As most of us who have struggled with our weight know, the majority of the time diets don’t work. No matter how hard we try or how much willpower we have, when we follow the latest dietary advice, our long-term results often fall short of our hopeful expectations. Many times this leads to frustration, anger, and a feeling of failure, leaving us resigned to the possibility of anything different.
Although I’ve never been a strong advocate of any particular way of eating, as I believe that we are all individuals who have different dietary needs, I have found myself more excited than ever about the results people are achieving with raw veganism.
For those who aren’t familiar, the raw-live food vegan diet consists of fresh unprocessed and uncooked whole plant foods such as vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, dried fruit, and sea vegetables. What makes this way of eating unique is that none of the foods are cooked above 118°F (48°C), as it has been found that heat alters the molecular structure of the food and also destroys many of the enzymes, vitamins and phytonutrients found in raw, living food.
The benefits described by those who eat a primarily raw-live food diet (80% or more) are increased energy, better skin, improved digestion, weight loss and a reduced rate of heart disease. Overall, many say that they look and feel younger and that their long-term health problems begin to lessen.
Although I have been lucky enough to maintain a life long weight that only fluctuates within a 20lb range, I began 2010 at the upper end of that range and decided to give the raw vegan diet a try. The first thing I noticed was that I wasn’t as hungry and that I only needed about 50% of the calories I was used to consuming with cooked foods. Time and time again, I prepared a standard meal size for myself and ended up feeling stuffed for hours afterwards. Even so, my weight dropped substantially and by the end of the third week, I had lost all of my excess weight and stabilized at my ideal weight, which I had frequently struggled to maintain in the past. In addition to the weight loss, I also felt energetic, emotionally balanced and a new sense of motivation and inspiration as the weeks went on.
Other than avoiding the majority of cooked foods and animal products (80% raw is sufficient to produce results), there are no rules to this way of eating. You can choose to eat as much organic, raw, vegan and nutrient-rich foods that you want. As you begin to see what works and doesn’t work for your particular body type and constitution, you’ll naturally discover the perfect combination of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The weight loss and relief from health problems will follow suit.
Given how much I love the taste and residual energy I’m getting from raw foods, as a health professional who just completed a week long intensive study on this dietary lifestyle, I decided to do some research on this way of eating specifically related to obesity. What I found was truly amazing and I wanted to share it here with all of you.
