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When I first learned about the raw food diet, it took me years to figure out how to do it properly. Then it took me even more years - making mistakes and compromising my health - until I started experiencing the benefits I was looking for from the start!

Let's face it, if you're going to bother changing your diet at all, there's got to be a reason for doing it. I would bet you want to improve your health and energy, right?

But why take years to get those results, when you can get them in months or even weeks? Here are some of the things that I've found can help you get faster results from your raw food diet.

1. Incorporate Fitness

It's interesting to note that even though a person may be fit but unhealthy (think of all the athletes who died of a heart attack!), it's *not* possible to be healthy without being fit.

Until you reach the point where your body fat is at an optimal level and your fitness 'above average', you probably won't get all the results you're looking for even with an ideal diet.

Fit people not only digest better, the entire process of nutrition is improved with improved fitness. This means assimilation will be better, blood sugar will be more under control, and much more besides.

To start improving your fitness, you have to identify your areas of weakness and work on improving these first. We explain how to do this in the Perfect Health Program and we put it into action in our 30-Day Body Enlightenment System.

2. Address Emotional Issues

Just like fitness, your emotions are an integral part of your nutrition. You've probably had the experience of hearing a piece of bad news and suddenly losing your appetite. This shows that emotions are an integral part of how your body processes food. It's an essential part of your health.

Often people jump into a raw-food diet, hoping that it will help them 'clear emotional problems', when in fact it puts these problems right in their face and they can't deal with it!

Let's face the fact that most people eat for emotional reasons, most of the time. It's really easy to do so with heavily processed or fatty foods, because these foods literally 'drug' us and 'numb' our feelings.

With raw foods, it's harder to eat emotionally. That's why you don't see lonely overweight people eating buckets of apples to 'comfort' their feelings. Instead, they do it with a pint of ice-cream!

Be aware and ready to feel and face your emotions. Equip yourself with whatever tools are necessary to get over emotional baggage - including self-improvement seminars, tapes, and group support.

3. Cleanse

One of the best ways to accelerate your health success is to go on some sort of cleanse, such as the Green Cleanse or the one included in the Body Enlightenment System.

A cleanse should be easy to do, while giving you results in terms of increased energy, weight *release* (if necessary), and increased vitality and health.

My favorite cleanses are:

- Green Cleanse: consuming only green smoothies and fruit for 5 to 10 days or longer.

- Fruit Cleanse: consuming only mono meals of fruit for 3 to 7 days or longer.

- Low Fat Cleanse: consuming only fruits and vegetables without any fat (avocados, oils, etc.) for 3 to 7 days or longer.

While it's possible to do a cleanse on your own, it's best if you have someone to coach and support you in the process.

4. Find Raw Friends

Feeling alone and isolated can kill your success with the raw diet! It's very important to find at least one 'buddy' who can support and encourage you on this path.

Now with the Internet, it's possible to connect with more people than ever. In our different programs (such as the Body Enlightenment System), we have seen the value of offering phone coaching and support, as well as discussion forum support.

Connect with other raw-food enthusiasts using available resources, such as local potlucks, teleseminars and phone coaching, coaching programs and discussion forums.

5. Get a Coach and a System

Besides lack of social support, the reason why most people don't succeed with a raw-food program is that they don't have anybody coaching them personally and showing them a system that works for incorporating all of the different elements of a healthy lifestyle.

Unless you think you can do it on your own, you need someone to show you a system that works!

No matter what the coach and system you choose for yourself, you have to make sure that:

- You find a supportive and non-judgmental coaching environment, yet one that challenges you enough to keep improving.

- You have enough quality tools and easy-to-use systems to make progress with your health, fitness and diet.

- The support you get is *constant* or *daily*, not just occasional.

- The program or coach you choose has a track record of success and lots of experience in the field.

Make no mistake about it, you can either take 2 months to put all of the pieces of a healthy raw lifestyle together, or you can take 2 years or 20 years! Do yourself a favor and choose the shortest route to success.