Benefits of a Healthy Diet

Do you, as a disabled person, usually feel tired by the early evening? Has your health started to go downhill after sitting in a wheelchair day after day for several years? Living life in a wheelchair doesn’t have to be a drag like that. If you are able to make some changes to your diet, you may likely become more energetic and get your health back on track. I switched to a mainly raw vegan diet several years ago and I have never felt more energetic and healthy in my 21 years as a C5/C6 quadriplegic than I do now. I don’t proclaim that such a diet is the solution for everyone, but it certainly has made a huge difference for me.

A heavy diet made me feel sluggish

It is generally known that health issues related to improper diet have increased significantly in America during recent decades. Even though I have never been a fast food junkie, I probably used to eat a diet higher in fat and sugar than was good for my body. That started to catch up with me about eight years ago – I began to notice that by the early evening I would feel tired and sluggish. My job at the time was intense, requiring more than the standard 40 hours a week, and I didn’t feel like I had the energy that I used to have. Seeking some sort of solution, my wife and I decided to change our diet. We started off by focusing on eating more simple cooked foods such as steamed vegetables over boiled potatoes or rice, with soups and salads as well. Additionally, we almost completely eliminated meat from our diets. Soon, I started feeling less sluggish, but it wasn’t until we transitioned to a mostly raw vegan diet that I felt fully alive again.

Do your own raw food research first

My wife and I researched raw vegan food and read several books before we jumped onto the raw food bandwagon. For anyone remotely interested in a raw, vegan diet, I definitely recommend that you do your own research and maybe even check with your doctor first before transitioning to such a diet. I don’t claim to be a medical expert or a nutritionist, but basically a raw food diet is a diet based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods. Mostly, this means a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, dried fruit, and seaweed.

The “raw” part comes from not cooking the food, and only heating it slightly if needed. Heating food above 116 degrees F is believed to destroy enzymes in food that can assist in the digestion and absorption of that food. Cooking is also thought to diminish the nutritional value, or “life force” of food. Even adding small amounts of raw food to your diet here and there is said to be beneficial.

Energetic again at last

Soon after having slowly transitioned into a raw vegan diet I started feeling very energetic again.  I noticed that even after a 12+ hour workday, (working from 8AM till 9PM with just a short lunch and dinner break) I hardly felt tired at the end of the day. Eight years ago, before changing my diet, I never would have thought that possible. I was completely exhausted when I worked long days. These days, however, I sometimes feel like I have a competitive edge compared to my co-workers as my increased energy allows me to be more productive.

I am much more alert now and my mind feels sharper. I used to have oily skin and occasional pimples, but that seems to have remedied itself with this diet. I also used to get cold easily in winter and too hot in the summer. But neither the cold nor the heat seem to bother me anymore. In addition, my digestion has improved tremendously.

Since I am unable to exercise like able bodied people, I feel the least I can do for my body is to provide it with the nutrients it needs to keep my organs healthy. A few months ago I had some blood-work done as part of my physical. The results were near perfect and my cholesterol level had gone down to 113; even the doctor was amazed by my improvements.

This diet made a tremendous difference in my life and in how I feel, and because of that, I am an advocate of a whole foods, plant based diet. Even so, it’s important to do your own research first and make sure this diet is right for you. But for me, a mostly raw vegan diet has certainly changed my life for the better.

Literature - The following are some of the books that inspired us:

Raw Family: A True Story of Awakening

This is the first book my wife and I read about the benefits of a raw food diet. It is an amazing story of a Russian family that immigrated to the US and started getting ailments after a few years on a standard American diet. They all got their health back on track after switching to a raw vegan diet. Their story inspired us to make a switch ourselves. We actually also attended a few of their lectures and presentations while they were on tour in our area. This is an easy read and an excellent first exposure to the benefits of a raw vegan diet.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw

This book is another inspiring read that goes more in depth regarding the benefits of raw vegan food without it being too scientific. It contains a wealth of good information and also some delicious recipes.