Although I feel that Stokes has another agenda – that of selling her ideas and converting everyone into veganism –, I believe she is correct and smart in most of her arguments. Her philosophies on dealing with hunger are insightful and witty. One thing she suggests is building a toolbox for ideas of things you enjoy doing, that way next time you have a craving for unhealthy food, you could go fly a kite instead. Also, she recommends that the next time you think you need a doughnut you should ask yourself how happy you will feel in an hour. And that has been proven to work – when you think less about what’s good for you at the moment and more about what will help you in the long run, you are more likely to make the right choice. Think about it: If you’re strong enough to resist cheating on your spouse for the sake of long-lasting marriage is it much of a stretch to apply that mentality to cheating on your diet for the sake of a long-lasting health?
Nevertheless, I don’t agree with everything Stokes says. The raw food diet is not meant for a bodybuilder. Perhaps you could make it work by supplementing your diet with hemp protein as she suggests, but hemp protein is not a complete protein like whey and you can’t have whey because whey is a processed food and a food made from dairy which is a big no-no. Also, like many others, she promotes the use of organic foods claiming that the pesticide toxins in processed foods will harm you, but people live to be beyond 100 no matter how many pesticide-ridden fruits they have eaten. Of course, if you’re being sprayed with pesticide or come in direct contact with it, that’s a different story.
Overall, the raw food diet is worth looking into. Although not perfect, it provides many ideas that should be applied to nutrition in general – avoiding saturated fats, avoiding processed foods, avoiding temptations, and focusing on getting a balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It should make room for the occasional intake of insects and fish for protein, but it’s not bad otherwise. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is currently a vegan and I would even suggest reading and learning about the diet for anyone who is not. It is more than a coincidence that Stokes lost so much weight while on the diet. As she points out, ‘[She] can do it and so can you.’
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