Lately, I received many emails asking me how I started my RAW trip and what suggestions would I give to people who want to begin, but don’t know how.
First of all, raw trip is your personal trip. You can start exactly same way as one of your friends and apply his tactics. Bare in mind though that some time after the beginning, while you are already feeling like you GOT IT, your tactic might be very different than other’s.
I would say there are some general helpful tips and everyone can benefit from them.
My story was a story of a vegan girl who switched to raw lifestyle basically overnight. But can I actually call it “overnight switch” remembering that I was reading days and nights about RAW before I made my first smoothie ?
So, there goes your first tip:
# 1 . Educate yourself.
- go to forums and read peoples posts about raw. Post your own questions.
- buy or borrow few raw food books that have some description of what raw really consists of and at least 10 recipes.
- if you live in a bigger city, find a community that already organizes potlucks and raw meetings. Place your own add in health food stores about looking for other raw food lovers.
- if you live in small town, you can still create your own community starting with your best friend. Try to talk about your raw plans only with those fellows that you can trust and from whom you can get some kind of support.
- watch movies that relate to healthy foods and raw lifestyle
- explore online blogs about raw
Once you have gathered pieces of priceless knowledge and once you got an insight on how others went raw, you need to decide how much raw you want to be.
#2. Decide about so-called ‘ percentage ‘ of your raw beginning.
Many people went raw overnight and many of them slip right back to kentucky fried chicken! Well, that’s a joke 
, but so many people went right back to bread and maybe even pastas , because the trial was too drastic. And by the way, kentucky fried chicken is not in capitals on purpose!
It is up to you to set a deal with yourself. Ask : why do you want to try raw and what you can get from it ?
It is up to you what ‘raw’ really means. We all should feel easy and happy with our choices, but also, please, be honest with yourself. Thinking that one cupcake a day is not a big issue just because you feel like it, gives your addictions too much of a strength.
‘How much raw’ really describes how many cooked meals you are going to keep in your diet. We still are devoted to healthy, organic or even wild food choices and most of us decided on raw VEGAN diet.
#3. Decide about the time frame of raw diet.
Many people feel that setting up a goal that needs to be accomplished by certain date gives them more power to focus on fulfilling that promise.
Are you going to try 100% raw ( simply meaning : no cooked food at all ) for 2 weeks or a month ?
That is how your question can look like. You just need to decide if you are going to set up a final date of your raw experiment or not and see what will happen. Maybe you will actually fall in love with raw food diet and upgrade it to a raw food lifestyle;-)!
#5. Buy nice, inspiring notebook and set an intention.
It is up to you how long you want to go raw and how raw you want to be. But seeing these commitments on the pages of your journal feels like you are actually having a conversation. Especially if there is nobody who supports your raw dream. Make your goal as clear as it can be. Devote one or more pages for only description about how long and how raw you are going to be. Write it in big letters , keep it organize and clear, like you would make an advertisment. On different pages describe your excitement ( I am sure you are excited! ) and your fears. This will help you later to face the moments of doubts.
#6. Decide if you can get rid of everything that contradicts with raw food diet.
Before I started my journey, I either gave away or threw away every nasty can of sauce or whatever I found disturbing in my fridge. I gave away grains that I didn’t want to eat, I also made a revolution in my bathroom and make-up supplies . If you are not ready for this big step – at least go through your fridge. Bare in mind that fridge will be your girlfriend or boyfriend since now on. You might have to deal with your cravings and mood swings. Somehow, unconsciously your body will lead you to the fridge door. Be sure then that once you open them you can find only the purest foods that are raw related.
#7. Decide if you should talk about your raw trip with others.
Some of us work better once we spread the word about what we are going to accomplish. These people feel like they made a bigger, social commitment; it is no more their own silent goal.
If you are one of them – fine. Make sure though, that you are strong enough, stronger than a goal itself , because people will judge. PEOPLE WILL JUDGE.
AGAIN : PEOPLE WILL JUDGE.
And they do judge usually when they deal with things they don’t know anything about. That is why their first question of all times is : Where do you get your protein from? Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeee… Also, if you don’t care that they will attack you or ask questions that they don’t expect to be even answered , decide if you have an actual answer.
Otherwise, keep your raw trip for yourself, nourish this secret and think of some practical answers while in public places like restaurants. This way, if you succeed – yell ! and teach others how to go raw! If you fail ( only regarding what goals did you set up for yourself ) – nobody will bother you.
#8. Decide how to act in public places.
Are you ready enough to go to your favorite restaurant with your favorite friends where they serve your favorite before-raw meals ?
If not, because you know you might have this lasagna, stay at home and make a giant green smoothie!
If you are ready to go out, bring with you something that you looovvvee and add to the dish you’ve ordered – avocado? olives? sun-dried tomato ? This way you are not a passive client of a restaurant who will eat the less popular dish, but you are actively setting up your raw food mindset again.
#9. Search for local food.
Local food means usually less expensive. If you live in colder climate, try to start your raw journey some time closer to the spring. It is not necessary, but will help you to find green foods easier and at lower prices.
#10. Always, always, always have something prepared in your fridge.
For example, you can premix your greens in one container. Than once you are hungry, you will not be discouraged by chopping and chopping.
Or – make a nice raw dessert that is not too heavy, but can serve as a snack.
It is a good idea to make several dishes twice a week. For example choose your less busy days for food preparation. Make three, four dishes and let them wait in a fridge for a time when you can truly embrace them.
And, especially at the beginning, use greens as a resolution to most of your abstract cravings. They really have a power!
#11. Food is not everything. Find other healthy obsessions !
It seems like even healthy raw foodists have their own obsessions with food. It could be some kind of superfood or usually desserts.
Why not shift the attention to something totally different?
I was painting like crazy the first year of my raw trip! I knew I had to eat and because I can get lost in colors and paper, I needed to set up an alarm clock to not miss my nourishment.
Is there anything you love to do but you have never truly explored ?
Exercise would be a great switch from focusing on food.
Remember, raw food is not only about going raw vegan. It is more a whole body-mind work with attachments and habits that were never useful anyways.
Please, write your story in comments and tell me how did you start or what are your biggest troubles with raw fantastico trip!
- is the founding editor of RawFoodTip. To stay informed about the best raw food choices and raw food gossips sign up to Rawvolta’s RSS feed. It will deliver this blog to your email daily! Don’t Miss The Tip!
