If you’re anything like me you may have made good friends with Haagen Dazs over the last few months, ate everything in site at a BBQ(s) or feasted at a wedding or 6 this summer and early fall! If you’re feeling sluggish or like your body needs a little tune up I may have a solution for you.
At the beginning of September nutrition expert Jill Carnegie and I decided to eat only raw foods for 5 days as a gentle cleanse to help our bodies function more efficiently going into the fall season. Jill and I are collaborating to create an online nutrition course for dancers. We were going to do the Challenge by ourselves but at the last minute decided to invite 40 friends and create a Facebook Group to share tips and track the progress of the group. 35 out of the 40 friends we invited joined us and the results were astounding. There was a wide range of eating styles in the group, we had people who were vegan to people who eat meat, dairy and processed foods on a regular basis. There was lots of recipe sharing, snack suggestions, restaurant recommendations, and people stepping out of their comfort zone to try new foods and even make homemade almond and cashew milk. Several people lost weight, had positive changes in their digestion and personally I lost 3 pounds and noticed a decrease in inflammation in my joints and my body in general. The one thing everyone mentioned was it got them on a path to make healthier food choices.
The toughest part was fighting the cravings for processed sugar the first few days, having the accountability of the group made this much easier to push through. By the end, the sweets I was reaching for were apples and peaches instead of a cookie. The biggest change was in the emotional connection to food and resetting our perspectives on what the body really wants and/or needs.
Jill and I are organizing another Raw Challenge from October 12th-16th. If you’re interested in joining us click here and send me a message to join the group. Feel free to contact me with any questions, too!