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Vibrant Living, Issue #148 Why Do People Fail on the Raw Diet? & Sample Menus for High Raw Diets December 26, 2013 |
Greetings Health Seekers,Welcome to the VIBRANT LIVING NEWSLETTERIt certainly feels like winter here in California. My favorite line to most people these days is “how long til summer? “ We’ve had unusually cold weather here; of course nothing like they’ve had elsewhere, and so far the citrus crop is still in good condition. I will get a nice little respite next month when I return to Australia to drop my daughter off at University and visit with friends and family. I look forward to that and the summer bounty of fruit and greens I’ll find waiting for me there. There may or may not be a newsletter next month, but I will certainly do some raw research on your behalf while I’m there….lol. It’s nearing the close of another year; life is good and I am grateful for all that I have in my life including you my friend. I do hope life is good for you and that 2014 will be a Wonderful year full of Joy, Happiness, and Prosperity for you and yours. In this issue of Vibrant Living I share my thoughts on Why People Fail at the 100% Raw Diet. I follow that article up with sample diets for a high raw or transition diet. There are several new raw recipes for your enjoyment and rating….and of course some amusing quotes from people more knowledgeable than I. Enjoy!
Why Do People Fail at 100% Raw
I think the biggest reason people fail on the raw diet is because of the strong emotional ties to their personal comfort foods. I just don’t think we realize the power of food when it comes to emotional issues. As a society we eat when we’re sad, when we’re happy, when we fail, and when we succeed. Usually it’s our comfort foods or something more decadent that we choose to soothe our emotions. As challenges arise in life we turn to these foods for love, comfort and support. The really tough thing about this is that the raw diet actually brings up old emotional issues as the body clears toxins. So here you are trying to eat 100% raw and deal with current issues and those dredged up by your new cleansing diet. It takes a strong individual to be able to navigate these waters successfully. Reason number two is social and peer pressure. I think only a small percentage of people have a circle of friends and family who are truly supportive in all endeavors. When it comes to a raw food diet most will fear for your health and try to dissuade you from your diet “for your own sake”. On the surface that may be true, but many times there are underlying issues. It seems that most people don’t like change and if you’re close to other people they don’t like you changing either as it messes up their world.
Now this is not always the case, but usually somewhere in your circle there will be people that will be concerned about the changes in you as it relates to them. And of course there will be those who are genuinely concerned about your health. Either way they will not be supportive and will try to dissuade you from following your raw diet. The third reason people give up on the raw diet is that they don’t give themselves enough time to get into the rhythm of the diet and find the perfect raw diet for them. There are many other reasons why people don’t succeed on the raw diet, such as: • Pre-existing health issues that require a particular raw regimen and or professional support to succeed. • Getting caught out without raw food snacks when hungry and choosing the easy cooked food available, which usually leads to a downward cooked food spiral. • Taking bad advice on how to properly do a raw food diet. Today everybody is an expert whether or not they are even raw or have been doing it for more than a couple of years.. • Eating too much raw packaged, junk, and gourmet food. This is not healthy at all. • They deem it to be too much work, when in reality it is so much easier when you don’t get hung up in making gourmet meals every day. The original raw diet was simple…let’s keep it that way. • A lack of will power or commitment. You really have to want better health and be willing to apply yourself seriously to the task.
For all these reasons I think a high raw diet is best for most because these issues can be conquered slowly over time with small daily habits adding up to huge change over a years time.
“It takes more than just a good looking body. You’ve got to have the heart and spirit to go with it." ~ Epictetus
Daily Menu Ideas for a High Raw or Transitional Diet
Breakfast I think the best balanced and satiating meal is a green smoothie. As you can see from these Smoothie Recipes they are a full meal and will carry you for hours and certainly until your next meal. A simple fruit meal can be very nice for breakfast, but many people find that it will not carry them long enough, and over time the cleansing effect of the fruit will need to be supported by a large intake of greens to provide minerals. All fruit meals for breakfast can also create sugar imbalance problems in those that are not physically active during the morning hours. Having said that, some people find that they can do well at least in the short term on an all fruit breakfast. It is best to choose one fruit and eat it until satiated, but not to the point of feeling overly full. Some people mix oranges or another fruit with spinach or celery to help balance the fruit and add minerals. The main issue with that is the vegetables are quite low in calories, but high in bulk, so they take up space in your stomach without providing many calories. Most greens are about 100 calories per pound. I think it is best to start out the day raw and move into the cooked food later on, but if you are set on sticking with your oatmeal then eat an apple about 45 minutes before hand and add a little chia or ground flax seed to the oatmeal after it’s cooked for your omega 3’s.
Lunch If you have the green smoothie for breakfast then a simple fruit meal is good for lunch. It’s light and contains enough calories to power you through the day until your evening meal. Below are some suggestions, which can be adjusted to suit your individual needs. • Two baskets of figs with a small cucumber • Five or six bananas • Four apples and some celery • Six persimmons • Five or six peaches, pears, or nectarines • Eight to ten apricots • One large cantaloupe melon If you had fruit for breakfast then I would suggest a green juice and some type of salad for lunch. These raw rice recipes travel well and can keep in the fridge for several days. Any of the green salads or these gourmet salads will also do nicely for lunch. If you had the oatmeal for breakfast then either of the above lunch options will work.
Dinner Start your dinner with a large green salad at least enough to cover half your dinner plate if not more. Now divide the other half of your dinner plate into half with some type of lightly cooked/steamed vegetable on one side and your healthy cooked/steamed grain, bean, or squash dish on the other. So looking down at you plate the bottom half is fresh salad, the upper left quadrant is your cooked veggie, and the upper right quadrant is your cooked starch. If you are still consuming meat or fish then you can replace the starch portion two to three days a week with a small portion of meat or fish. Some evenings you may choose to eat all raw and enjoy one of the tasty recipes from the website like the Beet Tomato Soup,
Snacks Snacks should always be taken on an empty stomach as to not retard the digestion of the previous meal. If you are feeling hungry drink a glass of water and see if that does the trick. If you feel your last meal is fully digested and you are truly hungry then enjoy a small snack ensuring there is time for its digestion before your next planned meal. Listed below are some ideas for snacks. • Fresh green juice • A piece of fruit or two • Veggies like celery, carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes, or cucumber • A small handful of pre-soaked nuts The idea is to eat as cleanly as possible so that your body may heal itself and provide you with years and years of vitality and good health. It’s up to you to let the poor habits and food choices drop away over time as your journey progresses. Right now you may well still be attached to some foods that you know are not good for you in the long run, but it may take some time for you to release them from your diet. Do the best you can where you are right now and endeavor to shed those less desirable foods from your diet as you are able. I guarantee you as your health improves that will become easier and cravings for those foods will eventually subside and disappear. Let 2014 be the beginning of a new life and a new you with the help of a successful high raw diet.
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Although I believe strongly in a diet comprised mostly of fresh raw foods, I do supplement with super green powders, nuts, seeds, sea vegetables, and the occasional dried fruit such as goji berries. If you’re like me you’re always looking for a good deal on quality food whether it’s fresh from the farmers market or purchased online, so I thought I would share with you where I make most of my online purchases. You may already be aware of the Raw Food World and their “at cost” specials, but if not here you go. When you go to purchase supportive foods like those listed above you can save money and get “at cost” special pricing by going to the link below and clicking on the “at cost” specials tab. This also allows you to save up to 14% on every order of their already good deals. The important thing to remember is that fresh is best and these products are supportive and should not be your mainstay. Enjoy!
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There are a number of new testimonies at the website which I hope you will read and pass on to others when you feel they would benefit. And please feel free to leave your own story if you feel moved to do so. You need not be 100% raw to share a testimony; the fact is most people on the raw diet are not 100% anyway. Your story may inspire someone else, perhaps from the other side of the globe, to give the raw food diet a try.
Success stories.
Please send me your health questions, they can be submitted anonymously if you prefer, and you may help someone else improve their health and quality life.
Your questions.
Be Well and Wonderful, Hugh
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hugh@raw-foods-diet-center.com MEDICAL DISCLAIMER The contents of my website and my newsletter are gleaned from my experiences and observations, meant only for educational purposes and not intended to replace medical advice, consultations, or treatment of any kind. I recommend you see your professional health care provider if you suspect you have an illness or disease of any kind. I'm not medically trained, and I would never suggest or imply that I know what is best for someone else's body or overall health, ultimately each of us is the only one who knows what's best for us. |
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Hey, you’re a little overweight and now you’re dropping the pounds like nobody’s business on your new wacky raw food diet. You’re proving change is possible which brings attention to their weight issues. You’re their friend or family member and they want you back the way you were.
