Hey everyone,
I’d just like to share that after a lot of research into the benefits of eating a Raw Food diet, that I have decided to go for it and do it once and for all. I have made halfhearted attempts over the past few months and have reaped the benefits of even that. I’m ready now and I’m doing it.
That said, I am asking for tips and recipes or any other information anyone would like to offer. You can post it below or join the forum and get involved in the discussions there.
If anyone would like to join me on my going raw journey and would like to share their story and experiences, the forum and comment section of this post would be a great place to do so. I would love to get people involved because a strong support team will not only help me on my journey but it will also help anyone else who is ready to embark on a healthy raw food lifestyle.
Thanks so much!
Love,
Amanda
Hey! good luck with your journey. I have tried integrating raw food into my life as much as possible. I started with my husband about a year ago.
Truthfully, I am not sure that I am personally much concerned with being 100% raw 100% of the time. I like all the artforms of making food. I do consider most of those that involve cooking to be similar to processed food that should be eaten sparingly. But it would be very ideal to be 90% raw and 100% raw during the spring season when lots of fresh greens are in season. It feels so good to eat raw though – you’ve probably experienced the lightness and energetic feeling of it. Eating and researching raw eating has changed my attitude toward how I eat food. It really taught me to appreciate the delicate flavors of each plant I eat. I would like to find a way to eat raw without a lot of money. So many of the books out there have you eating food that has to be shipped in from all over and being in the country; it’s expensive to eat a lot of the exotic foods. I think it is definetely best to learn simplicity and variety and to save the really extravagant, expensive dishes for once a week or special occasions. I find it easier than expected to make a variety of nutrient dense salads for cheap – its a nice staple. I like to buy a bunch of cheap stuff and a little of the pricey. As long as you have a good balance of your proteins, carbs, and fats and you eat a wide variety instead of the same things every week, it can be relatively cheap. It is also more economical to have a loose idea of several dishes you could make with the expensive items you do buy so it doesn’t sit in your fridge and go bad. Sometimes, I get so excited that I buy tons of things at once when it is best to just buy a few things. It’s also really fun to have people over to enjoy raw meals with you and get them excited about it too! The feeling of eating raw for a few weeks straight is enough to keep you going. Just be careful not to go wild and put a strain on the bank.
I’ve been procrastinating on posting some articles that explain the benefits of a plant based diet. Seeing how someone is interested, I will be sure to get posting!
Here’s a few basic tips and facts.
– A plant based diet is high alkalnizing, which promotes oxygen throughout the body. Oxygen of course gives you energy! In contrast, bodies that are acidic are more prone to disease, cancer, and diet related maladies.
– Raw foods contain living enzymes, which aid in the digestion process, release energy, and are conducive towards alkalinity.
– Vitamins and Minerals exposed to high heat are insoluble to the body, meaning a loss of essential nutrients regardless of consumption levels.
– Calcium, an important mineral in maintaining alkalinity, is useless once it has been heated: since milk is boiled by law, milk actually contributes to calcium depletion. North America is the largest consumer of dairy and has the highest rate of osteoperosis. This is because the calcium in milk has been heated, and its molecular structure has changed.
The healthiest of RAW:
– Eat lots of leafy mixed greens. Never eat spinach unless mized with other greens such as kale, green or red leaf lettuce, romaine, collard leaves, arugula, bok choy ect ect.
– When consuming foods high in iron (nuts and legumes, dark leafy greens) be sure to accompany with foods high in Vitamin C (tomatoes, broccoli, bright coloured pepperes)(lemons, limes, grapefruit, orange, kiwi, apples, figs, pineapple, mangoes, papayas, strawberries, blueberries ect. ect.)
– Sprouts contain more minerals, proteins, vitamins, and enzymes combined than any other plant based food source. Grow your own sprouts in a jar, strainer…google it….or purchase from the store).
– Hemp is the most soluble source of complete protein, contains essential omega fatty acids 3,6,& 9, high sources of iron and calcium.
One last thing, tap and bottled water is extremely acidic which decreases the count of oxygen molecules in your body. Look into water alkalinizers or hydrate yourself from consuming high amounts of water-concentrated vegetables and fruits (cucumbers, melons, grape fruits oranges.
This is what I can offer at the moment…..
I still like cooked food but have become 98% vegetarian. My chickens hang out with me now, like little dogs. All because I don’t sweat dead meat smell!! (mmmmm!)
I would encourage anyone who wants to go RAW, consult the “Eating for your blood type” book FIRST to find out which foods are able to be metabolized by your system. This book isn’t a RAW foods book but will let you know what kinds of things to limit for optimal health of your personal “skin suit”. EX: don’t eat tons of mung bean sprouts if you are Soy Intolerant.
The other key to eating RAW is start growing your own fruits and veges… this is the prime directive for all who are self empowering your personal shift!
There is an energy exchange that happens with food consumed directly off the vine that you can’t get from any store bought goods. No nutrient loss just pure sweet bliss! I also believe a majority of the “self sustaining technology” we are “waiting” for is already known, written about and documented on the internet as inherent in modern/ancient agriculture techniques. Think “Self Sustaining Farms” that can be set up in any desert, mountain, or rooftop. It must have freaked someone out… they tanked the money system right when “Green” became the buzz on everyones lips! Right??
To Beau Caza:
Why do you have to mix other dark leafy greens with spinach??
To Delphi:
I live in Northern, British Columbia, Canada, in an apartment!! haha, I was thinking about renting some space this summer to start my own garden, but aside from growing sprouts in my kitchen, any other recommendations?? Do you know much about hydroponics??
Thank you!
Peace and Love,
Alanna =)
That’s so funny… I had the same question about spinach as I eat a ton of it RAW and never have had a noticeable problem!
BTW, Beau Caza is right on in all the info…
I have heard tremendous things about hydroponics from “herb” growers and just doing a google search, I would say you would be very wise to get your home kit setup ASAP. This way you can have your tomatoes and peppers and fresh herbs year round.
The down side of this method is your “nutrient growing medium” and “simulated light” can make this a expensive process and will leave a carbon footprint about 70 times that of natural methods. However, much is to be said about eating food where it was created, especially in the higher northern hemisphere with little or no land. This would be a feet that would make you the envy of your neighborhood and a little bird told me that year round community green houses are going to be the cornerstone of ALL functional “living” in our future societies. Imagine a rooftop garden, tended by you and your neighbors. (wink)
In upper Canada, I would focus on low light, low heat crops for rooftop/outdoor growing in containers. Root crops like potatoes, beets and turnips will grow in these conditions and are important if you are active as they are the calories you will need in a cold weather diet. Leafy greens like Kale, Shard, SPINACH and lettuces are easy to grow in cold weather and are good for vitamin content. Most mentioned above should be cooked before consumption for easier digestion or I believe Pickling is considered RAW preparation.(???)
My recomendation for those looking to incorporate the benefits of RAW but have “limitations”… google “Kombucha”. I have been working with this ferment for 2 months and will NEVER drink soda pop again! This “technology” is self replicating, totally alkalizing for the bod and slightly harder than making a large pot of tea! Do yourself a favor and get your “Alien Baby” today!
“A Toast To the Seekers of Optimal Health!!”
OC Raw Food has some good recipes on FB and at http://www.ocrawfood.wordpress.com. We will start airing new videos next week!
Alanna,
A lot of the spinach we buy in store is baby spinach. Baby spinach in contrast to its full grown state has fewer minerals due to its decreased level of maturity. Having that said, ultimately, consuming avid amounts of spinach produces high levels of oxalic acid in the body. This is no reason for concern, considering natural enzymes in the body are able to remove access amounts of oxalic acid in the bloodstream. However, excreting and removing degenerative acids in the body uses high levels of alkaline minerals (primarily calcium) in order to maintain peak body function.
By simply avoiding the consumption of spinach by itself, there is no cause for alarm. As I said previous, try mixing spinach with other greens. You can also add spinach to smoothies filled with a variety of fruits, hemp seeds, almond butter, ect. ect. Spinach as a side dish with a variety of other dishes is sufficient as well.
Just don’t eat spinach incessantly, just like any other health food…balance is the key!
Thanks so much everyone for all the tips so far. I appreciate it. Keep them coming
Peace,
Amanda
Why thank you beau, that does make sense, and I do eat insane amounts of baby spinach, haha, but now I know
Peace and Love,
Alanna