My niece Ashley sent me a text this morning, alerting me to the fact that November is World Vegan Month. I was delighted, and grateful for her heads up. I looked up info and discovered that today starts the month long awareness of the vegan lifestyle with World Vegan Day.
World Vegan Day is an annual event first established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom. Her intention was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organization and the coining of the terms “vegan” and “veganism”. To clarify, vegetarians abstain from eating meat. Vegans choose not to eat any animal products, eliminating eggs, dairy, fish and seafood products as well.
Adhering to Anthony William’s teachings, I also avoid sugar, gluten, soy, and corn. I’m not sure what I am called. Some would use the term “strange” to describe me! I prefer plant based.
My breakfast every morning…I just vary the fruit combo.
I’ve shared much info during the last three plus months, as I entered into a healing journey that includes a plant based diet. So to celebrate my journey, and World Vegan Day, I invited questions or concerns about a plant based lifestyle.
My friend Ronda asked a great question through Facebook. She asked:
“Are you on a raw diet, or do you cook the food you are eating?”
I began my new way of eating with a 28 Day Healing Cleanse, as suggested in Anthony’s book, Medical Medium. During those four weeks I ate raw fruits and vegetables and eliminated everything else. The cleanse does just that, it cleanses the body and major organs of heavy metals, toxins, fat in and around the liver, pesticides and chemicals from processed foods.
After 28 days, I introduced cooked veggies, cashews and brown rice into my diet. On a daily basis, I eat approximately 50% raw foods and 50% cooked. I begin every day “raw”, drinking a glass of celery juice followed by a fruit smoothie. Lunches are either raw veggies or a salad, or a lunch bowl that includes a mix of cooked and raw food. Dinner is mostly cooked and may include brown rice, a sweet potato and mixed cooked or raw veggies. Snacks include raw pieces of fruit, raw veggies, cashews or dates.
A typical lunch with raw veggies and homemade “ranch” dressing made from unsalted cashews.
A typical dinner with stir-fried veggies, brown rice and raw cherry tomatoes.
It is very doable to adopt a raw vegan lifestyle. On the social media site Instagram, there are wonderfully supportive people who have embraced plant based lifestyles. It encourages me to journey with each of them, reading their stories, learning how they have healed from a multitude of diseases and disorders. We share recipes and good days and challenging days. Check out the Instagram pages of jonny_juicer and fullyrawkristina to “meet” two beautiful souls who practice healthy raw vegan lifestyles.
Some days, I feel drawn to consume raw fruits primarily. Other days roasted seasoned potato wedges appeal to me, served up with homemade marinara sauce. I am learning to listen to my body and eat accordingly. In three months, my body has not craved sweets, bread, meat or dairy products.
This is a shift I have willingly and wholeheartedly adopted, for health, vitality and simplicity. It’s not a temporary diet. It truly is a lifestyle. I am not trying to convince anyone that they have to switch to a plant based diet. People will do what they want to do, until they have a strong enough reason to do otherwise.
What I am doing is living my life and sharing my own journey, and if someone is intrigued or wants help, I am here, willing to walk alongside.
