Living on Raw Foods

Not a diet in the sense of  a weight loss diet (though I do have a weight problem) but a diet in the sense of eating the healthiest foods for me.

I’ve tried several - I’ve eaten macrobiotic, been both a vegetarian and a vegan, and tried Doug Kaufman’s anti-fungal diet.  I liked the macrobiotic diet a lot, but the recipes I tried were very time-consuming and tended to be more than a bit outside of my budget.  A lot of what I had been reading suggested that the vegetarian/vegan diet was ideal, but I personally found it difficult to keep from eating meat and animal products.  I actually was very happy with the anti-fungal diet even though it was extremely restrictive.  I lost too much weight in a very short time and became ill.  Not only that, but I was hungry all of the time and (once again) it was way too expensive to keep up properly.

I have read many books on nutrition, some by accepted authorities, some by quacks — most somewhere in-between.  Everything I read suggested that the best diet overall was a diet high in (if not exclusively made up of) raw foods.  Time and time again I read stories about people who beat cancer, and other debilitating illnesses by going on an all-raw diet.  Many of the authors reported the stories from patients and friends, and were not raw-foodists themselves.  I was impressed, and made a mental note that if I ever developed cancer that I should switch an all raw diet.

I didn’t think to adopt the diet for myself right then and there because for one thing… I hated salads.  I mean with a passion.  For another thing, I couldn’t see myself being able to give up meat nor could I see bringing myself to eat raw meat (ewww…).

Fast forward a few years… some personal problems had derailed me mentally and physically.  I was finally starting to get myself back together, and realized that my weight had come to an unpleasant head.  I’m not sure if it was when I stepped on the scale and saw how close to 300 pounds it came or if it was the time when I was shopping for clothing and I was surprised that a pair of size 24 pants fit me (I was at least a 26 — they were rather loosely cut).  I had to do something, but what? 

The what came when I just happened to come across Steve Pavlina’s 30 day Raw Food Trial.  Those lovely pictures of fruit made my mouth water.  I love fruit.  I could stay with any diet that involved me eating (effectively) unlimited amounts of fruit.

I only had a cheap blender and a will to start, but I figured that was enough.

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