The Easiest Way To Start A Raw Food Diet

The raw food diet philosophy is simple.

Everyone knows that raw fruits and vegetables are a prime food for our bodies. They are easily digested by the body and packed with nutrition.

Therefore, the raw food diet philosophy is this: Putting living food in to our bodies helps our bodies come alive.

When it comes to starting the raw food diet, you will find a variety of different approaches out there.

After experimenting and eating a raw food diet for years, I still take a soft approach when it comes to introducing this way of life to anyone who may be interested in it. I never try to convince anyone to go 100% raw. We all know that making changes in our lives takes time.

My only goal is to give you the encouragement and space to help you take small steps towards a better, healthier life. I believe the raw food diet can help you to live in a more balanced way. It can help you to lose weight and it will give you energy and vibrancy that will change almost every aspect of your life.

We've all heard the phrase "You are what you eat." and it's true. The cells of your body are constantly dying off and being recreated. The food you eat is what your body uses to construct your cells. If you are eating foods that lack nutrition and are full of sugar and fat, your body will reflect that. If you are eating nutritious foods that are living, your body will reflect that too.

If you are nourished by the food your are putting in to your body you will not believe how much better you will feel. Once you start feeling that way, you will not believe the things you will be able to accomplish.

We are conditioned in society to work very hard (and we do). Work and stress becomes a fundamental part of our lives. Especially for women - we are expected to juggle our careers, our families, our friends and unfortunately, at the bottom of the pile most times is self care.

We thrive on taking care of others and that is a beautiful thing however, who takes care of us?

More then weight loss, more then better health - my personal philosophy on the raw food diet is self love. Once your start to support and give attention to your well being, it radiates out and affects your entire life.

I have experienced these changes from raw food in my own life and I hope to help others experience the vitality & abundance in their lives too.

Are you ready to get started? I promise you that it's much simpler then you think!

I want to show you how simple it really is to start a raw food diet. Here is the key: the simpler you eat, the better results are going to be.

There are a ton of fancy raw food dishes that are quite good. However, it takes time to learn how to make them. You will need to go out and buy a bunch of ingredients, many that you may have never even heard of. You may need to invest in fancy equipment. This approach is a big time investment and it costs money that you really do not need to spend.

The best way to guarantee your success is just to get started. Don't over think it and don't spend money investing in your new "diet". If you do this, this will just be another "fad" and it will be something that you will most likely not keep up. (We've all fallen in to that trap and it's really not necessary. I promise you!)

The key to the raw food diet is eat simple. Just introduce more raw fruits and vegetables in to your body each and every day.

You don't have to go "all in". You don't have to give up everything that you currently eat in exchange for raw foods to experience the benefits.

Remember, this is about self love! Be patient with yourself. Don't get discouraged and don't give up. Just do your best each day.

When I was first starting out, I found that the easiest way was to start with breakfast. Exchange your usual cereal, toast, waffles, pancakes, eggs or whatever you normally eat for breakfast - with fruit.

Have a large fruit breakfast. Whatever fruit you like, eat that. If you only like one fruit, that's OK. Eat that one fruit. Fruit is nature's "fast food". It's pre-packaged and you can easily take it with you where ever you go which makes it perfect for busy mornings.

If you have time in the mornings, you can cut it up and eat a large fruit salad or drink your fruit in a smoothie.

I'm going to share one thing with you that I wish someone had told me years ago about the raw food diet.

You have to eat enough! One banana or one apple is not enough breakfast. I typically eat around 5 to 10 bananas for breakfast. This may sound like a lot at first to someone just starting to eat this way, but it is crucial that you eat enough!

The raw food diet is about abundance not lack. As you start to eat this way, you will need to rid your mind of the typical "diet" mentality that tells you that you need to eat less. This is not true.

You don't have to eat less, you have to eat better!

Fruits and vegetables are very low in calories and in order to get your necessary daily caloric intake you will need to eat more food when you eat this way. Fruits and veggies are packed with nutrients and because you will be eating so many of them, your body will suddenly start to come alive and it will LOVE you because you are finally feeding it what it needs!

Think about it this way: each banana has about 100 calories. A 500 - 1000 calorie breakfast of delicious, nutritious fruit is a great way to start your day in a healthy way! Don't worry about those calories, don't restrict calories when it comes to raw veggies and fruit! Eat as much as you want and if you're going to cut calories, cut them in the other not so healthy foods you eat.

Due to the high fiber and water content of fruit, at the beginning you may feel very full after a big fruit breakfast. If you find you can't eat that much at one time, break up your breakfast in to two parts. Eat a fruit breakfast and then a fruit snack a few hours before lunch. Listen to your body and eat in a way that works for you.

Eating a raw fruit breakfast is one of the easiest ways to get started. Try it for a week and I promise that you will start to see the benefits.

While incorporating a raw food breakfast in to your day, continue to eat your normal lunches and dinners while incorporating more raw fruits and veggies at those meals.

Have a salad with your lunch, eat a few pieces of fruit as a snack in the afternoon.

When you get home from work and while you are preparing dinner, have a pre-dinner of fruit.

Again, eat a good amount of calories! Shoot for about 500 calories of fresh fruit. Eating the fruit before your regular meal will help you to eat less. The fiber and water content of fruit (and the natural glucose) will make your body feel satisfied.

Fruit is what feeds our cells and if you have been eating a typical American diet, your cells are literally crying out for nutrients! Give them what they need and they will thank you by coming alive again.

After dinner or anytime you are craving sweets - EAT fruit! Eat a lot of fruit!!!

When you are craving sugar, what your body is really saying is FEED ME fruit. Next time you think your body is telling you it wants a brownie or ice cream, try giving it fruit instead.

Instead of putting all that sugar and fat in to your body (which your body doesn't need) you will be giving your beautiful body what it needs. Fruit is nutritious, alive, fresh, juicy, succulent and sweet. It is the perfect dessert!

The more raw food you eat, the more raw food you will start to crave. The more you eat, the better you will feel.

Check out this 21 Day Clean Eating Meal Plan, just in time for the new year! The clean eating diet is a perfect way to transition in to a raw food diet!

Here are a few more tips to help you easily get started on the raw food diet.

Fill your house with as many fruits and veggies as you can. If you don't have these foods in your home, you will never eat them! Eat as many fruits and veggies as you want. This is an unlimited diet!!!

Make your first meal of the day a raw food meal. Eat fruit and eat enough.

Get in some exercise each day. Your body needs exercise so please, find an activity that you enjoy. Don't torture yourself with exercise! Shoot for 20 minutes a day.

Eat your dinner in two parts. Fruit and then the dinner of your choice.

Add as many raw fruit and vegetables to your day as you can. Remember, the more you eat the better you will feel.

Get plenty of rest. Your body needs sleep to restore and rejuvenate. Get as much sleep as your body needs. Enjoy resting, don't feel guilty! Give yourself permission to rest.

Make sure you are eating enough calories. This is the main reason people fail on this diet is because they don't eat enough. Fruits and veggies are low in calories. You will need to eat a lot more food then you are use to.

Slowly over time, you will start to feel the affects the raw food has on your body. You will find that after a raw meal, you have energy, mental clarity and feel ready to tackle almost anything! You will also start to notice that after eating a typical meal, you don't feel as good.

I believe the only way to fully transition to a high raw diet is to let your personal experience guide you. Your body will show you the benefits of eating this way!

Be gentle with yourself. Each step you take will teach you. Every failure is a chance to grow and learn. Listen to your body, have fun and enjoy the journey.

To you and your health!