Since I launched my website, Nutrition Raw, 7 years ago, I have noticed an alarmingly increase rate of people wanting to lose weight. I am not talking about people on average diets of MacDonalds, Nando’s, etc. which is also a big problem, obviously; I am referring specifically to people on plant-based diets.

Terrified folks send me messages like “I constantly feel controlled by food thoughts and cravings and I’m scared that if I go off track with my diet and exercise that I will gain weight.”

Let’s face it: it’s easy to overeat cooked food, which is why so many people on vegan and vegetarian diets still have problems with their weight. By contrast, it’s not easy to overeat on whole, raw food. This is simply because our bodies has a natural mechanism of satiation – among other physiological factors which make us want to stop eating after we consume enough raw food. This biological characteristic also explains why wild animals – all of whom exclusively feed on raw food – don’t have weight issues.

Have you ever seen a fat giraffe or an obese lion out in the wild? No, you haven’t. That is because they simply do not exist. It’s Mother Nature whispering her eternal wisdom to us to keep us at our perfect weight.

However the satiation mechanism of our bodies is only effective when we eat naturally occurring foods, i.e. raw foods. Not when we consume artificial prepared foods – which fool our senses. Humans are the only species on the planet that struggle with weight issues, alongside the domesticated animals whose eating habits they control. Do you see a pattern?

This is one of the flaws of cooked food eating: you need a lot of willpower and self-discipline to stay on track, hence why so many people fall to temptation and fight weight issues. All cooked food is “processed food” in essence, because the original water presence in foods has been removed by cooking. Every nutritionist and dietician recommending “wholefood” plant based diets miss this important point.

Coming from someone who’s had a lot of experience taking drugs, I can tell you there is a lot in common between eating a Big Mac and sniffing cocaine, both actions numb you, while being highly stimulating. Do you feel the same when you eat an apple? Probably not, because raw foods do not stimulate.

It is known fact that stimulation and nutrition invariably exist in inverse ratio— the more you are stimulated by food, the less nutrition you receive, and vice versa.

I LOOOOVE drinking cold, fresh coconut water; it’s one of my all-time favourite pleasures in life but I haven’t had it in 3 years and it’s not a problem. Try getting people off bread, meat, and potatoes for more than a week and they go crazy!

So what’s the solution?

If you feel it’s time to balance your weight effectively and consistently, I’d recommend taking the following steps:

– Increase fresh fruit consumption and reduce overall fat levels

By eating more fresh fruit, you significantly reduce fat levels and overall salt intake. You are also consuming highly liquid food, which is what our body needs to properly function at every level.

People have told me in the past that they have an intolerance for fruit. Well, let me tell you the uncomfortable truth… In the majority of cases, the problem isn’t Mother Nature’s perfect human food: i.e. fruit; the problem is everything else you eat.

– Fast for optimal health

Fasting is not a cure in the sense of a “magic pill” or treatment where an external agent is supposed to be doing all the work. Fasting is a state where the body can do its own healing and often better than in any other state.

I am not talking about the often overhyped “intermittent fasting”, which is OK, but too often employed to mask and lessen the effect of eating too much junk food. I am referring more specifically about going on a 24, 48 or even 36 hours water fast, which is where the real progress happens.

– Stop eating processed foods

Even if you don’t feel like eating 100% raw and still want to eat some cooked food, make sure you cut down on processed and refined foods, i.e. oils, grains, high fat, etc.. One of the healthiest cooked food options is steamed vegetables.

– Make sure you are getting enough sleep

Eating the correct diet will result in improved health and balanced weight, but it’s important to point out that it is the body, not the food, that creates health, hence it is essential you get a good night’s sleep.

When you’re short on sleep, it’s easy to lean on stimulants to get moving. You might be tempted to skip exercise because you are too tired and eat all kinds of junk your body doesn’t need.

A recent study done at the University of Chicago demonstrated that sleep-deprived participants chose snacks with twice as much fat as those who slept at least 8 hours. I’ve noticed I also feel like snacking on junk food when short of sleep and tired.

What kinds of physical changes can you expect to see after making your diet raw, or mostly raw vegan?

Here is just some of the changes people experience after adopting the correct raw food approach.

• Huge leaps in energy and stable energy levels all through the day.
• Clearer thinking and decisiveness
• Easy digestion and elimination
• Clear, glowing skin
• Balanced, even moods
• Stronger immunity – reduction in the frequency and severity of colds, flu, and other diseases.
• Effortless weight loss
• A powerful desire to get out and exercise
• Reduction or cessation of many symptoms of ill health

If you are new to raw foods, the best way to start is by making sure you have plenty of delicious raw vegan recipes you can eat day in and day out. My Raw Dinner eBook may just be answer. All recipes are low fat, oil-free, and none require a dehydrator.

You can get the eBook right now – for FREE – by clicking the banner below.