In 1989 my family and I emigrated from communist Russia, and you can only imagine how liberating it was exploring the endless isles of supermarkets and all the colorful food packaging varieties.  Like so many, we were drawn in by the convenience of T.V. dinners.

But by my late teens I was diagnosed with Acne Rosacea and I found myself struggling to find a natural alternative to prescription medication. I began reading and educating myself on health and nutrition while slowly gravitating to a more natural unprocessed diet, which alleviated the recurring redness on my face naturally.

But in my mid-twenties I started transitioning to a vegetarian diet, and even though I knew better, I ended up turning into a junk-food vegetarian living off of cheese pizza.  I was a compulsive emotional eater, binge eating practically on a daily basis.

I started gaining weight and it wasn’t long before I found myself going in and out of depression.  I was miserable and felt trapped in every aspect of my life.  I was overweight, in a relationship I was not happy in, climbing the corporate ladder, working on another promotion, in a banking job I despised.  I truly felt my life had very little meaning.

But the final straw was when I looked up my height and weight on the Body Mass Index (BMI) and realized that at 5’2” and 170 pound I was actually in the first stages of obesity.  I immediately signed up with the L.A. Weight Loss program but I strongly resisted their eating plan because I truly felt it was not very health promoting.

I was faced with the realization that I desperately needed a new beginning focusing on health and natural living, not just another weight loss program.  I knew that if I didn’t drastically change the direction of my life, I would end up settling for a life I did not want.  And I desperately wanted to pursue something that I felt had some real meaning in the world.

I was already familiar with raw foods and decided to read up on it some more.  I picked up a book by Victoria Boutenko and to my astonishment I recognized her picture.  Years ago when Victoria’s family lived in Colorado she was acquainted with my mother.  She presented a lecture and a raw foods demo for some of my mom’s Russian friends at our home.

It’s interesting that 14 years later life would bring me back to Victoria’s message… coincidence?  I think not!  Shortly after reading her book I happened to find out about the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in northern California specializing in raw vegan cuisine.

So what do you do when you’re faced with a crisis and you desperately need a new beginning? You risk everything for the chance at happiness, for the chance at something real. So I did the unthinkable. I called off the relationship, quit my banking career, cashed out my 401k, packed up everything I owned into storage, and took off to California to pursue my passion for healthy living.

Since my return from completing the program in California, I have lost a little over 35 lbs on an 80% raw food diet, and I am happier than I’ve been in a very long time.  Eating a clean diet has connected me back to nature and to an eco-lifestyle.  It has given me clarity and the opportunity to release so much stored emotion, helping me overcome compulsive emotional eating.

Today I hope to inspire others with the message that there is a better way to live. That you don’t have to settle for poor health, depression, or obesity. Nature is magnificent, and when we begin to connect back to a natural way of living we unlock the secret to radiant health. After all, we do have a choice… the choice to live vibrantly healthy, enjoying and embracing every moment along the way.

Life begins to open up the most wonderful opportunity when you finally make the decision to open your heart, stay true to yourself, and begin to live with integrity. My decision to embrace a raw food lifestyle has given me a new appreciation for the healing power of nature, while taking my health to a whole new level of radiance.

Raw Food Nation is proud to feature the story of Mila Ilina, who resides in Boulder, Colorado. Mila is the owner of Raw Radiance, LLC and she blogs her raw advice too, Raw Radiance Blog. Her favorite part of the raw food lifestyle is all the wonderful and passionate people she has met who continue to inspire and uplift her on her own raw food journey, as she’s always learning!

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