Are You Destined for Raw Food Failure?

* What’s New: Traveling Raw

* Feature Article: Are You Destined for Raw Food Failure?

* Your Questions Answered: Do Bananas Cause Constipation?

The first week of summer has just ended and I must say I enjoyed it thoroughly.  Not only did I get to eat some delicious AND local summer produce, but I also spent the last few days on vacation.  It was a nice time away, but it’s good to be home.

Because so many raw foodists struggle with vacationing while on a raw food diet, I decided to shoot a little video covering just that!  In the video, I offer 4 tips for staying 100% raw while traveling.  I’ll have it published very soon so don’t miss it!

Swayze

Are You Destined for Raw Food Failure?

I have spent a good amount of my time on raw food forums over the past couple of years. It is a great way to learn about eating raw and to gather information from others who are thriving on the diet.

While visiting these forums, I have noticed a problem that is expressed over and over again by various members. Many people complain that they find it too difficult to stick to a raw food diet. They find themselves extremely hungry and experiencing cravings for cooked dishes on a regular basis.

And I’m not talking about brand new raw foodists. I’m talking about people who have been attempting a raw food diet for years and still can’t seem to stick with it!

So what’s the problem? Why is it that such a vast majority of raw foodists fail on a raw food diet?

Not enough calories, Too much fat

In general, the raw foodists I’m talking about are consuming lots of greens and vegetables, avocados, nuts, oils, dehydrated mixtures like flax seed crackers, some vinegars, and dried fruit.

Even though the raw foodists described above are eating large amounts of greens and other vegetables, these foods do not offer a substantial amount of calories.

Here’s an example…

*Typical Salad without Overt Fats*

A large salad of 1 pound of romaine lettuce, 1 medium red bell pepper, and one medium cucumber is only 153 calories. All of that food has less calories than just two bananas!

This is a problem because the average person needs between 2000-2500 calories a day. To eat that much food from romaine lettuce, you would need to eat 25 pounds (about 50 heads) of lettuce per day! This is completely impractical, not to mention rather unpleasant. My jaw aches just thinking about it!

We’ve now established that it’s nearly impossible to get enough calories from vegetables. While salads like this are high in volume, the satiation is short lived because the caloric needs are not being met.

So where do these raw foodists get their calories from?

Avocados, raw nuts and seeds, and cold-pressed olive oils.

To be precise, fat. These fatty foods are used to make dehydrated dishes like “raw” crackers, breads, and “mock” pizzas. They are also eaten on their own or put atop salads.

Let’s return to the salad example…

*Typical Salad with Overt Fats*

1 head of romaine, 1 medium bell pepper, and one medium cucumber is 153 calories. Now, add just one medium avocado and one tablespoon of olive oil. That takes the calories up to 561 calories!

The avocado and oil alone provide 2/3 of the total calories in this dish. Not only that, but the addition of the avocado and oil took the fat content from 10% to a staggering 61% of fat!

As you can see, it only takes a small amount of these foods (fatty fruits, nuts and seeds, and oils) to exceed your needed calories and fat content for the day.

Again, this is just one meal. Many raw foodists have two salads during their day and often times these are even more fat laden than the example I have shown above.

This does not even consider the popular complex, dehydrated recipes that are mostly comprised of high-fat nuts and seeds.

With this knowledge in mind, is it surprising that the average raw foodist consumes a whopping 60% of his or her calories from fat everyday? How many times have you come across people who claim to eat several avocados a day and handfuls of nuts in just one sitting?

Maybe this isn’t surprising, but it’s certainly unhealthy.

What’s the Alternative?

While greens and vegetable fruits are very important in a healthy raw diet, they simply do not provide the necessary calories to fill you up and combat cooked cravings. However, you do not have to get your calories from low-volume fatty foods.

You are not destined for raw food failure.

There is another way…

*Sweet fruit*

By eating substantial amounts of whole, raw, simple, delicious fruits, you will feel completely satiated and will no longer suffer from cooked food cravings. You will also be getting the absolute best nutrition available and fueling your body right!

And it’s so easy to get started! If you still eat a cooked diet, simply replace your breakfast with as much fruit as you can eat and move on from there. If you already eat raw, just replace the majority of the raw veggies and fats you eat with sweet fruit.

If you are having a hard time getting enough calories via whole fruit, try blending them into tasty smoothies!

So put down the avocado, pick up an apple, and start succeeding on a raw diet today!

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

Do Bananas Cause Constipation?

I have received quite a few emails in the past week relating to problems eating bananas.  The most common problem I’ve seen is that eating more than a couple bananas leads to constipation.  Is this true?

Excluding the unfortunate few who are allergic to bananas, most people can eat plenty of bananas just fine.  If you are struggling, it is likely due to the other foods you are eating…namely, fat.  Fat digests much more slowly than sugar does and can lead to digestive troubles.  Try limiting your fat intake to at least 15% (preferably 10% or less) and make sure that you are allowing your body ample time to digest the fatty foods you eat before consuming fruit.

If you still find that you are struggling with digesting bananas, it would be best to exclude them from your diet for a while.  You can always substitute other calorically dense fruits, such as mangoes, papayas, and grapes, in place of the bananas.  Once you feel comfortable, you can try slowly incorporating bananas back into your diet.

Swayze