ideas to help me survive this summer

[Joy2012]

In a couple of weeks I am going to Taiwan to stay there for 3 months. As far as I know, there is no access to grass-fed meats in Taiwan and chickens are basically grain-fed.  Seafoods are plentiful there but people say a lot of so-called "wild-caught" seafoods actually come from fish farms in China.  So I guess I better switch to raw fruit and vegetable diet for  three months (Fruit there is fantastic); and I am sure I will be "compelled" to eat some cooked seafood/meats while being entertained by friends at restaurants. By the way, most of the fruit/vegetables there are non-organic.   To supplement my largely raw vegan diet, I am thinking of bringing to Taiwan a good quantity of raw organic seeds/nuts (soaked for 24 hours and then dehydrated at low temperature).

 According to the following link,

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php
 
these 4 nuts/seeds are among the healthiest foods: Flax-seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, and Walnuts. So I am thinking of bringing them with me to Taiwan.

Is this a good idea? Or should I just eat raw non-organic fruit and vegetables, supplemented with a little cooked animal foods I will be eating at restaurants?   Are (soaked/dehydrated) raw organic seeds/nuts good for health?  After all, it is only three months.

[TylerDurden]

Hmm, the only good seed/nut I have ever heard of was walnuts(they have a good omega-3/omega-6 ratio, apparently, unlike most other nuts) -oh, and raw pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of magnesium if one is consuming overly-calcium-rich raw dairy). My advice would be to buy those cheap enclosed plastic dishes one can find in most big health-stores and grow some sprouts instead. Sprouted seeds have no enzyme-blockers and are far higher in nutrients.

Some seafood is far more likely to be wildcaught than others. I am not as up-to-date re info as before, as I mostly only eat raw wild game these days. However, I believe that salmon and prawns/shrimps are almost always farmed(oysters, tuna and mussels sometimes are farmed). Fish like sprats, sardines, mackerel, swordfish, kingfish and sharks aren't farmed yet, afaik. You'll have to do more research on this. Also, a great idea would be to visit local markets and talk to the people there. In the UK, I would mostly only buy from a fishmonger who fished most of the week but then sold his fish in farmer's markets on 2 days of the week. His catch was, of course, 100% wildcaught as he didn't have the cash to set up any fish-farming. Of course, you'd need to speak Chinese/Hokkien  to get the best results.

You can't do that now, perhaps, but you might, in future, create Lex's beef jerky-maker(as found on rawpaleodiet.com) and then just make a dozen kilos of beef jerky beforehand.

[CitrusHigh]

If you pay attention when you're in the fish markets you can learn to distinguish between wild and farmed. Some fish cannot be farmed. Others, like salmon are easily distinguished, Real salmon should be ruby red, while farmed salmon will be orange or rose petal pink, though you probably won't run in to salmon over there, this is just an extreme example. Unfortunately this photo doesn't show as stark of a contrast as it usually is in the fish market, but it is a marked difference.

So if I were you, I'd be very aware while in the fish markets, eventually you'll be able to recognize attributes of wild caught vs farmed. Also to find good food wherever you go, you simply need to be flexible. In taiwan you'll probably be able to find high quality wild insect foods. These can be delicious and only require you to be open to them.

The key to maintaining a healthy diet while traveling is to be open to whatever the healthiest thing is that's available in that particular region. It's good to study a place first too. When I travel somewhere new, like florida for example, I'll look to see what kind of co-ops and farmer's markets they got going there. Then I'll call these people in advance to see what kind of real, traditional, nutrient dense foods they have.

Have a great trip!

[cherimoya_kid]

If you can find out what fish are available, we should be able to check online to see if they are farmed or not.  It would be a shame to be in Taiwan without enjoying the wonderful seafood there.

[Joy2012]

Tyler, Sprouts! I have forgotten them! Yes growing sprouts is a good idea.  And thank you for reminding me that walnuts have a good amount of omega 3. I do not believe I have access to raw dairy in Taiwan.
Thank you for telling me that sprats, sardines, mackerel, swordfish, kingfish and sharks aren't farmed. As far as you know, how is the parasite risk of  these species of fish as compared to Alaskan salmon? So far the only seafoods I have eaten regularly are Alaskan salmon and Mexican bay shrimps. Maybe it is time for me to try other seafoods.
Beef jerky (and all animal foods) will not be allowed to enter Taiwan.

I do not think I will have an opportunity to talk to a knowledgable fishmonger in Taiwan. I will be living in the heart of a big city of 6 million people. Only regular grocers...

Let'sCopOut,  Obviously you are a raw-animal-food expert!  I am still at the newbie stage of trusting Slanker's and Whole Foods to supply me with quality raw foods.  Thank you for the photo.  I will at least try to learn to discern  wild salmon versus farmed salmon.

cherimoya_kid, My concern is mostly about parasites. I read that wild fish from warm sea water is more likely to have parasites. I heard that in Taiwan even raw vegetables have a parasite problem because of the warm humid weather.


Taiwanese (like Japanese) eat a lot of raw salmon. But I read on the websites that most raw-fish restaurants (all over the world, not just in Taiwan) mostly serve farmed salmon because farmed salmon is more fatty.  I guess wild king salmon is very fatty and tasty too. But wild king salmon is so expensive that I doubt many restaurants will serve wild king salmon.

[TylerDurden]

I've eaten tons of raw, wildcaught seafood over the past decade and have never gotten parasites. It's a waste of time to worry about this, as not only is the incidence of parasites very low within the RVAF diet community, but most people report getting no or negligible symptoms therefrom, and, anyway, it's terribly easy to just get a prescription from a doctor and buy anti-parasite drugs from a local pharmacy.

[Joy2012]

Thank you, Tyler, for your  testimonial, which lays to rest half of my concern.... You live in COLD England, though. 

[cherimoya_kid]

There are probably seafoods that the local Taiwanese people eat raw.  I'd eat those.