Sunday, May 3, 2009

Common Mistakes of an Aspiring Raw Foodie

Common Mistakes of an Aspiring Raw Foodie

If you’re a newcomer to this way of life, there are a few mistakes you need to avoid making if you want to make a success out of making your diet raw/living foods:

• Aspiring to become 100 percent too soon: Eating only raw food takes a great deal of control and dedication, something that’s not easy for even the most diehard raw food enthusiasts. So it’s best to go slow – if you’re thinking of moving to raw food from a normal non-vegetarian diet, it’s best to go vegetarian or vegan before you try eating raw. Although raw food does include a few animal products, most raw foodies stick to the vegetarian and vegan parts of raw food. Include more raw food in your diet as each day (or week) goes by; this way, it’s easier for you (mentally) and your system (physically) to adjust.
• Thinking that you must become 100 percent to be a real raw foodie: You need to remember that you’re doing this for your health, so it’s best to go with what you feel comfortable doing. If you feel the need to eat cooked food once in a while, it’s ok to do so. In fact, some people prefer to stay 95 percent because it allows them to prevent stares and uninvited questions when they’re out with people or in other social contexts.
• Losing control once you’re there: If you’re a 95 percent raw foodie, you’re going to eat cooked food now and then. So you need to be careful about going overboard and eating too much cooked food. Of course, if that’s what you want to do, then go ahead. But if you’ve decided to remain on the raw side, you need to ensure that the baked potato you ordered with your salad does not extend to dessert too. Once you lose control, it’s easy to go back to your old eating habits.
• Eating too much of the same thing: You may love bananas (or any other fruit), but if you eat them day in and day out, you’re going to get fed up and crave something else. To prevent this, you need to vary your diet and look around for interesting recipes that keep your meals from becoming boring. You also need to avoid eating too much of one kind of food because your body needs a balanced diet of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. So avoid gorging on just nuts, just fruits, or just vegetables. Mix them up so that you get variety and your body gets all the nutrients that it needs.
• Eating too many acidic fruits: Eating acidic fruits can give you acidity and other gastric problems while depending too much on dried fruits can give you dental problems. You need to go easy on the juices so that your body gets the required amount of fiber. Make sure that you’re getting enough calories so that you’re not tired too soon.

By-line:
This article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of surgical tech schools at her blog iScrub. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com

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