Namasté, beautiful soul!
Before I get into the juicy topic of raw living foods in my upcoming articles, it is my utmost concern and wish to share a little bit about my own personal story: How I got into eating more raw foods, how it has transformed mybody-spirit-system, and why it plays such an important role in my life.
Let’s get started with some fun facts! 🙂
~ Facts about me & food ~
- Fully plant-based ~~~since October 2013
- Got into raw foods ~~~ in 2016
- First books I read on raw foods?
- “Raw Food Nutrition Handbook” (Dr. R. and K. Dina)
- “The 80/10/10 Diet” (D. Graham)
- Most favorite food ~~~ tropical fruits
- Most favorite meal ~~~ smoothie bowls or a simple fruit mono meal
- Top 3 favorite fruits ~~~ watermelon, papaya, dragon fruits (flat peaches, mango, berries, etc ;))
- Top 3 favorite vegetables ~~~ zucchini, garden fresh tomatoes, pumpkin
- Smoothie or Juice? ~~~ Both! Especially celery juice and smoothie bowls – yum!
- Ritual before eating? ~~~ Always blessing my food and expressing gratitude!
- What does raw mean to you?
- Aliveness. Vibrancy. Energy. Connection. Unconditional love.
- Why raw?
- Raw foods are light, they nourish my body and keep me energized without any sense of heaviness.
- Raw foods are water rich, they keep me perfectly hydrated.
- Raw foods are the most beautiful, color-rich food on the planet.
- It’s the most natural way of eating that deepens my connection to nature.
- Raw food deepens the connection with my heart and the universe.
~ My journey: How I got into raw foods ~
After eating plant-based whole foods for the past 6,5 years and lots of raw foods for the past 4 years, I can tell that I’ve never felt better and healthier in my physical body, more connected to nature, and at home within myself. Anchored in my being. Of course, health and wellbeing are related to all the energies you consume and surround yourself with, not only food. At the same time, I can confidently say that this way of eating has upgraded my health and spiritual connection – there is no other food that I’d feel more attracted to.
What I further want to point us: The human experience is an individual lifelong journey and I don’t want to convince anyone of “the one and only perfect diet or lifestyle” that fits everyone at all times. I’m a big proponent of bio-individuality. It’s all about truly listening to your unique bodies needs. I will always remain a humble student along my life path. However, I don’t want to miss out sharing my experiences with raw foods, how it has impacted my physical and spiritual wellbeing.
“Let your mind know the truth.
Let your body grow healthy.
Let your heart flow with love.
Let your soul glow in eternity.”
(Anthony Williams)
During my health crisis starting in 2008/09, I was suffering from burnout, severe weight loss, digestive issues, insomnia, dizziness, bone health issues, my hormones were totally out of wack, etc. Back at that time, I found myself completely lost in life, squeezed into a “system” in which I felt alienated. I was desperately trying to survive in my physical reality while my soul was screaming at me, through my body.
In 2013, I transitioned to a vegan lifestyle, out of ecological, ethical, but also health reasons. As you probably know, I studied nutritional science and after my health related rock bottom moment (2010), I’ve been looking for ways of living (including eating habits) that match my values and my body’s energetic frequency. Ways of living that allow me to feel more connected to my authentic Self. I immediately fell in love with eating plants exclusively. Many of the physical as well as mental health issues -that I’ve been carrying from 2010- started to improve. The more I moved towards a whole foods plant based diet, the more connected and sensitive I felt: to my environment, to nature, to myself.
In 2016, I was firstly introduced to the raw food approach and something in me resonated very deeply with the idea of building my “diet” around natural fresh colorful raw fruits and vegetables. I mean, just the bright colors and the life energy that comes through those foods have drawn my full attention and joyfulness to them. I read a few book, watched videos, listened to podcasts, and in the exact same year, I got my Vitamix blender. During the summer of 2016, I started eating fruits as a main meal, had mono meals, smoothies and smoothie bowls – btw: they’re still my most favorite food on the planet.
“Fruit is the wisdom word from god.”
(Anthony William)
During winter times, I incorporated a bit more cooked foods into my diet. However, it was not only the cooked foods, but especially the cold and dark period of the year that has become an increased challenge to me. Spending two weeks in Thailand (January 2017) for a yoga retreat opened a new perspective on life to me: I suddenly found myself surrounded in an abundance of tropical fruits, my most favorite foods on earth. Sweet pineapples, papayas, mangos, dragon fruits, watermelon, jackfruit, etc. All that happened at a time where I usually felt totally disconnected from nature (including myself) back in cold Germany. On top of that, the tropical environment felt like “coming back home” to me. Paradise. My body and soul thrived. From that time on, I continued traveling to Asia every year, to India (Rishkesh, Goa), Thailand, and Bali. I deeply enjoyed …
- the tropical environment in which I could spend all day out in nature,
- the abundance of tropical fruits which mostly match my body’s desires (and frequency).
- Plus, the spiritual growth I’ve experienced in Asia during my yoga TTC’s and meditation TTC has been the most profound times in my entire life.
At the same time, between 2017 and 2019, I was suffering from major digestive issues (once again) as well as hormonal imbalances that received my entire attention. In hindsight, I can say that there was a lot of emotional stuff coming to the surface -manifested in physical symptoms- as I committed myself to the path of personal and spiritual growth, physical and inner healing. My symptoms were partly connected to emotional baggages I did not let go of. Of course, at that time I tried every way of eating and healing technique under the sun, cleanses, etc to relief myself from the physical symptoms. At the end, my heart always led me back to raw foods which have been -in combination with my spiritual practices and the support of naturopaths- the most powerful tool. It wasn’t until a few months ago that my symptoms started to improve radically, and once again: raw foods and my spiritual practices have been my greatest medicine.
~ Conclusion: My connection with raw foods ~
Along my spiritual journey, I’ve been connecting deeper into my heart space. I’ve been learning to listen what my heart says. The truth it wants me to guides towards, in every single aspect of life, also when it comes to food. I believe that your body and soul knows very well which food is best for you in any given moment. Every cell of my body gets intrigued by the idea of being nourished through fresh fruits and vegetables. It is the way of eating that I feel mostly drawn to, that makes me feel my highest Self, deeply connected to my body and soul. That is why I choose to eat mainly raw living foods… It is not about a label or eating 100 % raw. It is about coming into alignment with your unique body and your soul.
“Eating well is one of the easiest ways to love yourself.”
(Roxana Jones)
To sum it up: For me personally, eating raw foods has had a major impact on my physical as well as spiritual wellbeing, and it has become a big passion of mine. I’m currently attending a raw food nutritionist diploma course, and would absolutely love to share more about this way of living with you!
“Your body is a holy temple of the Holy Spirit within you.
Take good care of it with all the love & nourishment it deserves.
Remember: You were only gifted with one.”
What’s your take on raw foods? What way of eating appeals mostly to you? Feel free to leave me a comment down below or send me a PM. Looking deeply forward to hearing from you!
Sending you all the LOVE in the universe, my friend!
Namasté,
yours Isabel!
