Are you a raw foodie?

Nahhh me neither, but you know what... this is the PERFECT time to try out a few recipes to see what all the ho-hub is all about, because the weather is warming up and raw food might start actually to sound good.

The magic of raw nutrition

What is RAW food?

The basic principle: eat fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouts, seeds, beans, seaweeds and grains that have not been heated to 40 to 49 degrees Celsius or heavily processed.

The origins of raw food started way back in the 1900s, in Switzerland by a doctor named Maximillian Bircher-Benner who noticed his patients’ dramatic improvement when fed a completely raw fruit, grain and vegetable diet.*

Why is RAW amazing?

Eating raw keeps the nutrition in fruits and vegetables in tact, including all the wonderful anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Eating raw is also very much about the enzymes within the raw food itself. Enzymes help us to digest and properly absorb the good stuff into our body. Without enzymes food may just pass through without absorbing much of the nutrition.

If you are into the energy of foods, raw food is "alive" and you take that energy on when you eat it. Compare it with juice from the store, which has been pasteurized (heated.) The pasteurization kills bacteria, as well as the enzymes to make it pretty much a “dead” food.

Healthy Lifestyle Tip: Eat RAW for vibrant energy!

What are the potential benefits of eating RAW?

• Improved energy
• Prevents degenerative diseases
• Balances emotions
• Improves overall health

Need more proof?

• Watch movies like Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead to see the power of raw juice to turn around health issues such as Urticaria and being overweight.
• Read the book Crazy Sexy Diet to learn how Kris Carr turned her health around and has now lived over ten years with cancer by living a mostly vegan raw food diet.

Do you need fancy equipment to do raw?

No... eat a fresh green salad or carrots and you are eating raw.

However… there are some really cool kitchen gadgets that change the texture of the fruits and vegetables to make them more interesting to eat.

Google: Spiralizer, Mandoline, Juicer and Dehydrator

There are also some techniques that help to make the food more digestible Google: soaking, sprouting or dehydrating.

Are the recipes difficult to prepare?

No way! Although you can make it difficult if you want to. For example there's some crazy shizzle that chefs do to make it look/taste like a burger, but that's not really necessary.

Here are some easy peasy recipes that you can try this weekend.

• Zucchini Spaghetti with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
• Bircher Muesli

Can you do RAW 100% of the time?

Yes, you can, but it's difficult to get all the nutritional components only from eating RAW. It's my opinion to keep things flexible and balanced... too much of anything may not be that great in long term.

My recommendation? Make One Simple Change:

Try eating at least 1 thing per day RAW for the next 30 days and see if your energy increases.

(I bet it will ;-)

What are you going to NOT cook this week?

Send me feedback! I’d love to hear from you!

Vanessa

P.S. I used to think raw was something that would never fill me up. I am after all a happy meat eater (easy tiger... not that much meat.) So when preparing your raw meals, make sure it has plenty good fats and proteins in it... or you will be left feeling like something is missing! (Think avocado, nut butters and coconut oils etc.)

*Sources:

Book: M. Bircher-Benner & Max E. Bircher, ''Fruit Dishes and Raw Vegetables'