Jittery from caffeine withdrawal and bread cravings, I started snapping at people and having trouble sleeping.
Goodbye pizza, bagels and huge pasta dinners.
Hello, fresh, enzyme-rich, uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes.
You know, until recently, I didn’t even know what a legume was. But the raw food lifestyle has been credited for giving people more energy, reversing illnesses and helping people drop weight, so when the buzz started about last weekend’s SimplyRaw Festival, I decided to do my body a favour and give it a shot.
So how did I feel? Miserable. But only at the beginning.
The first few days of my raw food diet were pretty scary as I cut out my morning coffee and replaced afternoon candy with mixed nuts. Tired and jittery from caffeine withdrawal and bread cravings, I started snapping at people and having trouble sleeping.
When people first transition into the lifestyle, finding a groove is the challenge, said Natasha Kyssa, who pioneered the raw movement in Ottawa and has lived as a raw vegan for 16 years.
“Depending on how processed your diet is, you’ll be experiencing flu-like symptoms – fatigue, irritability and muscle soreness. You might feel discomfort. Gas is a common one. You might feel bloated.”
Thanks to the growth of the raw food movement here — Kyssa estimates that 2,000 people in the city (and counting) incorporate at least some of the raw lifestyle — it’s easier to do than ever.
“You can get a salad anywhere,” said Kyssa. “And I always make sure that I have an apple or a piece of fruit or a smoothie with me.”
The next few days were hard, too. I put fruit in the blender (no milk, no yoghurt) for a breakfast “smoothie”, ate apples and pears for snacks, a huge salad at lunch and (room temperature) spinach soup for dinner. But my stomach rumbled all day.
A lot of people starting the raw food lifestyle aren’t doing it properly, said Kyssa.
“Most people overdo nuts and aren’t getting enough greens,” she said. “It’s hard to get the balance right.”
Over time, Kyssa proved correct — I did feel better.
“You’re getting all the enzymes, which aids digestion,” she said. “The weight just comes off naturally. Your blood pressure goes down, your skin softens.
“Everyone can benefit from increasing raw foods into the diet. I’ve seen amazing transformations.”
Kyssa is living proof. She’s 47-years-old, but looks 10 years younger.
But is it worth it? As much as I would love to tap the fountain of youth, I also happen to believe that life’s not worth living without an enormous burger and sushi every so often. But like any lifestyle change, it takes time.
“We’ve been toxifying our bodies for a lifetime and we can’t expect instant results,” Kyssa said.
