How to prevent food overwhelm happening to you (or happening again)
I'm often asked if you have to eat 100% raw food to enjoy the benefits.
In a word, the answer is ‘No'.
In fact, I never recommend a 100% raw diet for people. However some people decide that 100% is for them.
I have spent long periods of time 100% raw, but mainly I eat between 85-95% raw.
Let me explain why
There can be so much stress, overwhelm and confusion around food, and I never think that it’s healthy to be completely rigid in the way in which we eat.
Often people can be so concerned about eating 100% it becomes a chore, even an obsession. This is not healthy for you or your body.
It’s more important to find out what works for you and know that this will change from time to time.
For example, when I was pregnant, I had to decrease the amount of raw food I was eating due to the energetic properties of the food being damp and cold. Does this mean that raw food was ‘bad’ for me – not at all, it just means that it wasn’t the best food for me at that time in my life. Would this be true for everyone? No. We are all unique and all have our own needs.
You may wonder how I knew that I should eat less raw food, well my body told me (and was confirmed by my acupuncturist/naturopath). I didn’t feel my usual sparkly self, and it felt more than just being pregnant.
Yet there have been times when being 100% raw made me feel amazing. I tend to only eat 100% raw now if I am after a cleanse or looking to uplevel an area of my life. And in Spring and Summer I just tend to naturally eat much more raw food – but that makes sense doesn’t it – we are naturally drawn to them.
Love Your Body
When taking on any new lifestyle changes and that is what your food should be, a lifestyle not a diet, it is important to make the decision consciously and know that the food you eat creates your body.
When you love your body, you want to do the best for it. Yes this means a high proportion of fresh and vibrant fruit and veg, but occasionally it may mean a slice of cake with friends.
Get To Know Your Body
Like me, sometimes, you may feel like eating 100% raw, but you are certainly not ‘failing’ by not being 100%.
I like to eat at least two raw meals a day, and for the the other meal (if it’s not raw too), I would add a large crisp salad.
As long as your day does have an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables your body will thank you.
I find people really notice a difference between 50 – 75%.
If you eat at this level, you will find it much easier, and enjoyable to maintain this healthy way of eating. In fact when you remove the stress, you find yourself naturally eating more raw food.
I know it can be confusing in the raw food world, as even in this niche way of eating there are various ways of eating. However what’s more important is that you experiment and find a way that work for you. This may be the same as someone else, or it may not – it doesn’t matter, it’s time for you to reclaim your power and do what works for you and know that this will change as you change and have different demands made of you.
More important than percentages
[Tweet “More than anything a healthy mindset around food is important. “]You will be eating food for the rest of your life, so you may as well be easy on yourself and make sustainable changes that really will last a lifetime and not try and do everything at once – you know who you are…
So if you find yourself getting upset because you’re not sure if the nutritional yeast in your meal is raw, this isn’t health, this is bordering an obsession and it’s time for you to relax and reconnect to the joy that eating a diet abundant in fresh and vibrant food brings and enjoying the body, mind and life that this creates.
