The Raw Routine

The Raw Transition: 30 Ways in 30 Days – Day Thirty!

Plan your Raw Food Meals

CONGRATULATIONS. We did it, you and I! We moved along and examined 30 ways that you can fuel your raw food transition. Rather you choose to implement just a few of them or all of them, you’ll be healthier as a result. Usually, once the body starts to get some nutrition in it, you find yourself rejecting some of that “non-food stuff” that you used to eat.

 Now that’s you’re fully equipped, with the know-how, a few kitchen appliances and a physical and mental check on what works for you, the final step to make the journey sooo much easier is to plan out your meals.

First: Decide how many meals you’re going to eat raw per day. Remember, this is YOUR journey so it’s ok to start slow. It may just be your breakfast or your snack, whatever you’re motivated to do.

The Raw Transition: 30 Ways in 30 Days – Day Twenty Nine

Invest in a juicer and commit to juicing once a day

So how are you feeling? You have 28 days behind you of ways to do a raw food transition and we’re nearing the finish line (think of the wonderful life you have ahead). One of the most necessary pieces of equipment that you’ll need for easy and quick nourishment will be a juicer.

 Juice is best when it is fresh because it has all of the beneficial enzymes, vitamins and minerals which go direct from the fruit or vegetable to your blood. When you buy bottled juice, even 100% juice, it almost always (unless you buy fresh squeezed) has preservatives or has been pasteurized (heated) in order to extend the shelf life so you’re not getting the nutrition you deserve (and are paying for). Sometimes you'll even get "ingredients not found in regular orange juice" (see photo below) Also, when it comes to green vegetables, juicing is an easy way to get lots of nutrients into your system without added sugar and spikes in your insulin level.

The type of juicer you buy depends on your budget, and your meals plans. If you’re still getting used to this new nutrition, don’t make the mistake of saying “I’ll get a low quality (cheap) one now, and if I use it often I’ll get a better one” because the low quality one may juice food so slowly or be so difficult to clean that it discourages you from using it often and as a result you don’t discover that juicing is actually a quick, easy and fun process. If you have budget concerns (and we all do, right?) try to get your juicer from the manufacturer as a refurbished product or buy from an authorized reseller. In both cases you’ll be getting a factory-approved, retail quality product but at a more affordable price.

Some juicers that are very popular in the Raw Foods Community are The Champion Juicer, The Tribest green models, The Breville Juice Fountain, and the Juiceman. Take a look at their reviews on Amazon and determine which one is right for you. See the banners below:

     
    

The Raw Transition: 30 Ways in 30 Days – Day Twenty Eight

Make a Raw Food Friend

As we approach the end of your 30-Way Raw Food Transition let's look to your social needs. This challenge is to make a raw food friend, or, if you already have raw food friends, take one of the friendships deeper. It’s actually not too challenging.

As we all know that no man is an island and I believe that no goal is ever achieved alone. Not only do we get some much needed encouragement from our friends, but we also get that good straightening out from time to time. Also, with a close friend we are able to share our successes and learn from both their and our failures.

When I first moved to New York City I was 24 years old and I had only two NY friends, my dear friend and roommate Sheryl (pictured at right), a beautiful model who still is very successful in the industry today, and my friend Daniel, who soon became my boyfriend (and is still a gem of a guy). Because I was so busy with work and travel I had very little time for much else, but I craved the benefits of expanding my social circle. It took years before I had 10 friends.

I don’t have that challenge now. I’m a people person, so I’m always the first one to speak to strangers on the street, on the train, on  a bus or a plane. The very shy girl that I was when I was a child has, in my adult life, been replaced with a super-outgoing, in your face, do what she can social worm.