A few months back someone had posted a link to an article-- it was written by a raw vegan. Very inspirational. His name may have been Shannen or something similiar and he talked about his personal account of being raised on the standard-african-american diet (worse than the SAD diet). He spoke about his health problems, weight problems and how he finally became a raw vegan. He looks like a bodybuilder now. I am trying to find his story (I had it bookmarked but lost it!!) I want to show it to some of my non-raw/non-vegan friends. Anyone happen to have the link???

The Shannon link you're looking for is:

[www.rawfoodinfo.com]


then when you access the web site, click on PICTURES on the left
then click on BEFORE AND AFTERS PICTURES & STORIES OF RAW FOOD ENTHUSIASTS
then scroll down to SHANNON and you got it.
I tried to copy the address to go to the page directly,but apparently all lead to the main page.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2007 08:20AM by brian1cs.

Maybe this is the link you are looking for
[www.thegardendiet.com]
I know Shannon, I met him on the farmers market in San Diego. Due to his work, he couldn't stay raw, gained weight and so on. But is now back on track and more motivated than ever. He is on a 40 days OJ fast, and doing great.
He is a really nice guy, with a great experience in the peace corps and with MSF in Africa, Afghanistan and so.

Raw Fruit Festival
[www.raw-fruit-festival.net]
Health, Fitness and Fasting Retreats in Spain
[www.fit-in-nature.net]

It's great to hear Shannon is back on raw. He can be a great example for raw body builders. I'm pretty sure he has a couple of tips I can use. One day I'm going to get a hold of him.
It's strange (then again maybe not) how people would leave raw, after doing it for some time, and go back to cooked food then after a while would find themselves back again on the rawpath. It happened to me too.
All my life I suffered from clogged sinuses (like Shannon) and constant breakouts. The acne wasn't terrible but it seems like I was always having a pimple or two most of the time. I had gone to five doctors in my country and none could help. To not being able to breathe properly was to me the worse thing in the world.At nights I had to sleep on two pillows to keep my head up and there were many a night that I didn't sleep more than 2,3 hours. I usually would fall asleep about 3 am when I would be completely exausted. This went on for over 2 decades. I think I managed to live with it because of my strict exercise regimen.
When I came to the USA in 1994 I resolved to fix my sinus problems once and for all. I thought then that American doctors were next to God. I had complete faith in them. They could have told me to drink poison and I would have done it ( a little exaggeration there but that was pretty much the picture). My doctor diagnosed me having a deviated septum and scheduled surgery. I had the surgery and had to breathe through my mouth for about 2 weeks because my nose was bandaged up. Not nice. After the bandage was removed( very painful experience) I, hallelujah, started to breathe better. Lots of junk came out and and the more it came out the more I started breathing better. I was singing the praise of the good doctor who healed me. For the first time in memory I could breathe freely through both nostrils. My happiness was immeasurable. Unfortunately it didn't last. My nose started slowly but surely to clog up again. The reason was simple. I did not change any part of my diet. I ate all the same things that I used to eat before surgery ( meat included). I became desperate. Having tasted freedom (breathing freely from both nostrils) I wanted it back at all cost.
I started to read everything about sinus problems that I could get my hands on. I went to bookstores and libraries and pored over anything that was related to sinuses. I had no computer at that time(11 years ago) and didn't know about the internet.
And then I found Harvey and Marilyn Diamond's Fit for Life! The moment I started reading that book I thought they were talking to me personally. I thought this book was written specially for me. I started crying. Me, a grown man of 33yrs. The years of frustration all seemed to merge into one huge waterfall of tears.
I resolved right away to become a vegan. I followed their advice and only ate fruit in the morning. After 12 noon I ate 50/50 cooked and raw food. On weekends only would I eat all cooked. Within 2/3 days my nose started clearing up. In the weeks after that my breathing became much better but not perfect(the way I wanted it to be). And that was due to the cooked food I still ate. I thought to myself if eating some raw food helped me thus far, how about I eat all raw?
And 10 years ago I went 100% raw for 18 months without having ever heard of any raw food movement or knowing any raw foodist. I don't have Fit For Life anymore and I can't remember if raw food eating as a way of life is mentioned in it but I seem to remember that I started eating this way (100 %) on my own intuition. But if it is mentioned in there then that's where I got it from. Just want to clear that up.
I can't tell you how happy I was. The clear nostrils, clean skin, fresh breath, energy so incredible that I could have loaned some to the local power company,lol.
Unfortunately after a year and a half of the most incredible time in my life I fell off the wagon and went back to cooked food. There were a couple of reasons for that. I had enormous pressure from unsupportive family members to give up this "hippie" lifestyle. I knew no other raw fooders to turn to for moral support. I had no computer and was oblivious to the world of the internet. I started to think that this type of eating was not natural since no one else did it. I never told friends and co workers about the way I ate. I fear they would laugh at me. And after breathing beautifully for so long I started to get complacent and thought maybe I was cured. I remember thinking if I stayed vegan my sinuses won't clog up again. I started to eat cooked food again.
I ate vegan cooked for a decade and my sinuses clogged up again though not as bad as before my surgery. Now at 43yrs I noticed it was getting worse and I decided to play my trump card. The one I had kept in the hidden recesses of my memory knowing I was going to need it again. The one named RAW.
Three months ago I jumped back headlong into it eliminating all cooked and unraw foods. The only thing that kept a hold on me was coffee. But in the last 2 weeks I drank 2 cups only and I hardly feel any need for it now. I never liked to do things halfway and true to form I am aiming for 100% raw 100% of the time. The results that I'm getting are nothing short of miraculous.
Since starting raw again I feel like the prodigal son returning home. I actually feel a little guilty that I abused my body all these years by putting cooked food into it. I am thankful it didn't give up on me but waited patiently as I came staggering through the gate to say "Welcome home, son. All is well now".

Brian

Hope I didn't bore you guys.

Raw Liberates!!!

Great story Brian. Very inspiring. I hope it works out this time.

Gary

Yeah, one more inspiring story. Thanks so much for sharing it. A good read indeed!



This way is not compatible with Zen practice. This way IS Zen practice. - Dr. Doug Graham

Nothing whatsoever should be attached to. - Buddha

Thanks guys.

Brian