Check out my latest video below to see what I mean.

Get Your Raw Food Priorities Straight

How Do You Keep Things in Perspective?

Got a tip for helping you keep your day-to-day health happenings in perspective? Let me know in the comments below!

Go raw and be fit,
Swayze

P.S. Looking for raw food recipes that actually focus on fruits and veggies instead of subpar “raw” ingredients like dried nuts, dried fruits, and other condiments?

I got something I think might interest you…

“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 this e-book and order your copy, click below:

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

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 an easier, 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.

2011 Update

Today, my Mom is completely vegan and my Dad eats vegan the vast majority of the time.

As a result, my Mom no longer suffers from arthritis, my Dad is off all medications, and I couldn’t be happier nor more proud of them both.

Go raw and be fit,
Swayze

P.S. Lack of community and on-going support keeping you from staying raw? You certainly aren’t alone.

That’s why I created…

“The Rawkin’ Raw Club”

Providing the Education, Motivation, & Support You Need to Go Raw, Get, Fit, & Live Naturally

To learn more and join today, click on the link below:

==> www.RawkinRawClub.com

The following is a Fit On Raw article I originally published in 2009. It’s a bit of an oldie, but definitely still a goodie!

Are you finding a raw diet too expensive to manage?  Are you depressed because you have been raw for only a short time, but have seen your food bill increase twofold?

Maybe you are hesitant in actually going raw because you have heard all the horror stories of people having to mortgage their house just to keep up their raw lifestyle.

Just kidding…

But many people do in fact find it financially difficult to stay raw.  It’s just too expensive!

Well, it certainly doesn’t have to be.  Here are 3 ways that many people waste money on a raw food diet.

#1: Buying Supplements and Superfoods

If you are new to the raw food diet, you might not know that many raw food “gurus” promote the use of supplements and superfoods.  They believe that a raw diet is incomplete in terms of nutrition.  Supplementation and the consumption of superfoods helps to fill in the gaps.

Some common supplements used within the raw food movement include spirulina, hemp powder, and various powders made from greens and fruits.  And many of these products are *very* expensive.  A pound of spirulina powder costs over $12!

Superfoods, so-called because of their supposed superior nutritional qualities, are also very popular within the raw food movement.  These include wheatgrass, goji berries, maca, raw cacao, acai, even bee pollen!

And just like supplements, these foods are very expensive.  An 8-ounce bag of dried goji berries costs over $10.

I can buy an entire day’s worth of food for less than that…and I often do!

It really gets my goat when people complain about how expensive the raw food diet is.  Of course it is, when you are throwing handfuls of cash at unnecessary supplements and superfoods!

The people advocating the use of these “foods” are simply affirming the stigma that the raw food diet is extreme and difficult to do.  I will not name names, but many of the raw food “experts” that promote the use of these products also sell them at very high prices.

It certainly makes you wonder…

If you are eating a healthy raw food diet based on lots of sweet fruit, moderate greens and non-sweet fruits, and low amounts of fat, then you will not need to supplement.

Of course, there are individual circumstances in which supplementation of some form is necessary.  This diet is not about dogmatism.  If you need to supplement, do it and don’t think twice about it.  But in many cases, healthy living is all you need.

UPDATE: Still wondering about those superfoods like cacao and wheatgrass? Check out my articles here and here.

#2: Buying Foods You Don’t Like

Do you waste money on produce that you don’t like just because you think it’s good for you?  Let me guess, you buy the produce and then it just sits on your counter or in the fridge.  A week later, you open up your vegetable drawer to find a rotten, moldy mess.

What’s that sound?  Oh right.  It’s your hard-earned cash headed straight down the drain.

Here’s a tip: if you don’t like a food, do *not* buy it!  Seriously, the chances of you actually eating it are close to nil.  Plus, it just takes up space in your kitchen.  AND rotting food only makes everything around it turn much quicker!

And are these foods *really* so good for you?  Take kale, for instance.  Many raw foodists tout this food as being one of the best foods you can eat because of the high level of certain nutrients.

However, kale is harder to digest than other greens like romaine and bib lettuce due to the amount of cellulose it contains.  Your body has a difficult time breaking down this cellulose and so much of the food ends up being eliminated.  So in the end, you aren’t even capable of utilizing those so-called “better” nutrients!

More importantly, just because a food has more of something does not make it better for you. The appropriateness of a food in one’s diet depends upon how close the nutritional composition of the food is to meeting the consumer’s needs.

Foods that are hard to digest tell us that the make-up of these foods does not align with our own unique anatomy and physiology and so is not optimal.

So stop listening to the raw “gurus” and stick to the foods that you truly enjoy.  Your wallet, and your palate, will thank you.

UPDATE: Want to know which fresh raw foods I hate the most? Check it out here.

#3: Buying Exclusively From Health Food Stores

When I first went raw, I bought all of my produce exclusively from health food stores.  I figured that since their prices were higher, their produce *must* be higher quality, right?

Wrong. In fact, I eventually discovered that the majority of the produce offered at these high-end stores was the same quality as my local grocery store.  Many times it was even the same brand!

The only difference, besides the pricing, was that there was a higher selection of organic produce.  However, this produce was usually *horrible* quality and *outrageously* overpriced, even compared to the conventional produce offered.

Instead of buying everything at health stores, try your local supermarket or Walmart.  Many stores today sell a wide variety of good produce at decent prices.  They even sell decent organic foods, especially greens and peppers.

UPDATE: If you’re going to shop at health food stores, make sure you buy in bulk. Whole Foods offers a 10% discount on produce that you purchase by the case.

And You?

Got any ways to waste money on a raw food diet that you’d like to share? Please leave them in the comments below.

Go raw and be fit,
Swayze

P.S. Here’s another huge money-waster…cooked food cravings. How do cravings for cooked foods waste your hard earned dough?

Because cooked food cravings often lead to cooked food binges, and binges cost money.

Wanna get rid of your cravings, go raw for good, and save some cash? Then be sure to check out my cravings crushing program…

“How to Conquer Your Cooked Food Cravings Once and for All”

A Guide for Destroying Cravings on a Raw Food Diet

www.CookedFoodCravings.com

To learn more about the program and order your copy today, click on the link below:

==> www.CookedFoodCravings.com

What if all of your produce isn’t organic? What if you eat late at night? What if you use condiments like salt and pepper in some of your recipes?

My advice? Stop sweatin’ the small stuff.

You Must Eat All Organic All the Time

Eating organic is one topic I get emails about quite often from newbie raw foodists. Many are so worried about pesticides and the like that if they can’t get certain produce organic, they simply won’t buy it at all and end up eating a less varied diet.

Some will even buy fruit that isn’t as fresh just because it has the organic label.

If this is you, stop worrying! While eating organic is important, it shouldn’t be your top priority. A healthy raw vegan diet is far superior to a cooked food diet, even if the produce consumed isn’t organic.

Trust me on this one. I’ve been on a low fat raw vegan diet for almost 4 years and have consumed mostly conventionally grown produce during that entire time. Nonetheless, I’ve seen amazing health changes in myself and could never imagine going back to cooked food.

And anyway, organic isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.

You Must Finish Dinner 3 Hours Before Bedtime

More sound advice here. Because our ability to digest food lessens as the sun goes down, finishing your last meal for the day a few hours before you go to sleep is a great idea.

But if you eat dinner a little later or feel the need to have a snack before bedtime, don’t sweat it.

Your top priority should be WHAT you’re eating, not when. Some fresh fruit or a simple salad before bed likely won’t affect your digestion or sleep that much.

You Must Avoid All Condiments

Again, good advice. It’s best to avoid condiments like salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic. They’re just flavor-enhancing foods with little to no nutritional benefit. Many of them, especially salt, are actually harmful to your health.

But as long as you aren’t loading up on these ingredients, it isn’t a big deal to include them in some of your recipes. A pinch of salt here or a tablespoon of garlic there really isn’t a big deal.

Again, it’s more important to focus on the basics.

So What are the Basics of Eating Raw?

Great question! The basics are:

1. Eat as much fruit as you want
2. Get in your greens (typically at least 1 pound a day)
3. Limit your fat intake

Once you’ve got the basics down and it’s become second nature, then you can start worrying about smaller matters like cutting back on the condiments, eating more organic produce, and not eating too late in the day.

Go raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. Having a tough time getting the basic down because of crazy cooked food cravings? Be sure to check out my cravings killer…

“How to Conquer Your Cooked Food Cravings Once and for All”

A Guide for Destroying Cravings on a Raw Food Diet

www.CookedFoodCravings.com

Click on the link below to learn more and purchase your copy today:

==> www.CookedFoodCravings.com

However, there may be reasons why you can’t (or don’t want to) eat all raw foods all the time.

Perhaps you live in a cold climate and do not have access to enough fruits and veggies year-round.

Perhaps you can’t afford a varied diet of all raw produce.

Or maybe you just have no desire to go all-raw and would like to include some cooked foods in your diet.

No matter what the reason, there is a way to include some cooked foods on a raw food diet and still experience dramatic health results.

Here’s how you do it.

Eat Mostly Raw

Sorry to rain on your parade, but I did say some cooked foods. You can’t expect to see dramatic health improvements eating cooked foods all day with an apple or a small salad thrown in.

The majority of your calories must come from raw foods; the more raw and the less cooked you eat, the better.

And when I say raw, I don’t mean so-called raw products like nut bars and chocolate truffles. Nor do I mean complicated gourmet raw recipes full of fat and salt.

I mean fresh produce, specifically fruit and easy-to-digest vegetable matter like spinach and celery.

Eat the Right Cooked Foods

Not all cooked foods are created equal.

As I discussed earlier this week, there are many cooked foods that are downright terrible for you (e.g. french fries), but there are several others that really aren’t so bad at all (e.g. steamed potatoes).

Let’s start with the terrible-for-you group:

Processed Foods

First and foremost, you want to avoid heavily processed foods. I’m sure you know what I mean, but I’ve included a few examples in case you remain blissfully unaware.

• Pastries
• Breakfast cereals
• Chips
• Corn dogs
• Frozen waffles
• Candy

Basically, if it comes in a box, bag, can, or jar, stay away!

Animal Products

Second, you want to avoid animal products:

• Meat (e.g. chicken, beef, and fish)
• Dairy (e.g. milk, butter, and cheese)
• Eggs

At the very least, remove all dairy from your diet and eat minimal amounts of grass-fed, organic, minimally processed meat and eggs.

Sorry Southerners, no fried chicken or BBQ allowed.

Cooked Carbohydrates

Now for the foods you want to focus on: carbohydrates.

Besides the fruit and vegetable varieties that can be eaten raw, cooking your food provides a few more options. These include:

• Squashes (e.g. butternut, acorn, and turban squash)
• Roots & tubers (e.g. potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, and beets)
• Grains (e.g. brown rice, oats, quinoa, and millet)*
• Legumes (e.g. garbanzo beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, and lentils)

*It’s best to stick with gluten-free grains such as the ones listed above.

Cooking

Just like with a 100% raw food diet, you want to process your cooked carbs as minimally as possible; the less heat and time spent cooking, the better.

Not only will your food retain more nutrients, but less acrylamides (cancer-causing chemicals) will be produced as well.

Choose steaming over boiling since many nutrients in the food are leached into the cooking water when boiled.

Fat

Just like with a 100% raw food diet, you want to keep your diet low in fat, no more than 10% of total calories overtime. Notably, this means limiting high-fat foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, and oils.

You can use a food log resource like Nutridiary to help you keep track of your calories and overall fat intake.

Condiments

Just like with a 100% raw food diet – do I sound like a broken record yet? – irritating condiments (particularly salt) should be avoided or used sparingly.

Stick with healthier alternatives like lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes, and mild herbs to add a bit of extra flavor to your foods.

Putting it All Together

Here’s an example to show you what a healthy mostly raw food day would look like:

Breakfast – As much sweet fruit as you like

Lunch – As much sweet fruit as you like

Dinner – A large raw salad followed by (or along with) a cooked meal of steamed wild rice, sweet potato, and broccoli.

The amount is up to you, since it should be tailored to your caloric needs. You should feel full and satisfied after each meal.

If you find that you are still hungry after dinner, the best options are to add another fruit meal between your lunch and dinner meals or add some fruit to your raw salad to up the caloric intake.

Otherwise, you can add more rice, sweet potato, or other relatively high-calorie starch to fill you up. Just remember to keep your fat intake low, your carbohydrate intake high, and to get the majority of your calories from raw, sweet fruit.

Go (mostly) raw and be fit,

Swayze

P.S. Looking for healthy raw recipes to get you through breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Check out my low fat raw vegan recipe e-book:

“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