Some love it, some hate it, and some...well they are still torn. Fully raw and Raw till 4 are both excellent lifestyle choices, both are loaded with whole foods, nutrient packed meals, and the promise of optimal health! Yet both come with struggles for many people. Let's take a look at some common struggles:
1. Weight gain!!!! Ahhhh, the dreaded weight gain! This is more common on raw till 4 as the program does have calorie recommendations. Many people join this lifestyle because they have dieted on and off for their entire adult lives, some are even underweight when they begin. Why do you gain weight? Many factors come into play:
-you are eating a proper amout of calories consistently for the first time in a very long time! It does take time for the body to adjust and not feel the need to hold on to fat incase of another bout with calorie deprivation!
-you finally quit caffiene! Caffiene, alcohol, and drug use is not allowed on either raw till 4 or most fully raw (80/10/10) lifestyles. This means you will experience some weight gain as caffeine speeds up your metabolism, and now your body must learn to function properly without it!
-you may be over eating? Even though raw food is super healthy and nutritious, you will NOT GET FAT, but you may put on a few pounds...and to some that makes them uncomfortable. Get an app like Chronometer and track your food, this way you are aware of how much you are really eating! If you are not active, 3000 cals is too much! If you are not active at all, please start! It will not only help with weight loss, but it is excellent for your health!
-you are still eating too many nuts! A high fruit diet must be low in fat to be successful! The most common mistake I see made by those new to the lifestyle is the over indulgence in nuts! It is very easy to over eat on nuts and seeds, they are little and crunchy and taste delicious...but they are high in fat!
2. Hair loss! A very scary problem and it happens often when making huge changes in your diet! I experienced hair loss when I quit caffeine! Within a month after I quit, I began losing massive amounts of hair, I was very nervous and wasn't 100% sure what was happening. After doing some research on detox, caffeine, and proper nutrition, I learnt that detox for some is hair loss, it is very common! So if you are experiencing hair loss on a raw diet, or raw till 4, don't quit just yet! Chances are you are in need of some additional nutritious to get you through the detox, a simple addition like Chlorella or Spirulina can make all the difference! Both are a vitamin powerhouse which can help provide some much needed support as your body deals with massive changes. Make sure the fruit you are eating is ripe, high quality, and organic (when ever possible). Also a simple addition of extra veggies and greens will also help!
3. Bloating! Ugh, it is awful, we all hate it! For some bloating can be severe! Many experience painful bloating, evening appearing pregnant! It is so uncomfortable! You may be bloating because:
-you are not eating ripe fruit! This is probably the most common error! So many times I hear people say they prefer to eat their bananas a little green! Noooooooo! That is a disaster for your digestion! If you don't like a banana when it is ripe, then guess what? You don't like bananas, so don't eat them! Find a different fruit that you enjoy at it's peak ripeness!
-eating too fast! Most of us came to this lifestyle from a standard diet where food is pretty much inhaled, lol! Fruits and veggies are high fiber and need to be broken down in the mouth! Chewing your food properly will make a huge difference! Digestion begins in the mouth, so take your time, chew, chew, chew!
-drinking smoothies, and drinking them quickly! I love smoothies, but some times after I drink too quickly I do get bloated! Imagine eating 8 to 10 bananas in just a few minutes!!!! That would be difficult! That's a lot for the body to handle! So if you are a smoothie fan, drink slowly, enjoy small sips!
Those are the top three struggles on the raw/raw till 4 lifestyle! If you are experiencing other issues please share your journey! You may not be the only one! Overall these two lifestyles can be extremely rewarding and health promoting. These struggles are not an end all, most can be fixed with some minor adjustments. But if you continue to experience long term health issues, please consult with a natural health practitioner!
