Jason Short is a raw foodist from the Greater Vancouver Region I’ve been lucky to befriend. He kindly allowed me to ask him some questions about about his motivation for, and transition to, a raw food diet. Here is the first part of the interview:
M.E.B.: This past year you changed to a raw food diet like myself. What kind of diet did you have before and what was your motivation for trying the raw food lifesytle?
J.S.: My diet before I went raw was pretty meat and carb heavy. I’m a bit of a gym nut, and I had always tied weight increase (at least for my body type… predisposed to slender) to a more positive self-image. When I was told about what raw food can do for your energy levels and health, I immediatly decided to give it a shot. It turns out my reasons for eating the way I did, and the way I do, were the same, boosting my physical performance. It was just a matter of timing and information that changed my diet.
M.E.B.: It’s my understanding that you are an avid soccer player. Has the change in diet actually helped your physical performance, both in the gym and on the soccer field as you had hoped? Specifically, how has your performance improved/suffered as a result of eating a raw plant-based diet?
J.S.: My cardio improved right away, and I can go for longer, more intense workouts, which have all helped my soccer training. During games I feel a lot sharper, and have more jump and tenacity. In terms of soccer, it is a hands down improvement in all areas. My gym performance was a bit worrysome in the beginning. For the early stages of the diet, I lost some strength and weight, but I am quickly approaching my previous lifting ability, and now I have more endurance, and in my opinion, greater potential. My weight is also creeping up again as I refine my diet to match my lifestyle.
M.E.B: I noticed the same — I think my initial loss of a little strength was reallyjust the result of not having as much weight to use as leverage. Other than athletic performance, which was your main motivating factor for trying out a plant-based raw food diet, what other effects, both positive and negative, have you noticedas a result of your change in diet?
J.S.: Other than athletic performance? To be honest that really was the driving factor, but I did gain another as I went along. The more I’ve learned about processed foods, pollution, contamination, pesticides, and the people that keep them going, the more I want to avoid anything to do with them. Eating only raw food takes care of a big percentage of that in one step.
A big positive effect (blew me away really) was my skin cleared up and looked really healthy. I’ve had acne problems since I was a teenager, and have spent gobs of money on skin care products that were frustratingly ineffective, not to mention expensive. The skin clearing effect caused me to shift my thinking about “beauty” products. I don’t put anything I can’t eat on my body now. Negative effects? Nothing internal, but it has been a strain on my social life. It’s much harder to go out knowing that there are very limited options if you get hungry. Basically you have to pack a lunch/dinner/snack wherever you go, and anyone you happen to eat with is understandably curious about it. It’s usually the start of a conversation that I’ve probably had a hundred times, explaining why I’m eating this way. Sometimes my explanations are received poorly. Lately I try and avoid the topic unless the person seems open-minded.
