What I eat in a day in the hospital | Raw Vegan

What I Eat in a Day in the Hospital as a Raw Vegan

A personal account of staying raw vegan through serious injury, surgery, and recovery, and practical tips for anyone facing the same concern.

One of the most common questions I get from people considering a raw vegan lifestyle is what happens if something goes wrong. What if you end up in hospital? Can you actually maintain this way of eating through a serious medical situation? After a pretty intense motorcycle accident in July 2018, I got to find out firsthand. This video shares exactly what I eat in a day in the hospital and how we made it work.

What Happened

As many of you know, Kamilla and I were in a serious motorcycle accident on July 28th 2018. After a fun workout on a hot sunny day we left the gym on my 1986 Honda Goldwing and headed back toward my parents’ house. I do not remember anything past getting on the bike until I woke up in hospital hours later, but Kamilla recounted the whole thing.

We were coming to a major intersection on Diefenbaker Drive in Saskatoon when the light turned yellow. A truck heading the opposite direction sped up to turn left and did not see us until it was too late. The bumper struck us both in the left shin, resulting in many broken bones, concussions, abrasions, and more.

I woke up in a crowded hospital with a neck brace, not feeling much. The first thing I asked was whether it was my fault. When they told me it was not, I asked where Kamilla was. An instant later she was wheeled out from behind a curtain. We got to look into each other’s eyes, share a fast embrace, and then she was taken in for surgery, nine hours long if I recall correctly. After she was done I went in for seven hours myself, all performed by the same surgeon, our savior Dr. Hussain.

There were certainly many trying days but we were both blessed to have each other for support and strength. I was in hospital for 11 days and Kamilla stayed for 40. The outpouring of love and support from this community was overwhelmingly amazing and meant more than I can say.

What I Eat in a Day in the Hospital as a Raw Vegan

This is the part a lot of people are curious about. Many people worry they could not maintain their dietary needs in a hospital setting, and honestly that concern sometimes stops people from seeking the medical care they actually need. I want to put that fear to rest.

My parents came in daily with loads of fresh fruit, and the hospital staff were incredibly accommodating, keeping extras in the fridge so I always had as much fresh fruit and greens as I needed. We also received some amazing gifts from the community including green juices, fruit juices, and a beautiful edible arrangement with a mix of melons, berries, pineapple, and more, which you can see in the image above.

If you are thinking melons and pineapple sounds like a questionable food combining situation, check out my video on melons and food combining below. Short answer: it worked out just fine.

Beyond the fruit gifts we also had tasty raw wraps, mangoes, blueberries, fresh greens, and even some of my own recipe borscht brought in from outside. Eating well was genuinely possible even in that setting, and it made a real difference to recovery.

Grab the Raw Vegan Borscht Recipe here

Worth noting too that Kamilla found there were actually vegan options on the hospital menu in Saskatoon that she enjoyed. It is not always the case but it is worth asking, hospitals are more accommodating than most people expect.

Practical Tips for Eating Raw Vegan in Hospital

Having lived this experience I want to share a few things that made what I eat in a day in the hospital actually work, in case you or someone you love ever faces a similar situation.

Ask the staff directly. Hospital staff genuinely want to help. Most will happily store fruit in a fridge for you and many are curious about the lifestyle. Do not assume they will not accommodate you before asking.

Lean on your community. Having family or friends bring in fresh fruit daily was the foundation of everything. A simple running list of what you need texted to someone who can shop makes it easy for them to help and easy for you to stay nourished.

Keep it simple. This is not the time for elaborate food combining or complex recipes. Mono meals of fruit, simple green wraps, fresh juices, and easy smoothies are all you need. The body is focused on healing and simple easy to digest foods support that process better than anything else.

Caloric sufficiency still matters. Even in recovery, undereating is a real risk. Fruit is calorically light so make sure you are getting enough volume in. Bananas, dates, mangoes, and other calorie dense fruits are your best friends in this situation and easy to bring in and store.

Do not let diet concerns stop you seeking care. This is the big one. If you need medical help, get it. A raw vegan diet is absolutely compatible with hospital care and recovery. What I eat in a day in the hospital looked different from my normal routine but it was still clean, nourishing, and supportive of everything my body needed to heal.

Recovery and Gratitude

Looking back on that experience, as intense and painful as it was, there is so much to be grateful for. The speed of the emergency response, the skill of Dr. Hussain and his team, the love of family and community, and honestly the foundation of health that 20 years of raw vegan living had built going into that moment. I genuinely believe that foundation made a difference to how well and how quickly my body was able to respond.

Within a year of that accident I was back training intensively six days a week, gained from around 155 pounds back up toward 200, and was skateboarding again at a level I was proud of. The body is an extraordinary thing when you give it what it needs.

Thank you again for every well wish, positive vibe, and uplifting message so many of you sent during that time. It meant everything.

Remember, each day is a blessing.

As Always

Wishing You Much

PeaceLovenSeasonalFruit ck