Photo by Rachel I write a lot about green smoothies and the benefits of drinking green smoothies. I’m also a huge advocate of juicing your greens. But one of the important aspects of drinking your greens is the rotation of plants. Let me explain. When you consume the exact same variety of green leafy vegetables, [...]
I’ve seen it many times: one person decides to go raw, but their spouse or partner isn’t on board. This causes undue friction, arguments, and problems.
Then what used to be a perfectly happy couple turns into a quarreling relationship. All over the seemingly simple topic of food.
If this situation sounds a little too familiar, don’t worry I’ve been there before. In fact, after I decided to go raw my boyfriend Robin and I almost broke up. We were two compatible people that had suddenly developed incompatible lifestyles.
Time and again I’ve heard that it’s easier to get someone to change their culture, their language, their political standpoint, and their religion than it is to get them to change their diet.
Unfortunately for us, that reality is not likely to change in the next few minutes while we’re talking about it.
So what’s a gal to do if she wants her boyfriend to eat more raw food? Or what’s a man to do if he wants to embrace a high raw or all raw lifestyle, but his wife thinks he’s gone off the deep end?
You’ve got to mend the food divide.
You can learn all the tips and tricks in the world on how to eat raw while going to non-raw restaurants, how to make raw desserts, how to use a dehydrator to make raw snacks that resemble commercial ones… But unless you mend the food divide, your relationship will remain shaken.
Before going raw, Robin and I used to share cooking duties. If he was cooking I would wash and prepare the vegetables, rice, and so on. If I was cooking (which was rare, since I wasn’t a good cook!) it usually meant baking or making an instant meal.
After I discovered raw food, everything went topsy turvy. Suddenly I was the one making most of the food, and Robin felt slighted.
There’s something inherently rewarding in making food for the person you love.
If you decide to increase your raw food intake you may inadvertently rob your partner’s chance to show their love by preparing food for you.
No wonder changing your diet creates so much chaos!
Luckily, Robin and I found a way to make the changes work for both of us. And we’re ready to share the details with you. I’ve also enlisted the help of the lovely Annie Lin, a certified relationship coach.
We’re holding a free teleseminar about this very important topic, happening January 21st at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
Sign up and get the details for the call here.
The call will be recorded and made available as a recording. So make sure to get on the list so you receive your recording after the call!
Resolutions… New Year’s Resolutions… Doesn’t that just bring up weird emotions like guilt, resentment, and so on? Yuck, no thanks.
This year I’ve decided to just pick one word to guide me in 2010. If I had to pick a word for last year, it would probably be the word: growing.
I grew a bountiful garden, grew my raw food business, and planted some roots in my new home in Toronto, Canada.
One thing that has been monumental in all of these endeavors was confidence. As a Virgo, I tend to let things affect my self-confidence, even though I know better intellectually.
Growing a garden takes confidence because you need to trust that the seeds you plant will grow into delicious food for you and your family. You also need to have confidence that the squirrels and bugs won’t get all of it before you do.
Growing a business definitely takes confidence. I spent far too much time second guessing myself and my business decisions last year. No more. I know what needs to be done, how to make things happen, and how to serve people. I just need to trust in my ability to do it, without doubting myself.
Moving to Toronto didn’t take that much thought, I mean it was the logical step. However I let myself get sucked into the uncertainty that we might not be living in Toronto for a long time and that derailed me. Now I say live in the moment and don’t worry, because 90% of worries never materialize anyways.
Along with a word and theme for 2010, I’m also making a list of things that I am ready to let go of. I’m giving myself permission to release these things.
I encourage you to come up with a word for 2010. It’s also a very empowering exercise to let go of things that no longer serve you.
If you’d like a little help to make this process more magickal, my dear friend Goddess Leonie has put together a delicious workbook and planner. Take a look!
2010: Creating My Goddess Year workbook & planner is Goddess Leonie’s latest masterpiece! It’s filled with 40 pages of worksheets to help you dream, manifest, set your intentions, plan & cultivate your amazing new year.
It’s handwritten & illustrated… perfect for you to print out, soak up the rainbow colors of, and make 2010 your gorgeous goddess year.
This makes the best self-nurturing gift for all of you busy-ladies who have a hard time to take time for yourself. (That includes me!) Check out the beautifulness. :)
In January I was on a trip in China and Korea, with my boyfriend Robin. The idea for The Raw Foods Witch web site was still marinating in my mind. I was blogging as The Billionaire Woman.
The Raw Food Switch web site was created. Note that the site was actually called Raw Food Switch and not Raw Foods Witch. That little witchy switch took place later on.
In February I shared the story of how I went from junk foodist to raw foodist, and how I stopped taking birth control pills.
I filmed a video about Eating Raw Food in the Winter. I also shared some of my first few simple raw food recipes like my quick video on how to make beet juice.
In April I started a series on the benefits of eating raw food. Some of the articles were about using raw food for weight loss, and how more college students are turning to raw food to increase their performance.
In May my boyfriend Robin showed you how to make a Chinese inspired Raw Ragu recipe to trump all salads. I also shared my views about eating 100% raw vs. eating a high raw diet.
I maintain that it’s not necessary to eat 100% raw to enjoy the benefits of raw food.
In June I shared the 9 ways that raw food changed my life. Then I uploaded a video of my garden, and a video of my speech about the beautiful tropical fruit called durian.
Then I wrote a cheeky article that hypothesized that it is easier to become raw than to become vegan.
June was also the month that Raw Food Switch became the Raw Foods Witch. :)
In July I went back to basics and explained what is the raw food diet.
In one of my most popular articles to date, I shared the 13 Witchy Ways Green Smoothies Make You Feel Good in 13 Minutes or Less. Yum, yum.
I also weighed in on the debate over organic food, and shared in the advantages and disadvantages of organic food.
August saw the harvest from the garden and so I explained what a raw food dehydrator is. I also shared 21 Ways to Sneak More Vegetables Into Your Day, because we all know that eating more veggies is good for us but putting it into practice isn’t always so easy.
I also answered 2 of the most commonly asked questions: Is it better to blend or to juice? And whether a certain symptom is just detox or not, in my article on Raw Food Detox: The Myth, The Madness… The Magick?!.
In September I opened up more and shared the story behind why I started eating raw food and what has happened since then.
I posted my video on how to grow sprouts, with some written guidelines as well. Then I shared some of my insights on food cravings, why we have them, and what to do about them.
October was a busy month for The Raw Foods Witch. First, I wrote about the difference between healthy food and unhealthy food.
Then I released my shiny “28 Desserts You Can Eat Every Day” ebook. Grab yourself a copy if you haven’t already.
October was also the month I posted my Raw Pumpkin Pie recipe with a quick video to show you how to make it.
In November I undertook the master cleanse. I talked about a lot of detoxing techniques like the salt water flush, dry skin brushing, and how much water to drink per day.
I shared the results from my master cleanse. Then I posted happy photos and talked about eating out at restaurants while staying raw.
December was all about celebrating the season. I posted the raw food gift guide to help people shop for the raw foodies in their circle.
I explained the benefits of goji berries, and gave away my secret to buying them for a good price.
December seemed like a good time to answer another question I get asked a lot: what is a raw food coach?
And finally, I posted a super fun raw christmas recipe – the raw snowman!
I hope you had a great 2009, and are looking forward to a fantastic 2010. I’m wishing you nothing but the best in health, joy, and prosperity.
Love,
This is a question I get asked whenever I explain what it is that I do. What do you do when you coach people who want to eat more raw food, and not necessarily 100% raw? What is a raw food coach exactly?
Let me illustrate this with…
Look, I hate sports metaphors as much as the next gal. But here’s the deal: all of us can use a coach at one point or another in our lives.
A teacher. A mentor. An adviser. A consultant. A coach.
You might not know this, but I’m a black belt in the martial art of Tae Kwon Do. As a youngster I used to compete in tournaments, and even went as far as the United States Nationals.
My favorite part of competing was the patterns competition. Though I did enjoy my share of sparring.
Until quite recently, I don’t think I ever really appreciated the importance of having a coach. In the ring, when you’re fighting and just trying to catch your breath you really don’t think about your coach much.
When you win, you don’t attribute it to your coach. If you lose, you don’t blame your coach. You know you’re the one doing the butt kicking (and receiving it!).
But it sure feels good to know that there’s someone on your side. Someone watching your back. Someone who is keeping her eyes on your strengths and weaknesses, and telling you about it.
Your coach has a higher vantage point than you do. Instead of being caught up in all the action, your coach can see what’s coming. She knows what you need and she can guide you to excel.
On top of all that, your coach is experienced. More insights, a sharper eye, and targeted advice just for you.
We’ve all become accustomed to the idea of athletes getting coached. Tiger Woods, one of the best golf players of all time still has a coach.
Do you think that Tiger Woods could do alright without coaching? Sure he could. But he doesn’t, because he is committed to being his best and he knows a coach is the way to keep him accountable and continuously growing.
Actors get acting coaches, business owners get business consultants, and yes if you want to eat healthy high-raw meals you get a raw food coach.
I remember after I first went raw as an experiment for 30 days, I felt incredible! I was practically floating. I was getting better grades, losing that excess weight… and just feeling good in general.
That’s when I decided to “indulge”. While in New York City, my mom and I decided to visit The Magnolia Bakery. I hadn’t had anything super sugary (other than my beloved raw treats and desserts) for at least two months by then.
I ate three bites of a chocolate cupcake. It was the cutest cupcake I’d ever seen. But my body had such a violent reaction, I instantly regretted it.
I got the worse rash I had ever seen. My stomach got completely red, full of little bumps. I didn’t feel so hot myself, and I just put the rest of it back in the box.
Honestly, I realized it wasn’t worth hurting myself over a cupcake. Not when there were plenty of delicious and healthy raw alternatives. The type that didn’t give me major rashes or cause me to breakout like nobody’s business.
I’ve fallen off the wagon many times. I’ve had those days (or weeks!) when I thought maybe this whole raw food thing wasn’t for me.
Then there were times when I just wished I could get back into eating more raw foods. I literally stayed awake in bed imagining eating sweet and savory foods.
I didn’t have anyone to keep me accountable or keep me on track when I was going raw. I had never even heard of coaching at the time, well except for sports coaches.
Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables has been the biggest turning point in my life. There were times I wish I had someone to keep me accountable, to listen to my binging horror stories, and to steer me in the right direction.
Luckily, I learned from my mistakes along the way. Now I can help others who may be struggling with their direction and old habits.
If you’d be interested in learning more about raw food coaching, leave a comment below or email me and we’ll go from there.
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The Raw Food Detox Diet
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Raw Food/Real World
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Green for Life
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Ani's Raw Food Kitchen
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The Juiceman's Power of Juicing
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The China Study
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