Note: this article is best for those of you who are not fanatical about being 100%… and is great for those who may have been struggling to stay loyal to your eating regimen. I believe it will inspire you, so check it out.

Here is a snippet of my article, you can read the rest by subscribing to my newsletter below. Be sure to confirm your subscription. After you confirm you will receive another email with a link to my newsletter.

When you say NO, does it really mean NO?

Just a couple months back, I had a couple of friends come to stay at my home. I didn’t realize this stay would challenge my diet and my life as much as it did.

Before my unexpected guests arrived, I had been eating a mostly raw diet for almost 1.5 years; during that time, I had rarely cooked a meal. When my guests arrived, I was clearly not ready for what was about to hit me.

My guests eat a 100% cooked diet. Even though they were long-time friends of mine who knew that I no longer ate a 100% cooked diet or the same foods I ate before, they started asking me to eat foods that I had stopped eating. I thought I had made it super clear that I don’t eat those foods any more. To make a long story short, I spent a lot of time saying “no,” but for some reason that “no” wasn’t strong enough; and….

Subscribe to my newsletter for the remainder of this article.

After reading my newsletter, one of my loyal readers shared a video with me that she felt lined up with the article I wrote, I’ve pasted that video below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao

Today we’ll talk about milk. Milk is  much more dangerous to our health then we are being told. Today I’d like to suggest that you either lower your milk consumption or stop drinking it if at all possible. There are some healthy alternatives like almond milk.

Use This: Almond Milk
Almond milk is so much better for you then milk, especially raw almonds. Almond milk looks practically the same as milk and to me, taste even better. Almonds are full of nutrition like Protein, Vitamin A and E, Niacin, Folate as well as Minerals: Magnesium, Calcium, Iron and so much more.

Almond milk Recipe

• 1 cup of raw almonds
• 3 cup of water
• 1/2-1 cup of dates (Depends on how sweet you like your milk)
• You will need a cheesecloth

Directions: Place the almonds and water in a blender. Blend until almonds are broken down. Take some cheesecloth, put in a bowl. Pour the almond milk in the cheesecloth. The purpose of doing this is to remove the almond pulp from the drink this way you have almond milk without almonds pieces. Next, add the almond milk back to the blender, add your dates and blend. You drink is complete, you may drink or store in the refrigerator.

You can add flavor to your almond milk by adding banana’s, Strawberries or any  other fruit you like.

Always soak your almonds for at least 24/48. Soaking your almonds will make it much more nutritious and easier for your body to digest.

Not This: Milk
Everyday we are told how great milk is for us. We are told that milk is needed to build healthy bones because it is high in protein and calcium. Plant based foods are high in protein and calcium like, leafy greens, Nuts and seeds. There is no need for cows milk. I strongly believe that cow’s milk is made for a baby cow not a human being. It just make sense.

Milk has been known to cause type 1 diabetes in children. It is also known to cause ones body to build up mucus which eventually lead to many health related problems.  Since I am not an expert on the subject of milk, I thought I’d include a video that explains in why you REALLY want to eliminate milk from your diet.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nB93h9iKEI

Please love yourself enough to research what you are putting in your mouth. Most people do not want to hear that milk is bad for them.

I know for a fact once I removed milk from my diet my health started to improve in ways I never thought it would. I’ve even had times where I allowed dairy products back in my diet and instantly noticed a difference in how it made me feel. I felt clogged up and instantly felt like a cold was coming on. You may not agree with me but please do your research. The FDA is out to make money they don’t care about you as much as you think they do.

Tanisha Marshall is a Raw food coach, Author, and Motivational speaker. Tanisha is passionate about helping women lose weight and conquer their unhealthy attachments to food naturally.
http://www.tanishamarshall.com | http://www.keepitrealradioonline.com

Well back again with Use this not that Part 3. Today, we will discuss Sea Salt vs Table Salt.

I don’t know about you but I love salt and never thought there was anything wrong with it. What I didn’t know is that all of those prepackaged foods I used to eat contained a large amount of salt. As you may know we don’t need a lot of salt especially table salt. Today I’d like to encourage you to get rid of table salt and pick up some sea salt, it is healthier. Now that doesn’t mean eat a ton but it is the better option.

Use This Sea Salt:
Sea salt contains 92 essential minerals and trace minerals. Unlike Table salt it will provide your body with nutrients that cannot be found in table salt. You can find Magnesium, Potassium , Calcium, iron and so much more.

What Does Sea salt look like:
There are a large variety of sea salt, I’ve found some to be a bit grey or pink, that is normal. Sea salt does cost more then your regular table salt, but your body will thank you for it. Just remember Natural salt is not white. Sometimes you have to pay more for a better product. What is your health worth?

Not This: Table Salt:
Table salt is refined and contributes to a  lot of our health problems today. Refined means that all of the minerals that were in the salt were removed. We need the minerals, why would they be removed?After the introduction of what we call Table salt  various health problems started arising like people suffering from Goiter, high blood pressure and so fourth.

Well that is all for today. Talk about sea salt I put some on my salad today it was so so good.

Recommended Salt:

Real Salt

Himalayan Pink Salt

Tanisha Marshall is a Raw food coach, Author, and Motivational speaker Passionate about helping women lose weight and conquer their unhealthy attachments to food naturally.
http://www.tanishamarshall.com | http://www.keepitrealradioonline.com

Can you believe for 20 years of my life I avoided eating salad. If I did eat salad it had to have croutons and a cup of dressing, enough to help me not taste it. As you can see I REALLY didn’t like salad, but now I do. My my how things have change. NOW I am in love with Romaine and other yummy greens.

Let’s get right to it!

Use This: Romaine Lettuce:
Romaine has more nutrition then iceberg lettuce and doesn’t contain any calories from sugar. So the next time you are out shopping pick up some Romaine, you’ll be glad you did. Your waistline will like you for it.

Not That: Iceberg Lettuce:
Well let’s get right down to it. Iceberg lettuce isn’t want you might have thought, iceberg Lettuce has about 10 calories per serving which comes from sugar. Compared to romaine iceberg lettuce is lacking in the nutritional department as well.

If you would like to find out more about the nutritional difference in Romaine and Lettuce, check out this website: http://www.nutritiondata.com/

Isn’t it amazing that not all lettuce is created equal. I was amazed when I found out.

Thanks,
Tanisha Marshall is s Raw food coach, Author, and Motivational speaker dedicated to helping women lose weight and conquer their unhealthy attachments to food naturally. If I can do it, anyone can.
http://www.tanishamarshall.com | http://www.keepitrealradioonline.com

Sugar

Sugar is a refined food and has no nutritional value. Sugar is known to raise the blood sugar, cause arthritis, and feed cancer. Sugar is in most packaged foods like cakes, cookies, bread etc…. If at all possible try to limit the amount of sugar you consume or replace it with Stevia, Agave, or Raw honey.

Use one of these instead:

• Stevia – Stevia is an herb. It has been found that the stevia leaf contains fiber, protein, sodium, zinc and so much more. Stevia is 10 times sweeter then sugar and is not known to cause all of the degenerative diseases sugar does. Dr. Gabriel Cousens believes that stevia is good for those of us dealing with insulin resistance and/or diabetes.
• Agave – Agave is a succulent plant. It is thick and has a high water retention. A lot of raw recipe books use agave in their recipes. Some people claim agave is not raw. I would suggest that you contact the store you plan to purchase it from to find out if their agave is truly raw. What I like about agave is that it sweetens your food  without altering the taste.
• Raw Honey -  Bee’s produce honey, I am sure most of you know this. Raw honey contain vitamin, minerals, enzymes and more. Most people have concerns with using raw honey because it is not vegan. You can find raw honey at your local natural health food store, or local beekeeper. I love honey but it does have a distinct taste and can change the taste of your dish. Sometimes the change is good and sometimes not so good. Try it for yourself.

The sweeteners above are great for transitioning. As our taste buds change I doubt we’ll need a sweetener to enjoy our foods. I created the list to provide you with alternative options to using sugar in your meals. I hope you find this helpful.

Useful links:

Here is 146 ways Sugar is ruining your health

Agave, Amber, Wild, 16oz (raw, certified organic)

Really Raw Honey

Stevia

I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment.

Thanks,

Tanisha Marshall – Raw food coach, Author,  and Radio host
http://www.tanishamarshall.com
http://www.keepitrealradioonline.com

The raw food diet offers so many benefits like, increased energy, mental clarity, healing from cancer, diabetes etc… If using raw as a diet or just a temporary fix, you will be missing out on all of the wonderful benefits being raw has to offer.

When I refer to raw as I diet, I use this term lightly. I prefer to think of eating raw as a lifestyle, not a diet.

Now, with that being said, lets get to it!

When I first went raw, I made some mistakes that could have caused me to turn my back on the raw food diet. Though I made some mistakes, I made some discoveries as well.

Below I will be sharing 3 tips to help jumpstart your weight loss on raw. Just by following these tips I have lost several dress sizes and over 50lbs. I cannot guarantee you will have the exact same results, but I believe you will be well on your way to losing weight.

1. Drink Green Smoothies
A green smoothie is a drink that includes fruit, a sweetener and leafy greens like Spinach, Kale, Swiss chard etc… Green smoothies are full or nutrients, and protein.

In the beginning of my raw food journey, I would drink 20-32 oz of Green Smoothies for Breakfast and for lunch. This simple change in my diet really helped me drop the pounds and inches. You can find some great Green Smoothie recipes here: www.goneraw.com.

2. Throw away the scale
This step was crucial for me. Within the first week raw I lost 22lbs and boy it felt great! As the weeks went on I kept weighing myself and thought “why isn’t’ the scale dropping at a fast rate?” I didn’t consider the fact that I might be losing inches. I decided to lose the scale and measure my success by how my clothes fit. I have since went from a size 28 to a size 14 shirt.

Don’t get caught up on the number on the scale, it is not the only way to measure success. I have seen many people fall off the wagon because the scale didn’t reflect the right number.

3. Replace one to two of your cooked meals with Raw
I know most of you probably heard 100% raw is the way to go and for some it is. I believe a 100% raw food diet is great but I also believe you can be healthy on a diet of 80% raw. What matters most is what cooked food you cut from your diet.

I highly suggest replacing two of your meals and snacks with raw meals and snacks. This change will help you lose weight and provide healing from all of the unhealthy foods we have eaten.

You might be wondering what should I remove from my cooked diet? That is up to you and what you feel comfortable removing from your diet. I highly suggest that you work on removing all processed food. Consider eliminating or lowering your meat consumption. These changes will get you off to a good start.

Well there you go, 3 tips to jumpstart your weight loss on Raw. Please do leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you.

Talk to you soon,

Tanisha Marshall is a Raw food coach, Author and Radio Host. Tanisha is dedicated to working with women who would like to lose weight and conquer their unhealthy attachments to food naturally. Be sure to sign up for my FREE newsletter for more great advice like this and upcoming events. http://www.tanishamarshall.com

Check out Keeping It Real Radio at http://www.keepitrealradioonline.com

1. Trying to make to many recipes.
   This is one of the first mistakes I made when I first went raw. I got my first raw recipe book and wrote down 7 recipes to make. I spent more than $200.00 on food that I didn’t even make. Try making 1 to 2 dishes max, this will save you time and money.
2. Making a Green Smoothie without adding water.
   Early on in my raw journey I learned how important green smoothies were. I didn’t take the time to read or learn that you should include a cup or two of water as the base of your smoothie. I was happily making thick smoothies that included 3 to 4 apples, some spinach and honey. Don’t make this mistake.
3. Telling everyone you know to go raw.
   Don’t you remember having someone in your life that was so happy to share there new findings with you? I know I’ve dealt with this a time or two. Most times you really don’t want anyone telling you, you need to change and if you don’t like it no one else will. I find that being the example is one of the better ways to inspire someone else to change.
4. Eating raw just to drop a couple pounds.
   Unlike most diets you hear about, Atkins, Weight watchers and so fourth, the raw food lifestyle offers so much more then a diet. Raw and Living food is a healing diet. With consistency you can reap wonderful benefits like mental clarity, High energy, Closer spiritual connection and so much more. Just eating raw for a short period won’t allow you to reap the benefits. You don’t have to be 100% raw but eating a high raw diet consistently can give you wonderful results.
5. Going 100% raw because someone said you should.
   Ok, this is a big one. During my journey to eat raw I found myself wavering back and forth between 100% to high raw over and over again. I kept getting confused. One raw food expert said you have to be 100% the other says it’s ok to be 80%. Don’t get confused like I did. Do what works best for you at the time depending on your current lifestyle, health problems and so fourth. Sometimes you may require a 100% raw diet to heal from a serious health condition, otherwise don’t get so worked up on being 100%. Eating raw will become easier as you work on other issues surrounding your life.
6. Going off your insulin just because you read online that the raw diet would heal you from diabetes.
   I have seen or heard about people healing from diabetes by eating raw. I believe you can find healing but please consult a doctor during this process to help you whine off your medicine. I am not saying you aren’t’ smart enough but when dealing with synthetic medicine I’d rather be safe then sorry.
7. Juice feasting your first day raw.
   Juice feasting can be rewarding. I personally find that going on a juice feast not only speed healing and weight lost but also helps you kick the addiction to food. Even with these wonderful benefits I highly suggest finding and making several raw food dishes to get you more familiar with the raw diet. When you come off your fast, you will be ready to start your raw lifestyle on the right foot.

Tanisha Marshall has been eating a predominately raw food diet close to 2 years now. As a Certified Raw food Coach Tanisha is dedicated to working with women who would like to lose weight and conquer their unhealthy attachments to food naturally. Be sure to sign up for my FREE newsletter for more great advice like this and upcoming events. http://www.tanishamarshall.com

Tanisha Marshall is also the host of Keeping It Real Radio, Natural health radio for the Mind, Body and Spirit, check it out: http://www.keepitrealradioonline.com

Recently, I discovered that I needed to lower the amount of sweet fruits I was consuming. For a while I was wondering why I haven’t seen a lot of weight loss. I found that eating too much fruit was a  contributing factor.

Before I discovered the raw food diet, I found out that I had PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.)  PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that is normally associated with Insulin Resistance.

Insulin Resistance is a condition where the body produces insulin but does not use it properly. Insulin Resistance is also considered pre-diabetes.

I wonder why it took me almost 2 years to realize that I need to be more careful with fruit. I was loading up on Banana’s and apples and all kinds of other fruits. Just eating all of these sugars are enough to make it impossible to lose weight for someone with Insulin Resistance and Diabetes. Some folks who are insulin resistant can consume sweet fruits, I don’t believe it affects everyone. I noticed that after slowing down my consumption of sweet fruits I started losing weight again.

I don’t believe that fruit is bad. I believe that some of us may need to step back from it for a while until our body can process the sugars in fruit properly

Although, I was diagnosed with PCOS I was never told I had insulin resistance. Out of the blue I decided to remove sweet fruits. This is how I discovered that sweet fruits were a part of the reason why I was having a hard time releasing more weight.

It has been a while since I really shared what is going on in my life. I look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks.

Let me know what you think about my discovery, I’m sure I am not the only person that had to make this change.

Tanisha Marshall – Raw Food Coach
http://www.tanishamarshall.com
http://www.keepitrealradioonline.com

Get Fit! By Natasha Linton

It’s time. Heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure are all running around this country like crazy. A lot of us are not engaging in exercise or any other form of physical activity other than the daily walk to the car, the bus, to work, or wherever else. This doesn’t cut it. If more of us were serious about our own health the stats of these diseases would be better.

For weight loss moving is important. Find an activity and do it. Good eating habits are as important as moving. Non gym members, those with money trouble, busy parents, busy execs, busy travelers, and busy people all around are not exempt here. There are exercises you can do when you have little time during the day for much of anything and that do not require any equipment. Also there are ways to eat healthy while on a budget.

Even if you are not a gym member, or have no time to exercise, you can learn to make room in your schedule.

About Natasha Linton

Natasha Linton is a New York City based fitness professional certified by the International Sports Sciences Association and holds several other certifications. Her individualized exercise programming guarantees results. Natasha is also a contributing writer to OnFitness Magazine and has also written for the Oxygen Network. Recently, she was featured as the fitness expert for Heart & Soul magazine’s Healthy You Challenge.

Currently she writes a weekly blog providing personal fitness advice that has a loyal readership worldwide. The blog can be found at www.natashalinton.wordpress.com.

Her new project in the works is the first eBook of a series entitled The Start Guide telling readers step by step how to get started with an exercise and nutrition program.

Email promotions@natashalinton.com for your free download.

Thank you Natasha for sharing about the importance of getting fit.

Thank you,
Tanisha Marshall – Certified Raw Food Coach and Motivational Speaker
Website | KIR Radio

I received some great responses to why you needed the juicier most and found it way to hard to decide so I took all of the names wrote them on piece of paper and said a prayer in hopes that the person that needed it the most win. I picked the winners name twice in a row.

The winner is………………………………Gena Hamshaw

Hello All,

Get ready to spread the word about this FREE  Juicer Giveaway. Please use this link if you plan to share with others. http://raw.tanishamarshall.com/2009/01/free-juicer-giveaway-details-below/

I will be holding a contest for a FREE Healthy Juicer from Lexen Products. The Lexen Healthy Juicer is an amazing easy and effective wheatgrass and leafy green juicer, making it the most popular on the market.

877MyJuicer.com will be supplying the juicer at no cost to the lucky winner. More detailed information about the juicer can be found here – Healthy Juicer.

Here are the guidelines for the contest:

• You must subscribe to my newsletter to enter the contest
• You will need to write a comment via this post telling me why you need the juicer and what you will do with it.
• Send me an email via this link, letting me know you subscribed to my newsletter and left a comment on my blog. If you cannot use the link above to contact me please go to http://www.tanishamarshall.com/contact to send me an email.
• Once you have completed all of the steps I will send you an email letting you know that you have officially entered the contest.

Who will win: The person who leaves the best reason why they need the juicier.

NOTE: If you are having a problem subscribing to the newsletter when you send me an email, let me know and I’ll add you manually.

Please remember when you leave your comment to leave a valid email address, I will need to contact you if you win, but remember you must be subscribed to my newsletter to enter the contest.

Feel free to tell anyone who you feel might be interested in winning a free juicer to come on over and enter the contest.

The contest will start today January 15, 2009 until January 29, 2009.
The winner will be announced on this blog on January 29, 2009.

Thank you,

Tanisha Marshall – Certified Raw Food Coach and Motivational Speaker
Website | KIR Radio