Raw Inspiration

[Guest guest]

Hello, I just wanted to take a moment to tell you my story about how I

came to be healthier, and how I learned about raw vegan foods.

 

I had a terrible lifestyle a few years ago. I was playing guitar in

clubs about 6 nights a week. I ate whatever I saw, whenever I wanted

to. I drank alcohol much more than I realized. I smoked from time to

time just because the clubs were so smoky it seemed like the thing to

do. I did not even like meat, but would end up eating some pretty bad

stuff because it was convenient and everyone else was doing it. It

all kind of spiralled out of control. One day, after a lot of travel,

not much sleep and weekend full of shows, I woke up with the

realization that I could die doing this.

 

I lost my appetite, had heart palpitations, shortness of breath and I

was completely out of touch with my emotions. I felt chronic pains in

my body and stomach. Singing was the only thing that pulled me

through this dark time. I decided to change my eating habits then and

there.

 

I started eating a plant based diet, which I had done once before.

Then a friend gave me a book by Gabe Mirkin about a heart healthy diet

and it resonated with me. The book helped crystallize my focus. I

eliminated sugar and all refined products including flour. I

eliminated dairy and animal products except fish (canned sockeye

salmon was recommended as a protein source) and some Parmesan cheese.

And I included raw spinach every day as my dark leafy green.

Breakfast was usually a hearty oatmeal with nuts and dried fruit. My

standard lunch was a huge spinach salad with avocado, purple onion,

green apple slices, red pepper, and other veggies with an olive oil

dressing. Then I had brown rice with slightly cooked veggies and

beans at night.

 

I imagined myself a loved pet or farm animal. I fed myself to make

myself healthy just like I would a prize horse. I wanted a shiny

coat, a lean body, and a quick mind. I wanted to be happy again. I

brought my own water to nightclubs where I played. I kept a bag of

spinach in my car to munch on instead of pizza for the ride home. I

packed sandwiches to eat in case of emergency. Sprouted grain bread

with sugarless peanut butter was another life saver. I just needed

something safe to reach for when I became hungry. Dr.Mirkin's book

provided a list of foods I could eat as much as I wanted, so I just

made sure I had those foods around me at all times. I would look for

those foods on the buffet table and skip anything else. I could eat

salmon, so I would load my plate up with salmon. I could eat greens,

so I would load my plate up with greens.

 

In retrospect, the dark leafy greens are what helped me feel so alive.

That big bowl of spinach everyday really made the difference. It was

really more about what I eliminated than what I ate. Eliminating

sugar and refined products was HUGE for me. But greens gave me those

vital nutrients I needed in order to feel better. They also

counteracted the acidity of the other cooked foods and brought my body

into a balanced or alkaline state. An acidic body produces sickness.

Stress and many cooked foods can cause an acidic condition and create

fatigue or sickness. Greens boost the immune system by bringing

balance to the body.

 

I was 230 pounds at the time I started. In about 3 months, I had

dropped 30 pounds and felt much better. My mind became clear and my

feelings were back. I did not make a big deal about my lifestyle to

friends. I tried not to let them know about my new way of eating. I

would order the salad at the restaurant and watch them order their

burgers and beer. They would want to pass out after the meal and I

would feel great.

 

Another 3 months would go by before I got down to 185. But it was a

slow and steady loss that stuck. I then found out about raw vegan

foods and started experimenting with them. The first time I went 100

percent raw vegan, I ate too many nuts and fruit. I am pretty

sensitive to sugar, even from fruit. After doing a green juice fast

later that year, I realized that my body responded very well to

greens. I started to incorporate more leafy greens in my diet. I

also learned about seed cheese, sprouting, and green smoothies, which

helped a lot.

 

I went to Wigmore in Puerto Rico where I reached my all time low of

160 pounds. This was a little too light for me. Now I stay right

around 170, and I feel great. I do a mostly plant based diet,

sometimes 100 percent raw for stretches. I like cooked whole grains,

cooked tomato, broccoli, and some whole grain cereals and Ezekial

bread. I eat as many raw leafy greens as possible, sometimes throwing

handfuls of kale into a blender with banana so I can drink them as a

smoothie.

 

I also allow myself to eat whatever I want at least once a week. I do

notice an amazing clarity and lightness whenever I do 100 percent raw,

and I am attracted to it. I often wonder what it would be like to do

it for 1 year or 5 years. With the right balance of nutrients, the

body must become extremely efficient and pure.

 

I have no doubt you can eliminate all toxins from the body using a raw

vegan diet. And I know that you can regenerate and heal organs as

well. It is one of the most transformational ways of eating. The

body literally recreates itself when you give it the right vital

nutrients. Cells become new and efficient. Neurons in the brain fire

better. " Feel good " chemicals are released in the brain causing great

feelings and high self esteem. Muscles recover faster. The body

needs less sleep. Cholesterol is completely absent on raw foods, so

the heart is happier and the blood becomes clean.

 

I always just wanted to feel better and experiment to see how healthy

I could become. I knew how UNhealthy I could become and I did not

like it. I was never trying to lose weight, but I was so happy it

happened. I feel more like I am supposed to be now. I feel more able

bodied and vital, and its more fun being alive. My body weight had no

choice but to adjust as I became commited to being as healthy as

possible. Changes took place quickly once I started feeling better.

It wasn't so hard eliminating these foods once I started feeling good.

Now, I just try to stay aware of things and be kind to myself in my

choices.

 

~Michael Harris

www.myspace.com/bossalingo

 

For more info about the transformational lifestyle of raw vegan foods,

read angela's story. http://www.myspace.com/rawreform