Published in the January, 2014 edition of The Buzz
Raw Food Inspiration
Do you need a little inspiration to get back on track with healthy eating? The word is out about the Raw Food diet. Are you wondering what all the hype is about? Why are stars like Sting, Woody Harrelson, Venus Williams and Demi Moore extolling the virtues of consuming lots of fresh, vibrant, living foods?
Here are a few reasons to get you motivated to eat more raw foods that I can personally attest to as well as an easy way to get started:
1. Easy Weight Loss: You can eat all you want – you'll get full before you get fat – no calorie counting needed. You can savour every scrumptious bite with no guilt and you can even have dessert for breakfast!
2. Better Mental Clarity: What would it be like to have better mental clarity and less brain fog? So much of the food we eat has chemicals and preservatives which can contribute to many health issues including brain fog. Eating whole foods that are fresh and vital will give you greater mental clarity and focus.
3. More Energy: How many times have you needed to rest or even take a nap on the couch after a big, cooked meal? Not with raw foods because they are full of enzymes which are required for proper digestion of food. Raw foods digest easily and quickly so that your body has a reserve of energy to do all it needs to do in a day. Plus the nutrients in raw foods are easily accessible to the body so you get an instant boost of energy after consuming them.
4. Regularity: You get up regularly every morning, so would you like to be “more regular” each morning? You could be. Just try adding more raw foods to your current diet, especially greens which are chock full of natural, digestible fibre.
5. Clear Skin: How would you like to have a healthier completion? The cleaner your body inside, the cleaner you skin on the outside. The more raw foods you eat, the more glowing, radiant and youthful your skin will be.
6. Less Clean Up. I don't know about you, but the less time I spend in the kitchen, the happier I am! There are no pots and pans to scrub!
7. Appetizing: Raw foods are great to serve your family and friends. In Europe they have a saying: “First you eat with your eyes.” Raw foods, in their rainbow of colours, are a treat for the eyes. Imagine a platter of colourful veggie wraps with purple cabbage, red peppers, carrots & sprouts all wrapped in lush collard greens with a tangy dipping sauce.
8. Nature's Fast Food: Raw foods are quick to prepare and easy to take to work or school. (No need to radiate raw foods with a microwave!) 9. Relief from Depression: Many people have found relief from depression by consuming larger quantities of fresh, raw foods, and avoiding refined, processed foods and especially foods with gluten. (Gluten allergies have been shown to be a common cause of depression and mood disorders.)
10. Deeper Spiritual Connection: Those on a spiritual path have found that their spiritual connection has deepened as they added more living foods to their diet.
The easiest way to add more raw foods to your diet is to consume green smoothies. Greens are an excellent source of fibre, minerals and vitamins. Forget the powered, processed greens in a bottle, instead reach for vibrant, living, green kale, spinach or swiss chard and make a simple yet delicious green smoothie to 'get your greens on'. Popeye had the right idea.
Here's a simple Green Smoothie recipe to try:
1 banana 1 mango (or 1 cup frozen) handful of greens of your choice 1 to 1 ½ cups of water, coconut water or juice
Mix in blender until smooth. Start with a small handful of greens. Once you are used to the taste of greens in your fruit smoothie you can gradually add more. Enjoy!