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The Raw Food Lifestyle by Andrew Perlot is an eBook about the lifestyle surrounding a raw foodist. Andrew runs a blog called Raw Food Health where he discusses many aspects of a raw food diet.
Overview
When Andrew first contacted me, I wasn’t sure what his ebook, The Raw Food Lifestyle, was all about. He said it was about the lifestyle surrounding a raw food diet. Even after reading it the title strikes me as slightly ill-fitting. This is very much a personal development eBook, equal or better to any I’ve read so far. It’s the true life story of Andrew Perlot’s path to improve his own life.
He was overweight in his early years and on into middle and high school. He also had some beliefs cast on him by society that further held him back. His path led him to learning Ninjitsu, Yoga, and eventually to a Raw Food Diet. I suppose that makes him the only raw food ninja that I know.
His path led him out of depression and an overweight body, and into happiness and a much more athletic body. During this journey he has learned many great lessons, and it’s through this eBook that he shares these lessons.
The Raw Food Lifestyle is comprised of four main sections: Overcoming Depression, The Mind, The Body, and Other Needs. Each section shares revelations and tips from Andrews own life. He has lived the personal development he shares in this eBook.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Raw Food Book That Wasn’t
How To Use This Book
Overcoming Depression
- Cast Into The Pig Sty
- You’re Not Alone
- It’s Not Too Late Because Of A Bad Start
- Misguided Treatments
- Treating Symptoms – The Medical Model Keeps Failing
- Don’t Examine The Filth, Move Out Of It
- A Different Way To Examine The Problem
- Making A Clean Break
- Logic Is Your Friend
- Emotion – Don’t Embrace It For A Change
- Be Calm
- Resurrecting The Laugh
- Separate Old Failures From Your Future
- Get Up And Move
- Distract Yourself To Happiness
- Take On Your Problems And Regain Control
- For The Stuck
- A Quick Review
- Moving On
Our Needs
The Realm Between Your Temples
- Introducing The Mind
- Starting To Unplug And A Bit Of Perspective.
- Switch The Lens, Change Your Life
- Three More Examples Of Changing Lenses
- Running Feet
- The I Hate Cooked Food Lens
- Colitis
- How You Change Lenses
- Lenses Q&A
- Ideas To Consider Incorporating Into Your Life
- Absolute Responsibility
- Never Complain
- The Mirror Concept
- Reasoning Yourself Raw
- Finding The Meaning Of Life
- Chasing Arete
- Society Will Remain Two Steps Behind
- Friends And Loved Ones
- On Existing In An Alien Society
- You Didn’t Sign A Contract To Become A Hippie
- Setting Goals
- Getting Started With Goals
- Advice For The Goalless
- Daily Doses Of Inspiration
- Motivation
- A Lifetime Of Learning
- Why We Pursue Knowledge
- Dealing With Mnemosyne
- The Importance of Stories
- Healing And Hurting Through Stories
- The Threat of Negative Stories and Reclaiming Our Mental Space
- Television
- Crafting New Stories
- On Not Being A Pawn
- The Mind Is Not Everything.
- The Eventual Goal: Living For the Moment
- Body Energy Awareness
The Body And Our Physical Existence
- The Temple We Live In
- That Urge To Move
- Deep Vein Thrombosis, AKA Death By Sloth
- Movement Breaks: An Easy First Step
- The Benefits For Those Willing To Go Farther
- You’ll Get There
- A Better Way To Exercise
- Body Temperature And Warmth In The Winter
- Sleep
- How Much Is Enough
- The Role of Sleep in Depression, Body Repair, and Physical and Mental Growth
- Diet And Sleep
- Sensible Sleep Advice
- Developing A Sleep Ritual
The Other Needs
- Meaning And Purpose
- Feeling Part Of A Wider Community
- Control Over Your Life
- Emotional Intimacy
- The Wonders Of Touch
- Competence And Achievement
- Security
- Sleep
- Privacy
- Smiling, Laughter And Happiness
- Proper Food And Drink
- Appreciation Of Art
- Time Outdoors And Biophilia
- Sunlight
- Rethinking Sun Exposure
- Other Applications
- Healing:
- Building Strength and Endurance:
- Fertility:
- Relaxation and Well Being:
- Should You Get The Hell Out Of Dodge?
Conclusion
About The Author
Human Needs Audit
What’s Included
The 111 page eBook
Price/Value
$29.99 This is a good value due to the vast quantity of information, the authority through personal experience, and the professional manner in which it was written. This is one of those eBooks that I could imagine reading in hardback at the local bookstore.
Pluses
- The author speaks from experience and I could sense his passion for the topic.
- A great section on overcoming depression, not from some doctor studying theory, but by someone who has lived it and discovered a way to overcome it.
- Covers a wide variety of personal development topics.
- Lots of great examples from the author’s life.
- I liked the areas where his own experience conflicted with ideas from doctors or mainstream opinion. This is an area where eBooks shine as they give you real firsthand accounts from actual experiences.
Minuses
This is nitpicking, but Andrew occasionally uses some words that are outside of the average reader’s vocabulary. I would have liked to see a little more content about the raw food diet itself, like what his typical daily menu looks like and how he transitioned to raw foods. I suspect this was intentionally left out as it may have diluted the personal development focus.
Verdict
5 stars. I initially had a difficult time getting past the title. It really doesn’t lead you to expect a book full of great personal development ideas, yet after reading it, it somehow seems appropriate. It’s as if the title Raw Food Lifestyle should be at the end of the book instead of the beginning, then you would have the benefit of reading the entire eBook and saying, “aha, this is about the lifestyle surrounding the type of person that lives on a raw food diet.” It would be like me writing a book about a Jeep owner’s lifestyle and talking about the outdoorsy lifestyle many Jeep owners lead.
A few chapters really resonated with me, as they reflect some ideas that I’ve held that aren’t mainstream in the personal development world. One is around the idea of sleep and waking up early. I’ve often read from personal development and productivity blogs about the benefits of waking up early. Andrew discusses the reality of this, which looks at an early bedtime as the key to making this work. He also talks about the benefits of sleep, including the processing of our waking life, and the healing of the body, which are often overlooked by the productivity types.
The other was on the topic of sunlight. The sun often gets a bad rap, and Andrew shares his own views of proper sun exposure and the benefits he’s seen. I can whole heartedly agree with his outlook on sun exposure, having lived in a sunny area and seeing the benefits of the sun on my psoriasis.
He also has a great chapter on the lenses we use to view life, with lenses being a metaphor for beliefs. He talks about wearing colored lenses that we eventually get used to, and after a while we don’t even notice them. He then goes on to discuss how you need to remove one set of lenses to try on new sets. It’s a really creative way to look at beliefs and it really made a lot of sense to me.
Click here to learn more or to purchase of The Raw Food Lifestyle
If you are already on a raw food diet, or if you are considering one, you might also check out his Savory Raw Dressings and Sauces eBook. It’s full of ideas to spice up your raw foods.
Win Free eBooks
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m giving away or offering discounts on the eBooks I review. These giveaways will be limited to those people that have joined my mailing list.
The winner of a free copy of The Raw Food Lifestyle is Steven. Steven also won an eBook during my recent contest.
If you would like a chance to win free eBooks, sign up for my mailing list using the form below. I promise not to spam you or to send too many emails. I’m shooting for once or twice a month max.
This post was written by...
Eric Watermolen – who has written 187 posts on Eden Journal.
Eric is the founder of Eden Journal. He loves blogging about personal growth and desires to make a small difference in the world by providing a platform for bloggers to share ideas on a wide range of topics from personal development to spiritual and philosophical awakenings.
