Kirk Mimi - Raw-vitalize: the easy, 21-day raw food recharge

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO NEED A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THEMSELVES CONTENT PART ONE

THE BASICS PART TWO

THE 21-DAY PLAN PART THREE

THE RECIPES Mimi Kirk I was born in 1938. Im the mother of four children and the grandmother of seven. At the age of seventy, I became a public figure when I was voted The Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50 in a nationwide contest conducted by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). This led to my first book deal, for Live Raw, and Ive since written three more (including this one). Ive been a vegetarian/vegan for the better part of forty years. In my mid sixties, I met my current boyfriend and started cooking what he liked to eat, which was the standard American diet.

Since we ate together, it made sense when I joined him in some of the foods. The next thing I knew, I had put on twenty-two pounds and did not feel as well as I was used to feeling. An annual physical check up confirmed my blood pressure and cholesterol were high. To make matters worse, for several months I had arthritic pains in my joints. When my doctor informed me it was age related and handed me a prescription, I was aghast. My familys health history included cancer, heart failure, strokes, diabetes, leukemia, and Parkinsons.

They were all on prescription medicationshandfuls, it seemed to me. I didnt want to follow in those footsteps. That was a wake-up call. I wondered if it was, as the doctor said, age related, and if there truly was nothing I could do about it beyond fill the prescription. Something told me not to start taking anything until I could find a better way to cure myself. I left my doctors office and without delay started researching whether natural approaches could cure what ailed me.

Article after article showed that a plant-based diet of raw food could cure many different illnesses and diseases. I was used to eating a plant-based diet most of my life, but raw? On one hand I was happy to discover raw food cures, but on the other, I wasnt so happy. Id always considered myself a lover of food and a good cook to boot, and the prospect of eating carrot sticks and celery did not appeal to me. In those early days, the raw food lifestyle seemed to still be in its infancy, but as I learned through these articles, raw food options had been around for many years. My research convinced me to give raw food a try. I thought there might be a way to continue my love of eating delicious foods while on a healing raw food diet.

I called my youngest daughter, Mia, hoping she would come along on the ride for moral support. The timing could not have been better for her, so together we embarked on a raw food journey. We decided to juice and eat raw food for a couple of weeks and see how we felt. To be honest, many of the online recipes I found didnt live up to my taste bud standards. A little disappointed, I started to adapt traditional cooked foods I loved into raw food recipes. This was when I realized how delicious raw food could be.

I was mesmerized. Thinly sliced zucchini emerged as lasagna noodles. Sundried and heirloom tomatoes, blended with herbs and spices, metamorphosed into a delicious uncooked red sauce. Basil pesto was creamy goodness even without the cheese. Fermented cashew nuts gave the zucchini lasagna a cheesy taste. I can honestly say food never tasted so good.

I felt I was onto some futuristic way of eating. The food was tasty and, best of all, I started to feel more energetic. I thought I looked a little younger as well. Mia told me she was having the same results. After eating raw vegan for two weeks, I decided to make this my lifestyle. I was feeling good and creating some good food in the process.

Six months later, my doctors visit confirmed my choice: my blood pressure and cholesterol were normal and my arthritic pain was nonexistent. Since then, Ive written Live Raw, Live Raw Around the World, and The Ultimate Book of Modern Juicing. I trained to be a raw food plant-based chef at Matthew Kennys Culinary Academy. Im an internationally known speaker, coach, and consultant, and I teach raw food preparation classes. In addition to my many speaking engagements, I have a YouTube channel where I show my audience how to prepare raw food dishes, and it has been viewed by millions. I specialize in adapting traditionally cooked dishes into easy raw vegan meals. Mia Kirk White At the age of twelve, I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. Mia Kirk White At the age of twelve, I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis.

This, along with growing up in a vegetarian household, started my interest in nutritional healing and bodywork. When my mother called me and suggested we try a raw food diet together, I was happy to start down this road. Now I consider myself a raw food chef and teach classes on healing with whole foods. I believe in the innate healing power of the body through whole foods and positive thinking. Like most women attempting to balance family and work, I spent numerous years struggling with my weight. At one point in my life, I had clothes sizes 8 through 16 in my closet.

I tried every diet on the market, losing a few pounds and then gaining them back as soon as I stopped starving myself. I was on an emotional weight rollercoaster and I feared I would never get off. I realized that every time I made unhealthy dietary choices, my arthritis would act up. My joints stiffened, my stomach bloated, and my overall energy was low. I thought I lost my inner glow. When I changed my diet to include more raw food, I felt so much better.