So for a few months now, maybe about 5, I've been fascinated in the raw food diet. I would most likely be corrected by raw food advocates who believe it to be more of a lifestyle than a diet. I just can't imagine not having a nice hot shepards pie or living without my beloved 10 mugs of Barrys tea a day.
I hadn't given raw much more thought since trying to go a day without tea once. I didn't make it to 10 am. However, since our heatwave, I have gone back to my vegetarian ways slightly and rekindled my love of green tea. I was slightly worried that when I moved to Cheshire I'd be in the land of a tasty, carb and fat filled pasties and that my hips would be too wide to fit on the plane home for any foreseeable visits. My father is an organic beef farmer and also grows all his own produce for the most amazing fruits and vegetables.He tries in vain to hide how horrified he is when I start tipping the scales.
I was brought up with a fairly good idea about nutrition but I've always have a sweet tooth and my weight tends to fluctuate. When my BMI is over 25, I'm told I look fine. As soon as my BMI is under 25, I'm told I look too thin.I don't, but people are use to me being a big girl I think. I feel best at a size 8-10, so as you can imagine, I don't feel so great at my current size 12. Weight can thankfully be changed though, so I'm planning to have abs of steel by Christmas... I feel it's slightly irrelevant that those abs will be covered by thick woolly jumpers, yes.
So in the past few months since filling up my fat cells, I've tried many horrendous diets. I've seen no results. I tried the Master Cleanse diet once on a week off... Well that was one of the most painful experiences and I didn't lose a pound. Not even one! I tried those 'Secret Diet Drops', I somehow managed without breakfast, chicken and lettuce for lunch and then I didn't follow it exactly because I couldn't survive after 5 pm without some kind of food. I've tried the dukan diet plenty of times but my bowels really don't like it, so neither do I. Needless to say, none of these diets are lifestyle changes or remotely sustainable. The minute you go out for dinner with the girls and munch some carbs, all that water weight comes back... And then some! It's also difficult to physio 8 hours a day, physically assisting patients and rehabbing them without building up a decent appetite. I had a similar appetite when I was a residential sports coach, but at least then I worked 17 hours a day so I didn't really have time to eat.
So anyway, I've digressed. I'm a girl with a decent appetite and I struggle with low calorie or high protein aka bowel blocking diets. I need lots of fruit and veg or I just feel lethargic and heavy. So after a spaghetti bolognese last night, I decided things need to change. No, I actually decided, things are going to change.
Yes, that's right. You guessed it from the title I'm sure. I'm going to raw. I've got herbivore canines and I feel this may well have been my destiny anyway. I was a vegetarian from 11- 17 years of age, as I objected to eat animals. It was a bit interesting living in a house with a beef farmer but I was firmly set in my beliefs. Well, until my anemia was so bad, I decided I really fancied a piece of steak. Anyway, back to the point. I feel that there really could be something to this raw lifestyle. I've read every review I could and they all seem pretty positive. All these people have energy to exercise, they have incredible skin and they're just glowing with health.
So as of tomorrow, I'm going to start a modified raw diet. I know I claimed to go cold cucumber but I don't want to quit just because I've given my body too much of a shock. I'm going to have the odd protein shake and then the rest of my intake will be raw. I'm a little bit scared and a little bit excited.
