A journey back to ancestral eating patterns that restored my energy, clarity, and joy
As a homeschooling mother of two, writer, and AI engineer, I’ve worn many hats over the years—and carried the weight of them all. Despite living what I considered a “healthy” vegan lifestyle for 15 years, I found myself increasingly battling burnout, depression, and a persistent lethargy that seemed to shadow me through my days.
“I thought I was eating healthy—until I went raw.”
My partner, a vegan chef who has always been my anchor in our family’s wellness journey, suggested we try something radical: a completely raw food diet. Though I was hesitant, I knew something needed to change. Despite our long-standing veganism, I no longer felt the vibrancy and clarity that initially drew me to plant-based eating.
The truth became increasingly obvious: many of the vegan staples filling our pantry—wheat products, processed soy, and their countless derivatives—were silently disrupting my digestive system. What had once been healing had slowly morphed into its own form of heaviness.
I won’t sugarcoat it: the first week was challenging. My body protested the absence of coffee and familiar comfort foods with migraine headaches that made me question the entire experiment. But something remarkable happened midweek—the fog began to lift.
The headaches subsided, replaced by unexpected bursts of energy that carried me through my demanding days. Most surprisingly, I found myself naturally waking after just four hours of sleep, feeling more refreshed than I had after eight hours before. My morning routine transformed from a sluggish struggle to an energized flow.
About a week and a half into my raw journey, I faced the dilemma many families committed to sustainability encounter—leftover food that would otherwise go to waste. With my children still eating cooked meals, I rationalized that a single cup of homemade gumbo with a half cup of brown rice wouldn’t set me back significantly.
That decision became my most powerful teacher.
After consuming that small portion of cooked food, I experienced what I can only describe as a complete energy collapse. From 2 PM until 8 PM, I was practically unconscious, my body shutting down to process what had previously been my normal fare. The contrast was startling and undeniable—what I had accepted as “normal” tiredness had actually been my body’s desperate attempt to process foods that weren’t serving it.
That bowl of gumbo delivered clarity no health book ever could: my body was speaking, and now I was finally listening.
RELATED: Is Raw Food The Healthiest Diet of All or Does it Go Too Far?
As I committed to the raw path for the next two weeks, completing a full three-week journey, the transformation deepened. Yes, I lost weight—something many might focus on—but the physical changes paled compared to the internal shifts.
My gut microbiome showed signs of profound healing, reflected in newfound mental clarity and emotional steadiness. I discovered reservoirs of energy for bonding with my children, engaging in physical movement, and pursuing creative projects that had previously seemed impossible to tackle after fulfilling my work obligations.
One misconception about raw eating is that it’s all carrot sticks and apple slices. With my partner’s culinary expertise, our meals became vibrant celebrations that honored ancestral eating patterns while satisfying modern palates.
Our raw menu included:
– Raw vegan pizza with sprouted buckwheat crust
– Buckwheat porridge with homemade yogurt and fresh fruits
– Pizza pockets wrapped in coconut rolls
– Raw sushi with walnut “meat” and seaweed wraps
– Stuffed avocados with seasoned walnut filling and cultured cashew cheese
– Mustard and arugula salads offering natural peppery flavor
– Raw samosas with vegetable filling
– Young coconut water (later transformed into probiotic-rich yogurt)
– Raw apple pie with a nut-based crust
RELATED: 5 Benefits Of Raw Foods & Juicing
Perhaps most surprising was how quickly my taste preferences realigned. By week three, my palate had undergone its own revolution—suddenly even mildly processed foods tasted overwhelmingly sweet or greasy. My body wasn’t just accommodating this new way of eating; it was actively requesting it.
For Black women especially, reclaiming our relationship with fresh, unprocessed foods connects us with ancestral wisdom that preceded colonization and industrialized food systems. Many health challenges disproportionately affecting our community—hypertension, diabetes, inflammatory conditions—respond powerfully to this return to whole, living foods.
This isn’t about adopting another restrictive diet trend. It’s about remembering that before processed food became normalized, our ancestors thrived on fresh, seasonal foods that supported vibrant health and energy.
If you’re curious about experiencing some of these benefits without committing to going fully raw, consider:
– Beginning with one raw meal daily, perhaps breakfast with a fruit-rich smoothie bowl
– Adding large raw salads alongside your regular cooked meals
– Experimenting with raw snacks like vegetable sticks with guacamole or nut dips
– Replacing one cooked meal with a raw alternative each week, gradually expanding your raw repertoire
– Follow @kingsapron on Instagram, Chef Zu is a nutritionist who is sharing raw foods and ideas and is working on a cookbook. The content is engaging, and beautiful and the meals are sustainable and easy to create.
– Invest in yourself and purchase a raw cookbook, so many people around the world are sharing their ideas just for us to tap into a raw diet.
RELATED: Foods You Never Eat Raw
As I move beyond my initial three-week experiment, I’m not viewing this as a rigid “diet” but as a reconnection with how my body is designed to be nourished. I’m listening now, attuned to the immediate feedback my body provides after each meal.
Some days might include small amounts of cooked foods, but the foundation of living, enzyme-rich raw plants has become my new normal—not from a place of restriction but from experiencing the profound difference in how I feel.
For a busy mother balancing multiple roles, this newfound energy and clarity isn’t just nice—it’s revolutionary. And it came not from another productivity hack or supplement, but from the simplest act of all: changing what’s on my plate.
Would you try a raw food reset? Have you experienced similar benefits from changing your diet? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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