75% at 52 years old

by Janet
(Toowoomba, Australia)

Raw foods have been given to us as a blessing that can be used to help others and improve the overall quality of life here on earth.

I would estimate that approximately 75% of my daily calories come from raw foods. My goal is for that percentage to increase as I better educate myself on the subject of raw/whole foods, and as I find markets that sell certain raw foods which I'm interested in purchasing, such as kale.

I try to regulate my raw food intake by including raw foods everytime I eat throughout the day. I try to eat more smaller meals rather than fewer larger meals. I always aim for raw foods to be at least half of each meal. If for some reason I can't always achieve that, I make sure to include at least something raw. My thinking is that at least the good nutrients in the raw food will help counter whatever I'm getting from the processed foods that may not be good for me. For example, if I'm at a party-type luncheon where items such as pastries are served, I will only eat one if there are foods such as broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower available as well. Furthermore, I will be sure and drink treated water to help "flush out" the bad stuff from the processed food.

I am pleased with the amount of raw foods I eat. As I mentioned earlier, I want to increase the percentage of raw foods I eat. I am still evolving in my pursuit of a healthier diet. The reason I'm pleased with what I've accomplished so far and why I want to do more is that I believe raw foods are a huge factor in maintaining one's good health. I want to stay out of doctors' offices and hospitals (as a patient) as much as possible. Raw foods also improve the quality of life by giving a person more energy and better focus.

Another reason that I am pleased with making raw foods the center of my diet is that it has improved my personal discipline a great deal. At first eating more raw foods seemed like an unpleasant task. I knew I had to do it for health purposes, but wasn't looking forward to doing it. But after coming to appreciate the pure goodness of raw foods and their benefits, I was encouraged to pursue other disciplines in my life, not as a task, but as an enjoyable journey to something beneficial. An analogy would be someone who has put off going to the gym to get in better physical shape. Then that individual goes and comes to enjoy working out and being in an environment where good health is celebrated. As a result that person looks forward to the next discipline to be pursued.

Finally, I have definitely noticed many health benefits from my shift to majority raw foods from majority processed foods. For starters, I have lost about 50 pounds of weight. I can only imagine how this has helped my body in ways I'll never know. Aside from the unseen benefits, I have lowered my blood pressure to the normal range. My energy level is just as strong, if not stronger than 20 years ago. (I'm 52 now.) Simply, I just feel better. And my determination to go further in my conversion to a raw foods diet is greater than ever. My greatest goal is to alleviate skin problems I've had most of my life through diet. That is the final frontier. I've noticed some improvement already, but believe I can take it to the next level.