I love New Year’s resolutions. In fact, it was on the first day of January many years ago that I decided to embark on my own raw food journey.

Resolutions can be made on any day, during any season and at any time of the year, but there is something hopeful and fresh about beginning a new year with new objectives, which makes committing to changes at the beginning of the calendar year that much more exciting.

Once you have experienced eating an all-raw diet or one that is high in raw foods, it’s a way of life you will keep coming back to, simply because it feels and tastes so great, truly nourishing the body and soul.

I’ve compiled a motivation list which I hope will give you some encouragement on your exciting and nutritious path. Here’s to a happy and healthy new year.

15 Reasons To Eat Raw

1. Imagine jumping out of bed in the morning feeling totally awake with less sleep, healthy, vibrant and ready to tackle anything your day has to offer with pure positivity.

2. Many people feel relief from ailments, illness and disease due to an increase in nutrients and an elimination of toxins. Try starting off by replacing processed foods with more raw options. Instead of a granola bar, try some almonds and carrots.

3. Imagine excess weight melting off effortlessly without counting calories, fat grams or carbohydrates … and that’s just a side effect!

4. Enzymes, enzymes, enzymes! We are helping our body tremendously by consuming foods jam packed with these miracle workers! They are the catalysts for every process in our body, without them we could not function. We are born with a limited supply so the more we bring into our body without drawing upon its own reserves, the better. Enzymes are sensitive and are destroyed with heat/cooking over 112 degrees F.

5. Depleted enzymes, lack of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants contribute to aging and decreased immunity. Eating raw slows down the aging process significantly; giving your skin a glorious glow like no other skin cream or elixir could ever hope to achieve. They say a raw foodie is easy to spot!

6. Most of the water content in food is lost through cooking. Fruit and vegetables are filled with the most purified water you can ever consume; manufactured and filtered by none other than the earth! Struggling to consume 8 glasses per day? Fruit and vegetables count!

7. Cooking destroys 50% of the protein in our food. Raw vegetables, seeds, nuts and sprouts are rich in protein which are 100% bioavailable to us, meaning they are very easily absorbed.

8. Heated fats are linked to most major diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Raw fats from avocados, nuts, seeds, olives and coconut are extremely healthy for us. They protect our brain, our organs and lubricate our joints, nerves and bones. These tasty fats contain the enzyme lipase which actually burns excess body fat!

9. By eating a plant-based, vegan diet you will not only be supporting friendly farmers but you will be an active environmentalist by reducing your ecological footprint. Animals raised for our consumption take up a significant, ever-expanding portion of our land, contributing to deforestation (less vegetation = less oxygen) and animal waste running into and polluting our water.

10. Elevated moods, focus, clarity, gratitude and a true appreciation for life are commonly felt by raw foodists.

11. Even with weight loss, the face remains full and youthful, never gaunt. The body repairs itself, depositing curves in all the right places as a beautiful, new body emerges.

12. Results can be seen and felt within days as your body thanks you and works like crazy to become healthy once again.

13. A raw food diet will ensure that your body will maintain the proper pH balance and will never became too acidic (an acidic body is where disease and illness happily flourish). Raw foods are alkalinizing.

14. “Living foods create living bodies, dead foods create dead bodies.” (Dr. Ann Wigmore) Need I say more!

15. Taking care and loving yourself is the most important thing you will ever do. It will produce a domino effect and can become contagious! So spread the love.

Rachel Hynd