Karyn Calabrese is 74, yet she doesn't look a day over 50.She believes that the secret to her youthful demeanor and appearance lies in the powerful anti-aging properties that come from a raw vegan diet, which only comprises uncooked, natural, plant food in its whole form.

Calabrese's journey to a raw vegan diet and feeling like the best version of herself wasn'talways smooth sailing. She likes to point out that "you can't change from A to Z overnight." In her teen years, she was a meat-eater and modeled for top national magazines and commercials.In her 20sshe "fooled around with avegetarian diet" because meat-free was the thing to do back in the Peace, Love, and Anti-War 60s."I was a hippy chick living in New York, and many hippies were vegetarian," said Calabrese. Instead of getting intosex, drugs, and rock and roll, "I figured out that a veggie diet was the part worth holding onto."

Way before her time, Calabrese decided to eliminate dairy from her diet altogether and transitioned fully over to a vegan lifestyle, which she described as "easy" since she was more than halfway there as a vegetarian. In the '70s, a vegan diet was still a rarity, and there werefar fewer optionsother than soy milk, and certainly no Beyond Burgers, Impossible meats, Oatly coffee creamers, or Just Eggs.

Calabrese was in her 30s when she met a naturopath and raw food advocate who would change her life. Calabrese learned from the research and experiences of Dr. Ann Wigmore, that many of the nutrients in foods get diminished by cooking, and so she decided tomake the switch from a vegan diet to become afullyrawvegan approach. Just a few days into eating the dried fruits, leafy green vegetables, nuts, and seeds required when you go raw vegan, Calabrese felt she was destined to eat this way for the rest of her life. "Humans are the only animals on the planet that cook our food," she says now.

Calabreseexplained that since adopting a raw vegan diet she has never felt better. "I have the same body measurements asI did when I was 18 years old, I completely cleared up my skin, I treated my constipation problems, and I have tons of energy, even though I sleep just four hours every night."

ForCalabrese, there is no turning back, she's been a raw vegan for 40 years and continues to take care of her "greatest machine," her body. In 2000 she opened the very first raw vegan food restaurant in Chicago and added an upscale twistto the then-not-so-popular cuisine with a sophisticated ambiance, elevating raw food to a new level. Through her successes, Calabresestarred on TheOprah Winfrey Show, which expanded her brand and network. Since then, she's launched her own cookbook: Soak Your Nuts, and awebsiteto educate others about natural living foods.

The Beet chatted with Calabrese via Zoom tolearn more about her personalexperiencewith a raw vegan diet, how to get started, advice for our readers, and powerful mantras that will motivate you to live a healthier andmore fulfilling life.

Karyn Calabrese: I went raw vegan close to 40 years ago. I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Ann Wigmore, who was a pioneer of the raw vegan moment at the time. I went to the Optimal Health Institute in Boston, but I had met her even before that. I had been vegetarian, then I went vegan, so I had bridges on my way to raw veganism, and once I got there, there was no going back. When I was a meat-eater, all throughout my teen years, I was relatively healthy; I didnt have weight issues, only skin issues, and constipation. Then I became a vegetarian, and I felt fabulous and then vegan and felt even better, but when I became raw, there was no comparison. I was fortunate enough to go through the stages, so I understood exactly how each type of diet made me feel.

KC:I felt like I could change my biochemistry after working with her, which made it easier to continue to eat raw than just by someone lecturing me to eat this way because motivation and determination can only last so long.

KC: For one thing, I noticed that my emotional and physical feelings improved. I became more in tune with the world around me; I was no longer separate from the trees, soil, and nature. Its not just a physical change, but a spiritual one.

KC: It was a natural evolution for me. I evolved from being a meat-eater to being a vegetarian to being vegan to being a raw vegan because I think we all intuitively know how to eat. Were instinctual animals, so we are born knowing how and what to eat. Weve just forgotten because the world isnt set up to eat this way.

Becoming a raw vegan is a process of reading, learning, and realizing that its challenging to go from a to z overnight. When I became a raw vegan, no one had even heard of it. I have the second oldest raw food restaurant in the country. The first one was opened in Atlanta and I opened mine in Chicago about 35 years ago, called Karyn's On Green. Nobody had ever heard of raw vegan food! People would walk past my restaurant and pretend to gag and would say, whats she talking about? Raw vegan food? After I was featured on Oprahs show, everything changed. People started to learn about raw foods, and it became more popular. Its still not mainstream, but way more people know about it compared to forty years ago.

KC: Im 74: No botox, no surgery, nothing. I have the same body I had at 18 too! I have a 24-inch waist 34-inch hip. I take a professional ballet class with girls 18 and under, and Im 74 years old. All of the women in my family died overweight and young. That was a huge motivation for me to stay healthy.

KC: I dont believe you can go from A toZ overnight. Your body has internal biochemistry that you cant just change overnight. Ive been teaching cleansing and detoxing classes for forty years, using a lot of what I learned from Dr. Winmore. I believe a good detoxification program is a way to go. If youve been eating dairy for a lifetime, its still in there, and its going to call for me. Thats where cravings come from. If you havent filled in nutritional holes, it can be challenging. There are many roads to take, so you just have to find what resonates with you.

KC: I dont categorize what I eat into three meals. Were not born with a little tag on our foot that says feed at 9, 12, and 6. Youre supposed to eat for one reason: youre hungry, and your cells are calling for fuel.

I start my day off with water because thats what your body is looking for. If I feel hungry, I may have a juice or a piece of fruit. I dont eat a lot, I always tell people to look at their fist, it's the size of their stomach and its tiny! People eat way too much. I make a potato or make raw bread. I eat lots of greens to make sure I get enough chlorophyll. Its so important because it shares the same molecular structure as our blood. Today, for example, I was starving, so when I went into the restaurant, I had some salad they had made and added a little avocado. I was satisfied; I dont believe were supposed to eat so that were full.

Were supposed to eat to be satisfied. Ill munch on dehydrated snacks; I prefer snacking to meals. I also only sleep four and a half hours a night. I havent been sick in over 40 years! I went through menopause with no symptoms. I also dont drink, smoke, or do drugs. Food isnt a massive part of my life. I play the piano, dance, read all kinds of books. I try to live a well-rounded life that isnt about being a raw foodist.

KC: Im married to a man who is not a raw foodist or a vegan. Weve been together for 37 years. If we go out to a restaurant, Ill order a vegetable side dish and ask if they can serve it uncooked. I always have an avocado in my purse to add to meals, and Ill order a salad. I carry dressings with me, or Ill just eat before going out; I dont wait for dinner. I dont have a problem because Im very comfortable. I dont criticize or judge people for what they chose to eat. I want everybody to feel comfortable around me no matter their food choices because its an evolution for all of us. Nobody will listen to you if they dont like you, so I try to stay pleasant and non-judgmental.

KC: 10,000 percent! Youre stepping into what God created for you; humans are the only animals that cook their food. Every animal was intended to eat raw. You get new cells every seven years and tissues every three months, so your body is in an ongoing process of recycling itself. If it gets the right material, it will recycle itself, but if it doesnt get the suitable material, youre going to get old, tired, overweight, and sick.

KC: I want to tell people to make it a joyful journey! Get over labels, set an intention for yourself, and look at it every day. If you slip up, practice kindness to yourself, and remind yourself its just part of your evolution. Were here to evolve. Enjoy your evolution; dont make yourself miserable during the process.

KC: I pray and meditate every morning. I do an ayurvedic ceremony every morning. I just make sure I accept life the way it comes for me. Its finding the lesson in what you're given and going over the hurdle rather than sitting behind it or trying to get around it. Find the lesson in evolving.

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A Raw Vegan Diet is the Secret to Youth, Says Karyn Calabrese, 74 - The Beet