By Shawn Maves
Robbie Raugh is a fitness expert, a nutritionist, an author, a motivational speaker, a wife, a mother of two and a host & co-host of two FM radio programs heard across Western New York and Southern Ontario. She’s ready to help you give your temporary earth suit a kick!
When I first met Robbie during a radio interview in a Buffalo, NY studio on her weekly WDCX 99.5 FM program ‘The Raw Truth’, I noticed two things right away: this woman has faith and she has energy. Now I want you to meet Robbie Raugh.
TONAWANDA “SICK” CARE
Robbie grew up in North Tonawanda, a sprawling suburb of Buffalo, NY. Her mother asked her if she wanted to be a teacher or a nurse, which seemed to be the two good choices back then.
Robbie chose Nursing and she was interested in health even in her younger years. Robbie worked for fifteen years in Nursing which she calls “sick” care. She realized during that time that most people wouldn’t have been sick if they had focused on health care, preventing and reversing disease through dietary habits and lifestyle. Robbie left nursing completely and went into health care working in a gym teaching fitness and helping others with their diet.
PREOCCUPIED WITH THE SCALE
During the 80’s the nation was going through the fitness revolution, and Robbie admits she had a preoccupation with scale and body image which lead to excessive exercise, binging and purging. She tried every single diet in the book, but she soon realized that diets don’t work. Robbie says ‘diets drastically reduce your caloric intake, causing your body’s metabolic set point to lower and slow down to a snail’s pace to conserve energy, since your body doesn’t know when it will get fuel again, which then also causes your body to hang on to unwanted fat.’
THE LOSS OF A SISTER
Halfway through Robbie’s career her sister got sick who was a mother of four boys (two of which were babies). Her sister was misdiagnosed for two years with what doctors said was a blocked milk duct. She had been Nursing her new babies so having a blocked milk duct seemed logical.
When she was finally correctly diagnosed, she had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer at the age of 42. The outlook was grim; she was given a short time to live. Through God’s incredible grace and by her being proactive about her health she lived ten more years!
But losing her sister truly changed Robbie’s world. Her focus changed from the scale to health. She says, “God loves us no matter what the scale says. But, I know he wants us to take care of our temporary earth suit so that we can go out and live out God’s purpose for our life with energy and passion.”
After the loss of her sister, Robbie made these four observations:
- Cancer has a sweet tooth and it thrives on Sugar.
- Dairy is linked to breast cancer.
- We can turn on and turn off cancer cells through our dietary habits and lifestyle.
- “You will spend the time and the money either way, either in health care or sick care”.
- God is soverign and knows the day and the hour, but we still need to take care of our bodies where the Holy Spirit dwells.
ROBBIE’S MISSION
In the fitness industry, conquering preoccupation with self image is the first order of business before anyone can really move on to help others. Robbie mastered this with God’s help. She has moved on to a higher purpose – helping others. God uses her on multiple platforms; television, radio and speaking engagements.
Robbie’s mission in life is to help others live in health care rather than sick care. She’s called to help others live that abundant life that we are designed to live.’ John 10:10
THE 7 TRUTHS SHE SHARES WITH YOU
The idea for a book first started when Robbie was speaking internationally and people would ask her if she had what she was speaking about in a book or on video. As she was praying about the book, God placed the 7 Truths on my heart which became the 7 chapters of the book and the 7 Truths to Health and Fitness.
Seven of course is very significant in the Bible so it wasn’t a coincidence. Robbie wrote the book The Raw Truth Recharge – The 7 Truths to Health and Fitness. In it she helps readers explore:
- Faith
- Family
- Food
- Fitness
- Detox
- Sleep
- Stress management
When it comes to nutrition Robbie’s message is that We are made to crave God not food. But when we are spiritually neglected we end up craving other things to fill the void that only God can fill. Robbie prefers a nutrient dense whole foods, mostly plant based diet. For her patients however, bio-individuality matters. One size does not fit all.
When it comes to fitness Robbie has been teaching fitness for over thirty-five years and is still teaching six to seven classes per week at Catalyst Fitness. Robbie says, “You can’t out exercise a bad diet. We live in a processed food society, where we eat out of a box or window and expect to have a million dollar bill of health and a million dollar body. There is a pill for every ill – and then we get a bill.”
“That’s not health care and we can’t live our God’s purpose in our life when we are walking around sick, thick, and tired. Eating right and exercising is a form of worship. God has gifted our bodies to us. It is where the Holy Spirit dwells. We have a responsibility to take care of our bodies so we can go out and do God’s work”.
GOD CARES MORE ABOUT OUR HEART CONDITION
Robbie encourages people that God cares more about the condition of our hearts, more than the condition of our bodies. “But” she continues, “We have a responsibility to take care of this temporary earth suit, this temporary mobile home that He has entrusted us with so that we can live out His purpose in our lives.” It’s a form of worship to take care of the body where the holy spirit dwells.
She highlights three Bible passages that will help you to embrace this understanding and live it more fully in your life:
For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
“So, whether you eat or drink do it all for the Glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:3
THE RAW TRUTH RADIO PROGRAMS
The idea of directing, producing and hosting a radio program came when WDCX General Manager Brett Larson asked Robbie to have her own show. It wasn’t anything she asked for but turns out she loves it.
Her first program aired in 2010 on WDCX 99.5 FM Buffalo for one hour. Today, The Raw Truth can be heard on WDCX…Saturday’s 11am on 99.5FM or 970am. She also is the co-host of The Keri and Robbie Show on WDCX Saturdays at noon for one hour also. Both shows stream live on Wdcxradio.com.
WDCX 99.5 FM is truly the blowtorch of Western New York and Southern Ontario, transmitting 110,000 watts over the airwaves since 1962. Guests on Robbie’s show through the years include Jill Kelly, former WWF star Lex Luger, Ernestine Sheppard, Faith & Fitness Magazine’s Brad Bloom, and countless others.
SERVANTHOOD
Robbie’s work and others like her is an example of following Christ’s words: Greatest among you is your servant Matthew 23:11. Robbie’s devotion to the Lord is evident in her life’s work, and Her love for people shines through her actions. Robbie loves her husband Jeff and her two daughters Shanelle and Raquelle. “Being a wife and mother is my greatest joy and highest calling” Robbie told me. Her commitment to family is there by God’s strength even with all that she is doing.
She reflects, “Every day I thank Him for what He has done in my life and others. It’s not about me – the story is about Him. His desire is for us to live that abundant life that he has designed for us to live. We need to take care of our temporary earth suits, our temporary mobile homes as I call them to do that.”
Today’s the day to give your temporary earth suit a kick so you can avoid sick care and do real health care.
Robbie is a woman of faith, and her success comes from Jesus. She knows that “It’s all about Him and for Him. My mission is To know Him and let Him be known… all the days of my life.”
