Opening a Raw Food Diet

Quick Start Guide

When you're go-off a raw food repast, you often don't know where to stop at, what to take, what tools to use, what to buy and what all those novel"raw food words" means. It can all seem very fatal.

To save you time and make the method as easy as possible for you, you'll find here a step plan that will display you in 7 steps all you need to know to get started with the raw food diet. It wish make you smart quickly.

Step Plan

Step 1 - Raw Food Weight Loss, Health or Detox

First, decide on your motivation (your dream, final goal). This is important because your raw food focus will be slightly different for each of them. Usually they are:

• weight loss;
• health;
• detox.

And of course there are many other reasons such as wanting more energy, better shape, overall wellbeing, environment, etc. Focus for each motivation

Weight loss - eat alkaline, raw and super foods;
Health - eat organic, raw, vegan, alkaline and super foods;
Detox - drink alkaline vegetable juices and super foods.
Environment - eat organic, local, in season, fresh/raw (unprocessed).

What does this mean? Read further to find out what these terms and food choices mean and why they are important for raw food weight loss, health or detox.

Step 2 - Bluff Your Way Into Raw Food (Glossary)

Raw Food;
Alkaline Food;
PH Scale;
Organic;
Vegan;
Super Foods;
Blending (Smoothies);
Dehydrating;
Juicing;
Enzymes.

Step 3 - Smart Raw Food Tips

What To Eat;
Why Organic;
Why Raw;
Why Vegan;
Why Eat Alkaline;
Why Drink Pure Water;
How to get most nutrients out of your food;
Best Sources of Raw Vegan Protein;
Best Sources of Calcium, Iron, B12.

Step 4 - Efficient Raw Kitchen

Most Important Raw Food Kitchen Tools:

Cutting Board
Sharp Knifes
Hand Blender
Juicer

Go to raw food tools (description, picture and review), and

Go to how to preparation raw food.

Step 5 - Terrific Transition Tools

Few people are starting a raw food diet cold turkey. Most transition gradually. Here are tips, tools & cheat sheets to help you with the transition:

Transition Chart - Overview that shows you quickly what to replace your current (cooked) foods with
Shopping List - Check list of things to buy when you go shopping
Raw Food Meal Planner - Example menus to get you started on the raw food diet.

Step 6 - Ridiculous Recipes

Here you'll find links to the most delicious raw food recipes:

Weight Loss Recipes
Health Recipes
Detox Recipes
All Recipes

Step 7 - Outrageous Success Tips

Below are common challenges that starters of a raw food diet face, and tips how to overcome them:

Raw Food in Winter
Travel Tips
Food Cravings
"Cooked" Family members/friends
Don't know what to eat?
Top 5 Money Saving Tips
Top 5 Time Saving Tips
Food Safety

Top 3 Starters Tips So you Can Start Today!

When you're starting a raw food diet, you may not know how to begin. What can you eat? What should you buy? Should you go 100% raw or is it better to go gradually?

To make the transition to raw food easy, below you find the 3 Top Tips so you can start with raw uncooked food today.

Here are three tips and tricks to help you get started today. No excuse to delay getting healthy, slim and beautiful! Starting a raw food diet is easy:
Start Juicing

Fruit and vegetable juices will give you a jump start to the raw food diet. You feel better quickly. The juice is full of enzymes, vitamins, co-factors, life force, alkaline, organic minerals and much more. Vegetable juice boosts your energy and immune system. On this site you find free juice recipes. As well as easy to follow juicing instructions. Eat Smarter

Add healthier foods to your diet gradually. You can try something new every day, week or month. Whatever works for you. Before you know it, you eat a large amount of your diet raw. And you feel it. Start adding these easy, mouthwatering raw food recipes or you try these super foods for quick results. Go Organic

Start buying organic. The advantages of organic foods are ridiculous. Just this change will have a dramatic result on your health and weight loss. Begin with the top 10 organic foods.

Fitness and Diet Tips (Part Seven)

Run chafe-free

There's ought fun about grind. You can bring the rash (caused by moisture and constant friction) on your thighs, around your sports bra, and even under your weapon, to name a few hot spots! To check the next occurrence, try scouring on an anti-chafe stick like Bodyglide For Her Anti-Chafing Stick ($9; amazon.com)in any spots that have the potential to chafe. Moisture-wicking fabrics help, too, so if you have a few quick-dry shirts (Nike, Asics, and Under Armour all make 'em), save those for your long runs or tough workouts, when chafing is most likely to occur.

Slim up your tiffin

It's difficult to avert that 3 p.m. stomach rumble, when nothing can stand between you and the office vending machine. And while it's fine to eat something to hold you over until dinner (in fact, we encourage it!), some choices will help you keep on your weight-loss track—while others can surely derail you. So at the vending machine, instead of choosing that ever-so-tempting pack of Twizzlers, try a 100-calorie cookie pack or a Nature Valley granola bar. Better yet, bring a snack from home! We're fans of sliced veggies dipped in hummus. Delish!

Get sound fast food

Have to work late tonight and need dinner—in a hurry? Not to worry. If you find fast food is your only option, pull up the restaurant's nutrition facts online before you go; you can make an informed decision ahead of time about what to order. "Nearly every quick-service restaurant has a relatively healthful option or two," days Nugent. We're thinking salads, chili, or grilled chicken. Some low-cal, healthy, on-the-run dishes: the vegetarian burrito bowl at Chipotle, the Bangkok curry at Noodles and Company, and the tomato basil bisque at Au Bon Pain.

Be a powerful feather

The end is here! Three cheers for all your hard work. But that doesn't mean it's time to put on the brakes. To maintain your weight, you still have to make those smart choices at restaurants, work, and home. Look into getting a diet confidante, who you can chat with once a week about your eating highs and oh-no's. And stick to using that scale so you can be proactive if a few extra pounds creep back on. Don't let your exercise routine change, either, because even if you don't have any more pounds to lose, you'll still be working out your ticker. And we heart that!

Part Five Part Six

Fitness and Diet Tips(Part Six)

Firewood for fitness

Planning on picking up the pace tomorrow? Eat food that will help keep you going dynamic. For breakfast, give out for a high-carbohydrate meal—one similar to what you'll be eating on race day, so you can find out what foods digest chief(for you!). Try a whole-grain English muffin or a bagel with peanut butter or a low-fat cream cheese. Then, have a well-rounded meal post-workout to help with recovery. Andrew Kastor's favorite? One to two slices French toast with a side of fruit. "The protein-to-carbohydrate rate is ideal for enhancing my recovery," he says. We like that it's super-yummy, too.

Shake your trick slight

Sick of that oval or bike or workout DVD? That means it's time to mix up your routine! Our favorite way: Break a sweat by going and shaking. Simply make a playlist with your favorite "cut a rug" tunes ("Girls Just Want to Have Fun"? "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)"?), then turn up the size, and start breach it down. For even more fun, invite some girl pals over and get grooving (and laughing). The best part is that you'll each burn about 200 to 600 calories per hour. Now that's something to shimmy about!

Quiet those part stitches

You know it: a acute pain just under the thorax grate that always look at to pop up when you're working out your solid. It's called the side stitch, and it can be a major raid—especially when it keeps you from fulfilling a workout. To ease the ache (so you can get on with your run), take your fist and press it beneath your rib cage while taking deep breaths from your belly for about 10 steps. In about 30 seconds, the pain should subside, so you can get on back to (fitness) work.

Slather up!

Part Five

Fitness and Diet Tips(Part Five)

Be a weekend fighter

You've been following your diet plan to the letter, but enter: the weekend. To vocation with three nights of eating temptations (think: birthdays, weddings, dinner parties), up your work level for the week. For example, try taking an extra 15-minute walk around your office every day, suggests Newgent. Then, go on and indulge a bit at the soiree, guilt free. Another party trick? Enjoy a 100-calorie snack before a celebration, which can help you eat fewer munchies at the event.

Ditch your working snack

Munching on your lunch while at the computer could lead to neglectful grazing, following to a reading in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. People who ate their noon meals while playing a computer game ended up eating over cookies 30 minutes later than those who hadn't been gaming. So carve out 20 minutes a day (we know, you've got a million things to do, but … ), and eat in your conference room (or outdoors!). Your whittled waistline with thank you.

Smell your carbs

When dour to slim and crop, you may be greedy to accept drastic measures like cutting out your carbs. But before you go and add dinner rolls and chips to your "no" list, keep in mind that yummy foods like brown rice, pumpernickel bread, and even potato chips take on Resistant Starch, a metabolism-boosting carb that keeps you full for longer. And that's great for maintaining a fit you because you won't have to eat as much to feel pleased. So go on, rip open that (single-serve) bag of Lay's!

Say goodbye to peer pressure

Even if you've been eating right on track, it may be hearty to stay on track if your partner, helper, or friends don't share your healthy-eating habits. What to do? If your partner loves pizza, try ordering a pie that's heavy on the veggies and light on the cheese—then help up it with a side salad. Or, if your friends are having a girls' night out, suggest a restaurant that's got healthy appetizer options, instead of the typical fare of onion rings and cheese dip. And at work, instead of Friday baked-goods day, suggest a Friday "make it healthy" day, and swap in baked pears with cinnamon or slightly fruit-and-nut muffins for brownies and blondies.

Part Four Part Six

Fitness and Diet Tips(Part Four)

Snag the right support

Sure, your yoga sports bras works great for downward dog—but when it comes to running, you'll need one that's planned to lock them in for all that sidewalk crushing. So what should you look for? "The best sports bras are uncovered around the chest so you can expand your cage and midriff more proudly. But they should also be form-fitting," says Deena Kastor, an American marathon record holder and 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medalist. Just make sure the cup is made of comfy elemant(like a soft compression fabric; look for descriptions that include the terms "breathability" and "compression")—you don't want to be itching at mile two!

Swap out your shoes

While we've all heard that running shoes interval down after logging lots of miles (about 300 to 350), you may still be staying on to your fave pair. (They fit just right! They're so snug!) Not a good idea. "Gum has a tendency to break down under ultraviolet light, as do the other implement that make up the shoe," says Andrew Kastor. So even if your sneaks have only 150 miles on them but are more than two years old, recycle them (try oneworldrunning.com or recycledrunners.com), because chances are they've already started deteriorating. And as a rule of thumb, always keep tabs on how many miles you've logged on them—boring, but hey, you'll be elated of how far you've gone.

Have a tasty ice cream sundae

Next time your family or friends fix to do an ice-cream run, don't worry about being left out of the fun! Order a fresh (and super-refreshing) ice cream sundae, piled high with diced kiwi, pineapple, and strawberries. You'll get a worship of delish fruit—no hefty calorie-laden toppings required.

Make Fun your food

It's easy to get in a diet rut, even if you're lading up on flavorful fruits and veggies. The solution? Have large of spices, fresh herbs, and lemons at your cooking beck and call. "It's arresting what a little dash of spice, sprinkle of herbs, pinch of lemon zest, or jet of lime juice can do to liven up a dish—and your diet," says Newgent. The best part: They contain almost no calories. Experiment with your dinner, tonight!

Part Three Part Five

Fitness and Diet Tips(Part Three)

Turn your delusion day almost

Feeling vicious about that monster ice cream sundae you enjoyed at your niece's birthday party? Don't beat yourself up! It takes a lot of calories—3,500—to profit a pound of body fat. "So really, that one off day doesn't usually result in any important weight gain," says Newgent. It's about what you do the next day and the day after that's really important—so don't stand off-track. So be sure to whittle away at those additionl calories over the next day or two, preferably by boosting exercise rather than eating too little. Fasting is not the healthy answer!

Eat this, manage that

When you have a 5- or 10K (you get to eat more with a half or full marathon) on your calendar, it's urgent to plan out what you're going to eat the morning of the big day—something that will keep you fueled and also go down easy. While everyone is different, "We always have good luck with a high-carbohydrate breakfast such as a small bowl of oatmeal with fruit or a pair of pieces of toast with peanut butter or cream cheese," says Andrew Kastor, who also advises eating around 200 to 250 (primarily carb) calories about 90 minutes before you warm up for your run . And don't worry about nixing your a.m. caffeine fix on race day. "Coffee is great for athletic performances," Kastor adds, because it makes you sharper and may even give you extended energy. Talk about buzz-worthy!

Say hello to H20

Whether you're heading off to turning class, boot camp, or any other exercise, it's always important to hydrate so you can stay energized and have your best workout. Electrolyte-loaded athletic drinks, though, can be a shower of unnecessary calories, so "drinking water is usually fine until you're exercising for more than one hour," says Newgent. At that point, feel free to go for regular Gatorade-type drinks (and their calories), which can give you a helpful replenishment boost. But worry not if you like a little smell during your fitness: There are now lower- cal sports drinks available, adds Newgent, so look out for 'em in your grocery aisles.

Run with this

Before you hit the road, make sure you're packing these key staples: a clock to log your total time (or a fancy GPS to track your mileage), an iPod with great amp-you-up music, a cell phone if you don't mind staying onto it, and a RoadID (a bracelet that includes all your vital info, $20; roadid.com). And on a sunny day, put on sunglasses. "They reduce glare, which can loss squinting, finally releasing the tension in your shoulders," says Andrew Kastor. And that's a performance bonus, because relaxing them helps conserve energy on your runs. Hey, we'll take a boost where we can get it!

Part Four Part Tow

Fitness and Diet Tips (Part Tow)

Select your ideal tunes

Running with song is a best trick to get in a groove (just make sure it's not destructive too loudly, or you won't hear those cars!). To pick the eventual iPod playlist, think about what gets you going. "I know various prime athletes that listen to what we'd consider 'relaxing' song, similar as symphony music, while they do a hard workout," says Andrew Kastor. So don't feel like you have to download Lady Gaga because her songs are supposed to pump you up—go with any music that you find uplifting.

When to take up

You've been following your diet for a total week. Weigh to go! Now it's time to start tracking your improvement (and make sure pesky pounds don't find their way back on). "It's greatest to step on the scale in the morning before eating or drinking—and before to plunging into your daily functions," says Newgent. For the most dependable number, be sure to check your poundage at a compatible time, whether daily or weekly.

Campaign cocktail hour

Is it ladies' night? If you know you'll be drinking more than one drink, feel (and sip!) right by always ordering water between cocktails, says Newgent. That way, you won't rack up secrect liquid calories (and ruin your interdict to resist those mozzarella sticks!). But your H20 doesn't have to be ho-hum. "Make it exultant by ordering the sparkling variety with much of fruit, like a lime, lemon, and orange wedge in a martini or highball glass," adds Newgent.

Police your section

Does your steak accept more than half your plate? Think about cutting your serving of beef in half. That's because it's best to try and fill half your plate with veggies or a mixture of veggies and fresh fruit, says Newgent, so that it's harder to infast it on the more caloric dishes (like cheesy potatoes or barbecue sauce–slathered ribs—yum!).

Part One Part Three