Meat-eating Albertans try raw vegan diet for a month

As one of five participants in the Edmonton-made documentary "I Like It Raw,"Edmonton resident Shane Walker decided to give up meat in favour of uncooked fruits and vegetables for 30 days.

He was surprised by the outcome he had more energy and lost 32 poundswithin one month.

"You're scared you're going to be craving meat," he said."I'm from South Africa. We eat meat."

"(But) it was strange because after two to three days, you lose the craving. Your body just flips over, you don't lust after it."

The documentaryfollows Albertans as they leave their meat-eating ways behind and spend a month on a raw, vegan diet. Filmmaker Dana Giesbrecht considered it the perfect experiment for a province known for its love of beef.

"I've always been very fascinated with health and how you treat your body and what you put into your body," Giesbrecht said.

Looking for a change

Giesbretch began researching raw food and wanted to explore the potential benefits. She profiled two sisters struggling with obesity, and Dan Johnstone, or "Can Man Dan," as he's known for his local charity work.

"He's the first to admit he lives off of Macdonald's and Burger King and fast food," Giesbtretch said. He had gained weight and was looking to change his habits.

As for Walker,he had put on 250 pounds after moving from South Africa to Alberta. He found the North American diet different from what he was used to,and it resulted inhim eating more high fructose and processed foods. He considered surgery to lose weight and even tried a diet that limited him to consuming 900 calories a day for one year.

I've never watched my diet, and I never watched what I've eaten because I never had to, but if you're not careful you get into trouble very quickly.- Shane Walker, whogained 250 pounds after moving to Alberta

"I lost 95 pounds and it was absolute torture," he said. Walker steadily regained 45 pounds back beforehe received an e-mail from Giesbretchlooking for participants for her documentary.

He thought it was worth trying after his difficult experience with his previous diet.

"I've always been a sportsman," he said, "I've never watched my diet, and I never watched what I've eaten because I never had to, but if you're not careful you get into trouble very quickly."

Flexi-tarian

Walker is no longer eating a strict raw vegan diet, but he said he does try to makevegan food at home now. He said hehopes to eat raw again, since he credits the uncooked diet with his boost in energy.

Even Giesbretch doesn't limit herself to uncooked fruits and vegetables. She describes herself as "flexi-tarian" and eats meat, cheese and drinks alcohol butmaintains a mostly rawvegan diet.

Doctors she interviewed for the documentary agreed that the diet is an extreme option, particularly in northern Alberta during winter.

Griesbetch said she simply wants people to consider introducingmore raw fruits and vegetables into their regular diet.

"It's not putting a negative stereotype on the meat industry," she said, "Just maybe consider a different option, and maybe half the plate is vegetables."