Raw Food Diet "Police" Will Understand If You Use a Little Heat at First

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Many people worry about moving to a Raw Food Diet because they think it means they may never eat hot food again.

It does not have to be that way. Give yourself a break...the "Cooking Police" will not come and take you away if you cheat just a little bit. Remember you are in charge. There are many experts with common sense in the Raw Food "movement" who can guide you with easy transitions from cooked foods to a your new healthy diet. New recipes are so delicious you will soon be past the heat factor for cooking food.

For many of us "hot Food" is comfort food and it may take time to adjust.

On a cold winter day wheat grass juice and a raw carrot stick with dip might ruin your new healthy adventure if you are not quite ready for raw. If you are new and considering a move to a raw diet start slowly.The difference between enjoying a new diet experience may be just a few degrees of cooking temperature So take it easy on yourself. You get to choose and no one is watching.

When raw foods are exposed to temperatures above 118 degrees, Enzymes the building blocks of nutrition start to rapidly break down. If you are new...so what?

You made it this far without going raw. Quite a few years a go the raw temp limit was 140 degrees. Now, new measurements of food quality after cooking have become more accurate. Many experts even recommend no food heated over 114 degrees. Vegetables in the raw state contain vitamins and enzymes crucial to overall health. Enzymes also help us digest our food, but once exposed to heat enzymes begin to break down and we lose nutritional and digestive benefits of the food.

So what can you do? Heat gently, steam lightly, blanch even broil on the grill. Just become more aware of the temperature.

Get a food thermometer and use it to heat your raw food closer to the 118-114 degree limit. Find your enjoyment level and gradually begin to change your needs for hot, over cooked food. Explore the Raw Food Blogs and recipe sites. You will be surprised at how liberal many of the Raw Food experts are. Most have been in your position and want you to succeed.

You are not alone...visit Raw Food Forums, Blogs and related sites and you will soon learn many tips and ideas to help you in your quest for a healthy life...with your new raw diet.

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Raw Food Lemon Detox Fast

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Yes, It's the Master Cleanse over sixty years old and it is back stronger than ever. Should you consider a Master Cleanse Fast before starting a Raw Food diet? Perhaps you have been Raw for a while. The benefits of this fast using lemon juice, filtered water, Cayenne pepper, and Maple Syrup have decades of testimonies. Here is a modern method that is based on a ten day fast with some very unique helpful ways of making your detox a success...a CLICK HERE link is provided at the end of the article for more information.


There's a lot of buzz surrounding the Master Cleanse. Lately it seems like every Hollywood actress or actor who needs to get in shape is turning to this decades old health system that involves drinking a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper.

With all the diets out there to choose from why would anyone bother with the Master Cleanse?

There's two main reasons people like the Master Cleanse. The first (and most obvious) is that it works. The results people are getting with the Master Cleanse border on miraculous, and they are backed by thousands of devoted users who are living testimonials to the effectiveness of the Master Cleanse.

The second reason people choose the Master Cleanse over other diets and wellness programs is that it's fast. The typical person only spends 10 days on the Master Cleanse, compared to other diets that can last months or even years you can see why they choose the Master Cleanse.

Another interesting thing about the Master Cleanse lasting just 10 days is that you only need a short term burst of will power to get through it. Having to sacrifice for months is what makes other diets so hard to stay on, but most people can will their way through 10 days.

What can you expect from 10 days on the Master Cleanse?

Even though most people are going on the Master Cleanse to lose weight quickly, there's many other health benefits to be gained by doing the Master Cleanse. Flushing out your system is what the Master Cleanse is really designed to do. Even back 60 years ago when the Master Cleanse was first invented people had health problems as a result of waste building up inside of them. Today with processed foods, pollution, and all around poor diets our bodies desperately need to be flushed out every once in a while.

When you flush out your body with the Master Cleanse the waste you eliminate will be abnormal. The smell, color, and texture of the waste that comes out of your body shocks some people, so you should be prepared.

If you want to try the Master Cleanse there's more you need to know then just drinking the lemonade mixture for 10 days. In fact most people who try the Master Cleanse without knowing all the steps fail. If you think the Master Cleanse is something you would like to try CLICK HERE for a guide you should read before starting the Master Cleanse because it covers the common problems people face, and how to avoid them.

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Go For "The Raw Burn!" By Karen Knowler

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It is not uncommon for me to hear people say, "I do feel better on raw food, but I don't feel quite as amazing as I expected to feel. Where is all this energy I'm supposed to have?"

There can, of course, be a multitude of reasons for not feeling as good as you could, and way more than we can go into in one article, but today I'm going to discuss one of the most common: Over-eating.

Whether we eat cooked foods or raw - or a mixture of both, eating more food than we need quite simply overtaxes the body. Digestion takes more energy than any other activity we do - in fact sometimes it can even exhaust us completely (think Christmas Dinner, and your half-comatose relatives asleep in the chair!). It's incredible that food can make or break our energy in this way, but it really does, and sometimes this can be subtly undermining (which all adds up) and other times blatantly obvious.

When we eat raw foods, generally speaking, our digestive demands lessen. Our foods are more simple, we are eating enzymes rather than needing to find them from our existing stores, and, unless our diet is fat-dense (i.e. eating lots of nuts and seeds) then typically our load is much lighter and much faster to transit through than the average diet.

It is estimated that one in three people in the doctor's waiting room is there for a colon-related issue. A shocking statistic don't you think? But hardly surprising when we consider what passes for "food" today and what extremes some people will go to in terms of diversity, quantity and frequency. Of course, most people in this bracket don't necessarily eat in a way we could consider to be healthy, but there's so much more to it than just what we eat...

So how is it that some people on raw foods don't get the amazing energy that myself or others rave about? Especially if you are eating low-fat?

As far as I can see, a lot of it comes down to making sure that when you eat you are genuinely hungry.

My own research over hundreds of clients shows that at least 95% of people I survey either do not know what true hunger feels like and/or do not wait until they are hungry to eat.

What this means is this:

If you are eating when you're not hungry then you are essentially putting in more food than your body needs. When this is the case, your body will use its precious energy to digest (or "burn" as I like to call it) your food rather than have the energy available to use for something more productive (like feeling good!).

One of my greatest lessons on my own food journey has been to wait until I am truly hungry before I eat. This doesn't, by the way, mean that I wait until I feel "starving", just that I know that even if a plain bowl of lettuce leaves was placed in front of me, then I would eat them and genuinely enjoy them because I am that ready to consume.

Why this example?

Because of all the things that we can eat on this planet, green leaves are the least addictive foods of all, and the among the most nutritious for us... and if we feel drawn to eating them un-dressed and unaccompanied then that's a great sign that we really are hungry - because as you know our taste buds and bodies can appear so fickle and easily persuaded!

It took me many years to get to the point where I only when hungry, but I have to say it really is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the way I eat/ live my life. There is nothing more gratifying than going to eat a meal that you are really and truly ready for. I'm sure I love my food ten times more because of this. It tastes and feels so much better! In fact, I really do find that now if someone places food in front of me or offers me something - even if it's just a single piece of fruit - if I'm not hungry I get very strong signals from my body not to eat it and I find myself actually physically repulsed by it. Now that's incredible!

Considering my extensive junk food background, I really do believe that if I can reach this place then anyone can, although I appreciate we all have different issues to overcome in order to get to here.

I call this place of genuine hunger the place of "The Clean Burn". That's because I know that when I'm in this place I feel as if whatever I eat is really enjoyed from the moment I start preparing it to the moment it starts its journey down my throat and into my stomach. From this moment on I feel as if the food is being digested and utilized immediately. No hanging around waiting for breakfast to pass through or "falling" on top of last night's supper and - wait for it - fermenting and rotting. Eugh! It feels as if it is being welcomed with open arms and that my entire body is ready for it and loving it. Now that's worth waiting for!

It's rather ironic that throughout our entire childhood and typically, adulthood, we are never taught how to eat properly. Whether we use a knife and fork from an early age seems to be of more importance than whether we are actually ready to eat! It's no wonder we have the weight issues that we do - a lean body is often a clean body, and a clean body is one that really knows and experiences the feeling of The Clean Burn on a regular basis.

As I sit here writing this article it is 12:33pm. Today so far all I have consumed is one pint of watermelon juice, which I had as soon as I felt some hunger around about 10:00am. I am just starting to get that Clean Burn feeling now, but I know I'm not quite there yet, so I will wait a little longer before I go downstairs to eat. There is an art in detecting what stage you're at, and after years of practice and awareness I know now that although what I'm feeling right now would be considered "really hungry" by some people, to me it is a sign that, if I were away from home, I should start looking for food in order to secure it, but if I already have it to not yet eat it as the Clean Burn is not yet fully upon me!

Are these the words of a closet anorexic? No, I can assure you they're not! I am most definitely not into deprivation at any price, and least of all when it comes to food! No, what I describe here is a way of feeling and being around food that feels quite the opposite to deprivation - if I were to eat now before I got fully hungry and could fully appreciate every ounce of my meal - now THAT would feel like deprivation.

On that note I'm going to ask that you really pay attention to your hunger signals over the next few days and see how far you can go with this. This means ignoring the clock, getting all the "shoulds" out of your head about what, when and how you "should" be eating, and really paying attention to the different degrees of hunger as they unfurl. And yes, of course, waiting until you are FULLY hungry before you begin.

Yes, I know this may sound or feel like advanced stuff and even a little scary for some people, but if you can start to put even a little of this into practice in your daily life then I'd be very surprised if you didn't start to lose any excess weight you have, gain a lot more energy overall and generally start falling in love with your food - and your body - even more than you ever thought possible.

Oh yes, and did I mention that your food bills may very well go down?!

Enjoy the pursuit of The Clean Burn, a few more minutes wait for your food is a VERY small price to pay for such huge and multifaceted rewards, believe me!

About the author: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at http://www.TheRawFoodCoach.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Knowler

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Raw Food Diet Can Heal Diabetes

The Raw Food Diet can produce spectacular results for people who have Diabetes. If you or someone you know is a diabetic there is a video that can change lives and it is being offered at half price until midnight Friday Sept 24. The people in the video had miraculous results by following a strict Raw Food Diet for thirty days. While many may not choose to become 100% raw the results indicate that a diet change can affect Diabetes in a positive way. It is worth viewing

A preview is available on this blog under "Videos"



The producers of the film Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in
30 Days are doing something really special for the next few
days.In celebration of the wonderful Raw Food Movement and
all of the support that they've received from the community
they are offering their film and the companion 2 disc Raw for
Life DVD set for HALF OFF the regular price!

They've never offered anything like this before but they're
doing it now for several reason. Alex Ortner, the executive
producer of the film, outlined the reasons why they're doing
this for me. Here are his words:

"1 - We know that many people are on a tight budget right
now but we feel that money should never prevent anyone from
getting life saving information. This special makes it
affordable for anyone to pick up a copy of Simply Raw and
Raw for Life.

2 - We know how generous so many people have been in the
past in buying copies for others. For those of you who have
friends, family members or other people in your life that
you think could benefit from seeing this film now is the
perfect time to get them a copy.

3 - We wanted to hold a special "Gratitude Sale" as a way
to personally share our appreciation for you and say
THANK YOU to everyone who has purchased the film or has
accessed our educational materials, and helped us share
the magic of raw and living foods on a global scale."

Alex set up a special page just for you where you can
get your copy of the Simply Raw DVD or the companion Raw
for Life DVD, or both, for half off:

==> http://rawfor30days.com/cmd.php?af=958453

Whether you've already purchased a Simply Raw DVD or the
Raw for Life DVD's, and are looking for a great way to
share copies with others -- or whether you haven't ordered
your copy yet -- this is your chance to get one (or more)
Combo Packs, at a 50% discount.

So, here's where you can access your copy (or copies) and
save 50%:

==> http://rawfor30days.com/cmd.php?af=958453

================================================================
Access the Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days DVD and
Raw for Life 2 Disc DVD set for 50% And Get Five Fr@e Bonuses!
================================================================

When you pick up a copy of Simply Raw or Raw for Life today
you'll also get these five bonuses from them:

* Bonus 1: Download of CD #1 and #2 from David Wolfe's
"21 Days to Health Program" ($39 Value)

* Bonus 2: "Kitchen Gadgets" 40 Minute Instructional Video
by Raw Food Chef Cherie Soria of The Living Light Institute
($14.99 Value)

* Bonus 3: Jennifer Cornbleet's Favorite 5 Recipes from
her Book "Raw Food Made Easy"($4.99 Value)

* Bonus 4: A One Month Raw Menu Planner by Tera Warner of
"The Raw Divas" ($14.99 Value)

* Bonus 5: Audio Interview with Ani Phyo on How to Stay
Raw While Traveling ($4.99 Value)

That's a lot of great extra health insight and education...
and you get it all FR@E when you purchase the Simply Raw or
Raw for Life for 50% off.

Go here right now and claim your copies today:

==> http://rawfor30days.com/cmd.php?af=958453

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Your Raw Kitchen Checklist

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Your Raw Kitchen Checklist
By Karen Knowler



Setting up a raw food kitchen is exciting and uplifting, especially when you are new to raw foods or taking your diet to a new level.

The following check points will help ensure that your raw food kitchen is as easy and functional to use as possible, making your chances of staying with the lifestyle much more likely and much more simple.

1) Keep your key pieces of equipment in a prominent and clear position, next to a plug point, plugged in and ready to go for whenever the need strikes!

2) Next to each piece of equipment keep the relevant foodstuffs and/or ingredients that you are going to be using with that appliance. For instance, I keep all my smoothie ingredients and a big bunch of bananas next to my blender, my fruit bowl next to my juicer and a chopping board next to my food processor (which is next to my juicer so serves them both).

3) Keep as much of the counter space completely clear as possible. This not only looks and feels better, but it means there is never an excuse not to make something because of lack of space or having to clear up first!

4) Group your foods into different places. For instance, I keep all my dried herbs, spices, sea veg and misc. other in one cupboard, my superfoods, flavourings and sweeteners on a shelf next to my blender, my salts, oils and sundried tomatoes in another corner where I may go to season dressings, dips or salads, and all of my nuts, seeds and dried fruits are kept in my "Lazy Susan" (the rotating half- moons that sit behind cupboard doors and are usually used to keep saucepans on!). Any cooked food items that I keep for my son or visitors I keep out the back in my utility room, so that they're there for emergencies but are never the first things I see or easy to get to. All the rest of my food is kept in the fridge, with a few frozen fruits and/or raw ice-creams kept in the freezer.

5) Keep a good clean supply of water in a prominent location so it's always close to hand. There are many ways to obtain good quality water, but this is probably something for later on. For the short term I advise NOT to drink tap water and at the very least invest in a basic jug water filter or investigate other more effective pure water systems.

6) Keep your sharp knives in a drawer, a knife holder or on a magnetic wall hanging as close to your chopping board as possible. This way you are always ready to chop and go!

7) Keep a notepad and pen, chalk board or pinboard with blank paper and pen attached close to hand so that when you start experimenting you can make notes or write down your new recipes as you go. Also great for making sure you know what to buy or order in when you run out of a certain ingredient, of course.

8) Keep your bowls, jugs and Tupperware containers all in one cupboard so that you know exactly where to find them when you need some containers.

9) Keep one drawer purely for housing miscellaneous tools such as salad servers, a hand held citrus juicer, your zester and grater, you measuring cups and your spatulas and any other utensils that you use as part of your fresh food prep.

10) Find a safe and a clean place to house your favourite recipe book/s and any other useful literature, but avoid the temptation to create clutter. Best to choose one or two frequently used books and keep the remainder filed safely elsewhere.

When you have made the necessary changes to you kitchen taking all of the above into account, run it past the all-important final check...

Final Check Questions

* Is my kitchen functional?
* Does it look spacious?
* Are things easy to get to?
* Are my most important accessories and appliances in clear view and/ or super-easy to reach for?
* Is my food well organised?
* Are my cupboards clear, clean and well organised inside?
* Are my "less healthy" foods and kitchen appliances harder (if not impossible!) to get to?
* Does my kitchen inspire me to take care of myself?
* Does it look beautiful?
* Have I made the most of this space?
* All things considered, have I set my kitchen up for success and does it inspire me to get creative?

This is just a tiny fraction of what you can do with your kitchen for making it the best it can possibly be.

Raw Food Classes Home Study With Karen Knowler Click Here Now!

About the author: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at http://www.TheRawFoodCoach.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Knowler

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How to Make Fresh Nut Milks in Your Blender

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How to Make Fresh Nut Milks in Your Blender
By Karen Knowler




Nut milks. Oh, how I adore thee.

Nut milks are what I consider to be a raw food classic. They're quick, easy - fun, even. And they taste jolly good too. In fact, if you know what you're doing they taste superb, and anyone - young or old - would love them given half a chance.

What follows is the why, what and how of nut milks together with a few hints and tips for making good ones greater. So even if you already consider yourself to be a Nut Milk Maestro, the following article may just help elevate your status to Nut Milk King or Queen!

Shall we get started?

Why nut milks?

Nut milks are packed with nutrition owing to the fact that they contain a fairly significant amount of nuts (1 measuring cup typically). However, with that does come the fat of course, but much less than usual as all of the fibre is removed if you choose to strain, and therefore a significant amount of the fat is left behind too as it remains in the fibre. This way you get all of the taste, none of the bulk and most of the nutrition (all nuts are typically high in zinc, magnesium, iron, protein, some B vitamins and manganese though it does differ from nut to nut). Blended and strained nuts are much easier to digest than when eaten dry and whole and therefore are much easier on the system.

And although they are fibre-free, because they are so nutrition-dense they make for a very filling drink or snack, or even meal depending on your appetite - but without giving you the full feeling of a meal. In the past I would quite often have a nut milk for supper if I wasn't hungry earlier on in the evening but wanted something an hour or so before bed. And sometimes only a nut milk would do!





What are nut milks and what can be done with them?


o Nut milks are a delicious and fresh alternative to dairy milks and are not to be confused with any other kind of milk you may have come across. This includes non-dairy milks such as soya and commercially produced almond milk, all of which are heat-treated.

o Nut milks are so-called because of their white dairy-like appearance and their similarity in taste to cow's milk, especially cashew milk which is the most similar and in raw food recipes is most commonly used as a dairy replacement.

o Fresh raw and unflavoured nut milks consist solely of raw nuts and water - nothing else.

o Nut milks taste fresh and creamy and leave you feeling refreshed and satiated, whereas dairy milks tend to leave a mucousy after-taste and you feeling a bit "gunky."

o Nut milks are delicious drunk either as is, or with sweeteners or flavourings added to them.

o Nut milks are great replacements for people with dairy intolerances.

o Nut milks are more commonly known about than seed milks, but all of the nut milk information given below (apart from that relating to ice-cream) can be applied to seed milks - i.e. milks made from using seeds such as sesame, sunflower, pumpkin or hemp, as opposed to nuts.

How to make a nut milk

To make a nut milk you will need a blender (or Vita-Mix) and something to strain the milk with. A "nut milk bag" is ideal for this but you can use a fine mesh sieve to good effect - but it must be fine mesh as anything bigger will not work and you will get lumps or fibre in your milk.

Step 1: Go nuts!
To get started you'll need some good quality nuts to work with. The best ones to start with are usually almonds as these are easy to find, easy to use and most people seem to love them. Whatever nuts you choose these will ideally be organic and with no broken bits or chips and will be raw - not salted or roasted! Other good ones to start with are cashews or hazelnuts.

Step 2: Get blending
To make enough nut milk for 1 large serving place 1 measuring cup of your chosen nut into your blender with 3 cups of pure water. Blend until all the nuts have been broken down and no bits care remaining. You should be left with a "milk" that has no bits rattling around inside it, although if you've used almonds there will be bits of brown skin showing up in the mixture - this is fine, we'll get rid of these next.

Step 3: Take the strain
Next, prepare to strain your milk by getting a jug or bowl to collect it in and your strainer in hand. Pour your milk through the strainer and into your jug or bowl. My own personal preference is to use a nut milk bag and a tall jug as the bag sits nicely around the top of the jug making it much easier to pour the milk into.

Step 4: Milk it to the max
You'll want to get as much milk from your mixture as possible, so you'll need to make sure you have strained it well. If you've used a nut milk bag to strain, continue squeezing the bag until no more milk can come out. If you're using a sieve use a spoon to swirl and press the nut milk and pull around until all the liquid has come through.

Step 5: Drink now - or flavour?
Your milk will now be "fizzing" with life and completely clear of any bits of pulp or fibre as you've strained it. At this point you can drink your milk simply by pouring it into a glass and serving, or you can choose to sweeten it or flavour it according to your own preferences. (Be sure to rinse the blender jug well first). I personally like to sweeten my nut milk a little, which I usually do with a Medjool date or two, or a tablespoon of agave nectar - I think this one simple addition takes the milk from a "7" to a "10" and most people who try them both and then compare agree (unless they have a low sweetness threshold!). If you'd like to flavour yours, read on for a range of ideas of what you can do with your lovely fresh nut milk, but bear in mind these ideas are just for starters!

Top nut milk facts & tips

* Nut milks will keep for several hours in the fridge with negligible loss of taste and nutrition. This only applies to pure nut milks - not those which have had anything added to them which will tend to ferment quite quickly and should be drunk ideally within the hour.

* To make a raw ice-cream with a nut milk base start your experiments with cashews or almonds. Cashew is the nut most like cow's milk in taste, but some people aren't so fond of cashews. But almonds are always a winner!

* To make a nut milk even more quickly AND avoid all the straining (of all kinds!), use 1 Tablespoon of nut butter instead of the 1 cup of nuts. Simply blend the butter with the water and hey presto! Instant milk.

* You can add fruit to nut milks, but bear in mind that it's not a great combination as far as food combining goes (when eaten together fruit and nuts tend to ferment in the stomach). However, because the nuts are not whole but in a milk form and therefore fibre-free this is much less likely to happen, or at least will be much less intense. Almond and strawberry is a great-tasting combination!

* Some great ingredients to try adding to your nut milks (in moderation!): Maca, mesquite meal, coconut butter, cacao beans or powder, vanilla pod or essence, cinnamon, dates, agave nectar, carob.

Feel Good Food: A Guide to Intuitive Eating

Nut milks for maestros

* If you make nut milks regularly but would rather not faff about with a sieve or bag and you're a gadget fan, you might consider investing in a nut milk maker. These machines are really rather groovy-looking and retail at around £59.99.

* If you're ready to get more out of your nut milks then consider making shakes, ice-creams, soups and dressings from them. The only difference between them all is the flavourings you choose to add and the temperature at which you serve them. But all equally lovely!

* If you've always stuck to almonds or the same nut for your nut milks, try something different. Some are bound to taste better than others, but you could always mix two or more to create something very special!

Raw Food Classes Home Study With Karen Knowler

About the author: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at http://www.TheRawFoodCoach.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Knowler

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3 Common Raw Food Myths Busted! by Karen Knowler

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When I first got into raw food back in 1993 there weren't a lot of myths floating around as there weren't many raw foodists or raw food philosophies floating around either!

Since then my, how things have changed! There's more books, resources, foods, theories, promoters, restaurants - you name it, there's more of it! And yes, ultimately this is a great thing... the only thing that frustrates me just a little are the myths that are created out of thin air and then get passed around like Chinese whispers and are taken as gospel! So because I'm keen for people NOT to sign up to a "truth" that's not true, here's my contribution to blowing these myths out of the water.


Myth #1: Talking about "THE" Raw Food Diet

The first and most misleading myth is that there is such thing as "a raw food diet" - there's really not. If I were to say to you that I eat "a cooked food diet" would that tell you very much? Of course not! I could eat burger and fries twice a day (like I used to), or I could eat beans and rice with steamed veggies (which I later switched to) - obviously very different foods that will affect my health, energy and body very differently - but they're all "cooked".

And so for me to say "I eat a raw food diet" is equally unhelpful. I could major on greens, salads and sprouted foods (which is, loosely speaking, the ideal in my opinion), or I could eat predominantly complicated raw gourmet dishes mostly made in the dehydrator followed by raw chocolate cake every night. Again, very different foods which will definitely result in differing levels of health and vitality - but all raw foods nonetheless.

So, when someone says to you "I know someone who tried the raw food diet but it didn't work for them", try asking them what exactly that person was doing or eating. I've found that usually after a little probing it becomes clear that really most people don't know what they are doing (some of the stories I have heard have been pretty scary!), many have not been eating a wide enough variety of foods (or of good enough quality), but moreover most if not all have failed to figure out and follow the 7 Steps that I teach in my Raw Food for Beginners book and classes - which is why I wrote the book! There is a method to all of this and it pays to learn it - that way success lays, and when you've made it happen for yourself you'll know that there really is no such thing as a raw food diet, but there is such thing as YOUR raw food diet!

Myth #2: "If You Eat Only Raw Food You'll Never Get Ill"

The second myth that needs busting is that if you eat all raw food you will never get ill. This is simply not true, although generally speaking eating lots of first-class raw foods certainly keeps people healthier and more able to shake off things than the average diet. But while diet is undoubtedly a very important part of the health puzzle, Step 1 of The 7 Steps to Going and Staying Raw is to learn, understand and acknowledge (as discussed in last week's issue) that "Going Raw is a Whole Person Journey."

Eating right (which to my mind is at least 80% raw vegan) is a brilliant tool for creating amazing health, but if you are overworking or are constantly stressed out, if your emotional needs aren't being met, or if you don't get enough fresh air, water, rest, sleep, sunshine or exercise then your body simply isn't going to thrive as well as it could because other vital nutrients are missing (of the non- food variety). In fact, stress is more acidic to the body than some of the worst junk food; it can literally poison the system, regardless of how well you might be eating. So, yes, when you go raw you need to be watching more than just what you eat - you need to be taking good care of yourself right across the board and feeding yourself optimally on all levels - but that's a good thing, right?!

Myth #3: "You Have to Go 100% Raw to Be Your Best"

The third and final myth that I really want to bust is that going raw has to be all or nothing. No, not at all. Over the years I have been at all places on the dietary spectrum, from eating all junk and lots of meat to all raw vegan - and everywhere in between. Nowadays I eat pretty much 100% raw vegan all the time (there are a few occasional exceptions, but these are a very rare event), but that's simply because I feel and look my best when I do - but I don't treat eating raw as a religion. When eating raw becomes a "must do" rather than a "want to", that's when it starts to become unhealthy. So being clear on your values and having your Big Why at the core of your eating habits ensures that you keep your emotional energy high which will greatly assist you in eating more raw and feeling happy about it - but what level you choose to go to is entirely personal to you and can and most likely will change ongoingly as you and your diet evolve. The key criteria for all of this has to be that you are happy with what you're doing, and are consistently feeling better for it in every way, otherwise why would you do it?

(c) 2008 Karen Knowler

About the author: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at http://www.TheRawFoodCoach.com

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