Hi there! My name is Jessica, I am a 30 yr old woman from Alberta, Canada, with auburn hair and (possibly) green eyes. I am moving to British Columbia at the end of the month and am looking for new ways to connect with others of like interests as well as further my involvement in a lifestyle that has completely transformed me over the past 6 years. Despite having eaten raw plant and animal foods for a long time, I have never felt prompted to join a forum before--I thought I could gain what knowledge I needed from books and then experiment about the rest. This idea was challenged for the first time when I noticed your thread about iris colour change. After several new acquaintances surprised me over the past year by complimenting my "green eyes" I noticed that my eyes, which have been a definite chestnut brown from childhood, have shifted to a distinctly greenish hazel. I was quite shocked when I searched "iris colour change" online and discovered that many other people have experienced a similar effect eating this way--when I first began eating raw foods in 2008 I had never heard of such a phenomena. I have always personally loved green eyes, so I am quite excited to see if my eyes will brighten any more, and I am curious as to how to maximize the effect through my dietary choices (especially whether meat intake is a significant factor in this). Overall though, my goal is to live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible, with other neat side-effects remaining periphery--I would never choose green eyes over optimal health!
I grew up on a Ukrainian-heritage SAD diet (which turned me into a 200-pound perogy by my late teens). After struggling with an eating disorder in high school and fluctuating drastically in weight throughout my first stint at university, I decided to learn about how to feed my body properly and began working in the health food industry. I began to switch over to a cooked organic omnivorous diet with (so-called) whole-food supplements, which did make some improvements to my health, but the more I learned the more I began to gravitate away from supplements and toward the produce department. I started my raw diet in 2008 following the raw vegan principles that I learned about in the health industry, but added a few modifications from the macrobiotic tradition, particularly ferments (which I make at home) and fish (sashimi). At the same time, I began feeding my cat a raw meat diet.
In 2009, I moved to Vancouver Island and lost my source for my cat's locally prepared raw food. I began making my cat’s food from scratch out of fresh beef and elk, and also immediately began to experience strong urges to eat the raw (muscle) meat before adding the organ meats and bone meal powder, etc. when preparing it, which I did about once a month. I did some research online, discovered that other people eat raw meat and survive :O, and began to incorporate some raw meat into my diet (in 2010). I only lived on the island for about a year before returning to Alberta to go back to school, but I continued to make home-made cat food and consume raw meat myself.
I began by eating raw red meat (grass-fed anti-biotic-free or wild) about once per month and increased my sashimi intake from once every few months to 2-4 times per month. I now find that I feel best when I eat meat at least a few times per month. I have been adding an increasing frequency of raw meat and fish over the past 4 years, so that I now generally eat some animal food every 2-4 days. My experiments with raw dairy have been disappointing, generally leaving me feeling sick and phlegmy, with an immediately noticeable increase in ear wax production (within minutes) and a rash that develops all over my torso over the next 12 to 24 hours (if I consume more than a tiny garnish-sized amount). I have had better results with raw goat cheese, but eat it only rarely because of the high expense, difficulty to procure in my area, and my decrease in craving for dairy over time.
I used to get frequent and intense colds and throat infections but have only twice been sick for longer than a day in the 6 years since going raw (once with a cold that lasted 4 days and once with pneumonia, which lasted 3 weeks). I now feel that I am in excellent overall health, and although I am still working on toning my body, have attained a healthy and stable weight. I have no (or extremely minimal) lingering problems with self-esteem or making social connections, and I am not tempted to engage in any self-destructive eating behaviours as long as I stick to raw foods. I am also interested in and working on other areas of personal development in order to live a fulfilling life, but know that my diet is the foundation for living a good life for many years to come. I feel that it is part of my calling and social duty to live life well in all aspects, as I am a professional role model (elementary and jr. high schoolteacher).
I still eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, with some nuts and seeds, and I use raw honey as my sweetener. I have tried eating a primarily meat based diet for a few days at a time, but quickly feel too hot (I do crave and eat more meat during the winter months) and start to have skin breakouts and smellier digestion and body odour if I eat meat much more than once daily or every few days. However, when I do eat meat, I usually eat a lot of it--perhaps if I ate smaller amounts more often I would also feel well. I definitely feel most energetic and clean-burning when I eat a lot of home-made fermented foods (several times daily): sourkraut, kimchi, and kombucha being my favourites.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know me. I greatly look forward to sharing with and learning from all of you!
Have an amazing day!
-J
PS. I have tried to attach a pic of me as a kid, one from 2012, and a close up of my eyes from a day or two ago. I'm not sure if the file sizes will be allowed, but I hope it works because the eye colour change is pretty noticable.
