I'm Anne and this is my story:
At the beginning of 2014 I was what I call a "processed princess". My hair was bright pink, (I totally rocked it) wore tons of makeup and my nails were always perfectly polished. I only ate things that came in wrappers and grilled cheese was the extent of my cooking knowledge. I also smoked about a pack of cigarettes a day, took adderall (upper) every morning, seroq
uel (downer) every night, my thyroid pill that they told me I would have to take for the rest of my life and a mood stabilizer pill. Not to mention I was smoking weed and drinking almost daily. I was happy with this lifestyle. I strived for perfection on the outside without thinking about the consequences to my body on the inside. While I was living that lifestyle I got sick a lot. I constantly had a cough or runny/stuffed nose, bladder infections were an almost weekly occurrence. I never let my body fully heal before going out partying again. When I was sick, I was miserable. I missed out on my favorite Holiday (back then) Christmas because I could barely get out of bed. 2013 was full of fun, parties, sickness and hangovers. End of January 2014 I started having digestion problems. Every time I took a bite or drink of something I had sharp pains in my gut. At times it was so painful it would bring me to tears. I went to the see the doctor a couple times, all they did was prescribe me pills. It eventually went away, still not sure exactly what was wrong but that was my turning point that I needed to take better care of my body. At this point I was also having difficulty breathing, I could not function if I forgot my meds, and had low energy. In February 2014 I road tripped with a girlfriend to Vegas, ending in Arizona where I stayed at my grandma's condo for 2 months. In those 2 months I went off my adderall, seroquel, mood stabilizer, quit smoking and started eating better (what I thought was eating healthy). My main goal back then was to be skinny. At the store I remember buying: yogurt, eggs, cheese, jello, pudding, low fat ice cream, diet soda, canned beans, frozen fish, and fiber one bars. In March 2014 is when things really started changing for me. The more research I did the more things I changed. I completely stopped wearing conventional makeup, for good. Started making my own deodorant and toothpaste, dyed my hair back to normal color (never to dye it again). Found some less toxic shampoo and conditioner. Started eating more fruits and veggies and less packaged foods. Mid April 2014 I moved back to Washington. This is when I found the raw vegan lifestyle after doing more and more research. It just made so much sense to me, eat only the foods that mother nature provides in their natural state! Fast forward to now- January 2016. I eat fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. I spend most of my time in the kitchen creating new recipes. I am on ZERO medications, all my levels are great, including my thyroid! My skin has completely cleared up after 10 years of acne, I even get compliments! I rarely get sick and when I do it’s mild and I heal much faster. I have WAY more energy. I don’t have crazy mood swings like before. No more heartburn, indigestion, bloating, tummy aches, constipation, bladder infections, headaches. My son Axel was born April 2015. I am so excited to raise my child and watch him thrive with the raw vegan lifestyle. I also hope to inspire others who choose to change their lives for the better. I am starting this blog to share my stories, recipes, lessons learned, and change lives, one bite at a time :)
