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NaturalNews) Thirty years ago, Curt Griffing was told he needed to "learn to live with it," after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, described as a chronic, progressive disease resulting in inflammation in the joints. He decided that he didn't want to and sought alternative options to the suggested pain killers and joint replacement surgeries.

Griffing eventually discovered a raw plant-based diet void of meat and dairy, and after reluctantly giving up some of his favorite foods, including cheese, he found relief from the rheumatoid arthritis. "I haven't been to a doctor since," said Griffing.

With the belief system that the body's required nutrients are destroyed when heat is applied to foods, he fully adopted the lifestyle, began sharing the concept with others and brought his three children up eating a raw, vegan diet as well. Griffing's television repair shop in the town he lives is slowly being converted into Raw Food Central, a business that promotes the raw food, vegan diet through food prep demonstrations, education, and continued support for those that want to convert to a similar way of living. Besides raw vegan courses and workshops, Raw Food Central includes a grocery co-op taking raw food and produce orders each week.

Griffing is passionate about the new lifestyle he has embraced, and after saying goodbye to the standard diet, he is now typically consuming smoothies and large salads with nuts and raw food dressings each day.

Among Griffing's children and customers of Raw Food Central, there have been many reports of improved health with raw foods, including weight loss, cleared skin from acne, lowered blood pressure, lowered cholesterol, improved symptoms of Type II diabetes, and improved conditions related to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), depression, Celiac disease and insomnia. Others report improved energy levels and an overall feeling of well being.

Sources for this article include:

http://articles.courant.com
http://rawfoodcentral.com/
http://rawfoodcentral.com/testimony/

About the author:
A science enthusiast with a keen interest in health nutrition, Antonia has been intensely researching various dieting routines for several years now, weighing their highs and their lows, to bring readers the most interesting info and news in the field. While she is very excited about a high raw diet, she likes to keep a fair and balanced approach towards non-raw methods of food preparation as well. 

Read more: http://rawfoodhealthwatch.com/writers/antonia/

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