raw food 101

Whenever I start to tell someone about the raw food diet, a lot of questions come up. The most common questions I get are:


*What do you eat?
*Why are raw foods considered to be healing?
*How do you get enough protein?


So, I thought I'd take a moment to address these questions. Hopefully they'll clear up any confusion and help you better understand how this diet is so healing.


First of all, raw and living food is not cooked, heated, or processed. It is (hardly ever) contained in a bottle or jar. It is never in a can. Raw food consists of uncooked fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains. They are not altered in anyway and enjoyed in their natural state. This includes sea vegetables, dried fruits, beans, raw honey, sea salt, raw carob powder (helloooo chocolate!), spices, herbs, almond butter, fresh fruit/veggie juices, and the list goes on.


What raw/living food does not include is: meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, processed frozen foods, cooked grains, store bought juices (these are pasteurized), coffee, soda, caffeinated tea, sugar, and alcohol (except red wine!).


I bet a lot of you reading this are terrorized by the idea of eating in such a way, but let's look at why a person may choose to go this "extreme." The main reason that raw food has helped people feel well and healthy for the first time in their lives is because this diet feeds your body and cells with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other substances that cooking destroys. The two most important factors connecting raw food to improved health are enzymes and acid alkaline balance.


As we age, our body's natural source of enzymes becomes depleted. If we continue to cook away the enzymes that are present in our food, we will eventually begin to use our own natural enzyme reserves. We need to replenish this source with the foods that we eat. The process of cooking our food makes it very difficult for our bodies to digest the food that we eat; consequently, the food begins to be stored in our bodies as toxins, leading to all sorts of diseases. The enzymes that are contained in raw food actually aid in the digestion of that food when it is chewed. If we fail to gain enzymes from raw food and continue to use up our enzyme reserves by digesting cooked foods, we become more susceptible to aging, disease, and premature death. I know, scary, right? Cooking our foods destroys enzymes and is detrimental to our immune system, brain function and energy levels.


When I began eating a mostly raw food diet, I almost immediately experienced an improved state of mind and clarity. I am more energized, more at peace, better able to focus, and I feel as if a "mental haze" has been lifted. Feeling emotional clarity, increased energy, and healing of physical problems are things that people who go raw notice. We need to be mindful of our enzyme reserve, and eat enough whole, raw foods in order to improve our quality of life and health.


Another huge factor that plays a role in the healing power of raw foods is how this diet is very alkaline forming for our bodies. The Standard American Diet (SAD) consists of foods that are extremely acid forming once we put them into our bodies. When we consume acidic foods (example: milk, eggs, cheese, meat, sugar, pasta, pop, you get the picture), we are creating a playing ground for disease to manifest. When your body is too acidic the systems and organs of your body need to work overtime in order to reach homeostasis. Think about your organs always being in the state of fight or flight. If the body is in this state for a long period of time, it becomes exhausted, and an exhausted body cannot compete with disease. An acidic body impacts your mental state, causing headaches, slower thinking, dulled mentality, and even depression. Fatigue, muscle stiffness, pain, and low calcium states are also on account of an acidic environment.


Diet is the major factor in our bodies becoming too acidic. Many doctors believe that our diets should be made up of 80% alkaline foods and 20% acid foods. The goal is to have an internal environment that is slightly alkaline. We can do this by eliminating acid producing foods and enjoying a diet high in raw foods.


Fun fact: almost all fruits and vegetables are alkaline forming. Certain foods are externally acidic, but internally alkaline, such as: grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and limes.


Tip: A great way to start your day is to begin with a large glass of water with fresh lemon juice squeezed into it. Lemons are extremely alkaline forming.


And now for the burning question.....Where on EARTH do you get your protein, crazy lady?! Let me tell ya. Eating protein does not create protein in your body. Amino acids are what create protein in your body, and the best source of amino acids are dark, leafy, green vegetables. When you eat meat, you're not actually getting as much protein as you think you are. For example, say you're going to eat a chicken breast. It has 20 grams of protein in it. Once it is cooked, 50% of the protein is destroyed. Now your body needs to digest and assimilate this dense source of 10 grams of protein (which can take up to 100 hours). If you're lucky, you might end up getting a few grams of protein.


A bowl of uncooked greens or sprouts may only contain a few grams of protein, but--and this is key--you can easily digest and assimilate every single gram because they still have all of their minerals, enzymes, and vitamins intact. In the end, you get a lot more protein while eating a lot less food. One cup of store bought almond milk contains 1 gram of protein (because it has been heated in order to be stored and sold in stores). On the other hand, raw almond milk contains 10 grams of protein! Click here for a link to a recipe for homemade, raw almond milk.


More fun information to come! Stay posted and let me know if you have any questions you'd like me to address :)

"If we eat wrongly, no doctor can cure us; if we eat rightly, no doctor is needed." -Dr. Victor G Rocine, 1930

love & lettuce,

d