Struggles on Raw or Raw till 4

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!

Mono Meals...What's The Deal?

Mono eating is NOT necessary on a Raw or High Raw diet. BUT it does have it's benefits and is highly recommended for ALL lifestyles! It may seem scary at first, and many people will critique your meal...but remember, just because society doesn't approve...doesn't mean it is wrong ;)

~IT is wonderful for digestion!! A single food like apples or bananas require one digestive enzyme to be digested and a specific timing, allowing the process to be quick and easy! This takes up less energy, leaving you full of life :) No food-coma after a high energy mono meal!

~Mono-meals allow you to REALLY focus on what you are eating and why! Are you really hungry, are you fueling your body or causing it harm? Eating a mono-meal of fruit will help you understand the proper 'hungry' and 'full' signals! There is a fantastic feeling of satisfaction when you are full on fruit!

~Eating one food type at a time really lets you discover the REAL taste of food! When we combine numerous foods together, we have no idea what ingredient we are tasting. Mono meals give you the opportunity to fall in love with fruit all over again! As babies, our first meals are mono-meals...breast milk, and then single mashed-fruit meals!

~Mono meals are great for proper food combining. Although most of the modern 'diet' or health world does not acknowledge food combining, it is a very important part of eating & good health! When food is not combined properly it will lead to fermentation, gas, bloating, heart burn, belly aches, and creates an acidic environment in the body. Mono meals make it super easy to avoid such issues, and there is no stress of making sure the meal is properly combined :)

~Makes eating on the go so simple! Grab a bag of bananas, oranges, apples, or slice up a large pineapple, and you are done! So quick and easy! Mono meals are great for traveling as fruit packs easily and travels well! No need to go through the drive thru, just grab a bunch of bananas (or two)!!

~Very little clean up or mess! I love mono meals as they don't require any cooking, planning, and leave little to clean up!

~Mono meals can be very inexpensive and any fruit will do! You can pick fruit that is on sale and save even more money!! A pound of bananas is usually around fifty cents, a 4lb bag of apples is about $5.00, a large watermelon (in season) is roughly $6! Now that is a very affordable meal! You don't need water to go with it or any other drink, you won't be craving sweets after (as the meal is sweet enough)and you will be full of energy so coffee is not needed for a pick-me-up!

Don't listen to those who say eating this way is not healthy or too extreme! They do not understand the human digestive process, that mono meals are actually VERY healthy, and can help heal many digestive issues! Like I had mentioned before, we start out life eating simple mono meals. It is not until we are older that our parents begin adding mixed foods and 'food-stuff' into our diet. Many other species feast on mono-meals. Bears can be found gorging on blueberries for a meal, Deer can be found feasting on apples until they move on to their next meal, and most animals will do the same.

Give mono-eating a try! It DOES not have to be a daily or every-meal thing! But..you may discover it is such a joy to eat this way, and make it a part of your daily menu!

Vegan & Raw Food Diet Breakdown

There are many different vegan diets out there and many ways to stay healthy. Here is a breakdown:

Raw Vegan: Someone who eats 100% raw food! No breakdown of macro-nutrients. They eat plenty of nuts, seeds, greens, and fruit. This diet is great for those who enjoy the creativity of raw food, making everything from Raw Tacos to Raw cakes and snacks!

High Raw: Someone who eats majority raw, adding one cooked meal a day usually at dinner. This is not the same as Raw Til 4 as they have many strict guidelines. This is a more relaxed lifestyle for those who want to transition from a cooked vegan diet to a Raw Vegan diet. The focus is to eat a variety of raw food, and enjoy the best of raw & cooked vegan foods!

 The 80-10-10 Diet: This is a lifestyle book written by Dr. Douglas Graham. It is a 100% RAW diet, focused on Organic, Raw, Whole, Plant foods. It is a complete lifestyle for mind & body, which includes meditation and exercise. He does not allow cooked food, added sugar, starches, garlic, coffee, etc. on this lifestyle. His focus is on cleansing the body using raw whole foods, practicing proper food combining, and mono meals. He does promote eating a large variety of colors and vegetables  to ensure proper nutrition. He does not advocate ANY supplementation like B12 shots or vitamins.

High Carb Vegan: Eats approximately 80% of it's calories from good quality carbohydrates, raw or cooked. This can be confused with The 80-10-10 Diet by Dr. Douglas Graham, but it is not the same. Dr. Graham does NOT advocate eating ANY cooked food, added sugar, eating dates as a meal, or eating ANY starches. Although the macro-nutrient breakdown is the same, or very close. This lifestyle focuses on high energy, high quality foods which reduce cravings.

Raw Til 4: This is a very specific eating lifestyle created by Freelee from 30BananasADay. It is focused on eating high carb/raw until 4pm, then having a large cooked meal. This diet is strict and has many rules, like tracking every calorie and staying at a minimum of 2000 for women. This is a breakdown of macro-nutrients of 90-5-5, or 80-10-10. This lifestyle does promote B12 shots, but no other supplementation.

30BananasADay: This is a 'raw' lifestyle that many people confuse with The 80-10-10 Diet, though it is not the same. This is a breakdown of 90-5-5, staple foods include bananas and dates. This lifestyle allows coconut sugar and Stevia drops to help sweeten food. There is little focus on variety or greens or any other vegetables. There are strict guide lines of calorie counting, 2500/women 3000/men, using cronometer. Also this lifestyle uses smoothies as meals, unlike The 80-10-10 Diet which focuses on eating whole foods (fruit/veggies in their natural state). Many 30BAD members drink banana/date smoothies as meals. This lifestyle does promote B12 shots, but no other supplementation.

Vegan: Vegans focus on eating a balanced diet of plant foods including raw/cooked/processed options. There is no break down of macro-nutrients. This is a diet for those who want the freedom to eat whatever they want (plant-based) including Tofu, almond milk, coconut ice cream, desserts, etc.

Acid/Alkaline Diet: This is a diet focused on health, creating an alkaline environment in the body. The average person (SAD Diet) eats majority acid forming foods which breeds illness and disease. The goal of this lifestyle is to eat 80% Alkaline foods and follow proper food combining rules for optimum digestion, and 20% acid forming foods. This is usually a vegan diet, high raw, but some chose to still consume flesh (which I DO NOT recommend). An Acid/Alkaline Diet can help heal, increase energy, and improve digestion! This is also great for those who are athletic as it can help improve performance! This lifestyle dos not promote ANY supplementation as vitamins, supplements, and powders are acid forming and can do more harm than good.

There are many lifestyle options out there, it is important to research and understand what each one entails and pick one or 5 that work for you! There is NO perfect vegan lifestyle or diet, for everyone, you MUST do what feels best for you! I follow a mixture of a few! I eat High Carb, High Raw, Acid/Alkaline and The 80-10-10 Diet. I do a mixture of all 4 as I find all have great benefits. Keeping my fat low 10% (and under) has really helped improve my mood, reduce PMS, and increase my energy. I don't focus on exact calories, just on eating lots of fresh raw food, keeping my diet at 80% alkaline and 20% acidic. I try to EAT most of my food versus drinking too many smoothies. I don't enjoy drinking my meals...though a smoothie on the go is a great option!

~Frequently Asked Questions~

~Frequently Asked Questions~

Do I get sick of eating so much fruit? Absolutely not! The amazing thing about eating fruit is that you actually want it, need it, and crave it. The more you eat the more you want! It is the most natural & perfect food for humans. Once you clean up your taste palate you will enjoy fruit, and eat it in abundance! I thought the same thing when I first read 80-10-10, who can eat so many bananas or mangoes?? Then I began my journey and discovered I CAN, lol!

eat fruit :)

Where do you get your protein? Every time I hear this question a part of me dies, lol! Not because it is a bad question, but because we have been taught to only view protein as an animal product! Hmmm....wonder why?!?! Fruits/veggies/grains all contain some protein, it may not all be complete, but as long as I eat a variety of food I will ALWAYS eat all the essential amino acids I need! There is no such thing as a protein deficiency. It does not exist! Even if you eat only bananas or oranges, you are eating some protein...making a deficiency very difficult to come by!

Do I eat raw food all day? I eat a high raw diet. That means I eat raw fruit all day until dinner. I enjoy eating mono meals. For example, I will have 6-8 bananas for breakfast, then in about 2-3 hrs have a fruit snack like 4 apples or whatever fruit is in season. For lunch I like to eat another fruit mono meal, mangoes are awesome, or cherries (when in season). Dinner usually is a large salad with kale/spinach/romaine or any other green, and a high carb/starch cooked meal. I love potatoes, brown rice, couscous, or Quinoa (though it is a protein so I need to add more carbs to the meal). I also make soups, and pizza! I ALWAYS eat vegan and high carb! 

why do people gain weight eating carbs on the S.A.D (Standard American Diet)? People don't actually gain weight from carbs. They gain weight on the standard American diet because they add a lot of fat, sugar, and animal protein to their carbs. I make pizza for dinner often, we use no cheese, no oil, no meat...just veggies! There is a huge difference, though both pizzas would be categorized as carbs. Also, on top of eating a high fat diet, many people think carbs are doughnuts, cookies, chips, snacks, etc., but those are really fats & sugars, highly processed. They should not be called carbs. If people would reduce their fat intake to 10% of their calories they would lose weight, if they decrease their protein intake as well to 10% of their calories they would lose weight. 

Do I supplement to make up for not eating meat & dairy? No way! I believe my diet is very high in nutrients so vitamins are not necessary. I didn't take supplements on the S.A.D. so I definitely don't need them now! If I wasn't feeling well I would get blood work done, maybe it would give me an idea of what I am missing from my diet. Chances are if I am not absorbing nutrients well, it means I need to increase my raw food intake and reduce my cooked food intake. Keep in mind the vitamin/supplement industry is a HUGE money maker...yet no one taking supplements is actually healthy! If we could take supplements and be healthy, we would have far fewer sick people in this country. Supplements are also acid forming in the body...so unless you can get a raw food organic supplement, I would skip it! 

Why vegan? I get this question a lot...even though there are millions of vegans in this world. It is not so uncommon any more. I chose this lifestyle because it made the most sense to me. I don't feel good about the way we treat the animals we eat or the dairy we eat/drink. Not only are these foods not necessary, but they come with all sorts of health problems, pollution, and cruel behavior. I do believe in karma, so eating meat of an animal that has been through these horrible living conditions, tortured, listened to the screams of it's own species being murdered, or milked to death, does not still well with me. They say you are what you eat...I don't want to have tortured, sick, unhealthy food in my body. Karma. Maybe that is way so much disease has come from animal products. A vegan diet can provide me with everything I need and it is yummy :) 

How does my family feel about my lifestyle? I am VERY lucky because my husband also eats a vegan diet! He use to love meat...a lot. Once he tasted some of my cooking he decided he was ok with eating vegan at home, and after doing dome research and a bad reaction to a meat dinner over the holidays, he decided to go vegan 100%! My son struggles with it, as I imagine any 9 yr old would after eating the S.A.D. He has issues with dairy already. so we were limiting his intake before we went vegan. At home he eats vegan, when he is out of the home he does not :( 

Does everybody lose weight on a vegan diet? Yes and no. Most people will lose weight when they make a drastic change in their diet, but the weight will come back or you won't lose a lot if you keep the fat high. Many vegans eat a ton of nuts, olives, avocados, and oils. Not only is a high fat diet unhealthy, but it will not get you to your 'natural' weight. The closer you are to our natural diet, the closer you will be to your natural weight. This type of high fat diet requires calorie restricting...which is not healthy!

What food do I miss most? I don't miss anything! Honestly, I can make any meal taste amazing and keep the fat low, carbs high! I have made stuffed peppers, lasagna, spaghetti, 'meatballs', soups, pizzas, etc. I have also eaten this way for over 8 months so my taste has adjusted. I no longer enjoy dressings on my salad, just a squeeze of lemon/lime and seasonings. I don't crave cake or doughnuts, or ice cream. BUT if I want, I can create a version of these things and stay in the 80/10/10 range!

Vegan lasagna!

Will fruit make me fat? LOL!!! No. fat makes you fat, cookies make you fat, cheese makes you fat, steak makes you fat. Fruit makes you a lean bean :)

Me on a high fruit diet!!! No fat anywhere to be found :)

Any more questions?

Q & A everyday ;)

 As soon as the word Vegan came out of my mouth...the questions began. I really wasn't prepared to answer so many questions. Some of the most common one's, "where do you get your protein" and "what do you do for calcium" I understand, because people really don't know. Some other questions...they're kinda funny!!




Here goes:
What do you feed your child? Um...nothing why?

poor kid, lol!

You must miss meat so bad? Yes so badly. Yesterday was the first day I have gone without crying! Sometimes I sit curled in a ball yelling "why can't I just have my meat...whhhhyyyyy"! Oh wait...that's not true ;)

"waaaaa, I want my meat back"

Aren't you tired of eating vegan all the time? YES!!! I swear with the amazing variety of greens, veggies, fruit, potatoes, and beans...I am so bored :/ All I really want is a chicken nugget :( haha...just kidding :)

blah...so boring :/

oh God....please no more boring veggies!!!!

Are you sick or  do you have an allergy? Yes, extremely. I went to this weird doctor who prescribed "food" as my medicine, lol. But really, is that the only reason people eat a plant-based diet??

feeling soooo much better! This medicine is incredible!!

You can't possibly be full after eating just fruit? nom, nom, nom, nom, nom....what? nom, nom, nom, nom....mmmm, I'm still hungry ;) just kidding, I'm full!

cantaloup will fill you right up!

What do you mean you buy A LOT of fruit? You know like a banana or two or 10, whatever:)

fruit stash

I was told that bananas make you fat. Don't you worry about gaining weight? Everyday. I am really concerned. Let me see what Banana Girl thinks:

"look how fat bananas made me"

You're a Vegan? Do You eat eggs or fish? Yes, lol, all the time ;) 

Nope...no eggs or fish

Really? No cheese? Ever? let me think....nope. no cheese! And I am doing just fine :) I was recently diagnosed with "perfectly healthy" can you believe it!?!?!

Don't you want to just enjoy eating food? Nope. I want to hate every meal! 

wish my food was more enjoyable :(

and this??? oh God!!!!

Questions are great...but some are just funny! Here are my real answers if you were wondering, lol! -I feed my child food. Really good, healthy food. That is probably the thing I am most proud of. My child gets amazing home cooked meals every day! He isn't raised on fast food or microwave dinners. -I don't miss meat. Meat is just protein and fat, if you provide the body with a new protein & fat option, it won't crave meat. -Eating a vegan diet is so much fun. I get to be insanely creative and am always finding new ways to cook my veggies...but it can also be very simple. A mono-meal of bananas, watermelon, or oranges is great too...you're digestive system needs a break every now and then. Try it! -I buy A TON of fruit :) -There are many reasons to start a plant based diet: environment, animal rights/conditions, tired of dieting, looking to clean up your diet, want more energy, or health. You don't have to wait to get sick to start. -Vegans don't eat ANY animal products...fish are in that category as are eggs. -I do enjoy food! I enjoy it now more than ever. I don't stress over calories, or carbs or protein. I eat an abundance of fantastic food. There is really nothing I dislike about my diet. 

Where do YOU get your protein? lol!!!

Lifestyle Udate! High-Raw Vegan!

So here we go!!!! I am super excited to give an update because most "diets" DO NOT last this long, I should be tired, hungry, pissed off, and gained weight! Nope...because this lifestyle works for HUMANS!! Are you a human? I think you are :) I don't care what your blood type is (according to my blood type I should be eating meat all day long), that we were "cavemen", that carbs make you fat, you need a lot of protein....I don't want to hear it, because I AM proof. (along with a gazillion other high-raw vegans). I went in to this journey thinking, ok...I will try for a few months see how it goes, maybe add dairy back in (I really don't care for meat, so that's not coming back), get bored with fruit, and so on...NOPE, not happening 7 months later I LOVE my lifestyle :) You cannot say it doesn't work...unless you tried it! I have done all 3- calorie counting-high protein, Standard American Diet, and the High Raw Vegan so I can compare and say what works for me.

What do I eat: I eat fruit all day! As much as I want as often as I want. Bananas have become my favorite food! I can eat anywhere from 4-6 in a sitting and about 10 during the day! I like to eat my fruit in little mono meals: 2-3 apples, followed by my bananas, wait a bit and have a few pears or a papaya! I love dates too!! Never ate them before this lifestyle...now I buy them on a regular basis! I drink smoothies, not daily, probably every other day. I eat salad or some sort of veggie meal for lunch (unless I am working then I eat a fruit meal because it gives me more energy and it's easy to pack, lol)...and I mean HUGE! My salad is a large mixing bowl or serving bowl! For dinner I have a cooked vegan meal (sometimes 2 servings)! If I workout I eat a little extra almonds about a cup (I know, lots of calories...I don't care). My total calorie count is about 2700-3000 daily!!! I don't count to restrict...I count out of curiosity! Foods I eat: anything high raw-vegan. Fruit, veggies, nuts & seeds. Cooked foods: lots of potatoes, quinoa, veggies, brown rice, we don't like pasta so we don't eat it, vegan pizza (my fave) beans, and lentils. The goal of a Natural Hygiene Diet is to eat your food raw as often as possible. I do raw breakfast and lunch, and a cooked 
dinner. 

fruit with a cinnamon date sauce, coconut flakes, and walnuts

lunch for my hubby and I!

hummus and green veggie pizza!!

Am I bored with my diet: NO NO NO! I am always excited to eat my fruit...and very bummed when we run low. I usually buy more fruit towards the end of the week, especially bananas! We run out of fruit first, veggies second, and when we are desperate we eat the packaged foods, lol. Exact opposite of most people. I have NEVER felt so good in my life. I feel satisfied after I eat, if I want more I just eat it...I DO NOT worry about eating too much fruit. I get excited when I see a new fruit in the produce isle. My taste has changed completely, an apple has always tasted good...but now it tastes incredible! Really, I smile as I eat my fruit :) It just tastes so good. Before I liked fruit...now LOVE fruit! Cooked meals are great, but I always include a salad with dinner, there's always room for more raw food!

My weight: I was not heavy or even close to heavy when I started this lifestyle...but I did watch what I ate, and struggled with sugar cravings. I would eat a high protein lunch (tuna, or chicken) and feel completely unsatisfied after, looking for something sweet immediately, and then trying to drink coffee to avoid over-eating on snacks :( I was bloated due to poor food combining and too much cooked food. I would eat dinner and think about what I would have for dessert while still eating! Now...I don't have sugar cravings. If I am out of fruit, I do eat a vegan snack (I am human), but it doesn't happen often, usually if I didn't eat enough during the day and am looking for quick energy! I have not gained a pound back since I started this lifestyle. I was ranging from 124-127, now I am 117 eating about 1000 more calories a day! My stomach is leaner and flatter than ever! I use to have cellulite, especially on the back of my thighs...almost gone :) Definitely not noticeable to others!


Girl stuff: My skin feels great, soft, and my "monthly" breakout is so much better!! I use to breakout right before my cycle and it would last forever! Now it is very minimal, and clears up fast! Speaking of monthly issues!! NO MORE PMS or cramps!! This happened after about 5 months! I really can't tell that my cycle is coming because I have no more "signs" like cramps, mood swings, bloating, etc. My cycle is so easy, no cramps at all!! REALLY!!!! I absolutely love this!!

How I feel about other diets: This is the hard part of the lifestyle...you really begin to question why isn't everyone eating like this??? I mean, don't you want to feel amazing? Have no more weird cravings? cheese now sounds like something nasty and smells awful, and bread cravings are GONE!!! If I have bread-sticks with soup for dinner, they just don't give me the same high like they used to. I haven't craved a sandwich in months. I have little desire eat bread (I used to love bread toasted, I could eat a whole loaf). I don't really like it anymore. I pretty much get giddy in the produce isle and would rather buy a cart full of fruit! Other diets just don't seem to make sense. Counting calories, limiting fruit or carbs, eating "protein" with each meal. Why??? It doesn't make you feel satisfied. I know because I use to do this. Always feeling deprived, or drinking coffee to try to satisfy a sugar craving. Gaining weight or having to limit calories to avoid gaining weight. On the standard diet...calories do count. You will gain weight if you don't monitor your calories. On a high-raw vegan diet you don't limit your calories and you don't gain weight (you would have to eat a high fat diet...just about all nuts).

My workouts: Nothing has changed besides having lots of energy :) I am still exercising the same amount. I have not lost strength, speed or the desire to move. I actually feel fine. Most people will tell you this lifestyle is not made for athletes...wrong, it actually is designed for humans...and humans are designed to be athletes! If you are not moving (a lot) you are not doing what humans are designed to do! After a workout, I love to dig in to my fruit stash! I can tell you the body responds completely different to a fruit/veggie raw meal after exercise vs a protein cooked meal...I know because I have done both. After a fruit meal, I feel hydrated, full of energy, happy, and satisfied. After a cooked protein meal I would feel full (like heavy), tired (like a nap is in order), and not satisfied at all (in search for a snack or sugar). 

no lack of energy here!

So...that is my update! I can't wait to see what I feel like after a full year! I hear it gets even better ;)

Need a lifestyle change? Feel tired, gaining weight, can't control your cravings, no energy, not exercising? Contact me to learn more about the High-Raw Vegan Lifestyle :) How to make a smooth transition, how to eat based on the Natural Hygiene Diet! It makes all the difference. 

Making Natural Health & Fitness Work For You!

Natural Fitness is slowly making a name for itself in the fitness world as more and more people adopt a plant based diet and less complicated lifestyles. We know what the fitness & diet world has to offer,
 but what does Natural Fitness have to offer?

-No Calorie Restricting
-Eating A Diet Full Of Fruits & Veggies
-Focus On Health vs Weight
-No Counting Carbs/Proteins/Calories
-Body Weight Exercises
-Stretching & Happy Workouts-you pick...Running, Yoga, Hooping, Zumba, Dance etc, HAVE FUN!!!
-Green Smoothies Or Juices

Where do you start? The most important part of changing your lifestyle is to let go of the old and embrace the new! So many people cannot truly let go of their old lifestyle, fear taking on a new approach, and end up going back to their old ways. Natural Health & Fitness has a proven method of weight loss, health, and living, but it has to be embraced without fear. Change is difficult, living a lifestyle which is not endorsed by society is difficult, but the health benefits are worth it!!! Find a Natural health Practitioner to guide you and support you along the way!

Who is this lifestyle for? EVERYONE!!! But...if you have struggled with weight, tried every diet out there, lose weight and gain it back, feel tired and have low energy, or health issues, then you MUST consider making the change! The reason why so many people have amazing results with Natural health & Fitness is because it is not carbohydrate restrictive, it does not focus on weight, and it does not about counting calories. Imagine waking up and being able to eat a large amount of fruit, topped with chopped dates, and nuts! Yum!! or a dinner full of amazing veggies, roasted, baked, and raw! The best part is how fueled and happy this kind of diet makes you feel! If you have ever been put on a low-carb diet, you know the terrible feeling of wanting to binge on carbs as soon as you can!

Exercise is very important, ALL exercise is important! Some trainers frown upon certain types of exercise like Zumba, hooping, pole-fitness, dance, or yoga, claiming it does not get the results that strength training does. BUT...if your workout makes you happy, isn't that the first step? If you start by doing a workout you enjoy, eventually it will lead you to other workouts...I have seen this happen! Feeling happy is a fantastic thing, being told a workout which makes you feel happy is not important is irresponsible! I believe if more trainers praised their clients in engaging in "happy" workouts, then their clients would be less stressed, more confident, and maybe have better weight loss results!

Discover how amazing you can feel and look! Sometimes it isn't about what you ARE doing, it's about what you are NOT doing? If you are NOT eating enough fruits and veggies, and NOT doing your "happy" workouts maybe you need to start and new program :)

My Inspiration...The Ladies of Raw Food

Some of my favorite ladies of the Raw Food Vegan Movement!!

 Get to know some of these amazing women and what lead them to this incredible lifestyle! Not only will you be inspired, but you will see how beneficial a Raw Food Vegan lifestyle can be! Find them all on Facebook, check out their websites, books,etc. They all have different yet similar stories...they were all in search of HEALTH!! Please check them out :) 

Kris Carr of Crazy Sexy Diethttps://www.facebook.com/KrisCarr.FanPage?ref=ts&fref=ts

Drew from Sexy Raw Food and Fitnesshttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Sexy-raw-food-and-fitness/124975714243447?ref=ts&fref=ts

Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram Of FullyRawhttps://www.facebook.com/FullyRawKristina?ref=ts&fref=ts

Freelee Frugivore AKA Banana Girl of Go Fruit Yourselfhttps://www.facebook.com/GoFRUITYourselves?ref=ts&fref=ts

Sheleana Breakell Of Yound and Rawhttps://www.facebook.com/youngandraw?ref=ts&fref=ts

They are so inspirational! They LIVE this lifestyle and have seen long term health & weight benefits! They are confident, beautiful, and most of all they put themselves out there! People can be very critical...yet these wonderful ladies stand up for what they believe in and continue to educate others!

Good work ladies :)