What I learned on a 31-day Raw Food Diet

I’ve been increasingly interested in the raw food and living foods movement since I bought my dehydrator and sprouter in 2014.

I knew eating fully raw for one month would not be a big stretch for me. Generally I eat a healthy plant-based diet full of fruits and veggies. But I am not perfect and I tend to grab for the nearest bagel or bread when I am bored or feeling stressed.

January, I thought,  would be the perfect time to delve into raw foods. It was NOT a cleanse (because I don’t believe in that bullshit). Rather it was a shift back to the basics. Raw foodists believe that raw food delivers more nutrients to the body than cooked food. Maybe so? I am not a nutritionist so I can’t say whether or not they are on the right path. I wanted to eat good for you food and see if it made a difference in how I felt and how I looked. 

THE RULES

So what exactly is considered raw? It’s raw if it is not cooked above 115F. Enter dehydrator. Technically I was not fully raw because I continued to drink coffee. Above all I would eat fruit, glorious fruit and vegetables. Repeat for 31 days.

WHAT I ATE 

My meals were pretty much the same every day. I admit I wasn’t as organized as I should have been going into January. By the second week I was bored with my meals. I drank two to three litres of water every single day. This month I also did a 30-day hot yoga challenge so I had to ensure I was well-hydrated. 

Breakfast:  One-litre green smoothie. (Water + 2 or 3 bananas + spinach/kale + mango/papaya)

Lunch: Large zucchini noodle dish (with tomatoes, greens, peppers, sprouts, tomatoes, nutritional yeast and homemade dressing)

Dinner: Large salad and or “raw” veggie burger

Snacks: Green smoothie or fruit smoothie. Sliced apples, carrots, kimchi raw crackers, bananas, peppers, nuts, seeds etc 

WHAT I MISSED

Rice. Rice. Rice. I don’t why because I don’t eat it very often. (Four years in Asia will do that to a person.) 

Almond milk. I searched high and low for “raw almond” milk because there is a thing but I had no luck. 

Chickpeas: I could have soaked the chickpeas for a few days but I was too lazy. Instead I looked at them lovingly and counted the days until I could use them in a salad or as a hummus base. 

Bread: Actually my cravings settled down after the second week. I love bread and I know it’s my weakness and my source of crazy weight gain. 

LESSONS LEARNED 

I eat way too much. With this challenge, I tuned into what my body needed in the moment. Sometimes I snack just for the hell of it or out of habit. I haven’t been running long distances but I have been eating like I have been. I learned that I need to slow down and enjoy what I am eating. 

I need to step up my willpower. I confess I “cheated” on two separate occasions with a veg taco and six-inch veg sub. Good Buddha, I was starving and the first time was after yoga and I was just not in the mood for another fx$%%!! smoothie or salad. Those three bean tacos never tasted better!! The second time was after a stressful work day and I did not properly prepare my food for the day. 

I need to drink more water. I always thought I drink enough water, more than enough. Oh I am so wrong. I feel so much better when I am well-hydrated. My skin and my mood is elevated.  

CONCLUSION

January in Central Alberta in the middle of a recession with soaring produce prices was not the ideal time to “go raw.” A big smoothie just didn’t cut it on an hour run in -20 weather. Nope. 

Some days I felt my energy levels were low, especially in the first few days. This could be the yoga too. But by the end of 31 days I felt great. I didn’t feel like I was deprived of anything but slightly bored with my meals. Again this was the result of my poor planning.  

Overall I felt pretty darn good. I felt light and full of energy (save for my initial reactions). But I don’t think I will ever eat a 100 per cent raw diet. For one thing, it’s too much darn work. Yes, I love Food Prep Sundays but enough is enough. Give me a tofu stir fry or a jackfruit taco. 

I will continue to eat “raw” foods but I will also enjoy healthy cooked vegan meals.

In case you missed it:

What I ate on a raw diet