Eating a raw vegan diet was well out of my scope of possibilities. Never did I imagine that I would have the constitution to live, satisfied, on this type of lifestyle. It was not until I discovered that I had a degenerative disease, which could turn deadly, that I decided it was time to take control of my life. I came to realize that there are ways in which I can modify my lifestyle that can have a positive impact on my long term health.

First, I had testing done and found that I am allergic to dairy products and eggs. I believed that aside from dealing with my current diagnosis, I could possibly manage the chronic issues I had been dealing with over the years, namely, nasal congestion and headaches. In order to be successful and rid myself of these ongoing ailments, I needed to eliminate these allergins from my life.

Almost instantaneously, my nasal congestion disappeared. And, my headaches were reduced by 90%. I also read up on the detriments of processed junk foods. Since I was attempting to regain my health, I knew that these foods had to be eliminated as well. Also went was refined sugars and processed grains.

I added more fresh, organic produce to my diet. I ate more nuts, seeds and whole grains. My lifestyle shifted from almost no raw food each day to between 75% and 95%. Amazingly, I started to feel better. My goal was to improve my health. But, to my surprise I started to drop weight. This was not the intention of my new eating plan, but a healthy and welcomed side effect.

When I consume cooked foods at this point, I make everything from scratch. The foods I eat include no meat, dairy or eggs. I have incorporated green smoothies (fresh baby spinach, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, mango, banana and coconut water whirled in a blender) into my regime at least 3 times each week. Plus, I make the same habit of freshly pressed vegetable juices, which are packed with nutrition. I use my juicer to create a blend that includes at least 8 ingredients, mostly organic greens (typically kale, celery, cucumber, collard greens, swiss chard, parsley, carrot and green apple).

Packing in the nutrition and eliminating the detrimental foods, I lost a total of 50 pounds. My excess body weight melted away. I lost the weight without experiencing cravings or feeling hungry.

It is amazing how a diet rich with the right foods can change your life. Incorporating so many raw foods has made me feel and look better. You can even get creative with raw foods. There are dozens of cookbooks developed by artistic chefs who have figured out how to make raw fruits, vegetables and nuts into gourmet masterpieces. I try to scope out the raw restaurants wherever I go to check out the food. Usually, I am awestruck by this unique way of food preparation. And, raw restaurants are popping up all over the country.

No diet is healthier than a mostly raw diet. I do believe that some cooked foods should be a part of one’s lifestyle. That is why I maintain a regime that includes 75% to 95% raw foods daily. But, this doesn’t mean that my meals are boring or bland. A little investigation and trial and error taught me that this lifestyle is what will sustain good health. And, I have my renewed vitality to prove it!