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I Tried Raw ‘Till 4

Regina De La Pena Student Contributor, California Lutheran University
Cal Lutheran Contributor Student Contributor, California Lutheran University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cal Lutheran chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Photo Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Many people have never heard of raw ‘till 4. Raw ‘till 4 is a raw vegan diet until four o’clock where you are then able to eat cooked foods such as rice, quinoa, beans, or pasta. I have been vegan for ten years and I would consider myself somewhat healthy. I would always find myself snacking on unhealthy vegan food, so I decided to try something different. I heard of the raw ‘till 4 vegan lifestyle from watching Youtube videos and from attending some vegan festivals but I always thought it was too extreme for me.  

Day one of raw ‘till 4 was overall not that difficult. For breakfast I had a lot of fruit and I snacked on seeds and nuts throughout the day. Overall I found myself with a lot more energy. I wasn’t going to Starbucks for coffee to get me through class, and I wasn’t starving either. At night when I was able to eat something cooked, I decided to prepare quinoa which was great and filling. By day seven I found myself eating the same things, it’s like I had gotten myself into a routine, and I found what I liked and what works. I also didn’t crave that cooked meal at four so I decided to eat eat a raw vegan diet that entire night. Now I am not sure if me not wanting a cooked meal was because I was to lazy to cook or because my body has gotten used to the raw vegan diet. Now I am on day fourteen and am mostly still following the raw ‘till 4 lifestyle with occasional days where I just eat a raw vegan diet. Photo Courtesy of Pixabay.com

What I have learned from this experience is there is a lot more to eat besides the processed foods I used to gravitate to in the grocery stores. This has also encouraged me to try other fruits and vegetables and has saved me time in the mornings because I don’t have to prepare breakfast; I can just grab fruit and a handful of nuts and I am ready to go.  

I understand that the raw ‘till four lifestyle might for others be an extreme leap and a complete change of diet, but from what I have found, this extreme change has been an overall positive experience and a great cleanse. This lifestyle has been a learning experience and something that I have decided to continue.

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