Raw Mistake # 7: Be dedicated, but not a zealot.
Friday, October 23, 2009 at 10:00AM 
Over the past week we've covered six of the "7 Biggest Raw Mistakes". Today I'm going to tell you about the final killer raw mistake. This one’s different from the others in that it’s not really about what you’re eating or how you’re eating it. It has to do with your mindset.
When I first started going down the raw-vegan path I was super-religious about being a devout “raw-foodist”. I wouldn’t touch anything that wasn’t raw. Sure, it was great that I was motivated — my enthusiasm led me to do a lot of studying and experimenting, and it ultimately led me to successfully finding what I was looking for in a diet and lifestyle.
I should emphasize, however, that that is how devout I used to be. Despite learning more and more about how beneficial eating a raw-vegan diet is to one’s body, over time I became less intense in my approach.
Why was that?
It’s because I learned through experience that problems can arise from being too extreme.
For starters, going into a diet with an expectation of absolute adherence puts way too much pressure on you. Nothing is forever.
Trying to go 100% raw and NEVER eat anything else for the rest of your life is unrealistic. I used to try that. I’d even keep track of how many days I had gone without slipping. I’d often go for many months.
But it becomes too much.
It can become an obsession and your efforts will start to stray from their original purpose — to achieve great health. When you try to be “perfect” you begin to focus too much upon the negatives. That's not a healthy mindset and you’ll discourage yourself.
Secondly, if you parade about claiming to be a raw-foodist you’ll become a spectacle, which can be annoying for everyone else.
Your peers may feel you’re trying to push something on them, which is a bad idea because nobody likes a know-it-all. Plus, you’ll feel an increased load of expectations due to this spotlight you’ve placed upon yourself. You’ll be afraid to be seen ‘cheating’ in public.
All this posturing and drama really isn’t helping anyone. Rather than labeling yourself, simply approach your raw-vegan lifestyle with the mindset of being someone who likes to make healthy choices. That should be more than enough.
The third point I should make is that being overly-devout can be socially limiting — or even isolating. When I was over-the-top into being raw, I never went out. I didn’t want to eat at a restaurant and go through the difficulty of finding something that fit my ‘new religion’.
If you truly don’t want to go out to restaurants, that’s fine. That makes things easy. I don’t go very often myself, and that’s usually only when I’m accommodating other people. I feel much better staying away from restaurants and eating raw. But if you're totally depriving yourself of things you want to do, you won’t stick with a raw-vegan diet. I guarantee that. You’ll get unhappy and frustrated with the perceived limitations.
I say ‘perceived’, because eating raw-vegan is only as limiting as you chose to make it. If you're dedicated to you dietary choices at home and you do a good job of eating raw-vegan at work or school, don’t beat yourself up over the occasional ‘slip’.
If you want to go down to the coffee shop with a friend on your lunch break, or if you want to go out on Friday nights with your friends, you can still make sensible choices that won’t make you feel like crap afterwards. I’m not saying be a bar star. I’m just saying be realistic.
In the big picture, eating 75% raw in the long-term and being happy will do much more for your health than eating 100% raw for a month, burning out, giving up and walking away from it.
Take the raw diet as far as you want to go, but don't push harder than you're ready for. Baby steps are okay, as long as you're getting results and feeling better.
I'll always be here to help you along your way. :^)
Mike
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This wraps up our little 7 Mistakes mini series. I hope these tips help you avoid some of the major hurdles beginner raw foodists make.
If you've missed any of them along the way, take a peek back at the archives.
You can also get your own copy of "The 7 Biggest Raw Mistakes" when you sign up for the free monthly Real-World Raw Health and Nutrition newsletter.
If you're ready to take the next step and really excel with your raw-vegan diet, I strongly recommend checking out my book, "The Busy Person's Guide to the Raw-Vegan Diet". It's the total, definitive resource for anyone wanting to get the most out of their raw diet. You can download a free preview of the book by clicking on this link.
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Real-World Raw Health and Nutrition:
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Mike Dillman is a self-taught raw-vegan who began his journey nearly five years ago. Having worked his way through all the challenges firsthand, he wants to save you from making the same mistakes yourself. You can visit Mike's blog at Real-World-Raw.com to learn how easy it can be to make a raw-vegan diet fit your busy lifestyle.
If you want to experience the amazing health that comes with living the one truly natural diet, Mike's new book, "Real-World Raw: The Busy Person's Guide to the Raw-Vegan Diet" is just what you're looking for. See for yourself.
To Download a FREE 20-Page Sneak Preview of the eBook click here!
Reader Comments (1)
vegetarian diet?? how i wish i could do that. but now i can do it, because of this information you post. thanks a lot.