Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

Ever since I lost weight, my mission has always been about health. I studied nutritional studies online, read many books by Dr. Greger, Dr. Fuhrman, and Dr. Campbell, among others. Each author mentioned had a big impact on the healthy way I eat today and all deserve credit in helping me lose and keep off 150 pounds.

My obsession with nutrition has made me contemplate going back to school to study nutrition. I'm not sure I want to do this as I know I won't agree with some of the nutrition courses as many of them more than likely won't acknowledge the benefits of a plant based diet. I'm sure that some of them will be biased toward animal products. I don't want to make such an investment if I don't think I'll get much out of it.

I eat clean and have been whole food plant based for over 18 months now. I feel great, have lots of energy, etc. So what would I want to do a 7 day detox reset for?

I love a challenge and when Ian Myers mentioned the raw food 7 day reset when he interviewed me, I thought why not? I kept hearing from others how great they felt doing the challenge. Plus, I thought maybe it could help tighten my abs a little further.

There is no shortage of protein when eating completely raw. I find that aside from the energy I have, I'm able to workout just as hard as I have been, maybe even a little better!

The protein myths are still out there. Somebody asked me today about the protein, especially after being raw. Come on, where do you think animals get their protein from? Yes, when someone is plant based, they have to constantly defend or educate others on healthy eating.

In less than two days, I will start the 7 day raw food challenge with my friend Ian Myers, who is hosting a Facebook group with instructions of what food to eat. I'm looking forward to it as I enjoy challenges and I know many people have told me how great they feel afterwards.

But the real reason to try raw? I keep trying different things to tighten my abs after weight loss. I would never do surgery to remove the skin, so the only options are to eat clean, keep on working out and hope that in time, my abs get better.

The one common thing everyone who's plant based or vegan will hear is "do you even eat fish (or eggs, or chicken, or whatever other animal product people perceive as harmless)".

Why is it so hard for people to accept that plant based means no animal products?

Despite all the evidence showing that animal products can lead to heart disease and other diseases, most people act like we are depriving our bodies of some valuable nutrient. The idea of not even incorporating certain foods shows how misunderstood this diet can be.