Practically Raw Woman

Biggest issue with going raw? Eating ENOUGH!

At the beginning most people crave all those water-rich fruits. Bring on the 🍉! Problem is... they don't have a lot of calories to sustain you so you've got to eat a LOT of them! At first it's hard to conceive how much. I love watermelon but it might be a chore to eat two of them for breakfast! I don't even know that I'd have the time to accomplish that feat!

There are three 'must-haves' to a raw vegan diet. Volume, calories and nutrition. This is the terrific trio essential for success.💯

Many raw foodies lean so heavily on the fruits, they forget about the veggies. But if you don't get the mineral density that vegetables have to offer, you could end up frail with far less muscle mass. Mix greens into as many meals as you can.

Biggest tip to get more of everything you need: the humble smoothie. Green juices can be great for mineral density but they're not going to provide much in terms of calories. It's fast energy. Smoothies are like a energetic time-release capsule and you can pack a huge amount of calories in their if you start with a few 🍌 as your base and build it up from there. Don't be afraid to add some spinach or kale. It's a good place for flax and chia and spirulina too!

More tips? Eat more meals in a day... translation? It's as easy as packing in another smoothie. Or two. Buy fruits and veggies in bulk. Keep frozen fruit on hand always. Don't load up on nuts. Embrace variety. Find some fun recipes for snacks that tantalize your taste buds ... and maybe seem like a different kind of treat!And make it easy on yourself by prepping salad ingredients and dressings in advance so theres always something readily on hand that requires little thought.

Remember, the best thing you can do is eat as much of a smorgasbord of fruits and vegetables as you can in whatever ways you can dream up. Each brings something different to the table. And all of it is good for you.

Load up and keep eating!!!💚

For some gre

I'm not one of those people who live in a bubble and only associate with other raw vegans. In fact, many of my friends are decidedly NOT raw vegans. Or even vegans. My sister - who was here for the holidays - is not vegan either. The rest of my family? Well, I’ve dragged them along for the ride because, for the most part, I’m in charge of the kitchen. But it would be a lie to say they didn’t vacillate at times…. usually when we go out to eat. Yep, they see that as an opportunity to ditch the vegan train and leave me to my principles.

When you make this lifestyle choice, this is what you sign up for, apparently.

And yet, I manage to stay true to my beliefs while still enjoying time with all of them. How do I do it? It's all about balance. And a bit of confidence.

The balance comes from the Raw Till 4 Diet. I can actually eat at a restaurant now and then and find something healthy and vegan to eat. And let’s face it: there’s always salad! Even if I have to double down on those and sometimes even bring my own dressing. It's worth it to hang out with friends, have a good time and not appear to be starving myself.

Act normal about it and most of your companions won’t blink an eye. You don’t have to apologize for anything. Just do what you do. If you’re comfortable with it and don’t make a fuss, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll all play along.

A lot of people will tell you to try and educate your ‘audience’. Honestly, talking about veganism when you’re dining out might fall into the same category as talking about politics. 🤐Don’t. Wars could start.

Your best argument is yourself. The longer you’re eating this way, the better you will look and feel. People will be asking YOU what you’re up to!

At that point, you're welcome to treat them to your "why" and recommend watching "Earthlings".👍

We had a guest over the holidays. She couldn’t help but notice a pattern. And meat was remarkably absent. “Are you vegan?”, she finally asked. “You know”, I said, “I have this thing about animal cruelty. But honestly, it’s just what I like to eat. It makes me feel really good”. And that was pretty much that! 💚