Am I Adventurous Enough to Eat Mostly Raw Food?

 

 
 
One way I am working to improve my lifestyle is to move my diet progressively toward more raw food.

Fresh raw food is so beneficial to our bodies, packed with bio-available nutrients, enzymes, and even micro-organisms that aid in the digestion of our food.  

Raw food, especially when organic, ensures that we are building our bodies at the cellular level with the purest possible substances, free from preservatives and artificial additives.

Why is Raw Food Important?

Raw food is basically any food that hasn’t been heated to (approximately) above 104 degrees. When people refer to raw food, they’re often referring to the vegan variation (yet technically raw food could include raw meats, too — though this is far less pursued!)

Raw food has an inherent lightness and vitality, so it also won’t give you the food hangover that often accompanies rich, cooked foods.

Raw Recipes

If you care to join me in my exploration, here are some delicious, sweet and savory recipes from some of the finest sites dedicated to raw foodism:
 

 

Need a better breakfast?

Try out these gluten-free,

dairy-free fruit crepes.

 

 

 

Indulge in something

sweet and spicy

with this Papaya Sushi.

 

 

Add some crunch to your diet

with these Dehydrated Flax Chips.

 

 

 

Get the zing you’ve been craving

with these Ginger Snap Cookies!

 

 

 

 

 

Enliven your senses

with this refreshing, tangy treat.

 
 
 
 
 

Update 2013: How to Lose Weight with Raw Food

Since I first began experimenting with increasing the percentage of raw foods in my daily diet, four years have passed. My journey began when I saved up so that I could invest in a better blender. I got my first Vitamix and immediately fell in love with it.

I started out making smoothies with fresh ingredients. After a few months of that, I started adding a little raw spinach as one of my smoothie ingredients. I noticed fairly quickly that my body was starting to feel better. My energy level was improving and was more sustained. Next, I started experimenting with adding a variety of greens to my fresh smoothies. Gradually — but unmistakably — my pants started to get loose around the waistline and my puffy face began to slim down. Eventually, I was able to see my abdominal muscles again the way I could in my 20s!

If you want to get an excellent blender (sorry, but the $40 blenders you get at the box stores are not going to cut it) to help you in creating your new, positive nutritional habits (and delicious, healthy smoothies!) you can use this coupon checkout code: 06-007861 and that will give you FREE standard shipping (a savings of $25 in the US or $35 in Canada)! To shop, click on the VitaMix image on this page, or phone 1-800-848-2649.

Popular Nutritional Regimens

There are many differing opinions about how our food should be optimally prepared. For instance, some believe that while most of our food should be eaten raw, that there are certain vegetables that are even more nutritious when cooked. For this reason, there is a growing movement of people who are gradually incorporating more raw foods into their daily diets, without having the intention of ever one day “going 100% raw.”

The Paleo Diet

I have friends who are doing more of a Paleo Diet (lots of lean meat, no flour or grains), and they do look trim and virile, I must admit. This has inspired me to add free-range, organic turkey to my diet three times a week.

The China Study

I’m also intrigued by the book The China Study, that strongly supports veganism as the healthiest lifestyle on the planet. This type of veganism is less concerned about whether the vegetables and foods are cooked or not, and more concerned that everything be simply meat-free.

Common Questions about New Diets

The thing is, for those individuals who have naturally, genetically low cholesterol and low blood pressure — is the vegan lifestyle too light?

Also, if cholesterol is needed to make hormones, how do men who are vegans keep the diet from becoming too estrogenic? (My 98%-percent-vegan friend Joel solves this dilemma by adding the yolk of one free-range egg to his blended smoothie on most mornings.)

Please leave your own questions and comments about the raw food lifestyle below. Making gradual, lasting improvements to our daily diets is still one of the best ways to better our health and extend our lifespan!