How I Cured My Coffee Addiction

I have to admit something. I used to LOVE coffee. I had a cup every single morning after my exercise with a “splash” of half and half and a couple tablespoons of sugar. I could not even imagine starting my day without my little cup of energy.

That was about two years ago. Now, I can’t stand the stuff. The smell alone makes me want to hurl. The fragrance is so strong and bitter. Yuck. I’ll just stick to water, thank you.

So what changed? How was I able to kick my coffee habit over two years ago? Why is just the smell of coffee so aggravating to me now?

Coffee Addiction

When I was much younger, I hated everything about coffee. The aroma, the look of it, the few sips I had tasted. I felt the same way about coffee as a child that I do today.

As I got older, I started having a cup in the morning. I still hated it at first, but it just seemed like something people did. Every adult I knew got up in the morning and fixed themselves a cup of coffee. My Mom drank coffee all throughout the day!

Before I knew it, I was hooked on the stuff. And it only took a few weeks to go from something I despised to something I relied on everyday. If I did not have my coffee, it was very hard for me to stay awake during my first few classes at school. I would usually experience a slight twinge in my forehead as well.

At the time, I thought that this was a sign that coffee was necessary in my diet. When I drank coffee, I felt good. When I stopped drinking it, I felt bad.

The Effects of Coffee

You see, coffee has two effects: a short term effect and a long term effect. The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant and consuming it causes your body to work overtime trying to neutralize it. Your body’s sudden state of frenzy causes you to feel energized and awake for a short period of time. This is the short term effect.

Once these effects have worn off, the body returns (or “comes down”) to its original condition. You now feel sluggish and tired again. This is the long term effect of drinking coffee.

Many people only notice the short term effect. While virtually everyone experiences the “drop off” later in the day (I know I did), they do not associate this with the coffee. In fact, I’m sure many of you attempt to solve the problem by having more coffee!

How to Cure Your Coffee Addiction

The best way to stop drinking coffee is to STOP DRINKING COFFEE! If you continue to drink the stuff, you will continue to be dependent upon it.

Personally, I went completely cold turkey from my one cup a day. I had a couple of slight headaches for a few days, but that was the extent of my detox. After a couple of weeks, I felt much better and no longer longed for coffee. After two short months, I could not imagine drinking coffee at all.

If you drink numerous cups of coffee each day, it might be best to gradually reduce how much you drink. An easy way to do this is to replace each cup with caffeine-free tea. If you choose, you can keep going by replacing the tea with just warm or cold lemon water.

Either way you choose, your goal should be to completely eliminate coffee from your diet. It provides no nutritional value and has no place in a healthy lifestyle.

My hope is that one day coffee drinking will be a thing of the past and people will rely on good ole exercise and nutrition to energize themselves for the day.

A girl can dream, right?

For more information on the best raw vegan diet, be sure to visit Fit On Raw and subscribe to Swayze’s newsletter Peachy Keen Ezine. By subscribing, you will also receive the free report The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet as well as the 5-week mini-course The Fool Proof Transition to Raw.
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admin, December 3rd 2009 | Tags: Caffeine, Coffee, Coffee Addiction, Raw Food Diet, Raw Foods, raw vegan
Posted in healthy vegan diet

How to Finally Overcome Binge Eating

This Saturday was a holiday here in the US. It was the 4th of July, full of family, friends, fireworks and (of course) fattening foods.

If I had to guess, I’d say that the vast majority of you did not maintain your raw food diet.

Sorry if I seem too harsh. But let’s face it, making *any* dietary changes is tough work! This is especially true for those of us known to binge eat.

While I no longer struggle with binge eating or cravings, I know how physically *and* mentally draining it can be. I also know what it takes to defeat these cravings for good.

On that note, here are the 3 most important steps you can take to combat your cooked food cravings and finally overcome binge eating.

#1: Don’t Beat Yourself Up

You have to put this little side-step, or any dieting “faux-paus,” in perspective. Just because you ate some food you have placed on your naughty list does not mean it’s the end of the world. It’s just food!

Think about it this way. You maintain a healthy raw vegan diet for 2 weeks straight…tons of fruit, nutritious veggies, limited fats, etc. Then, you attend a cookout for Independence Day. You are determined *not* to eat anything cooked. But, oh man, that cornbread looks sooooo good. You decide just a little nibble won’t kill you. A nibble becomes a mouthful, a mouthful becomes 3 face-fulls, etc.

Before you know it, you feel uncomfortably stuffed, piss offed, and guilty.

And all of this in the span of just a few minutes. Compare those minutes to the entire 2 weeks you stayed raw and healthy. Not much of a comparison, huh?

Always put things into perspective. Recognize your decision (you choose to overeat, it does not happen to you) for what it was, learn from it, and move on.

#2: Be Firm In Your Decisions

While it’s important to be easy on yourself when you stray from your diet, it’s also important to be firm in your decision to go raw to prevent further binges. You have to understand exactly why you are refraining from certain foods and be completely confident in your reasons.

Doing this from the get go will make it much more difficult to justify eating those forbidden foods.

An excellent way to facilitate this is to make a list of your raw reasons. Include only the reasons that are actually important to you, not ones that you think should be important.

If the *only* reason you want to go raw is to lose weight, that’s okay! That can be your one solid reason. Try to keep that reason in your mind at all times. Write it out on post it notes. Laminate it and paste it to your fridge.

Just make it real and unforgettable.

If someone asks you your reasons for going raw, you should practically scream at them, “I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT!” without even thinking about it. It should be that solid in your mind.

#3: Analyze Your Cravings to Cooked Foods

It’s always important to understand why we long for “naughty” foods in the first place. To do this, you first must identify what type of craving you are experiencing:

*Physical Cravings*

Physical cravings are simply due to physical hunger. You are not getting enough calories from raw foods and so you are hungry. This puts you in a compromised position, especially when you are surrounded by all of your old cooked food favorites at family functions. Being hungry makes it very easy to justify eating these foods.

Luckily, erradicating physical cravings is very easy to do. Just eat more food! Simply add a couple more pieces of fruit to your fruit meals. You will know that you have eaten enough when you are satiated for 3-5 hours are eating and no longer crave other foods.

*Emotional Cravings*

Emotional cravings are a whole different monster because, well…they’re emotional! You binge because of your feelings, not because of any physical hunger.

I know this type of craving all too well. There were times in which I was absolutely *stuffed* on sweet raw fruit, and yet I found myself in the pantry claiming any foods that I could get my hands on.

For me, overeating was usually a result of boredom. Each time I found myself with nothing to do, I would immediately think of food.

When I *finally* figured this out, I was able to gain control of and even destroy my cravings. I knew what would happen if I let myself become bored and restless and so I was able to keep myself from reaching this state in the first place.

Not only did I eradicate my cravings, but I became much more productive as well!

It’s a Process

To get started, I recommend you write down your raw reasons. It only takes a few minutes. Go ahead, get started!

Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

From there, you can begin thinking about any emotional ties you may have to foods. Maybe you eat when you are sad, or angry, or just bored like me! Maybe you only eat when you are in the company of a certain person.

To help facilitate this analysis, I highly recommend you check out the Shrink Yourself Program by Dr. Roger Gould. The free session alone is enough to help you grasp your reasons for overeating.

Whatever you do, realize that overcoming binge eating is a progression. It will not happen overnight. If you find your current dietary guidelines too strict for you mentally, feel free to scale back a bit and work from there. The journey is just as important as the destination.

That’s why I offer The Fool Proof Transition to Raw when you sign up to my newsletter. If you have not subscribed, this is a free 5-week course that allows you to gradually make your way toward a 100% raw diet. I’ve found this to be much easier on the body, as well as the psyche, than going 100% raw right from the get-go.

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admin, November 26th 2009 | Tags: Binge Eating, Cravings, Emotional Eating, Raw Food Diet, Raw Foods, raw vegan
Posted in healthy vegan diet

#1 Rule For Healthy Raw Food Weight Loss

It’s no secret that many people, raw foodists or not, struggle with releasing unwanted weight. Often times this inability to lose weight stems from seemingly uncontrollable cravings for unhealthy cooked foods. These cravings often lead to binge eating, which (of course) leads to weight gain.

There is a good chance that you struggle with this problem as well. Sure, you might stick to a raw food diet for maybe a week or so, but those killer cravings always seem to rear their ugly heads again.

Once they’re back, it’s all you think about and before you know it, you’re parked at the nearest fast-food joint chowing down on the fattiest, most unhealthy food you can get your hands on. You spend the rest of the day feeling guilty and dreading your next visit with Mr. Scale. And the cycle continues…

What to do? Is there anyway to end this madness? Don’t you wish that there was one easy and effective way to finally lose weight? Well, to day is your lucky day! Here is the #1 rule for healthy raw food weight loss:

Eat More Food!

Sounds crazy, right? To tackle the weight loss issue, we have to get to the root of the problem: cravings. Many of these cravings can be avoided by simply eating more! We are so often told to eat less and less and less for weight loss. This is not the answer. Eating less food than your body needs means receiving less volume and fewer nutrients than you require.

If you allow yourself to eat as much food as you want, I promise you will see a significant reduction in cooked food cravings. Of course, you can’t just eat *any* foods. You want a raw diet comprised of mostly raw sweet fruits, 1-2 pounds of non-sweet fruits and tender greens, and limited amounts of fatty foods (i.e. half an avocado or 1-2 ounces of nuts per day).

You also want to be sure and eradicate (or at least limit) food such as salt, onion, garlic, and pepper from your diet. These foods are irritating to the body and they can and will lead to water retention.

How This Rule Helped Me

As wary as I am to admit it, I used to binge eat. Not only was this physically and mentally damaging, it prevented me from staying at my ideal weight for very long. Luckily, this never became a daily practice for me, but it was a nasty frequent habit nonetheless and one that became harder and harder to stop.

It was not until I learned the value of eating as much raw foods as I wanted and actually implemented this in my life that I no longer felt the urge to binge on unhealthy foods.

There were many days in which I actually ate 3000 calories worth of raw foods…well over my caloric needs for the day. And yet, I still lost weight! That’s the beauty of a low fat, high fruit raw food diet. You really can eat pounds of food a day and experience vibrant health.

What other diet can promise that?

Moral of the Story

Eat more raw foods! I don’t care if you just had a huge meal of 20 bananas! If you feel cravings coming on, go grab an apple or some grapes or pineapple, etc. And don’t cause yourself unnecessary stress by worrying over how much you are eating. Your appetite will gradually lessen as your taste buds and tummy become accustomed to simpler foods. You won’t have to eat quite as much to feel satisfied.

Today, I honestly can’t even imagine eating those unhealthy foods that I used to binge on. My belly is far too full on delicious sweet fruits!

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admin, November 25th 2009 | Tags: Cravings, Lose Weight, Raw Food Diet, raw foodists, Raw Foods, raw vegan, Weight Loss
Posted in healthy vegan diet

Is Your Kitchen Conducive to Healthy Eating?

If you were to walk into your kitchen right now, what would be the first thing that you saw? How about if you opened your fridge? And your pantry?

If your answer to these questions is not “raw fruits and veggies,” you might want to make a few changes.

Having your kitchen set up so that it is conducive to healthy eating can make all the difference in your raw success.

A kitchen that screams “HEALTHY LIVING WITH HEALTHY EATING, THIS WAY” is much more motivating and encouraging than one that says “COME ON DOWN FOR ALL THE JUNK FOOD YOU CAN EAT.”

Here are a few tips to help you easily and painlessly “fruit-ify” your kitchen.

#1: Make Beautiful Produce the Focal Point

Making your kitchen a haven for heavenly fruits and vegetables is a great way to help you stay raw.

One way to do this is to have a large fruit bowl (or 2) on your counter that is constantly stocked with fresh, inviting fruits and vegetables.

Another way is simply to clean and rearrange your fridge and pantry so that your raw food is bright and appealing.

*But the rest of my family eats cooked junk!*

Even if you live with others who eat cooked, you can still make positive changes.

For instance, my family does not eat a raw food diet. Instead of putting my food in the pantry, surrounded by lots of processed foods, I created my own little raw setup. I even had my Dad put up some shelves for me to put my fruit on!

You could also just make a designated part of your fridge and/or pantry “raw food only” areas.

#2: Have your favorite fruits of the season on hand at all time

This is a *must*, especially if you are new to a raw diet. Having fresh, delicious fruits in the house that you love to eat will make going raw *so* much easier for you.

You really will have no excuse to take “just one bite” of cake or “just one nibble” of pasta when you have so much beautiful fruit lying around.

#3: Post motivational material on your fridge

This is a super easy tip that can make a world of difference. All you have to do is go online, use your favorite search engine to find beautiful images of fruits and vegetables, and print them out to put up somewhere in your kitchen.

Encouraging quotes or phrases are excellent for this as well.

If you fancy yourself the artsy type, get creative! Create your own motivational poster and display it proudly. You can even go crazy and laminate it if you like!

So there you have it. Three easy tips you can use to make your kitchen conducive to healthy eating.

Got some tips of your own? Is your kitchen a fun, fruity paradise or a crusty, cooked food kingdom? Leave a comment below!

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admin, November 24th 2009 | Tags: Go Raw, Healthy Eating, Raw Food Diet, Raw Foods, raw vegan
Posted in healthy vegan diet

Beware the Dreaded Diet Detox!

Many people just learning about raw foods are completely turned off by one little word: detox.

They’ve read all the awesome testimonials from raw foodists, they’ve scoured for all the latest raw food research, and they know all about raw’s physical and mental benefits.

Then they also learn about this crazy detox process that lasts for years and makes your feet fall off and your eyeballs grow whiskers!

The decision to stay cooked and keep their feet and eyeballs whisker-free becomes a pretty easy one.

So what is this “dreaded diet detox” everyone is so consumed with?

What is Detox?

I like to think of detoxification in two different ways:

1. Traditional Detox 2. Withdrawal Detox

Traditional Detoxification, or “detox,” is simply the body’s method of neutralizing or removing toxic substances (those created naturally via our normal bodily functions or those consumed, inhaled, or absorbed by us on a constant basis).

This is done primarily by way of the liver, kidneys, and – if the first two organs are overloaded – the skin. You’ll know your body is working overtime when you achieve that “awe-inspiring” armpit aroma after a sweaty workout!

So in this sense, detox is an on-going process. Your body is constantly detoxifying every single moment of your life.

Withdrawal Detox, on the other hand, refers to the symptoms you experience when you reduce the level of toxins in the body. This could come from adopting a healthier diet, beginning an exercise routine, or removing a known air pollutant.

The reason you feel cruddy when you give up your favorite cooked eatables in favor of simpler, whole ingredients is because you have reduced the toxic level in your body.

Your organs have become used to a certain level of toxicity and once that level is reduced, they finally have a chance to do their job and release the waste that has built up in your fatty tissues as quickly as possible…which means temporary yucky, but necessary side effects for you.

And the more toxic substance you eliminate, the harsher the effects will be.

Oh, what fun!

This is actually no different than the uncomfortable – and often painful – symptoms a drug or alcohol abuser experiences when going “cold turkey.”

Fortunately for us, the length and symptoms of detox from cooked foods are typically much shorter and much less severe.

How Long Should Detox Last?

Well…until you’re dead!

Oh, you meant detox in the withdrawal sense…my bad.

Contrary to what many mainstream raw foodists will have you believe, withdrawal detox should not last years and years, months and months, or even weeks and weeks.

Withdrawal from cooked foods will typically only last a few weeks *at most*. The norm is closer to just a few days.

In fact, if you *do* experience negative symptoms for weeks and weeks without any improvement, it’s safe to say that either:

a) you are not doing it right (i.e. not enough calories, improperly ripened fruits, improper food combining) OR b) the diet is NOT working and you should try something new!

And remember, diet isn’t everything!

If you are following a healthy raw food diet absolutely perfectly and yet you are still experiencing negative health effects, your diet is probably not the issue and you should certainly look into other health issues (i.e. exercise, fresh, air, clean water, sunshine, etc.)

You are only as healthy as your weakest link.

What Should I Expect During Detox?

While there are cases of more severe symptoms – usually experienced by people with some form of chronic disease – detox is typically very mild.

Here are the usual suspects:

These will typically last for a few days to a week. The worse off your health is before making the transition, the more symptoms you will likely experience and the longer they will last.

For instance, if you regularly drink coffee or alcohol and decide to give them up, you can definitely expect some headaches and jitters for the first few days.

As I said, some people do experience more severe and long-lasting cases, such as hair loss, faintness, or acne, but this should not be expected in most cases.

Why All the Big Fuss About Detoxification?

My personal theory?

Raw foodists are big drama queens.

In all seriousness, going raw is not all lollipops and fairy floss. This is especially true in the beginning when you are doing your best to figure out how to maintain such a “kooky” diet in the modern world, while at the same time battling low energy and digestive troubles.

It’s no fun, but it could certainly be worse. Just look at drug addicts who go cold turkey.

We’re talkin’ days and days (sometimes weeks, depending upon the drug of choice) of seriously scary symptoms like tremors, sweats, chills, depression, paranoia, and even seizures…and that’s WITH medical care!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never met anyone needing hospital attention from a few healthy raw, fruit-filled meals.

So stop being a drama queen, go raw, be fit and embrace your detox! That slight headache and minor mucus expulsion is just your body’s way of thanking you for finally allowing it to get rid of all the nasty gunk and be the best body it can be.

Plus, it has got to “repay” you for all the toxic overload somehow, right?

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admin, November 24th 2009 | Tags: Detox, detox diet, detox symptoms, Detoxification, raw food detox, Raw Food Diet, raw foodists, Raw Foods, raw vegan
Posted in healthy vegan diet

Vitamin D and the Raw Vegan Diet: Part I

Are you concerned about your vitamin D intake?

Besides protein and vitamin B12, vitamin D deficiency is one of the biggest reasons people have reservations about going and/or staying raw (or vegan, for that matter).

This becomes especially true around this time of year, when the sun is waning and the cold temps are movin’ on in.

There’s no question that vitamin D is essential to human health. Vitamin D is necessary for the proper absorption of both calcium and phosphorus. I’m sure you have seen images of the disfiguring effects of rickets, a disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D in the body.

Did you know that vitamin D is also necessary to process vitamin C and deficiency is implicated in the cause of 17 varieties of cancer?

Sometimes the fact that so many people (cooked and raw foodists alike) dwell on vitamin D when it is SO easy (and so free) to obtain really boggles my mind.

Then I remember all the COMPLETELY WRONG and often COMPLETELY BIASED information that we are all indoctrinated with from a young age regarding the source of this vital vitamin.

It’s time to debunk all the bull, don’t you think?

Where Does Vitamin D Come from?

Few will argue that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is necessary for healthy teeth and bones.

However, there has been quite some debate about how exactly to achieve proper levels of vitamin D.

According to traditional medicine, the only way we can get enough vitamin D is by consuming fortified milk, eating various species of fish, or by some form of supplementation.

Hmmm…I wonder what Dr. Colin Campbell, author of the renowned nutritional study The China Study, has to say about that?

Although some of the vitamin D present in our bodies may come from food, we can usually get all that we need from a few hours of sunshine each week. In fact, it is our ability to make our vitamin D that leads to the idea that it is not a vitamin; it is a hormone (i.e., made in one part of our body but functioning in another part).

The sun’s UV rays make vitamin D from a precursor chemical located in our skin. Provided we get adequate sunshine, this is all the vitamin D we need.

And John Jacob Cannell, MD from Vitamin D council, is there anything that you would like to add?

Remember, our ancestors lived naked in the sun for several million years. Then 50,000 years ago, some of us migrated north and south to places with less sun. Then we put on clothes, started working inside and living in cities where buildings blocked the sun. Then we started traveling in cars instead of walking, or riding horses, and glass blocked even more of the UVB in the sunlight. Then, only a few years ago, we started actively avoiding the sun and putting on sunblock. All this time we humans have been steadily reducing the tissue levels of the most potent steroid hormone in our bodies, one with powerful anti-cancer properties.

The really significant reductions in sunlight exposure have occurred since the industrial revolution, just the time the “diseases of civilization” like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer seem to have greatly increased. Pretty frightening when you think about it.

Even Dr. Joel Fuhrman, who advocates supplementation in his book Eat To Live, has this to say:

Most of us work indoors and avoid the sun or wear sunscreen, which lowers our vitamin D exposure.

In other words, vitamin D does not come from packaged breakfast cereals or rancid fish oils. It comes from good ole’ Mr. Sun.

How Much Sunshine?

The US RDA for vitamin D is 400 IU (international units) for an adult.

Dr. Mercola recommends that each person should get about 5,000 units of vitamin D everyday.

Sounds like a lot, right?

Not really, especially when you consider that only 15-30 minutes of full exposure (or as close to full as you can get) produces about 10,000 IU vitamin D!

What About Sunscreen?

Ah, sunscreen. That fruity, vanilla-y smelling goop that reminds us of beaches, bikinis, and family BBQs.

Snap out of it!

Not only are most sunscreens full of toxic ingredients, but putting them on your skin actually blocks the absorption of UVB rays, which is what we need to make vitamin D.

A healthy (and free) alternative? Shade.

If you feel yourself becoming uncomfortably warm in the sunshine, find yourself a nice shady spot, put on some breathable fabric, wear a hat, etc.

Simple, yet solid advice.

P.S. Be sure to check out “Vitamin D and the Raw Vegan Diet: Part II” for more information on the TRUTH about vitamin D.

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admin, November 19th 2009 | Tags: Raw Food Diet, raw foodists, raw vegan, sunscreen toxic, sunshine, vitamin d, vitamin d deficiency
Posted in healthy vegan diet

Go Green, The Raw Food Way!

I’ve received a handful of emails lately concerned with the amount of sweetness on a low fat, high fruit raw vegan diet. As expected, several of you aren’t quite used to the sweetness of so much fruit

To solve the problem, many beginner raw foodists substitute savory greens and/or nuts, seeds and avocado for sweet fruit.

Big Mistake

There are 2 problems with this approach:

1. Greens and vegetables have few calories2. Nuts, seeds, and avocado are high-fat foods

In terms of greens, these foods are simply too low in calories. Even a large salad of 8 ounces of romaine, one large cucumber, a whole bell pepper, and two medium tomatoes is under 200 calories! The only way to increase the calories in this meal would be to add in fruit or fat.

Which brings me to the second problem: fatty nuts, seeds, and avocado. Contrary to what people (raw and cooked foodists alike) like to believe, nuts are NOT a high protein food. Take an ounce of walnuts (14 halves), for instance. With only 9% of calories from protein and whopping 83% from fat, it becomes clear that nuts and seeds are really a high FAT food.

Avocados are in the same boat, with 4% protein and 77% fat.

SIDE NOTE: I’m referring to the Hass avocado here. There are avocados with lower percentages of fat, such as some Florida varieties, but these are not as readily available.

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this fact, it becomes a problem when these foods are substituted for fruit and eaten in mass quantities. While it is perfectibly acceptable to eat a pound (or two) of fruit in one sitting, this is a recipe for disaster in terms of fat.

Too much fat has been linked to obesity, heart disease, atherosclerosis, and even depression.

To learn more about the problems associated with eating a high fat raw food diet, check out this article.

This is why I side with the numerous doctors and health institutes – including Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Dr. Douglas Graham, Dr. Dean Ornish, and The Pritikin Longevity Center – in recommending a low fat diet for optimal health. This works out to about 1-2 ounces of nuts or ½ – 1/3 of an avocado per day (depending upon your caloric needs).

This means that if you decide to substitute sweet fruit for fat you will need to keep the quantities low. Say you add 1 tbsp of nuts to the salad example above. This still only gives you about 350 calories!

And that’s assuming that you can actually consume such a mountainous salad in one sitting. I’m pretty proud of my eating prowess when it comes to fruit. But 8 ounces of lettuce and a slew of veggies?

No way, Jose!

With the low amount of calories in this dish, you’ll be back in the kitchen looking for more fuel (probably in the form of simple carbohydrates) within the hour.

What to Do?

The easy way out is just to eat more sweet fruit. But you’re sick of sweet!

It seems we’re back at square one, right?

Not quite.

There is a tasty solution.

Go Green!

Green smoothies, that is!

A green smoothie – renowned amongst gourmet and low fat raw foodists alike – is a fruit smoothie with greens added to it. Sure, you’ve probably heard of them. But have you actually tried one?

Here’s a tasty raw recipe:

Blend everything together. Add water to achieve the texture you desire. I like my smoothies thin so I tend to add a few cups to the mix.

Why It Works

The green smoothie concept works for (you guessed it) 2 reasons:

1. It’s still fruit-based, providing quality fuel and satiation to your body.2. The greens help to cut the sweetness.

Even though green (and contrary to the lovely picture in this post, often times pretty gross looking), green smoothies are very much a fruity meal.

As you can see from the recipe above, the smoothie is still mostly fruit. The green comes from only a handful or two of romaine.

It is this small amount of “green-ness” that really adds a nice crisp, clean taste to the meal. The drink will still be sweet, but not sickly so.

And you can easily add more fruit or make more than one smoothie to meet your caloric needs.

For instance, whenever I make smoothies (green or not), I have to make two separate batches because I like them so thin.

*sigh* If only they made 64 ounce blenders…

Long-Term Sweet Sickness?

Almost every beginner raw foodist has a problem eating so much sweet fruit at first.

Even I, the Fruit Queen Goddess that I am, had some troubles. Bananas were especially sickening to me. They were just so thick and sweet. Yuck!

And to think, now I eat multiple bananas EVERYDAY!

If you stick with a high fruit, low fat diet, you will not experience this aversion to sweetness forever. And the transformation generally does not take that long. We’re talkin’ just a few weeks or so, on average.

And eventually, you’ll stop thinking of fruit as sweet altogether. At some point, it just becomes delicious, mouth-watering, satiating food.

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admin, November 8th 2009 | Tags: green smoothies, Greens, high fruit raw, low fat raw, Raw Food Diet, Raw Foods, raw vegan, sweet fruit
Posted in Raw Food Recipes

Raw Food: A Diet for the Lazy Man

Here is a comment that was recently left on a former post about mono-fruit meals.

I am lazy and started doing fruit meals from the beginning! I have never been into cooking recipes. So I got into raw foods and eating mostly fruit instinctively. ~ Annalise

I can certainly relate to this. When I ate a cooked vegan diet, I always HATED spending hours in the kitchen preparing meals. Or making a second trip to the supermarket because I forgot some essential ingredient for a dish the first time around. Or having to plan my “healthy” meals days in advance. Or…the list goes on and on.

That’s why I was so excited about the raw food diet. “Eating foods in their raw states,” I thought. “What could be more simple than that?”

Little did I know that the world of “gourmet raw” wasn’t any better than cooked vegan! I still spent hours in the kitchen, only now I was just chopping vegetables. I still had to make numerous trips to various health food stores in the hopes of finding “necessary” special ingredients. And I still had to plan everything well in advance, so as not to waste anything or end up without enough food.

And at least my cooked meals actually tasted good! Raw meatloaf and “sun” burgers…no thanks.

A Diet for the Lazy Man

Luckily, I quickly came across a raw food diet that truly satisfies the couch potato inside of me. And as crazy as it sounds, this is the absolute *healthiest* and most *nutritious* diet you can find!

And which diet is this? Why, the low fat raw vegan diet, of course! That means all the sweet fruit you can eat, moderate greens and non-sweet fruits, and limited fats. That’s it!

When I found out that I could literally grab a bunch of bananas and chow down, I couldn’t believe it. And what if I wanted something a little more fancy? No problem! A simple yet satisfying fruit salad, green smoothie, savory salsa or raw pasta could be prepared in just minutes!

This meant no more extra time in the kitchen and no more desperate searches at the supermarket! While I still plan my meals, and recommend that you do the same, it’s extremely simple. Since I know how much food I need in a given day and the ripening times of the various foods that I eat, all that is required is to make sure that I buy enough when I go shopping. That’s all there is to it!

And best of all? I have more energy on this super simple lazy man’s raw diet than on any other program I’ve ever tried! And because I’m not slaving away in front of a hot stove (or tepid dehydrator, for that matter), I can use that new-found energy for things that I truly enjoy.

What’s That, You Say?

A raw diet of mostly fruit is just *too* simple, right? There is just *no way* a person can survive long term on such a diet, huh?

WRONG! Not only are people surviving on a high fruit, low fat raw vegan diet, they are thriving (myself included)! If you don’t believe me, take a gander at 30 Bananas a Day. It’s a forum specifically for low fat raw vegans and boasts over 1000 members!

If you are *still* skeptical, try it out for yourself! You have nothing to lose from giving a healthy raw vegan diet a go. Cooked foods will still be there if you wish to return to them.

So what’s stopping you? Grab some bananas and give the low fat fruity raw way a try!

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admin, November 6th 2009 | Tags: 80/10/10, high fruit raw, low fat raw, Raw Food Diet, Raw Foods, raw vegan
Posted in Raw Food Recipes

Why It Is Easier Than Ever to Do Raw Right!

It Is Easier Than Ever to Do Raw Food Right

I feel so old…

Did I get your attention?

Actually, I feel great!Â What I mean to say is that Iâve been involved in the raw food movement for almost two years now.Â While that may not seem like a very long time, I have seen some amazing changes take place.

Changes that make it easier than ever to do raw right.

Back in *my* dayâ¦

When I went raw back in 2007, there were only a few raw sources promoting a healthy high fruit, low fat raw vegan diet.Â People like Dr. Douglas Graham, Frederic Patenaude, and Roger Haeske.

At the time, I was dabbling in the high fat raw food diet.Â However, I really was not comfortable with all the fat I was eating (something like 600-800 calories from fat a day).Â Plus, I was spending hours in the kitchen making complicated recipes that barely filled me up!

So I started looking for alternative raw methods on Amazon.Â By some stroke of luck, I quickly came across Frederic Patenaudeâs book The Raw Secrets.Â I ordered it pretty much right away, even though I had never heard of Frederic or this book before.

Honestly, I just thought the cover was pretty and the title was intriguing!

Needless to say, the book totally blew me away.Â It completely changed my way of thinking about nutrition and health in general.

So I was immediately inspired to try a high fruit raw food diet.Â AfterÂ experiencing awesome benefits in just a few days, I knew I had found the best diet in the world.Â By some stroke of luck, I had discovered the âHoly Grailâ of diet plans and there was no turning back for me.

And so, here I am.

What has changed

In less than two years, the raw food movement has exploded. It seems that there are new raw sites and forums popping up everyday!

Because of this, it is now so much easier for anyone to discover how to go raw and apply that knowledge in his or her own life.Â All you need is an internet connection and a few spare minutes!

More importantly, the high fruit raw way has grown substantially.Â There are many more people promoting this way of eating than ever before.

For instance, there is now a low fat raw vegan specific forum called 30 Bananas a Day.Â It has over 1000 members and is just as active as many of the mainstream raw sites!Â It really is a great forum.

Even some of the mainstream raw forums now have sections specifically for low fat raw supporters.

*Most* importantly, the sentiment towards low fat raw vegans has changed as well.Â I no longer find as many people shrugging off eating simply.Â In fact, I see many people questioning the high fat way and experimenting with a high fruit raw diet!

Itâs pretty cool.

Why have things changed?

I think these profound changes within the raw food movement have come about simply because people are sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Let me put it this way.Â Pretend you are told that a raw food diet full of nuts, oils, and superfoods is the absolute best diet and that you will experience utter joy and elation from eating this way.Â Who can resist?

So you give it a try.Â Itâs been months and what have been your results?Â Severe cravings.Â Tooth decay.Â Chronic fatigue.Â On and onâ¦

Enough is Enough!

I think people are finally starting to realize that it isnât about dogmatism.Â It isnât about appeasing the raw food âgurus.”Â It isnât about raw food for raw foodâs sake.

Itâs about results.Â People arenât getting the results they expected from the mainstream raw food movement and so they are looking elsewhere.

Where else is there to go?

Why, the fruity side, of course!

What this means for you

The greatest thing about this change within the raw food movement is that beginning low fat raw foodists (like you, perhaps) now have ample amount of support available to them.

This support comes in the form of forums, like 30 Bananas a Day, Gone Raw and VegSource.

There are free raw forum challenges held almost every month that provide great motivation and encourage community relationships.Â I actually hosted a 30 day challenge back in May on a raw vegan fitness forum (unfortunately, I did not own the site and the domain registration expired) and it was great to see all the motivation and encouragement from people on the board.

There are numerous low fat raw blogs providing useful, down-to-earth raw experiences and informationâ¦kind of like this one!

More and more long-term raw foodists are offering invaluable one-on-one consultation services.

There are numerous high-quality e-books and recipe books available that target a low fat raw audience.

*Whew* Thatâs a lot!

So if youâve been waiting to go raw the *right* way, now is the time to do it.Â With all the community support available, you really have no excuse not to!

For more information on the best raw vegan diet, be sure to visit Fit On Raw and subscribe to Swayzeâs newsletter Peachy Keen Ezine. By subscribing, you will also receive the free report The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet as well as the 5-week mini-course The Fool Proof Transition to Raw.

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admin, November 5th 2009 | Tags: high fruit raw, low fat raw, Raw Food Diet, Raw Foods, raw vegan
Posted in Raw Food Recipes, healthy vegan diet, vegan and vegetarian

On Starting A Vegan Lifestyle

Most experts and health organizations have documented the benefits of living a pure vegetarian lifestyle or vegan including permanent decrease in obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, as well as the decrease of risk for heart diseases and some forms of cancer such as lungs and colon. Also, arthritis, rheumatism, allergies and asthma also reacts with vegan nutrition that means no meat, fish, poultry, dairy and eggs. A vegan lifestyle also advocates non-smoking and non-alcoholic practices.

All the important organic nutrients that are needed by humans such as amino acids, vitamins and minerals are produced by plants and micro living things. Animal products contain these nutrients too, but since most animals have also the same nutrient requirements of animals, we get the nutrients second-handed. The unique components of animal foods are really saturated fats and cholesterol which cannot be found in plants.

In switching to a vegan lifestyle, the food transformation is easy since it’s often much easier to prepare vegetables than the usual recipes we are used to. A vegan diet is very easy. You could eat only vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits and still meet all the body requirements for essential nutrients. However, for those people who like to cook, there are countless recipes in different books and thousand of vegan recipes available online for the cost of a small subscription fee or for free.

Most vegans are referred to some clinics for serum cholesterol reduction or for treatment of obesity. The reasons are direct: a vegan diet contains no significant amount of cholesterol and very low amount of saturated fat.

As for losing extra pounds, the vegan diet does not contain refined sugar and harmful oil. The average food recommendations are focused on fresh vegetables preferably green leafy ones, and raw in whatever you like, with calorie requirements filled by grains such as rice.

There are no limitations in the amount of food you can eat, and most experts encourage vegans to eat as much as you want as long as the foods are not refined and generally vegan. It is not important to measure the food servings. Our body has three sense mechanisms that can work on this. First, your stomach has the sense receptors that will send impulses to our brain when the stomach has reached the capacity. Second, our body can direct us to eat until we have enough energy to run our metabolism. Lastly, there are complex biochemical processes that can detect the amount of minerals, vitamins, or other nutrients.

You will not have to make big renovation to your kitchen just to suffice your new lifestyle. In reality, there are ways that will favor the whole maintenance of your kitchen. Your kitchen can be very simple because you will only need tools and utensils that will help you in preparation of vegan meals. Usually, vegan meals are very fast, easy and cheap to prepare, once you make some investments. You should purchase a rice cooker, steamer, popper and microwave oven.

The most important kitchen tools that you need so that you can prepare your vegan meals are the following:

1. baking utensils,

2. chopping dish

3. colander

4. grate

5. pots

6. pans

7. soup ladles

8. jars

9. lids

10. measuring cups

11. bread knife

12. paring knife

13. cooking spoons

14. chopping knife

15. bowl

16. muffin tins

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