Going raw is something a lot of people have approached me about. "How did you do it?" "What inspired you?" they often ask.
My initially response is, "I just went 'cold turkey.'" But in essence there was something that had to take place before I actually started my raw vegan journey.
Meat, eggs, cheese, yogurt, and all sorts of common cooked foods are actually very addictive. So, you have to be ready to adhere to some procedures that will result in you successfully achieving your goal of eating raw.
And though, I am not fully raw, there are still raw "laws" that I must follow to maintain at least an 80 percent raw lifestyle.
Here are a few laws that you must follow in order to live a raw vegan lifestyle.
Law #1
Eat Foods That You Genuinely Like
If you currently do not like sushi, then I do not recommend having sushi as a raw dish. Start with foods that you genuinely like. For example, if you currently like bananas, you will find that raw banana pudding is extremely tasty. So stick with exchanging some of the cooked foods that you prefer for their raw counterparts. This will help you to look forward to eating uncooked foods
Law #2
Make Sure to Eat Plenty
Once you find raw vegan foods that you do enjoy, eat a lot of it. Often times I find that people stop eating meat, cheese, and processed foods, and then go raw and will have a salad and a few pieces of fruit and complain of hunger, irritability or fatigue. You need to consume as much raw food as you did cooked food. I always keep fresh fruits and veggies handy. Bananas, apples, peaches, celery, and carrots are some of my go-to items that I keep in my purse or car. I notice that when I don't have some fresh food packed with me, than fast food will become my friend.
Law #3
Don't Go Rogue Raw
Prior to going raw vegan I had no idea what it meant, what I could eat, what I couldn't eat, what was the absorption rate of foods in their raw form, etc. And I really had no idea how much protein I was eating prior to raw, so I really was clueless once I knew I would transition. When I decided to go raw, I got a raw food coach to help me understand what in the world I was doing. Do I eat breakfast for lunch, dinner at 6, or what. I mean, like really, how many bananas can one eat in a day? I was already vegan so I knew a little. I didn't invest a whole lot of money. I did a few consultation calls to get a handle on the basics, used google and followed the advice of my physician.
Never start a new regimen or stop a current one without letting your primary care provider in on the news. Although I did not list this as one of the laws, this is one of the most important things you can do before implementing a raw vegan lifestyle, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions that require you to be under a doctor's care.
So all in all these laws will help you to safely abide by a few guidelines when incorporating a raw vegan lifestyle into your diet.