Are you new to Raw?

by: Curtis Griffing

I have taught many folks over the years how to eat raw or stay mostly raw, and over these years I have found common denominators with those who have adopted it as part of their regular diet.

I would like to share with you here 7 ways to help jump start your raw diet and stick with it.

Education: Read, Read, Read! Find books or websites with those who are lifers with eating raw and have a lifestyle that you want to model. Don’t go by those fly by night rawbies who have been raw for less than 10 years. I have seen many so called committed rawbies all of a sudden decide it’s not for them and go back to cooking the life out of their food. Some confuse their bodies by going back and forth by eating living foods then lifeless foods, living then lifeless, living, and lifeless. That’s like having someone say they love you and then turn around and say I hate you, I love you, I hate you, over and over again. Talk about confusing, this would turn anyone in to a basket case. Learn from those who live it as a normal part of their life and thrive and never give eating cooked food a thought. The body knows when it is loved by the living food choices you make and it shows. If you want to take a raw class make sure it’s from someone who lives it exclusively for over ten years. You’re more likely to have success with using their knowledge and experience.

Keep it Simple: This is a tough one for some to understand but is the easiest to accomplish. Just eat whole fresh fruits and vegetables of your liking. As much as you want till full. For instance for breakfast I had 7 bananas and a pound of blueberries with some greens blended. It was simple, easy and delicious. For lunch I had 12 outrageously delicious oranges. There are those who say it’s too much sugar. Well the problem with this faulty thinking is that they are comparing the processed fractionated white stuff with a complete wholesomely and nutritionally intact fruit sugar that has a compliment of nutrients that work in concert with these wholesome sugars, thus providing the body with energy, not zapping energy like the white stuff does. Each year brings a different favorite fruit or veggie. Summer is great for eating half a watermelon or 10 mangoes and grapes. I could list tons of different fruit I love to devour but you get the idea.

Make eating raw fun: There’s so many ways to accomplish this. . . Make interestingly odd-looking meals that make other cock their heads. Like a banana rolled up in a romaine lettuce leaves, then make enjoyable eating noises. Another thing I like to have fun with while eating raw is by enjoying a meal with others while I consume a dozen ears of corn during the summer months, or 10 peaches. Whatever is delicious to me in season I have my fill and I enjoy the questionable looks, which opens up fun conversations. It’s also fun to play with the cashiers at grocery stores as I check out 20 pounds of bananas or 50 pounds of carrots etc. These large quantities always provoke questions about what kinds of horses do I have or if I have a pet monkey. When I say that these are just for me it brings out more fun conversation and also a time to educate. Sometimes I play 10 questions with the cashier as they try to guess what kind of fruit or veggie I put in front of them to buy so they know how to charge me. I never though I would ever have to explain what a beet is. It’s amazing how the younger generation has no idea what certain fruits and vegetables are. Kind of sad actually.

Be Proud:This is important! Be thoroughly proud of your raw food choices around others, if they catch wind that you are embarrassed or you try to hide the raw way you eat then the jokes and intimidation will begin making your raw lifestyle less enjoyable to you. The best thing you can do if this happens is laugh with them and let it roll off your back. You have to remember that those who are joking or teasing you are coming from a place of ignorance. They have no clue about how their food choices are affecting their future health until it’s too late from a heart attack, stroke, cancer or some other horrific disease that they will have to live with in misery for the rest of their lives no matter how short or long that may be.

Exercise: Once you have adopted a raw or mostly raw diet you will find that you have more energy. Use this to your advantage and exercise. This will bring about a better mental state that will foster a better outlook in every area of your life. Start an exercise routine at any level you feel comfortable with. The best exercise to begin with is the exercise that you most enjoy doing. Make it fun, this will ensure you will stick with it and the more you stick with it the more likely it will become a lasting habit. Soon you will have that High-Pro-Glow and everyone around you will notice how great you look.

Grow Something: Find a little (or a large) piece of soil, whether it is in your back yard, community garden or even some large pots on your back porch and plant some seeds of your liking. You would be surprised how with very little care seeds planted in dirt with occasional watering will quickly sprout there way to the surface and produce something edible (not smokable). When you grow your own food you are more likely to eat it and like it because you did it. In time your plantings will grow in diversity and enjoyment. There’s nothing better than home grown. Don’t forget to share what you’ve grown. Others will notice the fantastic taste and may want to grow veggies also.

Create Excitment:Excite yourself and others with your new raw lifestyle change. Cheerfully express your goals or outcome with someone you care about. Excitement creates interest and interest creates those around you to want to make this positive raw diet change with you. It is so much more fun when you have a friend or partner to share this raw lifestyle. Actually the more the merrier. If you live in the Hartford Connecticut area we have monthly raw potlucks and events. Sign up on our email list on the top of this page to stay in touch. Join a raw MEETUP group and meet other like-minded people. Having someone that you can share recipes with or invite over to share a meal with will make you feel supported and confident that this living food diet is ideal, because it is!

 

If you have any questions or would like to no more please contact me, Curt at: curt@RawNH.com or call 860-982-4698 or go to the Classes drop down menu at the top of this page and select what your interested in and I will send you the details. I'll be glad to help you on your way to the finish line of great health and support you all the way.