Have you heard of the concept of a Raw Food Diet?
It can bring boundless health and vitality into your life.
Few people really understand what it is, and their perception of it is not good. The first reaction I usually get if I say I eat a mostly Raw Food Diet is,"Ergh, Do you eat raw meat!" "Well no, I don't eat any meat." At this point the idea of a Raw Food Diet makes most peoples eyes glaze over.
So, here is a brief amble on about the Raw Food Diet, Living foods and my journey bringing it into my life.
What is a Raw food Diet?
There are various answers to this question depending on who you may ask 'in the know'. Like most subjects, extreme views may be aired but there is mostly an underlying commonality to the concept
Its a Vegan (no animal products at all, no dairy etc), and based on the consumption of Fruit, Vegetables, Seeds and Nuts and Grains (soaked or sprouted not cooked).
Many Raw Foodists would say that 100% raw is the way to go. This is quite a tall order, especially in colder climes. 70% – 80% is more achievable and in honesty even 50% raw gives huge benefits especially if you currently struggle to do "five-a-day".
Inevitably Raw tends to be organic – or as much as possible because awareness of everything that goes into or onto your body increases and you begin to question any chemical use. Its really not that hard being 50% – 80% raw.
My journey to raw started more that 20 years ago in the late eighties and began with a book by Leslie Kenton called Raw Energy.
Leslie, then a Health and Beauty editor for Harpers and Queen, always wrote from a base of well researched information and this book really opened my mind to the health benefits of Raw Food, especially the concept of 'sprouting' seeds.
So, avidly adopting this diet, I very quickly discovered the boundless energy that comes with it, but gradually let the 'high raw' concept dwindle to 'a lot of raw'. The lasting legacy was 'sprouting' which I continued to do year in year out until……..
The nineties… and a book called "Fit for Life" By Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. They wrote several books at this time along the same lines of adopting a 'High Raw' low animal protein diet which they made interesting and acceptable enough that I felt I could incorporate this theme into family eating (as they had) with out a mutiny as had happened in the past, and by this time I had just had my second child. (He often tells people that his first solid food was mashed avocado and banana.)
This is mostly the way I ate for the next decade, High-ish Raw Food, some animal protein, little or no junk as best I could, but not totally committed or consistent.
Fast forward to the 21st Century, my ego fired up my interest in Raw Food again.
I heard someone talking about this new 'thing' their wife was doing – Raw Food.
"Well thats not new, I heard about that years ago."I thought.
Got onto the Internet and found the most amazing amount of information and inspiration that dove-tailed into some themes that were going on in my life at the time such as AGE-ing, Green issues, CO2 immissions, digestive problems etc. I was so excited to have such a wealth of things to read about and marveled at the fantastic food preparation and information books out there.
It made sense! As I had been part way along this road before and had had an almost life long interest in Health improvement issues, it was not such a leap to go further and take on board this new 3D, technicolor lifestyle.
I love it.
A Raw Food Diet is amazing; energizing, cleansing and satisfying.
I do realize though that it is quite intense for most people and not instantly achievable, especially to a general population that struggles to eat 'five-a-day' on a regular basis.
So, I have a plan….to live this way and to encourage "More Raw" into other peoples lives.
A Raw Food Diet of 50% is a desirable and achievable goal and if you feel that is a goal you can aspire to, to reach health and vitality levels you had forgotten about I encourage you to get started.
What are you waiting for?
