What you eat and how you eat it can transform your skin!

Why did I start investigating? As I mentioned in last month's column, the effects were simply too remarkable. Just eating fruit in the morning, or having it as a smoothie, led to effortless weight loss. At the time, I referred to a natural hygiene book I bought eight years ago, but its effectiveness spurred me to delve deeper.

My search revealed that raw food is more widely known and popular than the original natural hygiene movement. There are numerous related websites, and many blogs from people practicing raw food. Furthermore, browsing through some of these blogs, I noticed that in addition to fruit smoothies, everyone is regularly consuming green smoothies. These are typically made by blending leafy greens with fruit, and are said to be rich in antioxidants, offering significant anti-aging benefits. ...Come to think of it, a model I knew once told me, 'Ever since I started drinking this, my skin has become incredibly beautiful.'

So, I decided to try it myself! However, I discovered that mixing leafy greens and fruit upsets my stomach. After much experimentation, I settled on a smoothie made with a single type of leafy green, lemon water, and a tiny amount of water. I personally find it 'delicious!', but when I offered it to my husband, he just mumbled 'Hmm...' and offered no further comment... so, I wonder? Anyway, the results were astonishing! Just two days after I started drinking it, my skin gained a new clarity. 'This is amazing!' I thought. By drinking a little less than a glass each morning and before dinner, my skin became not only clearer but also smooth and radiant within a week. In other words, my pores refined, my skin firmed up, and it gained a beautiful glow. What you eat and how you eat it can truly transform your skin! I was amazed all over again.

This means that fruit smoothies can help you lose weight, and green smoothies can lead to beautiful skin. This is something all the raw food bloggers I follow consistently mention, so it's not just my personal experience. This is likely why it has become so popular.

Hesitantly, I tried the fermented cabbage water...

Experiencing these benefits naturally made me want to delve further into raw food. So, the next thing I tried was 'cabbage enzyme water,' one of the fundamental drinks in raw food. This is made by fermenting a juice created by blending cabbage and water. It's essentially water infused with enzymes.

Enzymes are involved in all bodily functions, such as digesting and absorbing food, eliminating waste products, and regenerating new cells. They are essential for health, beauty, and indeed, for life itself. Fruits and vegetables naturally contain enzymes, and consuming them raw yields various benefits. This 'enzyme water' is a liquid form of those very enzymes. Three days after preparing it, I hesitantly took a sip of the fermented cabbage water. Hmm, it wasn't undrinkable, but it certainly wasn't delicious. Still, I had made it, so I drank it. Five minutes later...—Wait a minute!? I had been feeling bloated earlier, but it had completely disappeared! The feeling of heaviness vanished so easily, more effectively than any medicine.

I've found something wonderful and now make it regularly, but there's one issue: the smell during fermentation is quite strong. My husband, in particular, dislikes the odor, but I continue to make it diligently (!).

I searched online for places that teach raw food

I've also tried making 'rejuvelac' by germinating grains to create a similar enzyme water, and nut-based milks, but beyond salads, I found myself unable to venture into other dishes. The methods differ so much from conventional cooking that I didn't know where to begin. Every blog and book made it look so simple, almost too simple. Yet, I felt completely lost. I realized it was probably because I had never actually seen anyone cook it, so I decided to search online for places that teach raw food. Browsing through websites, I thought, 'Ah, this person's approach might be right for me,' and I discovered 'TREFLES,' run by Junko Fukuoka. I immediately signed up for a private lesson. Later, I was surprised to learn that Fukuoka also started a blog series on OPENERS (!)Junko Fukuoka OPENERS Blog Now Updating!).

On the day of the lesson, I learned how to prepare several raw food dishes, received a clear explanation of the raw food philosophy, and had my questions answered. Thanks to this, I finally felt ready to 'try cooking.' I also received various personalized advice tailored to my constitution. The most memorable piece of advice was the word 'balance.' She explained with real-life examples that consuming large quantities of something just because it's effective can lead to adverse effects. Indeed, it's easy to fall into such pitfalls. When something works, human nature dictates wanting 'more and more.' However, even good things can turn bad if taken to excess. Knowing my own tendency to get absorbed in things, I took this advice to heart and began incorporating raw food dishes into my regular meals little by little. A few days later, an incident occurred.

My 'beauty toolkit' now includes a 100% raw food diet!

My beloved dog bit my right cheek! It happened while we were playfully roughhousing, and unfortunately, when I instinctively put my hand to my cheek, I realized, 'Oh, there's a small hole!' I disinfected it, took antibiotics, and applied the oil I usually use for injuries generously. Still, I worried, 'This is a problem... I have a TV recording in three days... Will it heal by then?' Then, an idea struck me. 'That's it! For the two days in between, I'll switch to a 100% raw food diet!' I reasoned. If even a raw food diet added to my regular meals can improve my skin, then a 100% raw diet should surely speed up wound healing!

The result? After three days, the wound had closed by 95%, the redness was manageable with concealer, and the swelling was barely noticeable. I can confidently say that it would not have healed this much without the raw food diet! This experience has added a new technique to my 'beauty toolkit': for injuries, or even for days when I absolutely must look my best, I can now rely on a two-day, 100% raw food diet.

Still, one might think, 'Why go to such extremes?' But thanks to experiencing these various benefits firsthand, I can now approach raw food with confidence. Of course, I always keep the principle of 'balance' in mind.

Incidentally,my January columnreported a goal of losing 4 kilograms and reducing my waist by 9 centimeters. That's where I've stopped, and I feel this might be my optimal weight and size, so I'm considering my goal achieved for now!