Next Myth:

"All you need to do is eat raw and your life will change drastically."

Yes and no.

Changing your diet to raw will surely help your body make important and positive changes.

But doing this alone will not give you the level of health you are seeking.

There are a number of things to look at -

• Are you getting any type of activity based on your ability, whether it is doing a chair work-out or going on a hike in the mountains, a slow walk, riding a bike for 30 miles a day, or working in the garden? Are you challenging yourself just a little bit? Are you overworking yourself even when your body is telling you to rest?

• Are you breathing in fresh clean air from a clean environment? Are you getting fresh, clean outdoor air everyday? Is your indoor air as clean as possible, or are there unnatural deodorizers, chemical cleaners, etc. that you are inhaling on a daily basis?

• Are you getting a clean source of water? Are you over-drinking or under-drinking your water? Could you be drinking a lot more than you need if you are eating a lot of water-rich fruit and veggies, or could you possibly be over-confident about the food you are eating and avoiding supplemental water, especially during the hot months and during and after exercise?

• Are you getting sufficient sunshine? Are you avoiding the sun in fear? Are you going out in the sun too much during the peak hours of 10-12? Are you going out for at least a few minutes a day if you are sensitive? Are you going out in the sun with so much gusto that you are burning your skin?

• Are you sleeping enough to allow your body to recover, detox, rebuild and repair? Are you feeling like you are a super-being and only need 3 hours of sleep a night, but lose energy in the middle of the day?

• Are you under any stress, or living a peaceful life? Is your family supportive of you? Are you able to communicate yourself freely without getting into debates and arguments with others? Do you feel happy and loving toward others or do you feel defensive about what you do or about other elements in your life?

In The Perfect Health CD series, Dr. Douglas Graham talks about being only as strong as your weakest link. When your health is not improving, you have to look at the many lifestyle factors in your life, and even within those factors, for instance, are you getting too much or too little sun? Are you eating too many fats?

So YES, eating raw food is surely a step in the right direction, but NO it alone cannot bring you to the level of health you desire, or deserve!

Take a look at everything you are doing. Keep a list and note what needs improvement. Then slowly work on one factor at a time.

Next Myth:

"Eating raw is SO expensive. All those nuts, seeds, specialty raw foods, etc. is going to break my pocketbook"

Those things that cost so much - the oils, nuts, raw cacao, dried fruits, coconut, avocados, young coconuts, agave nectar, spices and seasonings - those are the things that should not be a regular part of the raw diet, or at the least should be eaten minimally.

Fresh produce is one of the least expensive things to eat.

As for the difference between a standard American diet and a fresh, raw diet, just compare a bunch of bananas to a box of snack cakes, the price is about the same but the nutritional difference is huge.

Remember also that when you are eating a superior diet, you are cutting down on other things that you don't use when you are experiencing optimal health, or just not eating as optimally:

• You are cutting down on medications, medical and dental expenses.

• Excessive amounts of cleaners, soaps, perfumes to hide body odor, lotions and potions.

• Don't forget those times when you plunk down between $20-40 (or more with a family) to go "out" to eat all of the time.

• With more energy, you won't be renting as many videos to sit around and watch.

• You won't be going to the movies as much, spending oodles of money on concessions.

• You won't be buying cinnamon rolls and pretzels at the mall.

• You won't be buying lattes, specialty coffees and teas all the time.

• You won't be buying girl scout cookies every year. You won't feel obligated to buy all those food coupons that the neighbor's kids, and friends children and family are trying to push on you for their fundraisers.

• You won't be buying all those seasonal cooked foods, bakery goods and treats. Just think of all the money you'll be saving on eggs and candy at Easter; all the meat, buns, cakes, cookies, soda and beer on Independence day; the big turkey, stuffing, rolls, cakes, cookies and pies that has made you and your relatives so sick and tired on Thanksgiving; and the sugary baked goods and tooth decaying candy on Chanukah and Christmas.

• You won't feel the need to buy big coupon books just so you can save going out to restaraunts.

• When you go to the zoo or amusement parks or other outings, you won't need to buy junky cooked lunches.

• When you go to a baseball game you won't be buying mystery meat hot dogs, pretzels, ice cream and beer.

• When on road trips you won't need to be driving through fast food places.

It is amazing how little expenses on a cooked lifestyle add up. $5 here, $10 there for little things, just add up to hundreds and thousands of dollars over a years' time.

I just came across a great blog explaining how cheap raw has been for her family. A family of 6 eating organic produce at less than $200 a week! Wow - I am impressed! Below is the entry and a link after it:

I have gotten a number of emails from college students wondering how I stay raw in college and how I afford such a lifestyle. Also, I have had many ask me about my social life, family life, etc... well...this is my response:

I am going to be a junior at Rice University. I started 100% raw in one night 2.5 years ago in a single dorm with no kitchen, and I washed my fruits and veggies in the bathroom sink that 27 other girls used...ya tell me I am not passionate??

At first, I barely ate organic, and I would buy by the case (bananas, oranges, lettuce), and I would get most of my fruits and salads from the salad bar in the cafeteria. After a few months, I petitioned for organic greens, and Vanderbilt began to offer them. (This was before I transfered to Rice). The next year, I was asked to be in-charge of helping to get Vanderbilt's FIRST organic munchie mart on campus. I smile at this accomplishment.

After that, it was easy to get greens, but fruits was way out of my league....especially bc I was in Nashville...SOOO, I made a bargain with my parents. Because I was on a full-ride to Vanderbilt, I told my parents that I would work certain hours at the university if they paid for me to eat all organic. They agreed. However, finding fruits in Nashville is horrible, and I hate cold weather. Last semester, I transfered to Rice University, where there is warm weather and amazing fruits. Now, I know all the local/organic farmers and all the produce managers in my area, and I buy cases for my whole family....

I feed 6 people eating pretty much 100% raw for less than $200 a week...not bad eh? IT CAN BE DONE :) Oh, and we do not limit ourselves to bananas... to the contrary...when we eat what is in season, we find more variety than our taste buds can handle...

About being social in college: hmmm let's see...well I don't drink, don't smoke, and I definitely don't eat cooked foods. I have found that the people who really want to be your friends will flock to you and they will accept you for who you are, no matter what you eat or what you believe. My closest friends will either now eat raw with me, or they will sit there and laugh as I gnarl down my two heads of lettuce...they love me don't they?

I don't like to be around keg parties anyways...they bore me half to death, and I think people act so stupid when they are drunk. I love to go salsa dancing, and simply doing the things I love, I meet new and wonderful people every day. It's that simple~ Attract the people you want into your life. Family may take more time, but as I have been told by Dr. G and by Lennie...SHOW THEM. In order to truly effect someone, you must lead by example and SHOW them the change in you.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

My family is now almost 100% raw. My sister is 100% raw, and it has taken my parents over two years to begin to embrace this. Only this past year have they switched to 2 raw meals a day and all of their other "foods" bought from the farmer's markets. A little bit of educating people about their choices and about their dollar can make a HUGE difference...and they will THANK you for how much better they feel!

I do miss Costa Rica, and I was living a dream there, but now that I am back, I can very well see that I am needed here to make a difference. I am going to do everything I can to encourage more raw and inspire more people. I know I have a ton of people standing right beside me.

You can check out other interesting entries from the blog here:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-jDIYJQk6ebPiokhbhZ8F4A--?cq=1

Raw Myths

There are so many misconceptions that are passed off as truth in the raw food world. I see it all the time. There are many experts out there who have been uncovering these for the good of the general raw interested public. I’d like to take a few that stand out and discuss them.

“Eat whatever you want, as long as it’s raw…anything that is considered raw is healthy.”

No way!

This is so far from the truth.

Some raw meals and recipes contain more salt and fat than a fast food meal. There are many “gourmet” meals that have had all the water dehydrated out of them, and miscombined (fats and sugars), over-salted and spiced, which has left many people who constantly partake in them, confused, unsatisfied and frustrated with their physical and mental results on raw, leaving many giving up the raw food diet.

The error with this myth, is that people are being advised to eat anything they want as long as it’s raw, so that they aren’t hungry, they are encouraged to eat as many pieces of raw pie, pizza, burgers, and raw “treats” etc. as they need to in order to stay raw. They eat practically no fresh fruits or vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

This may keep people from eating their old standard cooked diets, but it’s no healthier, and in many cases, far less healthy than what they were eating before.

In addition, the majority of people eating questionably fresh and healthy food, and overloading on raw fats, dehydrated foods and raw gourmet recipes rarely see the results they are looking for.

Truth be told, I haven’t actually witnessed, seen or heard of anyone who has met a health goal eating raw food this way. Please come out of the woodwork if you have! I’d love to know about it!

For the most part, they may feel a small difference in the beginning, as cooked food does take a toll on our bodies, and coming off those denatured and damaging foods initially will give people a small taste of a healthier feeling, but that soon dissipates if the person continues with non-fresh, heavy, dehydrated and/or mixed raw foods day in and day out.

This includes yours truly. I’ve been on and off raw several times, and let me say that eating a wildcard raw diet was the most effective the first time around – but going back on the raw diet with gourmet recipes goodies at every meal gave me no results and actually made me feel just as worn out and tired, if not more, than on cooked.

We have gotten so far away from real raw food, we should really be calling this diet the “Fresh Food Diet”, because the best foods are found in whole, fresh form, ripe and ready to eat, and not mixed up with a bunch of other foods, dehydrated, over spiced and concentrated (as in oils, nut butters, etc.) The very best foods, which should be the center of the diet, are fresh ripe fruits, vegetables, and greens complimented by small amounts nuts and seeds. Instead of making a raw pizza or a raw pie as a meal, the meal should be as many pieces of fruits and vegetables as needed to satisfy a person’s hunger.

Should people starting out on raw ever use gourmet recipes and fractionated processed “raw” foods? Only if necessary. In the beginning, people transitioning to raw may experience cravings for heavier, more complicated and more concentrated foods. But by making those raw recipes an everyday habit, it’s like trading one bad habit for another. The habit of eating unnatural food will never be broken if one never gets used to eating naturally.

You could be thinking: “But I really want to enjoy these gourmet recipes, because I’m not ready to eat that simply, all of the time”.

I hear you. That is a very valid place to be, and you are certainly not alone in those thoughts. You can have the best of both worlds.

Try this tip if you are in that recipe rut!

* Allow yourself just one heavy recipe/meal a day in the beginning, after you have at least 1 piece of fruit before the meal. If you can have more than 1 piece of fruit beforehand, great!

* After a couple of weeks reduce your heavy recipe/meal to 3 times a week for the next week, again make sure you eat at least 1 piece of fruit before the recipe or heavier food. Try not to wait more than a couple of weeks to do this,

* By now you should be comfortable enough to start eating more and more fresh food, but if not, in a month, drop the heavy, gourmet stuff to once a week.