The key to raw (and I love this so much) is to be constantly eating. Seriously. You can eat, eat and eat all day long. The amazing thing is that your appetite decreases, so, for example, having a huge breakfast is almost completely out of the question, but a green drink in the morning (I juice any combination of fruits and veggies using my Omega juicer) can do the trick. If I'm planning to do something more strenuous than usual, I'll make a smoothie and grab an apple with almond butter. But lately I've just been in the mood for a banana or even a small orange to start out my day. But I don't end there!
I snack all day long. Take today for example. I started out with the banana. Added a few kiwi slices after a while. Then I shared some sprouted buckwheat cereal and home-made cashew milk with D. Not long after made a power-packed green smoothie (1 frozen banana, home-made cashew milk, huge handful of spinach, chia seeds, flax oil and spirulina--this thing was as green as Gumby and lasted me most of the day. I just kept sipping on it (and sharing it with Dia). At some point I squezed in an apple with home-made almond butter. Then had a few handfuls of blueberries. I put baked potatoes in the oven for us for dinner and served it with an avocado for each of us and our old classic Mock Tuna Salad (this meal is seriously our comfort food!). Afterwards I made some chocolate mint pudding. (Are you also noticing the home-made theme with our food? Raw food is so ridiculously easy to make at home, you'd be crazy not to make it yourself! And I love knowing exactly what is in our food.) I kept up with lots of water as the raw food diet keeps you intimately acquainted with your thirst--such a good thing! So it's not that I am necessarily eating that much more as in calorie-intake as much as that I am just eating more often. I feel very much like a little rabbit or bird eating bits and pieces of fruits and veggies throughout the day. And the energy level? Through the roof! Sometimes I wake up hours before Dia and just putter around, up and awake (something that never happened when I lived off of goat cheese quesadillas!).
I like to think that part of my energy comes from the fact that my body doesn't have to work overly hard to digest its food because all of the natural enzymes are still intact. What really excites me is when I can take seeds or nuts and watch them grow (aka sprout)! Then I know that I am really eating living foods and there's plenty of research on how beneficial living foods are, especially sprouts.
And of course the biggest reason we keep eating this way is that it really is so simple. (I recently read a raw recipe book that touted if you know how to slice an apple, then you are a raw food chef, but if you know how to dice an apple then you're a gourmet raw food chef! Ha!)
Here are some recent buckwheat sproutlings (these took less than 24 hours):
Baby plants!
See it's cute little tail? I grew that in my cupboard!
I stay away from fancy sprouting techniques and find that my good ol' colander does the trick just perfectly. Dia liked eating them just like this--they are very soft and easy to chew.So are you on pins and needles, anxious to sprout your own food? It's just a matter of soaking and then allowing enough time and the right environment to sprout. Make sure that you're using un-processed nuts or seeds (for example, oatmeal is the processed form of oat groats; you cannot sprout oatmeal, you can sprout oat groats), follow this chart for the right soaking times and then once adequately rinsed let them sit in the colander covered with a towel for the necessary time as listed in the chart.
Have I lost you? It's really just that easy. Want to sprout some sunflower seeds (again, not the salted roasted seeds you buy at the convenience store, but the hulled raw seeds you buy from the health store or Whole Foods or even Trader Joe's)? You would place a cup or two (the amount usually doubles so if you want four cups of sprouted seeds, start with two) of seeds in a bowl with twice the amount of water. Let it soak for about 2 hours. Then put them in the colander and rinse them very, very, very well as the water it soaked in is now full of yuckies like enzyme-inhibitors and other "dead" material, so rinse until the water runs perfectly clear. Cover the colander with a towel and place it in a dark area at room temperature (I use my cupboard). Let it sit there for about two days, rinsing every 8-12 hours to prevent mold. Before you know it, you'll see those cute little sprouts start to form and suddenly your seeds have become tiny little plants packed with nutrition. Use them in salads or wraps as the ultimate superfood addition.
With the buckwheat I sprouted aboved I simply added milk and agave and our whole family had a delicious "cereal" that would bring any bowl of Wheaties to its knees.
Have I lost you? It's really just that easy. Want to sprout some sunflower seeds (again, not the salted roasted seeds you buy at the convenience store, but the hulled raw seeds you buy from the health store or Whole Foods or even Trader Joe's)? You would place a cup or two (the amount usually doubles so if you want four cups of sprouted seeds, start with two) of seeds in a bowl with twice the amount of water. Let it soak for about 2 hours. Then put them in the colander and rinse them very, very, very well as the water it soaked in is now full of yuckies like enzyme-inhibitors and other "dead" material, so rinse until the water runs perfectly clear. Cover the colander with a towel and place it in a dark area at room temperature (I use my cupboard). Let it sit there for about two days, rinsing every 8-12 hours to prevent mold. Before you know it, you'll see those cute little sprouts start to form and suddenly your seeds have become tiny little plants packed with nutrition. Use them in salads or wraps as the ultimate superfood addition.
With the buckwheat I sprouted aboved I simply added milk and agave and our whole family had a delicious "cereal" that would bring any bowl of Wheaties to its knees.
You won't believe how easy (and rich and creamy and delicious) this is:Chocolate Mint Pudding*
1 avocado, pitted and the insides scooped out
1/4 cup honey or to taste
1/4 cup raw cacao
1/4 cup water (I use mint water sometimes for an added minty kick)
1-2 teaspoons mint extract, again to taste
Blend and enjoy. No cooking, no dairy, no sugar. Instead wholesome honey (nature's only complete food), omega-packed avocado, antioxidant-rich chocolate and deliciousness.
*You can also make this without the mint extract and mint water for plain chocolate pudding.
You don't have to be a raw fooder to enjoy the many benefits of raw foods. Try replacing your family's dessert with this pudding next time and see what happens!
4 comments:
Mmmmm, I have to make that. Looks awesome! Where do you get your cacao from? Whole foods seemed pricey when I looked.
It is so awesome and so easy--your family will LOVE it. Whole Foods is pricey for everything. BUT they do seem to be the only place in town to get it. You can order it online (have you checked New Frontiers? They might have a great price on it.), but the going rate seems to be around $13 for 16oz. I always remind myself that even though it might be a few dollars more than I'd like, it's far worth it in the health benefits, especially if it keeps me from eating normal sugary chocolate. In fact, keeping sugar out of my system has already saved me over $300 at the dentist's office! (I really need to tell that whole story!)
I will look at new frontiers. I order from Frontier, but haven't heard of new frontiers. Thanks!
Oh, ha ha! I always thought those orders were for NEW Frontiers. Oops! I wish Sprouts or Trader's would carry raw cacao, but so far Whole Foods has been the only local spot. Also, iherb.com is a good place to natural type products.
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