Raw 101 - Jump Right into Raw & Living Food!

A Good Day to You!

Now is the time. There will never be another moment like this one. Once the decision is made to choose the living food lifestyle, why waste time? Just jump right in!

You won't know everything right from the start. So why wait until you do? You can't possibly foresee all the situations that you will encounter on your journey. So why try to? Think of it as a leap of faith - except this one is any educated leap of faith. You have read up on raw food, haven't you? You have spotted some mouth-watering recipes, no? You've made a few rawbie friends, online or in your community, haven't you?

So go for it!

Now having set that forth, understand that there are some "natural places" to jump onto the living food lifestyle. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please refer to my previous post, and also consult David Rainoshek's The Spectrum of Diet. These articles should give you some guidance.

Let's examine some steps you can take now, to jump right into the raw and living food lifestyle.

1) If you are presently consuming alcoholic beverages...

Try: organic or biodynamic wines; or kombucha; or fruit kefir.
Benefits from the switch: fewer sulfites; less risk of dehydration.
Objective: no more alcohol at all.
Benefits of achieving the objective: fewer toxins; elimination of likelihood of poor food choices while under the influence; elimination of potentially addictive substance; less liver damage.

2) If you are presently consuming prepackaged non-raw foods...

Try: ordering prepackaged raw convenience foods online, or buying them at your local health food store (raw bars, grawnola, raw crackers, raw kale chips); raw nuts and seeds; dried organic fruit.
Benefits from the switch: no more trans-fats, preservatives nor additives; less salt; more enzymes, vitamins and minerals.
Objective: making your own raw convenience food; eating simpler and fresher (more fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts, less dehydrated foods).
Benefits from achieving the objective: control over food quality and nutritional content; greater connection to one's food; less packaging.

3) If you are presently consuming conventionally-grown produce...

Try: avoiding the most-sprayed crops and buying organic whenever possible.
Benefit from the switch: less exposure to toxic chemicals; reduction of pollution of environment including water; less impact on wildlife.
Objective: buying all organic produce, or at least, chemical-free; shopping locally; buying seasonally.
Benefit from achieving the objective: support local economy (farmers); less exposure to carcinogens; healthier planet.

I think you get the general idea. Jumping in doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing venture. You can take small steps (even baby steps, if you need to): just as long as you get on your way. Look at the intermediate objectives as milestones on the path: they'll serve to punctuate your journey, to give you a sense of achievement and of purpose. See the change you can undertake now and prioritize what is most important to you.

Whether you opt for the Big Plunge approach or to take Baby Steps - it's your journey! Adjust things as you progress: because you will put thought into it and make conscious decisions, you are on your way to vibrant health and vitality the raw and living food lifestyle way.

Rawffectionately,