Can I only consume foods that are raw?
Do I have to be vegan?
Can I still drink?
Can I still drink?
Should I change my diet overnight?
I’m eating perfectly, but feel awful. Why is this happening, and what should I do?
Why the emphasis on digestive health?
What is your diet like?
Does your husband eat this way?
Can I only consume foods that are raw?
Of course not! Raw food, for those of you who don't know, are foods that are not ever heated about 118 degrees, so they still have full enzymatic integrity and are therefore, in their purest state.
I encourage cooked vegetables, high quality grains, even beans and legumes for some. I believe that cooked vegetables are wonderful for transition and also in the long run to keep clean eating manageable and enjoyable. This way, you can still enjoy dinners at restaurants by ordering big salads and sides of steamed vegetables, and you have some warmer comfort foods as often as you need, which is a must for many who experience cold winters. I feature plenty of cooked vegetable dishes on The Sunny Life for this reason.
Do I have to be vegan?
No, you don't. While I do not recommend mainstream animal products to anyone due to the level of antibiotics and hormones that these animals are pumped with, raw goat and sheep dairy are actually very decent foods. Raw goat and sheep's cheeses are the best forms of dairy to consume because these do not contain nearly as much casein (an extremely dense protein molecule) that cow dairy contains. I do not advise using pasteurized dairy, even of the sheep and goat variety, frequently (although it can be done intermittently when raw is not available). A vegan diet that is focused on vegetables (not tofu and other forms of soy and not a lot of grain) really is ideal, but having some wild fish, organic free-range eggs, and raw dairy here and there to keep you happy with your diet is perfectly fine. This makes it possible for many to stick with this way of life for the long term. Forcing veganism when you are not ready for it really is counterproductive.
Some people who think they are lactose intolerant experience great results from using raw goat and sheep dairy products as long as they are not overdone. There are some, however, who still experience drawbacks from it, so it is for you to decide. Listen to your body and you’ll find your answer.
Can I still drink?
Sure. A glass of wine here and there is pretty harmless unless you are ill. I would never encourage drinking wine every day. I do not recommend any other type of alcohol.
Should I change my diet overnight?
It is always optimal to gradually change your diet. We should never go raw overnight (unless we plan on doing plenty of colonics to keep up with all of the waste we will be awakening with such clean eating!), but add more raw foods and juices into our diet while simultaneously removing as many processed foods as we possibly can such as the refined sugars, starches, and animal products.
I’m eating perfectly, but feel awful. Why is this happening, and what should I do?
If you are juicing, eating your raw salads, food combining, leaving out packaged foods and feeling bad, this means that you are over-cleansing. You are basically doing so well with the diet, that it’s actually bad, because the body cannot keep up with all that the alkaline foods are awakening! When this happens, the body is reabsorbing toxins and they are then being released into the bloodstream, which results in you experiencing symptoms. Remember: symptoms are your body's way of telling you that it needs help!
Ideally you could use at home enemas such as the old-fashioned Cara enema kits, or you could schedule a colonic, or use a sauna. Whenever symptoms flare up, it’s important to first look at bowel elimination. This really should not ever be underestimated with the cleansing process.
If you are unable to use enemas at home or have colonics, then it is important to incorporate plenty of cooked vegetables and high quality grains into your diet to be sure that you do not over cleanse. For example, if you’ve been eating avocado salads and bananas all week and are breaking out and experiencing headaches, it’s a good idea to incorporate some steamed or baked vegetables, or sprouted grain breads such as the Ezekiel brand. This gives the body a break from cleansing and a chance to eliminate what has already been awakened, rather than overwhelming it.
Please do remember all that we’ve subjected our bodies to dietetically, environmentally and emotionally when going through this process, and be gentle with it. Do not force your body to go somewhere it is not ready just because your ego wants to be a raw vegan, or you think that by not eating cooked food you will lose those last ten pounds. Taking this approach is often counterproductive. Things are not always that simple.
Why the emphasis on digestive health?
Digestive health is incredibly important because it is the most arduous work the body does. The less time that the body spends on digestion, the more time it can spend on healing and regeneration. This does not mean that we need to stop eating! It does mean that by making a habit of eating clean foods in proper combinations, we maximize digestive power and provide the body with minimum obstruction. It also means that by nourishing the body with fresh green juice and raw salads we are replenishing the body with life (live enzymes and plenty of nutrients), as opposed to robbing the body of life as meats and packaged foods do. Dead food uses our life force to process, while live foods have their own life force to replace what is lost by the body during digestion. When you add fresh vegetable juice to this formula (and especially when we focus on removing the waste awakened during this process), you will see the results in the form of a more youthful appearance and demeanor because you are actually reversing the aging process.
I believe that attaining true vitality is only possible when digestive health is a focus.
What is your diet like?
My diet is mostly raw and mostly vegan with the exception of raw goat's cheese on occasion and wild fish on a very, very rare occasion (such as a dinner out at a restaurant). The mornings and day time are busy for me, so I eat lightly. In the morning I have plenty of green vegetable juice and water. This is typically when I get my exercise in as I don't like to exercise on a full stomach. Lunch may be some fresh seasonal fruits or an avocado salad or raw soup, or all of the above. My dinners always start with a raw soup or salad (or both) and are often followed by steamed or baked vegetables, whole grains like millet or quinoa or a raw goat's cheese salad. My current favorite dinner is a raw goat's cheese salad with beets, tomato, fresh basil, and plenty of lemon juice and stevia followed by steamed zucchini, cut into sticks topped with my homemade marinara sauce and some more raw goat's cheese. My favorite dessert is dark chocolate.
I'm not 100% raw or vegan because I simply don't care to be. I feel that a vegan and raw diet is ideal for the human body and I feel my best when I am only consuming raw vegan foods. However, I absolutely love steamed and baked vegetables, and since I know they are harmless in the body and digest easily, I eat them in liberal quantities.
As far as raw dairy goes, I eat liberal amounts of this as well (around 4-6 ounces with my dinner when I choose to have it, usually), but I don't eat this as regularly as the cooked vegetables.
To me, my diet is perfect for me right now. It is delicious, nourishing, easy on my digestive system, and comforting. What more could I ask for?
Does your husband eat this way?
Yes! I am fortunate that Enrrico has a simple palette. He likes simple meals (think baked sweet potatoes with brown rice, or salmon and steamed veggies with a shoyu marinade), and simple desserts (like chocolate ice cream...I buy him organic...and spelt chocolate chip cookies). He also loves my raw chocolate pudding.
When it comes to family and friends changing their diet, I suggest focusing on your own first. It is very normal to want to change the lifestyle and dietary habits of those you care about as soon as you learn wonderful health information that makes sense to you, but I urge you not to make this your new mission in life. Focus on your own journey, and others will respect it (usually) and sometimes will even be inspired to make some changes themselves! This was exactly the case with Enrrico and I. I never pressure him to eat a certain food or to avoid certain foods, and I wouldn't recommend doing this with your partners or children if you have them. In most cases this actually ends up being counter productive.
Do you have a question for me? Please email me at marlena.torres@gmail.com and I will do my best to promptly post an answer to it here!
