of the best discoveries i’ve made in my life, lol).
Have you tried drinking/sipping a cup of hot water (boiled) in the morning before eating your breakfast and as the last thing before going to bed? Also fresh mint in hot water is supposedly good for a healthy digestion… And a find porridge being the best friend of the stomach in the morning, heh Millet and buckwheat are my favourite at the moment with flaxeed oil mixed in just before serving (it doesn’t leave a bad taste to the porridge either!)
I’m seeing a lot of people here have issues with dairy, much like myself. That must say something huh?
I have pretty much the worst digestive system ever though! I have like a bad acid reflux or whatever so anything that produces acid pretty much will have me feeling like I have a burst appendix or ruptured spleen, and even my respiratory system suffers and I have to take acid blockers just to breathe! My ideal diet is the restricted list approved for anyone with an ulcer but I keep fighting on to eat a normal balanced and healthy vegetartarian diet. I love my citrus fruits, caffeine, garlic, onions..etc and I have found that some things hat have helped with digestion, besides the otc blockers, are oil pulling therapy and/or taking a tablespoon of olive oil on an empty stomach, of course drinking lots of water, and sometimes massaging my belly for 10 minutes.
I am something of a body builder, at least part time anyway and I get a lot of protein from egg whites, tofu, soy protein, greek yogurt, nuts, and quinoa. Funny thing about overdosing on superfoods- a few months ago just after introducing quinoa into my life, I started having a problem digesting it. I bought the pre washed kind so I just cooked and ate it as it was and never thought about it until one day my stomach just started screaming. I read on the internet that yes a lot of people have developed a sensitivity to it after a while so I took a break from it and when I took another chance, I went ahead and washed the quinoa again anyway before cooking and was able to eat without worry again. I don’t understand why it was so irritating if it was alreaady washed before I bought it, but always wash your own quinoa people! The box lies!
wow!! i had no idea that unwashed quinoa could do that to you! thanks for the tip.
Hi there,
I have two small children and while I was pregnant with the first one, I read an article on how most of the people of Asian origin lack a certain enzyme to digest milk/dairy products. Which is why people should watch their babies carefully if/when they replace mommy’s milk with formula!
Hi Kimberly! I have problems with my digestion too, and I have acid reflux, but one thing that has helped me alot is slippery elm powder. Have you tried that? I usually drink it in the morning mixed just with hot water, but you can also mix it in your smoothies or juices. It takes some of that acid and makes it easier on the stomach. I’m also vegan btw and on a mostly gluten-free diet…
Thank Maria! I haven’t tried the elm powder or even heard of it but it definitely sounds like it’s worth a shot so I will look into it 🙂
I personally do not eat any meat, except fish. I am half Japanese, so I love my fish <3
I love seaweed also. I love making my seaweed salad. It makes my body feel clean.
I think I am one of those people who could eat anything and won't really get sick. I love milk. I love cheese. Mmmm. Haha.
I love my veggies and fruits. In fact, most of my diet is consisted of veggies and fruits.
seaweed is aaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeessssssssssoooooooooooommmeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I seem to be on about the same page as you, Cassie. Milk makes me feel sick to my stomach often times, and wheat gluten gives me MAD heartburn. It sucks when I go home to visit my parents on the weekends and they order pizza or something, and I eat it to be polite and then suffer the burn!
I agree, there’s no one-size-fits-all dietary regime, it’s all a matter of personal choice since everyone’s body handles different food differently, and it’s all about finding what works best for you. I find that I like the Paleo diet, but I also like my rice and corn, garbanzo beans, and sheep yogurt. I also don’t bode well with dairy or gluten! They give me tummy aches 🙁 to say the least
PS Those collard green wraps look amazing! I’ll have to try them! (I need lunches that are easy to eat on the run because my schedule doesn’t allow for a lunch period)
You are actually the best, thanks for sharing ♡
Good post, Cassey. I’ve been toying with the idea of going “mostly vegan,” though I have yet to define the boundaries of the “mostly.” I don’t believe in 100% denying myself anything, because if I tell myself I have to abstain, I will want it more. For things that actually don’t make me feel well, and I have GERD so there are a fair amount, I know where my limits are in consuming them. The only thing I really regret eating every time are instant noodles, which make me feel bloated and sick and awful no matter what.
Those collard wraps look sooo good. Looks energizing, could you possibly share the recipe of exactly how it’s prepared. I love leafy wraps. Typically my take on diets are that none of them will work if you look at it as temporary. I look at it as a lifestyle change, as many do. Recently, I have become more curious into putting together a new way of eating that will at least spare me from some of ailments that have traversed my hereditary lines. I don’t plan on becoming “vegan” at this point, but for sure, I want to become more of a vegetarian.
THANK YOU for this post! I have been hearing everyone talk about what they eat and don’t eat and I have been trying to figure out where I fit in. It’s honestly been so hard and frustrating. After reading this though, I will now ONLY focus on listening to my body and figuring out what works for me. THANK YOU. I hope you know how much you are appreciated!!!!!
yummm! the first dish looks delish!
Thank you so much for this post, Cassey! Everyone needs to hear this message regardless of their health/fitness goals.
I became a vegan for health reasons two years ago, and since then I have gradually been eliminating processed foods – not because I have been trying to make myself do so, but because I have noticed how bad they make me feel. Several weeks ago I even concluded that I have become sensitive to white flour, even though I used to eat it on a daily basis. Now I get stomachaches and a headache any time I eat more than a few bites. Corn syrup, MSG, dairy (when I accidentally consume it) and too much sugar seem to do the same thing. This effect may be psychosomatic, but I’m still going to listen to my body and continue to eat food that makes me feel energetic and light, instead of sluggish and heavy.
I would recommend trying out vegan foods to everyone, but this diet is certainly not suited for the majority of the population. I am lucky enough that I love all healthy foods, and have even started to enjoy them far more than the processed junk I used to eat on a daily basis.
Anyway, sorry for the rant; I just related to this post a lot. Thank you for sharing it with us!
What my stomach is intolerant to is something I have been trying to figure out for a year or so on. Ever since I moved abroad four years ago, I have stopped being able to digest dairy products, especially cheese. So, I cut it out of my diet almost completely. However, there is something in my diet that is still causing my stomach discomfort and I cannot seem to figure out what it is. It’s driving me nuts! I hate feeling bloated almost every day. I am considering going to the doctor and having them do a test to see what kinds of food I am intolerant to.
I cannot tell you what a relief it is to hear you say this. I get so tired of people saying this diet is it, or that diet will do it, or whatever. I’ve found I need to experiment. That can be frustrating that I don’t get immediate results, but I get more information on what works for me in the long term. Thank you for basically telling people to do what works for you. Blessings to you as you enable people to live healthier.
Yes, I am learning this as well!
I end up feeling sick when I eat dairy, and occasionally gluten. I got tested by my doctor a few years ago, and he basically said I was intolerant to most foods, gluten and dairy being the big ones. I’ve found that as long as I eat gluten in moderation (I pretty much only eat it in the morning when I have oatmeal), I’m okay, and I’ve been avoiding dairy. Since eating clean and really trying to eat (and like) more vegetables, I’ve found I feel sick if I eat too many raw vegetables. I’m still learning how to say no to cravings for the foods that trigger reactions — I love frozen yogurt, for example, knowing the end result. I have a mind-body disconnect, and it’s like I don’t care about getting a stomach ache after or feeling bloated, I eat it anyway, knowing, and self-sabotaging.
Hi Jennifer!
I read your post and I see myself in so much of what you say!
Do you know there is gluten free oatmeal? 🙂
I am gluten and lactose intolerant, but my doctor could never help me figuring out what to do about it! So I quit on my own and I haven’t regretted it for a day!
I recommend you try for a while to live completely gluten and dairy free! It may take a while to notice the benefits since your body will need to fix itself, but it will get used to it and then you will probably see a difference! (In the beginning you could take enzymes to help you digest your food better)
Anyways I switched to a totally gluten and dairy free diet this summer and it changed my life completely! I could finally eat a meal without dreading the after effects.
Since the gluten and dairy free diet worked so well, I ended up switching to a gluten free vegan diet (only adjustment was to quit meat and eggs!) And I recommend that too!
Just remember it takes some time for the body to adjust!
Don’t give up right away if your stomach seems upset, its just getting used to working with more fiber^^ Anyways I hope you will try it! There is a lot of benefits.
To quit eating the frozen yogurt, you can get some vegan icecream to substitute it with. It’s really good 🙂 Kroger’s has a kind made with almond milk and a kind made with coconut milk.
Hi Jennifer,
Just like Lillian said, it takes time for you body to adjust. I noticed when I started to eat more raw veggies, their “cleansing” affect had somewhat of an upsetting feel to me, but I learned that eating raw does not only pertain to veggies but to other foods as well. Most raw supporters add proteins and grains/ seeds like almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds to somewhat balance out the effects of the raw veggies and fruits. When I added these things to my meal (all while still staying 100% raw) I noticed my stomach did not react as much. Give it a week or two to decide how much is really right for you.
I agree we all need to tailor a diet that fits to own individual needs (like playing with the amount of fruit to veggie ratio) but I simply cannot budge when it comes to the ethics of eating a vegan diet. Animals and their by-products are not commodities to own, kill, and sell; tell me how cutting a innocent life short could ever be humane? Not only does animal proteins harm our bodies, it hurts the only planet we have. I hope that more people can let go of their emotional attachment to traditional “foods” y educating themselves. A great place to start is http://www.vegankit.com
Your 90 day clean eating challenge actually helped me discover that I can’t handle gluten and my hormones HATE it. I’ve always had horrible PMS and other hormone imbalance related things. After the challenge I slowly started to add the whole wheat pastas and wraps and I felt horrible after feeling somewhat normal while on your clean eating meal plan. I kept a food journal and saw a pattern! I’ve been gluten free for a year now and if I have the slightest bit of it, I end up living in my bathroom for a couple if days and my periods will be late or wacky!! I still get breakouts and feel like dairy might have something to do with it, and like you, I get bloated when I eat rice and other grains…
Hi, this is my first post… I like this article it makes me really think about how i feel after eating certain foods, eg KFC always makes me feel yuck for the rest of the day. I am not a “clean eater” but find the concept very interesting I also have a 5 year old daughter who loves healthy food ( but i still give her treats i think balance is good). As i said i like this post and from now on i am really going to pay attention to my body and hopefully i can find foods that make me feel great 🙂
This post got me thinking. I’ve been vegan for a year. I really enjoy this lifestyle for several reasons, but I’m beginning to question this because I don’t feel balanced anymore. I recently took a blood test and found a couple deficiencies and many on the cuff of being under what is recommended. Also, my emotions and hormones have been up and down this year. I want to blame it on PMS but it’s been throughout the year. Moreover, I did lose a lot of weight when I became vegan, but started to gain more weight even though I’m restricting calories, eating clean (mostly raw), and exercising every day. I’ve cut out processed foods & sugar and gluten. I workout by HIIT workouts, running, strength training, yoga, and blogilates videos 🙂 I’ve been really confused. My workouts are a bit intense, so I’m questioning this because I feel I have to drink vegan protein shakes and supplements to feel somewhat balanced. I’ll be seeing a nutritionist soon to see what I can do. I want to stay vegan, so I hope my nutritionist have some suggestions.
Yea! Listen to your body…if you’re feeling up and down like that, re-evaluate. Something is def off in my diet too. I am still searching!
I totally agree. I have no problem with dairy and drink milk when my stomach is upset. I know most people can’t handle dairy due to most people being lactose intolerant. I love trying new foods and it can be confusing because there are so many diets out there and one says no carbs, high meat, or only eat raw. I think you have to do what is best for you. But I think most people can agree that chemically processed foods are bad. Lol
I love eating raw sometimes, and vegan sometimes. I still eat meat, and cooked food, and even fried food sometimes, but switching it up is the best for me!
I agree, there is no perfect diet. It’s different for everyone! I’m vegan and love it, it works for me (so far anyway) .
This isn’t exactly related, but kind of. Does it make sense that I’m getting headaches when I consume too much sugar ( I never got them before, but I’ve cut back a lot & changed the types of sugar I consume eg honey and dried fruits). Would you happen to know why this is? Thanks
I also get headaches when i eat too much sugar!! AND I get these horrible tongue sores..that’s when i know that i need to cut WAY back >< Maybe it has something to do with your blood sugar and insulin??I'm just guessing 😀
I've also read that sugar and cocaine have similar addictive qualities!!! Scary!
I have always suffered from headaches and can tell you that sugar is a huge headache trigger – no matter what form it’s in. Even if the sugar is ‘natural’ in the form of fruit it is still sugar and you can still have too much of it, dried fruits are definately a big no-no as they have as much sugar as candy and play around with your blood sugar levels! There are a couple of awesome books about this (Sweet Poison by David Gillespie, and I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson are two great ones that explain heaps more about it) but if you have suffered from headaches like I have then my heart goes out to you and I want to pass along any information I can! I’m not saying not to have fruit, but cutting back to 2 pieces a day of fruits like berries and kiwi fruit might help. Although if you do this your headaches will probably get worse for about a week until your body starts to heal then you will feel fabulous.
hmm, that’s really interesting. Seems like a year ago I started having migraine like headaches and I don’t know why, I’d get them rarely at first, but then they started arriving more frequently, and I still deal with them. I’m a fruit monster too LOL, Though i do try to stay away from the more obvious sugars, even in breads and other grains.
The wraps look amazing! It would be great if you could share some of the recipes. I eat a lot of raw stuff, especially in the summer I happily eat breakfast, lunch and dinner made of only raw fruits and veggies, though I’m not really into trying to un-cook everything as I haven’t seen any scientific evidence suggesting that it makes a noticeable difference.
I don’t really get this ‘cancer Vs vegan’ thing. All of the medical studies out there are talking about LOWERING THE RISK of getting cancer and other illnesses, significantly, yes, but I have never seen one saying ‘you’ll never get xy’, which then really throws people who do eat raw/vegan/vegetarian purely for that reason for a loop.To be quite honest significantly lowering the risk is good enough for me as I’m doing it (mostly clean eating vegan here) for ethical reasons so any health benefits are just a (pleasant) side effect (as in I would still be vegan if it were exactly the same health-wise as just eating a ‘normal’ diet).
p.s. anyone considering going vegan just to loose weight needs to know that just like with ‘normal’ eating habits, losing weight while eating vegan depends upon eating clean as much as possible.
Hi cassey I loved this article.
It seems so balanced and nicely put but I can’t sop thinking about a vegan with cancer, who teached vegan cooking classes and confesses it might not be the best thing.
It is more and moreconfusing since I’ve been collecting so many documentaries, articles and books on this theme.
And the nr 1 issue that vegans around the world debate is taht a raw vegan diet can cure cancer!
To find out the opposite it’s truly mind blowing.
There are people who became raw vegan, who raise thier children to be raw vegan , who reufuse traditional medicine because their family members died from cancer.
I am a bit dissapointed to hear the truth? and a bit relieved because I dont really think I will ever be able to become 100% raw vegan even though it’s something that crossed my mind often because I was aspiring to that perfect health, mind and body raw vegans talked about.
In a way it is much easier to be on a mixed diet too because I tend to feel the need to eat meat sometimes for example.. or cheese.
I’m not so sure but I guess Japanese people have less health problems and it might be related to their diet which includes more fish and vegetables and fruits than the rest of world’s
Tell me if I am wrong.
Love, me.
Hi Alina,
I don’t think that the instructor of this class was implying that eating raw vegan actually caused her cancer, just that her body need more than just raw food in order to fight the cancer, which is why she no longer eats 100% raw. At least that was my interpretation. I have also heard of people being healed from cancer just by eating the right way and eliminating certain things from their diet. Certain people are just geared certain ways and I don’t think that there is any one way to truly prevent something if it’s meant to happen. I hope this helps. I sometimes feel confused about certain topics as well but know that as long as I listen to my body I’ll be okay.
Wow this was a really interesting post!
Hope the instructor is doing better now.
Thanks for sharing
Hey Cassey,
My mom has Celiac’s Disease which is the formal name for the allergy to gluten (wheat, barley, oats, and rye) and there are plenty of chinese dishes you can have that are so yummy!
Great article Cassey! Thank you so much for sharing this. I have been striving to go vegan for a few months now (I have been vegetarian since age 5) and there is just so much conflicting ‘evidence’ out there about which foods are good and which foods are bad and what quantities to consume. I love how you encourage us to do the obvious of eating clean and trying raw, etc, but you don’t say that there is any one way. Listening to your body is key and I really appreciate that you have reminded me of this. It relieves a lot of my stress and confusion over how to eat lol.
Love you and all the best! <3
love u too!
Dear Cassey,
You’re dead right. <3
I have read about different diet(paleo, vegan, raw vegan etc.) and after I thought which sould I follow? Somewhere I read milk is not good and somewhere I read milk and dairy product are really important. I thought what the hell? It's crazy. So I drop everthing. Now I'm looking for which foods are good for me. I'm paying attention to myself(my energy, stomach, feelings etc.) every single day. This is the best even if it's a long "journey". 🙂
please share recipies.. thank you
i loooooove this post, some things i just don’t enjoy eating because they make me feel gross even though they’re toted as ‘healthy’, but it’s so true that you just have to do what works for you. hopefully this takes away some of the egotistic ideas that a lot of people seem to have about what does and doesn’t work, and if you’re not doing it their way you’re doing it wrong.
again looooooved the post, that cake on the bottom is certainly.. um. interesting.
That cake looks delicious! This is super interesting, not 100% for me, but still I’d love to get more raw meals into my life.
I have serious issues with digesting any dairy and dairy products, and any type of bean and bean products, which really sucks because I love yogurt, re-fried vegetarian beans, bean soup, bean brownies, soy-milk, fro-yo….so sad 🙁
My cousin’s Mother-in-Law bought a Vitamix and found out today that you can over eat super foods ; part of the plants natural defense mechanism is to cause toxicity if you eat the same greens every day !
whoa natural defense mechanism is to create toxicity? amazing…never thought a plant could fight for itself. will look into this.
Yeah.. You should never eat too much of anything. Variation is key.
It is true when the liver breaks down certain foods and medicines etcetera the breakdown product is sometimes toxic, so when you do not have enough variation in your diet it is possible there will be too much of a certain breakdown product in your system. And sometimes it’s not even the breakdown product, but something in the raw food itself that can make you feel bad.
But keep in mind that EVERYTHING is toxic, even too much water. So don’t let it scare you too much 🙂 Just make sure you do not eat the same stuff everyday.
Thank you for writing this! I know there are so many people who need to hear it 🙂
Great post. I was just contemplating vegan. It’s not so much meat, but how the meat is treated thanks Cassey!!
Hi Hannah, that’s so great that you want to go vegan for ethical reasons 🙂 I went vegan about 2 months ago and find there’s so much variation out there, I’ve actually discovered a whole new world of foods. Just give it a try, try new recipes and see how you like it. (oh and you don’t have to go raw if you want to go vegan, I feel that there’s quite a bit of confusion about this in the comments. I eat baked/cooked/grilled/steamed etc. foods in my vegan diet every day! 😀
OMG Cassey! Yesterday I posted a comment on your Youtube page about a group called Project Raw and how they’re helping people live healthier, something you have also helped me to achieve. And now, today, you’re talking about raw food! How funny! I guess great minds think alike.
Anyways, before I started eating raw, I thought I had an iron-clad stomach. Well I was wrong. When I started eating the right way (i.e. about 75% raw and super clean otherwise) I noticed that when I would eat something that I use to eat on a regular basis (i.e. traditional fast food) it did not sit so well with my stomach. I talked to a nutritionist and they said that over the years my body built up a tolerance to all the bad stuff and that now that I’m eating clean, it easily recognizes when something “bad” is put in my body and reacts. It really blew my mind. I hope that everyone can take this as a testament about what we put in our body, even though it seems okay, really isn’t at the end of the day.
Thank you Cassey for being there to guide people to becoming healthier! I couldn’t have reached where I am today without you!
Looks great! I have a TON of stomach issues and did a gluten test and it came back negative (both a relief and an annoyance). All I’ve found in the past few years is just that healthy food upsets my stomach less. If I go on vacation and eat a few greasy meals, I’m sick within the hour. I’ve learned to just stick to my own cooking and order grilled items when out and about!
just wondering how you prepared the veggies inside the collard green wrap? were they raw or cooked?
love it! recipes please!? 🙂
That cooking class looks awesome! Really interesting about the lady who developed cancer, too. How is she today??
These dishes look fantastic! I love incorporating raw and vegan meals into my diet. It gives me so much energy!