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You don't need to know in order to love.
The truth is that all of nature consumes its food raw! Humanity is the only species that doesn't. This realization can make one think that a raw diet is more native to the planet or more natural. If one goes back to nature for healing, wouldn't this aspect be included?
So, you might ask, "Why should I be motivated to give this a try"?
There are many reasons why one would want to give the raw food diet a try. Many who find success on the diet usually find enough success and benefit to allow them to make a permanent commitment to the diet. A very significant increase in health, overall wellbeing, and spirituality are the main reasons which cause people to commit to the raw food diet. It should be noted that not all people may be ready for a raw food diet. For some people it may be a simple transition that can happen in a few days. For other's the transition may take 10 or more years. The body, mind, and emotions must all make transitions when moving to a raw food diet. Depending on the person, this could be an easy or difficult transition. The success principle we are tapping into here is "Seek life and the living in all things; do not seek the dead and the dying." In this case, we are applying this principle to the subject of food and diet.
What works, what doesn’t!
Firstly, it is important to start with a working definition of the raw food diet. In general, it means consuming food, drinks, and supplements that have not been heated above about 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). This temperature usually varies about plus or minus 10 degrees depending on who you talk to, but the idea is that around this temperature, certain food enzymes start breaking down. This is generally agreed to be an undesirable result since the body utilizes these enzymes for its own benefit. The diet usually consists of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, shoots, sprouts, super foods such as algae, sea vegetables, bee pollen, honey, etc. Most people on the diet tend to be vegan (no animal products), or vegetarian (some animal products). Animal products strengthen the electrical properties of the body while vegetable products strengthen the magnetic properties of the body. Raw animal products can include dairy, eggs, fish, meats, insects, etc. There tends to be higher microbe and parasitic content in raw animal products so people consuming those products must be made aware of that and take that into account in handling and consuming raw animal products. Depending on the situation, sometimes some cooking is desirable if the environment in which you are eating is overrun with viruses, bacteria, microbes, parasites, etc. Cooking actually helped humanity explore and populate the planet.
The key to long term success with the raw food diet is workability, flexibility, gentleness/kindness, open-mindedness, humility, forgiveness, gratitude/prayer, acceptance, innocent perception, study, association and Love! I know these things are not the nuts and bolts of recipes, food combining or of vitamins C, A, E, EFA's, Amino's, Calcium, etc., but they are actually more important than the nuts and bolts. You need both, but without focus and understanding on how the higher concepts I mentioned are directly connected to diet, your ability to progress with your diet long term will become increasingly difficult.
Workability is finding and following the loving center in all situations. Doing other than that can result in judgments, lack of acceptance, polarizations, and separations. Food is also a medium and transporter of Love. Keeping that in mind can help you accept workability. Furthermore, workability means making the diet work for you. Each one of us is different, so you need to customize the raw food diet for you. This takes time and patience and a willingness to try many things through self-experimentation. Diet is both an art and a science, and your understanding of diet relative to your unique needs will become greater with time as you remain honest with yourself, aware of your body, and innocently perceive the effects of not only different foods on your body, but also in many cases the underlying emotional states that sometimes trigger food cravings. One of our first experiences in life is that of food usually in the form of our mother's milk. The emotional and Love ties to food are immense to say the least. This is something that must be seriously taken into account and honored. Not honoring and tuning in to our emotions and facing them honestly can keep us deluded about our true food needs.
Flexibility means being flexible with your diet. Sometimes trying to be 100% raw in all situations can result in anxiety simply due to the fact that we don't live in a 100% raw society. Following a perfectionistic way of thinking and being can result in a conflict between existing structures. Finding yourself in constant conflict can be very wearisome! If removing yourself from society doesn't work for you, then flexibility might.
Gentleness and kindness are very important to diet. Foibles are common to humanity. Yet, many people tend to beat themselves up if they set a standard for themselves that they can't live up to. Doing this with the raw food diet just creates more difficulty in finding some success with the diet. Not being gentle and kind to oneself whether or not you achieve your desired goal or result just leads to lack of joy, disappointment, and discouragement. Regardless of whether you fail or not, remember your innate worth as a human being on the planet. Reconnect with the center of your soul and who you are. Realize your inner confidence, self esteem, and inner Love for yourself regardless of any external circumstances. From this point, you can continue forward on your journey being probably a little less attached to any results or outcome. Also, don't forget to respect and be gentle and kind towards all who have brought the food forward to you--the farmers, food processors, distributors, retailers, preparers, etc. Creating a vibration of respect, love and acceptance around food regardless of its type is one of the most nourishing things you can do for everyone involved!
Keeping an open mind is really critical to long term success with the raw food diet. Just when you thought you knew it all, there is something new to learn. Remember, the diet becomes an art form more than just a discipline or science. Art is always changing and refining itself. You will most probably eventually encounter a new situation that needs to be addressed. Having an open mind will be of much value in these new situations so that you can quickly adapt and find workability. It also allows you to listen to others no matter what they have to say on the subject of diet. With an open mind you will learn from everyone instead of shunning them if you think you already know what they are saying. Everyone's experience is unique and therefore can be learned from.
Humility is important for long term success with the raw food diet. It begins with a realization that if it were not for God and the power of Love that God shines forth, none of this (this being everything) would be possible. This Love is the very cause of Nature, which in turn is the very cause of the raw food that you eat. If one is not humble to that fact it's like one remains in a sort of bubble unaware of the foundation of the process in which one is involved. Becoming aware of that foundation will greatly increase your appreciation and connection to your food and that in turn will greatly enhance your ability to process food efficiently. There comes a point when one is in a state of awe in relation to this perception of God -> Love -> Nature -> Food. Humility is also good at battling the ego which usually always needs to be put in its place: that being "not in control." The illusion that we can control everything presented by the ego is a sure step towards failure on the raw food diet. Allowing your connection to God through your Sacred Heart lead you along the path towards a raw food diet and down that path, will ensure your success. Humility is a stepping stone to that connection. Humility is very grounding in nature and allows one to re-establish true strength and trust through being grounded. The word has as its root, "humus", meaning soil.
Forgiveness is very important for long term success with the raw food diet. In many cases, without forgiveness, it is difficult to release the many judgments one may hold against the fast food industry, food processing industry, farming industry or pharmaceutical industry. It is easy to point to the many mistakes, deceptions, and exploitations for which these industries are responsible, but it is also easy to point to the many positive things these industries have brought us. Holding grudges and judgments against these industries is just another stumbling block for you along the raw food path. When you judge something, that which you judge becomes your next classroom lesson in the school of life. These industries have been indirectly and sometimes directly responsible for saving lives. It is always best to focus on the positive and work towards improving the negative in a positive manner. Also, what about forgiving your parents for feeding you what you may think today is less than optimal food? In most cases, they were doing their best in love for you. Honor them for that. For anything other than that, forgiveness is the order of the day! Forgiving yourself is probably the most important aspect of forgiveness to begin with and typically the most difficult! Can you truly forgive yourself for all of what you perceive are your foibles around diet? If you can honestly do that, you will catapult yourself far down the raw food path! Not forgiving just results in staying stuck in disempowering behavioral patterns and discontentment of the soul. In many cases this can lead to eating disorders.
Gratitude and Prayer--I can't emphasize enough the importance of these. Imagine you are lost in a cold desert and have been without food for many days…let's just say you have not eaten in 20 days. You have managed to find water, but that is it. And, more importantly you have never fasted before so you are really feeling some serious hunger. Then all of a sudden a miracle occurs and you find yourself at someone's domicile. He invites you in to a warm environment and prepares the most delicious meal you have ever tasted. Imagine the gratitude you would feel at this moment during your first few bites of food. Now imagine having this kind of gratitude each and every time you eat. This level of gratitude will revolutionize your diet and the level of nourishment you receive from your food. Now, if you combine this gratitude with prayer, you have an amazingly powerful combination that will carry you through just about any food or diet challenge you will ever come across! Pray over your food thanking deeply all responsible for bringing it to you, from God to Nature…to the final preparer. When you pray over food you actually organize the water molecules into a more structured "love" pattern. This has been scientifically proven and experiments have been reproduced repeatedly to remove all doubt. This energized food is then more attuned to your unique body frequencies and your body is able to process the food much more efficiently.
Acceptance is very important when it comes to diet. It is difficult to move forward in anything without first accepting it as it really is. Accepting your and humanity's diet as it currently is will allow you to release how it is and move forward. Being in denial or judgment around the current state of your diet or humanity's diet will cause you to move forward a little and then keep falling back to where you started. First accepting with Love the current state of affairs is critical in order to then move forward. Acceptance is usually necessary before forgiveness is possible!
Innocent perception is seeing things how they really are without any preconceived ideas or judgments. It is taking off the "goggles" or filters your mind has in place from prior experiences. Being able to do this around the raw food diet is really important for long term success. As you make transitions into new domains of being, feeling, and thinking as a result of the diet, being able to innocently perceive what is happening will allow you to avoid the pitfall of worry, uncertainty, and the voices and opinions of others swaying you from your true course. Innocent perception gives you a quiet power from which to operate because it allows you to see reality so clearly! Viewing reality so clearly prevents you from freaking out thinking that you don't know what is going on.
Studying the raw food diet is also very important. This is how you obtain the nuts & bolts knowledge of how to make the raw food diet work for your particular situation. Studying includes self-experimentation and listening to your body. It also includes reading books and listening and watching audio and video tapes on the subject of the raw food diet and related subjects. Keeping ego out of the way, be sure to share both your challenges and successes with others on the same path. Attending seminars and signing up for online discussion forums are great in providing the necessary forum. The ensuing exchange will speed up your progress. Also, seek out the knowledge of experts on the subject. Studying is key to avoiding the simple pitfalls that await you if you do not.
Association with like minded people is very important to sticking with the raw food diet. You become like those you associate with. If you hang out in a bar with drunken, crass people, you will slowly and eventually become like them. You most probably will begin by judging them and then the more you hang out with them, the judgments you had become your teachers as you slowly morph into them. If you associate with loving, spiritual people in nature settings and discuss things like love and the raw food diet while eating raw foods, you will continue to evolve until you are like these people. Neither path is "better" than the other. Just be aware that you have the power to choose your path simply through the power of association! This is demonstrable through experience. Associating with healers is also very helpful in fine tuning your diet for your particular soul, body and situation.
Love is the ultimate power that ties everything together. It is the power that allows you to do everything I have discussed thus far. Most importantly, actually Loving your food, will totally revolutionize your health and allow you not only success on the raw food diet, but take your raw food diet to a whole new level with deeper meaning, connection, nutrition, efficiency and gratitude. The power of Love in relationship to food is beautifully summed up by The Master Jesus in my favorite spiritual book.
In Summary, always follow your heart when choosing what to eat and always do the right thing. The right thing being defined as that which always brings out the best in yourself, in other people and/or any situation. This is actually the true definition of morality: Change for the better (always choosing the right course of action as defined above.)
Here are some of the major things that don't work long term on the raw food diet: Judgment, rigidity, righteousness, doing things that lower one's consciousness, going against the messages from your body, not listening to the guidance given by your Sacred Heart or gut instincts, trying to overly persuade others to the point of alienation. Allowing your mind to always lead you when choosing what to eat in any situation. Probably the worst thing you can possibly do while following the raw food diet or any diet (even a non-diet), is eat anything with a sense of guilt. Like Jesus says above, eating with a sense of guilt just upsets the whole process of nutrition and your body's ability to extract nutrition from your food. By eating something with guilt, you are basically sending a strong message to your body saying, "this food is not good for me." In essence, you are telling your body it is a subtle poison. How can you body properly react if you are sending a message to it that you are subtly poisoning it? Eating with a sense of guilt is the foundation for many if not all eating disorders. Remember, not matter what it is (within common sense of course), do not eat it with a sense of guilt! The flip side to this is that if guilt is present, it is usually a sign from your Sacred Heart that something is wrong, and you have to take corrective action. Don't eat something if a clear message from your Sacred Heart says not to! You decide ultimately what goes inside your body. Remember always do the right thing concerning diet. By always doing the right thing, you build a freight train of momentum that is virtually unstoppable.
What about the Nuts & Bolts? Once you have integrated the above concepts into your thinking and way of being in life, a higher focus on the Nuts & Bolts will not lead you astray in pursuing the raw food diet long term. The above concepts are not as important if you are choosing a raw food diet on a short term basis in order to do some cleansing for example. Whether this is the case, or whether you are just getting started with the raw food diet, some knowledge of the basics of a raw food diet are essential. If you are so inclined, first meet with a doctor or other health care professional who specializes in raw food nutrition. It is good to be able to check in with such an individual while transitioning to the raw food diet if things are not working or if you are going through detoxification symptoms that are uncomfortable or frightening. It is also important to read books on the subjects of raw food nutrition and spirituality. If you can attend raw food potlucks in your area you can socialize with other people who are having similar experiences and this gives you knowledge and strength as you pursue your own course of action. If you are coming from a history of eating disorders, it is also wise to join a support group such as overeaters anonymous, or a similar twelve step program or spiritual program.
The nice thing about the raw food diet is that in the beginning you can eat as much as you want (within common sense of course)! In that sense, it can viewed as less strict than a typical diet, which can help many in the beginning. Don't count calories! No need to do that anymore. Since you will be staying away from packaged and processed foods, take the time to explore more deeply your local farmer's market and the produce section in your super market. Be curious about everything. Buy raw food recipe books and try some of the recipes, go to raw food restaurants, and attend raw food lectures, retreats and preparation classes. Search for these things on the NatuRAW website or on the internet. Be gentle on yourself while your body goes through the transition to a raw food diet. You may experience detoxification symptoms such as acne, body odor, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, hay fever symptoms, aches, coldness, sore throats, etc. Take naps when needed and get plenty of sleep. Here are some important keys to having initial success on the raw food diet:
Take super foods such as Spirulina, Blue-Green algae, sea vegetables, bee pollen, honey, coconut oil, algae oil, cacao (raw chocolate), royal jelly etc. (all raw of course).
Learn about and implement the practice of sungazing.
Make sure you focus on variety in diet to ensure proper nutritional balance. It's ok to experiment with a very simple diet or "mono" diet for a while, especially when cleansing or fasting. However, a lack of variety is hard to maintain long term and should be viewed as a dietary tool for therapeutic purposes.
Take a food based multivitamin.
Take colloidal/ionic mineral supplementation.
Eat organic foods, drinks, and supplements.
Do an intestinal cleanse such as "Arise and Shine" or "Ejuva."
Get plenty of rest and gentle exercise.
Drink plenty of raw, organic vegetable juices you make yourself. Purchase a juicer if necessary.
Drink purified water or pure spring water.
Make fruit smoothies. Purchase a blender if necessary.
Learn how to dehydrate foods. Purchase a dehydrator if necessary.
Purchase a food processor, Coffee Grinder, Spiralizer, Mandolin, etc. if you want to be proficient in making raw food recipes.
Drink Herbal Teas to counteract coldness.
Use herbs and spices to counteract cold, and for medicinal and cleansing purposes.
Eat plenty of raw fruits, salads, nuts, seeds, and sprouts.
Learn about food combining and what works best for you.
Grow your own food…even if it is just sprouts on the kitchen counter.
Do a few short fruit and vegetable juice fasts to learn about the power of fasting.
Eat as much wild food as possible. If you eat animal products, raise your own animals if possible or do your own hunting and fishing.
Get back to nature and/or follow a spiritual path.
Most people suffer from too much electrical charge in their bodies due to over consumption of animal products. The Sacred Heart is your magnetic center. You can strengthen the magnetic properties of your sacred Heart by eating more vegetable products which are naturally magnetic in nature.
Support businesses and methods that support you in your quest for greater health and/or spirituality.
Do some yoga, qi gong, breathing, meditation, service and prayer work.
Do not eat a lot before going to bed.
In general it has been found that most people do not have difficulty following about an 80% raw food diet. If that is not high enough for you, by all means step on the gas! If it is too high, by all means, let off of the accelerator! The key is to make it work for you in such a way that you feel great and much better than before your higher awareness of diet. Remember, food is a connection to God, Nature, Love, and Joy! Keep it that way!
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