Begin meals with the foods that make the rest of the meal easier.

But here’s a twist to this advice.

Because almost everyone tries to control food by willpower, if the meal starts with dense or processed foods, the body keeps asking for more and the person ends up fighting their appetite the rest of the meal.

This is why, quite often, the simpler the beginning of the meal is, the better, especially one where the body’s resistance to stopping is almost zero.

Keep this in mind: when meals begin with vegetables, fruit, or a large raw salad, the stomach fills with fiber and water first… and once that happens, people often find themselves naturally eating less of the heavier foods that follow.

In nutrition clinics there are people who tell themselves they must strictly control portions, count calories, and avoid certain foods… yet they struggle because their hunger signals are working against them.

But when those same people begin the meal with a bowl of vegetables or raw salad first, something interesting happens - appetite settles down, and they often end up eating less without trying.

I know this is hard for some people to believe because they’ve been taught the opposite that controlling food requires constant discipline and strict rules.

Consider the body when it receives the nutrients it actually needs.

I’ve rarely seen a body that is nutritionally satisfied keep demanding more food.

When the body is receiving enough fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protective plant compounds, hunger tends to stabilize and meals begin to feel easier and more controlled.

That’s the ideal.

And it’s also the real deal.

​Raw Food Secrets​

Irina Valeva