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RAW Food
The RAW food diet is a relative newcomer, and there are many ideas on the subject. I do not profess to have all the answers, I am not a doctor, nor a nutritionist. Some proponents say it is the healthiest way to live, and cite many wonderful side effects, such as weight loss and clear skin, not to mention a healthier body. Detractors say it can be risky, that you don't get enough B12 and other vitamins and that some things are more dangerous to eat raw.
Pomegranate Arils - a beautifully nutritious superfood
Proponents say that raw foods have more vitamins and enzymes intact for the body to assimilate. Detractors say the body has all the enzymes it needs to digest foods.
My personal opinion, and mine only, is this. Pharmaceutical companies will isolate a single component from a plant, with the idea that this component is the one thing of real benefit in the plant. More often than not, that component, singly, will not work as well as if one used the whole plant. Doctors will prescribe drugs to make one feel better. We go on all sorts of diets; some that are really unhealthy. When it all comes down to it, uncooked fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds are healthy for you. We are urged daily to eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Pomegranate Arils - a beautifully nutritious superfood
Proponents say that raw foods have more vitamins and enzymes intact for the body to assimilate. Detractors say the body has all the enzymes it needs to digest foods.
My personal opinion, and mine only, is this. Pharmaceutical companies will isolate a single component from a plant, with the idea that this component is the one thing of real benefit in the plant. More often than not, that component, singly, will not work as well as if one used the whole plant. Doctors will prescribe drugs to make one feel better. We go on all sorts of diets; some that are really unhealthy. When it all comes down to it, uncooked fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds are healthy for you. We are urged daily to eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
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RAW Food Recipes
Avocado Mango Salad
a delightful mixture
Brownie Bites
Oh, so delicious, little bits of decadence
Cake Batter Ice Cream
a little indulgence
Chris's Creamy RAW Tomato Basil Soup
a full flavored and creamy RAW version of an old favorite
Cinnamon Rolls
Not your bread based rolls, but really delicious
Creamy Cucumber Dip
smooth and creamy and delightful
Crispy Crunchy Breakfast Mix
an unusually nice way to start the day
Fruit and Nut Balls
a lot of sweetness in a guilt-free package
Grapefruit and Pomegranate
no recipe; just a pairing of two amazingly healthy fruits
Guatemalan Mole in the RAW
as authentic as I could make it and fantastic on flavor
Marinara Sauce
absolutely delightful marinara; good for any diet
RAW Cranberry Relish
more tart than the highly sweetened cooked version, but delish
Sunflower Refried "Beans"
not quite beans, but a terribly good substitute
Thai Red Curry Squash Soup
my RAW version of a Food and Wine recipe
More and more people are finding they have difficulties with digesting one food or other, and often it is those very foods that we eat to excess that cause problems. Take gluten-intolerance: gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye. Any gluten-intolerant person will tell you how very hard it is to find any processed food these days that does not contain gluten. Nearly impossible. Wheat is in processed spaghetti sauces, in yogurts to make them more palatable, in sour cream, in most any flavoring packets, even in licorice candy! The list just goes on and on.
Why then, should one take a pill with an extracted component to make one feel better, when using the whole plant works great? Why go for drugs, when a clogged up system is the only culprit in a body in pain? Why not clean out the system? If your drain gets clogged, you would clean out the drain. Do this for yourself, on the same principle. Go to the root of the matter. I decided to try the RAW food lifestyle to keep my diabetes in check, to lose weight and to feel better. I accomplished all those things. Over a 9 month time period, I lost 33 pounds, my glucose numbers ranged from 55 to 80, I had no joint pain, I had more range of motion, was able to be on my feet for hours longer than ever in recent memory. I had clear skin. I just FELT good.
I ate fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. I ate no milk or milk products, no beans or legumes, no wheat, barley or rye, no processed sugar. I did eat lots of dates and other dried fruits, some honey or agave syrup, sparingly. I ate raw soups and lots of interesting new salad mixtures. Some RAW foods were even better tasting than their cooked counterparts. My blender and food processor were permanent residents on the countertop. My one big indulgence is that I did not give up coffee. I drink my coffee black and plain, with no sugar there either.
If there is complaint about the benefits of meat, well, I am used to listening to my body. When I crave something, I know that my body is needing something. Approximately once every 3 to 4 weeks I craved meat. I would eat one small portion, about 4 to 6 ounces of a steak, and immediately the craving was gone and I had no problem with it for another few weeks. I understand this was not 100 percent RAW, but it was enough to keep me feeling in optimal condition, without causing any spike in weight or glucose. I am 62 years old. I did this at age 60. I haven't managed to find a time to start it up again, though I would, and would recommend it to anyone feeling not up to par. Even if just to find out how good you can feel. To have that comparison.
Why then, should one take a pill with an extracted component to make one feel better, when using the whole plant works great? Why go for drugs, when a clogged up system is the only culprit in a body in pain? Why not clean out the system? If your drain gets clogged, you would clean out the drain. Do this for yourself, on the same principle. Go to the root of the matter. I decided to try the RAW food lifestyle to keep my diabetes in check, to lose weight and to feel better. I accomplished all those things. Over a 9 month time period, I lost 33 pounds, my glucose numbers ranged from 55 to 80, I had no joint pain, I had more range of motion, was able to be on my feet for hours longer than ever in recent memory. I had clear skin. I just FELT good.
I ate fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. I ate no milk or milk products, no beans or legumes, no wheat, barley or rye, no processed sugar. I did eat lots of dates and other dried fruits, some honey or agave syrup, sparingly. I ate raw soups and lots of interesting new salad mixtures. Some RAW foods were even better tasting than their cooked counterparts. My blender and food processor were permanent residents on the countertop. My one big indulgence is that I did not give up coffee. I drink my coffee black and plain, with no sugar there either.
If there is complaint about the benefits of meat, well, I am used to listening to my body. When I crave something, I know that my body is needing something. Approximately once every 3 to 4 weeks I craved meat. I would eat one small portion, about 4 to 6 ounces of a steak, and immediately the craving was gone and I had no problem with it for another few weeks. I understand this was not 100 percent RAW, but it was enough to keep me feeling in optimal condition, without causing any spike in weight or glucose. I am 62 years old. I did this at age 60. I haven't managed to find a time to start it up again, though I would, and would recommend it to anyone feeling not up to par. Even if just to find out how good you can feel. To have that comparison.
Return to main Recipes page
Go to RAW Food Recipes page
Return to Welcome page
Visit: A Harmony of Flavors Marketplace