Raw Food Diet Testimonial - Via's Wonderful Success Story

This is Via's wonderfully inspiring raw food diet testimonial of how she became a low fat 801010 raw vegan (also known as 811RV).

She began her journey to health in Spring 2006 at the age of 38.

She weighed 165 pounds and had a body fat percentage of 28%.

Two years later in Spring 2008 and at the age of 40, she weighed 122 pounds with a body fat percentage of 18%.

This is her amazing raw food before and after story.

Raw Food Diet Testimonial: Before Raw Vegan - Spring 2006

Via suffered from many acute allergies which resulted in her being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance on many occasions due to acute breathing problems.

She suffered from kidney stones - believed to be more painful than giving birth. Despite having them blasted out with ultrasound treatments, they returned.

She had elevated cholesterol levels.

She suffered from very low energy levels. She struggled to motivate herself to do physical activity.

She was severely constipated. This was followed by bouts of extreme diarrhea.

She suffered from regular colds and flu, at least 4 times a year.

She had excruciating menstrual periods that left her bed bound for days at a time, unable to work.

She had bad breath and bad body odor - even shortly after brushing her teeth and bathing.

She had bi-yearly bouts of depression, especially during the winter months.

She was concerned about animal rights and the state of the environment, but felt largely helpless.

Raw Food Diet Testimonial: After Raw Vegan - Two Years Later - Spring 2008

Via's general health became nothing short of excellent!

No more allergies.

No more kidney stones.

Much lower cholesterol levels.

High energy levels. She is now very happily active.

Painless, regular bowel movements (2 or 3 per day).

No more colds and flu.

Mild, hardly noticeable menstrual periods.

No need or use for shampoos, pastes or deodorants.

Much more positive and content.

Relieved to no longer contribute to animal or planetary suffering.

Via has totally turned her life around! Read her raw food diet testimonial below in her own words.

Via's Raw Food Diet Testimonial 2009

Two years ago, I never thought I would be traveling this road. I used to love eating meat, especially chicken and eggs.

I would regularly eat very salty, spicy, sugary, fatty, and highly processed foods that usually had at least one animal product per meal - to make sure I was getting enough protein (LOL).

I started everyday with some herbal tea, cereal with milk, or omelets and some fruit.

Lunch was some variant of soup or sandwich or occasionally a highly seasoned/dressed salad - I loved olive oil, vinegar and salt.

Supper usually involved pastas and sauces, breads and spreads, starchy vegetables, meats etc. I used to love chocolate too!

The only positive note was that I ate at least two or three fruit or vegetable servings (cooked or raw) per day for my vitamin C.

At the time, I thought I was eating a "healthy", "varied" diet because I always chose "lean" meats, "low fat" milks and cheeses, organic produce as much as possible and "whole grain" products - anything with a "healthy" label on it.

I never drank alcohol, soft drinks or coffee. I drank lots of water - at least 8 glasses per day as well as "fortified" juices. I didn't smoke. Nor did I take any medication except Tylenol for my periods.

Most people would have agreed with me that I had a very "healthy" diet because these are the prevailing messages people receive from most sources, even today.

I had gained a lot of weight from my pregnancy and tried many times to lose it without success. Nonetheless, I was not too concerned about my weight because compared to most women my age, I was just a little overweight and not technically obese, according to my doctor.

Compared to major diseases like cancer, etc. my discomforts were relatively mild: I thought I was managing my health well.

Raw Food Diet Testimonial: So....what made me change in 2006?

Ironically, the last straw was the "avian flu" business. I live out in the country near poultry farmers. Nowadays, chickens are mandated to remain in enclosures (factory farms) lest they catch the avian flu from wild birds (yeah right).

A neighbor was describing the horrible conditions on these farms. For example, when the chickens are sent to slaughter, the barn must be fumigated and the flies removed with tractors!!!

As my neighbor described this to me, I thought to myself: "this is so sick - it can't be healthy for people to eat that." Thus began my journey.

I had toyed with the idea of becoming vegetarian in the past out of compassion for the animals that I have always loved; but, I was convinced humans NEEDED to eat meat. I was daunted by my lack of knowledge about how to go about it and still be healthy.

I had a couple of vegetarian neighbors and they lent me Diet for a New America by John Robbins. This started the ball rolling for me. I started devouring books and internet sites on the subject.

My next major influence, two months later, was The China Study by Dr. Colin Campbell. This book blew me away and convinced me that a vegan diet was absolutely necessary for my health.

However, my long cultivated cooked food bad habits prevented me from totally adopting the main message of this book: "Eat an unrefined whole-food, plant-based diet."

I have since read an interview with Dr. Campbell in "Living Nutrition" magazine where he clearly states that "organic and raw" is the ideal human diet.

Next, I joined internet fitness sites and started corresponding with other vegans on the forums. On one site, a young fellow called Harley came on extolling the virtues of the low fat raw food diet and his mentor Dr. Douglas Graham.

Needless to say, Harley, as well as his mentor, were ridiculed and severely criticized - even accused of hurting the vegan cause. For me, what Harley said rang true so I looked up Dr. Graham and The 80/10/10 Diet book. That was in the spring of 2007.

Since then I've begun implementing 811 raw vegan and the results are fantastic as you can see.

Below - Via is pictured on the left.

Raw Food Diet Testimonial - Challenges

It has actually been very challenging and I must sadly admit that I have backslid into my old cooked food habits on many occasions.

Undoing many years of conditioning, bad habits and the sometimes overt, sometimes subtle and sometimes even hostile influence of friends and family has been stronger than me at times.

But my body and thoughts of the greater environmental and animal rights implications of my choices always bring me back to 811 raw vegan.

I can truly feel the difference between healthy eating and lifestyle versus dietary and lifestyle abuse. I must listen to my body and continue the 811 raw vegan way of life.

That is Via's raw food diet testimonial of her journey on the raw vegan diet. If you would like to read more about Via, you can do so on her Blog.

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