Hi - I am going to a more raw way of life after completing a fast and I am feeling a lot of cravings for raw foods since then and disinclination for much cooked stuff. I'm still not 100% or anything.
I am just wondering what benefits people have noticed since being on such a way of life for some time and what % raw is needed to feel benefits. I didnt have a really bad diet before or anything but quite a low raw %....

Have read a few raw testimonials but would love to hear more personal experiences...
thank you!!

Knowing that I am feeding my body the healthiest possible foods.

I went totally raw about 6 weeks ago, in a desperate attempt to ease my autoimmune issues. While I was pretty sure it would help, I had no hope of a miracle. Well, to make a long story short, I got a miracle. By the second week I could walk without pain. The rash that plagued me for years on my lower legs is gone. The random lumps and aches and pains are just gone. I can still hardly believe it!
My energy level has really shot through the roof. I am a young 63, with chronic Hepatitis C. While I have managed to avoid any liver complications over the years, it was obvious that the imbalance in my body was causing many other issues, and I developed a type of vasculitis, called mixed cryoglobulinemia, associated with the HCV. I have tried many other "diets" or ways of eating over the last few years in an effort to maximize my health, and none were really successful until going completely raw.
I am still learning about food prep and recipes - I try to stick to green drinks and fruits and soaked seeds and nuts. After a lifelong craving for sweets, I am at last free of constantly wanting sugar (what a bonus!)
I hope that anyone out there considering a raw diet will give it a try. I know I will never go back to cooked foods. The benefits of this are too great to throw away. I wake up each morning and move my ankles, elbows, knees, wrists...and feel so grateful for a pain free body.
And, my mind feels more clear than it has in a long time. The fog is lifting.
I went out to dinner after shopping with a friend last night. She ordered a rich, yummy looking pasta with shrimp that I wouldn't have been able to pass up in years past. This time, it was easy to be content with a salad (lemon juice dressing).
Her meal zapped her energy - I felt light and good.
So, good luck to all those out there new to this lifestyle. It will make a difference. At least it is worth a try.
Oh, and another bonus. I have dropped about 12 pounds without really intending this as a weight loss "diet". The spare tire around my middle is disappearing!

Annie that is very inspiring! Congrats!

I had so much more sustained energy, basically lost my chronic fatigue while I was able to eat mostly raw (plus juice allot) im fairly low raw at the moment, but still vegan other than a couple supplements I take, an I definitely felt so much better while mostly raw, and I never got sick while juicing every day and eating mostly raw... those are the basic benefits its had for me.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Yep, everthing just works better. It's important to be diligent in washing our raw food though, especially organic. Still, I wonder how many slugs'n'bugs I've unknowingly eaten, lol. Enjoy your food. Everything just tastes better too!

thank you for all the replies. I have met in my life only two people that eat totally raw. One looked very skinny and pale (he may have felt great inside) and the other looked fine and said that after 3 years he had benefited mainly by feeling much more 'in the present moment' , however he admitted that he still had some food cravings and wasn't 100% sure he would stick with it always.
I have read so much about the benefits of raw food now but it's very good to get personal experiences and share ideas- I live in India and i haven't met any raw food enthusiasts locally where even a small salad is a rarity....

Through eating a high percentage of raw foods coupled with the exclusion of all preserved/processed foods I have managed and almost eliminated the KP on my arms and thighs, gotten rid of the circles under my eyes, hydrated my skin, I wake up before my alarm, I feel clear headed and optimistic, I don't experience bipolar syndrome anymore, my tongue is pink, not white, my hair is healthier, I can stretch further and bike faster, and I feel good knowing I'm doing preventative things for the future and consuming less manmade goods (I buy fruit and put it in my backpack instead of boxed factory food, etc.)

It just makes sense for me to eat this way. But I am not incredibly strict although I am vegan. I never eat preservatives, food colorings, sodas, etc, but I am open to tofu, hummus, etc. Things that I think are far better than vegan cookies, baked goods, etc. The best part is that even if I only incorporate green smoothies, I feel benefits.

Dear Merry,
I went 100% raw about eight years ago for a four month period. I remember it vividly. First of all it was during a difficult divorce and I ultimately lost 75lbs from being all raw and then mostly raw for about a year.

I remember several highlights that I describe to folks when asked
~I gained a clarity in my mind. I could think more clearly and my memory improved
(this could also be because I probably had mad wheat and soy allergies, at the
time I was a 12 yr vegan--now a 20yr vegan)
~I felt joy. plain and simple. It elivated my mood and I was happy (of course
losing the abusive husband and developing a sweet body tone didnt hurt but
I KNOW it was the raw food primarily)
~I craved sunlight
~I craved exercise, my body just told me to MOVE! and I LOVED IT!
~I was so excited about it and my increased energy and elivated mood seemed to
force me to tell the world why I was thinner and smiled more frequently.

Now 8 yrs later, I am embarking on that journey again. I ve gained most of the weight back and I know I am allergic to wheat, soy, chocolate, and of course caffeine....yes I ve been a bad bad vegan!

I am beginning my raw journey again and am very excited about it. Not just because I will lose weight, but because I will FEEL better and enjoy life more. I cannot say enough about a vegan raw food diet, I am convinced it is the way our creator intended and no one could ever convince me otherwise.

Hope this helps!
Best of luck on your journey
D