A sugar addict attempts to takes on the raw food craze

The last straw was when I caught myself eating five candy bars two days in a row. That’s when I flashed back to getting a smoothie at a health food restaurant a few weeks ago. While I waited for my smoothie, I had picked up a book from their display. The book promised more energy through a diet of only raw foods. Reading this inspired me, but at the time I thought I wouldn’t have the motivation to stick with it. But after the shame spiral brought on by the sugar high, I had the drive necessary to begin the diet.

The official guidelines of a raw food diet are that food cannot be cooked at a temperature higher than 115° F. This allows you to warm up your food to a degree that does not kill important enzymes. According to Cathy Wong, an alternative health expert, a deficiency of enzymes from food can cause digestive problems and weight gain, over time. This rule eliminated a lot my favorite foods, including cooked meat, rice, milk and yogurt. Some raw foodists choose to eat raw meat as a source of protein, however consuming uncooked meat comes with a high risk of disease.

The main sources of energy are fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains.

At first, the diet went really well. I found recipes to make salads, smoothies and wraps online. I noted that my sugar cravings had lessened, after just two days. One downside that I noticed was how much extra time and money I was spending on buying and preparing my meals. As a high school student with a heavy workload, this quickly became problematic.

As I reached Day 3 of my diet, I began to slip. It was the weekend — by that I mean Friday at 5 p.m. — when I first caved. I was eating with my friends and I didn’t want to impose on them and their families, so I became more lenient with the diet. This turned into a decision to take the whole rest of the day off. If I was going to break the diet once, I might as well just take the day off, right?

Two bags of candy and one bowl of ice cream later, I was pretty disappointed with myself. I had only lasted two days. I tried to restart the diet the next day, but I no longer had the motivation that I had started with. I went to Red Robin with my friends and while normally I’d order a double cheeseburger and milkshake, the only raw option on the menu was a sad Caesar salad. Then I relapsed a few more times on candy over the next few days, until eventually giving up.

One of the hardest parts of the diet was trying to find enough protein and hearty foods to eat. With a diet of mainly fruits and vegetables, I had to get creative with my meals. I added protein powder to my smoothies and mixed almond butter into some foods, however I never felt completely satisfied and full.

With a lot of motivation, time and money, this diet might be possible. But personally, I couldn’t stick with it enough to receive the full benefits. Although I couldn’t keep up the diet, I believe I have a greater consciousness of what I’m eating. Lately I have found myself picking up an apple instead of reverting back to old habits of consuming large amounts of candy.

By: Annie Cohen