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How To Stay On A Raw Food Diet

People often think I have really strong willpower, but my success with the raw food lifestyle came from an intense desire to always feel good after a lifetime of feeling bad. I strongly despise not feeling well and when I learned I held all the power to control how good or bad I felt, I became more motivated than ever to stay on a raw path knowing that was my ticket to feeling good all the time.

When I look at bread, pasta, pizza, cake, cookies, etc., all I can think about is how bad it will make me feel. If I did eat one of those things, I know it would take days or maybe weeks for me to recover and I just don’t have any interest in putting myself through that torture. I literally feel addicted to health and feeling good!

Rather than indulge in dense or unhealthy foods that are difficult to digest, I would much prefer to eat high vibrational foods like raw zucchini pasta, raw crackers, a raw dessert, raw pizza or a raw wrap instead, to keep my energy and vibe in a really positive, happy place. My goal, whenever I had a craving for a cooked food in the beginning, was to find a raw recipe version of that food or meal. I basically made a deal with myself that I would always find a raw alternative before ingesting something that would make me feel bad.
Pasta 4 pizza 4
In the very beginning, I had cravings for popcorn and things with vinegar like pickles and savory salad dressings. I would allow myself to have some vinegar or a few handfuls of popcorn if I just couldn’t get past the craving and eventually, I learned how to make kale chips which diverted my attention from the popcorn. Last year, I went back to using raw apple cider vinegar because I found so many benefits from using it and, it is raw after all. (See video on my personal experience and benefits of consuming raw apple cider vinegar here)

I think all my cravings for sweets and chocolate went away because my diet now consists of mainly sweet fruits. The only time I ever started to experience cravings for cooked or unhealthy food was when I didn’t eat enough fruit throughout the day. So, I learned to always enjoy plenty of fruit at every meal.
pear pie Peach cake 4
Now that my sweet tooth is satisfied with delicious, nutrient dense fruits, I have absolutely no desire to binge on junk anymore.

My suggestion, if you are struggling to stay on a raw food path, would be to try the following:
1. Load up on the best fruit you can find and make sure it’s ripe when you eat it 
2. Always be prepared with plenty of quality food at home and when you’re on the go
3. Find recipes for the raw food version of your favorite snacks and cooked meals
4. Make a deal with yourself to always choose the food that will make you feel your best and support your health & wellbeing
5. Find support in a raw food group in your local community, such as www.meetup.com or online

You veer off the diet because you can. So, find a reason why you can’t stray. It really is just a decision you adhere to, such as not cheating on a mate, not stealing, or simply deciding to brush your teeth twice a day. Make a commitment to yourself and then follow through by being prepared. That may mean going shopping twice a week instead of once a week or waking up a half hour early to prep your food for the day. 
wrap 4x7
Don’t let any rules of raw food rule your life. Make changes where you can and take the necessary steps to make this lifestyle work for you. If you need extra support, I’m happy to help through one on one consulting

If a raw food lifestyle is something you desire, with the right mindset and preparation, I know you can do it!

Have questions about succeeding on a raw food or plant based diet? Ask here, and I will answer your questions here on the blog
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A New Year’s gift for you: FREE meal plans + training videos

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

If you don’t know me very well, let me start by saying, I never promote anything I don’t believe in or that I wouldn’t use myself. I don’t want to waste your time with something that doesn’t have great value. 
 
Today is the start of a new chapter in each of our lives and I have something awesome I’d like to share with you. I hope it helps you make changes you’ve been wanting to make. 
 
Since I am not a parent, I don’t have the same experience that my dear friend, Kevin, has to offer. I believe his knowledge and experience as a parent, can help transform your life.
 
For the last 6 years, Kevin Cosmo has been training parents to increase their energy and have more fun with their health. He’s trained hundreds of parents and they’ve gained tremendous amounts of energy and fitness, while losing hundreds of pounds and saving hundreds of valuable hours. 
 
Here’s the first training video in Kevin’s FREE High Energy Parenting Course: The Core Strategy for Having More Energy
 
Kevin breaks down the 3 step strategy he uses with all of his clients, the 7 rules of having energy, and then he even shows you how to instantly energize yourself and jumpstart your day. Nothing for sale here, just great content for you to use to improve your life. There’s even a PDF that you can download and follow as you watch the video.
 
People depend on you to be healthy and energized. It’s your time. I really hope you like it.

Click HERE for your first training session
 
Wishing you a very healthy, joyful and energized New Year!
 
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Raw Savory Vegetable “Rice”

Vegetable rice

When you’re in the mood for something a little more dense, filling and savory, instead of reaching for cooked carbs, try a raw vegan, savory vegetable “rice” dish. This recipe can be a delicious and filling meal on its own, or paired with a salad, used as a filling to stuff peppers or tomatoes, and would even be great stuffed into lettuce leaves for a yummy wrap! This was often my go-to meal when I was really needing something other than my usual salad.

Savory Vegetable “Rice” Ingredients:

1 medium or small romanesque cauliflower or regular cauliflower (2 1/2 cups of cauliflower pieces before processed)
1 small kohlrabi peeled and cut (*optional)
1 large, ripe, red bell pepper approximately a 6 oz. sized pepper stemmed and seeded (half cut up in pieces, the other half set aside for sauce)
2 persian cucumbers or 6 oz. (or 1 small regular cucumber peeled) julienned into 1 inch noodles (zucchini can be substituted)
3 1/2 cups of cherry or vine ripened tomatoes (2 cups for sauce and 1 1/2 cups cut up for rice)
4 large stalks of celery approximately 11 oz. (6-7 oz. roughly chopped for the sauce and 3-4 oz. finely chopped for rice)
1/2 cup of fine carrot peelings
1/2 cup of pre-soaked sun dried tomatoes (soaked in warm water, preferably for an hour or more depending on thickness) a few pieces for the sauce and the rest for the rice
1 1/2 medjool dates (pitted) OR for better food combining – a 1/2 cup or so of a sweet tasting mango or apple 
15-20 medium sized sweet basil leaves (10 or so for sauce, and the left over for garnish)
1/2 cup of fresh blueberries for garnish (*optional)

Directions:

For rice
Break apart the romanesque or cauliflower and put the pieces along with the peeled & cut stem into the Vitamix or food processor
Add the peeled and cut kohlrabi and blend, or process, both until it becomes a small rice sized consistency

Pour into a large bowl
Add your cut up bell pepper pieces, cucumber (or zucchini) noodles, finely diced celery, chopped tomatoes, fine carrot peelings, and your cut up, soaked sun dried tomatoes

For sauce
In a blender like the Vitamix, blend 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, 1/2 of your red bell pepper, 3 stalks of celery roughly chopped, 1 1/2 pitted medjool dates OR ( you can substitute the dates with a sub-acid fruit like 1/2 cup of mango or sweet apple like a Fuji.)

Blend until all ingredients are mixed well but not too smooth

Add chopped basil to the sauce and stir, or pulse in basil leaves. Be careful not to blend basil because it can become bitter and the basil flavor can get lost in the sauce.

Pour sauce over rice and mix together

Garnish with fresh sweet basil and optional blueberries

You can also add fresh organic corn, chives, cilantro and a pinch of cumin for a Mexican style rice dish!

Raw Savory Vegetable “Rice” Recipe Video