Greetings from America!  I recently found your website and just LOVE it!  I read it everyday and I can't even tell you how much it helps me in my raw lifestyle.  You Aussie's really know your stuff!

I first read the book "Fit for Life" about 3 years ago and jumped into the raw food lifestyle.  It explained a lot of the inner workings of the body and how we can overcome a lot of illnesses naturally.  I began eating raw and  felt WONDERFUL!  I was never fat, but lost alot of unecessary weight.  I had loads of energy and only slept only a few hours a night!  For me, though, it wasn't just about the physcial side, but also the spiritual one as well.  I won't get too deep into that part of it (for now).  Let's just say that being lighter - in all ways - creates such a balance in our minds, bodies and souls.  I'm sure you all know this as well, but it just feels nice to say it.

Well, after about 9 months of being totally raw, I fell off the bandwagon!  I went to New York for Christmas and ate all junk.  When I got home, I became very ill - probably from all the junk my body wasn't used to.  My body was saying, "Get all this stuff out of me!"  You'd think that would've been a wakeup call - but nope!  I tried to still eat a salad a day - and ALWAYS fruit for breakfast, but I was slowly introducing cooked foods back in.    By that spring, I was eating a lot more junk.  Here's what really got me.  On the raw foods diet, I was eating ALOT of food - really large salads that stretched my stomach out.  When I started eating cooked foods, I was eating too much of them because I was always hungry from my stretched tummy!  Anyway, by the end of the summer, I think I put on something like 20 pounds!  Ugh!

Fast forward a few months later.  I was tired of being heavier.  I was probably up to 130 pounds - but had been around 105 when eating raw food.  I am an avid runner and tennis player and my knees started to really aggrevate me and I knew it was from the added weight.  So, as of 3 weeks ago - I am RAW AGAIN!!  Woo-hoo!!!  And I am loving life!  I forgot how wonderful it feels.  My mind and body loves this way of eating!  It's hard to describe to someone hasn't experienced it.  My husband supports me - as long as he doesn't have to "eat like a rabbit."  I'm hoping to persuade him one day though.   So, my body is gradually becoming lighter - as is my whole being.  No more naps for me!  I have so much ENERGY!

Well, that's about it from here.  Just wanted to thank you all for your wonderful forum that I read daily and all of the other goodies on this website. 

I'll leave you with a wonderful recipe that I always keep in the fridge.  This is great as a dresssing on salads, soaked grains, or even just eaten by the spoonful!

Spinach-Tahini Dressing
-Handful of spinach
-1/2 Cup Tahini
-3 Tablespoons nama shoyu
-2 Cups spring water 
-1 Cup raisins

Combine all ingredients in a blender (or food processor) and blend for at least one minute, or until all of the raisins are pulverized.  It is very runny at first, but gets thicker after being refrigerated.

Hi Mallory,

Welcome and thanks for sharing your story.  Your recipe sounds scrumptious, I'll be printing it off to try soon.

Warmly,
Blue Nelly

yeah i found that once i gave my body a taste of what real food (raw plant food) was then it was going to give me a lot of pain when i ate anything less than the best.

it took me 4 years to finally come to the conclusion that i should take responsibility for my actions and stop damaging my body.

8months 100% raw and thriving like never before.

hi mallory,my evening meal consists mainly of savoury fruits-avo toms cukes,ect with greens,so i am fine to eat some grapes,or even a custard apple afterwards..now if i was eating brocoli or cauliflower in my salad,that could be a clash...,my digestive is rather sensitive...(from my history of illness pre-raw)...this knocks the sweet lust on the head...oh and i don't eat nuts or seeds....

everyones different,but maybe it's worth a try??something lighter in the evening is less likely to give you indigestion,cookies must be fairly heavy,esp with nuts?

beautiful face Mallory...