I immediately picked up on the dangers of processed sugar and salt and began cutting those out of my diet but it wasn't easy as most processed foods contained hidden amounts of these and other chemicals. I worked as a courier, and the pain in my joints did improve somewhat but not entirely. I also avoided meat and dairy as these are heavily processed foods but my biggest challenge was bread or white flour products which is responsible for so many diseases. I went to whole grains, even making my own bread, but discovered that in the end that nearly ALL grain was deleterious to health.

The vegetarian and vegan lifestyles are normal and necessary steps to one's transition to optimal health, but they are not enough, and it is possible to still have poor health as such. What really did it for me was when I went raw and discovered that the cooking process changed my food at its most fundamental level making it almost useless and cumbersome to the body. Your body is basically the same now as it was thousands of years ago and does not recognize cooked or heated food, taking much longer to process it. This is why we get fat or bloated and sick or diseased.

Raw fresh organic food such as fruits, nuts, berries, seeds, herbs, plants, and certain vegetables are easily recognized and processed by the body so that no rot, backlog, or constipation occurs. They are quickly broken down, utilized, and expelled in a matter of hours, which is why you can eat as much as you want on such a diet and never gain much weight. The quick elimination process is less taxing on the body's energies making you less tired or sleepy and more active, productive, and positive, and less likely to succumb to sickness or disease. It actually lengthens your life and keeps you younger, more alert, and more physically attractive.

Contrary to what we've been taught, it's not the solid food itself that we benefit from, but the life or solar force within it, which combines with our own. The rest is for taste, pleasure, stimulation, and that sense of "fullness" we seek(we are very empty and insecure souls). So most food ends up in the toilet except fot its finest elements which we integrate with our own. One day we will bypass this indirect form of nourishment and get everything we need directly from the Sun itself.

I went raw on and off for the last ten years or so but did not make it permanent until around six months ago when the pain from an old hip injury became unbearable. Injuries and other weak areas of the body are the first places where pain or inflammation makes itself felt and your diet has everything to do with how much pain you will feel. I remember having the same pain before and that it dissappeared after going raw so I set out to avoid all cooking again and sure enough the pain and inflammation subsided dramatically -within a day or two. That was it! I could no longer continue eating cooked or heated foods. I tried steaming on and off, but even that gave negative results.

The only cooking your food should be subjected to is from the heat of the Sun. The Sun rarely goes beyond 120 degrees Farenheight so this is more or less the limit raw fooders have set when it comes to heating or drying their foods in any other way. Anything hotter will start to destroy the nutrients in the food and chase out the life force therein(the sweet aroma you smell when cooking is the life force escaping). What you're left with is largely dead rotting food whose composition has been changed drastically rendering it harmful to the body(and the soul). But we spice and sweeten it and it all tastes good just the same.

Cooked food is extremely addictive! Sugar is as as bad or worse than some of the hard drugs out there, and humanity as whole is a drugged up and addicted species! Unfortunately our leaders are not telling us this. Instead they are profiting from our miseries by finding new ways to make food even more addictive! There is a lot of money in this, and so long as money remains our God, there is little way out of it. Just like a drug addict trying to go clean, getting off of cooked or processed food will probably be the hardest thing you will ever do in your life. Yet, you must do so if you truly want to regenerate and become free. Start by educating yourself and taking small steps. You cannot do it over night or even in a few weeks(very rare). It takes months and years in most cases. The more subtle the process, the more successful and permanent it will be.

I have found that your relationships can be an even bigger obstacle than the food itself, especially if you're surrounded by the wrong people. Unless you have a very understanding mate or family or friends, they will discourage your efforts. This is because most of us are still brainwashed into a consumeristic lifestyle -especially here in the West, and particularly in America, but thanks to the internet and some brave souls, more and more people are coming around. Unless you have a will of steel, it's important to have some support. Join up with other raw fooders or post your own blog.

In my case it took five to six months to completely get over my cravings for cooked or processed food and totally delight in raw foods. The first few days and weeks were the hardest of course, but thanks to persistence and previous efforts, I succeeded, and it became really easy after the fifth month. I got to love my raw salads and smoothies. The old food draws are still there(they never really die) but they've been put to sleep. That's the thing about cravings or desires -they can fade or weaken but never really die (or can they?). It's very easy to get back into them, and once you do, the cycle repeats itself(as any rehabilitated drug addict will tell you). That's why it's important to know why you're overcoming your bad habits and what the rewards will be. Then you'll be able to overcome the smell of that baked good or pizza. Set some realistic and positive goals for yourself and stick to them, and don't beat yourself if you backslide evey now and then -it's all part of the process.

What are some of the benefits of a raw vegan organic lifestyle? Mainly, you'll feel and look better, think and intuit more clearly, and be a blessing to both animals and the planet. You'll basically rarely get sick or depressed and have lots of energy and optimism and more purpose in life. You won't stink or smell or be rude and aggressive and people will look up to you for wisdom and leadership. You'll slow down the aging process considerably(only breatharianism reverses it) and may well live past 100. You'll continue to learn and refine your diet and incorporate fasting and other spiritual disciplines.

You can still have sex on a raw diet but it won't be the overriding need it once was under a processed diet(you'll have more control). For females, some of the great benefits of a raw diet is a greatly reduced menstrual flow and an almost painless birth delivery. For males there is an increase in testosterone or virility and less likelihood of either balding or hair overgrowth. For both sexes there will be greater hormonal balance and therefore less male/female division or conflict.

You will lose a lot of weight at first but that's the body cleaning or rebuilding itself, and eventually you will normalize at an ideal weight. It's important to stay both active and get plenty of rest at the same time while you're transitioning. The exercise or activity breaks down old food cells and the rest helps to rebuild new ones. If you are infirmed or on medication you will need some supervision or expert guidance. You will find, however, that as you make the switch to a natural diet, the need for your medication naturally reduces or is eliminated altogether.

Most people will not want to give up their meats and pastries and that is their affair, but for those who are willing to better themselves and their health, the raw food diet is the way to go. How can you live on just fruits and vegetables, most ask? This reveals the ignorance and degeneration to which our society has fallen. The truth is that you can adjust yourself to almost any diet. It's all habit and custom. Your body is even capable of adjusting to one food type alone if necessary, but it is also true that some foods are better than others in terms of assimilation. Fruits are at the top of the list followed by berries, herbs, nuts, roots, grasses, vegetables, legumes, and finally dairy or meat products. In short, the more watery the food, the better.

Most children will naturally gravitate towards fruitarian or vegetarian diets and this should be encouraged as early habits stay with you the longest. Pregnant mothers who eat well attract better and healthier souls to this planet. Fruits come in an incredible variety of colors and tastes so that it is impossible to tire of them. We need to resensitize our taste buds and stop spraying or modifying or destroying this diversity. A fruit salad is a celebration of life and should be enjoyed by everyone. While smoothies and juices are not entirely natural, as they must be broken down or squeezed mechanically, they are the next best thing, especially for the sickly, elderly ot those without teeth. Smoothies are fresh, nutritious, and delicious.

Salads are more wholesome and therefore more life-giving and there are a infinite manner of preparing them. Greens usually form the base along with sliced tomatoes and popular fruits like mangoes, kiwi, olives, sweet peppers, and avocadoes. Seasoning is optional and can include oils, natural salts, and spices, although I would be careful with any processed oil. The simpler the better, and as you progress, you will find that mono meals(one variety of fruit at a time) will yield better results in terms of your health or well being.

In my own case, after six months raw, I still alternate evenly between both salads and smoothies, occasionally emphasizing one or the other, but never completely abandoning either. I haven't really gotten into juicing yet but that could come later. I also briefly went mono on whole fruits, but only briefly. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come. It's difficult for me to go on smoothies alone. After a while, the need to bite into something solid takes hold. After all, God gave us teeth so we can eat or at least have that option -and not just for looks or smiling. Similarily, I couldn't stay long on salads alone without returning to fruits or smoothies. I guess balance and/or diversity are important to me. Also at around five months and a half, my hip pain has completely dissapeared(except when I put a lot of pressure on it, and even then it feels more like strain rather than pain).

It is very difficult, if not impossible to get fat on raw fruits and salads, so you can eat all you want(if you can afford it). Yes, buying organic can be expensive, but some foods like avocados, mangos, and onion or brocoli are not as heavily sprayed(there is a list on the internet) and so are relatively safe to buy inorganic -just make sure to wash and/or peel them. Buying in bulk and refrigerating your food will save you money in the long run. Also, buying local at a market rather than grocery store will ensure better produce. Growing your own fruits and veggies is of course best.