So I’ve been busy reading some material from prominent high-fat raw food gurus lately.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

1. A whole and natural raw food diet means one full of dehydrated, processed, powdered, and packaged foods.

2. Eating multiple avocados containing over 70% of calories from fat in one day is totally cool and even healthy!

3. Satisfying my sweet tooth means concocting recipes full of fat, cacao, and refined raw sweeteners.  Just eat sweet fruit, pshaw!

4. A raw food diet is the most nutritionally dense diet around.  That’s why we need lots of supplementation, DUH!

5. Every raw recipe must: a) take hours to prepare and b) rival all my cooked food favorites in fat and salt content.

6. Fiber is super important for digestion, which is why we should get rid of it all by juicing our food!

7. Food combining, Schmood combining.

8. As long as I stay raw, I can spend as much time lounging around the house as I want.  SWEET!

9. We can get all the nutrition we need from ridiculously small amounts of food as long as we chew each bite for hours on end.

10. I’ll be able to spend as much time as I want being lazy by sleeping less and less each night.

11. There’s no way I’m getting all the vitamins and nutrients I need if I’m not spending an arm and a leg on supplements and superfoods.

12. The more water we shoot up our butts with a tube, the better.

All this without indigestion, crazy cooked food cravings, and overall poor health!

Wow, who would have thunk it?

In all seriousness, I have a few choice words for all the raw food gurus out there promoting (and supposedly following) these Hollywood “raw” diets of supplements, condiments, stimulants, irritants, fats and grass.

A Message to the Raw Food Gurus

I refuse to name names, but you know who you are…

Shame on you for promoting unsustainable diets.  Shame on you for encouraging severe calorie restriction.  Shame on you for ignoring exercise, sunshine, and restful sleep as necessary components for long term health.  Shame on you for basing your dietary actions on faulty science and poor reasoning and encouraging people to follow the path you set out.

And DOUBLY shame on you for claiming to support a whole, plant-based diet and then pushing naïve newcomers to pay you EXORBITANT amounts of money on “necessary” foods like dried sea algae, bee vomit, and royal jelly.

You are all helping to turn these well-meaning newbies into scrawny, lazy binge eaters.  And the ones who know enough to see through the bull are simply thumbing their noses at raw veganism for good.

Shame, shame, SHAME on all of you!

Just the Facts, Ma’am

If you really want to go raw and be healthy, you don’t need to pay out the rear end for supplements, superfoods, or a tube up the…oh, you know…

If you *really* want to see phenomenal results, here’s what it takes:

1. Adopt a species appropriate diet, i.e. a low fat, high fruit raw vegan diet composed of lots of fruit, moderate greens and non-sweet fruits, and limited fat.

2. Adopt a solid exercise routine. Move your body EVERYDAY for AT LEAST 1 full hour.

3. Get adequate sleep. If you wake up groggy, you need more sleep.

4. Get adequate sunshine. About 15-30 mins a day should do ya.

Would you look at that?  Solid, common sense, PRACTICAL information that you can put to use RIGHT NOW and you didn’t have to pay me a single penny!

You’re welcome.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. Since I’ve been so generous today with all the free advice, how about rePAYING me the favor by purchasing my low fat raw vegan recipe book?

See what I did there?

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

* Special Offer: Send in Your Testimonial for a Free Report!

* Feature Article: How to Convince Your Loved Ones to Go Raw

Send in Your Testimonial for a Free Report!

First, I want to send a big “THANK YOU!” to everyone who has purchased my recipe e-book…

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

It was released mid-January and has already sold over 100 copies!  I’ve gotten some really good feedback from those who have purchased, like this lovely gem from Shayla in Texas:

Dear Swayze,

When I first heard about becoming raw, it was hard to figure out just what to eat.

I would look through  recipe books and all I would get is recipes involving a dehydrator or other pricey equipment; and I know I can’t just eat 10 bananas! The “Low Fat, Fruit Filled, High Fun Raw Recipes”  really helped me figure out what to do! I just love the Radically Raw Pizza! I’m glad I bought it and I thank you for putting it together!

Sincerely,

Shayla Stagg,
Cameron, Texas, USA

Who wouldn’t love getting comments like these?

If you have also purchased the Low Fat, Fruit Filled, High Fun Raw Recipes and are enjoying the tasty dishes, I would love it if you would send me a testimonial to use on my site.

If you do, I’ll send you my free report “Dealing with Diet Dissenters: How to Handle Unsupportive, Argumentative, and Downright Rude People on a Raw Food Diet”

Simply email me your feedback at swayze@fitonraw.com and I’ll send you the report straight away.

Thanks again, everyone!

Swayze

P.S. To learn more about Low Fat, Fruit Filled, High Fun Raw Recipes and read some more testimonials, simply visit the link below:

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

How to Convince Your Loved Ones to Go Raw

I know how exciting it is when you first go raw.  You see all these wonderful bodily and mental improvements that you never experienced on any other diet.

You truly feel like you have discovered the “Fountain of Youth” and you just want to bombard everyone you know with all the raw food and fitness information you’ve got.

Please, don’t do it!

There is a better, gentler, and much more *effective* way…

Don’t Force It

Let’s face it.  Even though the popularity of the raw food movement is growing, most people still think eating a raw food diet is for wackos.

And no matter how supportive or encouraging your family and friends are, they probably feel the same way.  Don’t be surprised if they view the whole raw food movement as a food fad and fully expect you to come running back to “normal” cooked fare in no time.

And this makes perfect sense!  Just think back to your cooked food days: how would you have reacted to someone (even a close relative) trying to convince you to eat nothing but fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds? AND nothing is cooked?!?

Just some crazy new trend, right?

And how about the nerve of this loved one telling YOU how to live YOUR life as if they could possibly know what’s best for YOU!

The audacity!

Bottom line, you can’t force people to change their mindset and you certainly can’t force people to change their eating habits.  If you try, you will fail.  Not only will you fail, you will risk losing valuable relationships in the process.

Flaunt It!

The best thing you can do to convince others to go raw is to lead by example.  Simply live your life and people will be drawn to your successes.

When people start noticing how healthy and vibrant you obviously look and feel, everyone will want to know your secret.  All of a sudden, people who were never interested in your diet or exercise regimen (or perhaps even shunned/poked fun at what you’re doing) will be dying to know your secret.

No one can resist the raw glow!

Most importantly, they will be coming to YOU for advice, instead of you bombarding them.  It will completely be their idea and their CHOICE.

Proof is in the (Raw) Pudding

When I first went raw, the rest of my family ate standard cooked food.  My Mom has always been an excellent cook, but health wasn’t really high up on the agenda.

The concern was more for taste, not nutrition.

So what did I do to try and convince them to go raw?  Nothing. I didn’t bombard them with raw food “propaganda.”  I didn’t preach to them about the “evils” of cooked food.  I didn’t even instruct them to read 80/10/10 or The China Study.

I just ate lots of fruit, exercised, spent time outdoors, got adequate sleep and answered any health-related questions they had for me.

Well, it’s been two years and things have really changed.  My Mom eats mostly vegan and rarely ever cooks meat anymore.  The family has gone from having meat pretty much every single night to once or twice a week.

There is much more of a focus on plant foods and much less on meat, cheese, dairy, salt, butter, etc.

While two years may sound like a long time to you, just think back to how long it took you to come to grips with raw foodism.  Personally, I became interested in health and fitness back in early 2005, but it was not until late 2007 that I went raw.

And remember, I’m from the land of BBQ ribs, fried chicken, and pulled pork sandwiches.  The fact that my family regularly eats meatless (sometimes completely vegan) meals and LOVES them is just too cool to me.

And now I get to accept full responsibility and praise for all their health improvements, of course.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

If you’ve been hangin’ around Fit On Raw for a while, you’ve probably heard about this super simple salsa recipe that I love so much.

It was one of the first savory low fat raw dishes I ever made that I actually enjoyed eating and became a staple for me during my first few months raw.  Whenever I had a craving for salty cooked food, I turned to this bad boy.

I hadn’t made the recipe in a while, but was having some fellow raw foodists over and knew this recipe was the perfect way to showcase healthy and delicious low fat raw fare (along with lots of sweet fruit, of course).

Check it out!

Salty Salt-Free Salsa

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (sweetest you can find)
• 16 ounces of celery (4-6 stalks)
• 8 ounces red bell pepper (1 pepper)
• 4 ounces sweet apple (Gala or Fuji, 1/2 apple)
• 1 handful cilantro
• 1 English cucumber, sliced diagonally*

*I prefer the English variety.  They are less watery thantraditional cucumbers and have much more flavor.

Directions:

Cut half of the celery, red bell pepper, and all of the apple into medium-sized pieces.  You want each piece about the same size as the tomatoes.  Pulse half of the tomatoes and cilantro with the celery, pepper, and apple chunks.  You want a slightly chunky mixture, not a puree.

Dice the rest of the tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, & cilantro.  Stir blended portion with the diced portion and devour with cucumber slices or any veggie you like.

Swayze’s Tips:

Another great way to eat this salsa is with pineapple rings!  Simply slice the pineapple into thick rings, core (a little circular biscuit cutter works great) and spoon the salsa on top.  Delicious and beautiful presentation.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. If you’d like more tasty and healthy savory raw recipes, be sure to check out “Low Fat, Fruit Filled, High Fun Raw Recipes” at the link below:

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

* What’s New?: Raw Food Meeting in Memphis

* Feature Article: How to Indulge in High Fat Raw Recipes

Raw Food Meeting in Memphis

As I mentioned last week, last night I hosted a little low fat raw vegan meeting in my home.  There was a lot of good discussion and I got to meet some really nice raw foodists in the Memphis area.

I also made a few different dishes for the get together, including my Salty Salt-Free Salsa which I recorded so look out for that on YouTube really soon!

Swayze

Trouble Losing Weight On Raw?  Stick It To This Sneaky Substance!

I figured I’d stick to the salty theme of last week and share my own little sickly salt story.  Enjoy!

When I receive emails from frustrated and often desperate readers asking why, oh why they can’t lose weight even though they are following a healthy raw food diet, the very first thing I often ask is:

*Are you still consuming salt?*

This sneaky substance so popular within the raw food movement is a common reason why many raw foodists hold onto excess weight.

Here’s the simple explanation:

When you consume rock salt of any kind – sea salt, table salt, kosher salt, fleur de sel, etc. – the salt draws the precious water from your cells out into your bloodstream and skin (even killing the cells in the process).

This process of osmosis, although necessary to balance the level of salinity in the body, is what leads to water retention (i.e. puffy skin!).

Don’t believe me? Then let me regale you with a little salty story of my own…

Salty Dinner Salad and Super Inflated Swayze

Late last year, I began adding salt to my nightly salads. I’m not really sure how it happened…

I just noticed the sea salt on the counter while preparing my dinner one evening and decided to add a dash to the dish. I knew it wasn’t healthy to eat rock salt, but it tasted pretty good and I figured it couldn’t harm me that much, right?

I kept up these salty charades for a couple of weeks until I noticed my clothes fitting a bit tighter. I was having a hard time fitting into some of my shirts. I didn’t notice the connection between the weight gain and salt yet and so I was a bit perplexed.

Then I saw myself in the raw pie video I posted Thanksgiving morning of ‘09…I looked all puffy! I went to weigh myself and couldn’t believe it: I was 5 POUNDS HEAVIER than my usual weight!

I knew immediately what the culprit was: SALT!

No More Salty Salads!

The salt – even just a dash of it – was clearly making me retain water. I decided to eliminate the dash of salt from my diet that day and had a completely salt-free salad that evening.

And you know what? I was completely surprised that my salad tasted just as good! Better, in fact, because I could actually taste all the different nuances of the ingredients in the dish instead of just salt, salt, and more SALT.

Even more surprising? I weighed myself the next day to test my theory and had already lost 3 WHOLE POUNDS. I had known that salt lead to water retention, but 3 pounds in one day?! That really surprised me.

In addition, I had been waking up each morning slightly nauseated for the past couple of weeks, which was sometimes accompanied by a slight headache. This would last for about an hour or so and then gradually disappear.

Again, I didn’t see salt as the culprit.

But the morning after my salt-free salad…no nausea OR headache AT ALL!

So not only did that little bit of rock salt in the evening make me gain an entire melon’s worth of water, but it also made me nauseated and headache-y!

And it didn’t even enhance the flavor of my food…it just made it salty.

Oh, one other side effect of eating salt…it made my sweat super stinky!

Moral of My Salty Story

Salt is really, really, REALLY addictive.

This is not the first time I have introduced salt back into my diet and each occurrence has the same results:

I try the salt, I love it immediately (even though I haven’t eaten it in many, many months), I continue to use it to enhance my food for a few weeks, I gain weight and/or my joints start to hurt, I give it up and wonder why, oh why I ever introduced it to my diet in the first place!

But this time was a bit different.

The nausea and headaches were definitely new and I usually only gain a pound or two, not FIVE!

Plus, I usually really struggle with giving salt up again because plain savory raw dishes just don’t taste as good anymore. As mentioned above, the salad tasted just fine without it and I forgot all about salt pretty much immediately, which was great.

How to Stick it to Salt

While I usually recommend a gradual transition away from unhealthy foods, salt is sometimes an exception to the rule.

If you are still struggling with weight loss and can’t stop sneaking in and soaking up the salt, the best thing to do is to simply get rid of it completely. You will be surprised how quickly your cravings for this sneaky substance subside.

It really only takes a few days to a couple weeks at most and then you won’t even think about salt anymore. After only about a week of no salt, the thought of adding any to my food honestly made be feel nauseated…and it still does!

Hopefully my stubborn self has *finally* learned its lesson and I won’t go searching for salt again.

*sigh* We shall see.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. If you are finding it exceedingly difficult to give up salt, I suggest checking out Roger Haeske’s idiot-proof recipe system, Savory Veggie Stews. These delicious and completely salt-free dishes will be sure to put the kibosh on all your salty and savory dinner time cravings:

http://tinyurl.com/ygwwahs

I mentioned in last week’s article on indulging in high fat raw recipes that I would post a future article on salty raw recipes.

As you may well know, mainstream raw recipes aren’t just known for their high fat content (many of these dishes contain over 50% of their calories from fat!), but also for the gargantuan amount of salt used.

Well, I was going to write up my own little experience on salt, but then Karmyn let me know that both her and Roger recently posted articles on the very topic.

It seems they already did the work for me!

So check out the two links below for Karmyn and Roger’s experience with some salty raw restaurant food.

Karmyn’s “Thirsty Enough to Drink TOILET WATER”

http://karmynmalone.com/?p=299

Roger’s “Count Cracula Sucks the Water Right Out of Us”

http://rogerhaeske.com/?p=470

Yikes, I’m thirsty just reading the titles!

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze