Andrea McMahon
Andrea McMahon
Raw Food Workshop Facilitator
When Raw Miracles Happen...
“Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now.” The AA Big Book, Chapter 5.
My raw story starts way back when I was about five years old, when I first was exposed to the Raw Food Diet and then the story takes me through years of abusive eating on my part until the day when I decided to go permanently raw. Going permanently raw changed my life so dramatically on all levels. Emotionally, physically and spiritually I have a new exciting life.
I was bought up in a Seventh Day Adventist vegetarian family and my parents were both interested in health. My Father used to run marathons and loved eating fruit but he also loved bread, cheese and tomato sandwiches, don’t forget the lashings of butter. My Mother lost lots of weight after she had me so her health was not what it should have been either. At one stage mum went on a cleansing diet from a lady called Mrs Snook. Mrs Snook was essentially putting people on the raw diet with great results but she did not advocate the raw diet as a permanent lifestyle change. Mum worked for Mrs Snook and I got to see a glimpse of the raw food diet way back when I was five. So I have been working up to being a raw food advocate most of my life.
When it came to eating badly I started young. Mum would give me quite a bit of money for lunch and I would buy junk instead of something good for me. Otherwise I ate the standard diet of the time with a vegetarian twist. Adventist food relies heavily on processed fake meat products and everything is cooked. When I married my first husband we ate little food at all but what we did eat it was based on white bread and cheese. I would go to my mother’s house to get a decent Adventist feed. When I married my seconds husband I learned how to eat McDonald and lashings of chips and don’t forget plenty of pasta and a chocolate block or two for desert. Well, did I stack on the weight. By this time I had five children and no energy reserves which only kept this detrimental cycle going.
12 years before I finally went raw I had learned more about the raw food diet from a wonderful couple in the US. At this time I did go raw for about 10 days. Well I must admit this just about killed me. The cravings I got were intense and I had no one around, at the time, who understood what was happening to me and could give me some advice on what to do. More to the point it was such a foreign concept that I didn’t listen to the people who knew about detox etc. So I went off the diet. That was it for years until I decided to up my raw food intake by eating one good thing with one bad thing. i.e. grapes and cheese or cucumber and dip. I did lose some weight and gain some energy but it was too easy to fall back into the bad habits of consuming chips, pizza etc. I did this over and over again for years.
Years later again I started to go to AA to fix my “Alcoholism” developed in my second marriage. I found out I wasn’t an alcoholic but a foodaholic. I was addicted to the sugar in the alchopops I drank. The education I received at AA was invaluable. Two aspects of AA were instrumental in getting me on the raw food diet. 1. Looking to a higher power than myself, because on my own I felt unable to make the change. 2. Don’t have the first bite. This was hard because what do you do, not eat anything? But I finally figured it out I needed to draw a line between foods I can eat and foods I can’t. This is where the raw diet makes the rules easy, anything Raw Vegan you can eat full stop.
Once I made the decision to go raw I still struggled to make it happen. I had permanently stopped some of the detrimental foods I was eating but couldn’t quite get the transition done. Then the universe stepped in and gave me the boost I needed.
I received an email from one of my Father’s employees in the US saying how worried he was about my Father’s health. Within three days I was in the US and put my father on the diet straight away and ever since I put my foot on the runway at the Farmington Airfield I have been essentially raw.
I have a new life. After being on the raw diet for two years it is time to redefine what my diet is but the raw food diet is still the best thing I have ever done for myself. I now have the energy I need, I can think so much clearer and my life is now on track to help others with their health problems.
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Testimonials:
Since meeting Andrea, I now try and incorporate raw foods into my diet as much as possible and as a consequence I feel more energised, motivated, healthier and happier. Andrea’s classes will be a great way to understand more about the benefits of raw food as well as learn how to make some delicious raw recipes. ~Tanya Maidment, Perth, WA