Interview with Tonya Zavasta: Beauty through Raw

This post isn’t about our children per se, but I have found what is good for Mom, IS good for child.  We moms do everything for everyone, often running ourselves ragged!  Of course this seems necessary when we have small children and EVERY MOMENT is an event practically- we barely have time to use the bathroom.  But a time must come when we women bring more balance into our life, and reclaim our womanhood.  We will still be moms, but we must be women first.  I am talking about being ‘self-centered’ or centering-in-self.  This isn’t selfish, it is smart.  Because we simply cannot give what we do not have.  How can we be soft, patient, receptive when we are with our children if we are running on empty?  As women, our emotional and spiritual gifts run deep, but WE must replenish that well from time to time.  Our beauty is just one component of our wholeness.

I met Tonya when she gave a talk in Toronto last year.  What really struck me besides her dynamic presentation (she is a force of nature!) is her TRANSLUCENT, LUMINESCENT BEAUTIFUL SKIN.  She absolutely GLOWS.  Her hair looked strong and silky.  She is a radiant being- THAT says health to me. What I love about TONYA ZAVASTA, is she is a mother, she is 100% raw, and she understands a woman’s needs to feel beautiful.  This ISN’T about vanity.  It’s more about real, true HEALTH, and well-being.  We just FEEL better when we look our best!  Tonya’s diet seems intense, but she backs everything up scientifically in her book QUANTUM EATING.  She does not eat after 2pm.  Wow!  I am still struggling with not eating past 10pm!  She has another book called  RAWSOME FLEX which teaches facial exercises.  I have been doing it and will post BEFORE and AFTER pics soon!  In the meantime, let’s enjoy Tonya’s expert advice.

Tonya Zavasta is a raw food expert, speaker and the author of 4 books on the 100% raw food lifestyle. With a math/science background, Tonya’s comfort zone reaches from quantum physics to cellular metabolism to the salad bowl.  Confronted with the necessity of extensive hip surgeries to enable her to walk normally, Tonya sought a lifestyle that would support her recovery and offset the ravages of multiple operations.

Her tireless research led her to the beautifying powers of raw foods and since the age of 39 Tonya has been following a 100% raw food lifestyle. Twelve years later, she is walking testimony to the power of the raw foods to bring out the natural beauty within all of us. Her books, Your Right to Be Beautiful and Beautiful On Raw are about how to radically improve your life, health and appearance through the raw food lifestyle. Her latest book Quantum Eating: The Ultimate Elixir of Youth is an exploration of the most advanced anti-aging practices.

Now in her 50′s she radiates health in every sense of the word, and teaches “raw eating” all across the world.

TONYA, you are a Mom, wife, author, businesswoman, so you understand how busy moms are today.  What is your biggest tip for moms who wish to become more rawesomely beautiful, but have very little spare time?

“Do not eat at night!” Not only will this save you time and energy, but it is one of the most effective things you can do to deter aging, detoxify the body at a deeper level, and wake up feeling terrific; ready to meet the challenges of the day. Your body performs different functions while you sleep, of course, than when you are awake, and you are healthiest when you live in harmony with these rhythms. You should try to eat closer to between the hours of 7-3, approximately, and stop eating about 6 hours before going to sleep, whether you eat an all raw diet or not. This cannot be done all at once, but is a very worthwhile goal to gradually strive for. I call this Quantum Eating and I have practiced it for years, consuming my second and last meal at about 2pm each day.

How long have you been raw and are you 100%?

I have been eating 100% raw since 1997. Before that I had moved from vegetarian to vegan in my attempts to find the best possible diet for health and beauty. Hate cooking? I do too. What if I promise you that you do not have to cook ever again?

It is a well-known fact that the less food has been processed, the more sound it is nutritionally. So why process at all? Why not trust the Creator of human life with food as well? Why not recognize the laws of nature instead of looking for a way to go against them? To process food is an arrogant notion – we seem to be saying that God’s menu needs improvement.

Human beings cannot create life and yet we assume that we can manufacture better foodstuffs. The only food fit for human beings is raw plant food from God’s table such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. But we replace this ample and nutritious diet with the cook’s concoctions.

By cooking our food we are killing nutrients that keep us alive and healthy. Cooking removes the goodness of food. Fresh fruits and vegetables have a life force that is carried by enzymes, the biochemical catalysts that constitute the difference between life and death.

Nature’s plan calls for food to deliver its own enzymes to assist the body with its digestion. But enzymes are killed when temperature rises above 118° Fahrenheit. Cooked food depletes the body’s own enzyme reserve and curtails its rejuvenating power that has to keep you healthy, youthful and beautiful.

How fast would a woman notice changes in her appearance if she followed your advice?

Within the first two weeks. Of course, it all depends on where you are starting from. The key is consistency. When you start with one thing, and gradually add others, as long as you maintain the progress you have made, you will begin to see startling changes rather quickly. When you combine the raw foods diet with a consistent beauty regimen, the results will be even more dramatic!

Can you share a favorite beauty secret of yours with our readers today?

Dry brushing of your skin! Exfoliation is the most important element in all skin care. It literally ‘unglues’ the dead skin cells and removes them, revealing the fresh new cells underneath. It helps with everything: acne, dry skin, even aging skin. It increases circulation and gives your skin a silky, rosy glow.

You need a different brush for your face than you use on your body, and I offer these on my website. This is something you can do in the free time you now have in the evening while you are not eating!

Please share a favorite recipe with our moms!

My RUSSIAN BORSCHT!

Step 1:

JUICE enough tomatoes to make 1 1/2 C TOMATO JUICE, plus 1 C CARROT JUICE, ½ C CUCUMBER JUICE, ½ C CELERY JUICE, ½ C LEMON JUICE

Step 2:

Pour the juices in a bowl and add 1 C shredded beet 1 C minced red pepper, 1 med cucumber chopped, 3 scallions minced, 1 large avocado cubed, 2 tomatoes diced, ¼ c parsley chopped, dash of cumin and salt and cayenne pepper to taste- ENJOY!

Any last words to our moms?

Be a RAWSOME mom! You’ll be glad you did, and your kids will, too. The momentum you build now, as a new mom or the mother of younger children, will carry you to and through the years when your children are grown. You’ll be setting a great example for them to follow, even if they don’t choose to be 100% raw.

Choosing a raw foods lifestyle now, you’re giving your children of any age a precious gift-a vibrant, beautiful mom who can truly be there for them.

Whatever challenges you face, whatever adjustments you have to make, once you have the basics down, you’ll always know what to come back to as your core way of life. Should your children decide to follow a healthy raw lifestyle when they’re older, they’ll be light years ahead. A sensible raw foods lifestyle is truly a lasting legacy to pass on to the next generation