What does our diet have? Our intuition tells us that something is not quite right. We may not have the energy, stamina, and vitality that we would like. Maybe our skin is not as beautiful as we would like. Maybe we are a little worried about our weight. Maybe it looks like we need more sleep. Maybe we are always sick. The reason most people make a change in what they eat is because of some kind of health problem.

I love the “pen, brick, truck” analogy that can be applied to so many aspects of life. At first we are gently aware that something is not quite right, just a gentle reminder stirring in the back of our minds. This is the pen. We can choose to ignore it. We do it mainly because we are too busy to bother with such small things. So we ignore it. When we do, a while later they hit us with a brick. Wow! That hurts! Now we are really aware that something is not at all as it should be. We cannot ignore this. We take some kind of emergency action. We patch it. After a few days the pain has subsided. Now we can forget about it, and when it comes to health and diet, many of us limit ourselves to that. So we forget about it. Then, a while later, we get run over by something much bigger, a truck! Maybe we don’t survive this. If we do, something in our life will have changed forever. There is no way back.

I’m sure you can think of many other examples in life where the “pen, brick, truck” analogy applies. Take relationships for example. You may find that you are not talking to each other enough. Maybe things are not as happy as you would like. But you’re too busy, so you ignore it. Life goes on like this for a while. You are restless but too busy to respond to the “pen”. Then one day comes the “brick” “I’m going away for a few days alone” or “I need my own space” or similar. Well, maybe you could plan a great vacation together somewhere warm, change your work hours to spend more time together, or whatever it takes. But you say “Ok” and do nothing. Well, in that case it’s only a matter of time before the truck arrives… “I’m leaving you today! I’ve already packed…”

So how does all this relate to diet? Well, many of us know intuitively that something is not quite right. We have busy lives, but in a moment of reflection we think maybe we should eat healthier. This is the pen. So why don’t we? Why wait for something to go wrong? Well, I think part of the problem is a general lack of meaningful information, so we’re not really sure what to do anyway.

But stop for a second and think. As I walk through a supermarket, I look at the shelves and think “How many of these food products would have been around 50 years ago?” Probably not many. So I think “How many of these food products would have been around 500 years ago?” Well, probably none of them. Even apples then would have been a lot less hybrid and a bit more natural. What happened to the grape seeds? How natural is it for a fruit to be seedless? However, 500 years in evolutionary terms is nothing. It’s not even a pothole.

Well that’s it. We ignored the pen and now we have some kind of challenge. One day we decided to change. Let’s change our diet. We have made a decision. Well, making a decision is one of the most powerful things you can do. Well, now what? Well, we’re going to gather information and take some action.

Well, making a decision is powerful. Making an informed decision is even more powerful. Therein lies the problem. Most of the information that abounds does not relate to the foods our bodies were designed for. Just look at anything in the newspapers, on television, or on supermarket shelves and ask the question “would anyone have eaten this 500 years ago?”

There is growing interest in the raw food diet as a way to restore this balance. Some people simply add more fresh, raw foods to their diet, while others have gone totally raw. Of course, you can still have a raw food diet that doesn’t meet your nutritional needs because you’ve missed out on some of the essential vitamin and mineral components and haven’t achieved the right balance. So you have to do it right. But for those who have done it, the results are amazing, in terms of health, energy, and vitality.

I believe in an approach that can be developed and is sustainable. Many people go on some type of crash diet to address a particular problem. An example would be a diet to lose weight. You follow the diet, lose some weight and feel comfortable. A few years later you are back at the beginning! With the right approach to a raw food diet, you’ll get sustainable results and never go back!

So what is your next step? Well, my suggestion would be not to wait for the “brick” stage! Change one little thing in your diet today. Replace a small thing with something fresh and natural. Replace a snack with a piece of fruit, replace a drink with water or freshly made juice. But whatever you choose, make sure it’s something you can do tomorrow and the next day too! Do it yourself. You will be surprised how quickly you can change.

There are now many raw food recipe ideas available in books, magazines, and the Internet. Why not check out one or two of these and find something that works for you?