A WOMAN who ditched traditional cooked meals for a diet of just raw food has so much energy she is running the London Marathon.

Three months ago Rebecca Wyles ate the usual fare most of us take for granted, from pasta to steak and chips, and enjoyed evenings in front of the television.

But one day her partner Nigel Davies, 38, came up with the idea of following a diet solely based on raw food.

He had read that eating uncooked fruit and vegetables as well as seeds, nuts and dried fruit could improve health and boost energy levels.

In a bid to support him, Miss Wyles took up the challenge ‘kicking and screaming’, but now claims she has never felt better and felt compelled to go running.

The 24-year-old said: “I instantly had tons and tons of energy and had a sudden urge to exercise, which, if I’m to be totally honest is quite weird as it’s never something I’ve warmed to in the past.

“I’ve got lots of stamina and my hair is stronger. I used to suffer from depression and that seems to have gone.

“I found running was a really good way to clear my mind and I thought doing the marathon would be a great excuse to do something I enjoy doing for a good cause.”

The interior designer, who commutes daily to London from her home in Oxford Road, Burford, spends about one day a week preparing food – but the diet involves less washing up.

She said: “Once you have adjusted to it, everything tastes amazing and things come to life. I just look at pizza now and I know it’s going to make me sick.

“My favourite is raw pizza, it’s fantastic. I make the base with almond pulp, linseed and buckwheat and make a red pepper and tomato pesto, and then put mushrooms, avocado, cherry tomatoes and aubergines on top.

“Occasionally I eat raw fish, but it has to be really fresh.”

The former Burford School girl said the hardest part was the first two weeks when she realised she had an emotional attachment to some foods, including sticky toffee pudding, but said that had gone.

“If I feel like eating it I just eat loads of dates,” she said.

Miss Wyles is trying to raise £1,700 for Bowel Cancer UK after losing two friends to the disease. Her longest run to date has been 13 miles but she is confident she can finish the 26.2 miles next month in about five hours.

eallen@oxfordmail.co.uk l Are you running the London Marathon? Call Emily Allen on 01865 425423.

To sponsor Miss Wyles, go to uk.virgin moneygiving.com/ rebeccawyles