Takeaways From Running Raw with Tim VanOrden at Bonobos NYC

Tim VanOrden is creator and driving force behind a project, an experiment, maybe even a movement that he titles Running Raw.  You can access more information at Tim's website RunningRaw.com and be sure to check out his youtube videos.

From what I understand The Food Network has decided to do a segment on raw food and was at Bonobos tonight filming Tim's speech.  This was my first official 'raw food' event and I had a chance to meet several people that I have gotten to know online.  

Tim talked about his transition from a vegan to raw diet, his goals for this project, training and diet tips.  He pretty much covered the whole spectrum.  While this is fresh in my mind I wanted to got down a couple of takeaways that I got from the speech.

First, Tim talked about how he had been vegan for about 6 years when a case of chronic fatigue had set in.  He had been what he calls a 'tan' vegan or 'junk food' vegan.  Eating all the fake soy meats (anything tan he said) ice creams, ect.  After a while it wasn't working for him and he was really struggling.  Eventually somehow the raw food lightbulb turned on and he health skyrocketed to a level it never had before.  Ok, allow me to chime in here.  When I first stopped eating wild caught seafood and transitioned to vegan, I felt about the same as I did before hand. Not better, not worse, just about the same.  I figured I was healthier and scientifically 'knew' I was because of all the research I had done but physically I felt the same.  Once I started experimenting with a primarily 100% raw vegan diet it was like night and day.  You really don't realize how blah you feel until you start feeling great.  My energy soared, my anxiety decreased, I needed less sleep, my skin got better, and my body started transforming almost on its own with very little working out.

Ok this brings me to my next takeaway.  Tim has a youtube video on this I should post a link to it.  (Note to self do this...granted I have no readers but still) Tim talks about how in America we define health as the absense of disease.  For example, dark is the absence of light.  That is how it is defined.  Well in western medicine we have been defining health as the lack of disease.  He says say that being healthy is zero on a numerial scale.  We have a whole lot of knowledge about what to do when someone dips below zero.  We have a whole range of pill, potions and surgeries for someone in the negative range living with diabetes, heart disease or any of the unfortunate degenerative disease that are crippling our nation.  

He asks, if health is defined by the lack of disease what really is health than?  Do you want to be just a 0?  Or do you want to know what it is like to soar?  To be a 10, a 20, a 50!! living to your true potential.  True health should be defined by excellence not by lack of.

The final takeaway I will mention is that of 'being ready' for something.  He said that raw food is either going to call to you or it isn't.  If it isn't right now it isn't time and quite frankly it won't work longterm.  If this is a path that interests you, just be patient, keep educating yourself and start small...but start today.