I Follow God’s Raw Food and Avoid Sickness, Discomfort, and Pain

I tried not to whiff the roasted garlic and especially not to gaze at the darkened-green limp things in my friend’s leftover lunch. I’d like a bite. I could almost—but not quite— taste that grilled asparagus: a favorite of mine since becoming a non-meat eater. However, looking at the life gone out of that once health-promoting veggie, turned my tongue quite contentedly to my tasty green smoothie and convinced me once again of the truth: Tastes change when you change your diet.

I ended 2007 seriously considering relaxing the 85% raw vegan diet I had adopted numerous years before to improve on the diet a doctor gave me for hypoglycemia. After all, special food was an inconvenience and an offense to many people. Didn’t I want to promote Christ more than draw attention to my eating habits? Couldn’t the Lord sustain my health if I put seeking His Kingdom above all else? Yes. And yes.

At any rate, I attended the opening of a health center. I scooted into the last seat just as a perky little brunette with a slippery accent began her fascinating speech. Instead of loosening my standards, I left with all Tonya Zavasta’s books, some products and a new resolve: Go all raw. What a shocker.

For years, the Lord had given me the discipline to be able to adhere to a strictly vegan-eating program including 25% cooked foods. I progressed from a pained, fatigued emotional wreck, ready to end my marriage (or life), to such an example of vibrancy that the owner of the gym where I teach gymnastics said he hoped he could look half as good when he was 48. I thought clearly, was no longer depressed, and, therefore, the Lord was able to mend my marriage. However, it didn’t touch the joint pain as I had hoped. That increased over the years.

Once, my husband and I attended an all-raw Valentine dinner. I asked a chef, “What’s so special about your raw diet?” He said he just felt so good. Since I had eliminated so many foods—with tears—from my menu already, I couldn’t begin to conceive of giving up my honey-mustard baked potatoes and the hearty hot soups I had finally learned to concoct. So I didn’t. But nothing relieved my joint pain without fasting or supplements, nor the hot flashes that continued years after “womenpause” whenever I wasn’t using progesterone cream.

Five months of green smoothies and raw recipes since that cutesy Russian lady encouraged, “Maybe you should try all raw”, and everyone else at the gym was sharing stomach flu, I, atypically abstained. Hot flashes? What are they? Joint pain? Amazingly, I can do a back handspring again after decades, lightly assisted, at age 59, with no pain! Potatoes aren’t so enticing now.

My family doubts, but I avoid sickness, discomfort, and pain when I follow God’s raw.