Raw Foods in a Nutshell
Many individuals may hear the term ‘raw foodist’ and think restricted diet. This is not true. There are many misconceptions about raw food lifestyle. “The initial point was never to be 100% raw,” says Natalia Rose 2author of the Raw Food Detox Diet and Clinical Nutritionists (www.detoxtheworld.com). “If you eat a majority of water containing foods such as fruits, vegetables, dates, seeds, nuts and steamed fish, you can eat raw all day and have a cooked dinner,” she explains.
Raw food is not cooked over 112 degrees any degree higher will kill the enzymes. The food options include, but are not limited to, raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, sprouts and grains. Lillian Butler of Raw Soul Restaurant 1defines raw food as, “anything natural in nature. The distinction between raw food and living food is simple. Salad is raw food where pizza is living. Raw food is more digestible and living has to go the extra mile to break down in the body.” In order to transition into the raw food lifestyle, it will take “baby steps to adapt, but it depends on the person. Focus on progress not perfection,” says Rose.
For those who are interested in incorporating raw foods into their diet it can be easy. Both Rose and Butler encourages starting the day with green juice. Continue with fruit throughout the morning and for lunch eat a salad with sprouts. Then, as Rose suggests, a cooked meal for dinner. “You want to avoid food that sits in your body too long because it will turn into acid waste. Raw salad is like a bullet proof vest, if you combine it with flesh, it will exit easily,” explains Rose.
As you continue on your journey, create changes each month. Your taste buds will change and your body and health will improve. “Vanity is a great motivator. With compliments and looking and feeling great you will want to stay consistent,” says Butler. Both Rose and Butler agree that the path leading to a raw food lifestyle is a personal journey and it is important to stick with your goals no matter what.
Recipe for Green Lemonade
1 head romaine lettuce or celery
5 to 6 stalks kale (any type)
1 to 2 apples
1 whole organic lemon
1 to 2 inches fresh ginger (optional)
Recipe Courtesy of The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose.
Have you tried going raw?
xo,
CC
“The distinction between raw food and living food is simple. Salad is raw food where pizza is living. Raw food is more digestible and living has to go the extra mile to break down in the body.”
Ummm, couldn’t disagree more! To use the two examples of salad and pizza…
A salad of fresh, uncooked vegetables or fruit is raw food (emphasis on uncooked – not heated above 115 degrees).
Pizza is dead food (refined & processed flour, cheese, cooked). Nothing living about it.
Examples of living foods would be sprouts and raw cultured vegetables.
Both living and raw foods contain enzymes. In living foods, however, the enzyme content is much higher. Raw and living foods are more easily digested and assimilated by the body.
So, to sum up: all uncooked foods are raw, however, not all raw foods are living.