Your success lies in the daily awareness of your actions.
Many people who struggle with succeeding in the (raw) vegan whole food lifestyle repeatedly make the same mistakes because they believe what they do is right. However, every action leads to a reaction. For example: If you think that you are eating enough calories, having enough variety in your diet, and consuming an adequate amount of fat while at the same time, you do not see the results you want, something is not correct.
Awareness about what you are currently doing regarding your dietary and lifestyle choices is imperative for achieving desired outcomes. But, unfortunately, we often act from our unconscious mind. For example, think about getting up every morning and doing your morning ritual. Are you aware of your mental state and the thoughts that are dictating the rest of your day?
Similarly, we tend to adopt strict routines and rules around our eating manners, and we even do not realize it. Therefore, it is challenging for most people to recognize that some habits around food do not serve them well. In addition, most people who struggle on their journey often mimic other people's approaches without paying attention to their own needs. Therefore, exposing dietary habits and beliefs and meeting them with an understanding of how they translate to our everyday experiences leads to significant improvements.
Furthermore, to achieve any desired lifestyle change, our ability to conceptualize realistic goals while maintaining sufficient flexibility is vital for success. That is why I developed the 4S formula. This formula offers a simple framework for staying focused on your journey to health, especially when life becomes challenging, and you are likely to be straying from your desired path.
The formula consists of 4S:
Success = Self-awareness + Study + Self-regulation - Self-denial
The 4S formula provides the foundation of my coaching approach. The sustainable change stems from understanding our behavior and why we make certain choices and behave in certain ways. Therefore, during my coaching sessions, I walk people through all steps of this formula. First, I focus on practicing self-awareness by writing a three-day food diary. Second, I work on deepening my clients' knowledge of whole food plant-based nutrition with particular attention to obtaining all essential macronutrients and micronutrients from whole plant foods. Third, I teach people how to construct plant-based menus based on their unique situations. There are so many ways to eat healthily. Finally, I help people to deal with self-denial and mental and behavioral patterns that hold them back on their journey despite their knowledge of plant-based nutrition.
In conclusion,
Understanding self, proper education, and extensive self-experimentation are the cornerstones for gaining confidence and mastering new dietary approaches sustainably.
I am excited to share my learning through an online coaching program, ebooks, and FREE online classes.
Zuzana van der Werf Kulichova
Zuzana is an ambitious mother of four girls. She holds a master's degree in Environmental Economics from Wageningen University (The Netherlands), a Master's degree in Agricultural Economics from Slovak Agricultural University, and a Ph.D. in the politics of agricultural biotechnology from Delft University of Technology.
From 2008 to 2010, Zuzana worked as a project leader of the European Commission project Science for Biosafety Regulation, where she organized the representation of public sector scientists in international meetings such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Her hands-on experience working at the science-policy interface inspired Zuzana to start her Ph.D. in 2010.
In addition to her interests in research and education, Zuzana had four children during her 6-year Ph.D. appointment. This period's high physical and emotional demands challenged Zuzana to optimize her energy levels and look critically at the role of diet in her life balance. In 2015, Zuzana switched to a plant-based, high-raw food diet, which helped her to pull through her last year of Ph.D. research while caring for three young children and being pregnant. In November 2016, Zuzana defended her Ph.D. while 38 weeks pregnant with her fourth child. She decided to discontinue her academic career and dedicate herself to raising her children and developing her knowledge of plant-based nutrition.
In addition to extensive literature research and self-experimentation, Zuzana completed Reny and Jesse Bogdanovich's online raw food program in 2020. In 2022, Drs. Karin and Rick Dina certified Zuzana as a raw food educator. After completing her certificate, Zuzana wrote three e-books on raw food, provided one-on-one coaching services, and developed a raw food program for women.
In her teachings, Zuzana emphasizes the importance of applying a science-based approach to raw food nutrition while practicing mindfulness and self-validation. In addition, Zuzana regularly contributes to the Ultimate Raw Vegan Bundle and shares her raw food journey on her Instagram and Facebook.
