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Day 27 of My Top 30 for 30:

There are so many rumors that we have heard circulating in the raw food and plant-based community over the past 30 years, some of which can be so limiting and taken so seriously that people no longer stay on the path because they found it too restrictive. There are so many: vegetables are bad, fat is bad, fruit is bad, you can only eat when it’s light out, juice is junk food because the fiber is gone, blending destroys all the nutrients so smoothies are junk food, all cooked food is bad, this or that food is bad, and the list goes on.

Myths are perpetuated in the health community as they have been for years, and now with social media, different versions of these myths appear as people put their spin on various topics to build an audience. This makes it ever more difficult to be successful eating a raw plant-based diet, especially when one is new to the idea and is genuinely looking for guidance to help them succeed.

One of the challenges is that we see many people relying on one source for information, one particular teacher, or one particular camp of raw food, and following it exclusively. This can be helpful in cutting through confusion because one can simply follow a particular plan or set of guidelines and need not worry about conflicting information. One may think they have found all the answers in one place and there is comfort in that. One may find other people on the same path who have made dramatic improvements in their health who didn’t find those improvements with other approaches. This happens in a variety of raw food approaches, not just one, although in general some approaches are clearly better suited for particular challenges or endeavors than others.

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On the positive side one isn’t confused anymore because they have something solid to connect with and a sense of community and camaraderie, but on the other side, this strategy may lead to one missing out on information from other approaches that can make all the difference for them!

The fact is there is no one place or one person who has all the answers, even us! You will find both truth and folklore in virtually every approach out there, from within and from outside of the raw food community. Often times, although admittedly more challenging, taking the best of various approaches can create the best health plan for any given individual, which may be different depending upon the person’s individual biochemistry, goals, work, family, and social schedule.

You can read more in our free eBook Our Top 12 Strategies for Long Term Success on a Raw Plant-Based Diet which you can receive by signing up for our email list using the sign-up form you can find in the right margin of this webpage.

Day 26 of My Top 30 for 30:

There are a number of issues that can affect the long-term success of people when they limit their fat intake too much. The first issue has to do with getting an adequate number of calories as discussed previously. Fruits and vegetables are high in water, high in fiber, and low in fat. This makes them very low in calorie density which means large quantities of food don’t contain very many calories.

This is great in that one can eat lots of food and get good and full without excess calories. When taken too far however, it can become difficult to get enough calories. Many people have jobs and kids and school and schedules that don’t allow enough time during the day to dedicate to eating such huge quantities of food. Additionally, most of us don’t have the patience or willingness to be that full all of the time. Remember also that fruit is 3-4 times more calorie dense than vegetables, so when fat is so low, fruit is often preferred over vegetables, which means we are missing appropriate quantities of key minerals that are abundant in vegetables but found in smaller amounts in fruit.

Getting to fat itself, if we were to start with a base of fruits and vegetables, then add a reasonable quantity of nuts or seeds to our diets to bring the percentage of calories from fat up to maybe 15% or more of total calories, this increases the calorie density enough so consuming all of the calories needed becomes easier. You don’t have to eat as great of a volume of food, which means you have more room for vegetables and can therefore take advantage of all their nutritional benefits such as mineral content. Additionally, many nuts and seeds are much better sources of key minerals than fruit as well. Certain nuts and seeds like chia, walnut, and hemp can contribute to the omega 3 content of our diet. Dr. Rick has a whole video series on omega 3 conversion on his YouTube channel.

The bottom line here is that by adding mineral rich fat sources to our diets, not only do we get the minerals directly from those foods, we also decrease the quantity of food we have to eat to obtain enough calories, which leaves more room to consume more vegetables from which we get even more minerals. In this common example, when implemented appropriately, more fat means greater nutrient density. You can read more about fat sources in our free eBook Our Top 12 Strategies for Long Term Success on a Raw Plant-Based Diet which you can receive by signing up for our email list by using the sign-up form located in the right margin of this webpage.

Day 25 of My Top 30 for 30:

Fruit has many amazing properties! It’s high in a variety of key vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals, including vitamin C and potassium. Particular types of fruit can also be rich in carotenoids, folate, iron, and even calcium.

Fresh fruit is low in calorie density, meaning large quantities of fruit that help us feel full and satisfied don’t contain an excess of calories. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to fill one’s stomach to a satisfying level while knowing one is eating an appropriate number of calories for their body’s needs.

Fruit is also very easy to digest, allowing the body more energy for healing, repair, and other processes. Interestingly, the ease of fruit digestion is related to its simple carbohydrate content, meaning the body has to do little else to be able to obtain energy from fruit.

On a mostly to all raw vegan diet, fruit is an important source of calories, and without it, calories have to come from somewhere. As vegetables are so low in calorie density, you can’t get enough calories even if you spend all day stuffing yourself full of vegetables and do little else. The other major sources of calories on a raw food diet are fat sources. Most people don’t realize how much fat is in a typical raw food diet that is low in fruit. All those nuts, seeds, coconuts, avocados, and oils as staples in one’s diet end up being very calorie dense. People don’t feel nearly as energetic as they could, and they can’t fill up their stomachs with satisfying amounts of these foods without consuming an excess of calories. After a while they may discontinue eating raw saying that raw food did not work for them. Despite all of the benefits of fruit, there continue to be rumors about it that don’t hold up to scientific scrutiny or individual biochemical reality. We will continue this conversation in further posts.

There has been a lot of talk in the raw food community about fruit playing an important role in our natural diet as humans, and there has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding the fate of fructose in the human body (does it all turn to fat?) and other rumored concerns about fruit. You can read more about the science behind fruit in our free eBook Our Top 12 Strategies for Long Term Success on a Raw Plant-Based Diet which you can receive by signing up for our email list by using the sign-up form in the right margin of this webpage.

What are your favorite fruits?

Day 24 of My Top 30 for 30:

In addition to being high in water, fiber, vitamins, phytonutrients, and antioxidants, vegetables such as leafy greens are generally rich in many key minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and many others. Many people in certain camps of raw food end up eating less than optimal quantities of vegetables. In the high fruit low fat community, it happens often because on a raw food diet containing 10% of the calories from fat, it can be challenging to eat a large enough quantity of food throughout the day to obtain an adequate number of calories. Depending on the mix of fruits you consume, you may need to eat 5 to 10 pounds (roughly 2 to 5 kg) or more of fruit to meet your daily calorie requirements. That is challenging but can be accomplished if you are dedicated to the cause!

To get an adequate number of calories from vegetables and green sprouts exclusively, you would need to eat more like 20 pounds (9 kg) of these foods per day! This is just not feasible, no matter how dedicated you are. Because fresh fruit is generally 3-4 times more calorie dense than raw vegetables and most sprouts, it becomes even more difficult to consume enough calories if you add a significant amount of vegetables to your diet when the fat content is very low. So, based upon the physical room it takes to get enough calories, people tend to skimp on the veggies and go for the fruit.

Many low fruit, higher fat raw foodists skimp on the vegetables as well, but for different reasons, like not wanting to eat many carbohydrates. Instead they tend to focus their diet on fat sources like oils that can be high in calories and lower in important nutrients. For example, coconut oil provides very little amounts of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants, fiber, or protein.

We will continue this conversation in upcoming posts.

What are your favorite vegetables and leafy greens?

You can read the full article in our free eBook Our Top 12 Strategies for Long Term Success on a Raw Plant-Based Diet which you can receive by signing up for our email list using the sign-up form in the right margin.

Day 23 of My Top 30 for 30:

When I first started with raw food 30 years ago, there was a general expectation that one would go raw overnight and stay on the path forever. However, I have only known a handful of people who went raw and stayed on the path unwaveringly.

Since there are so many changes that take place when one moves from a standard diet to a raw food diet, there may be a time of adjustment.

Some of these changes include: elimination of all or most cooked foods, elimination of industrially processed and packaged foods, introduction of foods that you may not be familiar with, elimination of animal products, moving to a diet that is higher in water content which may lead to the need for larger portion sizes, moving to a diet with foods that may have more delicate flavors or flavors that one is not used too, shifting to foods with different textures and missing old ones, changes in one’s social dynamics, and so much more.

These changes are real, can make a significant difference in one’s life experience when they first get started, and can even continue to present challenges for a time afterwards.

Building yourself up, celebrating your wins, and learning from your challenges can help frame your experience and help you enjoy and appreciate how far you have come!

Practical strategies can help, like increasing portion sizes to feel full and satisfied or creating replacements for one’s former favorite foods, or others.

For me, a couple of mindset shifts really contributed to my success. The first was reminding myself that my new dietary approach was not just one change but many rolled into one, each of which is individually big. The other was having patience and self-compassion around challenges that arose. These mindset shifts really helped put me in the driver’s seat and made a big difference in both the short and long term.

What mindset shifts have made the biggest difference for you on your path of health?

Day 22 of My Top 30 for 30:

Do you like stronger or more delicate flavors? Do you like simpler foods, or more complex recipes? How much time do you want to spend with preparation? Do you like salads or do you prefer other types of vegetable-based dishes like stews, etc? Do you like fruit-based smoothies or do you like to eat fruit whole? Or some combination of the two? The reason I ask these questions is because they are significant considerations when it comes to success with raw food.

When I used to teach nutrition classes in person, some students would express frustration about what they thought a raw food diet should look like based on what the prevailing trend was at the time. Since I started on the raw food path in 1990, many food-preparation trends have come and gone in the raw food world and from time to time they even reemerge. With all of these trends, the basic underlying principles that help people succeed are what really count, like focusing on raw whole natural plant foods and eating enough of them.

If you are not sure what you like, you can do some experimenting. Given all the recipe resources available these days, with books, social media, and food preparation educational programs, you have great opportunity to explore how to make it work for you.

For me, one game-changing food prep technique that I employed early on was fruit and green vegetable-containing smoothies (I called them shakes 30 years ago). Making a large shake in the morning and bringing it with me to school in mason jars and a cooler kept me going all day with plenty of energy and without hunger. Bringing whole fruit didn’t work as well with a full course load, so my shakes made implementing this lifestyle easier back then.

Are there any food prep techniques that have been game-changing for you?

Day 21 of My Top 30 for 30:

When I started with raw food 30 years ago, I found myself modeling my raw food portion sizes after my standard western meals. Imagine a standard sized plate with a piece of meat, a scoop of mashed potatoes, and some type of cooked vegetable like peas, corn, or carrots.

My first few raw food salads took up the same amount of room on my plate, but I learned very quickly that this amount of salad still left me for hungry and wanting to eat more.

Why? The answer is simple: high water content fruits and vegetables do not contain as many calories per pound as more dense cooked foods. What it came down to, was that I needed to eat more food to feel satisfied, so my fruit and vegetable meals grew in size and I felt satisfied.

People would comment about the amount of food I was eating, but I was happy the results I was getting. I even lost a little bit of weight without even trying.

This is the principle of calorie density in action. Calorie density is the number of calories per weight of a particular food, such as calories per pound. The greatest determinants of calorie density are water, fat, and fiber content, and of these, water is most important.

The more water a food contains, the lower the calorie density of that food. The higher the fiber content of a food, the lower the calorie density. The higher the fat content of a food, the higher the calorie density.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally high in fiber, low in fat, and are water rich in comparison to foods that contain less water, such as nuts and seeds, grains, and meat products.

Raw vegetables are around 100 calories per pound while fruits range from 200 to 300 calories per pound. Cooked legumes and grains range from 400 – 500 calories per pound, meat/meat products range from 500 to 2500 calories per pound, and nuts and seeds range from 2500 to 2750 calories per pound.

As you can see, centering your diet around fruits and vegetables is much lower in calorie density than centering one’s diet around meat, denser cooked foods, or nuts and seeds. This is why when someone shifts over to a raw food diet focused on fruits and vegetables, it is essential to increase portion sizes to feel full and get important nutrients.

And this is why those of us on the path for a long time eat large salads! We’ve been teaching this topic for over 15 years, since we see it as an essential-to-understand foundational topic for raw food and plant-based diet success and is one of the many important topics we cover in our Mastering Raw Food Nutrition course.

To learn more about Mastering Raw Food Nutrition, you can click here: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=2721

Day 20 of My Top 30 for 30:

When I became interested in raw food 30 years ago, as I was in my early 20s my parents were, not surprisingly, concerned when they saw me making changes to my diet. They thought that my transition from a standard western dietary approach to vegetarian and then vegan were one thing, but then raw food was in a whole new universe. My parents were looking for reassurance that my dietary changes were in my best interest. However, when they saw the benefits I was experiencing they started to become more open minded. I assured them that I wanted to give this fruit and vegetable-based approach a try to see how well it would support my health and that I was open to change if the need presented itself – this put their minds to ease. I think they thought it was a phase and that I would “grow out of it”, which of course never happened. 30 years later I’m still on the path and experiencing the benefits!

The bottom line is that the way that I answered my parents’ concerns back then created opportunities for conscious discussion and would set the stage for how I would explain this lifestyle for years to come to people who might not be familiar with it, might be skeptical, etc. In my experience, building bridges and fostering clear relatable conversation has almost always led to curiosity and thoughtful dialog.

How do you explain or share your raw, vegan, or plant-based lifestyle to loved ones, friends, and other people in your life?

You can find the recipe for this tomato dressing, along with smoothies, salads, and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Recipe Guide eBook you can receive when you register for our email list: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322

Day 19 of my top 30 for 30:

One of the many wonderful properties about raw fruits and vegetables is the synergistic symphony of phytonutrients and antioxidants they contain. For example, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables tend to be rich in antioxidant carotenoids and xanthophylls, like beta carotene, alpha carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, etc.

Berries with red, purple, or blue coloring tend to be rich in antioxidant anthocyanins. In addition to anthocyanins, red raspberries additionally contain ellagic acid (also found in pomegranates), quercetin, and a variety of other phytonutrients.

Leafy greens are well-known for their chlorophyll and folate content. They also contain carotenoids and xanthophylls that we do not see because the chlorophyll is covering them when the leaf is photosynthetically active. Leafy greens need chlorophyll in order to create energy from sunlight through a process called photosynthesis. As the leaf approaches the end of its life, the chlorophyll breaks down revealing the yellow and/or orange carotenoids underneath. Much like what happens with foliage in the fall.

Blueberries in addition to being a source of anthocyanins, also have a number of phytochemicals currently under research. It will be exciting to see what the researchers find! This is one of the many things I love about research, it’s constantly evolving and we get to learn more about nutrition and health on an ongoing basis!

The bottom line is that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables offers a variety of different phytonutrients to our body in addition to the important vitamins and minerals they provide. I do my best to include rainbow of fruits and vegetables in my daily diet.

You can find the recipes for a variety of smoothies along with salads, dressings, and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook you can receive when you register for our email list here: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322

What are some of your favorite brightly colored fruits and vegetables?

Day 18 of my top 30 for 30:

It goes without saying that sleep is an important part of our daily routine since so many body functions rely upon the restoration that sleep brings for proper functioning of our various organ systems, including our immune system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, endocrine (hormonal) system, and more. Mood, memory, and cognitive function are also affected by the amount and quality of sleep we experience.

In regard to amount, sleeping 8 hours per night is ideal for me – on most days, I allow myself to spontaneously awaken without an alarm clock and I do not feel the need to drink any type of caffeine containing beverage to get myself going in the morning. In fact, I have only had 3 cups of coffee in my entire life, all before I became interested in raw food 30 years ago. Rick and I also sleep in a fully dark bedroom, which can help with melatonin production. Fortunately, we live in an area where there isn’t much ambient light and we have a dark shade to block out any moonlight that may be present.

To help feel well-rested and refreshed upon rising in the morning, I also stop eating 4 or more hours before going to bed the night before so that I’m not actively digesting food in my stomach while sleeping. I’ve noticed a huge difference in how I feel this way versus eating closer to bed time, which leads to me feeling groggy and not as well-slept the next day. This being said, some people have shared that eating before bed helps them actually sleep better.

Which way works best for you?

Exercise earlier in the day, also helps me experience restful sleep as does several minutes of mediation periodically throughout the day.

Photo: Presenting at the 2019 UK Fruitfest. Often when I’m traveling, my sleep is not as sound as when I’m home, but at this festival my sleep was great! Must’ve been the awesome food and company! Cheers to organizer Ronnie, his impressive team, and to everyone I had the joy of meeting there!

What strategies have helped you experience restorative sleep?

Day 17 of my top 30 for 30:

This can sometimes be a challenging one for me, since like so many people, I spend a lot of time working. This being said, I love my work and because of my passion for what I do, I find myself spending 10 or sometimes more hours per day working on a variety of projects to bring science and research-based health and nutrition information to people. Very often, I find that the work I do can be relaxing in and of itself since I experience so much satisfaction from what I do!

Nonetheless, taking breaks from even enjoyable activities can be beneficial and necessary. Since I spend a lot of time sitting at my computer, I find exercise and movement to be an essential relaxation activity. I know this may sound a little counter-intuitive, but I see going for a run or lifting weights as a welcome reward for my productivity whether it’s writing an article like this one, answering emails, doing some research, etc. Taking screen breaks at least once per hour allows me to move around, stretch, relax my mind, and come back to my work with a fresh perspective. During these periods of relaxation, I also give myself a “break” from stress I may be feeling around a deadline, or otherwise.

Interestingly enough, sometimes the best ideas I’ve had have come to me while relaxing, such as while I’m out running or walking or just not focusing so intently on a task.

Have you ever noticed this?

I love it when this happens!

It’s these times when I find my mind integrating what I’ve been focusing on recently, which creates space for ideas to emerge and allows for me to feel more grounded and centered.

So, for these and so many other reasons, I find relaxation to be valuable and essential.

You can find the recipe for this salad, dressings, and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook you can receive when you register for our email list: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322

What do you enjoy doing, or not doing, for relaxation?

Day 16 of my top 30 for 30: The Many Ways you can Hydrate

You’ve likely heard people say that we need 8 cups of water per day for good hydration (or something similar). The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine has set guidelines, known as the daily “adequate intakes,” or AIs, for water consumption. These AIs are for people living in temperate climates, and do not take into account exercise, perspiration, sodium intake, humidity, etc., all of which may alter the amount of water needed to be “adequately hydrated.” Nevertheless, the AIs do give us reasonable guidelines.

The water AI for women is 2.7 liters (91 oz. or 11.4 8-oz. glasses) and for men is 3.7 liters (125 oz. or 15.6 8-oz. glasses). The recommendations take into account not only what we consume from drinking water directly, but also from beverages and food.

As we know, a raw food diet or raw food-focused diet is generally a high-water content diet, so what do these recommendations mean for a person eating a lot of high-water content foods? To get a clearer picture, I created some menu plans for various raw food approaches – the water content in them ranged from around 1.9 liters to more than 3.5 liters per day for 2,000 calorie menu plans. The more nuts, seeds, and dehydrated foods on these menus, the less water they contained.

For comparison, we also evaluated a sample standard western menu and found 1.5 liters of water for almost 3,000 calories. For a 2,000 calorie menu plan, the water content would be even lower.

The bottom line is that generally the greater the content of fruits and vegetables (and their juices) in one’s diet, the higher the water content. As we can see here, a diet based on fruits and vegetables can make a significant contribution to one’s daily water needs.

If you are interested in evaluating your own diet or doing your own set of comparisons, an online nutrient analysis program can be helpful – many of our students like Cronometer. Full transparency – we do not receive any remuneration from Cronometer. If you have any similar suggestions, please feel free to let us know which one you like!

What is the water content of your food?

Day 15 of my top 30 for 30.

I’ve been drinking green juice sporadically for years, however it wasn’t until a few months ago that I actually started incorporating it into my daily diet. I was having a conversation with a raw food friend who said that he had been drinking celery juice daily and noticed a positive change in his overall well-being. I tend to be somewhat skeptical of trends, but nonetheless I was curious, so I added 32 ounces of celery juice per day to my daily diet for a month. I was surprised to see that I noticed a difference within a couple of days – I guess the best way to describe how I felt was an even greater sense of clarity and not surprisingly, hydration. After the month was over, I added cucumber to the juice and I felt similarly to how I felt with the straight celery juice. I’m so happy that I gave this a try, since this experience has brought my health experience to an even higher level!

Nutritionally, I see green juice as added value to my daily diet. For example, my favorite green juice is composed of 10 stalks of celery (12” in length) and 2 medium cucumbers (8” in length). Even though this is a very simple light green juice, the nutrient content of the ingredients used to make this juice is significant: 352 mg of calcium, 2.97 mg of iron, 2.03 mg of zinc, etc. Please note that these numbers are for the ingredients used to make the juice, not the actual amounts in the juice, which has yet to be fully studied. I’ve found this particular recipe for light green juice to be a great way to introduce green juice to family members who are new to healthy eating, since the flavor is not as strong as it tends to be with the inclusion of darker leafy greens. The addition of the juice of one lemon can help as well.

There are juice recipes in in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook and our New Year’s Juicing Reboot Guide which you can receive when you register for our email list. See link in bio.

What is your favorite green juice?

Day 14 of my top 30 for 30:

Before I became interested in raw food 30 years ago, I thought of fruit as a dessert, a condiment, or a decoration on top of my cereal. Honestly, I did not particularly like fruit growing up because invariably I would get an upset stomach almost every time I ate it. When I learned about raw food, my initial thought was that eating this way is not possible for me. At the time, I was looking for a solution to a health challenge, so I was willing to explore my options. I reluctantly gave eating more fruit a try and was surprised at how well I felt.

What was the difference? Placebo? Was I just so desperate to feel better that I just wished myself into feeling better after eating fruit? Well, not really. Honestly, I was hoping that raw food would not make a difference in my health because it seemed so complicated and different than the norm, or more specifically my norm. Raw food eating may seem a bit eccentric to most people now, but imagine how it was perceived in 1990 when I was getting started. Much to my chagrin, raw food did make a big difference for me health-wise and my perception of it was radically changed. My attitude changed to gratitude with the health results I experienced.

So, why did fruit work for me digestion-wise when previously it had not? I'm sure many of you can guess the answer. The fact is, before going raw I was eating fruit with or right after other foods which did not work for my digestion. The food combining principle of eating fruits away from other foods was really a game-changer for me, since I was actually able to start enjoying fruit without digestive distress for really the first time in my life! If you're not familiar with the principles of food combining for digestive purposes, they're definitely worth a look. In our class, Mastering Raw Food Nutrition, we examine food combining principles from a modern scientific perspective.

For many years now, fruit has played an important role in my diet. To see if I could further refine my approach to fruit combining, I did some experimenting. As a result, I've found that fruit blended with certain leafy greens in smoothies works just fine for my digestion. Melons are best eaten on their own for me. I've made raw desserts for special occasions that have contained both fruit and chis seeds without digestive challenges, while recipes containing both nuts and fruit generally do not work for me. These are some of my experiences with fruit combining. Naturally, what works for you is most important.

What principles of food combining have worked for you?

Day 13 of my top 30 for 30:

Back when we started our health journeys over 30 years ago, there weren’t nearly as many resources available for connecting with other raw food enthusiasts as there are today. For that matter there weren’t nearly as many raw foodists back then, or even vegans or vegetarians! We knew a small number of people on this path, but even that handful of enthusiasts made all the difference.

We shared our ideas, had get-togethers and potlucks, celebrated our progress, and enjoyed our experience! This was much different than connecting today, given that back then, none of us had computers. The internet was in its infancy and most people, ourselves included, had never even heard of it. There were no websites, smartphones, social media, etc. There were resources, but not nearly as many as are available today.

Nowadays, it’s easier to connect with like-minded people from all over the globe and it has been a joy to witness the blossoming of the raw food, vegan, and plant-based communities into full-fledged movements!

Without a doubt and from our point of view, the value of having a community of people with a similar mindset cannot be overestimated. Our experience of support, friendship, personal development, sharing of personal experience, and so much more has made all the difference for us!

The juice in this photo is straight pomegranate juice that we often enjoy in smaller amounts in smoothies or mixed with orange juice. Recipes for these and lots of other delicious raw foods can be found in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322

How important has connection and community been in your success on your health journey?

Day 12 of my top 30 for 30:

When I started my raw food journey, I experienced a number of health improvements, including a significant improvement in the fatigue I was experiencing, clearing of my constant nasal congestion, a greater sense of well-being, a greater sense of clarity, etc. The sharp contrast I experienced between how I felt before making my transition to raw and how I felt afterwards painted a very clear picture in my mind that is just as clear today as it was 30 years ago.

Having this clear picture of the reasons why I started my health journey is one of the many reasons why I have stayed on the raw food vegan path over the long term.

The reason why I’m covering this here is that, when the challenges come up, if you have a strong picture in your mind or have a strong connection to why you started on this path, this can help to inspire you to continue on your path. On a related note, Dr. Rick can remember back to his early days of making positive healthful changes and working away from the unhealthful ones, which at times seemed difficult, he kept one major theme in mind that was a constant source of inspiration for him: “The bigger the challenge, the greater the reward!”

This photo is of some fresh-squeezed orange juice ready to be mixed with pomegranate juice. You can find the instructions for creating straight pomegranate juice or orange pomegranate juice along with salads, dressings, and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322

Day 11 of my top 30 for 30:

Over the past 30 years of being on the raw food path, I’ve heard many personal stories from people about the reaction of friends or loved ones to the changes they’ve made to their diet. Most of the time when they moved toward a plant-based, vegan, or raw food approach there was questioning, concern, skepticism, etc. Even a shift away from processed foods toward a diet based more on whole foods was often met with similar questioning.

So, what do you do when you are so excited about your lifestyle that you want to share it with others who may not be familiar with it? Sure, you can spend some time explaining the ins and outs of the nutritional benefits or the benefits for the planet and animals, but one approach has worked really well for us – providing an experience of the food.

For example, at past family and other types of gatherings, we just present the food without talking about how raw food is “more healthy” or making comparisons between a raw food diet and any other way of eating. We’ve found that If people think that the food is different or “special,” they may be less interested in trying it. This way they don’t see the food as different. They just eat and enjoy it. Most of the time, the recipes we make are composed of foods they are already familiar with – fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc.

In our experience, tasty raw food dishes are often the first to disappear from the table and people may even ask if there is more. We’ve found that raw desserts are a great way to introduce raw plant foods to anyone, because they taste great and are often prepared in ways that are familiar. Our raw pies have been a hit at family holiday parties.

BTW, you can find the recipes for two of our pies in our holiday recipes eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list. See link in when you register for our email list: https://rawfoodeducation.com/?page_id=3322

During the month of October 2020, I am counting down the top 30 mindset and practical strategies that have made all the difference in my success for 30 years as a raw food plant-based enthusiast to help you on your path!

How have you introduced friends and family members to your lifestyle and how did it work?

Day 10 of my top 30 for 30:

When I started my raw food journey 30 years ago, I was ready. Ready to let go of my fatigue and step into a new way of being in the world. This being said, my skeptical mind was casting doubt on whether or not this new lifestyle would actually ‘work’ and I found myself somewhat overwhelmed with all the new foods, where to keep them all, making sure that I was eating them before they would start to senesce, how to prepare them, how to eat enough to feel full, the food combining parameters to consider, and more.

Does this sound familiar?

It was a lot to consider all at once, but one major shift that helped me to organize all of this new information and lifestyle changes was my mindset.

I really wanted to give this lifestyle a solid chance, and it was that motivation that kept me going at first. I saw all of the changes I was making and my new experiences with them as an adventure! And when I really started to see results, my enthusiasm skyrocketed! Eventually, the day-to-day considerations became second nature and all of the transition challenges started to melt away into a sea of improved health and a greater sense of wellbeing.

The bottom line is my mindset of growth and enjoyment helped to move me through the initial adjustment period and in the end all the changes I made were well worth all the effort.

BTW, you can find the recipe for this salad, dressings, and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list. See link in bio.

Was there any particular mindset or practical strategy that helped you in your transition to a more health-promoting lifestyle? What role has enjoyment played in your success?

Day 9 of my top 30 for 30:

Given how busy we all are these days, I know this can be easier said than done. Creating time for exercise is similar to dietary change in that when you make it a priority, then you get to reap the benefits. Over the years, I’ve been asked what type of exercise I think is ‘best’ and I know there are a lot of different points of view out there on this topic, so I’ll leave the specifics up to the experts and researchers. It’s my thought that whichever type of exercise one enjoys and will regularly engage in is a good choice. Of course, deciding on what form of exercise one chooses depends on a number of factors such as one’s current fitness level, their fitness goals, past injuries if any, and other considerations.

I first transitioned to a raw plant-based diet 30 years ago, I had more energy than I knew what to do with and for the first time in my life, I was actually feeling strongly drawn to exercise. Throughout high school, I ran track and cross-country, so I had a history of being physically active, but I didn’t really enjoy it that much. After becoming raw during my college years, my exercise recovery times were improved, I felt more energetic while running, I could run faster and longer, and my experience of health and well-being rose to a level I never could have imagined! The combination of exercise and dietary change for me was powerful in so many ways!

What are your favorite forms of movement and exercise?

Day 8 of my top 30 for 30:

For any change I’ve made in my life, including shifting my diet to whole natural plant foods, I’ve found is that there has been a period of adjustment.

For me, it seemed that the bigger the change the more significant the adjustment, as stretching into a new experience can be simultaneously exciting and unsettling.

Apparently, there’s been research done on how long it actually takes to form a new positive habit, which is really interesting. But what it comes down to for me is that practice, regardless of time frame, has been my best ally in creating lasting change. In addition to getting my new health-supporting practices into my mindset and daily routine, I also had some very compelling reasons for shifting my diet and lifestyle including my health, the animals, the environment, etc.

Having a strong ‘why’ propelled me forward and helped to keep me on track during challenging times. But in the end, practice was one of my most significant keys to success, along with not being hard on myself if I found myself starting to fall off track. When this happened, I would address the challenge, find a solution, pick myself up, continue onward, and learn from my experience.

BTW, you can find recipes for dishes containing pomegranates and lots of other delicious raw foods in our free Holiday Raw Food Recipe Guide eBook that you can receive when you register for our email list. See link in bio.

How has practice worked for you in creating health-supporting habits?