How a raw food diet empowered me post-divorce

So here I am, the girl whose motto has always been, “I don’t do vegetables,” embarking on a raw food diet. How on earth did this happen? Well, it all began with a major change in life -- in my case, the end of a marriage. In the aftermath, I consciously chose to do better. To open myself up to growing and evolving, in whatever forms that might take. And I honestly didn’t see this one coming.

I was initially inspired by a raw food recipe for coconut balls. These things are so incredibly yummy that I now have them in my freezer at all times. I couldn’t believe I could have a dessert around that's filled with healthy, unprocessed foods that actually tastes good. So I decided to find out more.

The core of a raw food diet, in my opinion, is smoothies and this isn't exactly a hardship for me as I love them.

I recently started using vegetables as the key ingredient in every smoothie and the good news is, the more whole plant foods I consume, the more I've acquired a taste and a real appreciation for them.

Why I love it The first thing I love about this diet is the simplicity. It sounds strange, but imagine never having to read a nutrition label again. You're eating whole foods only -- fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts -- that haven’t been processed.

These days I only spend about two percent of my time in a grocery store actually walking down the aisles and I'm learning that there are thousands of ways to combine fresh ingredients to make fantastic meals that, for the most part, are done in less than 10 minutes (with no need for broiling, barbequing and baking).

The next best thing is that I feel lighter.

I’m not just talking about actual weight -- even though I did rapidly lose 10 pounds -- I’m talking about that heavy feeling you get when you finish a big meal filled with pasta, meat and bread. That need to lie down in order to digest. It takes some time at the beginning to register what being full actually feels like. When eating raw food, digestion is so much easier and faster for your body, which gives it that much more time to work on eliminating toxins and healing.

My energy has gone up and I've got a feeling of vitality that I've never had before. My skin feels amazing -- like it's glowing from the inside out. I feel much more in tune with what my body naturally requires and therefore at peace with food altogether. No more mental checklists of unhealthy things I've recently eaten to feel guilty about later. Everything I eat is good for me!

Lastly, the best part about this transition is that it feels very natural. This was never about will power for me, I was too busy being excited about the possibilities. Every time I try a new recipe that tastes great I'm so thrilled that I never give any thought to the things I don’t eat anymore. If you tell yourself that you can never have something again of course it will be difficult. But if you come at it from a different frame of mind, one of potential, then your experience will be completely different.

So if you're at a place in your life, where you're willing to start looking at things differently, then consider getting back to the basics. Your body will thank you.

Have you recently overhauled your diet? Tell us about it in the comment section below.