In a previous post I addressed what happened when I went raw vegan but you may be wondering why I would even consider a raw vegan meal plan.
It came about after Facebook suggested I follow a guy by the name of Shane Sterling. After several months of seeing Shane's post about a raw vegan diet, I had him on my podcast to share his story (link to episode). That was the inspiration I needed to research the possibility of eating raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts while still performing as an athlete.
The research I did surprised me a little bit, mainly because we have been told so many times that we need protein from this or that source. That's not true at all. We need to consume the building blocks that our cells need to protect themselves and recreate themselves. Those building blocks (micronutrients) can some from so many sources in the plant kingdom. Those building blocks create our muscles, bones, and organs.
It's really a pretty simple and easy way to live if you understand both what your body needs and what gets in the way of efficient functioning.
What your body needs are various micronutrients. Eating a variety of raw plants provides your body with an abundance of micronutrients along with the fiber your gut needs to help with healthy digestion.
What your body doesn't need are chemicals, preservatives, and fillers. These items get in the way of cell function, confuse the immune system, and slow down digestion.
The health research supports a raw vegan plan, but what if I go back a little bit further. As a Christian, I believe that God created humans in His image. He put Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden with an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. He told them to care for the animals He created. It wasn't until after the flood that Noah and his family survived in the ark (with two of each animal on earth) did God give humans permission to eat animals. He did so with strict guidelines as to how the animals were to be prepared and sacrificed. Guidelines most people don't adhere to anymore.
The way I look at fueling the human body for peak performance (not just athletically but for cell efficiency) we should be consuming as close to the substances that we were created to eat as we possibly can. And only that.
Some may argue we have evolved to eat other foods besides just fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Sure we can stomach it and process some of it. But the research shows that our body is far more efficient on fresh produce.
I've experienced it myself over these past 7 months or so, moving to a raw vegan meal plan will make positive changes in your life you may not believe are possible.