Stay on a Raw Food Diet

If you've decided that a raw food diet is right for you, you've made a commitment to improve your health through proper nutrition. Unfortunately, many people find that they can only stay on a raw food diet for a short amount of time. Because it is such a life changing diet, and since it can be difficult to avoid all of the temptations that present themselves on a daily basis, many people find that they struggle with maintaining their commitment to health.

If you've tried the raw food diet and decided you would like to continue on it long term, making it a way of life for you, there are a few simple steps that you can follow that can help you stay on track and avoid reverting back to the foods you previously consumed.

Steps

Avoid the temptation of returning to cooked food

There will be a lot of food temptations out there that you will have to face. Many times, especially when first starting out, it will be an uphill battle to stay on your raw food diet, especially in social situations. However, there are some good ways to beat those temptations and stay on track.

  1. Try to keep temptation away. When you go to the grocery store to purchase your fresh fruits and vegetables, don’t go near the foods that you're tempted by. If you find that you're constantly craving chocolates, stay away from that aisle altogether. You're less likely to give in to those temptations if they're not right in front of you.
    • If you can, try to avoid listening to commercials and other advertisements for unhealthy foods until you become accustomed to your new lifestyle. In particular, visual cues can be the hardest to resist, so be careful with TV and online ads.
  2. Remind yourself of the consequences of giving in to temptation. If you give in to temptation, it will have potentially negative effects on your body and undo the gains managed thus far. A raw food diet is especially good for your body and even though you may enjoy the taste of cooked or processed foods, indulging in them will not be worth the bloating, gas and other likely unpleasant results. Not only will your health pay the price, but you're likely to have emotional consequences as well when you are faced with the realization that you've not exercised your willpower.
  3. Keep a journal of the foods that you eat. If you do slip up and eat something that doesn't classify as raw food, write down how bad it made you feel after you ate it. Include both physical symptoms and emotional effects. Go back and review the journal the next time you feel the urge to cheat. This can be a great help in staying on track by reminding you of unpleasant side effects of slipping back.
  4. Try eating some raw food snacks instead of the unhealthy foods you're craving. A little fruit is a great substitute for a sweet craving. When you're feeling tempted by a sugary, processed sweet treat, fill the craving with a handful of berries, which are some of the healthiest fruit sources available. Nuts can also be a great substitute if you're craving something fatty (but avoid peanuts as you might not be able to stop eating them), while tomatoes are known to help curb a salt craving that might otherwise lead to eating processed foods.

Create a routine that works well for you

Developing a set way to do things can really help you stick to your new diet and make it work well for you and your lifestyle.

  1. Refrain from overeating. It's important to eat at the same time every day and develop a consistent eating schedule. This establishes an internal clock for your hunger triggers and it will greatly reduce the odds of having extreme cravings because you will be consistently keeping your body satisfied and full.
    • When you're eating, try to avoid any types of distractions. This will help you to consume your food at a good pace. If you're distracted, you will tend to eat faster and may not even realize that you're doing so. When this happens, you likely won't know when you're full and will continue to eat beyond what is necessary. If you eat without distraction, it can help you to become full with raw foods and stay full longer. This makes you less likely to reach for non-raw foods in addition to the raw foods you consumed.
  2. Become friends with other people who are on the raw food diet. You can meet people in your area who are also doing the diet by joining a local support group. If there are no support groups in your area created for people who are doing the raw food diet, consider starting one up! Just having a few people to lean on during your adjustment period can make a tremendous difference in your ability to stay on track. People who share the same goal as you will help you keep to your diet and will also offer an excellent example showing you the benefits of what you're doing.
  3. Get into a good exercise routine. Everyone knows that exercise is a great way to stay healthy, but it also has other benefits. Exercising keeps positive energy around you and will also help to curb your cravings for bad food. Any type of exercise that involves meditation is beneficial and will help you stay on track because the spiritual factor of the exercise will help you stay focused on your goals.

Seek the positives

You've made a great step towards being healthier and it's very important to keep a positive attitude about it even though you may be tempted to stray.

  1. Give yourself praise for what you're doing. Buy yourself something small whenever you have stayed on track for a certain amount of time. Even if it is just a certain type of exotic fruit or a natural snack that you wouldn't normally buy, doing so can be a great way to reward yourself for sticking to your goals. And non-food rewards such as visiting a meditation center, going to see an indie movie or an item of hemp clothing are other great ways to reward yourself.
  2. Refrain from being too hard on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you fall off track. If you slip and eat something that you shouldn’t have eaten, try not to give yourself a hard time about it. Focus on the long term goal and acknowledge how far you have come in your efforts. Accept that you're only human and mistakes and slip-ups are going to happen occasionally. Cravings can be very difficult to deal with, especially at the beginning stages of your new diet. This is one of the reasons why a support group can be of great help. Make sure to learn from your mistakes and move on. Dwelling on your weakness will not help and will only build a negative attitude towards what you are trying to accomplish.

Tips

  • Remember that the health benefits of a raw food diet aren't just from eating raw foods, but in no longer eating fried foods, baked goods, and junk food. Reducing one's intake of processed food is almost always good for you.
  • A smoothie is a great way to give yourself a treat every now and then. Smoothies can be so delicious that it may make you feel as if you are cheating, but you will still be staying on track with healthy raw fruits.
  • Try drinking a good, organic herbal tea such as pure peppermint or chamomile, to curb your cravings for something warm during the winter months.
  • Also bear in mind that you still have to be mindful of what you eat and how you prepare it. Vegetables can lose nutrients by cooking, but they can also lose as much of their nutritional value by sitting on your counter or in your refrigerator for days on end. Nutrients are also lost when veggies and fruits are dehydrated, frozen, soaked, or juiced. And it's a sad fact that you may still have issues with some nutrients, depending on your diet, as they are made more easily absorbed by cooking. Repeated cravings for a certain food may be an indicator of something lacking in your diet and a nutritional need not being met, so keep track of your diet and your health!

Warnings

  • Raw food can contain a lot of bacteria, so making sure the food is hygienic is important.

Related Articles

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  • Add More Raw Foods to Your Diet
  • Have a Raw Food Thanksgiving
  • Make Zucchini Pasta Alfredo (Raw Food)
  • Get Enough Iron on a Raw Food Diet

Sources and Citations

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