By Guest Blogger on December 30, 2009

Tales From A Raw Mom’s Life

After being diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in April of 2007, I did tons of research on healing my body. I was told there was no cure and that my prognosis was “good” at ten years max. Not sure what’s so good about that at 48 years old. Then I found Ms. Kris Carr, and watched her life saving ass-kicking documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer. I devoured her Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips book in a few hours, crying and laughing all the way. My life changed forever, for the better.

I traded in my frying pan for a juicer, and used a dehydrator instead of an oven. Enjoying greens, seeds, all sorts of veggies, sprouts, nuts, nut milks and nut butters, fruit, smoothies and the occasional superfood treat, my body sang with health. Within five months, my blood work was the best it’s ever been and has remained steady since. You may be thinking, “She must be making her family eat all raw food, surrounded by raw loving people, eating at tons of living cuisine gourmet restaurants, and hey, it’s EASY to do raw in Sunny Southern California!” And you would be incorrect on most counts.

My stepdaughter Jazmine is 18 and will eat anything, she is what I would call an adventurous food lover. Sam, my 8-year-old daughter, adores the following items: Steak, coffee (!) and ice cream. Warner, my dear husband, used to crave Korean BBQ and has been known to knock back a few Negro Modelos at dinner. My in-laws live in Hawaii, where plate lunches (Spam!) and buffets are common fare. My brother-in-law is a sushi chef. Most of my close friends are omnivores, with a few vegheads thrown in the mix. My sister loves the spice of life and is a wonderful cook. With a few exceptions, like Bueller of Bueller’s Kitchen and Revell of Let’s Talk Raw, most of my raw/wellness crew are spread all over the USA.

When I made the choice to use the Crazy Sexy Lifestyle for healing, I knew that it would be ten times as hard to try to change my family’s diet too. Did some things disappear from our kitchen? You betcha! Did they like the raw food I made? Some things became staples, other dishes, not so much. I do cook everyday for my family, mostly vegan fare and as much whole food as I can get in their bellies! Trust me when I tell you that going to a raw food restaurant is a rare and expensive treat, not a common occurrence!

The funny thing is, my friends have started following my lead and taking up raw foods too. My best friend, who used to eat pretty standard American diet, juices daily and has dropped about ten pounds, due to maintaining a 75% raw diet. My husband read Mad Cowboy by Howard Lyman and he has been a vegan ever since. He feels and looks great, drinks smoothies daily and strives to eat raw whenever he can. Sam, my omnivore girl, eats a variety of things, but fruit and smoothies are a hit with her too. She loves to tell her friends about my salad eating ways and for her 8th birthday requested a raw strawberry cheesecake! Jazmine is juicing and working out regularly now. My brother-in-law has experimented with making veggie only sushi and it’s pretty tasty! My in-laws are juicing, eating chia seeds instead of oatmeal and cutting down on their meat consumption. Hawaii is full of great fresh fruit too.

The things that help me most are having a dynamic group of farmers at my weekly market, a rocking Whole Foods nearby and a small whole foods co-op. Fresh, whole foods are a must for my raw lifestyle. I learn so much at the Crazy Sexy Life blog and forum. Raw food blogs give me so much inspiration and information. I own a few living foods ‘uncookbooks’ too.

If you have been diagnosed with an illness or just want to feel better, Kris’s Crazy Sexy lifestyle is the way to go. Adding raw foods, juicing, green smoothies, meditation, exercise and stress reduction works! Don’t try to drag your family kicking and screaming, just do what you need to do for you. Keep it simple and don’t make a big drama out of your food or theirs.

The most important thing I have learned from all this is what I call the Oxygen Mask Principle. If you have a child with you on an airplane, and the mask drops down, you put it on yourself first, then help the child. In other words, heal yourself, and then you will be able to share the love of life with everyone else.

I am forever grateful to Kris for my crazy sexy life!

Debbie Young is a 50 year old work at home mom to 3 kids: a 2 year old whippet fur person, a 8 year old and an 18 year old stepkid. Debbie was diagnosed with CLL aka Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in April 07 and is following a raw food diet and the Crazy Sexy Lifestyle since Oct 07 to “make it all better, or at least not let it kill me!”

     
 

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