University alum goes raw for 30 days

Like many students, 1993 university graduate Jenna Norwood admits pizza and vending machine snacks were a staple of her diet during her college years. But after bad eating habits continued to chip away at her health for years after graduating, she decided to make a radical change - and document it in a feature-length film.

Norwood's documentary, titled "Supercharge Me ... 30 Days Raw" after Morgan Spurlock's widely successful "Super Size Me," chronicles her efforts to turn her health around in 30 days by eating only raw food. It was released this summer and was screened at the Utopia Film Festival in Old Greenbelt on Oct. 29.

Norwood said she decided she wanted to lose weight when she spied herself in the mirror while trying on Halloween costumes and cringed.

Instead of taking the traditional diet and exercise route, Norwood decided to try something a little different. She flew from her home in Sarasota, Fla., to San Diego, Calif., and checked herself into a raw food detox center, where she would eat nothing but raw food for 30 days.

"There were a lot of things that pointed me in that direction," Norwood explained. "I went to a raw food potluck and was surprised at how much energy I had! I was cleaning the house that night, and I'm not one of those types."

After the detox diet, Norwood was dazzled with the results. "It was truly miraculous. I don't have to wear glasses anymore, my old Achilles injury doesn't hurt, I have better mental clarity, my spiritual connection is stronger and I have more energy."

Norwood advises students to eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible. "An easy way to do this is get a decent blender and make yourself a fruit smoothie every morning," Norwood said. "If possible, try to avoid foods with refined sugar and flour; they actually harm your health and are addictive."

Norwood hopes her documentary will inspire people to eat healthier. Obesity in this country has become an epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Norwood hopes to open the eyes of the public. "I've seen people cure themselves of cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, high blood pressure and all kinds of other diseases and ailments. It's food the way nature intended."

Contact reporter Patsy Morrow at newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu.