Sierra Blogging Post Archives

America is a culture consumed with processed foods - that's no secret. But one (literally) fed-up woman decided to head in another direction and she lost 160 pounds because of it.

After reading a book about the health benefits of eating an all-raw diet, Angela Stokes went "cold cucumber" as she calls it and stopped eating cooked and processed foods. Stokes had become depressed and downtrodden as a result of her 300 pound weight and was determined to change it.


"I was 300 pounds, very unwell, very miserable," recalls Stokes in an article on CNN. "I ate junk food all the time. I was very closed down emotionally. I had no interest in dieting; I just wanted to eat all the time ... that was like my comfort in life."

Stokes began eating nothing but raw and unprocessed foods, like fruits, vegetable, nuts and seeds. She ate strictly foods from the earth, like she believes nature intended.

"To me, the thing with raw food is that it just makes sense. It's simple and natural, eating food straight from the earth. There's no rocket science, no mystery," said Stokes. "Once you understand the simple principal that no other animal in the wild eats cooked or processed foods. That's it."

Stokes claims the diet completely transformed her life. She lost more than half her weight, gained boundless energy compared to what she had before, and has become an active part of her community again.

"I recommend people start out being at least 50 percent raw and go from there," advises Stokes. "Maybe it ends up at some point you are completely raw, maybe not. As long as the majority of the stuff or at least 50 percent is fresh raw food ... then you're tipping the balance in your favor."

You don't need to eat an entirely raw diet to reap the benefits. Even if you're not looking to lose weight, try adding more raw food into your diet in place of processed foods and you'll undoubtedly notice an upturn in your energy levels. Add to that a consistent workout plan and you'll feel like a whole new person, minus the overprocessing and preservatives.