Welcome to RawforLife
RAWFORLIFE IS A FREE RAW FOOD RESOURCE
I'm Debbie Took, raw food promoter, and founder of RawforLife.
My mission is to help those who would like to 'go raw' -whether that's 'overnight' or in steps - free of charge.
I do this via:
- supplying information, on this website and through articles (eg via RawforLife Blog)
- support for raw fooders. I am very happy to answer your e-mail questions (wherever you are in the world) on raw food, (although if they're big ones I may direct you to one of my articles...). There are no strings, and I promise you I won't put you on a mailing list and/or try to sell you anything. Feel free to contact me via the Contact Page and I will do what I can to help. (Only exception - I don't do 'diet plans' - if you'd like some guidelines on what to eat see What is the raw food diet?)
I also have two other jobs. They're nothing to do with raw food (I teach children Maths and English, and work for a visual effects company) but they do enable me to give raw support free.)
I pledge to answer every e-mail I receive. If you've contacted me and not seen an answer...check your spam folder. If you still can't see an answer, and it's been three days or more, chase me up, as occasionally e-mails do get 'lost' amongst the many that come into my in-box!
Please do check out the RawforLife Blog here for articles on raw food and associated topics.
SO WHAT'S THIS RAW FOOD THING?
No gimmicks, no fads, just, 'hey, why not eat food without damaging it?' Without damaging and destroying the nutrients in our food and without creating toxic substances, both of which kill us prematurely and cause unnecessary suffering.
Eat for LIFE, so that we may have it more ABUNDANTLY!
Some people think Raw is ‘extreme’ - they just want to be NORMAL…
THIS is NORMAL: coughs, colds, allergies, IBS, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, strokes, pain, suffering and premature death.
These things may be NORMAL, but they are NOT inevitable. Many people have waved goodbye to illnesses they had been told were normal and even couldn't be 'cured', and credit raw food for the transformation in their health. That's simply eating food that has not been damaged by heat. Oh, and those who have spent most of their lives battling weight gain will find that, on the raw food diet, that particular problem should be solved - permanently.
The raw food diet is eating the pure, nourishing, healing, protecting foods that were made for us!
Whether you’re 20, 40, 60 or 80, do you really want NORMAL, any more?
If you don’t, TURN to raw food.
Three years ago, I discovered raw food eating. In the eyes of most of the world, I became a 'nutter', an 'extremist', but, in becoming one, my body seemed to get younger rather than older, I found heaps more energy and found myself healed of a host of health complaints that we're taught are 'normal'. So, with past/parallel lives as a communicator and teacher, one way in which I can serve the raw food community is to use those skills, plus my experience of raw to help others along the path I've travelled. So, if you're interested in the benefits that raw can bring, read on.
You can switch to all raw food at once, or move towards that, in a gentle way, by gradually increasing the amount of raw food in your diet.
Read on... Where would you like to be? All-raw? High raw? Or just a bit more raw?
RawforLife can help those at all stages of the raw food journey, with differing short and long-term goals.
How RawforLife can help
Do you want to go raw GENTLY? To simply increase the raw in your diet?
If you are looking simply to increase the amount of raw food in your diet, how to make a positive difference to health, how to make interesting meals purely from raw ingredients, RawforLife will provide all sorts of useful links - practical help, information and raw food recipes!
When have you achieved success with raw food? When you can say you're eating more raw than you were a year ago. After that, it's up to you!
I'll be happy if this site can help someone move to even 25% raw whose previous raw was the lettuce in a burger bun!
Or do you want to DIVE IN? Is your goal 100% raw (or very close to), either now or in the future...
As someone who has travelled the path, I can help.
I've now been eating raw for over three years.
What do I mean by 'raw'? I used to say I eat 100% raw, but then admitted to eating non-raw ingredients occasionally, eg at 'raw food' restaurants (!) and potlucks, and occasionally within an otherwise raw salad at a restaurant. But that's not being logical, or honest. You are either 100% raw, or you're not. I've also heard countless people describe themselves as 100% raw (because they rather like to be known as so, and I can identify with that!), when they happily eat pre-shelled brazils (not raw in the UK), 'nama shoyu', etc, then, when challenged on this, react defensively and have the nerve to tell others off for 'nitpicking'! I can think of a few that are truly 100% raw, and I take my hat off to them as I do believe that 100% raw IS, in most cases, better than anything less. But from now on I will be describing my own diet as 'almost 100%' in the interests of clarity!
Raw overnight, or in steps?
Some people go raw overnight and never look back. Others go raw in steps. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach.
The raw food diet is very exciting! There are many things in life that can affect our health, and some things are pretty much beyond our control. But one thing we can do something about is what goes down our gullets, and even correcting diet alone can transform lives, as you will see from the testimonials on this site alone.(And when you've done that, you can get on to those other things!)
But, my general recommendation is only increase your raw food to a level at which you feel comfortable and happy. If you suspect eating more raw will be a struggle, 'rest' a while where you are (for weeks, months or even years) before going on. A 75% raw diet is light years healthier than the standard diet and will make you feel (and look) a LOT better! If you're 'not sure' go for a 'high raw' diet initially rather than 100%.
Here's an article that could help you decide whether to switch to 100% raw food straight away, or start more gradually. It's from the RawforLife April 08 e-zine - 'How Raw? How Soon?
If you'd like to be 100% raw (or - OK - very close to!), rest assured that there will be no need to turn down any social invitations - I never have! While I'm writing this it's quite icy in chilly UK right now; RawforLife can explain why no one 'needs' to eat cooked (damaged) food in the winter any more than they do in the summer (although there will be psychological and social pressures on you to do otherwise!) See the Articles page for lots of help in these areas.
So, however raw you'd like to be, you should find this site (and the links to articles) useful. And, if you do, let others know.
Debbie Took, BA (Hons)(Psychology), CAM Cert, PGCE Trained Raw Food Coach - approved and recommended by Karen Knowler. However, please note I am not 'coaching' in a professional sense and prefer to be known as a 'raw food promoter' than a 'coach', as no one really needs 'coaching' in raw food!
Whilst I am a student of Natural Hygiene (Natural Health) and would describe myself as a 'Natural Hygienist', as my thinking is generally in line with NH, there are some (not many) teachings that I don't subscribe to, and...some that I do, but don't follow (yet!). Also, I don't ally myself to any raw food 'guru', nor to any particular 'brand' of raw food diet - I'm a Raw Food Independent, and hope you will be too.
