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What To Eat On An All Raw Diet

If you’re like me and a raw food diet completely makes sense to you, and you’re ready to jump in to this lifestyle head first, you might be wondering, “What do I eat now?”

Here is what works for me along with some helpful tips to guide you through the process:

1. Fruit for breakfast, fruit for lunch and some fruit for dinner. That may seem like a lot of sugar to some, if this has you worried, check out my FAQ page to alleviate any concerns.

Fruit is the ideal food for humans. It’s full of nutrients, fiber and water. It looks and tastes great without having to alter it by cooking or adding anything to it in terms of salt or other seasonings, plus, it’s easy to digest.

The idea is to eat simply for best digestion, more energy and vitality, overall health and wellness, and especially for convenience. Mono meals are a great way to achieve this. A mono meal is when you eat one type of food for a meal until you’re full or completely satiated. It can be a meal of just melon, just grapes, just mangoes, just figs, etc. Mono meals are always best because your body doesn’t have to work so hard trying to digest a variety of different things. It can easily digest one type of food, especially fruit which is higher in calories than vegetable matter which will keep you satiated longer. It’s quicker and faster to digest than anything else, leaving you with plenty of energy and vitality to accomplish everything in your day while feeling great! There will be no mid day crashes, just a steady stream of energy.

Pick a fruit you love, it can even be a big liter of fresh squeezed orange juice, which has been a morning favorite of mine for quite some time. Fruits that are in season locally, are usually best, especially when allowed to ripen on the tree or vine. However, many tropical fruits like bananas and mangoes that are affordable and convenient, are a great choice as well. Reach for the fruits that make your mouth water just thinking about them, fruits that smell good and that you feel good about eating. Let your body be your guide. Often, you’ll be drawn to what your body is actually needing in terms of nutrients, especially once you’ve been eating this way for a while.

If you don’t know what you like, start buying and trying new fruits to see what you do like. Visit your local farmers market for the freshest, tree and vine ripened fruits. Many of the vendors will often offer samples, if this is allowed in your area. Or go to your local health food store and ask the produce workers if you can try some fruits that are ripe and in season. Most likely they’ll be happy to cut open some fruit and offer you samples.

If you want to eat a variety of fruits, greens or other foods at each meal, it will be best for your digestion if you properly combine your foods. You can learn more about this in my video here: 

Some people prefer to juice their fruits and greens, especially when their digestion is sluggish or they’re wanting to do some deep cleansing and healing. Juicing is a great option to explore and there are lots of books, articles and videos out there if you choose to take this route. There are many ways to experience a raw food diet. Personally, I have found a higher fruit diet, that is relatively lower in fat to be the best for my health and body.

Guide to Proper Food Combining

And you can also purchase this awesome guide called The 80/10/10 Reference Guide for convenient reference of what fruits and foods combine well together and which ones don’t:   

For your evening meal, having some fruit before a big, green salad or savory vegetable dish is often a great way to satisfy your hunger, before getting the necessary minerals from your vegetable meal. The consumption of greens are important for obtaining the mineral content we require for optimal health and wellness. If you don't care for greens or vegetables and prefer to just eat fruit, supplementing with a product like www.dailygreenboost.com can be a great way to get those necessary nutrients without having to eat your vegetables. I take two heaping tablespoons of this product a day and still eat my vegetables because I really enjoy eating them but want to make sure I'm getting all the right nutrients since much of our soil is often depleted in many ways from unhealthy farming practices. This is just good insurance in my opinion.

One of the many reasons I love eating an all raw diet has to do with energy that is contained within the food. Everything in the universe is made up of energy, and each thing, including you and me, as well as every thought we think, vibrates at aCherry tomatoes different frequency which can be physically measured in hertz. Raw fruits and vegetables are very high vibrational foods and when you eat them, you raise your own vibrational frequency, which means you're going to feel better, lighter, more alive and have more energy. Dense, fatty, cooked processed foods, alcohol, drugs, including most pharmaceutical medications, and I'll add to this list - negative thinking, speaking poorly of others, foul language, etc.  - are all low on the vibrational scale and won't make you feel so great. Raw fruits and vegetables that are locally grown and harvested with love and care are going to be even higher on the vibrational scale than foods that were farmed on a grand scale and trucked half way across the nation, taking days or sometimes weeks to reach the produce section of your grocery store. If you have the ability to grow your own produce, even if all you have is a small space for a few containers on your balcony like I do in the photo to the left, that's a great way to save money and grow delicious high vibrational, healthy food that will nourish your body in multiple ways. If you've never grown your own food before, you have no idea how amazing food can truly taste! There's nothing like home grown produce. Pictured are Sungold cherry tomatoes.

For more ideas on what to eat, and to see what I typically eat during different seasons, check out some of my "What I'm Eating" videos below.

What I’m Eating Now All Raw *Summer 2015*

What I’m Eating Now All Raw *Winter 2015*

What I Ate Today On An All Raw Diet

What I Ate Today On An All Raw Diet

It’s Not All About The Food

Even though it plays a major role, food isn’t the only factor in achieving vibrant health and wellbeing.

Yes, changing your dietary habits will make a dramatic change in your health, however food is not the “be all end all” when it comes to looking and feeling your best.

With the right balance of each, the following lifestyle factors all play a vital role in achieving a vibrant state of health.

Food – This is one of the most important factors so it’s the best one to start with. fruit and vegetables 4 inOne of the biggest time consuming tasks your body is busy doing at least three times a day, is digesting food. More of your body’s resources are devoted to breaking down the food you eat and if you’re not eating food designed for your body, such as fruits and vegetables that are easily digestible, you’re putting a major burden on your digestive system at every meal. When your body is busy trying to break down foreign substances that can’t really be classified as human food such as soda, fast food, junk food and animal products, you feel tired, unmotivated, moody and ill.

Sleep – Getting a good night’s sleep and allowing your body to wake naturally without an alarm clock allows your body time to achieve major healing, deep tissue repair and cellular regeneration. It recharges your body’s energy sources and helps to keep your immune system working at an optimal level.

Nature – Spending time in nature getting sun on your body, breathing fresh air and appreciating our natural surroundings may not sound like it’s very important but trust me, when you start incorporating nature into your daily life, you will see and feel the benefits.

Hydration – Whether from pure filtered water or from the copious amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables you consume, it’s important to keep your body properly hydrated.

Movement – We all know we need to exercise, but we don’t always make time for it. BelliconThe best form of movement is one you enjoy and are willing to do. There are so many forms from walking, running, hiking, cycling, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing, dancing, yoga, rebounding, weight training, tennis, racquetball, gardening, the list is endless. Find a movement you love and make it a regular activity.

Relationships – Cultivating quality, balanced and harmonious relationships is integral to a happy, healthy life experience. 

Recreation – It’s important to take time out for yourself and do things that make you happy. Most women, especially mothers, tend to give and give, often to a fault, never thinking about their own needs or what would make them happy. Then they get burnt out and lose sight of what makes them truly happy, which then affects everyone else around them. And yes, there are plenty of men who do this too! Whether it’s a hobby, a sport or an artistic talent, a weekly massage or a girl’s, or guys, night out, take time out for yourself and do something you love. If you don’t, you’ll never fully be of service to those you love if you’re always burning the candle at both ends, ignoring your personal needs and desires.

Spirituality – This factor is going to be different for everyone. SpiritualityYou may already be fully connected in this department but if you’re not, it will help keep you grounded, feeling safe and grateful with a sense of purpose. It doesn’t have to be religion or even faith in a higher power, it can just be a connection with nature, but some form of spiritual practice that connects you with the innate wisdom you were created from, is often a missing link for many who are seeking balance in their hectic and chaotic lives.

I could write a book on each one of these topics individually about why they’re so important, but for now, these are the basics and I encourage you to explore each one of them on your own. As the saying goes, “You are only as strong as your weakest link,” and if you discover your weaker links and work to improve them, you’re going to achieve a great state of health much more quickly.

Curious about what to eat on an all raw diet? Click HERE
Do you have more questions? Check out the FAQ Page HERE

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Getting Started: What to Eat & What Not to Eat

How much would you like to improve your health and vitality? A little…or a LOT? If you want to see improvements in your overall health, you’ll need to become a label reader. Start looking at the ingredients in the food you’re eating. If the list is incredibly long with words you can’t pronounce and have no clue what it is, it’s probably a good sign you should put the item back on the shelf immediately and move on.

For noticeable improvements in your health and energy, begin removing these items listed below.

First list of foods to eliminate are processed and refined foods, as well as dairy:

Processed and packaged foods – Anything packaged in a wrapper, box or in the frozen section (specifically things that don’t resemble a food found in nature) such as candy, cereal, pop tarts, bread, nuggets, canned cheese, etc. 

Refined sugar (including high fructose corn syrup) refined sugar

Wheat & other gluten products

Soda and Coffee

Fast Food

Dairy Products

fast foodcoffee donutsdairy
Take it a step further to experience even greater improvement and remove:

Oils meatsaltoils

Salt (or at least limit it dramatically)

Animal products (Beef, chicken, fish, pork, eggs, etc.)

And to achieve the highest state of health your body can offer you:

Consume a diet of all raw, or mostly raw, fruits & vegetables with a small amount of nuts and seeds. fruit and vegetables 4 in

At this point, you’re probably thinking I’ve taken away everything and left you with nothing to eat, right?

You may not know this, but there is a healthier alternative for just about every food item on the market these days. 

Instead of processed sugar you can use agave, stevia, 100% pure maple syrup, date sugar and coconut sugar, cane juice and coconut nectar. 

Instead of wheat you can have things like amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, oat, coconut and organic corn flowers. 

Instead of soda you can drink 100% fruit juice with seltzer water or delicious kombucha drinks that have lots of carbonation but also beneficial bacteria for intestinal health, and there are natural coffee substitutes that will give you a coffee taste made from natural ingredients. You can also find unlimited herbal teas at your local health food store.

Instead of traditional fast food, you can prepare your own food to go or grab an all fruit smoothie from a juice bar or a nice big salad from a local salad bar, topped with your own healthy salad dressing. Maybe even an all veggie taco or burrito. You can create your own at places like Chipotle. Another great place for finding healthy, delicious plant based meals is Veggie Grill.milk alternatives

To replace dairy, there are amazing milk alternatives on the market like rice, oat, hemp, almond and other nut milks that taste delicious. 

Maybe this sounds overwhelming at first, so if you’re not an all or nothing type, take it one step at a time moving forward at a pace you can live with removing what you can, in increments that feel good to you. If you do too much too soon, it might backfire and have you binging on all the wrong things if you end up feeling deprived. This is not at all about deprivation, it is about finding alternatives to the foods that are wreaking havoc on your body, allowing your tastes to naturally change and enjoying an abundance of foods that will nurture your body and allow it to detoxify and heal so you can feel better than you’ve ever felt.

It’s also worth noting that most foods that contain soy, corn of any kind including high fructose corn syrup, canola and cotton oils, and even plain old sugar, if not labeled organic, are most likely Genetically Modified or considered GMO, and best avoided.

If you need guidance, I’m always available for consultations through email and Skype. Just click HERE.

Once you begin making a few of these changes, you’re likely to begin feeling like a new person. You’ll notice improvements in your energy, stamina, weight, skin, mood and mental clarity. You’ll find you sleep better, wake up refreshed and feel lighter overall. You will also notice how much more you appreciate the flavor of food and you’ll naturally become more drawn to eating, and even craving, certain fruits and vegetables. Sometimes the changes are very gradual depending on your commitment  and you won’t notice how good you feel until you slip and eat something you previously eliminated. That’s when you really notice how much better your body was functioning on the new and improved path.

Don’t take my word for it, check out the following films for proof that changing what you eat dramatically affects your overall health and wellbeing: 

Beautiful Truth
Beautiful Truth Available on Amazon
King Corn
King Corn
Cowspiracy
Cowspiracy Visit www.cowspiracy.com
Food Inc
Food Inc. Available on Netflix, iTunes & Amazon
Fat Sick & Nearly Dead
Fat Sick & Nearly Dead Available on Netflix, iTunes, Amazon
Forks Over Knives
Forks Over Knives Available on Netflix, iTunes, Amazon

To read more about how to improve your health and vitality, click HERE

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Journey To A Healthier You

Did you ever stop to think about what you’re putting into your mouth? Or ponder where the food will go and what it will do once inside your body?

Have you ever wondered what the food you’re eating is made of? Stuffing food

Most people don’t. They’re so used to just eating what looks and smells good, or simply what’s placed in front of them, without any thought about how their bodies will be able to process the food or if it even contains any nutritional value. For most people, if it tastes good, they’ll eat it.  

This has become one of the major downfalls of our health in our western civilization. 

To make a long story short, the food industry is BIG business. They are in it to make money. If it doesn’t taste good, you’re not going to buy it. These companies do everything in their power to make you want, and even need, their food. They have full time food scientists in a lab creating meals and snacks to grab your taste buds and have you addicted to their products.Lays They spend billions of dollars in ad campaigns to lure you in, creating tag lines such as “Betcha can’t eat just one,” “It does a body good,” and “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”Milk

They don’t give a hoot what they’re putting into their products: GMO’s, MSG, preservatives, excitotoxins, high sodium, high fructose corn syrup, shortening, hydrogenated oils, pesticides & herbicides, fillers, binders, the list goes on. All they care about is whether it tastes good, will have a long shelf life, is cost effective on their end and that it becomes a big seller. 

None of the ingredients mentioned above are a food and none of them belong in your body. And yet, most people consume these things all day long, without a second thought. 

The human body doesn’t know what to do with these ingredients or how to process them and most of it gets stored in your cells where it sits and eventually creates complications in the way your body functions. 

This is one of the reasons we have an epidemic of obesity and disease wherever a western diet is consumed. 

When it comes to Real Food, the body knows exactly what to do with it. It absorbs the vitamins, minerals and water content and uses the fiber to keep your colon clean and functioning optimally. It is simple to digest and doesn’t damage any part of the digestive tract as it moves through your body. What is Real Food? Fresh, whole, ripe fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. 

When we look at our closest ancestors in nature, with whom we share 99% of our DNA such as the bonobo, they have similar digestive tracts, similar teeth, opposable thumbs, and they don’t have claws or fangs, and they don’t kill other animals for food. BonoboThey do eat a diet of primarily fruits, with tender, easy to digest vegetables, and a small amount of nuts and seeds. 

Yes, many humans have adapted to eating meat, grains, dairy and junk food but it doesn’t mean we should or that it’s optimal. 

I personally suffered a lifetime of digestive issues, skin & hormonal problems, as well as chronic headaches and migraines. I searched every avenue of medical treatment and healing modality for all of these ailments and never found longterm relief until I changed my diet. 

The moment I removed all the processed and junk foods, as well as meat, dairy and grains, my health began to improve and continues to improve everyday. It’s not a “cure all” but I’m relatively symptom free these days and that’s very rare in today’s world. 

I’ve been on this path since March of 2009 and it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made. The list of benefits is long, and nothing the medical community could ever even dream of offering. 

Here are some of the benefits I’ve experienced from changing my diet & lifestyle:

Improved digestion

Eliminated chronic headaches & migraines

PMS vanished

alicia skin 8 in

Menstrual cycles are regular, balanced, short and pain free 

Clear skin

More energy & vitality

Stronger endurance

Happier 

Improved vocal ability

Stronger immunity

No longer experience the common cold or flu

Nail fungus vanished

Improved hair and skin quality

No more dental plaque

Spend less money

Relationships improved

Stronger intuition

Closer connection with nature

Improved spirituality

More confidence

If you are suffering from an ailment you’d like to get rid of, or you’re just interested in living a quality of life that’s better than what you’re currently experiencing, making simple changes in your diet and lifestyle just might have a profound impact on your overall life and wellbeing. 

Click HERE to read “How To Get Started”

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