Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Kristen's Raw 22nd Awesome Giveaway - $40 Gift Certificate To Sunlight Boulevard

It's that time again... drumroll please.... GIVEAWAY!!! The lovely people over at Sunlight Blvd are offering one winner a $40 giveaway (shipping included for what you choose to spend it on)!

About Sunlight Blvd...

Sunlight Blvd is proud to offer you only the highest quality, purest products and strive to provide you with warm, attentive customer service. Rest assured that every product we sell has been diligently researched and rigorously tested. The majority of what we sell is handmade, local, and/or comes from small businesses. We look forward to becoming your source for the best products mother nature has to offer.
A little more about Sunlight Blvd... I started it in 2006 as a stay at home mom. My focus is on health products, Eco-friendly and reusable, natural mothering and home birth and working with small mom and pop shops. 
Together with my husband we operate the business while raising three young boys. We live in Ahwatukee, AZ and try and live as healthy and natural as possible. I'm an advocate for home birth, extended breastfeeding, attachment parenting, healthy eating/living etc. 
WANT THE CHANCE TO WIN?
It's simple to participate. All you have to do is answer the following question in this post's comment section. The contest will end Sunday night, April 25th @ 11:59pm. I'll enter everyone's name who answered the question into a drawing and announce the winner on my blog Monday, April 26th. *Please note: While I would love to hear from everyone around the world in answering this question, I have to limit the winner to a person living in the United States.

QUESTION: What do you find is the biggest struggle with living a healthy lifestyle?

Want another chance to win? Tweet a link to this blog post and come back to let me know in a separate comment.

Want another chance to win? Facebook a link to this blog post and come back to let me know in a separate comment.

Want another chance to win? Write about this giveaway on your blog and link back to this blog post. Come back to let me know in a separate comment.

121 comments:

  1. The biggest struggle is turning down well-meaning relatives and free food.

    Thanks!
    -Marina M

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  2. Silly as it may sound, my biggest struggle is overindulging even on healthy foods. I have a small frame and a low metabolism, so I struggle to keep excess weight off. Luckily, eating healthfully makes it far easier than if I were still eating crap!

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  3. Finding the time, energy and/or motivation to fit in exercise on a regular basis... The food part I'm pretty good at, but the physical movement sometimes gets out of wack.

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  4. The biggest struggle for me is feeling like the mythological Cassandra. I know the TRUTH, yet no one believes me or seems to care, and I have to stand by and watch them all make poor choices (whether food, toxic chemicals, destructive emotional patterns, you name it). So I continue to shine in a world with their blinders on. Thankfully the light penetrates those hidden cracks...some are starting to look up and ask questions. :)

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  5. The biggest struggle for me is not slacking off on days which are jammed packed and/or stressful.

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  6. having the time to prepare diverse allergen-free, mostly raw, foods without reverting to just basic fruit and salad.

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  7. I would say the only time I really struggle with a healthy diet is if we're eating with other people and the choices aren't great.

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  8. Being in college, it's balancing groceries on a budget and a college meal plan!

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  9. The biggest problem I find is being able to get the things you need. You hear about things or products and want to try them but they are not in your area and sometimes you cannot even get them on the internet.
    Carrie

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  10. The biggest struggle for me is finding time to make healthy meals, not just cooking or prepping, but also doing the shopping and finding the things that lead to healthy living.

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  11. my biggest struggle is eating socially with non-vegan friends and family.

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  12. i think the biggest struggle for me is getting together with family for eating out. sometimes, they make a lot of comments about the choices i make.

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  13. My biggest struggle is after dinner I crave sweets after a day of clean & 50% raw eating!

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  14. Awesome giveaway!

    My biggest struggle is working up the willpower to exercise consistently. I've made great leaps in the past few months, but before that, I was pretty lazy!

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  15. My biggest challenge is finding the motivation and willpower to exercise regularly. I've been much better recently, but up until a month or so ago I was pretty darn lazy!

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  16. the biggest struggle is that friends just don't get it and sometimes have gotten mad at me for being "too healthy." it's hard to ignore when it's people close to you, but it's all you can do!

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  17. The biggest struggle for me are the challenges it presents for my social life. I almost always bring my own food or eat before hand when meeting up with friends anywhere. I wish more places catered to people who want to eat organic. Restaurants that serve organic are really, really hard to come by and the few that we have are very expensive. It's hard when I have allergies as well and servers do not understand the importance of leaving these foods out when I specifically request it! It makes me feel like a pain in the butt and sometimes I skip out on get togethers because it's just too hard!

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  18. I'm sure it's been said, but dealing with social situations is still hard for me. I always feel guilty around extended family/social events/wherever where I have to either explain my diet, ask for special treatment, or just not eat what's there since nothing is acceptable to me...

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  19. Probably dinners with family and friends. How to turn things down in a gracious way and not seem too dogmatic.

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  20. The hardest part for me is eating with my (non-veg) boyfriend. He always wants a burger, and it can be difficult to find a middle ground. And even hard to not become preachy!

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  21. My biggest struggle is that I'm so social...I love going to parties, gatherings, dinners, etc. and even if I bring my own raw dish, I'm horribly tempted when there's really delicious unhealthy options. I rarely bring "bad" food into my house, so if I could just stay inside and never go out, I'd be pretty good...but that's kinda boring now, isn't it? :)

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  22. My biggest struggle is definitely social pressure-- whether it's at a big social event, or just hanging out with friends and family! It's a pain to explain my lifestyle choices sometimes (and I don't like to do it while others are eating) so I just come off as a weird, picky eater!

    Thanks for the awesome giveaway opportunity!

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  23. My biggest problem is that at the end of the day, when I'm worn-out and exhausted, I always go for the quickest choice, even if it's not the healthiest.

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  24. I find balance to be very challenging for me at times. It is too easy to beat myself up over things not being perfect. I struggle to step back and accept that one skipped workout or less than optimal meal does not mean that I am not living an overall healthy lifestyle.

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  25. For me, it's having the education and knowing something is healthy but not being able to integrate that into my life as a result of economic means. I know I'm not the only one =)

    Also, social situations are hard for me too, but seeing all of your comments here and on other blogs has made me realize that there are a lot more like-minded people than we often encounter.. We just have to find them. I'm glad I've found you all in blog world!

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  26. Definitely difficult living in a family of people with completely different eating habits than my own. But I'm glad for the opportunity to try and help them learn to make better choices and see why it's important to their health to do so!

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  27. I agree with many others that it is the social engagements that are the most difficult. I wish it was easier in this world to eat the way I prefer to all the time whether it is at others homes or out to eat.

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  28. My biggest struggle with living a healthy lifestyle (eating organic/healthy & exercising) is the time and money commitment. But in the end it is so worth it!

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  29. Getting it happen, the Healthy lifestyle routine; god, it needs determination & endurance

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  30. The biggest struggle for me is getting out to exercise. I really need to nail down the reason why I avoid it. Time is not the issue.

    Thanks for the chance to win something from Sunlight Blvd!!

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  31. For me it's time...or lack there of.
    :-)

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  32. Lately, it's been overindulging on healthy foods and motivating myself to exercise.

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  33. The hardest thing about living a healthy lifestyle is when I'm not at home, especially when I am visiting a friend or family member. I always feel like I am offending someone who has been gracious to me when I choose not to eat something they have offered me. It has become a bit more difficult since I've had a child too. I had a family member who couldn't beleive I wouldn't let me son have jello ("it's fat free" I was told when I tried to explain that it wasn't vegetarian).

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  34. When traveling or with friends out for a weekend, it is really hard to eat raw. We go to nice restaurants but the food doesn't taste nearly as good as what I could be making at home and I feel gross afterwards. That would be my biggest struggle.

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  35. My biggest health struggle can be my immediate family. Sometimes I feel as though I'm attempting to drag a couple of my kids to health as they're holding onto the leg of a very heavy table.

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  36. For me it all comes down to time and money. Money to buy diverse healthy foods and the time to prepare it all. I am getting better.

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  37. My biggest struggle is trying to maintain my healthy habits when I'm surrounded by people who don't do the same- frequent dinners at the in laws, my parents, restaurants, etc. I just make the best choices I can and hope some of my choices rub off on them ;)

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  38. The biggest struggle with living a healthy lifestyle is money. Most of the time, whenever I've chosen the "lesser" food, it is because of the expense.

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  39. I RTed your link to your giveaway!

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  40. My problem is having access to healthy foods daily. Our farmers markets are only once a month until summer and the grocery stores don't sell a lot of organic foods.

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  41. My biggest problem is I tend to be an all or nothing person. I don't cut myself a lot of slack, so if I mess up in one area, I tend to throw the whole healthy lifestyle out the window for the day.

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  42. I think the biggest "struggle" most of us have (but won't admit to) is simple laziness. We always seem to find the time to watch our tv shows or hang-out on the computer but can't find that 1/2 hour to get to the gym or cook a healthy meal. And when I say "us", I do mean "me"! No one is that busy. No one!

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  43. The biggest challenge for me is family members who do not live the same way I live. When I go on a trip to visit them and they only have bad food lying around to eat, it makes it more inconvenient for me to keep up my dietary lifestyle. Sure, I can do it but it is harder. Also I feel sort of cut off from them or separated because we just don't see eye to eye in that regard.

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  44. I tweeted:
    http://twitter.com/MsCaptnAmazing

    tweet tweet

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  45. I facebooked it too, yeah!
    http://tinyurl.com/y7m79ls

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  46. http://tinyurl.com/y4tv3cf

    Blogged about it

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  47. My biggest struggle is for fresh organic ingredients. I'd like to provide these all of the time, but the part of the country we live in is slow to get fresh and waiting for farmer's markets to start up in the summer is a tough one!

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  48. The biggest struggle is having people question my lifestyle choices, not so much because I care about people think but because it saddens me that these critics aren't empowered to live the healthiest life possible!

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  49. Eating out at restaurants is always a little challenging for us, especially with three young kids...the "kids menu" always seems to be the worst of the worst.

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  50. I have recently started to switch my family over to a mainly raw/vegan diet and am really struggling to find the foods I want locally. I don't mind ordering things over the internet but when I just want to try something first to see if we will like it I don't want to order such large quant ities.

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  51. My biggest struggle with living a healthy lifestyle is my "all or nothing" attitude. I am working on this and it's getting better, but it is a problem for me because if I'm not doing everything "right," such as I'm not exercising, then I let other aspects of health, like eating healthy and clean, slide!

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  52. That's easy....My Husband!! While he will eat anything put in front of him, healthy and non-healthy, and he is very supportive, he continues to live a sad lifestyle for the most part, and lures me into his world too often with nasty temptations and excess. It would be so much easier if he had a lot more discipline!!

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  53. My biggest struggle is to get my kids and my husband eat raw foods more. They eat fruits but I wish they'll eat more of it....It's getting better, but I wish it was all raw.

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  54. It's on my FB http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/noalek?ref=profile

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  55. Awesome giveaway! My biggest struggle with living a healthy lifestyle is getting the energy to get out and exercise!

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  56. My biggest challenge to a healthy lifestyle is my husband. It's so hard to convince kids to eat healthy when hubby turns his nose up at healthy meals or simply decides he doesn't want to eat veges tonight.

    He also tends to bring bad foods into the house and I have a really hard time saying 'no' when I'm stressed--so I guess stress is a challenge, too.

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  57. Biggest struggle hands down: The MIND
    Thinking too much about what to eat, how you will get the "right food" , what people think of you, what to order off a SAD menu etc etc etc.
    My mind is my roadblock.. but luckily, I have found that there is always something good to eat, usually right in my backpack!
    xo
    deb
    PS Hope to see you when I am in PHX, arrive early thursday (tomorrow).

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  58. Packaging and footprint, and explaining to to family why it matters more than the price of goods. It's amazing to me how many healthy lifestyle products ignore these crucial element of their lifecycle. The irony of organic cotton baby clothing being shipped from China, for example, stupefies me. Organic = better for baby (if it is actually organic), shipping footprint = bad for baby's planet.

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  59. For me the biggest struggle is making the time for prep so that I can make healthy food choices. Planning ahead is not my strong point, but it's necessary and oh-so-helpful when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle!

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  60. My biggest struggle is not eating too much right before bed- I have trouble falling asleep without a full belly, though I have heard this is not healthy.

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  61. I think just finding time and energy to workout on busy days is the biggest challenge.
    Four months out of the year I work two jobs, making it extremely difficult to find balance :(

    I do manage to fit in figure skating year round though...hmmm.

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  62. My biggest struggle is being dedicated to exercise.

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  63. People's lack of understanding about how very unhealthy the "Standard American Diet" is, and why "health food" store loot shouldn't be called "health food," but simply good/normal food, as compared to the widespread over-processed garbage most readily consumed by the majority of the (unsuspecting) public!

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  64. for me, the biggest struggle with living this healthy lifestyle is that no matter how much documented information i present to my immediate family, they will not change their unhealthy ways. i'm trying to help my mom combat her lupus through dietary changes and she's just not having it.

    so the biggest struggle is wanting to help those who don't want to help themselves...like family :-/

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  65. also, just posted the giveaway on my blog...

    http://rickthehealthsleuth.blogspot.com/2010/04/zone-perfect-bars.html

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  66. Definitely trying to convince friends/family this is a normal (and better way) to live. Dealing with the judgement is a challenge, too.

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  67. Biggest struggle is finding the time to buy and make healthy food, especially so that it doesn't take time away from being outdoors. I'm one who doesn't waste time watching television, movies, and all sorts of other 'time wasters', yet, my life remains pretty busy that I can't have a healthy meal and exercise as often as before. I think the main issue is that I must travel to several grocery stores to stock my fridge/cabinets. No ONE store has all I need/want... and I live in Greater DC.

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  68. My biggest struggle is when I get sick or don't feel good, it's so hard get through that with healthy food.

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  69. My biggest struggle is social. Invited to try new restaurants or social gatherings, parties, etc where healthy food is not an option. And I don't find it an option to give up my friends and social life... dilemmas...

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  70. The biggest challenge for me has been finding, or making, time. I was of the get-more-faster mentality (hence the frequent flyer miles at the drive-thru windows). To live a healthier lifestyle, I have to plan meals, grocery shop, prep food. It was a BIG relearning curve for me, but oh-so worth it!

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  71. The biggest struggle for me is finding the time for everything...planning/shopping for/preparing real food, exercise, stretching, meditating, getting sunshine, etc. (on top of working, household chores, errands, and making time for family/friends/pets).

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  72. The biggest challenge for my family and me is finding good food to eat when we eat out. We don't eat out very often, but sometimes it's nice not to have to worry about cooking dinner, and it would be nice if there were more healthy dining options out there.

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  73. My biggest struggle is dealing with people...mostly family members...who think I am crazy for eating a raw vegan diet...and they are not afraid to let me know their negative thoughts.

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  74. I think my biggest struggle is economics. I have four kids and am married to a school teacher. Although I allocate more cash to groceries than anyone I know, we still haven't been able to afford a ton of organics, which bums me out. We're working on it, though!

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  75. My biggest struggle is when free unhealthy food is offered (like today at the office where they bought us the most delicious cheesy pasta...) and also my lack of motivation to exercise in the winter. Luckily I bike to work every day in good weather and usually at least 2 days out of 5 in the winter, but even that leaves me feeling the winter blues a bit.

    Thanks for this giveaway!

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  76. My biggest struggle[s] to a healthy lifestyle are beer, wine, and liquor! Yep, I love to drink on the weekends, but when I do, I always find myself munching on junk food well into the night.

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  77. As I single girl, I struggle with social situations as well. Going out on dates or meeting up with friends and eating dinner out and having drinks (all of which I used to enjoy more)...I always feel bad from the food and alcohol. Not good like I do when I eate clean and eat food I prepare.

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  78. My biggest struggle is finding time to make all my food. I work full-time and go to school part-time, and because of gluten intolerance and other sensitivities, I buy very little processed food, so it can be hard to budget my time.

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  79. Hi Kristen! Wow - I have alot of struggles but the biggest is probably trying to be on a high Raw diet while I have to cook for the carnivore family! That is hard for me as I still desire some of that food! but then I make a Chocolate Cherry Bomb Shake and all is good in the world!

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  80. My biggest struggle with living a healthy lifestyle is living down my old unhealthy lifestyle. I was the biggest meat eating, anti-exercising, anti-calorie counting, desert at denny's loving, loud mouth you would ever hate to have a raw vegan meal in front of.
    This means all my dearest friends are either the strongest vegans in the world or the worlds most unhealthy people.
    It's hard to know I was wrong. It's hard to be asked "What are you eating really healthy?"
    and answer "Yes."
    I'm so used to saying "Who me?"

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  81. Being the only one and consistently singled out for living the way I choose

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  82. Being the only one and consistently singled out for living the way I choose

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  83. My biggest challenge is definitely trying to avoid foods that the rest of my family eats and has around the house. This is by far the hardest part for me; if I had nothing but healthy food in the pantry, I wouldn't be nearly as tempted to eat unhealthy foods.

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  84. My biggest struggle is emotionally eating.

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  85. The biggest struggle with living a healthy lifestyle for me is how to cook all the good food out there!

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  86. The biggest hurdle is the lack of convenience. I never crave the unhealthy foods I used to eat as long as I have a tasty vegan alternative...but when I'm stuck without one, that's hard.

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  87. My biggest struggle is avoiding chemical infused foods. Splenda!

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  88. Finding the time, especially when things get particularly hectic. Plus the ironic problem of being too run down to prepare healthy meals, the feeling run down because you're not eating healthy meals! It can be a vicious cycle.

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  89. Oh gee! This is a perfect topic for me!

    The biggest struggle that I have in trying to be healthy is actually 2 different things. #1 I live in rural Alaska where we have to order online our fresh produce and #2 A lot of online stores don't ship to Alaska and I can't get a lot of healthy options.

    Loving your posts by the way :) AND your Cherry Chocolate Bomb shake is 'da Bomb!!!

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  90. I find the biggest challenge to be the way the system in this country is not set up for healthy living, but rather a destructive goal! Also, other people's attitudes, too.

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  91. Just blogged about it
    http://www.raspberrystethoscope.com/2010/04/business.html

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  92. I find being so poor a big problem! It's terrible on so many levels that super-processed foods are cheaper than wholesome, nurtured foods. I end up eating a lot of bananas and spinach, haha! Luckily with awesome blogs like "Raw on $10 a Day or Less" and a few more expensive staples in my pantry I've been able to do a pretty good job of keeping my body happy.

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  93. My biggest struggle is my family and friends; they eat pretty unhealthy, don't understand what/why I eat the way I do and think I'm freaky for doing it so my eating habits become the hot topic at every get together.

    BTW - love this blog!

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  94. Too much chocolate!
    And, making sure my child is getting enough of the right foods as a mostly vegan child.
    Being responsible for another growing little body is a hge challenge and responsisbilty

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  95. My biggest struggle is caving when I'm around family or friends who don't eat the same way. I don't want to explain so I just eat what everyone else is. I'm working on changing that.

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  96. My biggest struggle is that I am hypoglycemic! So, when I am out and forget to pack an apple, fruit, or other veggie, and my blood sugar gets low, I have to go to the nearest sugar-supplier--which means bad things for my healthy lifestyle! I usually end up with something really awful (chocolate instead of fruit) just based on my cravings/what sounds good.

    Also, my husband and I are very dedicated to local and organic foods, and sometimes that gets expensive...especially with my full-time student/newly married budget.

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  97. The most challenging thing about eating raw is getting the family on board!

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  98. The biggest struggle is worrying about hurting people's feelings when you don't eat their un-healthy cooking.

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  99. My biggest challenge is teaching my children that fresh, green vegetables are better than sweet, blue lollipops.

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  100. time...i feel like the minutes and hours fly by being a mommy of two little ones and all my intentions of juicing and prepping raw foods for meals gets pushed aside. we still eat very healthfully, but i need to add more raw dishes to my two year olds platters! she loves raw broccoli and cauliflower and lettuces, but i need to get more creative!
    email in profile

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  101. The biggest struggle is to keep enough ripe avocadoes available :)

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  102. For me, the biggest struggle is eating out with other people. I'm the only vegan in my family (no vegetarians either), and sometimes when I travel with my family, it can be a challenge to find a restaurant that they will all enjoy, but one that will offer me more than limp lettuce. It can be a real challenge to find vegan and not just vegetarian options, and to figure out which restaurants and which dishes might have dairy hidden in their dishes and not mention it on the menu (as my friend, who is actually allergic to dairy can attest to). Sometimes the waitstaff, upon your request, inquires as to whether a dish has dairy in it, and you can tell by their later response to you that they're not really 100% sure that it doesn't. I don't understand why so many would-be-vegan dishes "automatically" come topped with cheese without mentioning this on the menu. Especially for people like my friend with the allergy, this just seems so not right.
    Whenever I eat out, I just tell the waitstaff that I'm allergic to dairy, because I find that that's often the only way to make sure that they pay attention to the fact that no, I don't want butter on my veggies, and no, I don't want cream in my sauces. Telling them that I have an allergy makes so much more of an impact than saying that I just prefer my dish not to include dairy products. I prefer to prepare food at home rather than to eat out anyway, but eating out is a social event that is impossible to avoid, and one that can obviously be fun, as well.

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  103. Staying vegan in a non-vegan world.

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  104. In my small town it is hard to find organic produce even though I live mostly in the country most Texans think it is okay to use pesticides.
    So I have to grow what I can and hope it Mother Nature will help out and my crops make it..Also i Twittered

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  105. My biggest struggle with living a healthy lifestyle is the depression I've had dogging me since I was 12. I KNOW what to do, sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed I just don't care. So it's quite the struggle to make good choices when I just want it to be over.

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  106. I'm a Realtor and have bizarre hours and am always on the run, so for me it's finding healthy food wherever I happen to be.

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  107. Wondering if I'm doing the right thing for my body. I eat a high raw, gluten free, vegan diet and exercise pretty regularly. In the last year, as my diet has become cleaner, I've gained about 14 pounds and some days my energy is really low. I don't know if I'm missing nutrients because of the way I eat, not eating the right things or eating too much of things I shouldn't be. What gives?

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  108. My biggest struggle is not always wanting what I've packed for lunch..... sometimes the mexican food my co-workers are ordering in looks sooo much better.

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  109. Planning and perseverance. Living a high-raw, vegan lifestyle in a country that caters to SAD and is not eco-conscious is challenging and takes a lot of planning and perseverance. Whether you are working full-time, running a family, or traveling it takes planning and effort to sustain a healthy diet (I happen to do all 3). While I may eat less, I spend more for organic and if possible (but not always possible) local products. My job is high stress and involves travel, meetings, and dining out. At these intense meetings, they tend to provide food that is high in carbohydrates & fats and the beverages tend to be caffeinated. It amazes me that some meetings don’t provide water. Forgetting my water bottle means I may have to search for a convenience store to buy overpriced water in plastic bottles (which I don’t like to do).

    Any healthy diet requires planning, however I feel like the raw lifestyle really requires time-management skills that I don't really have but am learning... A lot of recipes require prepping ahead (soaking nuts, sprouting, dehydrating, etc). Then there is the storing and organizing of food (there is never enough room in my freezer!). Travelling requires even more planning ahead and time, from making food in the dehydrator to stick in my computer bag or suitcase, to packing my tribest blender and hemp protein, and doing internet searches to find local markets where I can find fresh greens and veggies or restaurants to go to for lunch/dinner with colleagues. I also have to search ahead for restaurants that have offerings and I suspect will accommodate a special meal and then request we dine there for our lunch or dinner meetings. There are days when it would be easier to cheat or skimp and not have to explain to yet another person why I am on this “health kick” as they eat a piece of pizza across the table from me. While this question asks about the hardest part, I have to say that reading the other comments here and having online resources such as your blog really helps me persevere. Also, my partner, while still on a SAD diet, is extremely supportive of my lifestyle choice.

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  110. My greatest challenges are planning ahead and organization for meals, having two other full-time jobs (lifestyle consultant pharmacist and mother/wife! - the house & kitchen duties unfortunately are relegated to lower priority!)

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  111. My biggest struggle is time. It's time consuming to go out of your way to buy good, local food. Often it's not available in standard grocery stores, and you have to go to specialty stores to get it. You then have to be flexible about what you're going to cook. You can't plan meals then shop. You have to shop, then plan meals.

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