Raw Rewind: Don’t Let Raw Food Fear Lead to Inaction

The following is an article that I originally published in 2009. If fear and overwhelm are keeping you from achieving your raw food goals, keep reading…

And for even more on dealing with overwhelm and going raw, be sure to check out my recent article on decision fatigue.

Nerdage

I can’t believe I’m actually saying this out loud, but one of my favorite movies is Justice League: The New Frontier.  It’s an animated film that aired just last year on Cartoon Network.

If it helps my case at all, the film is rated PG-13.

Okay.  Go ahead and laugh.

Got it out of your system?  Good.

Now I’m sure you’re wondering what an animated action flick has to do with raw food, so let me explain.

Justice League: The New Frontier

Here is the synopsis of the film from the Warner Brothers site:

The New Frontier takes viewers on an action-packed adventure, exploring the origins of the Justice League.  DC Comics legends Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are all featured in the film as well as Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and The Flash – as they band together to form the legendary super team.  Strangers at first, these very different heroes must overcome fear and suspicion to forge an alliance against a monster so formidable, even the mighty Superman cannot stop it alone.  If they fail, the entire planet will be “cleansed” of humanity.

“Fear and suspicion” of the Justice League is really the focus of the entire film.  The movie is set during the Cold War and the Communist paranoia that defined this time is reflected in the government suspicion of anything “super.”

The antagonist in the film is this terrible force called “The Center” that is threatening to obliterate the human race.  Of course, the government would rather focus on perceived differences than band together with the Justice League and kick some mega-monster butt.

It is this fear of the unknown that leads to inaction, threatening to destroy the entire planet.

Fear Leads to Inaction

Have you ever been so afraid of something that you were “frozen with fear,” too fearful to act?  I know I have.  Just as it did in the Justice League film, fear used to play a large role in my life.

Except a giant, earth-destroying monster wasn’t at the root of my fear.  Nope.  It was much less terrifying than that.  As silly as it sounds, it was my own health and wellness.

When I first became interested in improving my health, I found myself pretty overwhelmed.  I knew how to exercise, but nutrition had me at such a loss.  There were just so many different doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, and lifestyle coaches and few of them seemed to agree with each other.

Instead of feeling in charge of my health, I felt defeated.  I didn’t think that I could ever know enough to truly take good care of myself.  There would always be some necessary piece of information that I was missing for a long, healthy life.

I realize that I was not alone in this fear.  Many people are so afraid of making decisions regarding their own health that they would rather give up all together.

That’s where modern medicine comes in.  When you don’t know what to do, where do you go?  Why, your local doctor, of course!  He (or she) will prescribe you with all kinds of costly drugs and supplements to make you all better and remove all your fears.

And don’t think the raw food movement is impervious to this fear!  Raw foodists are so afraid of deficiencies (i.e. protein, B12, vitamin D, iron,etc.) that it often keeps them at a standstill.  They are too fearful of their own nutritional needs that they end up not doing anything at all.

So where do the raw foodists turn?  Why, the raw food gurus, of course!  They will “prescribe” you all the pills, powders, and processed foods you can handle, all in the name of health.

And you don’t even have to lift a finger, except to punch in your credit card information.

Knowledge Leads to Action

Is this really the way to live?  Do you really want to rely on other people for something so personal as your own health and well-being?  Wouldn’t you rather be in complete control of every aspect of your life?

I know I would.  But what is the solution?

*Knowledge*

The rampant fear and suspicion exhibited in The New Frontier simply stems from a lack of knowledge…knowledge of the strange, knowledge of the new, and knowledge of the formidable.

It’s the same with the health movement, raw or not.

Think of it this way. A person who is looking to improve his health, but is not knowledgeable in that area will probably be too fearful to make decisions on his own.  It is very likely that he will turn to some “expert” who will charge him an arm and a leg for his “expert” services.

But what about the individual who understands basic health principles and is confident in his nutritional decisions?  Will that person be stricken with fear?  Will that person look for more “qualified” individuals to tell him how to live his life?

I don’t think so.

When I finally discovered low fat raw, I felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  I learned that I was in complete control of my nutrition and that I didn’t need doctors or gurus to tell me how to eat.

And it was all much more simple than I could have ever imagined!  I had always enjoyed raw fruit and so I found eating mountains of it both mind-boggling and exciting.

Come on, how fun is it to eat dessert for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Take a Stand

You have to take a stand.  You have to educate yourself about health.  You cannot rely on so-called experts, within the raw food movement itself and outside of it.  You have to do the research on your own and learn from your own experiences.

Luckily, we now have the internet and so this learning process is much easier.  However, it also means that there is A LOT of inaccurate information out there that has to be sifted through.  It can be difficult at times to know which sources to listen to.

That’s what Fit On Raw is all about!  My intent has always been to provide solid, sound information in an easy-to-understand and useful format.  I try to sift through all of the junk and provide simple, practical guidelines that allow you to begin your health journey as soon as possible.

Hopefully I’m achieving this goal.

Final Thoughts

I couldn’t think of anything deep or meaningful to say, so I’ll just leave you with some profound quotes:

There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings. ~ Dorothy Thompson

Fear is not the natural state of civilized people. ~ Aung San Suu Kyi

Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive — the risk to be alive and express what we really are. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

And my personal favorite:

Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is. ~ H. Jackson Brown

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. Finding it hard to put all that raw food know-how into action without some healthy and tasty recipes? Don’t worry, I’ve got ya covered…

“Low Fat, Fruit Filled, High Fun Raw Recipes”

Delicious and Healthy Raw Vegan Favorites for Every Meal

 www.fitonraw.com/low-fat-raw-vegan-favorites

To learn more about the book and order your copy, click below:

==> www.fitonraw.com/low-fat-raw-vegan-favorites