In Focus | Raw food experiment

Embracing a raw food diet: Day seven

Gulf News reporter Kevin Scott ate nothing but uncooked fruit and vegetables for a week, a diet embraced by Video Editor Jaye Lentin. In this serialised diary, Kevin writes about how he got on during each day of the extreme diet.

  • By Kevin Scott, Multimedia Reporter
  • Published: 11:45 July 9, 2010

Raw food - Kevin Scott
  • Image Credit: Kevin Scott/Gulf News
  • Kevin tastes freedom with a ham and cheese roll after seven days as a raw food vegan.

DAY 7: Thursday, June 10: The final hurdle.

Weight: 109.8kg (17st 4lbs)

It’s the last day of the raw food diet and surprisingly I’m glad about having to go into the office to do some work on my day off; anything to fill the time before the clock strikes midnight. I actually feel more upbeat and buoyant today in the knowledge that it is all coming to an end; the finish line is within reach and the Fifa World Cup in South Africa starts tomorrow.

To mark the opening match between the hosts and Mexico, I’m hosting a party at my flat in Al Barsha so I spent the afternoon at Spinneys and Mall of the Emirates getting everything I needed to entertain over 40 people. I also ventured back onto the Wii Fit, which amazingly informed me that I had lost one stone (six kilos) since I last weighed myself on the device just over a week ago. I was absolutely astonished; I thought I had lost a few pounds but never a stone.

I headed over to the weight machine in Mall of the Emirates that I used exactly a week ago to double check the figure. It indeed confirmed that my new weight was 109.8kg, which is not exactly something to shout about but it is a good start. I grabbed a fruit juice and headed back to the flat for a swim at around 6pm and spent the remaining hours of the evening watching TV.

Then as the clock struck midnight, the big moment arrived. I devoured two ham and cheese rolls that have never tasted better. It actually felt strange eating something that was neither a fruit nor a vegetable. My body was not really quite sure what to make of it all and I suffered a bout of indigestion.

It has been a tough week and I am incredibly proud that I have managed to live a raw food lifestyle without breaking the diet once. However, there is no way I could sustain this lifestyle permanently. I do feel healthy and it is a superb feeling to have lost weight but the diet is just not fun or practical. I believe there are elements of the diet I will take forward and I suppose the key lesson is that you should eat ‘everything in moderation’.

In saying that, there is a vat of chili on the hob and a party on the horizon so I’ll worry about that after the weekend…

Comments (7)

  1. Added 09:49 July 12, 2010

    Good going Kevin... Congratulations.. I'm getting inspired to do the same.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  2. Added 08:34 July 12, 2010

    Hey Kevin..you inspire me to do the same..yous showed perserverance to meet your goal.:0

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  3. Added 07:23 July 12, 2010

    Well done, you made it! I started following you when the articles started in GulfNews. Unfortunately I had to break after 4 days because I got a massive headache and felt completely weak and run down, I had no colour in my face and people were asking me if I was sick. But I kept some good habits such as the fresh fruit cocktails. They are totally yummy and make you full. I have one every day now.

    Anonymous, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

  4. Added 14:45 July 11, 2010

    Great job Kevin! COngrats!! Well done! I think even I should embrace the raw food diet!! :) :)

    Eman, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  5. Added 11:42 July 11, 2010

    Congratulations Kevin! Job well done, good determination moreover good control over temptation. Only thing i wished that if you had visited the doc once to check those numbers. I wonder if there was any positive impact? Although weight loss is amazing! What i learnt from your week, a balanced and moderate diet is key to healthy life. Good luck!

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  6. Added 23:42 July 10, 2010

    congratulations Kevin! you made it!

    Ffritz, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  7. Added 15:48 July 10, 2010

    Been following your journey for the past week... and i'm happy to know you have succeeded it... thinking to do the same... good job!!!

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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