I choose to be healthy instead of being 100 percent raw.

So…it isn’t possible to be healthy on an all-raw diet? Check out the video below for my thoughts:

Raw and Beyond Review: Do You Need Cooked Food to Be Healthy?

Your Thoughts?

Have you read Raw and Beyond? If not, why? If so, please share your thoughts on the book in the comments below!

Go raw and be fit,
Swayze

P.S. Looking for more tips and tricks for getting healthy and fit with raw foods? As a member of the Rawkin’ Raw Club, you’ll gain instant access to several bonus videos, one of which I call The R.A.W.K.I.N.G. Way to Go Raw.

“The Rawkin’ Raw Club”

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

In this 84-minute video, I’ll show you all you need to know to get started on the right raw food path. You’ll get answers to several burning questions like:

• What’s the problem with nuts and seeds?
• How much fat is too much?
• What about greens? How much do I need to eat?
• Should I worry about calories?
• What about exercise?

To learn more about this and everything else that comes with a Rawkin’ Raw membership, follow the link below:

==> www.RawkinRawClub.com 

It’s probably because they’re eating WAY too much of this one raw vegan food item…

Check it out in my latest video below:

The Worst Raw Vegan Food For Your Teeth

Your Experience?

What has been your dental experience since adopting more fresh fruits and veggies into your diet? 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

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

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

The following article was originally published during the summer of 2009. Unfortunately, too many people (raw gurus included) are still struggling with maintaining a 100% raw food diet. If that includes you, keep reading…

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 one pound of romaine lettuce, one 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

One pound of romaine, one 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 amount 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 these are frequently even more fat laden (and contain far less nutritious greens) 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 raw foodists 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 get the absolute best nutrition available and fuel 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 fats you eat with sweet fruit.

If you are having a hard time getting enough calories from 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!

2011 Update

Even today, more than two years since I published the above article, crazy cravings are still the biggest problem within the raw food movement. And it still all boils down to far too much fat and too few fruits.

Just look at this ridiculously fatty raw bread recipe that I recently critiqued. I mean, over 80% of calories from fat? That’s just insane.

That said, I’m seeing more and more people giving the fruity raw way a go, often bypassing the high-fat raw way altogether! I couldn’t be happier.

Go raw and be fit,
Swayze

P.S. Still struggling with cravings on a raw food diet? 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

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

==> www.CookedFoodCravings.com