Guest Post: How Raw Foods Transformed My Life

When you think of a young man who’d just turned 20, you wouldn’t picture someone who used to be me. I wasn’t your typical outgoing, careless party guy with a big circle of friends, just rocking through my twenties and gathering endless experiences.

I was the one sitting in my little room all day in front of my computer, losing myself in a virtual world of games, movies and forums. This doesn’t mean that I didn’t have any passions – I just used to go after them in a convenient and safe way. Years of eating chips, pizza and pasta had left my body exhausted, in constant pain and sickness. My immune system was basically non-existing, as I went from one cold right into the next. On top of that, I had to deal with insomnia, headaches and severe back pain. My skin was breaking out like crazy and my hair got thinner. Remember, I’m not talking about a man in his 70’s – though I surely felt like one – but about one who should just be about to start his life. This awful physical state led to an array of psychological consequences: I felt the need to isolate myself, was uneasy and anxious around groups of people and became more and more depressed.

Just when I thought that this would be my fate and I would live a very short life inside my little, painful world – I suddenly had this tiny voice inside of me that insisted life had to be more than this. That I was still very young and there had to be some way I could get out of this mess, of my foggy head and tired body. I started researching on my own and quickly stumbled over testimonials of people who got out of the same rut or even way worse. I studied their secrets to successfully changing their lives for the better and dedicated myself to my new goals.

I held this belief of a healthy, happy and fulfilled life very close to me and promised myself that I would try to do whatever it takes. After this mental boost of motivation and inspiration, during which I learned that my mind would play a huge part in this and that I was in control of my future path, I tried to shift my meals towards eating more fresh food.

Coming from a diet consisting almost exclusively of processed foods, this wasn’t easy at all! I had to remember what I used to like as a kid and started with having homemade muesli, fruit snacks and big salads. Because I had been vegetarian ever since my childhood, it was fairly easy for me to quickly transition to a fully plant-based diet. I recognized the way fresh food made me feel and how I gained back my energy faster than I would have thought! I felt like I found a magic pill which could rid me of all my ailments, from skin and hair issues to headaches and respiratory problems – all of these were gone in a matter of months. I even wanted to move my body more, get some fresh air and just enjoy my life each and every moment.

The detachment from my old habits wasn’t easy, but the way raw food made me feel was a huge motivator. The more I learned about healthy eating, the more I tweaked my diet so it made me feel my absolute best! I fell in love with smoothies, salad wraps and dehydrated treats very quickly, challenged myself to stay raw as long as possible and even did some juice fasting during the summer. Every time, I felt like my body sighed of relief and rewarded me gratefully for how I was treating it now.

I am beyond grateful that I didn’t surrender to my supposed fate. That I had the self-respect and inner drive to dig deep for answers and to really be starting my life. When I look back a couple of years ago, I was a mere shadow of the person I am today. My life has completely turned around, I am exploring the world and different types of activities, I make music and start my own business together with the girl of my dreams. Life really is so much more and raw foods have opened the door to a world beyond my little room for me! It was transformational on so many levels and goes much further than just my physical health. I now have a true drive, a purpose to spread this message and passion for healthy living which all makes me happy, grateful and fulfilled every single day.

Lars is a young German entrepreneur who loves blogging, traveling, delicious food and good music. When he’s not working on his computer, you can find him on a tennis court, behind his guitar or reading a book outside. Discover his work )and free online Course) over at nutriciously.com  or contact him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nutriciously)