Without food, life would be dismal, bland and incomprehensible. Our minds are consumed by what our stomachs consume and it is all just another facet of our consumption culture. Yet perhaps we are not considering food in the manner that matters. Harley Morenstein, of Epic Meal Time, has become a YouTube celebrity for crafting hamburgers deep-fried in macaroni and cheese then wrapped in bacon and other such meals that have even exceeded 75,000 calories. In a world where raw vegan lifestyle is considered more extreme than Epic Meal Time, it is undeniable that we have developed a sick relationship with food that is making us actually sick. As Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine.” Eating for pleasure should not mean disregarding all scientific knowledge about the benefits and detriments of various foods. Our teenage metabolisms are maturing, and it is critical as we move into adulthood that we become more aware of our dietary habits.

We have learned to do amazingly magical and scrumptious things with food—just take a look at TLC or the Food Network. “Cake Boss,” “Cupcake Wars,” “Chopped,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Top Chef,” “Sweet Genius,” “Guy’s Big Bite;”—they’re all irresistibly interesting and tantalizing to our taste buds. It’s food porn, creating an addictive and insatiable appetite for all things greasy, sugary, salty and fatty.

We need to recognize the impact food has on our bodies, both internally and externally, now and in our futures. Food can heal and strengthen you, but it can also tear you apart.

According to the National Alliance for Nutrition & Activity, diet is a major contributor to four of the six leading causes of death in the U.S., including heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. Why suffer a chronic yet preventable disease or die young because you had a few too many cheeseburgers and pieces of chocolate cake? An apple a day keeps the doctor away, remember?

It is time to take our health into our own hands and admit to our food addiction. So what’s it going to be?

High-fat, low-carb, restricted calorie, grapefruit, Atkins, Volumetrics, paleo and macrobiotic are just a few from a long list of current diet options. But they all miss the mark; it should not be about short-term, high-intensity, unsustainable and often unhealthy practices and consumption patterns. Either extreme is detrimental. It’s not about diet, it’s about lifestyle. It’s not about losing weight, it’s about being healthy and balanced.

Raw: unprocessed, untainted food. We’ve been conditioned to think “eating” equals “cooking,” yet removing the “cooking” from that equation may be our ticket to a healthy life. Freelee the Banana Girl has become a YouTube sensation and even has her own book about being raw vegan. She says her great physique and impeccable health are a result of eating 51 bananas a day. She lost 40 pounds and healed herself from various digestive problems, eating disorders and psychological issues by eating an all plant-based and primarily raw diet. The benefits of raw food are that the nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants that our body desires and needs are not being destroyed by heat. We are therefore consuming the most nutrient-rich and beneficial form of food. When our body is nourished it functions properly and will not cultivate sickness or disease. Food is a tool for healing, not an enemy in the war against cellulite.

Emphasizing unprocessed, raw, vegan foods may seem a challenge too difficult to tackle, but anything is manageable when you commit to it. Extreme is not a plant-based diet, extreme is college students getting out of breath walking up Sturm Hall. Extreme is having to take pharmaceutical drugs to combat your diet. Extreme is having someone cut open your chest to fix arteries damaged by eating too much animal protein. Extreme is how addicted we are to food that we would allow, even choose, for these things to happen as long as we can keep scarfing down pizza, fries and chicken wings.

Here on campus or out in the world, there are veggie options everywhere you go. All of the dining halls have entirely plant-based options, either always available or upon-request. Ask for a veggie burger at Nelson or Halls or grab a burrito with veggies sans the meat at Nagel. Grab a falafel sandwich from Jerusalem’s, sesame tofu from Jason’s Thai or nearly any dish at Noodles. All it takes is a moment to consider the ingredients available to you and to just try leaving some animal products off your menu. With time, this first step becomes like second nature. And it is an immensely beneficial step from which you can explore incorporating more raw. You might just go bananas for it.

Maybe start with one raw vegan meal a day or raw vegan before 4 p.m. Learn more and try some amazing raw vegan food right down the road at Denver’s very own Nectar House raw vegan cafe. Opened by a former DU student and located at Broadway and Evans, it is within students’ reach and price range. Put an end to that cognitive indigestion and have a slice of raw vegan banana cream pie.Take it from Freelee the Banana Girl and “Go fruit yourself.”