I absolutely, and I do mean absolutely, enjoy my life as a plant-based vegan. This journey has opened the door for me to discover so much about food, health and ME! (It is always great when you can discover more about yourself, right?!?) For me this transition was never about anything superficial, it has always been about becoming my best self – YES, even through food. What we eat affects us on so many levels and as we realize this, what we choose to expose ourselves to will begin to change – on a physical, spiritual, emotional and relational level. As I reflect, it is amazing to me how that one decision has changed my life. Even helping me to overstand why changing what and how we eat can be such a challenge for so many.
But who would I be if I did not continue to challenge myself? I mean, after all I am Khadijah RBz, right lol. I love a good challenge (sarcasm). In researching and trying to determine the best foods for my melaninated body, I have been confronted with my assumption of what healthy and unhealthy looks like. I have discovered the importance of certain FRUIT and veggies for optimum functionality and that life is all around us even in the food we eat. With that said I have decided to enhance my lifestyle to raw-food vegan (75 / 25).
What does a raw-food vegan (75 / 25) look like?
Well, like ME! LOL
Seriously, there are many explanations regarding a raw-food vegan and you all know I do not like to get caught up in all the minutia but I do want you to have a basic understanding of what this change looks like.
So a raw food diet is described as follows by AuthorityNutrition.com:
The raw food diet is composed of mostly or completely raw and unprocessed foods. A food is considered raw if it has never been heated over 104–118°F (40–48°C). It should also not be refined, pasteurized, treated with pesticides or otherwise processed in any way. Similar to veganism, the raw food diet is usually plant-based, being made up mostly of fruits, vegetables, and seeds. Additionally, taking supplements is typically discouraged on the raw food diet. Proponents often claim that the diet will give you all the nutrients you need.
I am excited about this. I look forward to tweaking this to fit our new life, while keeping in mind that my family and I love soups, stews, rice and beans so we will have those meals on occasion. In addition, there are also some supplements that I will continue to take, hence why I reference 75 / 25.
This lifestyle, I believe, will fit right in as we transition to Central America. The accessibility of FRESH fruit and veggies is really high and the cost is much cheaper than in the states. I look forward to sharing with you how we are living RAW and abroad!
Stay tuned, ya girl needs to go meditate ?