Raw Food Before and After - Victoria Arnstein

Victoria Arnstein's Raw Food Before and After story is one that many of us can relate to. She didn't just start eating raw food one day and solve all her issues. She had her fair share of struggles along the way, struggles with her thoughts and beliefs and struggles with forging her own unique path towards her personal goals.

She has succeeded wonderfully and continues to blaze her own unique trail with total authenticity. Not only is she a mother to three beautiful children and wife to super successful elite athlete Michael Arnstein, but she is also a power woman of note, a marathoner, ultra marathoner and all round inspiration to women around the world.

Victoria shared her awesome raw food before and after story with Loving-It-Raw in January 2011.

This is her raw food before and after story in her own words.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story 

My name is Victoria Arnstein and I grew up in a traditional Jewish home with 4 siblings and very loving parents. I grew up eating meat and the SAD (Standard American) diet. I loved bread and white rice and pretzels.

I am now 40 years old and married to Michael Arnstein aka The fruitarian and we have 3 kids together: 1 boy and 2 girls ranging from 10- to 5 yrs old. We live right outside of New York City in Westchester.

I am approaching 41 years old. I used to be in sales and now I am a stay-at-home mom who loves to train for marathons and ultra marathons.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Growing Up

I wish I had known about vegetarianism as a kid, but sadly my parents didn't even know about it when I was growing up. I think my favorite food was lamb chops and pizza...and loaded with MSG...I have had a struggle with salt ever since I was a child. It was all given to me with love.

I first heard the term Vegetarian when my uncle married a woman who said she was one. It was a strange thing to me when I was 14 years old.

I didn't really understand about health until my father died after undergoing an emergency quadruple bypass surgery in Arkansas. He was only 56 years young. He never drank or smoked and he ran 7 miles every morning for years.

It was a big wake up call about meat. I soon slowed down my meat consumption. I used to think high protein diets of animal fat were optimal. Then I came across a program called the Infinite Voyage and it showed what meat did to a person. I was truly amazed (I was 21 at the time) and limited my meat consumption after that.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Pregnancy

It wasn't until about 7 years later when I met my husband Michael and he told me he was a vegetarian and mostly vegan that I started to learn more.

I still didn't become a vegan but I liked that he was clear about his convictions.

When I was pregnant with our first child Michael requested that I become vegan for the remainder of the pregnancy and I tried, but I still ate some meat without him knowing..(lol, I guess, after reading this he will know!).

I then had baby #2 a year later and he asked the same from me, but I felt very pressured and I snuck it on the side only because I felt as though he was controlling me and what I ate. I became a bit defiant in that regard.

After baby # 2 my weight became out of control. My mother-in-law said I should load up on protein and she would get me meat to stir fry almost every night.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Weight Gain

I blew up to a whopping 152 lbs and I am only 5'0"...A few months of that and Michael and I went to Arizona on a business trip with 2 babies in tow.

We all had fevers of 104 F..It was dangerous and scary. It lasted a few days and I was a total mess. I missed my brother's wedding and could not eat at all.

Michael looked at me as I was walking in front of him and said: "Wow, Vicky, you lost weight, the future looks bright!"

As shallow as it sounds, it was what compelled me to look further into health. I discovered that all white products were bad and brown was the way to go. So I started to lose weight by changing from white to brown rice etc.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Dr Fuhrman and Fasting

I began seeking more and more books on becoming healthy and slim.

Michael and I went to see Dr Joel Fuhrman for orthotics and I noticed in the waiting room that he had books on health and even one called "Fasting For Health."

Fasting???? for 21 days or more???? Was he insane????

So I asked him about the whole wheat thing and he said it was not even necessary to have wholewheat or any wheat for that matter.

I was floored. I began to read and gobble up his books and even stayed in touch with him. I bought many signed copies of his books and gave them away as gifts.

I fasted for 2 days at a time and sometimes 3-4.

I found myself a vegan for at least 6 months. I felt and looked better than I had in years. I was so grateful to have that knowledge. It was priceless.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - "I toyed with the idea of fruit diets when I was in my late teens but I never knew it was healthy. I would do it to lose weight from Mon-Fri."

I did feel good eating that way though, but I didn't really pay attention back then because it was all about keeping thin at that time.

But seeing that it was actually a good thing to eat copious amounts of fruit like Dr. Fuhrman had suggested was liberating.

No counting calories and lose weight in the process? Awesome!!!

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Struggling with Veganism

Sadly, I gave into a slice of pizza and the struggle to go back to veganism was very, very tough. Around my kids, I gave into the whole eat anything I wanted as long as it was in moderation.

Only the weight came back on and I was a yo-yo for over a decade. I knew that being a vegan was a good thing to do, but I struggled with it.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - A Raw Food Diet

I then discovered a book called 'The Sunfood Diet' by David Wolfe..It woke me up about living foods and I saw some random articles in some papers about raw food restaurants opening all over the West Coast..I just thought it was ridiculous!!!

I didn't think it was sustainable at all for a New Yorker.

Michael tried it and was eating avocados like there was no tomorrow and he was actually gaining weight and not feeling good.

Michael and I frequented vegan restaurants and I was getting quite bored with them. I then realized I was still struggling with animal products like eggs, pizza with cheese and even meat or chicken occasionally...mostly because Michael didn't want me to have any, so I felt like I was being controlled again.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - 'The Best Diet In The World'

One day about 5 years ago I typed into the computer: "The Best Diet in The World"

I landed on Roger Haeske's website and started to get every raw book imaginable. I experimented with all the raw gourmet recipes. Salt and fat were keeping me going and I was happy, but not losing any weight at all..it was strange!

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Dr Douglas Graham and The 80/10/10 Diet

Then miraculously I heard an interview between Dr. Douglas Graham and Roger Haeske and I couldn't help but say to myself, "Wow, this guy makes perfect sense, but now I have to give up the fat and the salt and still stay raw?????"

I wanted to know more, so I purchased his book called The 80/10/10 Diet and a few days later I received it in the mail right before Michael and I were to get on a plane and go and run the Nappa Valley Marathon.

I had had the flu a few days before going to the marathon and I didn't do that well and walked a lot of it.

I carried a lot of medjool dates with me but I was cramping midway in my run....Michael came in 3rd overall and was waiting for me in the hot sun. We both had massages and facials as a treat post race.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Simple Recipes

That night I started reading the 80/10/10 book and I started reading some recipes out loud in our room.

Michael usually hates it when I read things to him, especially things on health because he always says he knows it all.

But I just laughed out loud when I saw the simple recipes of The 80/10/10 diet plan.

It was: "Blueberries, enjoy!!!"

Was he joking??? I mean I really thought it was a misprint! Enjoy? Why is this a recipe?????

Michael and I were cracking up and laughing so hard.

The next day I proceeded to read the book on the plane ride home.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Michael becomes interested in 80/10/10

Michael's interest was peaked and he started looking over my shoulder. I said: "Hey, get your own book" and that is what he did as soon as we got home.

Michael and I both came down with the flu and fever and Michael had his book and highlighted every page and was so deeply into it.

I was into it too since we were both home together as sickies and we needed to feel better quickly. That flu was 10 days long, fevers every other hour.

Below: Victoria with her husband Michael.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Michael Instantly Converts to 80/10/10

Michael declared that from then on, he was going to follow the 811 plan and see how far he could get!!

He is now a living example of how far you can go on the 811 plan.

Michael became an elite athlete after starting this plan. It's been about 4 years now and counting.

I struggled for a while and then started to take things out of my diet one at a time.

First it was dairy and then meat and then eggs.

This helped me in a big way, I declared myself a vegan since July 2010 after eating a piece of meat at my mom's and not liking it like I once did. I was more attracted to the salads on the table. I also saw the movie 'Fast Food Nation' a few nights later and then made my decision to never have animal products again!!

I was finally free, or was I?

I struggled with salt in a big way, and now that I have come off of a 21 day fast of only water, I finally got rid of my addiction to salt and oil that plagued me for decades.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Happily Fruitarian

I am so grateful and proud to now say that I am 100% fruitarian like my husband Michael and I plan to become a fruit chaser and fruit hunter and go where the best fruit in the world grows.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Hawaii Here We come!

We're thinking about moving to Hawaii to support our lifestyle! I can't think of a better and more rewarding way to live than to put the best foods inside your body.

Since I broke my fast 8 days ago, I have had a new outlook about food and what the body goes through eating certain foods.

During my fast I was surprised to have a bowel movement every day for 21 days and sometimes 2x per day!!!

That was a big wake up call for me. I also only craved hydrating fruits, and nothing cooked or salty at all. I was amazed at this.

I now taste fruit better than I did before. I love papayas, where I used to hate them. It is amazing how much you can grow from a 21 day fast.

Even a 3 day fast has benefits in fighting addictions.

I say every creature on the planet should do a fast at one time or another in their lifetime. It works and it is the best way for your body to have the energy to heal from so many toxins!

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Getting Rid of the last 20 Pounds

I could not lose that last 20 lbs and I am a marathoner and an ultra marathoner and I ate fruit most of the day.

It was because I was so toxic. All of those toxins from anti-perspirants and toxic foods over the years were trapped in my deep tissue and fat cells.

They needed a cleaning and a fast of only water was the way to do it.

I am so grateful for all the research I have done over the years. I no longer feel fearful about long term fasting and I imagine I will fast again in future.

While eating cooked foods I was a 4:54 marathoner.

I started to incorporate more fruits and veggies and then I became a 4:28 marathoner. Then even more fruit and a period of raw food only for 2 months got me to a 3:54 marathon.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Goals Moving Forward

Now that I am lighter and planning to remain 100% raw and low fat, I can expect to run a 3:30 marathon sometime in the near future!!!

So from 4:54 to a 3:30!!! Wow! You tell me if this works!

My husband Michael has improved his running ten fold. He never dreamed at the 2:45 pace marathon he was cranking that he would ever be able to break a 2:30..but a few years of only raw fruits and veggies and he was able to do it with ease. He ran Boston last year in 2:28!!!

That is proof to me that we are eating the best fuel that we can!

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Connecting With Animals

I never thought I would be in touch with animals or even care about how they are killed, but now that I am more aware and now that I have officially become a vegan, I am so much more connected and in tune with animals than ever before. I grew a conscience and I am so proud of how far I have come.

Raw Food Before and After: Victoria's Story - Raw Parenting

I am getting my children on the right path. They are now vegetarians and leaning towards vegan and eat lots of fruit and salad at home.

The world still poses some threats and I hope they have enough ammunition from Michael and I to become raw eventually and see that it works.

I seem to get to them most when they become ill. I blame it on the foods they are consuming and they get rid of it from then on by themselves for the most part!

I always wanted to be the poster girl for good health so that I could sell it to others, and now I am on my way to doing just that! I want the world to be more aware and to become healthier.

I want to end sickness as it is entirely unnecessary. I want a better world for myself and my family to live in.

I am proud to say I have 2 friends who are vegan now and my mother is well on the way there. I am so glad that I have had an impact in some way.

The reason Michael can help so many others is all because I gave him Dr. Douglas Graham's book to read! It's amazing how the chain of events have happened!

I hope to coach people in the right direction and towards their own health goals. After all, I was in sales, so why not sell the best thing life has to offer? Good Health!!!

I say it is the most rewarding thing one can do for oneself!

That was Victoria's wonderfully inspirational raw food before and after story. If you'd like to find out more about Victoria, check out her YouTube Channel where you'll find some great videos detailing her journey with raw foods.

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Eating Raw Food - Michael Arnstein's Story

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