Raw Food Coach - A Session with Nora Lenz

I booked a coaching session with raw food coach Nora Lenz during my first few weeks of a raw food diet. I had read her story and found it very inspiring.

I particularly wanted to discuss a couple of issues with someone as experienced as her. She has been a raw vegan since 2000 and has reached amazing levels of health.

Soon after I made my booking for the thirty-minute phone consultation, I received a detailed questionnaire with questions about my lifestyle and current level of knowledge, and requesting that I keep a detailed diary for three days.

I recorded everything I ate, as well as the time I ate it and the exact quantities and then returned the form to her.

Our call was duly scheduled and I called her to discuss some issues I was having.

ADVICE FROM A RAW FOOD COACH - THE FAT ISSUE

I wondered how much fat Nora thought was optimal in the diet. At the time I was struggling to keep my fat intake to less than 10% of calories.

We discussed how in a pristine tropical setting, which all humans originated in, we wouldn't have eaten much fat at all.

Nuts are difficult to obtain and difficult to eat. The chances are we would have regarded the dry husks that encase the nuts in much the same way we would regard a rock.

The chances are good that we would have reached for the fresh ripe fruit instead. Avocados would have been available seasonally and therefore not daily fare.

This is not to say that we shouldn't eat fats at all. However, the ideal diet is very low in fat.

For the raw vegan in transition fats form the perfect bridge food between cooked foods and raw. They provide a heavier feeling of fullness that is often craved when someone moves from a cooked food diet to a raw food diet.

ADVICE FROM A RAW FOOD COACH - EMOTIONAL EATING AND THE RAW FOOD DIET

The biggest mistake that we make is the way we feel about ourselves when we have overeaten fats. We feel bad and feeling bad leads to bingeing.

When we eat a high fat meal, we feel as if we have 'cheated' and feel guilty. That guilty feeling makes us think 'oh well, I've already screwed up, I might as well just eat xyz'. And that is where things go awry.

If instead of feeling guilty, we embraced it as part of our transition to a healthy low fat raw food diet and lifestyle that would be far less of a problem.

She said it is enormously difficult for most people to eat a very low fat raw food diet for their first couple of years of raw. The best way to transition to a 100% low fat raw food diet is to watch your symptoms and then watch your thinking. When you have eaten foods that are less than optimal, your body will let you know, and this will encourage you to refine your diet and make better choices.

Watch your thinking to make sure that you accept the mistakes you make and forgive yourself along the way. This is NOT an invalid way to go about things.

THE TRANSITION TO AN IDEAL LOW FAT RAW FOOD DIET IS NOT DIRECTED BY WILL POWER, IT IS DIRECTED BY THE HEALING OF THE BODY!

Don't white knuckle it! Don't try and become 'perfect' overnight. Allow yourself some fat in your diet.

ADVICE FROM A RAW FOOD COACH - EATING COOKED FOODS AND 'FALLING OFF THE WAGON'

While you're transitioning to an ideal low fat raw food diet, if you were to allow yourself some cooked foods such as steamed yams or baked potatoes, it would be absolutely FINE, and should NOT be seen as backsliding.

Since these foods break down to simple sugars, the body can use them. She recommended making a short list of allowed foods and only eating these very occasionally. Just be sure not to eat them in increasing amounts.

ADVICE FROM A RAW FOOD COACH - SENSITIVE TEETH

I asked her about tooth sensitivity as Jaye struggled with sensitive teeth as a result of years of drinking fizzy drinks and commercially prepared fruit juices.

Nora said that what causes our teeth to become sensitive is the bacteria that feed on the food residues on our teeth excrete waste products. These waste products are acidic and break down the enamel leaving the nerves exposed.

The way to solve this issue is simply to floss and brush after every meal. If you are in a situation where you cannot brush your teeth, then simply rinse your mouth thoroughly with a mixture of water and baking soda.

Baking soda is alkaline and neutralizes the bacterial acid.

She advises the use of natural toothpaste, any brand of natural toothpaste is fine.

If it is difficult to eat fruit due to tooth sensitivity it is perfectly fine to stick to smoothies until this gets better.

ADVICE FROM A RAW FOOD COACH - ORGANIC VS NON ORGANIC

Since I live in Dubai there is very little locally grown. Most of the food is imported from other areas in the world and while some is organic, most is not.

Nora reassured me that this is NOT AN ISSUE AT ALL! What is important is that we eat the ripest, freshest fruit we can find.

If we can't afford organic or it's not available, it is not an issue. It doesn't make sense to ignore fresh ripe fruit conventionally grown that MAY or MAY NOT have pesticide residue.

Only a very small percentage of fruit contains pesticide residue. When tests have been done on conventionally grown fruit, it has been found that most of the fruit is just fine. It doesn't make sense to ignore 95% of the fruit because 5% might have chemicals on it.

Nora referred me to her raw food diet discussion group for more information on organic vs non organic foods.

ADVICE FROM A RAW FOOD COACH - MY OWN CONCLUSIONS

I was extremely impressed with Nora and really enjoyed my conversation with her. The session I had booked was too brief to do more than touch on the surface of these issues, but I was very satisfied with how things went.

She does offer ongoing coaching support on the raw food diet and lifestyle and this would be a great option for people who would like regular sessions.