Tony White

why did you decide to eat differently

Beginning when I was about 16 years old, I began modifying my diet. After reading "Diet for a Small Planet" I replaced red meat with other dishes and didn't feel as sleepy after eating. I later replaced chicken and then fish and then dairy with nuts, seeds and avocados (in addition to grains, fruits and vegetables).

Beginning somewhat later, I started introducing more and more live/raw foods into my diet, based on reading Gabriel Cousens, Viktoras Kulvinskas and Ann Wigmore and experiencing increased energy. After a fruit smoothie with soaked almonds, I would feel nourished but not tired. After eating a salad with sunflower sprouts, avocados, etc. I would feel nourished, light and refreshed. I tried eating 100% raw about 8 years ago and found that I would lose more weight then I wanted to. Also at that time there was not the same level of information widely available. Therefore, I went to eating about 50% raw.

In January 2001 I got a "cold". My pattern was to get a cold every 6 months or so. The symptoms that I would get felt remarkably similar to what I felt after eating cooked food. For example, after a meal of fresh vegetable juice followed by brown rice and tofu, I would get the common reaction of being tired and having a scratchy throat. This matched up well with the descriptions of digestive leukocytosis, the increase of white blood cells reacting to a foreign substance in the body.

how long have you been eating this way

Armed with the new information available more recently and supported by the increase of live/raw food eaters that we have today I made the transition to being close to 100% raw as of January 2001

do you feel differently

Digestion is easier, breathing is easier as sinuses are clear and my mental clarity is perhaps increased. My body fat percentage stays low which forces me keep my muscles in shape as there is no hiding.

I have had some problems with my teeth which I ascribe to eating too high a percentage of fruit. I have been decreasing fruit, increasing greens, sea vegetables, vitamin and mineral supplementation. I have in the last 2 weeks experimented with eating a small amount of raw animal rennet-free cheese to see what effect it has on me.

how do you eat and live now

For now, I am 99+% raw. I also just ordered a food processor, a nut/coffee grinder and some other kitchen equipment. I plan to experiment with a wider range of live foods, including sprouted grain and dishes that incorporate more sea vegetables and spices.

I work as a computer consultant, primarily designing custom systems to run a variety of businesses, using the FileMaker database program as the tool. In March of 2002 I started building a web site http://www.live-food.com/ that has many of its pages generated from FileMaker.

what are your plans for the future

To be as healthy as I can, to learn as much as I can and to participate in building a healthier world through by web site and participation in the local (NYC area) community.

what message would you like others to see

Pay close attention to how changes in diet are affecting you. Make sure that you are getting plenty of minerals and vitamins and EFAs. Listen to many of the sources of advice that are out there and reflect on what is true for you.

There is lots of information out there - much of it conflicting. There is also a wide range of biological individuality. Each of us is unique, which probably helps to account for the conflicting information that we hear. Stay tuned into what is true for you and you body.

And remember to maintain a positive attitude!

how can other people help you

Meditate on peace and love and express it in your actions, words and thoughts.

Studies have shown that our thoughts can affect people for good or for ill from a distance. So if you have some extra positive thoughts left over, feel free to send them my way!

Thanks.

Stay lively,