Worried for friend that has gone raw vegan and just sat there during a lunch out

[Worflyied]

I've got a friend who has been doing this raw vegan diet for almost 10 months. She sticks to it religiously. She is looking good and is not underweight. But she has cut out virtually every food group apart from nuts, fruit and veg. Long term this doesn't seem like a good idea.

We went out yesterday to an nt place, and for lunch she just had a peppermint tea and ate nothing, then after lunch nibbled on some seeds as we were walking around. Doesn't sound healthy right?

thedevil no immediate concern.

I completely agree that eating disorders can have serious longer term implications. But nothing the OP can do about that.

I think it's totally fine... if she's a budgie.

But what can you do? Unless or until she becomes unhealthy you have to keep it buttoned really.

I expect if she's not wasting away she's probably covertly scoffing at other times.

I have friends who are raw vegan and seem very well on it, one credits a raw diet with the reduction of her MS symptoms. I personally couldn't stick to a raw diet, I'm vegan for ethical reasons not health reasons so I still eat some vegan junk food. But I have done a short term raw detox before and felt great, so I can see the benefits. If your friend is healthy and happy I would let her be. She went to a cafe where she probably couldn't eat anything on the menu just to spend time with you.

well we can't know if there's any immediate concern, she could be hypokalemic or anything sort of symptomless but deadly that comes from not eating properly

(but she's probably a lot healthier than any given enthusiast of Greggs)

please make sure she is getting b12 vitamins, raw vegan is a very dangerous diet

yougot
I suspect most people who make the decision to eat raw vegan have done some research into what they are doing. I wouldn't want to eat that way but I have some books on it and the authors were fully aware of nutritional neees.

Very dangerous is hyperbole. More dangerous than eating processed meats and transfats?

needs not neees

chazs I haven't said that processed meats or transfats are good for you either - this can be very dangerous too. I believe in good food, good fats & moderation.

Please read this www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthy-living/how-our-vegan-diet-made-us-ill-848322.html

Ah, the vitD isuue again.

Everyone in the UK should be supplementing with vitD (and with substantially more than the RDA)

VitD is incredibly important in so many processes, and most of the population is deficient.

To me it sounds like an utterly miserable way to live, but she's an adult and it's her life to live so I wouldn't say anything .

OP - re "We went out yesterday to an nt place, and for lunch she just had a peppermint tea and ate nothing, then after lunch nibbled on some seeds as we were walking around."

I hope you all fussed over her throughout lunch and the afternoon, showering her with love and attention as merit such special snowflakes.

yougot
A raw vegan diet for a children is different to one for adults. Children generally need a more calorie dense diet anyway.

Vit D is a problem for most people in this country. DH and I were both deficient - he eats meat and I am a pescatarian (and enjoy oily fish).

Perfectly healthy. I wouldn't worry at all.

Why do you think she would want love and attention from the others, cote? She's just following her chosen diet, and choosing not to let it get in the way of her spending time with her friends.

I don't know why. Some people just want to feel special, I guess. It used to be astrology and religion. These days it's more about diet. You can't wave a stick around without hitting several who don't touch wheat and/or dairy products. Vegetarians are no longer special, of course, so many have turned vegan

None of us get significant amounts of Vit D through our diet, so I think that's a bit of a red herring. B12 is a different matter and vegans need to supplement.

But there is nothing to suggest the OP's friend wanted that. From what I can see she just quietly got on with things.

I don't know how raw vegans do it. About six months ago I went to this trendy juice cafe and ordered a raw vegan "burger" dish which sounded completely delicious. Oh my god I can still taste it... Bleugh. And I know everyone's saying raw vegans glow etc but the only one I know is the opposite, very pale and skinny! But it's her choice so fair enough.

Indeed, Toad. Any attention that she has received from the op doesn't seem to have actively sought.

Cote and I do generally disagree on this type of thread, I suspect due to our fundamental differences in attitude towards diet. Indirectly accusing the person concerned of doing it for attention due to undefined personal flaws is a new approach, though.

have been actively sought, dammit.

My previous remark was tongue-in-cheek but it does seem to me that there is the possibility of a psychological issue if someone comes out to lunch and eats nothing, not because of necessity but because they are fussy about food.

Well it is a possibility, but equally they may simply not want to be left out of a social occasion that is just as much about chatting to friends as it is about the sustenance. I've always thought that food is the excuse/a handy activity for a get-together, not the reason for it.

However you're right that we can't tell as we're not there.

Wait, I said that - not you ignore me!

Either of our explanations could be right. That's better!

Oh what a very pleasant thread, loads of people, who statistically are likely to be more unhealthy than this lady, piling into to call her a bore, ill, an attention seeker and a special snowflake.

The only person who I thought had issues from the OP was the OP herself. Sounds a bit jealous to me (along with many posters on this thread), and looking for problems where there aren't any.