Click here to view the embedded video.

This was the first time I had heard of this approach and I think it’s excellent.

Basically, Tonya advocates making a list of all of your favorite cooked foods. Only purchase your favorite foods and replace all your non-favorites with raw foods.

Keep your favorite foods in your house at all times and eat them whenever you like.

By only eating your favorite foods and replacing the rest with healthy raw foods, you will already be eating a substantially better diet without having to impose strict dietary rules on yourself.

Overtime, your taste buds will naturally become accustomed to the simpler whole foods you are eating. You will no longer desire your old favorites without any willpower on your part at all.

And Tonya is just so adorable and fun to watch!

So watch the vid and be the best raw foodist you can be!

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. I would also like to add that the best raw foods to start incorporating into your diet are sweet fruits.  They are satiating, delicious, and nutritionally the most appropriate foods for humans.  And if you eat enough of them, even your MOST favorite cooked food treats will have no appeal whatsoever.

And if you’re finding it difficult to eat enough sweet fruit mono-meal style (one fruit at a time), don’t fret!  Give these tasty, fruit filled recipes in my raw recipe book a try!

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

Simply follow the link below to find out more and purchase the book:

Low Fat, Fruit Filled, High Fun Raw Recipes

No one was really surprised by either win, thanks to the sheer athleticism, power, and track record of both players.  But EVERYONE was dumbfounded by the match that began Tuesday, June 22, 2010 and finally ended Thursday, June 24, 2010.

When it was all said and done, American John Isner finally beat French player Nicolas Mahut after 11 hours and 5 minutes spread over 2 days.  The score came to 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6 and 70-68!

John Isner

That’s a total of 183 games played!!!

I think there’s a lot we can learn from John Isner and his glorious win.  And you know I can relate it to a low fat raw food diet somehow!

#1: Game Plan

If you want to be a professional/expert in any field, you have to have a game plan.

In tennis, the goal is simple: WIN!  But you must have a PLAN for winning.  You have to know when it’s the right time to serve big, to hit cross court, to slice, etc.   You also have to know your own limitations.

And this plan will change based upon the opponent and the playing conditions (whether you’re playing on clay or grass, if it’s windy outside, etc.), not to mention the physical and mental condition of the athlete himself/herself.

Raw Food Related

When going raw, the game plan also seems simple: stay raw!  But the details vary from person to person:

• What are my favorite fruits and greens?
• How much fruit do I need each day?
• Am I ready to give up salt?
• Do I want to go 100% raw?

All of these questions and more should be answered in your raw game plan.  And it may even change depending upon the given situation, i.e. when you’re traveling, at a restaurant, etc.

It all depends upon you and the dietary goals you set for yourself.

#2: Focus

In order to stick to his game plan and win the match, Isner had to be incredibly focused.

If he wasn’t, he would have been so easily distracted.  There’s the large and looming crowd, the cameras, the commentators.  It’s enough to make anyone lose their concentration and forget all about their game plan!

Raw Food Related

When going raw, you have to be focused too!

Sure, it’s pretty easy to stay raw when you’re in the comforts of your own home.  It isn’t quite the same when you’re out and about, attending lunch and learns, going out to eat with friends, visiting family members during the food-frenzied holidays, etc.

That’s when you have to bring your A-game and stay super focused on the game plan you created for yourself.  A little index card with your raw reasons printed on it and slipped into your back pocket/purse to refer to is a big help here.

#3: Action

There’s a reason athletes of all kinds play their sport of choice for multiple hours a day.  This is how you put both your game plan and your mental focus into action and really hone your skills.

Not only that, but you start to form habits.  Before the athlete knows it, he no longer has to think about watching the ball hit the racket or pronating when he serves.  It becomes automatic.

Raw Food Related

When going raw, you actually have to GO RAW!  I say that in all seriousness because so many people become inactive because of information overload.  They read books upon books upon books about going raw, but just never get around to actually deciding on a program and doing it.

You can have all the knowledge about raw foods in the world, but it won’t mean diddly squat if you don’t actually put it to good use.

If you want to go raw, you have to take that first step.  And it can be as tiny or as giant as you like.  You may even find after giving a raw food diet a go that you need to adjust your game plan.

For instance, maybe you set the bar high with a plan to go 100% low fat raw vegan without any salt, spices, or condiments of any kind.  After a few days, you realize this is a bit unrealistic for you and your current lifestyle so you decide to cut back to a 75% low fat raw vegan diet instead.

Once you stick to a game plan consistently for a bit of time, it will get easier and easier.  Making a big banana smoothie for lunch or having your favorite juicy fruit followed by greens for dinner will just be automatic.

Let’s Recap

If you want to be a successful raw foodist, you have to:

1. Set a raw game plan you can stick to
2. Stay focused on your game plan
3. Put your game plan and focus into practice

We can’t all be tenacious tennis champs, but we can ALL be radiant raw foodists!

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

Don’t get me wrong, I love America just as much as the next gal!  But is that really what the holiday is celebrated and remembered for?

No, not really.  It’s all really about fried foods, fireworks, and getting faced.

Well, I don’t care for fried ANYTHING anymore, I’m much too old for fireworks (okay, I still like fireworks), and I don’t even know what it’s like to be intoxicated!

So then what do you do if you’re obligated to attend a 4th of July bash?  Is there any way for a fit and fruity raw foodist to truly enjoy this hot summer holiday?

Fruit, Of Course!

In my opinion, the 4th of July is the easiest holiday to celebrate on a raw food diet because it occurs during the summer.  Think about it: The bigger and even more food-focused celebrations like Thanksgiving and Christmas go on when it’s frosty outside.

It’s definitely more difficult to enjoy a tepid fruit smoothie when everyone else is warming their innards with comforting cooked soups and casseroles.

Not a problem for the Fruity 4th of July.  There are just so many wonderful fruits available during this time of year:

• peaches
• nectarines
• mangoes
• blueberries
• cherries
• musk melon
• watermelon
• jakfruit
• lychees
• tomatoes
• zucchini
• yellow squash
• cucumber

The list is very long and very delicious.  And the list of raw recipes you can make with all these ingredients is even longer!

Here’s a great themed idea for all you creative types: You know how every year around this time there’s at least one magazine with an American flag made out of cake on the cover?  How about one made out of fruit!

Fresh Fruit Flag

Fresh Fruit Flag

*What You Will Need*

• Wooden skewers – 7 or 8 for each flag
• Strawberries – about 10 small strawberries for each flag
• Blueberries – about 20 for each flag
• Bananas – 2 medium bananas for each flag
• Lemon juice

*What To Do*

1. De-cap strawberries and slice in half (small strawberries) or quarters (large strawberries.) The key is to slice strawberries into uniform pieces so the skewers align.

2. Rinse strawberries and blueberries, then dry. Your preschooler can help with this step!

3. Peel bananas and cut into at least ½” slices. If the banana slices are too small, they tend to break apart when you put them on the skewers. Add a little lemon juice to the bananas so they do not brown.

Note: You can use apple slices instead of banana slices. Be sure to use lemon juice for apple slices as well.

4. Begin by creating the stars by threading about 5 blueberries onto a skewer. Slide the blueberries to the (non-pointy) end of the skewer. Repeat this for three more skewers.

5. Take each blueberry skewer and create four ‘stripes’ by adding one banana slice (lengthwise), one strawberry slice, one banana, and one strawberry. Repeat for each of the four blueberry skewers.

6. Create three more skewers of stripes by adding a strawberry first, then alternating bananas and strawberries until you have seven stripes total.

7. On a plate, arrange the skewers to create the flag.

Pretty cute, and clearly great for kids.  You could also use raspberries instead of strawberries and cubed coconut meat instead of bananas.  And I would put the fruit on toothpicks and stick them into a rectangle base for a fancier presentation.

And for all you lazy loafs like me: bring a fruit platter!  Just cut up your favorite seasonal fruits and arrange on a fancy plate.

A favorite combination of mine is peaches and blueberries.  Uber simple, but oh-so hard for anyone to resist…especially on a hot summer day.

Cooked Cravings

If you are new to a raw food diet and worried about cravings during the celebration, the best advice I can give is to eat beforehand.  And not just a few measly handfuls of leftover blueberries.  I mean an entire fruit meal.

If you’re good and full, you won’t have to worry about cravings one bit.  And if you are just a big worry wort, go ahead and take some sugary sweet, calorific dates along for extra insurance.

Actually, eating beforehand is good advice for all fruit eaters.  I know if I tried to bring a fruit flag without eating my meal beforehand, there would be nothing left but skewers by the time I arrived!

Happy July 4th (and a wonderfully raw weekend to all my non-American readers!),

Swayze

* What’s New?: I’m Back…Kind Of

* Feature Article: Stop Waiting For That “Ah-Hah!” Moment

I’m Back…Kind Of

Hey gang! Sorry for the hiatus! Did ya miss me? I’ve sure missed you!

To make a long story short, I’ve been really busy with school and didn’t have much time for writing about fruit and fitness. I FINALLY graduated last week and so I’m back now!

Well, not quite yet.

My sister, brother-in-law, and almost 5-year old niece are coming in from California to stay with us for the rest of May. I haven’t seen them in over 2 years and I just can’t wait! They get here this afternoon!

Anyway, I’m sure I’ll be super busy while they’re here so I’ve just decided to take the rest of the month off until they leave.

I know, I know, I’m so neglectful.

But look on the bright side! I’ll be fully refreshed by the time I get back and ready to write, with all the time in the world to do it!

So enjoy the warm weather, beautiful flowers, and new Fit On Raw feature article below. I’ll be back before ya know it.

Swayze

Stop Waiting For That “Ah-Hah!” Moment

Let me guess.  You’re here because you really want to go raw the right way.  you’ve heard about all the amazing benefits (awesome digestion, clear skin, permanent weight loss, etc.) and you’re so ready to experience them for yourself.

But you’ve also heard about the dreaded COOKED FOOD CRAVINGS and are a little leery about getting started.

There MUST be some simple information out there that will keep the crazy cravings at bay, right?  And once you learn it, THEN you’ll be able to go raw and avoid any and all tempting cooked cuisine.

Might as well sit back, relax, and wait for the “ah-hah” moment.

Not so fast, my fearful “wannabe-fruity” friend…

Stop BS’ing Yourself

Waiting for the “Ah-Hah!” moment – that moment when you are suddenly bestowed with the knowledge and ability to go raw for good with little to no effort – is the same type of thinking that brings you “I’ll start for sure tomorrow” and “Just one bite won’t hurt.”

Sitting around praying for a light bulb somewhere inside your brain to turn on is lazy and completely pointless.

There is no light bulb!

There is no magical ah-hah moment in which you learn some sacred knowledge that makes all your cooked food cravings disappear.

Trust me on this one.

I spent many months on my butt stuffing my face with food, faithful that if I just kept reading more and more books and visiting more and more forums, one day someone’s pithy statement would alert me to all the wonders of the universe and I would be a 100% raw foodist just like that.

You want to know what I got out of all that waiting and reading? Diddly-squat.

Until I actually dedicated myself to going raw and began working toward that goal (i.e. actually EATING a raw food diet!), nothing changed for me at all.

You Gotta Work For It

My big point here is that if you want to stop struggling with cravings, you have to put in the work.

Luckily for you, it’s pretty simple.

Just eat as much sweet fruit to satisfy you every single day – as much as you want and whenever you have a craving – while also limiting your fat intake and getting in some tasty tender greens. Throw in some exercise, lots of sleep, some sunshine and clean water and you’re REALLY living the good life!

Hey, I said SIMPLE, not easy.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

* Feature Article: My Transition to Low Fat Raw Vegan: Part III

My Transition to Low Fat Raw Vegan: Part III

I ended My Transition to Low Fat Raw Vegan: Part III last week with some of the initial benefits I experienced on raw and as well as my minute detox symptoms.

It’s now finally time to wrap things up with some advice I would offer my past self, as well as what I did right and how this all pertains to you.

My Advice to Myself

Knowing what I know now, here is what I would say to the Swayze of 2007:

*#1: Eat More Food*

Yep.  I know I’ve said it lot, but it’s true.  The key to being successful on a raw food diet is eating as much food as you care for (specifically fruit).

And all you weight-watchers out there, don’t worry.  You will still lose weight on such a diet.

And I’m not just saying this to toot my own horn or hear myself speak read my own words.  This is an important issue that I am constantly being reminded of.

I would say that my response to the vast majority of emails I receive – probably 75% – result in this simple response:

You need to eat more fruit.

Is it really any wonder that I have struggled with same problem myself?

And honestly, I was eating a good amount of calories on most days (just below 2000, which is the estimated amount that a person of my height, weight, and activity level needs).

That wasn’t the issue.

The issue was that I was still hungry!  Like many of you, I was coming from a diet of heavy caloric restriction (not to mention food with very little volume) and my body was literally calling out for more food and better nutrition.  I was still too caught up in the numbers and the “eat less, exercise more” mantra to realize it.

As a result, I would do fine for a couple of days.  Then the hunger would catch up with me and I would go binge crazy!

On the other hand, after my binge-heavy 2008 summer vacation, I started purposefully under eating on calories.  I wanted to get the excess weight off as quickly as possible.

Of course, this completely backfired.  Again, I would white knuckle for a few days, but then the lack of calories would get to me and I would eat, eat, eat anything in sight.

It wasn’t until I finally allowed myself to just eat as much as I wanted (in December of last year) that my cravings drastically decreased and, therefore, I stopped binge eating.

*#2: Slow it Down, Dude!*

This was posted on October 31, 2007 and was supposed to be my game plan for the next 30 days:

1. Between 15-18 pieces of raw fruit a day (blended or whole)
2. At least a pound of raw greens a day ( blended or whole)
3. Steamed/boiled vegetables w/ sea salt 3 times a week (i.e. corn, peas, broccoli, edamame, potatoes, etc.) for dinner
4. No more than 180 calories from fat every other day (i.e. nuts, seeds, avocados)
5. Dried fruits only on occasion
6. 6 ounces of decaffeinated tea w/ 1 tsp of honey once a day is permissible

This means…

1. No meat
2. No cheese
3. No dairy
4. No grains
5. No legumes
6. No caffeine
7. No processed foods (except honey in tea)

This was a great plan for me because it allowed me to eat high amounts of fruit, which I was already slightly accustomed to anyway, while at the same time incorporating some transition foods (i.e. tea, steamed veggies, salt) to help me make it through.

I soon got impatient and started upping the ante.  By day 18, I had cut out all steamed foods and tea in an effort to cut back on cravings.

The problem here is that once I went 100% strict raw, there was no going back for me.  I felt stuck in the “all or nothing” mindset that I am so prone to.  If I decided to incorporate some transition foods again, I felt guilty because then I wasn’t 100% raw.

Then I felt deprived and that’s when my bingeing got really out of control and I began eating foods that I had not so much as looked at in months!

If  I had just taken it slow and kept at my original plan that was well-suited to me, I am sure I would have avoided a lot of stress, overeating, and mental anguish.

I think this is another reason why I was able to stick with raw in December 2008.  Not only was I eating as much as I wanted, I also consumed salt and spices if I desired them.  As an emotional eater, it helped to know that salt was not a forbidden food and, more importantly, that I could eat it *without guilt*!

What I Did Right

It’s been 2 years and 7 days and I’m still here.

Obviously I did something right…right?

*Dedication*

From the moment I began my journey to raw, I knew it would take some work.  I knew I would have difficult days.  I knew I would make mistakes here and there.

I was okay with all that and I was prepared for it.  More importantly, I was completely dedicated no matter what.

Going raw was my #1 priority.

So many people discover raw, jump right into it, and expect it to be a piece of cake.

I sometimes receive emails from people looking for that special something – kind of like the “ah hah” moment I briefly mentioned in Part III – that will quickly and effortlessly make them a 100% raw foodist.

They want to go raw at the snap of their fingers, without any extra effort.  They want to have their cooked cake and eat it too.

Sorry, but that isn’t possible.

A healthy raw food diet is simple, sure.  But there is a big difference between simple and easy.

Eating fruit all day, greens in the evening, and limiting your fat intake is a simple concept.  Eating this way in a household full of others who do not understand and do not support you is not always easy.

Eating a meal of just bananas is simple.  Ensuring that you have enough ripe fruit on hand requires knowledge and experience.

Preparing a green smoothie of banana and celery is simple.  Planning ahead for an upcoming social event – like Thanksgiving this Thursday, for instance – can be tricky.

I’m not trying to scare you away from raw or make it seem reserved for only a select few.  When compared to any other diet on the face of the planet, a low fat raw vegan one is by far the simplest, easiest and most rewarding diet around.

Is there any other dietary plan in which you can eat pounds and pounds of food day in and day out and still maintain a sleek, muscular, sexy physique and experience energy levels that rival those of a small toddler?

NO WAY!

Low fat raw vegan wins hands down, every time.

My point is that, just like with anything worth while in life, going raw requires a little extra work.

But if you are truly dedicated and remain focused on the long-term, you will work through it all in your own time and on your own terms.

My Advice to You

If you are struggling with maintaining a raw food diet, you can certainly learn from my mistakes.

To recap:

• Eat as much fruit as you want
• Develop a game plan and STICK TO IT
• Take it slow

And most importantly, make going raw your #1 priority.  It may require a little work on your part, but the numerous benefits you will receive will more than pay you back for all your hard work.

And your tummy and taste buds will love you for it.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze