Mela's Raw Food Journey

Hello Loves! How are you all? I've missed you dearly!
I know I've been MIA! So sorry, but I'm back and better then ever! My boo, Sade', has been doing an awesome job of holding down the fort! She's amazing, or should I say rawmazing (this is the part where you laugh, lol!)

Anyway, there have been quite a few changes in my life and an update is long over do. So here we go!

Background: How I Got into Raw Food:
A few months ago I was at a very low point. I loss my Auntie Trish (best friend/ mentor/second mother), I was severely depressed, I was uncomfortable in my body, and frustrated with my weight. I had no energy. I wasn't living, I was merely existing.


I knew this was not the life I wanted and definitely not the one my Heavenly Father purposed for me. As hard as I tried I couldn't seem to get out of this rut. To tell you the truth as hard as I tried I couldn't seem to get off the couch lol. My emotional dependence on food continued to grow at a rapid rate (right along with my waistline). I honestly felt like a thousand chains were holding me. I would lie on the couch and daydream about the life I wanted to live. (Now this is going to sound a little weird, but just go with it. LOL) 
I felt as if I was looking into a bubble, and in this bubble was the life I wanted. This bubble wasn't filled with cars, nor clothes. In this bubble was was a healthy me. In this bubble I was comfortable in my body, I had the energy to hike and take dancing classes, in this bubble I was free (or Limitless).

When I think of being Free this is the Image that comes to Mind

I knew at that point, and change needed to be made. I had to ask myself a few questions. "Self...when was the last time you can remember feeling good?" and "Was there ever a time, I can honestly recall not experiencing any of these low down feelings?" 
There had to be...but when?

Auntie Trish & I (Yosemite National Park)

I remembered one time in particular, In 2009, I relocated to Texas to be a caregiver for my Auntie Trish (whom I mentioned above) who was fighting cancer. 

As a result of the cancer, my Aunt ate a regular, all-organic diet. And because I was her caretaker, I did too! And let me tell you! It was at this time I felt my best. When I remembered this it shocked me. Why hadn't I continued with those eating habits?

The experience of caring for my Aunt (had up until that point) been the most hectic time of my life. I was working a twelve-hour swing shift in a warehouse, arriving home at 3:30am, and then I would see to Auntie Trish until 4am. Not to mention rising at 9am again, I'd prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner all before it was time for me to go back to work. I ran all the errands, and did all the cleaning. I WAS BUSY!

But looking back I couldn’t remember depression ever rearing its ugly head. I had tons of energy and I was shedding pounds without really even trying. It had to be the food giving me these great effects! I had made no other change in my life besides food!

*HERE IS WHERE RAW FOOD COMES INTO THE STORY! YAY!*

To make a very long story short, I recently started to eat an all-organic diet. But, unfortunately there weren't many changes happening for me. I had switched to organic foods but I also was still eating majority processed food. I realize it wasn't the organic food alone that assisted me while caring for Auntie Trish. It also was largely what we were consuming. 

Auntie Trish and I ate a large portion of fresh fruits and veggies, and we definitely weren't eating processed foods. AND we cut our sugar intake down to one desert a week. Once I realized this I started implementing more fruits and veggies into my daily diet. So...the more I ate raw fruits and veggies the better I would feel. My depression began to lift, and my energy grew. I began to research organic food vs conventionally grown food, raw foods vs cooked food. The more I researched the more I found out that we truly are what we eat! It was time to make the complete change!

So what is Raw Food?    

Generally the raw food diet consists of fresh organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, sprouts, legumes, and organic foods that are in their original state and have not been processed. (No, this does not include raw meat!) You basically want to stay in the produce area of the grocery store. 

Why Raw Food?

 I couldn't stop asking the question: "Why does the food have to be raw? Why can't I just eat a lot of cooked fruits and veggies?" And being a lover of fried chicken, I really couldn't see myself giving that up (and I say that with all seriousness).  

The conclusion I came to was this: when we cook food above 115 degrees Fahrenheit we destroy something in the food called enzymes. 

"Mela, Why should I care about enzymes? What are they?" 

An enzyme is a bio catalyst - (something that makes something else work or work faster.) You should care a great deal about enzymes. In simple terms enzymes are carriers. Enzymes carry vitamins and nutrients where they are most needed inside of our bodies. Enzymes also eat scar tissue and fibrosis, so if you are struggling with fibrosis, I would suggest that you start transitioning into a raw diet right away!   

In short, when we cook food, we destroy many of the enzymes that help us naturally digest it. In addition, cooking foods also kills 70-75% of the vitamins and nutrients in our food. So when we eat cooked food only 25-30% of the nutrients and vitamins are going into our bodies, and because we have destroyed all of the enzymes, our bodies have to try and guess where these nutrients belong. 

The Conclusion!

The science of raw food is great, but in the end what kept me going with raw food was the way I felt. I began to spend less and less time on the couch. Yep, I no longer felt like I was looking into the bubble. I was now in the bubble! (Writing this sentence, I almost started to cry. Thinking back to where God has brought me from, and how awful I use to feel brings tears to my eyes). 

I kept thinking to myself this ' this is the way I'm supposed to feel, this is the way God meant for me to be!' 

My energy has been through the roof, and the pounds are falling off. I fell so deeply in love with raw food I launched into to studying it day and night. When I wasn't studying raw food, I was talking about raw food. Poor Sade', she really had no chose about going raw. These were her options:

1. Go Raw so you can join the conversation

2. Continue to hear me talk about Raw Food day and night.

The more I studied, the more I realized that raw foods was my passion, and is what I wanted to do with my life. I want to help people heal themselves! I started looking into schools and certification programs that would give me the education I needed to embark on my mission. I found the very best one, Creative Health Institute, in Union City, MI.

Creative Health Institute has a 3 month internship program that allows you live and work on site. You are working under amazing raw chef's and World Renowned Naturopathic doctors, learning first hand how to heal the human body using raw and living food. 

After the program I will receive a nationally recognized Raw Living Food Chef Certification, and will be awarded a Certification as a Counselor in Health and Healing through Raw Living Foods. CHI's (Creative Health Institute) is all about learning first hand. As an intern you are required to take part in a 10 day detox program before your internship, so that you are somewhat aware of what the patients go through. I am happy to say that I have been accepted, and am currently in Michigan at CHI beginning my 3 month program. I am overjoyed. I have been given permission to bring you all along for the ride. 

 SO ALL, I will be video blogging and documenting my detox, my raw food journey (I will be 100% raw for the entire 3 months), as well as my weight loss. 

An Apple A Day, Lol

There is so much to come, please follow along! 

Kisses!

~Mela