Terita is a vegetarian who started a food blog but with a very compelling story for me:

When I was eight years old, my skin started to lose pigment. Patches of bright white skin—some quite large—appeared on my knees, ankles, back, hips, and eyelids.

My parents took me to a series of doctors who diagnosed me with vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder in which the skin mistakenly attacks its own melanin, causing blotches of permanent albinism.

Every day I had less interest in the highly-processed, multi-ingredient foods that had been a mainstay of my earlier years. And to my total and unsuppressed delight, I felt good.

One morning about eighteen months into this new way of eating, I glanced at my hip and noticed something unusual about my skin. Unable to believe my eyes, I dashed to the mirror for a closer look: the vitiligo spot that had persisted for nearly two decades unchanged was now more than 50% filled in with normal pigment. I checked my back and my knees, astonished to see the edges of all those familiar shapes blurring too. My body was healing the lesions all by itself.

THE TEN INGREDIENT PROJECT

What an amazing story, and proof that what you eat, really does affect your whole body (inside and out).

As for my story (not quite as dramatic), ever since I started to move back towards raw foods, and to try and stop eating processed products (ramen is still my guilty pleasure), I’ve noticed my skin becoming (and staying) clearer as a result.

My own new food rules are:

• No more oils — nut butters of any kind, butter in general and oil makes me break out like crazy
• Lighter on the sugars — for some reason, it makes me itchier and I do feel sluggish
• Heavy on the vegetables and fruits (preferably raw)
• Less dairy and cheese — I don’t digest it well, and it seems to kill my energy levels
• Less meat — I haven’t cut it out completely, but I am working on eating A LOT less than before
• Lightening up on animal-produced products — honey included

I am dabbling in the arena of raw, vegan and vegetarian dishes, and I have noticed a big change in my energy, which is nice.

I don’t feel as sluggish (until I eat junk food and then regret my decision immediately), and I daresay I am a lot more energetic and fitter (even without going to the gym) than my colleagues who stuff themselves with fried fare from the cafeteria, or frozen dinners.

My new favourite foods that I am working with are dried seaweed, miso paste (YUM!), and soy milk, and incorporating them into my diet.

Tell me about your food habits and why you changed!

(Or are thinking of changing)