About a week ago I downloaded an audio file of a webcast by Karen Knowler, a well-known raw food coach. The call lasts about an hour-and-a-half and focuses on 'raw transformation.' Curious, I copied the file onto my iPod and gave a listen during my run yesterday.
Wow. Her message is so simplistic, and she speaks as if you are the only listener. More like a conversation than a teacher-student exchange. She speaks a lot about authenticity, about assessing your life in a realistic manner so that you can set reasonable yet challenging goals. Not everyone wants or is intended to 'go 100% raw', she explains. It's much easier for single people than married people, especially those with children. More members of a family means more opinions and a greater chance of incongruent preferences. Her advice is to give yourself permission to NOT go 100% raw, if that's what really suits your lifestyle. Or to make the transformation overnight, if that works for you. Whatever, just be true to yourself and your current lifestyle. That makes sense to me.
Her transformation lasted much longer than it should have, she explains. What should have taken months or even a year took FIVE YEARS. But finally, after going on and off cooked foods for several years, she realized the plentiful benefits of eating raw. Then and there she vowed to keep doing the things that make her feel good.
The transformation is not just physical. It is emotional, spiritual, ecological and, in many ways, economical.
Although I have not gone 100% raw (and really do not intend to) I have felt a shift on each of these levels. Physically I have shed some pounds and bloatedness (ha!) My skin looks much healthier and younger when I'm eating mostly raw foods. Emotionally, I feel balanced like never before. I have experienced a deeply spiritual connection with the universe, and feel detached from trivialities. My thoughts turn to big picture topics (but I also have a natural tendency to think on that level, so I suppose eating raw simply enhances that inclination.) I have a penchant for all things green; eating raw is a very low-impact eating lifestyle. Economically, I find I'm able to streamline our budget by choosing largely label-less foods that we ALL like. Eating fresh produce can be a tremendously effective method of doing good things for your body, the planet and your pocketbook.
One thing Ms. Knowler touched on, and that caught my attention, relates to patience with children. Many raw foodists claim they interact with their children (even small children) on a much healthier level when they eat raw foods. If this is true, perhaps they are also more patient with adults who behave like children? SOLD.
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