Confessions of a Raw Food Addict Down Under

Hi, my name is Anand and I live a passionate raw food life style. Since going
100% raw I feel like I am growing younger even though my body is now 44.
Many aches and pains I experienced have just vanished and ailments such as
eczema, poor digestion and bad breathe have simply disappeared. I have
been told I have had hepatitus C for 20 years, though I have absolutely no
symptoms and my liver function tests have come back normal for the past
year and half. My energy levels are through the roof and I have dropped 2
hours sleep a night so I get an extra month or more of living every year!
Apart from the physical benefits, I am happier and more at ease with my
self and this trend is continuing to grow. Another thing is I frequently
get told how well I look: that I am glowing and clear “and must be doing
something right:” The radiance which comes from eating living foods is
unmistakeable.

Being totally turned on to living foods and sharing the amazing benefits
on a fairly constant basis through our classes and retreats I am
frequently asked questions like “what do you actually eat during the
course of a day?” or “how do you get your protein?” or “how do you find the
time to create amazing food like this?”

To tell you the truth I don’t really follow a formula and it is really an
ongoing, never-ending experiment, which is why it is so much fun. Also,
what I eat won’t necessarily suit the next person though from my
experience I have discovered that eating a high percentage of organic raw
foods and juices (100% in my case) will cause dramatic change (for the
positive) for nearly anyone who tries it. Not only am I healthier, free of
disease and more alive than ever before, I am happier and more in tune with my
nature (both inner and outer). The benefits just go on and on and are too many to list here
– I am eternally grateful to have discovered an alternative to my
conditioned way of eating and thinking which really makes a difference.

So, how does my day look?

Lately my day begins at 6am. I do an active meditation like Osho’s Dynamic
from 6.30 to 7.30am - We then prepare a large green juice with lots of
celery, lettuce, cucumber and then adding other veges like parsley, red
peppers, kale or any thing else green and leafy and in season. We
sometimes also add some fresh wheatgrass into the mix. We then blend 1
tablespoon of spirulina, 4 capsules of AFA blue green algae from lake Klamath, ½ a lid of
TJ Clarke’s colloidal minerals and a heaped teaspoon of In-liven probiotic
powder in a little water and then add it to the juice. It’s such an
awesome hit of energy – my cells literally dance in gratitude after I
drink my first big glass and I love the way it froths up like a bright
green cappuccino.

I usually then drink another 500ml of green juice (without the spirulina
and other goodies) during the morning and I find I have no urge to eat
until around 12 noon when I may have a piece of fruit like an apple, mango
or peach. It seems to really work for me at the moment to give my
digestive tract a long rest from solid food. If I have been doing a lot of
computer work (as I often do) I then do around 25 minutes of Chi Gung
(deep breathing with coordinated movements) at 1pm which totally chills
me out and prepares me for lunch.

Lunch varies quite a bit – the constant is salad. My farourite of late is
to add chilli peppers and raisins to a mix of leafy greens (rocket, cos
lettuce plus cucumber, red peppers etc) and add a simple dressing made
from virgin coconut oil and lemon juice. To add a bit of flavour and
saltiness I sprinkle my meal with dulse flakes and kelp powder (both
seaweeds with incredibly high levels of minerals) and a few pepita’s
(pumpkin seeds) Accompanying the salad I may have some flax seed crackers,
living pizza or other dehydrator delights or even some raw hummus or
brazil nut butter. The choices are too numerous to list here.

Later in the afternoon I usually have a superfood snack with bee pollen,
raw cacao (chocolate), Peruvian maca powder, pepitas, Brazil nuts and some
fruit like a banana or mango – I mix it all together with coconut oil –
it’s an amazing energy boost and very tasty as well.

In summer, I usually go surfing for a couple of hours after work with one
of my best friends Prem . Prem who is 18 is also raw and I have no trouble
keeping up with him out in the waves. Surfing is such a blast!! I only really
discovered it around 10 months ago and despite my raw diet I have gained 3
kilograms and bulked out nicely from the workout in the water.

We usually get back from surfing around 8pm and have a light meal –
similar to lunch and maybe more green juice if there is any left in the
fridge. Later on I may indulge in a raw desert or cake. I then often meet
with my friends and business partners, Prem & Anshu to dream and plan or
sit down and write as I am now. I also love to lose myself in dance and
often DJ at local dance events until the early hours. I rarely get to bed
before midnight. Life is to much fun to sleep!

Anand Wells is the editor of the Ecstatic Health and Wholeness Magazine and a pioneer
in the Australian raw food movement. 22/02/06 - See "Gourmet living foods for you"