Is It Raw or What?!

For more about my raw food lifestyle, visit Go Wonder Woman!

I am frequently asked many questions about my raw lifestyle that after my good friend, Scarlett Lillian, emailed me a long list of questions (which I LOVE girl!) I thought of posting some information for you tonight.

1. What is the raw food diet?
It is a lifestyle that supports eating only living and raw organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and seaweeds. Nothing is heated or cooked above 115 degrees F. Raw foodists eat this way in order to possess optimal health.

2. What is the easiest way for me to become "raw"?
First and foremost, READ READ READ about raw foods. I highly recommend you buy 12 Steps to Raw Foods. This book will teach you "How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food" and will educate you on what cooked foods is doing to your body!


Education is POWER! It is the driving force to motivate and keep you on a raw food diet. I went all raw after I read this book!

3. Where do you get protein on the raw food diet?
From green leafy veggies, srpouts, fruits, green juices, nuts, seeds and seaweeds. My main source of protein comes from Hemp Seeds which are a complete protein. We need 25grams of protein a day, so 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds gives you 11grams. This and eating green salads will certainly make up for the rest...or you can just be super generous with your hemp seed portions.

4. What about calcium?
You can get calcium from salads, nuts, seeds, seaweeds, and freshly made veggie juices.

5. What is your daily diet like?
This is a typical day for me: breakfast: one banana snack: 4 strawberries lunch: generous "Robust Salad" this receipe is on the blog (look at archives) dinner: either salad again (I LOVE greens!) or something special I have prepared. Drinks: water, freshly made juices from my juicer or my Kombucha Synergy Drinks.

6. Will I get bored eating only raw fruit and veggies?
Definitely not if you spend the time to make different recipes. It's just like eating cooked foods - if you keep baking frozen pizza because it's easy, you'll get bored of this after a while! Raw foods packed with more flavor then cooked foods, so your taste buds will be in heaven compared to your cooked foods.

7. Won't it be expensive?
Truthfully, yes, but it's your health and your body. About EVERY DAY I get people asking me off the street "Wow you look amazing. There's something different about you!" They can't put their finger on it, but no worries, I instantly jump right on in to reveal the "secret". I tell them all about my raw food lifestyle. Not only do you look fabulous on the outside but you feel AMAZING on the inside!!!! You will have more energy, feel less weight, no headaches, no mood swings, you won't get sick and you will just feel ALIVE and electrified. I think it is definitely worth spending the extra money for this!!! People spend a killer dollar on pills and doctors visits and still none of those people will ever come close to how I feel!!

8. If I am an athlete will I perform to the top of my abilities while raw?
You will do even better! You will have so much energy you wouldn't know what to do with it!

9. What are some health benefits I will achieve when I go raw?
You will live longer and age much better than the rest of society! No more headaches (unless you are not drinking enough water), more energy, your immune system becomes a powerful force in your body that can function properly and effectively and MUCH MORE!

10. Are olives raw?
Not all olives, there are a few raw stores that sell truly raw sun cured olives. Anything in a can is most likely cooked.

11. Are pickles raw?
If you make them the raw way. Yes!

12. Is honey raw?
If it says on the bottle or jar, it may be. Call the company and ask. Labels may be misleading most times.

13. Is maple syrup raw?
Right from a tree yes, from the store, nope!

14. Is soy sauce raw?
No, it is "living" but it is still cooked then fermented.

15. Is soy milk raw?
Nope, it is heavily cooked and processed.

16. Are nuts and seeds I buy from the store raw?
Most are not. Almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds are raw. It is best to buy nuts and seeds from reliable online sources.

17. Do I need any equipment to go raw?
It will be helpful, but it's not necessary. I think the best equipment you can buy is a heavy duty blender. Then a juicer, dehydrator, and so on.

18. Is wine raw?
Some are, but wine contains alcohol, which is not good raw or cooked.

19. Are store bought nut milks raw?
No they are not. Make your own nut milks. It's cheaper and you know what's in it!

20. Can I/Should I take supplements?
If you find it necessary. Listen to your body!

21. Where do you get iron from?
Berries, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, seaweeds, sprouts.

22. Will I lose weight?
Yes and No.

At first I didn't lose weight. When I began my raw food journey the foods were so incredible to me that I couldn't stop eating them! And like anything, you will gain weight when you take in more calories then what you burn. A lot of yummy raw foods are made with rich raw nuts which can pack on the fat! So if you are consuming too much, yes you can gain weight even on a raw diet.

HOWEVER, if you eat raw foods in balance you will definitely lose weight. I went from a size 6 to a 2 (and even a 0) over the last four months. I went from weighing 121 lbs to 110 lbs. Please keep in mind that yes losing weight is awesome and you feel great about that, but what matters most to me, Darice Michelle, is that I am HEALTHY!!!! I want my insides to look just as beautiful as my outsides (doesn't that sound lovely!) to be healthy on the inside. The weight lose is a plus but it is not my main goal behind eating raw foods. I wanted to feel GREAT! I wanted to have less mood swings, not get sick, be able to breathe fully from pure lungs and function to my utmost human potential. I got sick and tired of being SICK AND TIRED! And once I learned about what cooked foods does to our bodies, I didn't need any more motivation to dive into the raw food lifestyle. So many people are VERY sick and have so many problems, I am in awe of how many ill people there are. I knew something was not right with this. Everyone eats cooked foods because ...well...everyone eats it so it must be normal and ok. IT IS NOT NORMAL AND OK! And we finally are waking up to the truth about this by all the commercials on tv with "ask you doctor about this drug and that drug". I could go on and on about this, can you tell I'm extremely passionate about this!!!

23. Do you need to exercise even if you are eat raw foods?
Most definitely. Don't sigh over my answer! Exercising is AWESOME! Eating raw foods will make you lose weight but lets face it, who wants saggy unformed legs that are just thin? What makes a woman's body beautiful is not that is she thin, but she is also fit. CURVES is what separates a woman from a man's body. I am not for being skinny! I am all for looking and feeling like a goddess because in my heart I believe that is what WOMAN is and was designed to be all along.

24. What is your exercise routine?


I LOVE LOVE LOVE to run! I am definitely a runner. I run in all different ways to work different parts of my body. I don't just jog, I run. I STRUT! I DANCE! I LEAP! And I even run BACKWARDS! People on the streets driving by probably think I am a maniac who has lost her mind, but I really don't give a "bleep" as to what anyone thinks. And when men turn their heads when I walk by, they know not "how" I got to look "hot" as some put it, but I DO!!! Often other runners will run right by my side asking "what are you doing and why are you doing that?" Boy do I love it when someone takes courages to ask my this!!! I end up turning off my i-pod (such a sacrifice I tell you!!!) and will literally train them while I run. They all are dieing when I do this because my methods will challenge the hell out of your legs and heart! They struggle hoping I'll place them back in the traditional run. Ha, yeah right! : )

I also do YOGA.




If you are a runner or biker, it is so important to STRETCH your muscles!!!! Yoga not only helps me to do this, but it also keeps me my mind balanced. Yoga humbles me like no tomorrow. I can run forever and do all crazy things in an isolated football field but when I am at a yoga class WOW, I am taken back by how little I can do there. Yoga teaches you to utilize your breath to the maximum potential. Yoga also defines your muscles. Ever seen a long time yogi chic? Tell me she's not hot looking!!! Women who do yoga look beautiful. They are toned but not in a way that is over done. They still look feminine and beautiful.


I run on average 2-3x a week (I can't run long distances due to my knee, but if my knees were strong - I'd definitely be a marathon runner!)

I do yoga just about every other day (even if I can't make it to the Yoga Den, I will always do yoga immediately after a run!).

- OVERALL -

Eating raw gives you LIFE because you are eating LIVE foods. It keeps your skin looking better and believe it or not, it reverses to clock. You become younger!!!

If you don't believe me take a look at some before photos when I was VEGAN (and I thought being a vegan was extreme and super healthy - boy was I misinformed)

BEFORE...
(click on the image to enlarge - yikes, this is humbling for you all to see my face so up close!)

AFTER!!
(click on the image to enlarge - now look at the huge difference)
(sorry for the crazy outfit, it was my halloween costume - I had to put together a last minute costume so I came out with being a prisoner girl - hey why not be a sexy one!)



Just my face alone looks YOUNGER and more ALIVE, VIBRANT and GLOWLY!


Don't you SEE a difference!!!

Ok, for all you jealous women out there (ha ha), THIS CAN BE YOU TOO!!! I do go out about my day dressed nicely...ok even "very nice" this is not to make other women HATE me, it is to motivate and inspire them to get off their couches, to stop eating horrible foods so that not only will they LOOK great too but FEEL great as well.

I AM ON A MISSION TO HELP AS MANY WOMEN AS I CAN!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

So, lets get over our fears of not being able to "do it" and lets just DO IT! Eat RAW, I CHALLENGE YOU TO DO IT! But I do want to warn you...

WATCH OUT, you will experience some AMAZING things with your body. And you will turn heads! (hey that's not such a bad thing!)

much love,

Darice