When my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I turned to what I knew - herbs and natural healing. He was doing a lot of good work with emotional healing and had been on a path of physical healing for a long time. I found raw food and, hoping to inspire him to do the same, I decided to try 100% raw veganism for 4 weeks, taking us up to the time of his scheduled prostatectomy which I was hoping he would forego. He didn't make the commitment I made but he did start eating better and more raw.

I was astounded at my experience of going raw! I've considered myself quite healthy and my friends and family would certainly have said I was much healthier than average. However, I hadn't shed the weight gain from my second child; I still got occasional migraines; I have moles and blemishes that I've known for a long time are an indication of imbalance; and I was still getting at least one serious cold each winter/spring.

Wow! I started losing weight right away and effortlessly. I had TONS of energy and almost no cravings for cooked food from the very beginning (I realize this is not common but I've been slowly improving my diet for many years). Immediately people began commenting (with no prompting or knowledge of my diet change) on my skin and eyes.

Needless to say, 4 weeks came and went and I'm still 100% raw after 6 months. I've lost 25 lbs or so and continue to have excellent health and energy. I have my first cold right now and it has not settled in deeply at all. It feels like it will be a quick recovery. Interestingly, just prior to this cold, I had several low-sleep days combined with exposure to cigarette smoke and a brief dalliance with raw veggies dipped in cooked hummus...

My husband went ahead with surgery and is still recovering. He came out of it eating all raw for awhile, then he slipped back into cooked food and coffee, etc. He now eats a fair amount raw but is definitely not taking care of himself as well as he could. It's hard to let go of wanting to make him eat better but I try to keep my heart in acceptance mode.

Our children eat a significant amount of raw. Our 7 year old LOVES it and would probably do 100% raw if our whole family did it. After only a week or 2 at 80% raw, our 7 year old's eczema, which had persisted for 5 years through all holistic attempts to heal it, was GONE! Totally gone. Our 4 year old is not quite as enthusiastic but will eat raw as long as it's not CALLED raw. (Are these raw oats, mom? They're soaked oats, sweetie!)

As so often has happened in our lives, I take on something new and better because of my husband's life challenges. It is a gift I've received from him and I hope that he will someday fully accept the gift of exuberant good health through raw foods, too. Regardless, though, I cannot foresee a time when I would turn away from raw foods.

It sounds cliche, but I am in better health at 40 than I was at 30. At 40 I'm raw and loving it!

Gabrielle

Thanks for sharing your story, Gabrielle, and welcome!!