Today we’d like to introduce you to Valentyna Carrier.
Hi Valentyna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Ukraine, a beautiful country with fertile grounds, diverse nature, and a lot of sunshine. Many people think Ukraine is covered in snow and dark, but this is far from the truth. In fact, the ground is so fertile that you can grow anything, from berries to fruit trees. Most families have country houses where they grow their own fruits and vegetables. City life gets very slow in the summer as most kids and grandparents move to their summer cottages. As a child, that was a fantastic experience! There is no shortage of vitamins and nature. I can still taste those cucumbers from the cucumber bush – prickly in your palm, juicy, and so crunchy! Access from the farm-to-table was unlimited. When was the last time you ate a prickly cucumber from a grocery store? And do you know how the pear tastes when you pick it right from the pear tree?
As a child, I swam, ran, and was never still. Moving meant staying healthy. In our modern society, most people experience a very different lifestyle than I did growing up in Ukraine. Public transportation, home appliances, and cars make our life simpler. These conveniences make us less physically active than past generations, and unfortunately, we eat more poorly than we once did. So, how do we get healthier while living this modern lifestyle? I say the first step is the food we eat. Although I grew up always eating fresh, I did not always subscribe to eating a raw vegan diet. The concept of a raw vegan food diet came to my attention when I was looking for supplements for my physical and mental activities while going through the grueling program in nursing school. I was in my late 40s, already had a degree in fashion design, and had had a well-established clothing boutique many years before.
Fashion was in my blood. However, in the fashion industry, there is also the underlying theme and push to be thin besides good-looking. So, a healthy lifestyle was deeply ingrained in me. I was low on time and sleep and needed something to fuel my body and help me get from one test to another. I was looking for something to boost my physical and mental activity without having to take harmful or potentially dangerous medications. I have always chosen a holistic approach to my health, staying away from traditional pharma; for example, rubbing peppermint oil on my temples for a headache. I had researched and tried several options until, to my surprise, I learned that a raw vegan diet does not require a lot of preparation, and meals are easy to make.
Although I was initially skeptical, one day, I converted to this diet, cold turkey, so to speak, and it changed my life. After one week, I began feeling more energetic. One month later, I started to notice significant improvements in my memory. I moved away from complex meals and now try to consume only fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Ten years later, I have created recipes that the reader will see are a great transition from the average diet to pure veganism. I was originally inspired by several people who discovered the path of a raw food diet and shared this
knowledge of the world.
I started down my own path of raw vegan because I like to cook, and I really like good food, so I began to substitute ingredients in the recipes with nuts, vegetables, and fruits and eliminated the baking. I only blend ingredients to make the delicious meals and snacks you will find in the recipes in this book. Through much trial and error and using my family and friends as testers, I eventually came up with easy and delicious recipes.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been a lot of struggles for us. The biggest one was and still is educating our customers on what it means to eat raw vegan and how beneficial it is for your health. Many people are vegan but their diets consist of highly processed foods with low or no nutritional value. However, my recipes and our products are full of raw natural goodness that has no processed ingredients or harsh preservatives.
Many people are also skeptical about the taste – but this is why we always have a lot of samples because when people try our foods their faces light up and their expressions change! It is incredible to see. Covid was not good for us either – it paused all our plans and postponed our growth significantly.
Lastly, starting a new small business while working full-time is always a challenge! While my daughter Polina helps a lot with organizations, I am the one who cooks for our customers. But this is a part of the process and we are following along.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have been eating raw vegan for over ten years and have seen incredible benefits to my body and mind. Throughout my diet, I have witnessed significant improvements in my health, energy levels, memory, concentration, and a more youthful look because of improvement in my skin and hair! The benefits are endless!
Even though I have always tried to remain fit and healthy, I still have experienced many health problems. However, I have taken control of some of those health issues and even reversed the effects of arthritis. I am still human and catch an occasional cold or flu. But, with the healthy eating plan I follow, the recovery time is significantly reduced. This diet has also made a tremendous impact on my spiritual health. Eliminating processed foods gave me a much better connection to Nature and the Creator.
Although I was raised as a Christian, I have always been very open to other religions. I have studied the philosophy of various others, which helped me transition to stopping eating animals. I have learned to meditate and connect to the universe through my chakras which are not poisoned by the suffering of poor animals. I am more sensitive to nature, my surroundings, and the soul of animals. Whether religious or not, it is important to understand and accept yourself as a part of this universe. I promise you that eating raw vegan will make an impact on human consciousness and unconsciousness, regardless of what you believe in.
Since starting the raw vegan diet, I have completely changed my personality. I was like everyone else; I focused on a healthy lifestyle and loved fashion. I certainly wasn’t a bad person before, but my goals in life have changed. I want to help more people. As I pray and meditate daily, I think about all human beings, where we are going as a society, and how it could be changed in a good way. Before transitioning to a raw vegan diet, I did not think so universally.
Our company is called “PureCure Raw Vegan Diet” because, as far as I am concerned, this diet is literally like medicine. If you start eating this way, you will cure your body of all diseases and boost your immunity to prevent the onset of new ones.
I am a registered nurse with years of experience in the medical field as a bedside nurse, and I see the correlation between the right diet and the health condition of my patients. I also have witnessed the effects of traditional medicines and pharmaceuticals. I believe those who understand the benefits of eating a raw vegan diet will get healthier and maybe prevent and treat many common diseases.
What makes you happy?
Staying healthy and happy! There is no greater joy than having great health and being able to enjoy the world around us. But mental health is also as important as physical health as they go hand in hand.
Happiness is the ultimate reflection of your inner health in my opinion.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purecurerawvegan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PureCureRawVeganNash/
Image Credits
Blake Franks
