It would be unfair and unrealistic to recommend a healthy food diet to someone without warning them about some pitfalls. It is not unusual for anyone who is beginning to make changes to their diets to experience an adjustment period.
The Fallacy of Supplements
The reason that getting fiber from raw food is so much better than taking supplements has to do with how supplements are prepared. Processed food loses much of its health benefits to begin with, but sometimes the producers want to ascribe to the taste good principle, which can further degrade any good results. Loading supplements with sweeteners or artificial flavors to try to make them more appealing often takes away the very thing that you hope to gain.
Shock to the System
You should eat anywhere from 30-40 grams of fiber a day in order to help ward off such diseases as high cholesterol, obesity, high blood sugar, colon cancer (or any other type of cancer) and heart disease. Deciding on a high fiber diet is going to cause some changes simply because your body doesn't understand a sudden change. You could experience headaches, constipation, nausea, or diarrhea when first starting to eat healthy foods. If you get your fiber from raw foods, there is a much less chance of adverse effects, but no guarantees.
If you do have problems at first, simply work into the diet more slowly so the period of adjustment won't be as severe, but remember that any change in a diet that your body has grown accustomed to is going to require indoctrination into a new one. Eating less food prepared with high-glycemic sweets can be likened to withdrawal from a drug.
When you begin a diet that requires drinking more water than you've consumed in the past and you add fiber, raw fruits and vegetables in higher amounts you might have a "cleansing crisis." Rest assured if you stay the course, you will quickly move to a position where you not only lose the early discomforts, but you feel much better than you did on an unhealthy diet.
Anything Without a Bar Code
If you select fresh organic raw foods that you clean well, you get the most natural and healthy foods possible. You don't have to rely on information printed on the back of a package that can be questionable. If you aren't taking a supplement, you don't have to wonder if you are being loaded with other elements that hinder or counteract the beneficial effects you are striving to achieve.
You can train yourself to easily recognize the raw foods that are high in fiber and don't require additives to do their jobs. Think of dark green as the color of fiber because leafy green vegetables are a wonderful source along with almost any other vegetable. Add to that the fact that minerals, vitamins, and beta-carotene are abundant in these raw foods, and you will easily see why they should be a great addition to your diet. Foods with the highest amount of fiber are sprouted beans, dried fruits, fresh berries, nuts like almonds, brazil nuts, and walnuts. Pears, apples, and strawberries have one of the highest amounts of fiber contents of any of the fruits. There are so many choices when it comes to a fiber rich diet that there is no excuse to not eat your fiber!
Recipe - Hummus in the Raw
Ingredients:
* Fresh zucchini squash - 1 large
* 1 garlic clove
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 2 teaspoons sea salt
* 2/3 cup tahini
* 1/2 cup sesame seeds
* Paprika to taste
* Cumin to taste
* 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
1. Peel zucchini and place in blender with olive oil, garlic, sea salt, lemon juice, sesame seeds, tahini, paprika, and cumin.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
4. Will keep in refrigerator up to four days.
5. Serve with carrots, celery, crackers, sliced avocados, or with fresh leafy greens.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Raw Food Diet Tools of the Trade - The Sprout Starter
In this article will cover a handy tool used in the raw food diet, the sprout starter.
Sprouting your own healthy seeds in a healthy raw food diet is not only convenient, but also saves money on your grocery bill. Seed sprouting is not difficult, even if you don't consider yourself to have a green thumb. Sprouting your own seeds is easy, healthy, and economical.
Here are a few points to ponder regarding a sprout starter for your kitchen:
* You can sprout many different varieties of seeds, so there's always variety in your raw food diet.
* You can choose a sprout starter that suits your specific needs. There are small single tier models, multi-tiered stackable sprouting systems, or you can use a glass Mason jar.
* You can choose totally organic seeds for your sprout starter.
* Sprouts are very healthy and loaded with beneficial nutrients, digestive enzymes, minerals, protein, amino acids, vitamins, and iron.
* It only takes a few days to have sprouts from your starter.
* The growing season for sprouts is year round, and you can grow them no matter what the climate is where you live.
* Just a few of the sprouts you can grow in a starter include mung beans, green peas, clover, lentils, alfalfa, almonds, sunflower, radish, buckwheat, wheat, cabbage, kale, quinoa, sesame, broccoli, snow peas, and garbanzo beans.
* Fresh organic sprouts go straight from sprouter to table, so you enjoy nutritious sprouts that have not been sitting for an unknown length of time on a grocery shelf. Your sprouts are always fresh, coming straight out of your starter to be rinsed and instantly enjoyed.
Different Types of Sprout Starters
There are commercial sprout starters available or you can simply create your own. Commonly used methods for sprouting include:
* Glass Mason Jars
* Cloth
* Plastic Tubes
* Plastic Mesh
* Clay Saucers
* Plastic Trays
* Hemp Bags
Fresh sprouts are one of the healthiest and most nutritious foods you can include in your organic raw food diet. By growing your own sprouts, you are assured of having fresh organic sprouts handy whenever you want them. You can omit chemicals, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers so the sprouts you grow are 100% organic.
Sprout Salad Extravaganza
Ingredients:
* Fresh spinach leaves
* Diced cucumbers
* Halved cherry tomatoes
* Sunflower greens
* Buckwheat lettuce
* Sprouts grown from a bean blend such as San Francisco or Madison Market mix
* Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
* Oil and vinegar
Directions:
1. Clean and prepare greens, vegetables, and sprout ingredients.
2. Toss together with salt, pepper, and oil and vinegar dressing.
3. Enjoy!
Sprouting your own healthy seeds in a healthy raw food diet is not only convenient, but also saves money on your grocery bill. Seed sprouting is not difficult, even if you don't consider yourself to have a green thumb. Sprouting your own seeds is easy, healthy, and economical.
Here are a few points to ponder regarding a sprout starter for your kitchen:
* You can sprout many different varieties of seeds, so there's always variety in your raw food diet.
* You can choose a sprout starter that suits your specific needs. There are small single tier models, multi-tiered stackable sprouting systems, or you can use a glass Mason jar.
* You can choose totally organic seeds for your sprout starter.
* Sprouts are very healthy and loaded with beneficial nutrients, digestive enzymes, minerals, protein, amino acids, vitamins, and iron.
* It only takes a few days to have sprouts from your starter.
* The growing season for sprouts is year round, and you can grow them no matter what the climate is where you live.
* Just a few of the sprouts you can grow in a starter include mung beans, green peas, clover, lentils, alfalfa, almonds, sunflower, radish, buckwheat, wheat, cabbage, kale, quinoa, sesame, broccoli, snow peas, and garbanzo beans.
* Fresh organic sprouts go straight from sprouter to table, so you enjoy nutritious sprouts that have not been sitting for an unknown length of time on a grocery shelf. Your sprouts are always fresh, coming straight out of your starter to be rinsed and instantly enjoyed.
Different Types of Sprout Starters
There are commercial sprout starters available or you can simply create your own. Commonly used methods for sprouting include:
* Glass Mason Jars
* Cloth
* Plastic Tubes
* Plastic Mesh
* Clay Saucers
* Plastic Trays
* Hemp Bags
Fresh sprouts are one of the healthiest and most nutritious foods you can include in your organic raw food diet. By growing your own sprouts, you are assured of having fresh organic sprouts handy whenever you want them. You can omit chemicals, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers so the sprouts you grow are 100% organic.
Sprout Salad Extravaganza
Ingredients:
* Fresh spinach leaves
* Diced cucumbers
* Halved cherry tomatoes
* Sunflower greens
* Buckwheat lettuce
* Sprouts grown from a bean blend such as San Francisco or Madison Market mix
* Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
* Oil and vinegar
Directions:
1. Clean and prepare greens, vegetables, and sprout ingredients.
2. Toss together with salt, pepper, and oil and vinegar dressing.
3. Enjoy!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Choices, Choices, What Type of Juicer to Use on a Raw Food Diet
These days there is a kitchen appliance to do just about everything. There are choppers, slicers, dicers, juicers, blenders, and much more. With the availability of all these gadgets and gizmos, raw food preparation can be a breeze, not to mention a lot of fun. Let's explore one of these handy tools of the trade:
The Raw Food Juice Extractor
A juice extractor provides an excellent way to extract the beneficial nutrients from raw fruits and vegetables. A juicer separates the juice from the pulp of the fruit. Anyone on a raw food diet needs to have a juicer as part of their array of equipment.
There are many different juicers on the market in different price ranges. An electric juicer is much simpler and faster to use than a manual one. There are two main types of juicers:
* Centrifugal (least expensive and the oldest design type) - this type of juicer works using a spinning motion at high speeds. The food is inserted into a chute, and the centrifugal motion spins the juice away from the food fiber. The juice is then dispensed into a separate container or leaving the pulp fiber behind in a basket. With this type of juicer you can only produce 1-2 quarts before you have to take it apart to clean out the pulp. They also don’t juice leafy greens very well, but I have added parsley and cilantro to many of my morning green juices!
* Masticating (more expensive but they extract more of the nutrients from the produce) - this juicer works similar to your teeth by grinding and chewing the food fiber while squeezing the juice from the food pulp. This juicer operates at a low speed and has no centrifugal action, and many think it does a more efficient juicing job. You may also use a masticating juicer with a blank plate insert for raw nut butters or raw tomato sauces. You can also grate your vegetables and fruits by not putting a screen or blank in at all.
There are also manual juicers that are used for citrus fruits and leafy greens, such as orange juice or wheat grass.
Centrifugal juice extractors tend to be a lot noisier than masticating juicers. A masticating extractor also tends to make more juice out of less raw food than the spinning type of extractor.
Consider the health benefits of using a juice extractor:
* It's a healthy way to obtain a boost of energy
* Fresh juice is easily absorbed by your body's digestive system
* Fiber is essential for proper nutrition, and raw food juice is an excellent source of it
* Fresh juice without additives or preservatives provides your body with essential minerals, vitamins, and nutrients
* Extracting your own juice is much more economical than purchasing at a juice bar
Gazpacho Juice Drink Recipe
Ingredients:
* 2-3 cups of diced ripe tomatoes
* 1 peeled cucumber
* 1 celery stalk, washed and trimmed
* 1-2 green onions, washed and trimmed
* black pepper, fine grain sea salt, cayenne pepper to taste
* Tabasco sauce (optional)
Directions:
1. Wash and prepare raw food for extraction.
2. Juice the tomatoes, cucumber, celery, green onions, and seasonings.
3. Pour into glass and season with Tabasco if desired.
4. Enjoy!
The Raw Food Juice Extractor
A juice extractor provides an excellent way to extract the beneficial nutrients from raw fruits and vegetables. A juicer separates the juice from the pulp of the fruit. Anyone on a raw food diet needs to have a juicer as part of their array of equipment.
There are many different juicers on the market in different price ranges. An electric juicer is much simpler and faster to use than a manual one. There are two main types of juicers:
* Centrifugal (least expensive and the oldest design type) - this type of juicer works using a spinning motion at high speeds. The food is inserted into a chute, and the centrifugal motion spins the juice away from the food fiber. The juice is then dispensed into a separate container or leaving the pulp fiber behind in a basket. With this type of juicer you can only produce 1-2 quarts before you have to take it apart to clean out the pulp. They also don’t juice leafy greens very well, but I have added parsley and cilantro to many of my morning green juices!
* Masticating (more expensive but they extract more of the nutrients from the produce) - this juicer works similar to your teeth by grinding and chewing the food fiber while squeezing the juice from the food pulp. This juicer operates at a low speed and has no centrifugal action, and many think it does a more efficient juicing job. You may also use a masticating juicer with a blank plate insert for raw nut butters or raw tomato sauces. You can also grate your vegetables and fruits by not putting a screen or blank in at all.
There are also manual juicers that are used for citrus fruits and leafy greens, such as orange juice or wheat grass.
Centrifugal juice extractors tend to be a lot noisier than masticating juicers. A masticating extractor also tends to make more juice out of less raw food than the spinning type of extractor.
Consider the health benefits of using a juice extractor:
* It's a healthy way to obtain a boost of energy
* Fresh juice is easily absorbed by your body's digestive system
* Fiber is essential for proper nutrition, and raw food juice is an excellent source of it
* Fresh juice without additives or preservatives provides your body with essential minerals, vitamins, and nutrients
* Extracting your own juice is much more economical than purchasing at a juice bar
Gazpacho Juice Drink Recipe
Ingredients:
* 2-3 cups of diced ripe tomatoes
* 1 peeled cucumber
* 1 celery stalk, washed and trimmed
* 1-2 green onions, washed and trimmed
* black pepper, fine grain sea salt, cayenne pepper to taste
* Tabasco sauce (optional)
Directions:
1. Wash and prepare raw food for extraction.
2. Juice the tomatoes, cucumber, celery, green onions, and seasonings.
3. Pour into glass and season with Tabasco if desired.
4. Enjoy!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Raw Food for Thought - Sensible Snacking
There is growing concern among many people regarding healthy eating, and the majority of us know we don't always eat like we should. Raw food is finding its way into many people's diets, and adults and children alike are discovering that healthy foods can be tasty and delicious. Just because something is labeled "healthy" does not mean it can't taste good.
More grocery stores are becoming aware of the consumer's desire for organic and nutritious raw foods. In addition to planning for healthy meals, we also should be concerned with sensible snacking. More parents are teaching their children to reach for healthy snacks rather than sugar loaded ones.
Many fast food restaurants are offering healthier choices on their menus, such as fruits and vegetables instead of fried potatoes and juice instead of sugar filled sodas.
When we shop for our groceries, we should keep in mind a few basic shopping guidelines:
#1 - Most processed convenience foods contain high levels of sodium, sugar, and cholesterol. Read the labels of the foods you buy and educate yourself regarding what the labels mean and if you can’t pronounce it you probably shouldn’t be eating it!
#2 - A good rule of thumb is to purchase non-UPC labeled foods. Granted, some stores do place a UPC label on some fruits and vegetables, but the overall concept is to buy foods in their most natural state. Choose apples, bananas, melons, berries, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, lettuce, mushrooms, pineapple, peaches, nectarines, carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, and kiwi fruit.
#3 - Don't stock up on salt and cholesterol loaded chips and avoid the soda pop aisle. Opt instead for nutritious juices, unsweetened teas, bottled water, and fiber filled healthy snack choices.
Raw foods are simple to prepare, delicious to eat, and so healthy for you. If you are concerned with weight loss, stabilizing your diabetes, having healthy looking skin and hair, a raw food diet will help you reach your dieting and health goals and improve the way you feel all at the same time. Here are a couple of raw food snack ideas you might want to try:
Recipe #1 - Celery and Apple Snack Delight
Ingredients:
* Celery and a Juicy Apple
* Peanut Butter
Instructions:
1. Wash and slice celery and apple into serving pieces.
2. Top with peanut butter.
Recipe #2 - Marinated Cucumbers
Ingredients:
* Cucumber
* Red Wine Vinegar
* Salt & Pepper
Instructions:
1. Peel cucumber, slice, and place in bowl.
2. Sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper.
3. Add red wine vinegar to cover cucumbers.
4. Marinate 2-3 hours.
5. Enjoy as a snack or in a salad.
More grocery stores are becoming aware of the consumer's desire for organic and nutritious raw foods. In addition to planning for healthy meals, we also should be concerned with sensible snacking. More parents are teaching their children to reach for healthy snacks rather than sugar loaded ones.
Many fast food restaurants are offering healthier choices on their menus, such as fruits and vegetables instead of fried potatoes and juice instead of sugar filled sodas.
When we shop for our groceries, we should keep in mind a few basic shopping guidelines:
#1 - Most processed convenience foods contain high levels of sodium, sugar, and cholesterol. Read the labels of the foods you buy and educate yourself regarding what the labels mean and if you can’t pronounce it you probably shouldn’t be eating it!
#2 - A good rule of thumb is to purchase non-UPC labeled foods. Granted, some stores do place a UPC label on some fruits and vegetables, but the overall concept is to buy foods in their most natural state. Choose apples, bananas, melons, berries, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, lettuce, mushrooms, pineapple, peaches, nectarines, carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, and kiwi fruit.
#3 - Don't stock up on salt and cholesterol loaded chips and avoid the soda pop aisle. Opt instead for nutritious juices, unsweetened teas, bottled water, and fiber filled healthy snack choices.
Raw foods are simple to prepare, delicious to eat, and so healthy for you. If you are concerned with weight loss, stabilizing your diabetes, having healthy looking skin and hair, a raw food diet will help you reach your dieting and health goals and improve the way you feel all at the same time. Here are a couple of raw food snack ideas you might want to try:
Recipe #1 - Celery and Apple Snack Delight
Ingredients:
* Celery and a Juicy Apple
* Peanut Butter
Instructions:
1. Wash and slice celery and apple into serving pieces.
2. Top with peanut butter.
Recipe #2 - Marinated Cucumbers
Ingredients:
* Cucumber
* Red Wine Vinegar
* Salt & Pepper
Instructions:
1. Peel cucumber, slice, and place in bowl.
2. Sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper.
3. Add red wine vinegar to cover cucumbers.
4. Marinate 2-3 hours.
5. Enjoy as a snack or in a salad.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
A Ripe Juicy Tomato - an Incredibly Tasty and Healthy Treat
There is nothing more satisfying than enjoying a fresh, ripe, juicy tomato at the peak of the growing season. Sure, you can purchase tomatoes year round in the grocery store, and some of them are tasty, but there is much to be said for growing your own tomatoes and enjoying the fruits of your labor right off the vine.
Not only do homegrown fruits and vegetables taste great, but by growing your own raw food, you can enjoy organic fruits and vegetables without the worry of hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
Not only do fresh raw tomatoes taste good, they are good for you, too. Raw food such as fruits and vegetables boast of many health and beauty benefits. Here are a few things to feel good about when you enjoy eating delicious juicy raw tomatoes.
The Tomato / Cancer Connection
My friend has an amazing garden and grows some incredible tomatoes in the summer months. She often gives me tips and pointers for my own garden. She doesn't allow people to smoke in her garden because she says it will harm the tomato plants. There are mixed thoughts on this subject, but she stands her ground adamantly.
Well, guess what? Smoking might not be good for tomatoes, but tomatoes are good for smoking. They contain two acids that fight against the carcinogens created by cigarette smoke.
The tomato doesn't stop there in its war against cancer. The lycopene pigment found in tomatoes contributes to fewer chances of prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer. Lycopene is somewhat of a miracle ingredient that scientists believe stops cancer cells from growing.
Tomatoes Even Make You Pretty
Tomatoes are high in vitamin A, which is a great benefit for many reasons. First, vitamin A improves vision and most notably helps with night blindness, but the mighty A does more than help your eyesight. The vitamin A in tomatoes also supports shiny hair, good bones, vibrant skin, and healthy teeth.
Vitamin A combines with the vitamin C in tomatoes to provide a strong anti-oxidant defense against free radicals in the blood. Some of the beta-carotene produced by these two vitamins is lost in cooking because it destroys the vitamin C, which is why a raw tomato snack is a good choice.
Raw Tomatoes are Healthy for Your Heart
Tomatoes contain niacin, potassium, and vitamin B6. Eating tomatoes can reduce cholesterol levels, help with high blood pressure, and lower your risk for heart disease.
While the traditional saying is that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, tomatoes should have their place in your healthy diet, too. By snacking on these delicious fruits often, you'll be doing something beneficial to your health, all while enjoying something so incredibly delicious as a fresh, ripe, juicy tomato.
Recipe - The Basil Drizzle Tomato Snack
Ingredients:
Medium sized fresh ripe tomato
Balsamic vinegar (any flavor)
Olive oil
Sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, fresh basil
Fresh chopped basil
Instructions:
Wash tomato and quarter; place on saucer.
Drizzle tomato quarters liberally with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and then garnish with the chopped basil. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.
Enjoy!
Not only do homegrown fruits and vegetables taste great, but by growing your own raw food, you can enjoy organic fruits and vegetables without the worry of hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
Not only do fresh raw tomatoes taste good, they are good for you, too. Raw food such as fruits and vegetables boast of many health and beauty benefits. Here are a few things to feel good about when you enjoy eating delicious juicy raw tomatoes.
The Tomato / Cancer Connection
My friend has an amazing garden and grows some incredible tomatoes in the summer months. She often gives me tips and pointers for my own garden. She doesn't allow people to smoke in her garden because she says it will harm the tomato plants. There are mixed thoughts on this subject, but she stands her ground adamantly.
Well, guess what? Smoking might not be good for tomatoes, but tomatoes are good for smoking. They contain two acids that fight against the carcinogens created by cigarette smoke.
The tomato doesn't stop there in its war against cancer. The lycopene pigment found in tomatoes contributes to fewer chances of prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer. Lycopene is somewhat of a miracle ingredient that scientists believe stops cancer cells from growing.
Tomatoes Even Make You Pretty
Tomatoes are high in vitamin A, which is a great benefit for many reasons. First, vitamin A improves vision and most notably helps with night blindness, but the mighty A does more than help your eyesight. The vitamin A in tomatoes also supports shiny hair, good bones, vibrant skin, and healthy teeth.
Vitamin A combines with the vitamin C in tomatoes to provide a strong anti-oxidant defense against free radicals in the blood. Some of the beta-carotene produced by these two vitamins is lost in cooking because it destroys the vitamin C, which is why a raw tomato snack is a good choice.
Raw Tomatoes are Healthy for Your Heart
Tomatoes contain niacin, potassium, and vitamin B6. Eating tomatoes can reduce cholesterol levels, help with high blood pressure, and lower your risk for heart disease.
While the traditional saying is that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, tomatoes should have their place in your healthy diet, too. By snacking on these delicious fruits often, you'll be doing something beneficial to your health, all while enjoying something so incredibly delicious as a fresh, ripe, juicy tomato.
Recipe - The Basil Drizzle Tomato Snack
Ingredients:
Medium sized fresh ripe tomato
Balsamic vinegar (any flavor)
Olive oil
Sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, fresh basil
Fresh chopped basil
Instructions:
Wash tomato and quarter; place on saucer.
Drizzle tomato quarters liberally with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and then garnish with the chopped basil. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.
Enjoy!
Monday, October 4, 2010
RAW FOOD SMOOTHIE E-BOOK
DOWNLOAD NOW - ONLY $7.95
Buy now! 20 Raw Smoothie Recipes You Can't Live Without!
Buy now! 20 Raw Smoothie Recipes You Can't Live Without!
Friday, October 1, 2010
RAW SOUP RECIPE E-BOOK
DOWNLOAD NOW - ONLY $7.95
Buy now! 20 Awesome Raw Soup Recipes You Can't Live Without!
Buy now! 20 Awesome Raw Soup Recipes You Can't Live Without!
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