Here’s a video essay on how to transition into a raw food, vegan or just plain old healthy diet.
BTW: If you want to get daily updates of the Renegade Health Show emailed to you directly like many of our subscribers do, all you need to do is put your email address in the form at the bottom of this posting.
What’s a video essay? Go ahead and take a look… I really like the way this turned out, so I’ll do one of these a week on different issues and thoughts. Kind of like Andy Rooney (expect I’m a lot younger and I focus on health, and I’m not as good as Andy just yet… 
)
BTW: Your question of the day is: “What is your advice for transitioning into a healthy diet?”
After you’re finished watching the video, let me know what you think by clicking here and scrolling down to the bottom of page to leave a message.
Don’t forget to answer the question of the day… “What is your advice for transitioning into a healthy diet?”
Click here and scroll down to the bottom of page to leave a message.
Also, please send this video to a friend who needs help getting from point A to point B. 
Live Awesome!
Kevin
7:58 pm on March 11th, 2008
Enlist support! Not only do I read about health, online and in books and magazines (to maintain the ‘head space’), but I hang out with healthy people. This does not mean that I have dropped all of my junk-food swilling friends, it means that I find other things to do with them, and go to dinner with my healthy, slim friends.
8:14 pm on March 11th, 2008
Kevin, I totally agree about “letting go” when making a transition. What we resist, persists. When you give up control, your mind/body/soul automatically move you towards wellness and help you become whole – because that is our natural state. I just finished reading “A New Earth – Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose” by Eckhart Tolle, who explains this concept far more eloquently than I can. But just from my own experience, when I don’t try so hard, things begin to flow (and just to prove a point, I had a vegan chocolate chip cookie this afternoon – something I know is not good for me – it’s all sugar, fat and refined flour! – but I’m being okay with it).
Thanks for all your efforts in changing the world – I too believe we can do it – one bite at a time!
Nimisha
8:34 pm on March 11th, 2008
You are easy to listen to…you sound very kind. Your message made sense to me. I look forward to more encoraging words from you.
9:21 pm on March 11th, 2008
Kevin I think that is one of the most important messages to get out — and you did it so well! Having the right mindset, and just making a start, is essential for every aspect of life.
Waiting until the right time or whatever… is such a waste of time and opportunities!
The video was great — and I thank you for it!
Jeanne
http://www.goalsnaspirations.com
10:35 pm on March 11th, 2008
Hi Kevin,
I started transitioning into a healthier diet in 3 ways. I am posting them in the event they might help someone else transition into a healthier diet as well. The first was to have a raw fruit smoothie every morning for breakfast which consisted of 1 cup of orange juice, 1 cup of filtered water, a banana and 4-5 frozen strawberries. I still have one every morning, 2 years later. The second thing I did was, no matter what else was on my plate for dinner, half of my plate was a raw salad. The third thing was to allow myself one day a week to go out for dinner and include dessert, which was usually a Friday or Saturday night. Eventually, I didn’t have cravings for rich desserts anymore and this habit began to wane. Over time, I added more raw food to my diet by eating something raw with every meal and I also began juicing. I bought a few raw food cookbooks, took a few raw food prep classes and found some great sites on the internet to help include more variety in my diet. As of January this year, after 2 years of transitioning and adding a few things here and there as I became comfortable with them, I cut out all animal products. I think it is important for people to know that there are many ways of transitioning..some faster and some slower. If a person is not comfortable at first with the thought of making so many changes at once, there is nothing wrong with taking their time and trying out a few new things each time they are ready to move on. I found it more comfortable to change a few things at a time, and as I did, I was able to feel the benefit of it..and that was what encouraged me to want to keep going. Best wishes to whomever is reading this and has the desire to improve their diet and lifestyle. I wish you well.
10:36 pm on March 11th, 2008
Right frame. Right message. Right voice.
Jeanne was right, video is really prime time!
donhall
author
Garden Foods “au Natural”
10:43 pm on March 11th, 2008
Hello Kevin,
You are so right. I have been transitioning for 2 years now and always fell back into old habits. When I allowed myself to go back to some cooked foods every once in a while, the pressure was gone. I now know that I can eat whatever I want when I want and I mostly choose raw. I am definitely vegan since January, which in itself is a great success for me. I do have a problem with digestion. Maybe you can speak about this one day.
Thanks for all your great advice.
Carola
12:40 am on March 12th, 2008
Great video and I love what you said about control. I coach transitioning vegans and I often tell them to take things one step at a time and not to beat themselves up if they screw up once or twice. It’s the getting back up that counts. The more you get up, the more you will see that falling down gets harder to do!
LaTara Ham-ying
12:45 am on March 12th, 2008
Hi! I have orderd from this place twice and am very pleased to share. They have great kosher organic and natural food products including agave nectar.
Here is a link http://www.wholeandnatural.com
Enjoy!!!
p.s. I used a code try if it works for you bldc08
1:47 am on March 12th, 2008
Well from a videomaker’s view point this video made me ill from all the jerking around and misplaced shots.
The message was great- I don’t get the connection between that and the video.
You need to use a smoother method of filming if you are going to post these as the bad part of the video made me start forgetting the message.
You wanted honesty so there it is. I help teach a video production class at the local community college where I live.
Go to http://www.videomaker.com and you will find a pile of tips on how to make better videos using ‘guerrilla’ tactics.
5:35 am on March 12th, 2008
Hi Kevin,
Great video!
I just posted it on the blog.
I totally agree, that everything starts by having the mindset to make things happen.
By taking your time, you avoid too much stress, which can be worse than eating something “bad”. Ultimately there is no good or bad.
This mindset of success (Raw Food Success) will lead you into the right direction and before you know, you eat (mainly) raw.
Have a fantastic day,
Annet
http://www.RawFoodSuccess.blogspot.com/
10:28 am on March 12th, 2008
I think you’re doing a great job, KG! I love these videos!
12:39 pm on March 12th, 2008
I have been transitioning for 10 years!!! I started out just by adding raw fruits and veggies to the dinner table every night. Now I’m 100% raw, food combining and all. Reading and learning all you can to stay motivated is key! Finding raw recipes that you love is improtant too-so you can always say no to the wrong food, knowing that there is something you love waiting at home!!
Tracy
2:26 pm on March 12th, 2008
Hey Kevin,
Great video buddy.
I agree that true and everlasting change comes down to Mindset and that any attempt at change that does not address mindset is not going to work.
Keep up the great work!
Kyle Battis
http://www.FatBurningBlog.com
4:15 pm on March 12th, 2008
Quotable quotes from Kevin Gianni
“Giving yourself permission to fail might just be what leads you to success.”
That ROCKS!
Awesome job with this video man!
Jonathan Kraft
http://www.HealingScarTissue.com
6:08 pm on March 12th, 2008
transitioning:
each person must figure out if they are the slow-&-steady type… or the cold-turkey type.
for cold turkey: make all of the changes overnight, like David Wolfe and Angela Stokes did.
for the slow-&-steady (which I have found to be most people): begin making small changes, 1 or 2 at a time until they become habit… THEN move on to another change. Too many changes too quickly for these people will overwhelm them and have them throwing in the towel.
I have found the greatest patient compliance to be when I recommend small, manageable changes.
Also, don’t worry about tomorrow or the rest of the day…. be mindful of making your NEXT nutritional decision a healthy one.
7:50 pm on March 13th, 2008
Hi Kevin.
From a non videomaker point of view. I loved the rawness of it. It reminded me of the look of shows in the seventies (when everyone was thinner, hee hee) probably the music too. I liked it. Just keep being creative. There is no right way.
Keep on playin’
7:01 pm on March 26th, 2008
Kevin,
I’m a non videomaker, too, and I was surprised at the critique. It didn’t seem jerky to me at all (I had to walk out of “Blair Witch” because it was making me nauseous, so I *sm* sensitive to jerky film) and I had a “intuitive grasp” of how the film related to the information. Ideas like travelling a path rather than seeking a destination and finding wholeness, even in the brokenness of a large city. The shot where you are looking up through a tree is beautiful and really underlined the message at that point.
I love, love, love your voice. It’s very soothing and has a very professional yet warm sound to it. And central to everything was the message, which I embrace. I have felt resistant to people who have been telling me that I “have to” have (insert food x) or else I will feel “deprived” for not having it and then I will binge and undo all the good work I have done. But I didn’t feel resistant to your message because it was a shift from that. Not that I *must eat a cookie* but that it’s okay if I eat a cookie and that what I “must do” is give myself permission to be a person who sometimes might, maybe eat a cookie, but that’s okay and not a reflection on who I am as a person and not a failure.
I’m still not eating the cookie, but I feel much freer with your view toward it than the view that if I *don’t* eat the cookie, I’m setting myself up for future failure.