LOCAL Houston | The City Guide APRIL 2016 | Page 44

vegan fad
AN INTERVIEW WITH FULLY RAW’S KRISTINA
By Jodie Eisenhardt | Photography by Bella Kotak

Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram truly inspires. The
Rice grad and author of The FullyRaw Diet, creator of FullyRaw
Juice and co-operator of the Rawfully Organic Co-Op has
become a national celebrity of the raw lifestyle with nearly
800,000 Instagram followers, 700 YouTube subscribers,
500,000 Facebook fans and 40,000 followers on Twitter. We
sat down with the passionate visionary to learn more about
the growing raw trend and how the rest of us may benefit.
Q. How is “raw vegan” defined? What inspired you to
adapt to this lifestyle?

A Raw Vegan Diet consists solely of fruits, veggies,
nuts/seeds. The diet is very heavy in fruits and greens, juices,
smoothies, salads, gazpachos, cold soups, etc. One can still
consume a high fat diet here, but the benefits are huge
because of the intense nutrient consumption. The trick is learning how to eat enough and prepare the food to be successful
at this lifestyle. It’s the highest energy/frequency lifestyle. You
basically feel high on life because all of the foods that you are
eating have LIFE in them. They are all high-energy frequency,
very healing foods.
I have been 100% FullyRaw (my brand) since 2005 after suffering from hyperglycemia (diagnosed when I was 16) and
numerous other health challenges. I went raw vegan in one
night and never went back. My life changed when a stranger
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in a grocery store approached me and started telling me about
eating more fruits and vegetables in their natural, raw state
for better nutrition. Having grown up in a Lebanese and
Ecuadorean household, I didn’t grow up eating very many
fruits and veggies. My palate consisted of chicken, beans, rice
and TONS of food soaked in olive oil. It was a high fat diet,
and not good for me at the time. I became vegan for health
reasons, but it has grown into so, SO much more. I no longer
have hyperglycemia or any recurring health issue. Living this
leaves me feeling so good I’m inspired daily to help others
achieve better health! The emotional and spiritual benefits are
enormous, as well. It’s endless.

Q. What’s your favorite thing about eating this way?

Q. What about those of us who can’t imagine a
dramatic dietary change but still want to experience
these benefits?

Q. What has been the biggest challenge?

People who don’t have obvious health issues find it harder to
change their lifestyle because there is no pressing reason, but I
have found that even just incorporating one raw vegan meal a
day gives people a boost of energy and helps everyone to feel
better. Even one