Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Diet Junkie – My Former Days

by Kristen in atkins, carbohydrate addict, diet, raw vegan diet, south beach, zone diet

My friend was blogging about a diet book she was checking out the other day, and while reading her post, I started to take a trip down memory lane of all of the diets I’ve tried in the past… Zone Diet, Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet, Schwarzbein Principle, Cabbage diet, Atkins diet, High Carb diet, Fat Flush Plan, South Beach Diet, etc.

You see, I have an addiction to trying new diets, diet books, and diet type products. I am a diet book junkie – lol!!! Or… I used to be before I found vegan and raw. I’ve since tamed that inner beast inside me. Now that I have found the raw and vegan lifestyle, I have no desire to get back on the diet roller coaster I used to be on. Sure, there were exciting times as I’d page through a new book, thinking of the new foods I’d make, the weight I’d lose, the motivation I got from trying something new (I’m one of those people who loves change)… but I feel so good with Raw and Vegan foods that I can’t imagine changing that for the rest of my life!

Therefore, when I want to change my diet up a bit for some excitement, I go back and forth with different levels and ways of raw (always staying vegan though!). Sometimes…

I’m gourmet raw where I make lasagna, burritos, fancy desserts and such.
I detox and have just green juices.
I load up on the smoothies.
It’s simple raw: salads, smoothies, fresh fruits and veggies.
I eat more cooked vegan foods.
I’m loading up on superfoods.
I might eat out at restaurants a lot.
I can go high carb, high fat, or high protein with it, too.

So many options! And, I feel great while doing it!

Share your diet story! Have you tried different diets in the past? What do you like or not like? What are your favorite ways to follow the Raw vegan diet?

The Raw Food Diet – Is There A Right Way?!

by Kristen in avocado, chia, fruitarian, hemp seeds, holiday chia pudding, kale, Kristen Suzanne, raw vegan diet, sproutarian

I recently saw someone writing into one of the Facebook groups questioning what is the right way with the Raw vegan diet. She was confused because she said there was conflicting information out there and just didn’t know what to believe or which way to go.

My response to this is:
YAY! Rejoice! Hallelujah! This is the beauty of the Raw vegan diet. There are so many options and one size does not have to fit all. It can change by the person. In my humble opinion, this is exciting because it means variety. I love the idea that during one season I can follow some low fat Raw vegan principles and in another season I can nourish my glorious body with avocados, nuts, seeds, and divine Raw vegan desserts. In my life, I have spent time as 100% Raw vegan, and other times (like now) where I’m HRAV (High Raw, All Vegan). I’ve had expanses of time where certain nuts didn’t sit well with me. And, I’ve had other times where I thrived with them in my diet. Sometimes my level of Raw changes as I travel and sometimes I vary it with the changing moon.

I love this flexibility! I love this versatility! I love the options. You can be a sproutarian! You can love the fruitarian way of life! You can hug a life with green smoothies and juices and all things liquid! You can dive into decadence and nourish your body with loads of essential fatty acids and healthy fats from whole nuts, avocado, coconut, etc. You can tango with a natural hygiene approach (much like fruitarian) and eschew things like oils, garlic, and fermented foods. And, of course, if you’re not currently following a Raw vegan diet, you can choose to follow one of the aforementioned plans for a week, here and there, just to add more nourishment to the lifestyle you live now.

Congratulate yourself for taking your health into your own hands and trying this wonderful diet and lifestyle, no matter which path you pursue on the journey with Raw food. Be confident you’re feeding your body wonderful nutrient dense Raw vegan foods whether it’s avocado, hemp seeds, pineapple, kale salad, Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce (chuckling here, those of you who regularly follow my blog know of my addiction to this last month), a plate of gourmet Raw food, or a serving of Holiday Chia Pudding (munch munch… eating this as I write this post). Be excited and happy to know that there are many choices for you. There is no need to stress about it or feel pressed to subscribe to one plan.

You can change it by the month, or the week, if your heart and body desires. It’s all up to you… and you alone. Try on one of the plans for size and see how it fits. Or, heck, don’t subscribe to any of them and just mix it up meal by meal. :)

The bottom line is that you LISTEN TO YOUR OWN BODY! Pay attention to the inner god or goddess inside of you. Follow your intuition. Be patient. Feel excited. Recognize that we are all different… different ages, from different toxic (or non toxic) backgrounds, live in different parts of the world, experience different environmental toxins, have different levels of stress, pursue different levels of physical exercise, etc. What we all have in common is that we can all use some organic, Raw vegan whole foods in our lives no matter where we are on the diet spectrum.

5 Ways for Living & Loving Raw

by Kristen in fruit, getting started, green smoothies, raw desserts, raw vegan diet

A Great First Step!
Stay focused on an objective to incorporate more fresh whole fruits and vegetables into your diet every day. Once you start doing this, you automatically reduce some of the not-so-healthy foods. This could mean having two green smoothies every day, or eating a salad before every lunch and dinner, or eating Raw breakfasts and Raw desserts (instead of cooked breakfasts and desserts), or all of the above.

Be Flexible!
I’m not a purist when it comes to my diet, and I find that most people succeed with this lifestyle when they take it easy, have fun and remain flexible. This can be very important during those first months of transition (and forever for that matter!). For some, eating 100% Raw is the only way to go, and that’s great. But, for many, to easily succeed with a predominantly Raw vegan lifestyle, it can mean being flexible (yet still super healthy) and that can mean living a High Raw lifestyle (in the beginning, at different times during the journey, or all the time).

Don’t Stress and Don’t Give Up!
Don’t freak out if you have a bad day of eating, and certainly don’t give up. I’m fond of saying, “Every meal is another chance to turn it around.” Over time, as you eat more and more fresh Raw vegan foods, you’ll naturally find yourself avoiding unhealthy foods anyway, so just let it happen naturally and enjoy the journey.

Got Greens?!
When I first went Raw, I found that the more greens I added to my lifestyle, the less I craved unhealthy foods. Now, my attention is naturally focused on great and healthy choices all the time. A super way to get more greens is with green smoothies, salads, plant blood (a.k.a. green juice) and adding green powder to your life (one of my favorites is Vitamineral Green Powder).

Fresh Fruit Does Wonders!
Keeping fresh organic fruit around all the time is a great way to avoid unhealthy cravings (And! It’s soooo good!). The next time your sweet tooth comes a knockin’, eat a banana or drink a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice or eat a date (or 2 or 3!) or enjoy some berries. The craving will disappear as you gently nourish your body with nutrient dense food that is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Beauty and vitality are gifts from nature for those who live by her laws.
~ Leonardo Da Vinci

Raw Food Diet and Labels

by Kristen in expectations, labels, raw vegan diet

A great many things await you when you start eating a diet with Raw Vegan food. Common experiences include easy weight loss, increased energy, soft skin, clear and bright eyes, silky hair, better sleep, mental clarity, major health improvements, a peaceful mindset and much more.(Yay!) A common question I’m asked is, “How ‘Raw’ do I have to be to experience these things?”

As with many things in life, whether it’s diet, religion, etc., there are many different schools of thought as to which is the best plan when following a diet of Raw Vegan food. This can be confusing for people (I know it was for me when I first started). There are people on the far end of the Raw spectrum that are classified as “Natural Hygienists” and they lead a fairly strict lifestyle. Many of them don’t use salt, garlic or even ginger in their food. So, you can imagine that their position on something like agave nectar will not be favorable. On the other end of the Raw spectrum is where you find people eating anywhere from 75% to 99% of their diet as Raw and they classify themselves as “High Raw.” And, of course, there are people who call themselves “100% Raw” and they eat anything (plant-based) that is Raw (superfoods, agave nectar, raw cacao, raw nuts and seeds, etc). Really, that’s just to name a few of the categories of Raw.

For the most part, I think labels can be difficult unless you know hard and fast how you will eat and that you’ll stay that way. I find that many people evolve until they find what works best for themselves and their family. If you eat 100% Raw every day of the month except one or two days, does that suddenly mean you can’t classify yourself as 100% Raw? That would be harsh in my opinion. And, what if it changes over the years? Or, you might be like me. I enjoy eating a 100% Raw Vegan diet for weeks, months, or a season at a time and I’m happy following the HRAV (High Raw, All Vegan) lifestyle during other parts of the year. I also throw in a week here and there of just drinking green juice along with some weeks of eating fruitarian style. Oh yeah, and what about that period where I was chugging down green smoothies for days on end (was I a green smootharian?)? Hhhmmm… What the heck does all that make me?

There are a lot of books available with plenty of different opinions about Raw food and how you should go about it. My meta-position: I don’t take any one position all the way. Everyone is different and might react differently to certain foods and this might happen at different times of your life. My best advice is to “listen to your own body” because you’ll figure it out and notice what you like, what is easy for you, and what makes you feel the best. Being flexible will be one of the keys to your success with this lifestyle.