Confessions of a Food Lover: A 20-Day Raw Vegan Detox

May 22, 2020

I’ve always loved cooking. Working with raw ingredients to create a meal that takes me on a soul hugging journey has always made me feel like a magician. I feel like I’m in another world, experimenting with seasonings and flavors from a variety of cultures. It’s a mystical party on my palate.

Being quarantined because of the “Rona” forced me to spend more time celebrating my love of food by working on my Top Chef skills. I admit, during these last few months, I have experimented with recipes ranging from novice to expert. I’ve had some wins and took some private Ls, but the tried and true requirement of all of these dishes has been flavor. Soul-hugging, palate-pleasing, melt in your mouth delicious flavor. 

This culinary adventure started out all but healthy. I mean, I added in some veggies and ate some fruit, but meat and carbs often were the stars of the show. Shrimp and creamy cheddar grits. Grilled ribeye. Sautéed shrimp and spinach. Air fryer pork chops. Lemon pepper salmon. Roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Then I tried a vegan curry recipe from the same author, Darius Cooks, of the cheddar grit recipe. I love the depth of flavor he can create and sought to mimic that in my kitchen before making it my own. So this curry recipe packed a taste that almost knocked me out of my socks. The curry boasted bold and deliciously creamy flavors like a comfort food hug.

A couple of weeks after being embraced by my bowl of homemade curry, one of my friends hyped me up to do a 20-day detox with her. At first, I was like, “Girl, hell naw. You know I’m a native Texan, right? Like BBQ is a religion. And you want me to not be just vegan but raw vegan? Have you lost your ever-loving mind? Ain’t no way.” 

To say I protested is a mild way of putting it. But she hit me with some valid logic. I was recently  diagnosed as pre-diabetic. The thought that I may have to take insulin, not be able to drink, and potentially put me at risk for a host of other health issues terrified me and compelled me to take action. And not being able to go to the gym because of the quarantine put me in a place to pack on the pounds and shift that pre-diabetic state to full blown diabetes. At home workouts posed a challenge because I truly was unmotivated to consistently do it. At the gym, I had accountability, whereas at home, I had to be that for myself. During the quarantine, I hadn’t truly gained any weight but definitely was on track to pick up some pounds. This cleanse offered me a chance to try a different diet and have some necessary accountability.

Throughout the detox, to say I was hungry would be an understatement. Initially I didn’t have much of an appetite. But by day 3, I constantly snacked on fruits, veggies, almonds, cashews, walnuts. I drank a gallon of water a day. I sipped caffeine free herbal teas, hot water with grade A maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. I fought to be consistent, backsliding on cooked foods now and again. But I was determined to finish this challenge.

At the end of the cleanse, I’ve lost 2 and 3/4 inches off of my waist, seen a surge in my energy, and have a new respect for veggies. I ate veggies before, but this cleanse has opened my eyes to incorporate more of them into my day to day cooking and motivated me to try more veggie-rich recipes.

My overall thoughts are that raw vegan is too extreme of a lifestyle change, and the allegedly clean-ish menu I was eating did not serve my health and fitness goals. So that means I have to find something in between that is balanced, nutritious, and tastes good. A raw vegan diet requires a lot more planning, preparation, and is too restrictive than what I prefer. I think the detox worked well, because I was working from home and had constant access to the kitchen and a bathroom. Now begins my exploratory journey of developing a healthy lifestyle change that is truly sustainable for me.