High Raw or Raw High?

People like to label things and raw foodists are no different. There's a label right there: raw foodist. How do you get to be one of those? Purists would say you must consume only raw, living foods not heated above 118 degrees. Do that, and you're 100% raw. Or perhaps you're high raw, eating primarily a plant-based diet but still consuming some cooked foods. Are you vegan? Vegetarian? Do you eat 80-10-10 or 811rv?

It can make your head spin.

Me? I consume only fresh juice and fruit before noon and eat only raw foods prior to dinner, at which time I may have some cooked food including fish (gasp!), but I always eat my raw foods first. I average between 85-90% raw each day, so I guess that makes me high raw.

But what I really want to talk about is the raw high I've been experiencing. Dare I say, euphoria?

Listen, if you ever even suggested to me that I might some day feel this way, I would think you were one step away from the loony bin. In fact, a few years back, I had a psychic tell me that she read my Akashic Records and saw that if I ate a diet of primarily fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, my body would thrive, find its natural weight and any and all physical ailments would vanish. Live on fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds? Right. I thought she was wackydoodle and dismissed everything she said to me.

And so, I continued on the road I was on. Burgers, fries and milkshakes were my three food groups. Grumpy, Dopey and Sneezey were my constant companions. I was obese, depressed, constantly exhausted, suffered from chronic edema, allergies, heartburn, and a slew of aches and pains.

Imagine what it's like walking around all day, every day, with a 20 pound backpack strapped on, 10 pound ankle weights on each leg, and carrying a 5 pound jug of water in each arm. Hard work. Exhausting.

Now imagine what it feels like when you remove that extra 50 pounds you've been carrying around with you everywhere you go.

FREEDOM. Woo Hoo! Happyhappy, joyjoy.

That's what I experienced yesterday. It was a picture perfect autumn day. Blue skies and 68 degrees. I set off on a short hike with my Siberian Husky, Maya...

And, here's what I began noticing: I didn't feel winded, short of breath. My heart wasn't racing. My back wasn't aching. My feet weren't throbbing. I wasn't sweating like a pig. Hmmmm, that's weird.

So. I kept going...and going...and going...and going...

Ohmygosh, we hiked for over two hours. Up hills, down hills. We even ran. Not a long distance, mind you, but we ran.

Raw high: what you experience after flooding your body with live enzymes and awakening from a food-induced stupor.

Raw high: beats a sugar high, hands down.

Raw high: feeling vibrant and ALIVE.

Raw high: now available at your local farmer's market.