Jenna Norwood

In part one of Food and Mood: Losing 100 Pounds, we told you of my experience with raw and living foods. Now we want to tell you about Supercharge Me: 30 Days Raw, the intriguing, award-winning documentary by Jenna Norwood. It shows her experience as she goes through a 30 day raw-food detox.

Before we begin our interview with Jenna, a warm, delightful woman with an incredible zest for life, we want to mention that we do not advocate a raw food diet or any other diet for anyone — we are not nutritionists and we do not know your individual physical and mental health backgrounds. However, there is ample evidence that though there are a variety of healthy ways to eat out there, and though many of them have some nutritional flaws, including raw and living foods diets, incorporating more living and raw foods in your diet is a good choice for many.

We also want to say: Food is not, and should not be, a religion. Maimonides, Hippocrates and many other great thinkers both Western and Eastern have long recognized that food is the cause of many disease as well as the cure for many disease, but stress, genetics, hygiene, exposure, spiritual, and other factors also have a role to play.

We may be able to take control of the way we eat, but we all have to recognize that we do not have final say on our health or the length of our lives. Aveline Kushi, a macrobiotic superstar and the wife of the founder of modern American macrobiotics, died of cancer at 78. Ann Wigmore the founder of the raw/living foods movement died of smoke inhalations from a fire at her health institute, at 84.

Also, despite our own delight at the personal benefits we have experienced by including a large percentage of raw, living, and superfoods in our diet, the science shows that some foods, such as tomatoes, release important nutritional components when cooked. In fact, the amount of absorbable beta-carotene in carrots and other foods jumps when cooked, though the vitamin C content diminishes.

Also, Chinese medicine and Ayurveda advocate the use of some raw foods during illnesses of certain classifications, but primarily advocate the use of cooked foods.

Still, we wanted to share with you Jenna Norwoods’s story (and our own), because just paying attention to the way we eat and eliminating the worst offenders (sugar, transfats, and large amounts of sodium), does help with energy and mood.

We asked Jenna to start by telling us a bit about her background and why she decided to change the way she eats. Welcome, Jenna.

My journey toward supercharged health was inspired by many factors,  including an apparently superficial one. I got a sudden wake-up call  when I tried on a showgirl costume for Halloween. I was shocked and  immediately depressed by my reflection. I wasn’t obese, but was nowhere close to showgirl shape. I had been a model and dancer in my  past, so this was an unfamiliar view of myself. I had been very occupied with work and taking care of my elderly grandmother. My lifestyle and eating habits had deteriorated  gradually, as did my health, and the weight gain was a symptom of that.  At the time, I didn’t know how to turn it around.

We loved your film which is a really honest look at the hard work it took to “turn it around.” Can you describe how a raw and living food diet has made an impact on you both physically and emotionally? Did you notice any overt changes to your mood?

I feel so blessed to have discovered the healing power of Mother Nature, which was cleverly hiding right under my nose all the time.  The raw and living lifestyle has had a dramatic impact on my life;  mind, body, and spirit.

The first 30 days, which are documented in my  film, “Supercharge Me! 30 Days Raw” were the most dramatic. During that time, chronic aches and pains disappeared, my blurry vision cleared up, my sleep improved, my energy level increased, my mood elevated, my spiritual connection strengthened (at the end of the film Jenna is shown attending a church service), my mental function improved,  my cholesterol dropped 50 points and I released 15 lbs. of excess weight.  Specifically relating to mood, I had a heightened sense of  well-being and a much better outlook on my future.

We were impressed with the noticeable changes; you seemed so much more vibrant and upbeat. Also, very excited about the improvements to your vision and obviously your mood.

Do you have any anecdotal evidence from friends or family or others  about improvements to mood with a raw food diet?

There is ample anecdotal evidence on the Web of people sharing their testimonials about the benefits they experienced when they  shifted to a plant-based diet. It’s nearly impossible to get through all the stories of people with a multitude of health challenges who conquered them by getting back to nature with the way they eat. Some common results, for just about everyone I have encountered, have been a happier disposition, a more positive attitude, a clear sense  of purpose and excitement about the future.

Yes, if you Google raw food or do a search for it on Youtube you can see and hear some amazing stories. The increase in energy and in simply feeling physically better definitely seems to help people feel better about themselves, more positive and more hopeful.

Comments

This post currently has 3 comments/trackbacks.
You can read the comments or leave your own thoughts.

Trackbacks

From Psych Central's website:
Tweets that mention Food and Mood: Losing 15 Pounds in 21 Days | Therapy Soup -- Topsy.com (May 9, 2010)

Cuisinart Dlc-10s | Cookie Bakeware (May 10, 2010)

    Last reviewed: 9 May 2010