Advice from Laura Dawn at Happy & Raw is rooted in the foundation of these principles:

[su_column size=”1-2″]Eat Real Food

Real food is what we are meant to be eating. The majority of ‘foods’ that stock grocery store shelves are actually ‘food-like’ substances that mimic closer to a drug than to real food. One easy guideline to remember is that real foods tend to not come in a package. Go for fresh fruits and vegetables in place of packaged, processed foods, whenever possible.

Stop Dieting

This is a lifestyle approach, not a diet. Diets don’t work – plain and simple. Research consistently show’s that 95% of all people regain their lost weight in 1-3 years. This is not about a two-week hiatus to loose as much weight as possible; it’s about adopting a healthier lifestyle (the up-spiral lifestyle) so you can truly enjoy the precious days of your life and experience a deep sense of happiness.

Live An Up-Spiral Lifestyle

Once you get the ball rolling it will only get easier and easier to choose healthier choices. Living a healthy lifestyle is not just about what you should or shouldn’t eat – that’s only one small aspect of healthy living! When you incorporate the other principles that we advocate here at happy & raw, like effectively managing stress, getting better quality sleep and more exercise, you’ll start to feel better and this good feeling will continue to fuel your other efforts and motivate you to eat better as well – the up-spiral lifestyle!

Drop the Food Struggle

Food is meant to bring us great pleasure in our lives, not be the source of so much pain for so many people. Many people constantly obsess and think about food all day long. With a shift in perception you can free yourself from the internal struggle with food and body weight and see food as the miracle that it is – life force potential sustaining your very existence.

Eat Mindfully

There are many subtle triggers encouraging overconsumption for food that most people are not aware of. These countless triggers fly below the conscious radar and can prompt you to eat hundreds of calories more; calories that your body is not asking for and doesn’t need. Incorporating mindful eating techniques can shine the light of awareness on these triggers and allow you to develop mindful habits around food and prevent you from mindless eating.

Incorporate Joyful Activity in Your Life

No need to have a gym pass to get exercise, incorporate movement into the foundation of your daily life. Instead of driving, try walking or ride your bike. Instead of taking the elevator or escalator, take the stairs. Go outside and play with your children or get in the garden and move your body whilst growing your own food. There are countless ways to incorporate activity into your lifestyle and this will up-spiral you to continue to eat better and make overall better choices for your health.

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[su_column size=”1-2″ last=”1″]  Reconnect to Your Food Source

Take the time to get to know where your food is coming from and connect with food at its source. Growing your own food will give you a whole new appreciation for the miracle that it is. Go to local farmers markets and meet your farmers, tour their farms and get to know them or grow a little herb garden on your window seal. Watching the miracle of life unfold before your eyes will shift your relationship to food at its core, allowing a healthier relationship with food blossom and grow.

  Gratitude = Happiness

Adopting an attitude of gratitude is one of the simplest yet profound ways that you can stay positive and keep Up-Spiraling in your life. Gratitude shifts perceptions towards a mental framework that supports fundamental joy and happiness.

  Unlearn and Re-educate

Most of what I was taught in school about nutrition has actually been false. The market is flooded with contradictory, misinformation about nutrition. Unlearn what the mainstream is advocating about nutrition, question your deeply held beliefs (where did they come from?) and re-learn to stay open to new information.

  Learn to Uncook Your Food

We all grew up eating cooked food – but that doesn’t mean that it’s the healthiest choice! Learn to incorporate more fresh, ripe, raw, organic and local foods into your diet as much as possible. A raw food diet is alkaline, energy efficient and nutrient dense. It also helps to reduce and prevent chronic overeating, food addiction and disease.

You Are Your Own Best Guide

Only you know what’s best for you. Eating fake foods are addictive and hook people to over-consume them. The more you start eating real food, the more your body will start to communicate to you what it really needs, not what it’s craving due to addiction. You don’t always need to search for a scientific explanation if you know within yourself that the food choices you are making are for your highest good and the highest good of all beings.

  Care About Your Food, Your Body and The Planet

Your body is a divine gift that you have been given in this (very short) lifetime. Take care of it out of respect for all of creation. What you choose to eat has a major impact on how you feel physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. When you care about the food you put in your body you are caring about who grew it, where it was grown and what kind of farming practices were used: essentially you are caring about the Earth and the long term sustainability of what you are choosing to eat and nourish your body with.

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