Growing up I was a very picky eater. I didn't eat fish unless it was halibut that was coated in deep fried batter and then I would dump malt vinegar all over it. I never drank milk and ate very little cheese. I ate meat, and I'm sure a lot of processed "foods". Because I played a lot of sports, I remember eating out.... a lot! In my elementary school days I would hang out at the corner store everyday eating chocolate bars and drinking coke. My "food" consumption in those days was pretty bad. I was always eating junk food. My memory of eating vegetables consisted of corn on the cob and the toppings on my burger.
I started eating a little better in my late teens into my early 20's. Then when I met Karen we decided to stop eating red meat and did so for 7 years. We were eating poultry, bread and dairy then. Every now and then I would have my halibut and chips.......lol I thought then that I was eating healthy. I would have a salad with every meal and never over eat. I had always heard of people being vegetarians or vegans but I seriously thought they were crazy and thought that I would never give up my meat, breads, dairy, fried foods and sweets!!
In the fall of 2010 I went to a dinner party at a friends house. She catered the dinner from a place called Organic Lives. It was all vegan/raw. I wasn't even sure what that meant then. I just knew that I loved the way I was eating and didn't see any reason to change that. I was encouraged to just try the food. Made only from fruits, raw vegetables, nuts and seeds. All organic and nothing cooked. No dairy, no meat, no wheat, no sugar, nothing processed. Just fresh, raw, healthy organic food in its original form. I feel in love at first bite! I couldn't believe it. The next day I went to the restaurant and chatted with the owner. I told him that I was just out of chemotherapy, have been eating everything under the sun and was told by my oncologist that I would have to stay on a cancer pill for likely the rest of my life. The pill along, the food I was eating along with the side effects from chemo was causing me to have severe joint pain that was leading to me having to walk with a cane. Along with acid reflux, multiple gall stones (needed surgery) asthma, mouth sores. It was a very long list of pains and fatigue. Preet (the owner) assured me that if I started a raw/vegan lifestyle everything that I was experiencing would simply go away or at least be more manageable. He also encouraged me to stop taking the pharmaceutical drug. I told him that my doctor said that I likely had to take it for the rest of my life to keep the cancer away. Preet said that the drug was doing more harm that good to my body. I just froze. How could I stop taking this pill that is keeping my cancer away....
That day I went home, told Karen that we were switching to a vegan/raw lifestyle. Karen couldn't have been happier. We were ready for a change and we were so tired of feeling tired after eating and tired of feeling like crap. We embraced it and so our new journey began. Within days of eating all raw (fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds) people were commenting on how good my skin looked. Within 1 week I had dropped about 5 pounds. I was starting to feel fantastic. I had incredible energy, my stomach and joint pain was improving. Within 2 months of going raw I walked into my doctors office and told him that I will no longer be taking the chemo pill and that I would never need another refill of my asthma inhaler again. He thought I was crazy.
Today all my symptoms are gone. I haven't had 1 cold since going raw. I still do have joint pain and body aches due to early menopause (from cancer) along with arthritis. But it's not even close to what it could have been.
The concept behind eating raw is to get your body alkaline. Most cooked foods (meat, dairy, coffee, breads, wheat's, desserts) etc are all acidic. When our bodies are acidic we are leaving ourselves open to illness. Colds, fatigue, disease, etc...
I can still eat everything I use to enjoy. I use a dehydrator instead of an oven. I eat dessert every day without any guilt. Never processed and real food. I drink amazing smoothies and truly love the food.
People have reversed there diabetes, cancer, and all kinds of aliments by being more aware of what they consume. "Food" has changed. It's not what it use to be. Next time you visit the grocery store just ask yourself one simple question "was this grown or manufactured in a factory". Cars are manufactured, our food shouldn't be.
If you have any questions about making small food changes in your life, I would love to help.
Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing. Giving thanks for my health and yours.
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