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From FAT to FIT
Executive Director at RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, 63-year old BL Chandak's story is truly inspirational. Read on to find how he made the shift from a vegetarian to plant based diet and how adopting a raw lifestyle has proved truly transformational for him.
I am a born vegetarian and have always led an active lifestyle with regular exercising and outdoor activities. Yet, I was overweight and had health issues like hypertension and elevated creatinine levels (a more recent acquisition). I was advised life-long medicines.
In 2012, inspired by my daughter Kavita and my friend Anil Narang, I turned 90% vegan. I got the opportunity to attend Dr Nandita Shah’s seven-day programme and I followed that up with Dr Shah’s three-week health retreat in June 2018 where she spoke about the benefits of raw diet and cited the example of Victoria Butenko who changed her life by just adopting a raw diet. Inspired, I switched to a 100% raw diet. Now, all my foods are sugar and oil free, and comprise lots of salads, green smoothies, berries, beans and seeds. I have also been to the Prakriti Shakti Wellness centre to discover more wonders of the raw diet.
My journey in the last eight months has been phenomenal. I reduced my weight from 80.1 kgs to 68 kgs, my waistline from 40 inches to 32 inches, and my creatinine level to 1.49 from 2.08. My BP remains stable at 120/80 and my medicines have been stopped.
The transformation is incredible. I feel more energetic, clock 10K marathons in 100 minutes, sleep without snoring, and travel world-wide with no change in my diet. My body fat and protein levels are just perfect. My key takeaway from this personal journey is my conviction that controlling hunger is the first element of self-discipline. If we can control hunger, we can control anything.
As added bonus, I have been getting a lot of compliments on looking younger. Truly, going green is the only way to go if we are to safeguard ourselves from diseases and live a fuller life.
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Raw Carrot Halwa
Rest assured, raw carrot halwa tastes even better than the cooked version! Its delicious and crunchy, and magically melts in your mouth. Highly recommended!
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrot, unpeeled, grated
- 1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
- raisins (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- slivered almonds for garnish
Method
Mix the grated carrots and coconut together. Add the cardamom powder and raisins. Using your fingertips, knead the dates into the carrot mixture. Serve garnished with slivered almonds.
Serves 2-3
Food for the mind
FACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUP
If you love Facebook, then join us to be supported on your plant based journey. Since 1 January, 2016, we have been offering three possibilities
1. SHARAN India This is SHARAN's main Facebook page which you can like and follow for getting useful daily updates and news from the plant based health world. You will also get news about the latest SHARAN events, see testimonials, and more.
2. SHARAN's Vegan Support Group This is an open support group to know more about vegan/plant-based lifestyle. Here you can ask questions and share inspiring stories, tips, recipes, etc.
3. SHARAN's Plant Powered Health This is the new group only for the past attendees of SHARAN's events: seminars, cooking classes, retreats or longer programs.
All our doctors and presenters will be here to answer your questions and give you tips. If you have attended our events join this group to be a part of our family.
Please like the main SHARAN page and join the group(s) applicable to you.
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Add Up the Raw!
Raw foods are live foods, bundled up with nutrition and energy. The moment we cook our food, we change its chemistry and its nutrition component, apart from stressing out our digestion system. Have you noticed how light you feel after eating fruit or a raw salad as opposed to a cooked meal?
While the ultimate goal is going fully raw, which is actually a spiritual process and will take time to adopt, its good to gently and steadily increase the raw intake in our diet. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are considered raw. Considering 25% as each of your meal – breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner – calculate your current percentage of raw intake. Now set a practical goal on the raw percentage that you wish to achieve.
Here are some tips to help you reach your goal…
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1. Read up on the benefits of going raw
The more we educate ourselves the more it is easier to be on the path. Watch videos of people who have gone raw, they will inspire you.
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2. Understand why YOU are doing it
It could be energy gain, weight loss or just being healthy. Once you figure out your purpose, it will be easy to act on it.
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3. Avoid animal products
Dairy, meat and honey are not meant for us, so let's just stick to what nature has intended for us to consume.
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4. Look up recipes
You will be amazed at the variety of things that can be rustled up when you go raw. We make excellent Thai curry, rice, pasta, pizzas, chocolate mousse, ice-cream and even carrot halwa raw!
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5. Stock it all up!
Visit the organic farmers’ markets and stock up on the amazing produce that nature has on offer. Although you can even order in, its only when you personally see and shop for yourself will you get the chance to learn about the bountiful options.
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6. Let breakfast be raw
Eating breakfast like a king is about eating the highest quality of foods available. Only fruits make the cut of being completely wholesome and nutritious. So start your day with a large glass of green smoothie. If you feel hungry again, simply grab a fruit!
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7. Start your lunch and dinner with a salad
This makes you eat less of the cooked. Even when you dine out, ensure you order a salad.
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8. Soak a bean every night
For the evening snack craving, mix your beans (cooked or sprouted) with a lot of vegetables, nuts and even chutneys that are usually raw.
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9. Set a goal
Either decide to go raw one whole day in a week or maybe one meal in a day.
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10. Eat as much as you want
That’s the beauty when you pursue raw; there are no restrictions! However, nature is so amazing – it never lets us overeat when we eat raw.
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