In The Gym with Carla Douglin of Raw Raw Life!

When you watch this woman’s videos or read her book 101 Juice-Fast Recipes you can FEEL her energy! I mean she makes you want what she is having because she is super dynamic and full of energy. I first came across her blog and book while reading up on the raw food lifestyle and I am happy I stumbled her way. I think you all will see exactly what I mean when you read her interview, so sit back, relax and be inspired!

FFFC: Please introduce yourself to our readers and your specialty.

CD: Howdy! Carla Douglin of Raw Raw Life!, here. In truth, I’m a regular girl with a video blog who LOVES to talk about juicing and plant-based living! I have seen how juicing fresh vegetables and fruits has transformed the lives of thousands of people; from releasing weight to gaining energy and transitioning to greater health. I chat about how to make juicing easier and how to begin to love playing with your food!

FFFC: How did you get interested in health and wellness?

CD: “One day, I looked up and I realized that I was overweight and unhappy.”

You hear a lot of people say that, and people may wonder… “how did you NOT know that you were overweight? How did you not FEEL that you were unhappy?”, I can answer that. I spent years focused solely on building a business, and while I was successful in that aspect of my life, I completely, COMPLETELY ignored my health. After years of fast food, stop-and-start exercise programs, and avoiding mirrors, I had that moment – that moment that comes as a shock to those of us who choose SAD diets and lethargy…

I looked up, and truly realized that I was overweight and unhappy. That was the day I began making drastic changes in my life.

The first thing I did after my realization was make an appointment with a weight doctor. I wanted to check my health levels to ensure that there was nothing else I had to contend with, and, thankfully, there wasn’t. However, the weight doctor wanted to put me on a chemically-laden “liquid diet”! He didn’t mention fruits, he didn’t mention vegetables, he didn’t mention exercise, and he didn’t mention upping my water intake. His first and only suggestion was some liquid diet to “drop weight quickly”.

I walked right out.

I decided that I didn’t want to “drop weight quickly”. I WANTED TO TRULY DISCOVER HEALTH. I realized that meant two things: research and action. By the end of the year, I had begun working out with a personal trainer, exploring clean eating, making all my food at home, and drinking more than 3 liters of water daily.

At the beginning of 2010, I began to explore plant-based eating. Clean eating changed my taste buds and my diet completely; I discovered how detrimental additives and chemicals were to the body, and there was no one who could read a label better than me! However, I realized that I could go further – that a plant-based diet would help me achieve my weight loss goals and provide a ridiculous amount of nutrition!

At first, my reasons were simple – I wanted to lose weight. However, after eating a plant-based diet for a few weeks, I realized how AMAZING I felt. Not just physically, but emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I saw that there were so many more benefits to eat this way than I imagined! Now, I understand that I want to use plant-based living to achieve my ULTIMATE health!

FFFC: What prompted you to make this your career?

CD: I feel that Raw Raw Life is my gift and my responsibility to the planet. When I began my plant-based journey, I had no idea that I was going to build a business out of this. I saw the need for me to document my journey so that I remained accountable to myself, which is why I started the video blog. When I began receiving comments from people around the country who were also struggling with weight loss or inspired by my juice fast journey, I saw the need to de-mystify plant-based living. I want people to see that it’s not as hard, as expensive, as complicated or as “strange” as people think it is, so I put it all out there so people can see this ordinary girl making a change by chewing on carrots.

Two days into the start of my juice journey (October 18th, 2011), I was laid off from my job. Immediately, I went into “entrepreneur” mode and understood that I would need to make a game plan in order to have my preferred diet support my whole life!

FFFC: What do you like most about what you do?

CD: I love EVERYTHING about what I do…but, best of all, is when I get messages from people saying how they are trying new veggies, new juice recipes, or have influenced friends or family members to try something new.

FFFC: What do you consider the most useful wellness tool?

CD: I honestly believe that the most useful wellness tool is a person’s DESIRE to be healthier. There is so much information – especially on the Internet – about different methods to improve one’s health. The most important thing for a person to do is to research and get started. It’s all out there… pick a direction that inspires you and go for it!

FFFC: What do you think is the biggest misconception about juicing and what you do?

CD: I think the biggest misconception is that it’s too hard to manage. Any change in behavior takes time, planning and follow-through. If you decided to take on juicing, it doesn’t have to be hard! Begin by having one juice a day and work your way up to incorporating more juice into your day. And if juices sound too complicated, smoothies can be easier, faster and just as beneficial!

For my top ten tips on how to get started with juicing, check out the blog! http://rawrawlife.com/newbies/juicenewbie/

FFFC: What general tips do you have for the average woman balancing family, career who is interested in getting started with juicing?

CD: One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received from my mother is the old airplane adage, “put your own mask on first before placing the mask on others”. As the busy women of today who are responsible for so much, it is so important to ensure that we are taking care of our health so that we have the energy and vitality to manage our lives. Therefore, I would advise women to take the steps to put themselves first. If that means getting up a little earlier in the day to make fresh juice or taking time out at the end of the day to make juice (or prepare fresh meals) for the following day(s), the proactive measure is a great step in self-care. In addition, an increase in fresh juice and/or fruits or vegetables will give you a tremendous boost in energy!

FFFC: Do you have any special events or conferences where our readers can hear you speak?

CD: There’s a lot coming up for Raw Raw Life! in 2013: raw “uncooking” classes, juice cleanse coaching… even a plant-based expo in Washington, DC! I will keep you posted!

FFFC: How can our readers find you on the web or inquire about your services?

CD: Check out the videos on YouTube: http://youtube.com/rawrawlife