My first entry...

So, this is my very first entry into my new raw food blog, exciting huh? I first learned about raw foods three years ago after attending a Brenda Cobb lecture in Atlanta, Georgia. Brenda was talking about how she cured her cancer by eating a raw food diet (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds in their natural state that have not been cooked!). There were many people that stood up and gave testimonials of different ailments they had been cured of by eating a raw food diet. It was very intriuging to me because I have suffered from mild depression since I was a teenager (caused in large part by the death of my mother from breast cancer), so surely it seemed that if raw food could cure cancer it might be able to cure depression. I was not ready to give up so many foods that I loved though, so raw foods just sat in the back of my mind. However, I did start eating organic foods (including dairy and meat) and added more fruits and veggies to my diet (including veggie juices), gave up refined sugar and refined everything practically. Slowly I began to transition to eating vegetarian and then to vegan. In the summer of 2005 I decided to travel to the hippocrates center in west palm beach to eat purely raw food for one week. I went in the hopes that my depression would be cured when I left hippocrates from all of the healthy green juices, sprouts and wheatgrass that I drank. It was a good experience but I was extremely disappointed that I did not feel mentally better by the end of the week. In the summer of 2006 I went to The anne wigmore institute in Puerto Rico to eat raw foods for two weeks. I was also very disappointed that I did not cure my depression by the end of those two weeks. Since this time I have not given up eating raw foods. I aspire to eat raw 100% but really max out around 80 - 90% most days. I have not given up on raw foods becasue I have seen other benefits from eating this way. I feel more in touch with myself, my hair is shinier and my skin is clearer, I used to weigh 130 lbs when I ate cooked and now I average 115 to 120 lbs and feel better at this weight. Slowly my diet has been getting cleaner and cleaner over these years and it has become easier and easier to crave healthier foods and stay away from the junk. I am realizing that raw foods may help my depression to some extent but there are many other important aspects of health that I need to address as well, such as finding a purpose, meaningful work, deep relationships with friends, being physically active. Raw foods is only one part of the equation. Well, I have so much more I could say but I will have to leave it for future entries!