A woman has revealed her body was riddled with grim parasites after becoming a strictly raw vegan.
Larissa Arteaga, 28, from California, US, is a holistic nutritionist who wanted to improve her health after becoming sick at witnessing her friends and family eat meat and diary.
She claims a lot of raw and processed meat contain parasites - which led to her detoxing her body from the animal products using herbal formulas.
Larissa, who began her health journey nearly 10 years, witnessed the parasites coming out of her body in her stool.
She had been searching for ways to improve her health as she was pre-diabetic with insulin resistance, high cholesterol, severe acne and depression.
And in 2017, Larissa discovered raw veganism following the end of a toxic relationship.
A raw vegan is similar to a vegan, and means not buying or using any animal derived products, with the addition of not consuming any foods that have been raised to a temperature that destroys the enzymes.
Her diet mainly consists of fruits, salad, raw vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Larissa chose to become a raw vegan because she wanted to stop harming animals, instead surviving on a healthier diet and seeing great health results.
For Larissa, raw veganism has opened the way to spirituality. She now meditates daily, spends more time in nature and heals holistically.
She is also mindful when purchasing hygiene products, avoiding anything with harsh chemicals.
After two weeks on a raw vegan diet, Larissa experienced relief from many of her health conditions, being able to come off medications, increase her energy levels and boost her mood.
She said: "After only two weeks on this new lifestyle, I began experiencing immediate relief of my symptoms and eventually reversed all of my health conditions, got off medication, and have now been experiencing the best health of my life.
"Increased energy levels, boosted mood and opening the path to my spiritual journey were other benefits I have experienced.
"I was on the verge of becoming a diabetic and destined to be on medication for the rest of my life and struggling with acne for over a decade which lead to depression and I finally found relief to change all of that.
"The weirdest experience I've ever had was learning that most people that eat meat, especially raw fish and pork, are harbouring parasites and really just how prevalent these creatures are without most people even knowing.
"In the beginning of my journey I did a lot of detoxing from eating animal products and took a herbal formula that helps rid the body of parasites and I saw them come out of me in my stool.
"If you were ever a big sushi lover like myself, you most likely have these little guys inside of you. And they cause so many health issues."
Larissa's diet has caused some strain on her relationship with family and friends as she wants to help those she cares about, but many people don't wish to change their life.
She also finds it quite traumatising to see those close to her eating meat and consuming dairy, often being reminded of what the mother cows would go through to produce those dairy products and feeling uncomfortable seeing a dead body on a plate.
Larissa's mother has since changed to veganism four years ago, seeing an improvement in her health.
She also shares her diet with her boyfriend and a community of friends.
"I started my health journey almost ten years ago, trying to find the answer to reverse my health issues that included pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, severe acne, depression, EBV and many other inflammation-related issues," said Larissa.
"It wasn't until five-and-a-half years ago that I found the dietary answer to true health which is the raw vegan diet, high carb/ low fat/ whole foods.
"A raw vegan is someone who is vegan, first and foremost, and does not eat or buy any animal-derived foods or products, meat, dairy, eggs, leather, wool, products tested on animals.
"But under the term raw vegan, we also do not consume any foods that have been raised to a temperature that cook out the enzymes and many of the nutrients as well as the life-force-energy.
"A healthy raw vegan diet consists mostly of fruits during the day and a large salad for dinner with raw veggies, nuts and seeds.
"It's an easy, delicious and healthy way to get all of the nutrients the human body needs without any excess of what we do not need.
"I became a vegan because I no longer believed it was okay to exploit, harm and kill animals for survival or health if I can actually be much healthier without eating animal products and actually heal my health issues.
"I stick to a raw vegan diet over standard vegan because I experience the greatest health results when I take grains, beans, and other foods that need to be cooked or processed out of my diet and I feel my best consuming mostly fruits and veggies and small amounts of nuts and seeds.
"Becoming raw vegan has changed everything for me because it taught me to focus more on self love and self respect.
"This started with ending a very unhealthy relationship I was in at the beginning of going vegan.
"It also opened up a gateway to spirituality which I now meditate daily and have seen a drastic improvement in my life because of this practice as well.
"I spend more time in nature and in the sun since I've learned that health is holistic and not reliant on just diet alone.
"I do also purchase more mindfully when it comes to other products that I buy other than food such as hygiene products and try to avoid anything containing toxic chemicals as much as possible."
Larissa talks about how her diet has affected her relationship with people around her.
"I just want to help anyone and everyone in my life who are struggling with their health or prevent them from developing these extremely common.
"Yet extremely preventable health issues but not everyone wants to change for the better so this can be a little bit heart breaking," she said.
"It is also pretty traumatising for me now to be around friends or family who still eat meat and to see a dead body on their plate since I have a different way of looking at meat now or seeing someone consuming dairy, cheese, butter, and to be reminded of what those mother cows go through, look up Dairy is Scary on YouTube.
"I have a lot of compassion and empathy towards all of these trillions of animals that humans are breeding are killing unnecessarily every year.
"I wouldn't say I've been abused or bullied but there will always be internet trolls if you put yourself out there online.
"Luckily I have mostly just experienced positive interactions online and the blessing of inspiring and changing many people's lives.
"I have an amazing mother who also went vegan about a year after I did and she drastically improved her health as well.
"I have an extremely supportive and loving boyfriend who is also raw vegan and thriving and I have an amazing community of friends that I have met in person and online through this vegan and raw vegan movement so I am very grateful and blessed.
"Even if I helped only one person change their diet which in turn would change their health, prevent them from developing the most common health conditions.
"And overall improve their mood, energy levels and life, that would be the best accomplishment but I am lucky to say that I have helped many and that is the most profound blessing I could ask for.
"It is truly my purpose in this lifetime."
