I spent the early part of my life depressed, but today I'd consider myself a very happy person. It's not that I never get thrown for any emotional loops, but rather that I always quickly return to a baseline of happiness that's higher now than it was when I was eating a low fat cooked vegan diet or the several variations of SAD I once consumed.

Life just seems more full of possibilities now, and I find myself smiling at the little things. In short, life is good, and I feel privileged to be experiencing it.

I'm an analytical thinker, though, and part of my mind always objected to my idea that cleaning up my diet had caused me to become happier. Why should healthy food make a person more joyful?

Is there any science to back this up? I'm an inveterate reader of medical and nutritional journals, and it turns out quite a bit of information has accumulated over the last decade or so, and I decided to write an article showing how food and mood are closely intertwined: [www.raw-food-health.net]

I hope you enjoy it!

I'm also very curious to know how many other people have experienced a noticeable increase in their happiness, and at what parts of their dietary evolution it occurred.

For instance, I felt a bit happier when I cleaned up my SAD diet a bit, but it wasn't until I went on a low fat cooked vegan diet that it became readily apparent.

When I went low fat raw vegan, the shift became profound.

I look forward to hearing from you.

I believe that truly we are what we eat. What goes into our bodies literally becomes part of us. I also believe that the closer we can get to food in it's pristine form, as close to the earth as possible- which means unprocessed, uncooked foods, the more vital energy we take in. In the 2 months I've been all raw, which isn't much time at all, really, I feel way more peaceful and connected to my spirituality. And for me, that translates to feeling much happier!

I believe raw, organic plant foods connect me to the earth, and to Source energy. I feel that this shift in my diet is not only transforming my body, but also my mind and my consciousness. This feeling I have now is so much more profound than when I made the shift to become vegetarian 20 years ago. Raw is infinitely more powerful for me.

This is a topic that has interested me for a long time.
I even take it further....to a spiritual level.
Definitely feel happier on those totally raw days.

Vinny

Depression is such a tricky condition as there are so many different causes and often there can be multiple ones contributing.

I spent the best part of my years up until mid-twenties suicidally depressed and i will say that it was super taxing both mentally and physically. Alot was the knock of effect of being chronically ill and part of my condition such as adrenal fatigue, secondary low thyroid both which can cause depression.

Diet helped an awful lot and i will say is under-estimated by doctors when it comes to depression. Although i will say the times i expiremented with a low fat diet my depression and anxiety would get alot worse. I suspect fat malabsorption that i suffered from likely played a role in that.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

I have never been depressed, but raw vegan cured, INSTANTLY, my high blood pressure and high heart rate. I also have much more energy and I am often in good mood. Being happy also depends on your life circumstances, but being raw vegan makes a decisive difference in any life situation.

Great article! When I used to eat cooked food - any cooked food - I definitely noticed the difference.

It might not be true for everybody, but it was true for me.

I'm not low fat as a raw food vegan. I'm moderate fat, and that doesn't seem to bother me.

I do not experience euphoria, or even sustained happiness, as there is a great deal to be indignant about in the world today. But I do find that when high raw, my negative emotions aren't as intense or prolonged, that I can control them more easily, and that I bounce back from a less-than-good mood quickly to what is best described as calm balance.


The studies cited are interesting: could it be that this can explain why Weston Priceists on message boards are so darn aggressive when one mentions plant based diets? Could it be that this can explain why one hears about people throwing tantrums in the Burger King, but never hears of a throwdown at the raw foods juicebar?

Raw foodists seem to be much calmer and less likely to be confrontational in general.

All these posts are giving me more motivation to try harder at sticking with this diet. And I do notice my mood plummet when I do go off the diet, which I mostly contributed to having failed myself, but maybe it's more than that.

I believe that the root cause of depression is not knowing who you really are. We are living in a materialistic world and we think that beauty, fame, fortune will make us happy. We have to live our life with a purpose. A holistic lifestyle is what we need in order for our mind, body and spirit to be "healthy". Now, diet plays an important role also. They would rather live an extravagant life than a simple one. As they say, we are what we eat. If we are eating only fresh, raw, 100% natural foods then it nourishes our bodies to its very core and it has a great effect on our emotional state. However, if we eat animal derived food, then we only eat their pain and suffering and that translates in our behavior. Hormones are injected in meat and when people consume it, it goes into their system and messes up their hormones. That's why most people have hormonal imbalances.

Are raw vegans more self-conscious in the pursuit for inner-peace, absolutely. Are they more successful at it on a deeper level than anyone else? Nope.

RusticBohemian Wrote:
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> Raw foodists seem to be much calmer and less
> likely to be confrontational in general.

QueenC Wrote:
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> All these posts are giving me more motivation to
> try harder at sticking with this diet. And I do
> notice my mood plummet when I do go off the diet,
> which I mostly contributed to having failed
> myself, but maybe it's more than that.

Yes, I made that same observation. When I realized my mood change was actually caused by what I ate the day before, it was OK because I knew it would pass as soon as I felt better!

U cannot be depressed on raw foods. Thats what a handsome man in Lansdale, PA told me, with a cute raw food store.

coconutcream,

Would that handsome man go by the name of Arnold?

I need to work on my thought processes. Being negative has never helped me or anyone in any way. Raw does help me with this. So yes, perhaps I am happier as a result of my diet.

I am not 100% raw. I am probably 95% vegetarian, 85% vegan, and 75% raw. But less than 8 months ago, I was at the worst end of the SAD diet. Fast food and restaurants all the time, soda, chips.. you name it. My outlook since starting a move toward plant based diet and more and more raw foods has definitely been better. I think in part because I feel so much better, I can have a more optimistic and happy outlook.

--------------------
Tombotronic

Yes, love comes pouring out of me being raw. Anytime I have ever gone back to cooked foods, it's sadness and poor digestion. :/ I love raw!

Sounds wonderful, Tombotronic. Keep it up.

it is ok to feel negative because they is how we know we need to change our strategies to reverse and find positivity. Needs being met by quality living organic food do this

life vs lifelessness

Actually, there's studies that have shown a distinct increase in aggression with cooked food, and a return to calm with the change to raw food. Google 'pottenger's cats', which is just one study with animals, though I believe it applies to humans also.

Cheers,
geo

the more i eat raw the more i notice other people's over sensitivity like they seem to be short circuited drug addicts in their speech thinking and behavior patterns.

life vs lifelessness

Hell yeah! This diet is awesome! I can't even fathom going back to even vegetarian. I had the biggest sweet tooth before I started this diet and I had been wanting to do this for a while but I was pretty scared and apprehensive of not being able to consume anything dairy (soft serve yogurt- my ultimate favorite, chocolate, etc.),and of course heated...My comfort doesn't necessarily come from the types of foods but I just loved warm meals. I soon realized that I felt horrible a lot of the time and also the things that I really enjoyed were so superficial to me. This change in diet came naturally to me (just like quitting smoking). If it is not who you really are and you have a plan, then you can stop doing anything you put your mind to in replacement of something (not necessarily food) more authentic to you, then the rest is history and life becomes much more enjoyable.

A good snipet of advice is "Sometimes it takes being sick and tired of being sick and tired to change an unhealthy habit."

Thanks for posting this.

-Malena

shoot! hell yes! I used to be suicidally depressed all the time. Cooked food acts as a drug on our bodies. So SAD eating actually leads people into the up and down of drug mood swings. Those of us who are more prone to depression notice it super quickly. The waves up and down are much more managable. I've gone from obese with suicidal thoughts, to extremely healthy and extremely optimistic.
I do feel that cooked food blocks some of our deep spiritual energies.....I'm not saying you have to be raw to get deep, but I am saying that going 100% raw, and freeing up your body for other things WILL in fact make life easier and make it easier to feel the universe around us.

The Raw Lion 440 pounds to 225 pounds!

Absolutely, yes. the difference is like night and day to me. not sure how it works exactly, but that's ok by me!

Leading on from what Rawlion said re feeling the universe, to me it's like I'm on the edge of discovery or something. It's hard to explain, but it feels like all I have to do is turn the corner and there it is. Does anyone else have this feeling? Perhaps they can explain/articulate it better than I.

RusticBohemian Wrote:
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Why
> should healthy food make a person more joyful?

it could be related to the change of ph level of the body. I've aso noticed a relationship between colon bacteria and mood, go figure.

That's something to think about Panchito, as the change would be from an acid to an alkaline body.

I was today at Costco getting fruits. I couln't help to notice the sad faces. People just did not happy at all. Some look like worried about getting the best bang for the buck. Just getting the best deeal weather they need it or not. some people bought tons of meat and others had like two full cars of food junk stuff. Most were overweight and worrying about getting the best deal but not paying attention to their bodies. I felt as if I was from another planet. The negative atmosphere rubbed on me and I had to put the music a little loud as I drove away in order to blow away the recent memories.

Anybody else experienced a similar case?
Does raw food make you more sensitive?

There's nothing but hostility and poison in big grocery stores. I'm convinced that farmer's markets are becoming popular not only for environmental and health reasons but also because our growing species feels so out of place in those dumps. Winter forces me to use them. I always take a friend with me. We just yuk it up amongst all the SADness.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2012 07:31PM by HeavenHands.

I forgot to say that people had a mean face. Many of the workers looked burnt and mean, but I thing it is from hanging around in such a negative place. No smiles.

There is a farmers market where I live but it is too far

This lifestyle made see all the things I was missing. I now pay attention to the birds, the trees, the flowers. Apart from the physical health benefits, I have no pschology stress and my life is simpler, happier. I sleep more. I eat more. I do more exercise.