How Raw is a Raw Food Diet?

Coming into the raw food diet, i realise this is a term that has many meanings and not a strict 'all or nothing' diet as some may think. Every body is different and we all require our own nutritional levels to get the most out of our bodies. A major component of the raw food diet is in fact listening to your body and realising how your body speaks to you and what it is you need. Furthermore there may be circumstances which do not allow you to be 100% raw or enable the raw diet to be very practical in your life. Although the higher the amounts of raw food you can incorporate into your diet the higher the benefits you will feel, it is hard to be 100% raw. What the raw food diet is really about is changing the typical ways of our Western Society in our beliefs that processed and manufacture 'ready to go' foods are the staple and foundation foods to our diet. The reality is these so called 'foods' offer little benefit to our bodies (to varying degrees) other than to fulfill our stomachs and provide the bare minimum nutrition to survive. I don't know about you but i don't want to just 'survive' but i want to LIVE!!!

So Is It Necessary To Go 100% Raw?

In reality, no but with all the benefits of a high raw diet,  it’s important to stress the idea of transitioning to raw to get the most out of your life. I don’t think everyone can go 100% raw overnight.

Think of Raw food as an investment in your health. Food is often thought of as a nuisance in time, money, schedules and effort. Sometimes we eat out of necessity, opting for the quickest option such as fast food so that we can get back to the real 'important stuff'... what's more important than our bodies? After all our bodies are the only place we HAVE to live.

Sometimes food can be a way to medicate ourselves such as when we’re bored (i am guilty of this!), feeling emotional, avoiding problems that need to be solved or work that needs to be done, and so on.

But what if the food that we ate was solely seen as the fuel for our bodies and minds? Just like you wouldn’t put random household ingredients into your car’s gas tank, you should invest in the correct fuel for your car.
The food which you eat now is an investment for your body, for the long-term.


We are all different and we are all at different places along our journey, as such there are a few different options for incorporating more raw foods into your diet.

100% Raw: It's true if you go 100% raw overnight you will begin to experience great benefits soon after. But sometimes being 100% raw is to be too strict on yourself and you may flop back and forth between 100% raw, high raw, and going back to your original eating habits. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, as long as you aren’t taking yourself too seriously, or are afraid of reverting back to your not-so-good eating habits.

High Raw: The definition of high raw is between 80%-99% Raw foods. People who are high raw intend to eat raw all of the time, but that there are certain circumstances that are beyond their control. For example, they might eat a condiment or a sauce that isn’t raw, or even go for some cooked vegan options if they are stuck. People who are high raw have the advantage of being lenient with themselves, and not beating themselves up for not adhering to their standards.

Raw Until Dinner: Particularly recommended in families this is one of the simplest ways to add more raw foods into your diet - raw until dinner. The idea is that you eat raw meals for breakfast, and lunch, and your snacks are raw. Then dinner is up to you, you can choose to eat the foods that you always eat, but you’ll notice that soon enough you’ll be attracted to eating more healthful foods even in the evening. Plus you can still enjoy foods such as that warm pumpkin soup in winter!

Transitioning To Raw: If you just learned about raw foods, and you want to take the slow and steady road to eating more raw foods, transitioning is the way to go. When you’re transitioning, you choose exactly which meals and what it is you’re going to eat for each day, and try to fit in as many raw fruits and vegetables as you can. One of the ways of doing this is to drink a big green smoothie either in the morning, or as a snack in the afternoon. This can take as long or as little time as you like. I have been on the transition for about 5 weeks now and have successfully made my breakfasts raw. I am close to following the 'Raw until dinner' approach but have a few little tweaks to explore :)

Just remember... Everyone is different, and we all have different experiences with food from our past. It’s important to take into account that just because your mind has decided to eat more healthful fruits and vegetables, doesn't mean that your body is in agreement yet. Sometimes we have resistance when it comes to changing our eating habits. It helps to have a buddy or support group who can keep you accountable. There’s no raw food police, and you don’t need to destroy yourself esteem trying to go 100% raw overnight. Just like anything worthwhile the raw transition takes time, practice and patience, but there is nothing more worth investing your time and effort in than your own health and your own life! :)

"It is not the mountains that we conquer, but ourselves"- Sir Edmund Hillary

Rockin Raw

Xox