On a raw vegan diet you may eat any organic, unprocessed, uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. This is food that has been untouched by irradiation, pesticides, preservatives, or heat above 118 degrees Fahrenheit and that are as fresh as possible. The idea is that all of these processes harm the food, killing the enzymes, and life force, causing sickness and obesity.
The best way to start a raw vegan diet varies for each individual. Only you can determine for yourself what works best. Some people approach the raw vegan diet as an alcoholic would quitting drinking, cold turkey, never to drink again. Others prefer a slower approach, incorporating more of the good, and less of the bad as time goes on until they reach their goal. There is no right or wrong in either method, pick the one that works best for you.
Whatever you do, start simply. Start with foods in their wildest form rather than immediately going for the gourmet, dehydrated raw meals, instead eat a large variety of fruits and vegetables that you like. A really great thing about this diet is that you do not have to eat things you do not enjoy. If the taste is bad to you, skip it, and move on to something else. Nature provides such a wide variety of foods to eat that you will not miss out on nutrition. Remember to try something you do not like today, again, in a few months because as you stick to this way of eating, your taste buds will change and adapt.
When you first start you might find yourself going through a type of withdrawal from the processed, chemical laden foods that you’ve grown accustomed to over the years. Believe it or not there is scientific evidence that people become addicted to the chemical additives, salt and sugars that appear in abundance in the typical diet most people eat. Do not panic, just acknowledge the symptoms and make sure you are eating enough, and the symptoms will eventually pass.
Another thing to remember is that if you are eating raw vegan foods you do not have to limit your quantities when you first start. You can eat as much as you want. You will find that even if you are eating a lot of avocados, bananas, and raw nuts which are all high in calories and fat, you will still drop weight and gain health benefits because you are not eating the chemicals and processed sugars you were. Eventually you might come to a point where you have to cut back on those foods, but when first starting, and until you find yourself stuck on your weight loss journey there is no reason to.
Some people incorporate super foods into their diet, and enjoy juicing their veggies, and making many different kinds of smoothies. It is not required to do this on the raw food diet, however, to get enough nutrients you might find juicing your veggies will help make sure you get enough. There is disagreement on whether super foods are a necessity with many doing without and being perfectly healthy. This addition is completely up to you. Smoothies, however, are a wonderful addition to your diet because they taste so good and make it easier to get down green leafy vegetables like spinach, for instance.
Most of all, concentrate on adding in these healthy, natural whole foods rather than what you are leaving out and you will find yourself healthier and happier in no time. Make a commitment to give it at least thirty days before you decide to give it up so that you can best judge if this diet is for you or not.
