Raw foods advocates claim that eating fresh, organic uncooked fruits and vegetables balances the pH of the body and provides optimum health. A raw food diet utilizes sprouted nuts, grains and seeds to provide enzymes that reportedly aid digestion. According to rawfoodlife.com, raw fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, enzymes and minerals that are destroyed by heat. Raw foodists use food processors and dehydrators to create their own versions of bread, pasta and desserts. If you are considering going raw, you may find it easier if you make the transition slowly. Consult your doctor before starting any new diet.
Step 1
Start by changing your breakfast. Use a juicer to create a green smoothie, or have a raw fruit salad with nuts. Nuts form the basis of many raw food dishes, including cream "cheese" that you can spread on raw "bagels." thehappyrawkitchen.blogspot.com suggests making bagels by processing raw wheat with agave, oil and salt and drying them at 112 degrees.
Step 2
Eat a cooked meal for lunch until you feel ready to transition fully to a raw diet. If it takes you several weeks, be patient with yourself and remind yourself that if you really want it, you'll get there eventually. If you like, add a raw fruit or vegetable to your lunch.
Step 3
Transition to a raw dinner by starting the meal with raw foods and telling yourself you can then eat cooked food if you want it. Try an additive rather than subtractive approach. Alissa Cohen, author of "Living on Live Food," has successfully created recipes for raw versions of burgers, pizza and even barbecue mock chicken fingers. A good raw foods cookbook will help you convert the foods you already love to raw incarnations.
Step 4
Eat seasonally. Shop at farmer's markets for organic, locally-grown produce. This allows you to try new things, eat the freshest food available, and save money. Enjoy the flavors of fruits and vegetables you may not have tried before. Look for spaghetti squash to make a raw version of pasta.
Step 5
Give up the worst cooked foods first. For example, replace fried food with raw food, but keep the rest of your diet the same. Then replace sugar, corn syrup or white flour. Go slowly, and be patient with yourself. Change takes time, but your health is worth it in the end.
Things You'll Need
- Juicer
- Food Processor
- Food dehydrator
References
- Alissa Cohen: The Raw Food Diet: Frequently Asked Questions
- Raw Food Life: The Science of Raw Food
- Frederic Patenaude: The Raw Food Diet Transition: How to Do It Right
- Modern Mom: How to Start a Raw Food Diet
- The Best of Raw Food: Raw Diet Recipes: Sprouted Bagel with Salmon
- The Happy Raw Kitchen: Sprouted Bagels
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