by Julie Wilson
In the summer of 2004 I was diagnosed with “borderline Crohn’s disease”, “spastic colon”, and “chronic irritable bowel syndrome”. I was living on prescription medication and sustained myself by eating crackers and soft drinks.
I was more than sick; I was severely malnourished. The intense pain I experienced on a daily basis came to be a normal, natural reaction that I became accustomed to. In fact, I really don’t recalla day during those years that I didn’t suffer. Pain, bloating, fatigue, sallow skin, yellow eyes, dull hair, and exhaustion were the best words that described me in my twenties.
The doctors of course gave me a dim outlook, reminding me every time I would go to see them that I could only treat my symptoms with drugs and try to eat as bland of a diet as possible. Oh, and the other thing that was preached at me was not to eat raw vegetables and fruits. Swear to God.
My condition worsened, and by spring of 2006 I couldn’t take it anymore. The pain was so intense that it kept me awake at night. The medication wasn’t working, and it made me feel terrible. I was done listening to my doctors.
I went to the local bookstore and perused the aisles for anything that would strike my eye. I had already tried just about every gimmicky diet, and none of them had any effect on my symptoms. The only thing that seemed to work to my advantage at all was when I avoided animal products, so I started picking up books that focused on a vegetarian diet.
I stumbled across a book that focused on the “raw food diet”, and spoke about the healing effect it has on the body. I plopped down on the carpet and read it from cover to cover. Everything in it just made so much sense. I was sucked into every chapter, soaking in every word and embracing the information. I had never heard of a “raw food diet”, but the more I read, the more convinced I became.
I decided I had nothing to lose by trying it myself.
I went 100% raw overnight. I stopped drinking coffee, alcohol, sodas, and only drank pure spring water and raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cold-pressed oils. I also periodically fasted on fresh green juices and herbal tea. I became a master “salad creator” and would spend hours slicing and chopping fresh produce, juicing vegetables, and preparing new raw dishes. I also did an intense parasite cleanse which I feel might have been the most important step of all.
As much as I’d love to tell you that I felt fabulous immediately, I didn’t. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I got weaker, sicker, and experienced an onset of symptoms that were worse than ever before. However, I didn’t give up. Continued research had taught me that this was a sign of major detoxification, and a rise in symptoms was common since diseased tissue and toxins are released into the bloodstream for removal through the skin, lungs, and bowels.
I was steadfast and focused. I wasn’t giving up, and thankfully within a couple months my symptoms started easing. My skin cleared, my eyes sparkled, and the pain in my intestines? Gone.
I implemented yoga and meditation and started taking strong herbal supplements such as Probiotics, MSM, Reishi, Turmeric, Chlorella, and Fish oil. I felt better than I had ever remembered.
Six months from that miraculous day that I went “raw”, I went to the doctor for a check-up. She performed a Barium X-ray on my stomach, and when she read me the results, she literally gasped in disbelief. I had no scar tissue in my intestines (I was riddled with it before).
I have since added some cooked foods back into my diet, but I am able to enjoy foods that I used to not even be able to look at, because I am now working with a healthy, strong digestive system.
I still eat a predominantly raw, organic diet and I am still predomi- nantly a vegetarian, but I occasionally enjoy wild-caught fish and raw organic cheeses (specifically goat’s varieties), as well as other animal products from time to time (I only choose organic, hormone-free, and sustainable if at all possible).
When I decided to start my company, Raw-Nation®, it was because I was sick of listening to the “naysayers” criticizing my lifestyle and tell me I was acting crazy. I decided it was time to create a company that was “hip” instead of “hippie”. I wanted to make raw, organic foods and herbs sexy and appealing to the mainstream. How could I do this? It was easy: make my debut product a sexual enhancement supplement!
I compiled seven of the most powerful sexual and vitality enhancing herbs and superfoods that I knew of, and put them together to create a synergistic formula that later came to be known as Raw-Nation’s Hot Rawks, the only certified organic libido enhancer on the market.
Yes, it’s definitely been a surreal journey indeed. I can hardly believe I went from being sick and depleted to a vibrantly healthy entrepreneur.
Take your health in your hands! Love and Abundant Blessings
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