Karen Knowler * The Raw Food Coach

The Truth About Comfort Eating ~ Part 1

Isn't it funny how those foods we crave when we feel down, upset or lonely are called "comfort foods", when what they actually do in reality is only add to our discomfort?

How many people, do you think, are walking around today carrying an extra 5, 10, 15, 20 lb or more of "comfort" around their middle, hips or thighs? Can it really be that comfortable to be wearing our pain, now compounded into physical form as well, as if the emotional form was not already enough?!

Today we're going to wake up and smell the coffee/bread/potatoes/cheese/chocolate for what they really are, but before we do that, let's take a moment to look at why we feel we need comforting anyway.

What to Do When You Hit the Invisible Ceiling

Have you ever reached a place either in your diet, body or life where you felt as if you were blocked or couldn't go any further or higher?

I know I have, frequently, and it really doesn't feel good - does it?

Many moons ago I didn't understand what this feeling was all about. In fact, I didn't actually give the feeling a name, I just knew it felt yucky and usually I would revert to an old pattern or behaviour which gave me room to breathe, knowing that I could up my game again if and when I wanted to. Even though reverting didn't feel great, I would use it as an opportunity to remember what feeling yucky looked and felt like, and then I'd get excited each time I approached a fresh new start, getting back on raw or cleaning up my act in some other way, and then I would ascend quickly and purposefully reaching once more those amazing and dizzying heights of before and feeling good about myself and life again.

Sound familiar?

3 Common Raw Food Myths Busted!

When I first got into raw food back in 1993 there weren't a lot of raw food myths floating around as there weren't many raw foodists or raw food philosophies floating around either!

Since then my, how things have changed! There's more books, resources, foods, theories, promoters, restaurants - you name it, there's more of it! And yes, ultimately this is a great thing... the only thing that frustrates me just a little are the myths that are created out of thin air and then get passed around like Chinese whispers and are taken as gospel! So because I'm keen for people NOT to sign up to a "truth" that's not true, here's my contribution to blowing these myths out of the water…

Why Going Raw Is a Whole Person Journey

In this issue the topic du jour is the not-often-talked-about issue of emotional, mental and spiritual detoxification and how going raw affects us on every level – not just the physical.

The reason why I’ve decided to cover this topic is because this particular aspect of going raw, the whole person transformation, is my own personal most-compelling reason for choosing to eat raw and it soon engages many others.

Even though at times it may be challenging to eat raw (socially) the benefits far outweigh the negatives – in fact so many times over as to be laughable!

So, here’s my spin on what really starts going on when you start to eat more raw food… (You have been warned!) 

The Biggest Secret To Staying Raw

It has always fascinated me as to why some people seem to get into raw foods and stay there while others yo-yo for months, years or even decades. The conclusion I have come to after much observation, thought and reflection is that quite simply some people have a lot more incentive than others. They have an exceptionally BIG WHY.

For some – a very tiny percentage it seems - it just resonates so completely and deeply with them from the get-go that no matter what life may bring or what others might say, there is simply no room for manoeuvre, and this, I feel is pretty amazing - respect!  For others besides, their health dictates that raw food is the only food their body will tolerate, period, and so eating anything else is not an option unless they want to feel extremely ill and suffer accordingly. For others even less physically well, it may even mean the difference between life and death.

10 Easy Ways to Make Green Foods Part of Your Everyday Diet - and Love Them!

It's rare that you come across someone who LOVES eating green foods, but that doesn't have to be the case for any of us. Not only can green foods be delicious, they can make us feel fantastic, helping to cleanse and rebuild even the most jaded of bodies and spirits.

When I first got into raw foods I admit I was one of those raw fooders who relied heavily on fresh juicy fruits, dried fruits and nuts, and most days I'd eat a salad, but it wasn't what I'd now call a "decent" salad. And that's because I've since learned that it's nowhere near enough to have some green on your plate and think that's sufficient, because it's not! We need dark greens, ideally wild greens, and plenty of them. A plate of iceberg lettuce simply won't make the grade.

So in this article I'm sharing with you 10 different ideas to get greens into your daily diet and love them, because not only is it possible, it's vital!

All That's Stopping You Is...YOU!

When it all comes down to it, unless you are being held captive (literally) by someone right now, which I sincerely hope not, then the only "thing" getting in your way to what you want is, indeed, you.

It took me a long time to really get this, but as a coach I've seen it over and over and over again. In fact, ultimately it's heart-breaking. So many dreams un-manifested. So many negative beliefs victorious. So many songs unsung, words unsaid, strawberry patches unharvested!

We are all so good at coming up with excuses and reasons why not, but you know what? The Universe is ALWAYS conspiring to help us. Always. It is only US getting in our way.

And we are full of stories as to why we're different, or not this or that enough, or the time isn't right or whatever. And while I do believe in the divine timing of things, I also know that when we really want something, the timing IS right, and that's our inner guidance telling us so. Now we need to make it happen.

Yes. That's it. Just make it happen. No excuses. No story. No BS. Just Do It.

Making Peace With Yourself And Your Food

At the heart of sound eating habits rests peace.

Quite simply, when you are not at peace with yourself, or at peace with what you are putting in your body, then you can’t expect a peaceful relationship with food.

During times when I’ve gone to reach for “less than optimum” foods, I have continually checked in with myself about how I am feeling – both before I go to reach for that food and while actually choosing that food. What I have found, and this probably won’t come as any great surprise, is that when I reach for those less great foods I am not coming from a place of peace, but a place of emotional turbulence; even if it’s only mild (which it usually is), it can be enough to have me acting out of alignment too.

Over the years I have found that to maintain a healthy diet, and specifically to eat more or all raw foods, we need to constantly be “working” on ourselves. The amount we have to grow and evolve as a person in order to be able to handle our emotions without going to the cookie jar can often be quite astounding. It’s only when we try to go raw that we realise just how much we’ve been relying on assorted foods and drink to keep our mood high, our attention elsewhere, or our feelings pushed-down and locked inside.

This awareness hits us all at once point or another. And when it does it’s wake up time!

Sprouting: The Why, What and How To Do It Successfully

Whether I am lucky or have unrecognised green fingers, I do not know, but it seems that many people have struggled and continue to struggle with sprouting seeds, beans, pulses and grains successfully, and after a couple of failed attempts tend to throw in the towel and write the whole idea off.

Nooooo!

Don't do it!

Sprouting absolutely has to be one of the very most important raw food "tools" you need to have in your toolbox if you want to be as lithe, gorgeous and energy-filled as you can possibly be (my already abundant energy probably doubles when I bring sprouts into my daily diet). There's a LOT to be said for these apparently "insignificant" little living beauties, and to ignore or exclude them from your diet is, in my humble opinion, one of the biggest mistakes you can possibly make.

So in my bid to have you sprouting successfully all over your kitchen, here follows my foolproof guide to sprouting using my own personal favourite method, the jar.

So You Want to Go Raw? Part 5: Create A Menu to Live For

Well done and congratulations on getting to Part 5!

Today is a great day indeed because today you get to pull all of the pieces together and have a ball imagining all of the great foods and meals you're going to be moving forward with.

Today's assignment is going to be pretty lengthy - there's simply no way around that - however, I know that you're going to love it, thank me for it and be so glad you carried on even though you might feel a very strong pull to distract yourself and not go the final mile.

I don't want you to leave now, and I'll tell you why: You're a winner already. You're here and you're game. If you've completed Parts 1-4 then you're ready, willing and able, and this means it's your time. Why stop now? It's Part 5 of 5, the weekend is almost here and this is the best bit so far!

I have a feeling that it's going to take you today and the weekend to really get to grips with this one, but what's 3 days out of your life (and only fractions of them at that), when you're going to come away with a winning plan that will get your eating habits bang on track.

As tempting as it may be to drop the baton now, I urge you not to listen to that voice of self-sabotage! Taking this step now, fully and completely, will make ALL the difference between you playing at this and you really making it happen. Trust me! So if you're ready for the final frontier of this particular leg of the journey, then follow me...