Raw Till 4: Taking The High Road to More Raw

In the beginning, for a few short weeks, I dabbled with a Raw Till 4 kind of scenario.

But, the dope that I was, Raw Till 4 just wasn’t good enough for me. I should have stayed there, where it was relatively easy and comfortable. But I had this idea to go whole hog: all day, all raw. It was like a shock to my system.

I was hungry. Like some ravenous predator on the Discovery channel. I was bordering on dangerous. Honestly, I could have eaten my own arm.

For sure, I did it all wrong.

For people who are genuinely ill with diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. drastic measures are usually required to cleanse the body quickly and efficiently, basically flushing the system of all toxins that contribute to the negative state of health. My friend, Alisa, literally cured herself of severe, debilitating rheumatoid arthritis in three months by adopting a 100% raw food diet virtually overnight. Nothing else worked but that did. That kind of testimonial for a raw food diet is the best there ever was. And you hear them all the time.

Makes you want to jump right on that bandwagon. I sure did.

Because if it can cure disease, imagine what it can do for the average person. Optimum health is just a salad or few around the corner.

They say a raw diet bestows better vision (all those carrots, we must assume). That eyes can change color (I’d like mine more green, please). That grey hair can be restored to it’s natural hue. That pregnancy will culminate in a pain free birth (a number of us girls really cracked up about this one). That it eliminates the need for sunscreen. Oh yes, and did you know that raw food is the ‘fountain of youth’?

I want it! Don’t you? I remember reading all this stuff and thinking, “Wow! What else can it do?” Not that there is anything much better than new eyes and everlasting youth and beauty.

Sounds like magic, right? And, like most things magical, one perceives things the way they do because there are essential bits of information missing.

In this case, the missing part is You.

You have to put yourself in the mix. Realistically.

What has your diet been up to this point? Do you cook most of the food you eat? Do you still eat meat or have you already forgone flesh foods for ‘greener’ pastures? Are you clinging to dairy or have you already adopted a vegan plant based diet?

This is your starting ground. And this is where going Raw Till 4 is so wonderful. Because after 4 you can eat what you’re used to. At least at first.

Before I began eating raw, I had a high vegetarian diet. For the most part my diet ‘bordered’ on vegan except for the fact that I ate cheese on occasion, sometimes had yogurt and once in a blue moon, indulged in ice cream. But, likewise, every once in awhile I would eat meat too. All I can say is: it was mostly organic. But it was definitely meat.

Now you would think that I would say that the first step toward going more raw would be to eliminate meat but I am going to shock you and not say it.

The first step is to go organic. Keeping anything out of your body that is not pesticide, hormone and GMO free sets the stage for wellness. Then, the next big thing is to go ‘unprocessed’ because processed foods are right there at the front lines of all evils.

Next maybe have an all raw day every week. See how that feels. Essentially it will be a purge of sorts – a fast that will set you up for the whole of a week ahead, And if you look at a Raw Till 4 diet, what you’re doing is essentially cutting out the possibility of processed foods for the majority of the day. And it happens to be the part of the day when it’s easiest to do too because you’re usually at your most active whether your working or just out and about. It’s very accessible. You can kind of Just Do It. Or you can edge into Raw Till 4 slowly too,,,maybe at the beginning you’re just Raw till 1 and then you just keep extending it till you get to 4 and it doesn’t hurt.

Raw Till 4 doesn’t have to mean going All Vegan, all at once.

Maybe you want to eventually be the ultimate She, Vegan and then eliminating meat might be the next milestone to aspire to. The trick is to ease into things so your body gets acclimated just as climbers do when they’re scaling Mount Everest, just as divers do as they make their way from the depths up to air. They have to stop and hang out for a bit periodically.These rests essentially allow them to go on successfully. If a diver ascended straight out of the water from 160 ft. he would get the ‘bends’ and have to be hospitalized! Most Raw Till 4 diets I’ve looked at aspire to veganism and- no doubt – it’s a great aspiration. But it’s not for everyone. While I’m big on smooshing as many raw, live foods into your diet on a daily basis, I also can’t ignore the validity of blood-type diets that positively indicate what certain blood types might need to thrive. This is more or less what your diet after four should aspire to – and that can even include meat…organic, of course – for as long as it feels right for you. Because it might just naturally , stop feeling right.

Here’s the deal: from the time you get up in the morning, just keep eating more and more fresh fruits and vegetables. You can make smoothies or salads – just eat more. Nuts and seeds, too. Have those be your go-to snacks. Explore the world of raw, dehydrated snacks as well. There are plenty of yummy kale chips and raw trail bars out there now and some amazing raw desserts that could make anyone a convert. Give those a try to quell any taste you might have for processed junk food.

The aim should be towards gradually making the majority of your day raw.

It’ll be so much easier to do anything else if you accomplish that. So start where you can and build on it. The more raw, unprocessed food you can eat, the more you are contributing to a better body for yourself and a better planet for everyone else. That’s huge! But every little bit counts.

As you incorporate more and more raw food into your diet, you will find that the way you feel will be the best advertisement for your continuing on to the next level-if that’s where you want to go. Your body will healthfully adjust and appreciate and you won’t be as ravenous for the things you’re weaning yourself away from.

You’ll be satiated and the general public will be safe.

And that’s what we want. Good news for everyone.

Some people love the idea of approaching Raw from behind; going vegan as a wonderful entry point to going More Raw. For additional advice on starting a vegan diet read this article.

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