I have kind of backed into this latest lifestyle change, in which I am transitioning to a raw food, vegan diet. I started trying to lose weight early last fall and it sure took a while before seeing any results. I reduced sugars and cut the carbs, didn’t eat desserts and cut out the junk food in favor of carrot and celery sticks. I had lots and lots of exercise and fresh air. Still, it wasn’t until I stopped eating wheat and baked goods that people started commenting on my appearance. So I kept watching what I was eating and listening to what Dr. Oz and folks like my friend Chris were saying. Little by little I cut out one thing after another from my diet until I decided to go this final step in living healthily.
The raw food vegan diet is pretty intense, I have to say, though. I’ve been plain old lacto-ovo vegetarian in the past and that was a breeze compared to this. That was just a matter of not eating animals but practically everything else in the kitchen stayed the same. This is a wholesale makeover, but even during this transitional period I can feel the health benefits.
One of the downsides however, is that it throws out a lot of fun recipes, many of which I really enjoyed making over the years. I’ve always been comfortable in the kitchen and to think that I won’t be making Paella or Boeuf Bourguignon is a little sad. Barbecues and grills are off the menu, and now I have only the memory of pulled pork poutine for comfort. Less mourned, but noted in passing is a good-bye to macaroni and cheese. There is no brick oven pizza in my future. Still, I am looking forward to firing up the brand new Cuisinart tomorrow and learning a whole new way of food preparation. Bon Appétit!
