From around 2004 ’til around 2009, my family and I embarked upon a journey we NEVER expected to be on.
Prior to that, we dabbled in vegetarianism, followed by veganism. But we never would’ve imagined what came next… a raw food diet where we ate no meat, no dairy, no COOKED food. We even got rid of the stove!
I received certification as a ‘raw food chef’ & instructor, taught classes on how to make a plethora of raw food dishes, and preached the “gospel” of eating a plant-based diet to anyone who crossed my path – whether they liked it or not.
Now, you’d think that was about as extreme as you could get, right?
Wrong.
It’s bad enough that the “experts” are constantly debating…
“Fat is bad!”
“NO, fat is GOOD!”
“Eggs are bad!”
“NO, eggs are GOOD!”
“Whole grains are good…
“NO, ALL grains are BAD, even whole grains!”
“Don’t overindulge in fruit because sugar is sugar!”
But even within the raw food community, there were arguments about the “right” and “wrong” way to eat raw.
Some said typical raw food dishes had too many nuts and too much fat, when we should be eating primarily fruit.
Then another person came along with the concept of mono-eating and insisted we shouldn’t be mixing foods to form recipes or meals and that a meal should consist of only ONE type of fruit in one sitting.
Then someone else came along and decided that all that fruit was bad and that we need to eat primarily vegetables.
AHH! Which IS it, already?!
Why Are There So Many Diets?
To ask that question would be like asking, “Why are there so many denominations of churches within the Christian religion?” or “Why are there so many religions?”
I’d say the reason is because people base their teachings on their own experiences, theories, opinions and interpretations!
Put a staunch vegetarian or vegan in the room with a staunch believer in a more ‘primal/caveman’ style diet and both will have great arguments for and against the consumption of animal products!
Just do a Google search on “what’s the best diet” and you’ll see TONS of websites, all touting to have “the truth” about what it takes to be healthy, the best way to lose weight, and which foods are gonna kill you if you even look at them.
But if you ask any one of those “experts” about eating in a manner opposite of their way; they’re gonna argue against the very thing other “experts” are in favor of because… the “experts” simply cannot agree.
***This hilarious video PERFECTLY sums up how cumbersome healthy eating can be***
Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong and What’s Right For YOU?
One of the best lessons I learned during my days of eating a raw plant-based diet is to be in tune with your own body and to be able to ‘listen’ to it, read the signs given off, and determine what works for you.
But HOW can you do that if you’ve been eating a diet high in processed, refined foods, junk foods, etc?
By the process of elimination!
You would first need to do some sort of internal detoxification to rid your body of accumulated toxins and during that interim, eat pretty cleanly – fresh fruits and vegetables and whole, unrefined, minimally-processed foods.
Then, as you slowly re-introduce your body to things such as dairy, meat and carbs; pay attention to how your body reacts to those foods, and determine if you should keep or toss it!
You could also simply stop consuming any questionable item(s) for 7 days or even up to 30 days. Take note of how you feel during that time, then re-introduce the item(s) back into your diet. Again take note of how you feel and determine if it’s worth keeping.
Eventually you will realize what diet works best for YOU, and nothing any expert says against it will be able to deter you!
