Tom’s Raw Foods Blog

I was reading a post on Roger’s raw foods membership forum (the link is in my blogroll) about a woman who was talking about how her husband doesn’t allow meat in her house — nor in his business, even by his employees. She’s changed now, of course (meat eaters don’t usually join an 80/10/10 raw food forum!), but that particular attitude didn’t sit well with me. Let me explain why outside pressure seldom works when trying to make a lifestyle change.

I could never live with somebody who makes those kind of “demands” on me. Then again, I’m not in a situation where I live with a truly demanding person and have no idea of how it would be like, but nevertheless… WOW. What a silly way to live…

I feel very strongly about eating a raw food diet (and it hasn’t even been three months yet since I made the decision to change from the SAD diet) but seriously doubt that I’d “demand” that my wife and kids do anything like I’m doing. True change has to come from the inside and work its way to an outward manifestation. Forcing change from the outside never works in the long run (think religion and proselytizing; a person can confess something with their mouth and you can even enforce it by various means, but is it true, genuine change? No.).

But in the few short months since I made the transition, my wife is eating more smoothies and has cut back the children’s intake of junk food (chips, cookies, etc.) dramatically. A small bag of chips at the grocery store is now a HUGE treat for them, and they went almost crazy today when my wife bought one donut and split it between them. And other than asking (and by no means insisting) that I be allowed to hide somewhere when they are preparing and eating my formerly favorite foods, I haven’t said a thing. It’s all just “happened” (I call it “leadership by example”). And my wife has been my #1 supporter in my actions (not “efforts”) to change.

I’d never make a good evangelist because I don’t think that those type of activities pay off in the long run. I’m more of the “follow me” type of person and hope that, if anybody is watching me, they’ll see something in my example that makes them want to follow (even if it’s just curiosity). It’s actually a more demanding style of leadership because it requires absolute integrity; you never know when somebody is watching your example, and all I’d need at this point is a picture of me sneaking into a fast food joint on somebody’s blog…!

It’s been said that actions speak louder than words. In my case, this is true. Seldom does a day go by now where I’m not asked about what I’m doing. The changes are obvious, and by simply switching to The Healthy Raw Diet (I like that term… Only two Google search results for it right now, one from Frederic Patenaude and the other from somebody I don’t know, so I hesitate linking to him), people are noticing, asking questions, and considering change in their own life.

I like that. I’m proof that this works — at least short term — and there are others, like Roger and Frederic and Dr. Graham, that can prove the long-term value of this lifestyle.

Cool.

Oooh…! Weight loss again! I’m now under 200 pounds for the first time since I can remember (198.5 is yesterday’s official weigh-in). And my mini-garden is starting to grow; the first little specks of green (from the lettuce, probably ; I forget what I planted where!) are starting to peek out from the ground.

It’s a great day to be alive, isn’t it?

Smacznego,
Tom