by Akanke Rasheed
E
veryday more and more people are choosing to “go raw” by increasing their intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains. Some adopt the raw food lifestyle because they find themselves in a health “crisis.” A chronic degenerative disease such as cancer or diabetes often spurs patients to reverse the symptoms and heal naturally. Others choose to go raw to help heal less severe symptoms such as headaches and allergies, or to lose weight. Sometimes it’s inspiration by someone in their lives, a close friend relative or coworker, whom they’ve seen transform. There are many reasons to go raw but the best is because fresh, and preferably organic, foods provide our bodies with enzyme-packed nutrients that enable our bodies to stoke our core life force: our youth, vitality, clarity of thinking, ability to self correct and heal mentally, emotionally and physically. The more organic nutrients we feed into our bodies, the more total wellness we enjoy. The word “going” means to advance towards an objective or “to develop, progress, or proceed.” So, “going raw” is a developmental process—an action-based journey towards better nutrition and eating habits. This journey to raw should begin with a proper understanding of nutrition. When this knowledge is truly integrated into our thoughts it leads to more conscious, helpful decisions—and ultimately to 24 • NUTRITION | GARDEN OF EDEN HEALTH MAGAZINE
the adaptation of new appetites. This journey may take one week, a year, or even five years or more. It really depends on the person and their circumstances. My personal path to going raw actually started almost 10 years ago. My friend Pearl was working at a new food establishment that prepared raw food dishes in Atlanta. I tried the food and liked it. The nori rolls—dried seaweed sheets with hummus and vegetables rolled inside—were my favorite. I started making them at home. My husband really liked them too! Although I enjoyed the raw cuisine, I still continued eating cooked food. It just wasn’t time for me to go raw. I continued learning about other things I could do to improve my health, such as fasting, colon cleansing, proper breathing, and exercising. Overtime I grew more committed to my wellness and adopted better habits to help improve my wellness. Eventually, this self-education led me to becoming a 100% raw foodist in 1998. Some people go raw quickly—or, “go cold turkey.” Others transition gradually—weaning from meats, dairy, sugar, and/or processed foods—over a period of time—while simultaneously increasing their raw food intake. If you decide to go raw, I suggest that you stay mindful and listen to your body and soul. Then, when you are ready, move towards wellness. READY = Really, Excited, Alivened, &
Nori rolls. P
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Dedicated to Yourself. Once you are really READY you will do whatever you need to do in order to get and stay well. At some point you will need to set a realistic goal for yourself. In order to “go” someplace you must have a destination in mind. Your goal may be to go 100% raw. However, if at present, you are only consuming 10% raw food in your diet, I recommend that you set a more reasonable short term go of increasing your raw food intake to 40% or more. Start today by eating more fresh fruit in the morning instead of grits and eggs. Or, for lunch, add a power salad and some fresh carrot juice instead of French fries and cola. Your body will really thank you for it. Find exciting ways to enhance your salads. I sometimes add walnuts or pecans, avocado or fresh shredded beets. I also make my own lemon garlic salad dressing. Explore your options and find what turns on your palette. The more delicious raw food you eat, the less your body will crave cooked food. Set realistic goals for yourself and start by eliminating unhealthy foods from your diet such as white sugar, white flour, fried foods and inorganic processed foods. Buy more fresh organic fruits and vegetables and eliminate foods that come in cans and boxes. Read food labels! If you can’t pronounce the ingredients on the label they probably aren’t good for you. For some looking for moral support and a raw food environment, find the local raw food restaurants and support groups in your area. Hang out with other people who are either already on the raw path or considering it. Just put yourself out there and you will find what you need on the journey: “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” Well, get READY. In six months your percentage of raw food may go to 60%, and in one year 80-100%. But, a word of caution: It is not easy for many people to maintain a 100% raw, absolutely no-cooked-food diet. I was 100% raw for almost three years until I hit a major emotional trauma—the sudden death of my husband in 2001. I could not have anticipated how I would respond to the loss of my mate. This was a major shift in my life and in the blink of an eye, I started eating cooked food again in response to grief and aloneness. On the surface I was fine, because of my trust in Allah (The One Creator), but still, the emotional trauma that I was experiencing beyond the surface was satiated with the unhealthy emotional craving for cooked food—dead enzymes. I gained almost 40 pounds in three years, developed benign breast lumps, became lethargic and
later realized that I had also been depressed. So, be prepared for the mental struggles and setbacks that come with living fully. Don’t be discouraged and just keep striving. Today, all praises are due to Allah, I am much better. I strive everyday to eat a balanced diet—drinking plenty of clean water and choosing organic fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds over conventional ones. I also enjoy fresh seafood and halal chicken occasionally, and, I delight in treating myself to healthy desserts (avoiding white sugars, of course). My goal is to reach my ideal weight of 160 lbs. Today I’m 75% raw, I’ve lost twenty pounds so far and have to shed fifteen more to achieve this goal. My breast lumps are gone, and I make sure I lead a self-nuturing life (breast disease is often associated emotionally with overnurturing others and undernurtuing oneself). I exercise as often as I can (although I could do better), and I’m feeling renewed with each dawn. I reaffirm my commitment to being healthy everyday. I have learned to be more emotionally honest so that I don’t use food, or anything else, to suppress my feelings. At the core, my spirituality and relationship with Allah is my strength and gives me sustenance. My desire to be an obedient servant keeps me driven and joyously grounded to life’s journey. I strive to see everything I do as a form of worship. This keeps me READY. So, I say to you once again, get READY and stay committed. Affirm your uniqueness, your soul, inner beauty, and capacity to achieve great things. Demonstrate all these great qualities by taking care of yourself. Strive to become your best. Of course, there will always be ebbs and flows, and things aren’t always “warm and fuzzy.” But, the goal is to reach forward towards positive growth and self-improvement, so that you can witness degrees of positive change over time. Nothing lasting happens overnight; great things are achieved with time and patience. On your journey to eating more raw foods I strongly recommend consultation with a raw food expert and a naturopath. A complete physical with your physician can also be very helpful. Do your own research; there is plenty of information on the Internet on this subject. And remember, what you actually get out of life will be far more determined by your spirituality and physical health than your wealth—so, do not sacrifice either! Pray often, eat well and do good in life. Yours in wellness... DECEMBER 2006 | NUTRITION • 25