Raw Food Diet Cravings – 8 Practical Tips for Dealing

food & mood journal, raw food diet cravings, transitioning to raw foods

Rachel, a participant in the Free 7 Day Raw Food Diet Starter Course, had this concern:

When I actually get myself to eat all raw for a couple of days, I feel great–lighter, more energetic. But, I crave fats (good fats like avocado) and protein/salty stuff…I usually let the cravings mess me up. I start with healthier stuff at first like some eggs, but soon I’m eating too much cooked and not enough raw.

Rachel – I hear you. You are not alone. The majority of raw foodies struggle with cravings at times.

Here are 8 practical tips you can start using now to deal with the cravings:

• Make sure you’re keeping yourself adequately fed, and drink plenty of water. It’s easier to succumb to cravings when you’re not full. Make sure you’re getting a wide variety of foods, and not stuck in a rut of just a few comfortable foods over and over again.

• It does take practice, for many reasons. First, it takes at least 21 days to make anything a habit. Second, if you’re just starting out, raw foods and raw food preparation may feel “foreign.” Until you get more comfortable with thinking in terms of and preparting raw foods, there will be some natural resistance to change. It can often feel easier to fall back into old, more familiar, more comfortable patterns. Third, there is some recent evidence that calorically-dense foods (such as fats and sweets) are physically addictive to the brain. (This made sense for our ancestors, but not so much in our modern time of relative abundance.)

• Make sure you know what you mean by “too much cooked and not enough raw.” Let your body help guide you, and avoid assuming that an externally imposed ideal (like 100% raw) is automatically right for you.

• Baby steps. Can you deal with 1 fully raw meal per day for a month? Trying to jump in 100% raw from the get-go can backfire. Give your body and your psyche time to adjust.

• Go at your own pace and don’t worry. If you keep at it, you’ll reach your goal eventually. Enjoy the journey. Just don’t be too hard on yourself or get so discouraged that you stop keeping at it! Indulging in cooked foods now and then isn’t going to bring the Raw Police knocking on your door. It’s okay. Don’t guilt-trip yourself over it.

• It could be a sign you’re missing something in your diet. Try a “food & mood journal.” For a week or two, write down what you eat (with the date and time) as well as feelings (such as cravings) when they come up. You don’t have to get carried away with it — the idea is just to see if there are some discernible patterns. For example, maybe you start to get cravings when too much time has elapsed since your last meal. Or maybe you get cravings on those busy days when you skip breakfast.

• Keep some raw treats on hand. Prepare some grab-and-go treats ahead of time, so that when temptation strikes, it’s easy to make a good choice. Don’t go into battle without ammunition!

• Make your choices at the grocery store. It’s much easier to say “no” to something you don’t need at the store. Once you bring it home, the barrier to avoiding it is much lower, and trust me, it WILL be calling your name.

Do you have any special tips or tricks to deal with cravings on the raw food diet? Leave a comment below!

2 Comments

• 

  By Sonja Watt, May 17, 2009 @ 10:28 pm

  Hi!

  There are already good tips. I just wanted to add – eat enough non-fat calories (Green smoothies do wonders as they have the amino acids to build protein, contain minerals – salt, etc. – and sugars through the fruit). Lots of greens – preferably wild greens but others are good, too!
  When I changed over to raw foods – I did it over years though – I ate tons of nuts. It helped my body to slow down detox. After a year or so I couldn’t take that many nuts anymore as my body clearly was ready to take the next step up. So, don’t worry too much . Just go with the flow.

  You can also deal with it by exchanging – meaning instead of satisfying your cravings with cooked stuff ask yourself what you crave and eat it a raw equivalent version. Oh, alges also have lots of minerals…and salt.
  So at the end my tip for you: Try different things and listen to YOUR body! It will guide you. Happy transitioning!!
  Sonja Watt
  http://www.rawfunfamily.com
• 

  By Stephanie, May 25, 2009 @ 9:00 pm

  Great tips to deal with those tough cravings for cooked food. Thanks!
  Vegan and Raw Food Info

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