My Raw Food Revolution

I have always been pretty healthy.

Growing up my parents instilled in me good eating habits & a desire to take care of my body. In high school I realized that I had very high metabolism- no matter what I ate, I never really gained weight. So I didn't mind frequently eating fast food or vending machine snacks.

When I went off to college, I ate whatever I wanted pretty much. I never felt the need to diet or restrict my intake of any particular type of food because my weight always stayed about the same. I took a weight training class my first semester, and worked out at the gym pretty regularly. I considered myself pretty healthy.

However, like most everyone else, I ate the Standard American Diet (SAD)- centered my meals around meat & grains, with lots of dairy, and I tried to eat at least a side of fruits or vegetables. My meals consisted of foods like: enchiladas, tacos, spaghetti, subway sandwiches, pizza, and sweets like ice cream & cookies. I ate out a lot during college as well (italian, chinese, burgers & milkshakes, etc). I didn't eat a lot of junk food on a regular basis (potato chips, candy, etc), but I didn't really focus on fruits & vegetables either.

When I got married, I cooked pasta a lot (with a salad), and made quick meals such as grilled cheese, quesadillas, pancakes, and omelets. The majority of my food intake was grains & dairy, with some meat, and some fruits & vegetables.

Soon after I got married I got pregnant with my first son, and also happened to stumble upon some information that made me rethink what personal care products I was using. I was shocked to discover that my shampoo, soap, lotion, make up, all contained chemicals...chemicals linked to cancer.

I found Miessence Organic Skin Care & began using all natural, organic & mostly raw (cold pressed to retain vital nutrients) personal care products that contained ingredients that were actually beneficial to my skin, instead of destructive & cancer-causing. I started to notice a big difference in my skin & could never go back to all-chemical products again.

In my research, I also found out that our food supply was laden with chemicals as well...chemicals linked to cancer. I learned about Genetically Modified foods, the dangers of pesticides, high fructose corn syrup, and a host of other ingredients to avoid. 

Unfortunately, organic food was scarce on our little island of Guam, but I nevertheless began making choices at the grocery store to avoid the toxins that I had been reading about.

When we came back to the states, I tried to eat more organically. But it wasn't until very recently that I watched two documentaries that have inspired me to completely change the way I eat: "Food Matters," and "Forks Over Knives." What I learned in these films resonated deep within my being. It was as if I always knew these things subconsciously, but because of the messages I had been given my whole life from the government, & subsequently everyone else, I never knew them consciously.

I learned that the consumption of animal products (meat & dairy) is highly correlated with  diseases such as: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and many others. Additionally, a raw food diet based on vegetables & fruits, with nuts/seeds/grains, actually prevents the body from contracting diseases & increases energy & all around health & vitality. Wow!

The research is astounding. The fact that so few people know about this is devastating. So many Americans today are suffering needlessly, many of whom have chronic conditions (probably from eating meat & dairy) which require a daily regiment of pills. They endure nasty side effects & never seem to have energy or feel themselves. Their doctors don't tell them that eating a diet of primarily raw fruits & vegetables, will actually heal their bodies. They don't know that vitamins, not medicine, is what a sick body needs to be healthy again.

I don't want to be a statistic. I want to get rid of the toxins that are already in my body. I want my body to be in top shape to fight against any additional toxins that may enter from outside sources (water, air, radiation, etc). Most of all, I want to give my children the best chance at a healthy life as possible, and have a husband who I can grow old with.

I'm not the kind of person that can ignore something like this. This is life-saving information. It's about time we, the American people, take responsibility for our own health and stop believing what our government & the medical industry is telling us. Let's start thinking for ourselves- are disease rates going down? No. They are increasing. Yet countries that eat raw fruits & vegetables have zero cases of cancer. That should be enough to convince us that we're doing something wrong as a society.

And so I begin my personal Raw Food Revolution! I'm going to do an experiment and see for myself how I feel eating primarily raw fruits & vegetables. I'm in the unique situation of currently breast-feeding an infant, so I'm going to attempt to keep up my calories & protein by replacing dairy & meat with raw sources of protein such as nuts & seeds (fruits & vegetables also have protein in them). I am not going to go completely raw at first, still consuming some cooked foods such as oatmeal & other cereals & grains. That is, until I have a good supply of raw grains (especially sprouts) that I can be eating.

My goal is to increase my intake of nutrient-dense foods, eliminate nutrient-deficient foods, and eat foods that make me feel healthy & energetic.

To begin my "raw food revolution" I went to the store and bought double the fruits and vegetables that I normally do. Then I went to the health food store and bought these raw foods to start: Goji berries, Hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, carob powder, walnuts, and cashews.

Next I started putting raw foods together- in smoothies & salads mostly- using two raw food books as my inspiration ("Going Raw" by Judita Wignall, and "Raw Foods" by Erica Palmcrantz & Irmela Lilja).

What follows is a record of my journey into a new way of looking at food, including recipes & personal discoveries. Feel free to join me!