Fitness vs. The Raw Diet

Fitness vs. The Raw Diet

This topic is challenging for me since I don't really believe in the concept of a "diet." The use of the word diet for me almost refers to something that is temporary when really what everyone needs is a lifestyle change. Practicing (for me at least) in raw food is an all over dietary and mental re-balancing and renewal not a hobby to pass the time. If you commit an allotted time on eating raw as well as a moderate fitness routine, hit your "goal" then change back to what you were eating and back to the bad food habits you had before your transformation you just reversed all of your hard work. Your body simply responds to what you feed it...."you are what you eat."

Raw food is a new passion of mine but fitness has always been an emotional and physical outlet for me. At first I felt it would be hard to balance the two evenly but in all honesty I been feeling great and I find I have a lot more energy that I can put towards my workouts. I used to workout at least 3-4 times a week, sometime disturbingly everyday, but now I find I'm only needing 1-2 times a week just for toning. If you let go of the concept that working out is only for weight management you allow yourself to enjoy the activity more and you really have to realize that your raw food lifestyle will take care of the rest.

Fitness for me gives me a renewed sense of being, I feel so amazingly positive after every workout. When those endorphins kick in, you just feel like nothing can stop you and you can take on the world. This is, if you allow yourself to "hit the wall" as they say, and push yourself physically. But you will not have the energy to do so if you don't allow your body the proper nutrients it requires to rebuild, renew, and strengthen itself.

This takes me into my newest routine which consists of the "green smoothy." I did a lot of research on this since I started to discover that there are so many variations, since raw recipes are open to everyone's interpretation of it you are allowed to experiment in order to create your own version that works for you. This is what I've found works for me :

My version of the "Green Smoothy" :

2 Large handful's of Spinach

1- 1 1/2 cups of pineapple juice (or water)

1 large frozen banana

1 frozen orange

1 tblsp. of ground flax seed

1 tsp. of maca powder

1 tsp. of acai powder

1 tsp. of chia seeds

Add the liquid first, I like pineapple juice but I've also had this with water and it tastes just as good. Create your base with the juice and frozen banana, (this will make it creamier) in a blender then add your orange.

You can then add the powders and "superfoods" or your choosing.

I like flax seed a lot for its protein and fiber content (I try to have this everyday), acai for its antioxidant properties, maca for it B-12 energy and hormonal balance, and the chia seeds because it helps the body with absorbing nutrients and its also another great source of soluble fiber. (I love my fiber!)

Then blend in your greens, I like spinach for this but kale is also a very popular choose. With your base created how you like it, you won't even taste this part of the recipe.

I was recently told to look into reading a book called "Green for Life," by Victoria Boutenko. It goes deeper into the health benefits of the green smoothy. I'll let you know all about it when I get a chance to pick up a copy and give it a read. Today would be my official third day on the green smoothy and I feel great. I had a full body workout yesterday and had an enormous amount of energy to put into it, and all and all I just feel amazing. My skin is clear, my aura is positive and my being just feels centered.