Raw Food: Am I Adventurous Enough to Eat Mostly Raw?

 
 

 
 

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.
 

What is Raw Food?

 
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.

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.”
 

Currently Popular Nutritional Regimens

 

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.
 

I Have Questions

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 friend Joel solves this dilemma by adding the yolk of one free-range egg to his blended smoothie on most mornings.)

If you have ideas or answers to these questions, please leave them in the comments section found at the bottom of this post.

Meanwhile, if you care to join me in my exploration, here are some delicious, sweet and savory recipes I’ve gathered from some of the web’s finest sites dedicated to raw foodism. Check them out — just click on the photos that look most intriguing to you:
 

 

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.

 
 
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