Samkalpa Yoga

People tend to question if eating “raw” is really a healthy and easy choice to make.  There are, of course, numerous misconceptions that come with the raw eating lifestyle.  One of the major misconceptions is that eating raw will strip away the necessary enzymes that aid in digestion.  In actuality, raw food contains a great amount of live enzymes that aid in digestion.  Is it safe to say that raw eating is for everybody? No.  However, my advice is to experiment with different eating lifestyles and choose the one that fits your body best. Some people prefer be vegetarian while others feel better with being vegan.

Several popular healthy eating alternatives include:

• Macrobiotic
• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• Raw Food

I’ve tried all the eating lifestyles above.  My journey with eating macrobiotic was horrible.  I was bloated all the time and was filled with so much gas that I felt nauseous and queasy.  My body couldn’t handle all the fiber.

When I chose to become vegetarian, it was a quite pleasurable experience.  I actually lost 20 lbs. that never came back.  All the bad toxins and bad fat that had accumulated from gorging on fast food and junk food literally melted off my body.

As a temporary vegan, it was quite difficult in the beginning.  I couldn’t eat my favorite pasta, eggs for breakfast, cobb salad, or yummy vegetarian sandwiches because of the mayonnaise content.  I found myself constantly reading food labels and ingredients.  So, I went back to being a vegetarian.

To be brutally honest, as a vegetarian, I was constantly hungry (although I was eating as much vegetables as I wanted and filling up on flax seed cereal).  I started eating meat once a week to fill up on protein.  I didn’t want to rely on soymilk and vitamin pills to substitute my protein intake.

Then, I stumbled upon eating raw.  I remember watching a short documentary about celebrities joining the raw food craze.  I remember thinking how extreme celebrities go to keep their bodies in perfect shape.   However, one morning I was tired of going from one eating style to the next like I was shopping for clothes.  I wanted an eating lifestyle that would heal my digestive system, detox my body, and could potentially heal my mother’s diabetes.

I did my research and found that raw eating has amazing benefits to body and mind.  There were cases where obese people had shed up to 100 lbs by eating raw.  It is a common side effect to have sagging skin after losing such  a large amount of weight.  However, the enzymes in raw food actually did wonders for their skin.  It tightened their sagging skin and made the skin more youthful from the inside out.  Another great advantage of eating raw? YOU ACTUALLY FEEL FULL.

There have also been cases where eating raw cured thyroid cancer.  By eating raw, the hormone levels were normalized and the cancer patients were able to avoid surgery.

As soon as I started eating raw, I felt an amazing surge of energy.  It was more energy than a can of redbull without the nasty crash at the end of the day.  My mind felt more clarity and my allergy symptoms cleared.  My skin also started glowing and my rosacea decreased.  My cravings for food also decreased.  I was able to eat fewer meals throughout the day and still feel satisfied.  I ended up shedding 8 lbs. in one week.  I wasn’t intentionally trying to lose weight. It just happened.

When you eat raw food, the live enzymes have higher vibration levels.   When you have lower vibrational levels, you tend to create a weaker immune system and end up getting stressed easier and getting sick more often.   Eating processed sugar (chocolate, ice cream, candy) and caffeine have very low vibration levels.  In order for our bodies to have high energy and clarity, we should stick to foods with high vibration levels.  When you have a healthy vibrational level in your body, your chakras are awakened.  When your chakras are awakened, you become more enlightened and aware of your true self mentally, spiritually, and physically.

I encourge you to find a healthy eating alternative that will increase the vibrations in your body and will heal your body in the long term.  Go ahead, experiment a little and see what works for you.  I know I did.  The journey begins with the first step.

For essential supplies and resources for raw eating, please visit my blog on Raw Eating Essentials.

Written by Erin Lee