I have been thinking a while about whether I should really do this post. I do not want to discourage anyone from trying Raw til 4 because I got amazing results during summer and it worked really well for me then. The purpose for this post is just to show support to the people that might be struggling on this lifestyle and help them find a way to make the high carbohydrate lifestyle work for them.
Before I dive any deeper into my experience I want to give you a quick description of what Raw til 4 is. As the name suggests you eat raw foods until 4pm and after that time you have a cooked dinner. This lifestyle is all about high carb, low fat, low salt. So now I am going to give you an example of what a typical day might look like on Raw til 4. For breakfast I would generally have a big fruit smoothie. When I say big I really mean big. The goal with all of your three meals is to get a minimum of 1,000 calories. I would make make a smoothie with about 10 bananas and some cinnamon. For lunch I would generally have more fruit, either a smoothie with different fruit or perhaps another 10 bananas. Then for my cooked dinner I often had a big vegetable stew with potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes or any other vegetables that took my fancy at the time.
I have never really been about counting calories but when I transitioned to this lifestyle beginning of the year it took me a while to get used to this. However I can honestly say because of the quantities you eat and all the numerous nutrients, vitamins and minerals contained within the food, I honestly never craved any foods. Before that I would have sometimes cravings for chocolate. The chocolate or sweet cravings completely went away. My body was completely satisfied.
The lifestyle was perfect in summer for me because here in Western Australia we are truly blessed with a very warm summer. I love the heat and can't get enough of it because in the other seasons of the year I often feel cold. So raw foods worked perfectly then.
As winter crept in I started noticing that I wouldn't be my happy self. I would freeze even more than usual even though I wear a lot more layers than most people do. I also found this lifestyle too expensive for my budget because it is very challenging in this part of the world to get reasonably priced fruit in winter. I started warming up my smoothies to 37 degrees in my Thermomix but found myself craving warm foods more and more.
When I talked to my husband about it, it all occurred to me that I might be better off to transition to more cooked food in the colder seasons of the year. After a few weeks of eating more cooked foods I am finding myself much more balanced and happier. By cooked foods I refer to a lifestyle still high in carbohydrates. I just love carbs.
I am not sure whether you guys have heard of the starch solution but this theory also relates to a high carb lifestyle but is open to more of the cooked foods. If you are interested in a high carb lifestyle this might be another great resource for you to check out.
Certainly try Raw til 4 and check out Freelee the Banana Girl on YouTube. But the important thing is to listen to your body. Listen for the hints your body is giving you because no one knows your body better than you do.
