Going Raw

Is there one way and one way only to go raw? We say no. We think that the best way for you to experience and reap the benefits of a raw food lifestyle is to find what works best for you. As with any major transition or lifestyle change, it is important to work with yourself and to remain positive. If you are crossing over from one extreme to the next, you must not be too hard on yourself; you must set obtainable goals, and you must work at your own pace. We have developed a few guidelines below to help. Find out what category you fit in and let’s go from there.

Baby Steps:

WHOAH! You want me to eat what?! Just fruits,veggies and live foods? But what about all of my favorites? Like potato chips, cupcakes, and other sweet and salty snacks! You can’t expect me to quit cold turkey! No worries, we don’t. If going raw seems like a really big mountain you don’t think you can climb, we urge yourself to take baby steps and before you know it, you’ll be over on the other side. Consider the tips below to help you in your journey.

• One raw meal a day: it can be a breakfast smoothie or a lunch salad/slaw/etc. Either way, challenge yourself to try raw for one meal. And don’t take the easy way out and have the same thing over and over, you’ll get bored!
• One raw day a week: do you think you can do this? A whole day of nothing but raw foods? It may sound daunting at first, but if you pre-pack healthy snacks (keep it simple at first, fruit, veggies) in between your raw meals before you know it the day is pretty much over and you’re thriving on raw foods.
• Try a new raw recipe at least once a week: Spice up your life! We will continue to build our database with delicious raw recipes. Our goal is to keep our recipes easy and yummy. Bon apetit!
• Try a new fruit or vegetable each week: If you have a family, make this a fun game and ask them to participate or take turns picking out the food of the week. Then research recipes that include whatever you picked, or toss it into a salad, juice or smoothie.
• Join a raw community: The more you correspond and surround yourself with like minded people, the more you will see how easy it is to go raw. Visit our community page for suggestions on how to find local and online communities.
• Remember to plan your meals: You may have to wake up a little earlier to make it happen, or take some time out over your weekends to think it through, but the bottom line is the more effort you put into it the more you will get out of it.
• Make sure you are getting your “me” time: Raw foods is so much more than what you eat, its about how you live. Take care of yourself inside and out. Ten minutes of quiet meditation time can go a long way (and so can jamming out to your favorite music before leaving for work).
• Exercise: Doesn’t have to be anything strenuous. Your body needs to move.
• Phase Out: – see if you can slowly replace coffee with tea and soda with water, along with sweet/salty/manufactured snacks with raw fruits, nuts and veggies. You get the idea, trade your not so great habits for stellar ones instead.
• Reading Suggestions: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw by Mark Reinfeld, Bo Rinaldi & Jennifer Murray. This book will get you started and answer some of your questions. Never Be Sick Again by Raymond Francis, M.Sc. with Kester Cotton, a very thought provoking book about illness and how you can heal yourself simply by what you place in your body. Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips by Kris Carr, one woman’s personal journey to holistic health and wellness. Don’t let the word “cancer” fool you, this book is for everyone looking for answers and embracing change. In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan, to sum it up: Eat Food. Not To Much. Mostly Plants.

Standing on Middle Ground:

OK, I can dig this raw food lifestyle and I want to really experience all that it has to offer. I may not be ready to dive in all at once, but that shouldn’t stop me from doing what I can to take positive strides forward with my health and wellness. Now that’s the spirit! Consider the tips below to help you in your journey.

• Raw until dinner time: you can do it! Create a delicious raw breakfast and go raw for lunch too. If you are feeling adventurous, your dinner doesn’t have to be completely cooked, you can have a portion of that raw too.
• One Day A Week Cleanse or Weekend Cleanse: Oh yeah, it’s time to step up your game. Do you think you can handle a one day cleanse or a weekend cleanse? If so, we think you should check out Kris Carr’s Craxy Sexy Life community, where every Wednesday she hosts a 1 day cleanse. Members of her wellness community are actively involved and share their experiences. We’ll list some literature sources for detoxing in Reading Suggestions.
• Join a raw community: It’s time for you to branch out even further into the world of raw foods. Visit our community page for suggestions on how to find local and online communities.
• Try a new raw recipe at least once a week: Spice up your life! We will continue to build our database with delicious raw recipes. Our goal is to keep our recipes easy and yummy. Bon apetit!
• Try a new fruit or vegetable each week: If you have a family, make this a fun game and ask them to participate or take turns picking out the food of the week. Then research recipes that include whatever you picked, or toss it into a salad, juice or smoothie.
• Remember to plan your meals: You may have to wake up a little earlier to make it happen, or take some time out over your weekends to think it through, but the bottom line is the more effort you put into it the more you will get out of it.
• Make sure you are getting your “me” time: Raw foods is so much more than what you eat, its about how you live. Take care of yourself inside and out. A few minutes of quiet meditation time can go a long way (and so can jamming out to your favorite music before leaving for work). See if you can gradually increase your “me” time. Look into journaling and meditation.
• Exercise: Consider taking a yoga class or doing group exercise activities (these do not have to be structured classes in a fitness facility, it can also be a bunch of friends going kayaking together or on a nature hike).
• Phase Out: Start to phase out the staples in your life or the foods that hinder your raw food experience. Have you ever tried reading the ingredients on some of those prepackaged foods? Sometimes we think the type is so tiny and thin on purpose so you won’t bother to read it. Things like that, and other not so healthy snacks have got to go and be replaced by raw meals and delicious raw snacks.
• Reading Suggestions: Super Cleanse by Adina Niemerow, for information on detoxing your body for long lasting health and beauty. Juicing, Fasting & Detoxing for Life by Cherie Calbom, MS to learn more about the toxins present in your body and how to naturally eliminate them. The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalie Rose, for all around positive energy and detox secrets through raw foods.

All Hands On Deck:

You know what, I have been thinking about this for quite some time now, and I am ready to dive in. What do I need to do to make this lifestyle change permanent? Fabulous! We’ve got some tips for you too!

• Find a Holistic Nutritionist: This can be time consuming but well worth it. You should get tested to find out your nutrition levels and then planning your new diet accordingly. This is the best way to track how you are doing on the raw food diet. Please see our resources page for some suggestions to get you started.
• A 2-3 Week Cleanse or Longer: You might want to consider the RawFu 100 Day Raw Food Challenge. Bunny Berry has an online community where you can take part in her challenge and interact with others along the same path. We’ll list some literature sources for detoxing in Reading Suggestions.
• Try a new raw recipe at least once a week: Spice up your life! We will continue to build our database with delicious raw recipes. Our goal is to keep our recipes easy and yummy. Bon apetit!
• Join a raw community: It’s time for you to branch out even further into the world of raw foods. Visit our community page for suggestions on how to find local and online communities.
• Try a new fruit or vegetable each week: If you have a family, make this a fun game and ask them to particape or take turns picking out the food of the week. Then research recipes that include whatever you picked, or toss it into a salad, juice or smoothie.
• Remember to plan your meals: You may have to wake up a little earlier to make it happen, or take some time out over your weekends to think it through, but the bottom line is the more effort you put into it the more you will get out of it.
• Make sure you are getting your “me” time: Raw foods is so much more than what you eat, its about how you live. Take care of yourself inside and out. Ten minutes of quiet meditation time can go a long way (and so can jamming out to your favorite music before leaving for work).
• Exercise: Consider taking a yoga class or doing group exercise activities (these do not have to be structured classes in a fitness facility, it can also be a bunch of friends going kayaking together or on a nature hike).
• Clean Out Your Pantry: If you are uneasy about tossing the food you will no longer be eating, give the food away. See our article on the Raw Pantry and Fridge for suggestions on how you should stock up.
• Reading Suggestions: Super Cleanse by Adina Niemerow, for information on detoxing your body for long lasting health and beauty. Juicing, Fasting & Detoxing for Life by Cherie Calbom, MS to learn more about the toxins present in your body and how to naturally eliminate them. The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalie Rose, for all around positive energy and detox secrets through raw foods. Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe, gives an in depth look at a variety of raw foods and what they can do for you. The World’s Healthiest Foods by George Mateljan, all around a great reference book to have for food (so when someone asks, “where do you get your protien from?” you can whip out this book of knowledge); also check out the website World’s Healthiest Foods.

WHOO HOO! You’re ready to get started! Let’s explore the site some more so you can read up on some great articles about raw foods and get some delicious recipes to try!

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