Finding Balance

Earlier this week a blog went up on my website, Raw Food Rehab that caught my eye. It was from a member who was struggling with the concept of eating a 100% raw food diet. She shared that she felt that she was becoming food obsessed and didn't have time for such laborious food preparations as she worked a full time job that required overtime and she is part time yoga instructor as well. She went on to say that she also can't eat salad all the time because that is just way too boring.

I think this is a perfect subject to address on my blog here at Real Food Tulsa. I firmly believe that this journey towards optimal health needs to be fun and that we should learn to cultivate ways of joyfully and creatively making more healthy choices along the way. If my daily diet was one of only eating salads and/or that of living under some rigid dogma, fearfully approaching my food or worrying that the raw food police may have a surveillance cam set up around me 24/7, I'd have been out of here long ago.

I want to be clear about where I am coming from as a natural health advocate & raw foods enthusiast. I personally advocate a diet that is centered around eating real food, using a common sense approach, and loving what you do eat. I don't advocate eating a 100% raw diet, 100% of the time.

The bio at Raw Food Rehab shares that we are passionate about supporting our members on their own personal health journey by encouraging a diet that is all about adding more raw & living foods. The percentage of how much raw foods you eat is totally up to you. Each person has to find the balance that will successfully meet their personal health and lifestyle needs.

That being said, I do think that if your health is compromised or if you have a serious weight problem, eating a pristine, alkalizing, all raw diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts, seaweeds, etc. is a really wise approach for a season of healing and cleansing. I also have found that it can be really helpful to use other healing methods like juice feasting or colon hydrotherapy when chronic illness or imbalances persist. Here are some of the dietary points I believe in and support:

~ Michael Pollen said it best - Eat Food. Not too Much. Mostly Plants.

~ Eat Real Food. Food that is grown from the ground, vine or from the trees is always the best choice. Foods that are in packages, have labels w/ long lists of ingredients, and are highly processed are not encouraged when working on your optimal health.

~ Eat Local. Get to know farmers in your neck of the woods and find out how they care for their soil. Also consider starting to grow some of your own food in your yard, on your patio or in your kitchen. Baby steps are encouraged!

~ Eat Foods that are in Season. When you eat locally, this is a no brainer. Eating with this approach ensures the most nutrient density in your foods and these foods have generally traveled fewer miles and are fresher.

~ Learn about the benefits of alkaline foods that have super nutritional profiles and add more of these to your diet.