I am 23 years old and have been 100% raw
since April 9, 2006. I started the
same time that I started my bikram yoga teacher training, which is 9 weeks
long.
I am originally from Calgary, Alberta Canada, and am currently living in
Northern Belgium. I have lived and gone to school in New York and Los Angeles. I
have been always very active and thin and ate pretty much whatever I wanted.
I took Ballet, Tap, and Jazz since I was very young. Growing up in a city
which is also referred to as "Cow Town" there was no way for me to
understand healthy food. I gravitated towards greens at a young age, more so
than other children... just because I enjoyed the taste. Having a
grandfather who was a cattle rancher, my family grew up on meat. Beef,
Chicken, Salmon, and Cod is what we ate at every meal. I also found myself
eating more vegetables... but they were cooked as well. I remember my mother
wanted me to pack my own lunches, so I did, based on convenience of
course.... Cup of Noodles, Quaker Oatmeal bars, Juice Boxes, Muffins... OH
my favorite- when I was in JR High, there was a 7-11 across the street, so
I would have a hot dog, chips, and a "slurpee" EVERYDAY- for 3 years. I never
had acne, I stayed even a couple pounds underweight. My Mother, Father, and
older sister all had ulcers and kidney stones. I got asthma at the age of
two and have been taking inhalers ever since. (Barely at all now though). I
also had severe allergies to animal hair and dust. I almost died from asthma
a few times. When I was born- for some dumb reason- the Doctors told my
mother that mothers milk was not as good for babies, so I was on formula-
BUT I was allergic to it (and cows milk). So I drank soy milk. I know that
my body cried out for a raw vegan lifestyle every since day one. When I was
in the 11th grade my mother died from pancreatic cancer. From then on I
raised myself. My father meant well, but he didn't know what to do. So after
high school I moved to LA and went to school and then auditioned for a
school in New York and moved there. There is where the deep depression, and
weight caught up with me. I gained 25lbs- still dancing! After I graduated
and moved back to LA I was determined to lose the weight. I tried
everything- Jenny Craig, The Zone, The Blood Type Diet... which sounded like
I was getting somewhere. I am an A+- which is said to stay away from meat.
So I started looking more at vegetarian choices. Eat To Live was my next
venture... but the cup of cooked and uncooked beans killed my digestion- I
was constipated... all the time. I went to a naturopath. He said I needed
more protein and few other things. He also suggested a week juice fast. I
thought "wow! Can I do that?" So I did, and it was great. I also started
doing Bikram Yoga and fell in love with it. I went down to 123lbs and was so
happy. ( I am 5"6). Then I became obsessive with weight. I wanted to even be
thinner. I discovered Ayurvedic medicine and volunteered at a clinic- to
learn the ways and learn how to cook the food. I was told I needed more ghee
(oils) and rice. I wasn't so sure. My body was becoming a little cleaner and
more balanced. IT wanted something more. But the Shiva told me that being a
Vata- Pitta constitution I was not to eat raw- AT ALL. I thought that there
was something fishy about that. September of 2005, I started a downward
slope into bad foods again. I only had some salmon once in a while.. but I
was hard core on to the refined sugars. For some reason I stopped doing my
yoga as well. I became so severely depressed. I was actually scared. I
started to binge eat. I knew it was wrong. I self diagnosed myself and went
to an eating disorder therapist. (Living in Vancouver at this time), I went
to Calgary to see my sister. I felt so alone and unsupported. We are of like
mind and believe that there is a greater truth- which we are always
searching for through books and classes. Stuff like Feng Shui, Energy,
Quantum Physics, Self Realization, Yoga Theory... etc. Even cleansing
through our bodies...
we are still learning. I figured out the
one way I could shake the awful way I
was feeling and what I was doing to myself was to go to the Bikram Yoga
training. I knew that would kick my mind and body back into shape. So from
Vancouver I drove to LA, stopping in San Francisco. I had never been, there
I stumbled across a restaurant called Cafe Gratitude. There is where the
journey began. I arrived in LA and went to Juliano's restaurant. I did his
week cleanse, talked some sense into me about cooked food and the media- and
I was on my way. Then also doing the Bikram Yoga training. I am so much more
happier. I love to educate myself on Raw foods and I would love to share
that knowledge with others.
(updated 8/07)