Vegans Are Cool

Freelee is a raw vegan athlete who hosts several websites which aim to inspire and educate people about the raw food lifestyle. Freelee recently shared with us some of that knowledge and inspiration.

1. What are the health benefits of following a low fat raw vegan diet?   What are the beauty benefits?

* Clear skin, great digestion, increased energy and endurance, quick recovery from exercise, brings candida back to balance,
weight controlled easily,heightened mental clarity and enhanced spiritual presence.

Beauty benefits…
* Clear skin, strong nails, clear eyes, attractive skin tone, smooth skin, silky hair

2. What advice would you give someone who wanted to go raw vegan but had doubts about the protein level?

I actually make sure I don’t get TOO much protein, why? Because too much protein in our bodies, especially from animal sources results in an over acidic environment forcing the body to leach calcium from the bones & teeth to ‘buffer’ the acidity. The resulting conditions are arthritis, osteoporosis, tooth-decay & cancer to name a few. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends 10% and under is more than sufficient to meet our daily protein requirements. There isn’t even a medical terminology for “protein deficiency”! (marasmus and kwashiorkor refer to caloric deficiency).

There is absolutely no need for animal products in one’s diet, plant foods contain all 8 essential amino acids required for optimal health.
Plants are the only foods eaten by elephants, horses, and hippos – do you see them having a problem growing all the muscle, bone, and tissue they need?

3. Do you have a daily fitness routine? How important do you think exercise is for optimum health?

Yes I do have a daily exercise routine, which varies depending on where I am living. Generally I run 4-5 mornings a week, ride a few times a week and maybe dance or do yoga once a week. Since being low fat raw vegan (LFRV) I have set personal bests in my running. I once rode across Australia solo on my bicycle, over 3000kms.  That taught me a thing or two!

Having a fitness routine is an absolutely vital component in achieving optimal health. When I’m having a challenge finding my personality I go out for a run. Exercise increases endorphins/enkephalins and serotonin (feel good and anti-depressant), increases immunity, oxygenates the blood/brain/whole body, improves sleep…this list goes on..

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4. Can you give our readers some tips on how to get your body! You are in top shape!

Thanks a lot. It’s pretty simple really, I eat a low fat raw vegan diet – which means my diet is 97% fruit, about 2% greens and 1% nuts/seeds. Eating this way always keeps me trim. Exercise of course plays a vital role.

I make sure I always keep my body guessing to avoid fitness plateaus. My runs are always different, sometimes I do hill sprints, other times I do runs of 15kms or more. I recommend people find a sport they love and do it regularly.

5. What is your favourite recipe?

Jaffa DateOrade . Take 15 medjool dates, soak for half hour then blend with around a litre of water and the juice of 1 orange. That’s about a 1000 calorie breakfast i have most mornings.
Mmm always hits the spot!

6. Tell us about your “30 bananas a day” concept. Do you really eat that many bananas in one day?

Yes I have regularly eaten 30 bananas in one day, I have actually even eaten up to 50 bananas a day! Here is a video about it…

The concept behind “30 bananas a day” is that this amount equals 3000 calories, which we feel is a good amount of fruit to aim to eat for success on this lifestyle. It doesn’t mean you have to eat ONLY bananas but people regularly do so for short periods of healing. Once I only ate bananas for 10 days, it’s the best I’ve ever felt in my whole life. I talk about it in detail more here…

http://sweetjuicyfreelee.com/2009/11/14/my-trip-to-banana-island/

7. Part of your work seems to be about empowering women to reclaim their health, beauty and strength. What do you see as the first step in this process?

In my experience ditching the make up has been one of the most empowering things I’ve ever done and I recommend this highly as a first step for womyn wanting to find their personal power. It may seem like a small insignificant step but it clearly isn’t when we see how difficult it is for most womyn to release attachment to their face paint. We shouldn’t cover up our beauty with corporate lies.

8. Do you think with obesity such an epidemic in the western world, that emotional eating is playing a big part in that? How do people break this cycle and free themselves?

Personally I don’t believe in “emotional eating”. If we are attracted to food in any way then our cells are hungry for nutrients.
We just need to be discerning, ditch the meat and dairy and feed our bodies a high calorie, high carb, low fat, plant-based diet then the obesity epidemic would disappear. Not only would the obesity epidemic be cured but so would the plight of our animal friends and the health of the planet.

9. Any last words of inspiration for people seeking optimum health and beauty?

Yes- meat and dairy will make you fat, slow and unattractive so this needs to go from the diet first.

Quit being a victim and take control of your life.

Each of us has the power to bring meaning to our lives, life is only meaningless if we choose it to be.

We can mould our bodies and minds into instruments of love and success but we need to be in drivers seat. Don’t let the government and corporations decide what you should wear, how you should think and what you should say.

Don’t rest until you are living your life purpose.

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Thank you Freelee for your inspirational words!

For more information about Freelee please see the following websites:

www.30bananasaday.com
www.sweetjuicyfreelee.com
www.girlgoneraw.ning.com
www.fruitapeel.ning.com