When you learn the proper form of eating ... things like mucusless diet ... proper food combining and proper fasting techniques, Dr William Howard Hay CURED 63,000 people of every sort of known dis-ease with 8 oranges a day, distilled water and cool water enemas, you can read his technique in Health via Food.



After you've fasted and broken food addictions, you'll find that a bag of greens, onions and garlic and healthy salad dressing is CHEAP even if organic ... then add one kind of fruit, all you want of it daily ... a few things to throw in a juicer, or what I drink for breakfast is hot lemonade. None of these meals cost what 1 meal would cost from a fast food joint.



The bowel cleanser and rebuilder herbal formula that I use is just over $20 a month. I cleanse my kidneys for less than $40, Liver Cleansing w/ Hulda Clark protocol costs about $3 month. Proper raw food eating after that will detox you.



Purify your air? Try opening your windows everyday!!!!!!



Electromagnetic chaos in your body? Take your shoes off for 20 mins and go stand on the bare ground, in the sunshine works best.



and......growing your own organic veggies from heirloom seeds would be BEST CHOICE for all of us. You'd only need to buy the seeds once, then let a couple pieces of fruit go for drying the seeds for next year. Plant a grape vine once and you have grapes for your childrens generation and their children. You can certainly make this as easy or as hard as you want to .... as expensive or as inexpensive as you want, also.

Unless you very much feel that you have all your ducks in a row with your raw food diet, I don't think we can ever be reminded enough about what constitutes a great, well balanced healthy raw diet. While the following are pointers and should not be seen to constitute "complete" nutritional advice, anyone taking these on board cannot fail but to look and feel different (perhaps even dramatically) as a result.



So here follows my 15 Can't-Go-Wrong Tips For Eating Raw. Enjoy!

1) Rinse your body through with at least one large glass of water first thing in the morning. Drink it warm and/or with lemon juice if this makes it easier for you!



2) Drink at least 4-6 pints of liquid per day, either through pure water, smoothies or fresh juices. (This will depend on how much high water content food you are eating as well as cooked food).



3) Drink away from your meal time - no closer then 30 minutes before eating, and no sooner than 3 hours after eating.



4) Only eat when hungry - yes, even breakfast.



5) Aim for one vegetable juice or superfood smoothie per day, minimum.



6) Fruit, when eaten, should be eaten before a main meal, never after.



7) Eat something green and organic at every main meal.



8) Eat at least one large leafy green salad per day OR drink one large green juice OR make one green smoothie.



9) Eat sprouted foods every day.



10) If you're eating more-raw eat a large fresh organic salad with each cooked meal.



11) If you're eating all-raw, eat at least one high density food in adequate amounts with your large fresh organic salad per meal (examples: flax crackers, sprouted wheat bread, nuts, seeds, olives, avocado, pâté, sprouted beans)



12) Avoid desserts wherever possible - eat them as a snack 3 or more hours after dinner. Desserts clog you up!



13) Try to go for savoury snacks over sweet ones. The sweeter ones, such as dried fruits and snack bars, are more likely to knock you off balance, and can exacerbate cravings and mood swings. Try a handful of sprouted sunflower seeds or some dehydrated crackers for something a bit more interesting and satisfying.



14) Make sure you have adequate time to prepare, eat and digest before getting back to business.



15) Try to eat no later than 7pm every night. If the sky is dark, your body is also shutting down for the day and digestion will be more difficult.



BONUS 16) Remember that you need to love what you do, love what you eat and love the way you feel - this above all must be true : )



© 2008 Karen Knowler



Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

Do you sometimes find yourself in a state of low energy, a little depressed perhaps, or just "gross" in general? Maybe you wake up one day and realize that for the past few days

you've been feeling kind of low.



And then you think about what you've been eating lately, you realize that your diet has kind of been going downhill. Eating out at restaurants, or eating more fat than usual, or

grabbing whatever is available without taking the time to eat lots of healthy raw foods.



If you've never felt like this, you're one of the rare few and it's likely that many people think you're probably not from this planet! In any case, what I'm going to talk about can apply to some of your human friends who may be feeling low in energy and gross, once in a while.



The solution is something simple that I learned years ago when I made friends with the people who are now considered to be the top "raw food" promoters on the planet.



"Taking Massive Raw Food Action"



About 8 years ago I was working with David Wolfe and his company Nature's First Law in California. If you don't know these guys, well, they're sort of the modern "gurus" of raw

foods.



Back then, they had a saying about "taking massive raw food action", which was their main strategy for transitioning to a raw food diet.



But this seemingly extreme advice actually is good as it applies to everyone even if they are not raw foodists.



Raw fruits and vegetables are by far the healthiest foods, so the easiest, number one way to feel like a million bucks is to start putting more of those in your body!



*Question*: Can you show me an example of taking massive raw food action?



*Answer*:



When I talk about raw foods here I mean raw fruits and vegetables. We'll exccluse nuts, seeds, avocados and other fatty foods which must be limited for various optimal health

reasons.



But no matter what you're diet is like, you can start taking "massive raw food action" simply by putting more fruits and vegetables in your body.



It's easy to do. Simple changes can easily be incorporated into your day. Add a few slices of that delicious Watermelon to your morning breakfast routine. Bring a jug of homemade

smoothies to work with you. Head to the grocery store or your local farmer's market and stock up on lots of delicious blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries and

eating these antioxidant-rich foods like candy!



Q: How can I get started with taking massive raw food action?



A: Here are some quick tips to get started taking massive raw food action, even if you are a committed raw foodist.



* Go to the grocery store and get a ton of fruits and vegetables, and make sure you buy those that you like and not just those you think you should eat because you think they are better for you. If you like seedless grapes, get those, even though you may worry they are not as nutritious as other fruits.



* Commit to an exclusively raw breakfast. Eat as much fruit as desired.



* Always eat a big apple before every cooked meal. Eat the apple about 30 minutes before the meal. Remember, one apple a day keeps the doctor away... and 3 apples and day keeps the *surgeon* away.



* Get the raw food in every way you can. Summer is the time to do it. Go bananas on berries. Have fun with this.



* Eat a big salad or drink a big green smoothie every single day.



* If you already eat a lot of raw foods, and you don't feel at your best, chances are that you're not eating enough. Take even more massive action by eating more high-calorie fruits like bananas and mangoes.



* Eat the amount of raw foods you feel comfortable eating, without forcing it, and make sure you enjoy what you eat! Try out new fruits or buy your favorite ones, even if they are a little more expensive.



* Use your blenders to make smoothies and other treats.



* Freeze some bananas to make bananas "ice-cream" by running the frozen banana pieces in a food processor or a special juicer (like the Champion).



* When watching TV, bring a nice bowl of grapes or berries and enjoy a healthy treat. Do the same at the movie theater! It's cheaper than popcorn and a lot better for you! When you get more raw foods into your body, you will feel better. The point is not to become a "raw foodist" necessarily but to understand that fresh fruits and vegetables are the healthiest foods for your body.



This week, take massive raw food action!



Frederic



PS: If you'd like to take massive raw food action and

start experiencing the benefits of a raw diet right away,

check out our program the "Green for Life Program".



About 4 times a year we lead a live "green cleanse" where

you can go completely raw, "detox" your body and get

my support and motivation. Check it out here:



http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/greenforlife.html





To read more of Frederic Patenaude's guidance on raw foods and health, or to join his NewsLetter list, click here.

In this article, I'm going to go back to some basics. I will be giving you specific, concrete action steps you can take right now to transition to a healthy, hopefully raw or mostly raw diet. Even if you're a seasoned raw-foodist, I'm sure you will find some key insights in this article that will help you refine your diet and improve your program. These steps are in no particular order.



STEP #1 - *Workout and Exercise*



It's not possible to be healthy without being fit. We know that, at least intuitively, even if we tend to forget the importance of fitness in a healthy lifestyle, by focusing too much on the importance of diet.



But more importantly, your physical condition has a major impact on your digestion, assimilation, and overall “nutrition.” For example, your ability to uptake sugar, called “insulin sensitivity,” is greatly influenced by your level of fitness.



If you are sedentary, insulin sensitivity is greatly reduced. Therefore, Sugar is not carried as rapidly as it should to the cells. This can lead to or worsen blood Sugar problems of all kinds.



If you've read my book “The Raw Secrets.” You are aware of the importance of hunger in health. One problem is that most people do not eat when they are truly hungry, and mistake “appetite” for hunger. Once they learn how to make the distinction, they soon realize that they are rarely if ever truly hungry!



By exercising on a daily basis and eventually engaging in cardio-respiratory activities (jogging, cardio machines at the gym, cycling, etc.) every day, you will awaken that forgotten sense of hunger.



So exercise is very important, and the lack of a fitness program may be one of the reasons why you have difficulty eating a healthy diet.



STEP #2 - *Eat Fruit Before Each Meal*



One of the easiest ways to transition to a raw-food diet is to start eating fruit before every meal, including lunch and dinner. The idea is to eat fruit when you are the most hungry, which is at the beginning of the meal. Eat as much fruit as you desire then, and you will find that you will eat much less of the meal itself!



This is what I call an “automatic transition strategy.” Just start getting the raw-food in by eating fruit before each meal - just what your mom told you not to do when you were a kid. But now that you're a grownup and that the Standard American Diet didn't work for you, you need to go back to your natural instincts and satisfy your natural sweet tooth by eating as much fruit as you want before every single meal.



STEP #3 - *Learn to Make 7 Raw Food Recipes That You Enjoy*



It's been found that most people know about 7 to 10 good recipes very well, and just rotate them throughout the months, adding in other stuff occasionally for variety.



Or look at when you buy a recipe book. You might try many recipes but eventually you'll only retain a few that you'll continue making for the years to come.



So what I want you to know now is to find 7 simple raw-food recipes that you really like, that are easy to make and that are properly combined. (INSIDER TIP: My recipe book “Instant Raw Sensations” is just about that: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/instantraw.html)



Ideally, I'd like you to know:



About 2 dressings

About 2 great salads

2-3 smoothies you really enjoy

1-2 more gourmet recipes



Those 7 or 10 recipes should be things you can make often, with ingredients that are easy to find, and some of them should have an instant appeal to your friends and family.



You'll find that once you know what those recipes are, and you can make them without opening a book, that you'll be wondering a lot less often “What should I be eating now?”



STEP #4 - *Get Rid of Cheese and Dairy*



Improving your diet isn't about the things you ADD IN. It's mostly about the things we LEAVE OUT. I know this reality is hard to take, but even if you eat all these fruits and vegetables, drink those fresh juices and make those huge smoothies, you won't really feel great until you remove those offensive foods from your diet that are hurting you.



There's one thing you need to say goodbye to forever, and it's milk and cheese. In a previous article, I talked about the top-5 worst foods, and cheese was one of them.



Really, I see it all the time. People have this thing for cheese. They still eat it occasionally, and they still are addicted to it. (Actually, cheese contains some compounds in it that make it addictive for real, not just in your imagination).



If there would be just one category of food you could remove from your diet and feel much better for it, it's got to be cheese and milk.



STEP #5 - *Eat Fruit in the Morning or Skip the Morning Meal*



The morning meal is the easiest to switch to raw. Most people find that once they start listening to their body, they are actually not truly hungry in the morning.



I've watched how many children generally don't eat in the morning if they are left to themselves and not being force-fed.



My suggestion is that you can skip the morning meal altogether or replace it with a smoothie or some fruit. I know that this goes against all the advice you've heard about “never skipping meals” or that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” What I'm telling you know is that this advice isn't based on any solid facts.



The “breakfast” is when you break the “fast” of the night, and this doesn't have to be at noon. In fact, the French word for breakfast means “lunch”, because for thousands of years the French didn't eat in the morning. When they started doing so, they had to come up with a new word for that meal so they called it “small breakfast” (petit dejeuner).



Skipping the morning meal or eating some fruit will help you get in touch with your true sense of hunger, which will make it easier to eat raw. Plus, it will be good for a while to help you detox and lose some weight (if that's an issue for you).



As you start exercising more, you will eventually get hungry in the morning, believe me!



#6. Give Up the Caffeine - Completely



n my experience, I have found that many people who otherwise lead a healthy lifestyle still some kind of caffeinated beverage. Many vegetarians, fitness maniacs and raw-foodists still enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. I know because I was one of them!



I cannot really count how many raw food people I've met (some of them are well-known names in the movement that I'd prefer not to reveal) who have admitted to me that they are still addicted to caffeine.



Caffeine and especially coffee is a physical AND emotional addiction that is at the cause of many, many, many health problems. As I've explained before in many articles, even just one small cup of coffee a day can be the cause of many of our daily pains and discomfort, without taking into account the long-term consequences.



Need more convincing? Check out the articles I have on coffee on my website (http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/articles2005.html#5).



#7. Eat one big salad meal a day



In addition to learning to make fruit meals and smoothies, you can also incorporate the habit of eating a big salad meal once a day. Usually, the best time to have a big salad meal is in the evening, but it could also be at noon for beginners.



A great salad meal always starts with enough fruit to satisfy your appetite. I don't want you to have your salad and then be looking around for something else to eat, such as a bag of nuts! To avoid this, have enough fruit before you eat your salad so you are completely satisfied.



A great tip is to prepare enough salad to last you for several days. In a big plastic container, prepare a mixed salad with ingredients such as: chopped lettuce, grated carrots and beets, grated or chopped fennel, zucchini, spinach, etc. Avoid wet ingredients such as tomatoes. You can add those at the last minute, when you are ready to serve your salad.



Salad dressings need not to be complicated. I usually prepare very simple salad dressings using a blender. For example, I might blend some tomatoes with tahini (or another nut butter) or avocado. It's really simple but makes a great dressing!



Here's a simple salad that my mother has been making almost every day. It's her idea, and she always makes some for me when I visit her!



FRED'S MOM'S SALAD



- 2-3 mangoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped.

- 2-3 tomatoes, diced

- 1 handful of cilantro, chopped

- 1 small sweet red onion, chopped (when mixed with the other ingredients, the “spiciness” goes away.)



Mix all ingredients together. You can serve as it as is or mix in an avocado dressing, and serve onto lettuce leaves. I prefer it plain - just great!



# 8. Simplify Your Meals (Food Combining)



We're used to making big meals with hundreds of ingredients and spices. Going back to the simplicity of eating just one food at a time may seem impossible, but I must say that it's one of the most important steps towards eating a truly natural diet.



My lunch these days usually consists of just a big (I mean big!) fruit smoothie. Morning is just fruit. My lunch usually starts with fruit or a smoothie, and is followed by a vegetable meal, which is the most fancy meal of the day.



Nonetheless, I really enjoy this simple way of eating! I don't necessarily expect you to follow my steps and eat a simple raw diet too, but there's some things you can do to simplify your meals.



First, realize that it's okay to do that. You don't need to have dozens of foods at every meal to eat a balanced diet. The important thing is to eat a varied diet through the course of the month and year, but not necessarily at every meal!



Then, you can pay attention to really simple food combining rules. Generally speaking, you can follow the 5-5-5 rule: a good simple meal should have 5 ingredients or less, be ready in 5 minutes and cost less than 5 bucks!



#9. Read at least one book on the raw-food diet.



I still get a lot of questions for my e-zine from people who are interested in the raw-food diet, yet have not read any book on the subject and therefore have little clue as to how to do it.



They are trying to get by on the free information they can find on the Internet. Unfortunately, that can only go so far.



I make a huge effort to provide loads of free information in my articles and e-zine, I also spend a lot of time answering your questions and will even be preparing a special Sunday Edition of Pure Health and Nutrition just so I can address even more of my reader's concerns. Even with all this, you have to realize that it's impossible to summarize 200 pages of information, years of trial, error, experimentation and success in 2-3 paragraphs or even a few articles.



If you're new to the raw diet, you need to make sure you have access to as much quality information as possible on the subject. We're talking about a major lifestyle change here - so it's important to do this with quality tools and guidance.



In my book “The Raw Secrets” I spill the beans about the raw-food diet and how to make it work “in the real world.” If you want to succeed on the raw food diet, and you do not yet have this amazing book, just click here.



#10. Decide to try a 100% raw diet for 7 days.



I know a guy who was so excited about the raw-food diet when he first heard about it, that he eventually got a tattoo on his arm that said “100% Raw For Life” or something like. Apparently, he eventually went back to eating burritos... What a tragedy!



The sad thing in this true story is not the fact that this person went back to eating junk food, but that he set his expectations way too high and was never able to meet them.



But I know you've got more judgment than that! You don't have to think about how you're going to eat this way for the rest of your life and how “oh my God I'll never be able to eat all the foods I love!!”



Take it easy. One day at a time! I would recommend that you at least try a raw-food diet for 7 days. Just commit to 7 days - everybody can do that. Get as much information as possible before you do that, and then jump in for a 7-day challenge, with no commitment to do this any longer.



That experience will teach you a lot. It will give you a taste but also will expose you to some possible pitfalls and this will help you avoid them next time!





Frederic Patenaude, is the author of the best-selling e-book "The Raw Secrets". He is currently giving away free access to his private library of over 100 exclusive articles along with a subscription to his newsletter Pure Health & Nutrition. Visit http://www.fredericpatenaude.com while charter subscriptions last.

by Frederic Patenaude

I noticed that I’ve been talking a lot about raw foods and more “advanced” topics, but without revising the basics. The following is a list of reminders for what I consider to be some of the most important steps you can take to dramatically improve your health starting today.

Make no mistake: if you choose to follow all of the steps listed below, you will completely TRANSFORM your health for the better.

You’ll notice however a lot of “negatives” in my list. That’s because I believe that what you DONT eat is much more important than what you DO eat. This is not a “feel-good”, watered down, “comfort zone” advice like the type that is so common nowadays in magazines and diet books.

Things like “eat some blueberries every day” or “eat some green vegetables” will not dramatically change your health. But follow the steps below, and you can expect some amazing results!

I don’t have time or space in this short article to cover all the details however. For more in depth info on what to eat, check out the Raw Health Starter Kit at www.fredericpatenaude.com/starterkit.html

1- Avoid caffeine. In short: caffeine is a drug and a stimulant. The energy you feel from it is a “fight or flight” response to the drug, not true energy. Overtime, consuming caffeine every day burns out your adrenal glands and leads to having less energy, less concentration, headaches, constant pains, depression, and other problems.

Don’t believe the hype! Drinking two or three cups of coffee a day is not “moderation”. Having a drug every single day is never being moderate. Some people are extremely sensitive to caffeine and even the slightest amount will upset their system.

To get off the bean, do it progressively over two weeks using Teeccino (www.teeccino.com) or another herbal (non-caffeinated) tea. When you’re clean, having an occasional cup of green tea and whatnot and then NOT having any for a while will bring a stimulation that can be useful at times, and if you give yourself enough time to recover you will be okay. Just make sure you never get in the habit of consuming caffeine regularly.

2- Eat green smoothies. It’s simple: eating green smoothies is the single best way to transform your diet overnight! Starting today, whether you’re raw or not, replace your breakfast with a giant green smoothie. Make it mild at first, using more fruit than greens. For some ideas and recipes, go to www.fredericpatenaude.com/greenforlife.html

3- Eliminate dairy products. Dairy is a conglomerate of foreign proteins the body can barely process. Research has demonstrated that dairy consumption is linked to increased rates of cancer, osteoporosis (isn’t that interesting?) and other nasty diseases. And YES, that includes all dairy products, including yogurt. Goat products are better, but still not health foods and are not part of a healthy diet.

4- Eliminate meat, fish, eggs and animal products. Excessive animal protein and saturated fat intake leads to all kinds of diseases. All animal products are a culprit, including eggs and fish. How much is too much? Most long-lived cultures ate meat less than 2-3 times a month, and in relatively small amounts. Any more than that is likely to create long-term health problems. You might find it easier to just say “no” and avoid them altogether.

5- (If you still) Cook without oils — Eliminate ALL oils, including olive oil, hemp oil and flax oil. There’s never any reason to consume pure fat in its refined form, no matter how much it’s marketed as a health food! Get your omega 3’s from whole foods like avocados or hemp seeds.

6- Cut the fat! Too much fat in the diet causes insulin resistance. It lowers your health and vitality, and causes candida and other health problems. Limit quantities of avocado, nuts, seeds and other whole food sources of fat to less than 15% of total calories. Fat is fat, whether it’s raw or not!

7- Avoid fake and industrialized foods — It goes without saying! If it comes from a factory, then it’s suspicious, no matter what it is. This includes raw labeled products that are more than likely not actually raw.

8- Eat more fruit. Take massive fruit action! Become a fruit expert. Learn everything you can about fruit. Become a fruit connoisseur the same way some people are wine connoisseur. Try all the exotic varieties, and decide what you like best. Replace your lunch with a fruit meal, and make sure you eat enough to hold you for several hours (that might be more than you think).

9- Eliminate gluten-containing foods, and watch out for grains. A good percentage of the population is either gluten-sensitive or gluten-intolerant. That might be you. Gluten is a protein found in many grains — mainly wheat. Overall, it’s better to avoid grains entirely and instead have fruits and root vegetables. Most grains are slightly acid-forming, while fruits and roots (including potatoes) are alkaline forming. The best of all grains are: brown rice, buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa (if you insist on keeping grains in your diet)

10- Go raw! Try going 100% raw and eliminate all cooked foods in your diet for a period of time. Enjoy the experience by trying out new low-fat recipes every day like smoothies, juices and savory salad dressings!

11- Don’t eat out. Foods at restaurants, no matter what it is, are loaded with salt and fat. If you must eat out, stick with a few simple choices such as salad with dressing on the side, fruit, vegetables, or low fat dishes (rice or potato based).

12- Start a manageable exercise program. Exercise is a necessity! Studies have shown that when we skip even just TWO days of exercise, there is a noticeable and measurable decline in health, especially in your insulin sensitivity (the ability of insulin to carry Sugar to the cells). For exercise to work, it has to be fun! Pick and exercise you like, and remember that doing *something* always beats doing nothing every time.

13- Identify stressors in your life, eliminate them! Stress is a killer, and probably the biggest cause of disease besides diet. A little stress is good (like exercise), as long as it’s accompanied by proper recovery. Identify the unnecessary stressors in your life and work and eliminating them. (This is a topic for another, much longer article!)

14- Optimize your sleep. Most people need at least 7 hours of sleep per night, but rarely more than 9, unless they are training or otherwise recovering. There are several tricks and techniques to optimize your sleep. The most important one is to give yourself enough time to sleep, and don’t abruptly wake up in the middle of a sleep cycle with an alarm clock.

15- Fast! Fasting is often the fastest way to improve your health, but a long fast must be supervised. Fasting should be synonymous with resting, so a long fast is really a long “rest” to give your body all the energy it needs to heal. A short fast of 2-3 days is something most people can do on their own and can quickly jumpstart your health. Any longer than this and you should seek out the help of a trained professional.

Want more information to get started on the raw food diet or optimize your existing raw program? Check out the Raw Health Starter Kit at: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/starterkit.html Use the coupon code ICELAND to get a discount (coupon expires soon).