| Are you new to the raw food diet and finding it hard | | | | them as a dressing over greens to give a heartier |
| to maintain? Do you feel like a raw food newbie, | | | | feel to the dish. You can also make lots of delicious |
| surrounded by thriving veteran raw foodists? | | | | raw soups or blended salads using saltier veggies as |
| Fear not, dear reader! These 5 know how tips will | | | | your base. |
| give any raw food beginner the confidence and the | | | | #3: Know How to Eat Enough |
| know-how to succeed on a low fat, raw vegan diet. | | | | Yes, I know I harp on calorie consumption A LOT. |
| You'll be a thriving raw foodist in no time. | | | | That's because it's important! The best quality fruit |
| #1: Know How to Pick Good Quality Fruit | | | | and the tastiest raw recipes will do NOTHING for |
| This is #1 on the list for a reason. Knowing how to | | | | your success if you don't eat enough. It becomes all |
| choose fresh, ripe, and delicious raw produce - as well | | | | to easy to slip back into cooked food eating habits |
| as knowing how much food you need for the day | | | | when you're running on empty. |
| and what fruits you enjoy - is a huge factor in your | | | | So how do you make sure you are consuming the |
| raw success. | | | | right amount of food? First, multiply your ideal weight |
| My original decision to give low fat, high fruit raw | | | | by 10. This is your basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the |
| vegan a chance was rather impulsive. I was sick and | | | | calories you would need if you remained in bed all |
| tired of feeling sick and tired and didn't know where | | | | day. Second, add any calories that you burn during |
| to turn. I had been on what I thought at the time | | | | the day to your BMR. This is dependent upon your |
| was the healthiest diet in the world: cooked vegan. | | | | lifestyle. For instance, someone who works in |
| The anemia, excess weight, and joint pains that | | | | construction will use many more calories than |
| plagued me screamed that the diet wasn't working | | | | someone working a desk job. Lastly, add any calories |
| and so raw foods seemed like the next logical step. | | | | you burn from exercise. Voila! Now you have a rough |
| Unlike most of the decisions in my life, I just kind of | | | | estimate of how much food you need per day. |
| went for it! I started by eating about 75% raw and | | | | It's important to remember that this is just an |
| saw results immediately. I had much more energy, | | | | estimate. If you don't feel satisfied eating this |
| experienced immediate weight loss, had more focus, | | | | amount, just gradually increase how much sweet fruit |
| etc. This got me so excited that I felt I had to go | | | | you eat during a meal. The general rule is that |
| 100% raw right away! | | | | satiation should last between 3-5 hours after you |
| Because I was still a new player in the raw food | | | | have eaten. |
| game, I had to go through a lot of trial and error. It | | | | #4: Know How to Move Your Body |
| became shockingly clear how little I knew about | | | | Exercise can be a lifesaver if you are new to raw |
| produce and what a newbie I was at choosing | | | | foods and struggling with cooked food cravings. |
| anything close to edible. I can't tell you the number of | | | | Moving your body every day really helps to foster |
| times I threw away wads of cash on rock hard, | | | | hunger and when your hungry, any food will do. I've |
| never to ripen, out of season, tasteless fruits and | | | | never enjoyed my simple fruit meals as much as I do |
| turned to cooked foods for sustenance! | | | | after an intense workout! |
| My best advice to you is to take it slow. Gradually | | | | If you're new to exercise, don't sweat it (pun |
| adding in raw, sweet fruit to your diet will allow you | | | | intended)! A simple jog around the neighborhood or a |
| to learn as you go along without worrying about | | | | game of badminton or a dip in the pool can do |
| "slipping up" on cooked foods. | | | | wonders for your eating efforts. A little exercise |
| #2: Know How to Make Simple (Yet Tasty) Raw | | | | goes a long way!:) |
| Recipes | | | | #5: Know How to Have Fun |
| Many raw food beginners feel that a low fat raw | | | | Just this past month, I had a lot of fun produce |
| vegan diet is completely tasteless and way too | | | | shopping. Not only did I visit my favorite farmers |
| boring. I understand that eating foods in their whole | | | | market, but I also learned about a Hispanic market a |
| states can seem a little bland at first. Okay, maybe | | | | few minutes from my house. I had actually known |
| REALLY bland! | | | | about this place for quite some time, but was |
| Well, that's where raw recipes come in! | | | | hesitant to go there because it was in a not-so-nice |
| To get started, I recommend that you experiment | | | | part of town. |
| with fruit salads, fruit smoothies and green smoothies. | | | | Anyway, I headed over there with my Dad and was |
| A fruit salad is just a few different varieties of fruits | | | | amazed by the variety and quality of produce |
| mixed together. For instance, I love equal parts of | | | | available. There were at least 10 different types of |
| chopped papaya, orange, and pineapple mixed | | | | greens that I had never heard of! |
| together in a big bowl. So juicy and refreshing! | | | | But the really spectacular part was the produce. Not |
| A fruit smoothie is a few different fruits blended | | | | only did the store have sapodilla, mamey, guava, and |
| together. In most cases, the base is a denser fruit | | | | my favorite mangoes, they carried JACKFRUIT! I |
| like bananas, mangoes, or papayas. Smaller portions | | | | could not believe it. |
| of other fruits are then added to the base. My | | | | It really is so much fun to come across foods that |
| favorite smoothie is 3 bananas, 2 oranges, and 1 cup | | | | you have never seen in person or never even heard |
| of wild blueberries. How much water you add to your | | | | of. I am constantly surprised and amused by all the |
| drink will depend on how thick you like it. I usually | | | | different varieties of produce out there. |
| start with 1 cup. | | | | And even "normal" produce is exciting! Just look at |
| A green smoothie is just a fruit smoothie with greens | | | | some of the foods you will be dining on: bananas, |
| added to it. These are great to help cut the | | | | oranges, grapes, apples, peaches, strawberries, |
| sweetness in your meal and help you get in your | | | | cantaloupe, pears, kiwi, papaya, pineapple, tangerines, |
| greens for the day. An always popular green | | | | mangoes, nectarines, apricots, blueberries, |
| smoothie is 5 bananas, 1 cup of blueberries, and 2 | | | | watermelon, romaine, boston lettuce, bok choy, |
| handfuls of romaine. When adding greens, start with | | | | celery, tomatoes, bell pepper...all of which can be |
| small handfuls. Trust me, a grassy smoothie is not | | | | found at your local grocery store! |
| very appetizing. | | | | And don't forget all the fun you can have making |
| I also recommend that you have at least one savory | | | | (and eating) simple raw recipes with these ingredients. |
| recipe that you really, really enjoy. Salsas with lots of | | | | The combinations and taste sensations are truly |
| tomatoes and celery are great and you can use | | | | endless. |