When I tell people about raw foods, their first thought is sushi. Either that or they consider all of the foods they eat in their raw state and think: ‘How unappetizing! I couldn’t eat my eggs raw, or my chicken raw . . . that’s just wrong.’
I’m not referring to raw in the sense of meat, eggs or bread in the raw. ‘Raw foods’ actually refers to a whole new spectrum of foods that most of us aren’t used to. It refers to fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains and sea vegetables.
Nothing cooked (hence the word ‘raw’) and typically no animal products, although there are some raw foodists who will eat certain meats in their raw state or slightly seared.
So why raw?
Cooking our food depletes anywhere from 50 to 80 per cent of the vitamins and minerals. And, more importantly, when exceeding temperatures around 115F (46C), we lose 100 per cent of the enzymes any phytonutrients — as in all. And I like to think of enzymes as the life force of food. They are the catalysts to every biochemical reaction in our body, including digestion.
For example, a carrot contains enzymes that help you to digest that carrot. When you cook it and then eat it, your body has to use its own enzymes to digest it.
Sure, your body creates some enzymes naturally but depleting your body of enzymes is a major contributor to the signs of aging.
This is why they call the raw foods diet the “anti-aging diet.”
Many experts also agree that one of the contributors to illness and disease is too many cooked foods.
Our body is made up of living cells. Wouldn’t you think giving it a little life might keep it alive?
Of course, there is the “how boring” factor of eating such plain foods, right?
Wrong.
My own journey to raw foods came about because I was suffering from fatigue and just flat out feeling terrible. It made me re-evaluate a lot of things in my life.
I saw a nutritionist, learned about raw foods and jumped in headfirst. I went to Arizona where they filmed Raw for 30 Days and trained to be a living foods instructor, while experiencing what this diet had to offer fully for three months.
And as a meat-eating, beer-drinking Albertan, I have to say I was impressed. And not by how amazing I started to feel, but more in how amazing the food tasted.
There are gourmet cheesecakes made with fresh strawberries and coconut cream on a crust of almonds and dates with a sprinkle of cinnamon and the most amazing enchiladas filled with marinated vegetables wrapped in a dehydrated flax and walnut wrap with fresh herbs and “cheeses” made with cashews, lemon juice and sea salt.
But the real simple stuff is what I have taken home with me: fresh smoothies, great salads, homemade guacamole and salsa are what I mostly incorporate now.
Keep it simple.
You don’t have to be a raw foodist. You don’t even have to be vegetarian to incorporate more raw foods into your diet.
Just do your best to eat as well you can, but also have the patience with yourself to allow some indulgences.
I know the powers of eating a mostly raw diet and how really easy it can be, especially in the summer months. If there’s a time to try some raw foods, it’s definitely now. Check out some resources online. You might be amazed at what you find.
Refreshing and Raw: Ginger Ale
1 lemon
2 cups water (sparkling mineral water if desired)
1 tbsp agave nectar
½ tbsp grated fresh ginger
Sea salt to taste
Squeeze juice of lemon into blender, add rest of ingredients and blend. Will keep in fridge for up to two weeks. Excellent for raising the body’s pH and reducing inflammation.
Source: The Thrive Diet.
Kristin Fraser, BSc, is a registered holistic nutritionist and local freelance writer. Her column appears every second Wednesday. She can be reached at kristin_fraser@hotmail.com.