Going on the RAVE diet...

for the rest of my life, I hope.


This diet essentially is a vegetarian diet. RAVE stands for:

• No Refined foods
  No Animal foods
  No Vegetable oils
  No Exceptions
  & Exercise

I heard of this diet when Bear Grylls (Man vs Wild extreme survivor show host) switched to it, and swears by it. Bear is one of the fittest people on this planet, capable of amazing feats like climbing sheer rock faces up against a large water fall, surviving sub-zero temperatures in Siberia, etc. He had high cholestrol, and changed to this diet to improve his health.

I also am extremely fit, with a very low body fat percentage. But my cholestrol is also high, and despite outward appearances, I'm concerned about my arteries and their heath.

So far it's been a few weeks on this diet. I've been able to stick to a mostly vegetarian diet, with the exception of some fat free milk, and a few meals of chicken. This diet is not intended to improve any short term health problems, but really intended to improve long term health and vascular condition.

Has anyone else studied the RAVE diet and gone to a vegetarian diet? How's it going for you?

That's an interesting diet. I'd starve to death, lol.

Seriously, I couldn't do it, since I enjoy most of those things no longer allowed in that diet, and I believe that a good part of how physically healthy you are is directly related to mental good health and happiness. Since that diet would make me miserable, it's off the table. That and the fact that eating fruit or vegables (excluding tubers, ie. potatoes) more than a carrot stick makes me crazy sick.

I can understand staying away from excess oils and refined foods, but what is the purpose of cutting out animal products?

Just curious what supplements you are taking while on this diet. Diets like that are notoriously lacking in B vitamins and protein. Are you eating fish? An Omega 3 supplement with DHA is very helpful for cholesterol issues as well as good for the joints and brain.

I live it, but am flexible with E because I can be. Low on everything bad, high on everything good is what my numbers indicate. Check out The Warrior Diet. Another neat idea for you to try out and my favorite mind over matter diet. Basically involves fasting throughout the day and culminating in an evening meal. Supplementation is recommended! Nothing new really, as the principles of the diet are supposedly thousands of years old. Also keep in mind that many thousands, if not millions of Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists fast in a similar way on a daily basis.

The few times I tried cutting meat completely out of my diet I felt incredibly weak. Truth is I don't need much meat in my diet. For example, meatballs in pasta a few times a week in more than enough. However, getting rid of it totally doesn't seem to work (at least for me). Humans are omnivores. A diet with a little of everything is probably the best for you. The problem is we as a society go to excess. Just because a lot of fat or meat in your diet is proven harmful doesn't mean getting rid of it totally is necessarily good. I'll also point out that Bear Grylls gets his meat supplements when he eats insects on his show.

And Greta is right about the B vitamins. A little more than two years ago I could hardly walk because one foot was in terrible pain. The fingers on one of my hands were swelling as well. I endured this for a few months until I read something about B vitamins and inflammation. A week on B12 cleared everything up dramatically. Now when I see the first stages of these symptoms I start with B vitamins for a while to nip it in the bud. Evidently I did and do have a B vitamin deficiency. I'm not eating even close to the small amount of meat I should on account of high food prices. Now I have perhaps two or three small serving a week, if that, when perhaps five or six might be optimal.

As for any diet involving eating a lot of green vegetables, well, I just wouldn't find it palatable enough to remain on. To be sure, I'll eat broccoli and spinach and lettuce, but a diet mostly of vegetables removes one of the the few pleasures I have in life. Meat as a garnish is what makes a lot of dishes great. Yeah, I'm not big on eating something like a hunk of steak or huge burger, but nothing like a nice plate of beef or seafood Singapore Pan Fried noodles to make my month.

Such a diet can be healthful because you *have* to watch what you eat and must be aware of what you need to supplement your diet to stay healthy.
Go buy some Seventh Day Adventist cook books to see what will keep you alive.

It's going to cost a good bit extra and since vegtable oil comes from a lot of the things you have to eat for "real" protein, that's going to be a problem.
Lots of baking and bgoiling and non stick pots and pans.

Mike Painter said:

...Seventh Day Adventist [cookbooks]...Lots of baking and [boiling] and [non-stick] pots and pans.

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Interesting . Any recommendations as to which cookbooks to peruse?

I was expecting you to say you were going on a steady diet of "Glow Sticks" and Exstacy-(spelling?)

Good luck! It sounds pretty intense.

I wondering about the "No Vegetable Oils" rule. I thought olive oil was supposed to be the best oil for you. Oils do contain fat, but most vegetable oils don't have any saturated fat, which is the bad stuff.

Greta said:

Just curious what supplements you are taking while on this diet. Diets like that are notoriously lacking in B vitamins and protein. Are you eating fish? An Omega 3 supplement with DHA is very helpful for cholesterol issues as well as good for the joints and brain.

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x2... completely cutting high protein / low fat meats... I dont see how that could be favorable. Especially since you mention exercize as part of the routine, the body needs some protein to rebuild post-exercize. Are tofu and high protein bean products considered "refined"?

I thought olive oil reduces the absorption of cholesterol?

kramer5150 said:

x2... completely cutting high protein / low fat meats... I dont see how that could be favorable. Especially since you mention exercize as part of the routine, the body needs some protein to rebuild post-exercize. Are tofu and high protein bean products considered "refined"?

I thought olive oil reduces the absorption of cholesterol?

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I have to agree with that.

I also take a vitamin with plenty of B vitamins. The only "diet" per say that I am on is a steady 1-2 alcoholic beverages per day. No more, no less. Several universities proved that the alcohol actually is great for cardiovascular health. :twothumbs Since starting on it I have lost 20lbs and I've never felt better.

Greta said:

Just curious what supplements you are taking while on this diet. Diets like that are notoriously lacking in B vitamins and protein. Are you eating fish? An Omega 3 supplement with DHA is very helpful for cholesterol issues as well as good for the joints and brain.

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Good point Greta. I'm taking a CostCo once-a-day multi-vitamin. Each pill provides 150% of vitamin B6 and 500% of B12.

I'm also taking fish oil but may quit that once my cholestrol goes down.

I also eat cheerios, which provide 25-30% of vitamin b6 and b12, as well as help lower cholestrol

Finally, I'm taking Triple Flex for the joints, only because I work out frequently and want to take care of my joints. It's a lot of pills to take but better than taking mandatory medication to cure illness.

Tonight after an intense workout at the gym, I stopped by Chipotle to eat the vegetarian fajita burrito. I also love smoothies and malts, and had to really keep myself from stopping by the local Sonic and ordering a vanilla malt.

I'll probably still eat a bit of meat every now and then, but drastically less than what I used to eat.

kramer5150 said:

x2... completely cutting high protein / low fat meats... I dont see how that could be favorable. Especially since you mention exercize as part of the routine, the body needs some protein to rebuild post-exercize. Are tofu and high protein bean products considered "refined"?

I thought olive oil reduces the absorption of cholesterol?

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According to the author of the RAVE diet, there are more than enough protein in the vegetarian diet for most people. Raja Bell, a Phoenix Suns player, who plays at a high intense level and is known for his defensive capabilities, is a vegetarian and does not suffer from lack of protein.

Tofu and bean products are not considered refined. Refined foods are like sugary donuts, cakes, pies, etc...

LED_Thrift said:

I wondering about the "No Vegetable Oils" rule. I thought olive oil was supposed to be the best oil for you. Oils do contain fat, but most vegetable oils don't have any saturated fat, which is the bad stuff.

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Yes, this is going to be the hardest part. But apparently even olive oil can be bad for the arteries. I doubt I'll be able to avoid vegetable oil completely, but I'll reduce the amount I'll intake as much as possible.

I wouldn't get too caught up in the cholesterol mania, its very important to your bodies function. Instead focus more on the things that will keep your arteries soft and flexible, no injury to the artery and no cholesterol "patches" will form there. Most of these diets are very difficult to maintain and too strict also. We as Americans need to learn to enjoy our food more and worry less about these different things. I'm not saying to just eat everything but the worrying is oftentimes more stressful on the body than what is in the food. Good luck on your quest.

adamlau said:

Interesting . Any recommendations as to which cookbooks to peruse?

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No. I've just had a lot of their food, but any of the SDA churches should have references.

I liked what I ate but had the idea that I might soon tire of it.

An ex SDA friend said I would get tired.

if you're just looking to loose weight and get healthy you don't have to do to quite those extremes. You certainly are free to if you want to, but it's not necessary.

My wife and I decided we were unhappy heading towards our middle age spread and decided together we could cut down on the amount that we ate. So in the last year and a half or so I've lost 25 pounds through nothing more radical than just eating a serving instead of 3 when we cook. But then we always ate pretty healthy as far as lots of veggies and fruit anyway. But I definitely still eat all the same things, just less of them.

The good thing about this is that it's completely sustainable. I'm not on a diet anymore. Even when I go out and completely stuff myself it's still half what I used to be able to stuff in before being full. My stomach has shrunk and is happy with a little less!

After this summer when the kids go back to school we're going to add some more regular exercise, but 25 pounds off with no hardship (well, the first few weeks were a little tough, but it's amazing how quickly your body adjusts) is fantastic!

We're just so used to stuffing ourselves. If you can stop doing that you'll loose weight and get healthier as long as your every meal isn't a bag of chips. (though I do still eat some chips once in a while )

James S said:

if you're just looking to loose weight and get healthy you don't have to do to quite those extremes. You certainly are free to if you want to, but it's not necessary.

My wife and I decided we were unhappy heading towards our middle age spread and decided together we could cut down on the amount that we ate. So in the last year and a half or so I've lost 25 pounds through nothing more radical than just eating a serving instead of 3 when we cook. But then we always ate pretty healthy as far as lots of veggies and fruit anyway. But I definitely still eat all the same things, just less of them.

The good thing about this is that it's completely sustainable. I'm not on a diet anymore. Even when I go out and completely stuff myself it's still half what I used to be able to stuff in before being full. My stomach has shrunk and is happy with a little less!

After this summer when the kids go back to school we're going to add some more regular exercise, but 25 pounds off with no hardship (well, the first few weeks were a little tough, but it's amazing how quickly your body adjusts) is fantastic!

We're just so used to stuffing ourselves. If you can stop doing that you'll loose weight and get healthier as long as your every meal isn't a bag of chips. (though I do still eat some chips once in a while )

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Great to hear. I'm not looking to lose weight. I'm actually quite athletic and very lean. This is why this diet is so important. It's not about losing weight (although you certainly can lose weight if you watch what you eat). It's the arteries and cholestrol levels I'm concerned about.

Most people do think of losing weight when they hear the word "diet", but in this case it's a diet for the health of arteries and the heart. The standard American diet is simply not very good for long term health of the arteries and the heart, as evidenced by the fact that heart related illnesses are the #1 cause of deaths in modern American society.

I personally think being overweight is not necessarily unhealthy, so long as your cholestrol levels are low, and blood pressure is within the recommended guidelines. But being within a healthy weight is no guarantee that your arteries and heart are healthy. This is why I am taking this diet so seriously.

Overweight not unhealthy? No matter what the propaganda says, being overweight is unhealthy.

Any diet has negative attributes.

There's only two factors that will contribute to basic overall health: Dietary moderation and exercise. There's never been any "diet" that has proven to be 100% positive. Any diet that needs supplementary assistance, I.E. a pill, is not good, and irregardless, research has been done suggesting that pills (multivitamins, "joint flex" products, etc) have no effect on the body, nor are they absorbed like vitamins from food sources.

As for Bear...I wouldn't put too much faith in anything he says, considering he's been proven a fraud, at least for the Man Vs. Wild TV show. He has done some pretty incredible stuff with his Everest climbs, though.

dano said:

There's only two factors that will contribute to basic overall health: Dietary moderation and exercise.

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I honestly think exercise is the single most important factor by a mile. Exercise can compensate for not only a fairly poor diet but especially too many calories. If you're willing to cycle 100 miles a day, you can consume 10,000 calories daily and still lose weight.