my diet

Here's my logic:

1) The best diet is the one that makes you the healthiest and happiest.
2) A vegan, mostly raw diet makes me the healthiest and happiest.
3) Therefore, the best diet for me is a vegan, mostly raw diet.

So that's what I eat. Use this logic on yourself and see what you come up with! You are what you eat. More specifically, you are what you absorb. So what I eat is critically important to me. After all, it's going to become me, and I'm going to become it! I do not want to become a McDonald's hamburger. I do, however, want to become fresh blueberries, kale, apples and rainbow chard!

The rules I live by with my diet are simple and applicable to everyone, because they depend on the individual. This is a very important part of your diet, as no body is alike; thus no diet should be. For instance, you may not function optimally on all raw foods, or even all vegan foods. I do! It works for me.

These guidelines are wise for everyone to follow. Note the word "guidelines", I don't view them as strict rules that I need to obey to feel good about myself. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not felt guilty about!

I eat what I WANT. 
When I think about it and take into account everything I know about nutrition and health; all I really WANT to eat is mostly raw and some cooked plants. Sometimes I want some lightly cooked veggies to enjoy with my family, or go to out for Thai food with friends, so I do. I don't like calling myself a raw vegan, fruititarian or anything else because it makes me feel restricted, as if I'm not allowed to eat certain foods. People often ask if I am "allowed" to eat something, or if I "can"...

I can eat anything I want! I just don't want to eat hydrogenated oils or ground up dead animals.
Eat what you REALLY WANT. Just make sure you know what that actually is.

I eat to be HEALTHY, and therefore happy. 
Not to lose weight, conform to a fad, or because I am depressed and need comfort. As Hippocrates wisely stated: "Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food." The reason we eat should be to keep us healthy - which makes us strong, beautiful, happy and confident. This doesn't mean you can't enjoy your food just because it's healthy, in fact, it makes it more enjoyable. Just look at some of the recipes on this blog and other whole foods blogs!

I eat a PLANT-BASED, WHOLE FOODS diet.
These are the life-giving foods our bodies really want, and utilize optimally. They provide us with nutrients, minerals, vitamins, protein, fat, and carbohydrate (calories) that allow us to thrive. With a whole food diet you can be your best. As I've progressed through my journey on a vegan and predominantly raw diet, I am realizing that this rule is the most important. A diet rich in whole foods is the ideal diet for every body. If you could only take away one of these guidelines, I would say take this one.

I eat when I'm hungry, and stop when I'm satisfied.
This means I eat pretty frequently, and usually small portions. This is easy for our system to digest and leaves you with more energy all day. Sometimes I'll be hungrier than others so I will eat more.

I sip water throughout the day.
Our bodies are 70% water, so we should replenish that water whenever we can, allowing it to wash out the toxins in our bodies.

That's about it! With these guidelines, my diet ends up being a diet of whole plants, a lot of them raw. Your diet will surely be different, maybe by a lot or just slightly; the important thing is that it works best for you.