7 Tips To Help You Stay Raw
January 4, 2009 | Articles, Featured | Share
Confronting The Old Cravings
If you’re like me, you still may have some of the “old cravings” for cooked foods, locked away in the deep, dark recesses of your mind.
Having survived the holiday season of family gatherings, Thanksgiving turkey dinner, and that darned Christmas ham, I am fully aware that there is a part of me that craves the old ways and habits of eating cooked food.
But, I was able to survive the holidays unscathed! And maintaining my 100% rawness. And you can be a survivor too in 2009. You just have to address your cravings and understand the whole psychology of why we crave what we crave.
It’s Always A Question of Mind Over Matter
Though mind, body and spirit may fail us at times, we are blessed with the power of commitment and determination when we truly understand that, if we are to change and transform ourselves to the best we can be, then we need to stay on the path.
So, in following our commitment and determination to stay on the 100% raw food path, I’ve listed down 7 tips to help you stay 100% raw in the New Year.
7 Tips To Help You Stay 100% Raw
- 1. Meditate and Contemplate – Mind and body are most definitely connected. And your commitment to a raw food lifestyle is very much affected by your attitude and frame of mind. When you feel cravings to revert back to cooked foods, take a moment to sit down, close your eyes and breath deeply and slowly, concentrating on slow, steady breathing. Meditate and reflect on the reasons why you chose to go raw in the first place. Ponder over those reasons and re-connect with your goal to transform yourself into a new you.
- 2. Make Sure You Eat Enough Raw Foods – It’s possible that when you are hungry it is a time when you can falter. So, make sure you are getting enough raw foods throughout the day. Better to graze and eat 6 smaller meals a day, than to suddenly find yourself hungry and at a vulnerable point where you might fail. Bring around a bag of raw trail mix just in case you find yourself hungry.
- 3. Read, Learn and Assimilate – Knowledge is power, and one good tip for staying on the raw path is to set aside some time to read something about raw foods, whether it’s on the web or from a good book. Try to find something new and positive each day about the raw food lifestyle that will help you stay motivated.
- 4. Address Those Old Cravings – Chances are, your current environment and people you know are not open to the raw food lifestyle. And these people and places you visit in your life will provide temptations for you to get off your raw vegan diet. The best way to prevent yourself from falling off the raw vegan wagon is to arm yourself with the reasons why you are on the raw vegan diet in the first place. Whether it’s to lose weight, improve your complexion, help fight a chronic illness or simply to have more energy in life, use those thoughts as weapons to fight the old cravings and temptations to eat cooked food.
- 5. A Raw Variety Is The Spice of Life – People may tell you that you are restricting your dietary intake by just eating raw, but the fact is there is an abundance of raw foods out there to keep one happy and healthy. Remember that cooked food is just that, cooked! And that their raw counterparts are readily available as well. Eat a wide variety of foods daily to help keep you interested and happily motivated to continue on with your raw food journey. One common tip is to eat all the colors in the rainbow from the raw plant world. This would ensure you are getting plenty of the essential nutrients you need to keep you feeling great.
- 6. Go By How You Feel Each Day – The power behind raw living foods is that they have the ability to make us feel energetic and healthy right away. Especially green salads and green smoothies; which will almost instantaneously bring you energy. So, go by how you feel and listen to your body when it reacts positively to certain raw foods. And ease off any foods that might weight you down. Feeling vibrant and happy is a sure way to stay in perfect tune with your raw food lifestyle.
- 7. Find A Support Group Online – The power of the Internet is that you can find people who share the same values and goals you do. Join at least one or two networks or discussion boards that promote the raw food lifestyle. It’s always best to find those like-minded souls who can provide the support you need to stay on track and succeed.
I sincerely hope these tips will help you stay 100% raw. What I’m noticing about my own raw food journey is that I have new cravings for certain raw foods. Whether good or bad, it’s important to get a healthy balance of raw foods to help keep you feeling positive and staying focused on your raw food journey.
Best wishes to you on your journey…
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