I just finished reading the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which I always heard about but never picked up. It is a good read, but as I was plowing through the book, I started thinking to myself: what are 7 Habits of Highly Effective Raw Foodies?
And then, the light bulb went on over my head. Below is the list I came up with. There may be more or less, but these are the points I have found myself working on consistently since starting on the raw path.
– XoXo Raw Girl
1. Embrace Moderation A.K.A. Watch the Excess. Chill on the nuts. They are heavy and hard to digest if eaten in excess, especially if not soaked. A lot of raw recipes and raw restaurants feature dishes that are nut-heavy and will leave you feeling, well, a little bloated. Get creative and substitute or indulge from time to time but mostly keep your diet plant-heavy. If you used to be a sugar addict avoid excessive amounts of raw foods with sugar. Minimize use of large amounts of salt, even if it is Celtic or Himalayan.
2. Don’t Be Full of Sh%# A.K.A. Regular Colon Cleansing. Learning this tip that should have been taught to me in grade school changed my life. Everyone should be concerned with ensuring that their body sewage system (which the colon is) is maintained and regularly cleaned out.
3. Be a DIVA A.K.A. Emphasize Quality. Drink lots of pure or energized water. Find the freshest organic produce available. If you eat non-organic fruit from time to time it won’t kill you, but if you minimize this it’ll keep your body from being loaded with yet another toxin from the pesticides.
4. Add Fuel to Yr Fire A.K.A. Practice Adequate Additional Supplementation and/or use of herbs. This means you are taking your B-12 regularly and using other supplements to provide daily optimal nutrition. Herbal bitters are wonderful, and using a range of other types of herbs in moderation and with care can really boost your overall health if it starts to lag.
5. Live La Vida Toxin-Free A.K.A. Ramp up on Detox. Mineral cleanse, parasite cleanse, shower filters, regular fasting, avoiding beauty products with chemicals… I think you get the picture.
6. Get Off The Couch A.K.A. Get Regular Exercise. General exercise is always good, but it’s also good to incorporate into your exercise regimen workouts that support detoxification: yoga, rebounding etc. Not only will you be foxy and centered if you practice either of these two exercises, but you will give your organs a nice toxin rinse in some of those yoga poses and boost your lymphatic system with the rebounding.
7. Insist on Beauty Sleep A.K.A. Rest it up! Adequate amounts of rest and relaxation always lead to a more productive, happier raw vegan. Although you may find you need less sleep, still make sure to get what you need and not eat anything too close to bedtime.
These are great tips! I’m still tackling number 1 (I get so hungry sometimes) but cleansing, quality, and exercise make me so happy 🙂 If I’m eating conventional veggies, I just don’t FEEL as satisfied.
Yeah I used to have an issue with number 1 as well. The thing is, it doesn’t matter what diet you have, sometimes in order to live healthier you have to really examine why you eat what you eat when your eating it. So many of us eat when we are emotional or stressed and that alone can cause strain. I think also like you said Kenzie the quality of our food isn’t high enough, we don’t get enough nutrients and therefore dont get full. I will write more about this. I noticed that over time I learned to stop before I am over-full and when I started making sure I was getting enough NUTRIENTS through supplementation, I was not as hungry. – XoXo Raw Girl
Oh yeah, #1 is tough for me too.
One other thing I forgot to mention in Kenzie’s reply that helped me with this was cleansing of parasites!!! you will be surprised how much of your cravings are really yours! And because these internal critters leech your nutrition they cause you to overeat. If you havent done a parasite cleanse. Think about it. But def chill on the nuts–they are about the only thing that can make a raw foodie really gain weight. – XoXo Raw Girl