I have researched this Raw Food lifestyle for over a year now and I am more excited (and convinced) than ever to start BUT I need a little help. I have read that you should do a cleanse before you start the raw food lifestyle but the cleanse involves citrus (i.e. the lemonade Master Cleanse) and if I drink just one orange juice I get a severe uti infection. So should I try it or not? And my REAL problem is that I don't have much money at all and I don't know how to start eating...I want to jump right into completely raw but what can I start out eating that doesn't cost too much and STILL get enough nutrients I need for the whole day? Is there such a thing as eating too little of fruit & veggies or too much in a day? Can anyone advise??? THANKS!!

Everyone goes raw to a different "%", most dream of being 100% raw, but some feel fine with 75% or between, so to answer the too little/too much question, do what your body wants and adjust to where you feel comfortable, the slower the transition the better for most.

When it comes down to cost (and nutrient bang for your buck), I normally buy huge bulk bags of apples, big bulk packages of spinach, bananas, many grapefruits, & grapes (I also recommend avocados, a bit more pricey but they satisfy that fatty craving). Check out your local bulk shopping club like Costco or Sam's or BJ's, as they have produce sections where you can find great deals on lots of produce (at first you'll think it's too much and you will never use it all, but you may be pleasantly surprised). I found the cheapest produce prices at a local Asian market/produce market, search for these in the area as well, they tend to have a lot of neat exotic stuff at good prices.

If YOUR goal is to each more fresh fruits and vegetables.....then START SIMPLE. Identify what level/overall percent of fresh, raw plant foods you are eating NOW....and are VERY comfortable with NOW. Set small goals (with timetables) to increase this by perhaps 1-2% per week. You can always speed up...if things are TOO easy! Ha! ha! Keep going until you hit the raw goals that YOU have identified. The healthy foods will do most of the cleansing for you. I would avoid anything but the very lightest fasting and cleansing until you've seen what 6 months of eating at YOUR raw goal have done for you. Blessings and strength. Thank you for your excellent questions.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Thank you Weezo!! That's a GREAT idea to go buy in bulk. I will definitely check out BJ's or Sam's Club this weekend! But how long do the fruits and veggies last in the frig.? Thanks! : )

Thank you David!! I will definitely go light on the fasting and cleansing. It's been so hard to incorporate a lot of fresh fruits and veggies because of cost but I do LOVE salads with fruit in them. I have gotten to the point where my body naturally despises meat so I end up eating a lot of starchy foods which aren't healthy either. What do you think about me adding Barley Grass and Green Superfood Drink Powder as a meal substitute? Will that be a good start as well? Thanks! : )

Apples keep great in any section of the fridge (especially if you get red delicious I've noticed), I've had some keep up to a month! A big container of spinach (check to make sure there are no leaves with "wet" looking edges on the bottom, etc before buying one) tends to keep about a week, I've noticed organic actually keeps longer than your average spinach.