This year I’ve been engaging in the concept of High Raw. Shifting away from 100% raw has allowed me to stick as closely as I can to the raw ideal, without making myself crazy.
I was first exposed to the concept of High Raw in a talk that Matt Monarch gave in Denver at the end of the summer of 2008, after the Raw Spirit festival. Matt said that if we refrain from eating refined sugar and grains, dairy and meat, 100% of the time, then we can put together a healthy diet that works for us, even if it’s not raw. The more of our food that can be raw, the better.
I next heard about High Raw from Kevin Gianni just a couple of weeks ago, when I downloaded hise-book, Go High Raw.
I very recently heard about High Raw from Victoria Boutenko in her newsletter.
This retreat from 100% Raw Vegan makes sense to me. I literally lost my mind during a juice feast. Granted, I was doing it on my own, without the guidance of a professional. I was doing my best using the resources that were available to me at the time, as I’m sure most people do.
We want to feel better. We’re not independently wealthy (which seems to be what is required to do everything that the raw gurus say we should). So we do what we can with what we have and we get non-optimal results. I’m glad to see that the gurus are backing down from 100%.
I’m feeling better, easing into raw, keeping it as high as I can, without going broke or crazy.
How about you? I would love your comments.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I am totally with you. I think the best diet is the healthiest one you will stick to. I am doing a 40 day juice feast, but then I am going back to high raw, most likely. I’ve released 90 lbs on high raw; I feel loads healthier and happier.
I tend to be skeptical of extremists of any kind. I am looking for balance.
Thank you, Mallory!
Thankfully, I never got caught up in the 100% raw, all-or-nothing mode. Black and white thinking has gotten me into too much trouble in the past, and became a wonderful excuse to chuck so many things out the window, because, hey, I wasn’t doing it “right,” I slipped up.
My transition from fast food/drive-thru windows to a primarily raw, plant-based diet was a natural progression. I learned to take my cues from my own body, rather than a raw guru.
Two years later, do I eat 100% raw? Some days, yes. Do I eat 100% healthier than I used to? You betchya!
Perfecto!
Slow and steady is winning this race! Great to see you out and about!