Meal Planning for the Raw Foodist

Want to lose weight? Suffering from arthritis, asthma, acne, cancer? Concerned about the welfare of animals? How about people? Local Economy? The Environment? Good, then you're in the right place to make a difference.

So far, I've discussed the obvious and basic health benefits of a raw food diet (recap: raw foods are more efficient and complete sources of protein, they promote optimal health by detoxifying the body and boosting the immune system, they prevent, treat, and reportedly "cure" chronic illness, and they lead to weight loss). But the real beauty of raw foods is that they offer these benefits, to some degree, in any quantity. You don't have to overhaul your entire lifestyle to reap the rewards of raw foodism!

The key is to focus on raw fruits and vegetables when planning your meals. If you make raw foods the center piece, the entree, the main dish, then you'll eat a lot less of the fatty, processed, unnatural and cooked foods that pollute your body (and the earth).

Americans have grown accustomed to having meat as the main course for every meal, but that is simply not necessary (or healthy or economically sound). Start simple: Salad for dinner, instead of steak. Sounds boring and unsatisfying? Crazy! Expand your horizons and think of all the options you really have!

Spinach, Iceberg, Endive, Arugula, Romaine, Cabbage
Cucumbers, Zucchini, Squash, Eggplant
Roma tomatoes, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Grape Tomatoes, Heirloom Tomatoes
White onions, Yellow onions, Sweet onions, Vidalia onions, Red onions, Green onions, Chives
Carrots, Parsnips, Beets
Chickpeas, Green Peas, Edamame (soy beans), Black Beans, Corn
Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Pine Nuts

Cranberries, Raisins, Pears, Apples

Shall I continue?

You would be surprised at how filling and palate-pleasing a hearty (yep, I said hearty) salad can be. And it's a simple start to transforming your eating habits, your mind, and your body. I guarantee if you start a meal with a salad like this, your meat and potatoes will seem much less appealing. And soon, you will feel the physiological benefits of such a change: more energy, clarity of mind, healthier skin and hair, more restful sleep. You can't lose!

All that being said, I'd like to share with you the changes I have made, thus far, in my diet.

As I mentioned, I eliminated caffeine, refined sugars, bleached starches and alcohol from my diet about 8 years ago...after having been a vegetarian for 7 years. Unfortunately, I replaced all of those things with "healthy" cookies, crackers and chips, and LOTS of (soy-based) meat replacements (now I'm saving the animals and the planet, but pouring chemicals into my own body). After delving into macrobiotics for a stint, I realized that I had to do something about the processed foods I was consuming, and so I transitioned to a predominantly "rice and beans" diet (gotta get that protein!), supplemented by plenty of (cooked) veggies and modest amounts of fruit (in an attempt to limit fructose). This is not a terrible way to live. After all, what I'm not getting from the raw veggies, I'm getting from...um...where? Yeah, exactly.

Sure, I got my protein and fiber. I got acceptable amounts of vitamins C, A, D and the occasional B's. But I had to eat SO much food to feel full, and would have had to eat even more to get all the enzymes, vitamins and nutrients I needed, that it seems largely inefficient and even silly to continue in that pattern.

Okay, I've made my point regarding health and raw foods. You get it. So, what CAN you eat? Let me tell you what my typical raw day looks like, and then I will include some helpful links on how to stock your kitchen for a raw food lifestyle (complete with grocery lists for a transitional or mostly raw diet, and for a 100% raw diet).

Dark green, leafy veggies are of utmost importance. They are the primary source of everything you need to survive, period. So this must be your focus every day. In theory, you would need to eat about 2 bunches of these greens every day to reap all the benefits, however, technology (and juicers) have made this easier and tastier.

I start the day with green juice. This can come in the form of a powder (Greens+, for example) which you add to water, or you can create your own green juice recipe, OR you can indulge in a tasty, pre-made green juice, like Naked Juice's Green Machine, Bolthouse Farms' Green Goodness, or Odwalla's Superfood (listed in order of my taste preference). If you've never had one of these, you may be turned off by their appearance (green sludge), however, just breaking the seal reveals a fragrant, fruity, tempting aroma that will make you salivate. Because these juices are made with real, fresh, live (sometimes organic) fruits, which mask the otherwise sketchy flavors of spinach, broccoli, kale, and spirulina, they are surprisingly tasty and refreshing (and filling, with a pound of fruit in every bottle!)

Mid-morning snack: I like to dip a banana in some homemade, raw granola. I have found several recipes online, but granola is very personal (ie. I don't care for sunflower seeds or dried apples in mine), so I made up my own. If you'd like the recipe (oats, honey, coconut, vanilla, almonds, raisins, carob chips), let me know. Also, most recipes call for a food dehydrator, which I don't have, but you can use your oven. This is not energy efficient, however, as it requires leaving your oven on about 140, for up to 16 hours, while it's open.

Lunch is a lush salad. Do it up your way (trust me, it beats Burger King!).

Afternoon snack can be fruit, nuts, veggies, a combination of those. Also, there are some yummy raw food snack bars on the market, like LaraBars, Raw Revolution, and Raw Organic Food bars.

Dinner is when I like to experiment with new raw recipes, like the ravioli. There is an abundance of them online. Start looking here:

http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/raw-food-diet-recipe-index.html
http://www.living-foods.com/recipes/

And here are your shopping lists!

Transitional Foods (PDF file):
http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/support-files/transition-diet-shopping-list.pdf

All Raw (PDF file):
http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/support-files/raw-food-diet-shopping-list.pdf

http://http//www.fromsadtoraw.com/TheRawKitchen.htm

On the Menu, Tonight:

Okay, until now, I have been getting by on the basics of raw food, due to time constraints, money constraints, fear of the unknown...you know how it is. I've been cooking with heat for so long that raw vegetables as an entree are a bit of a foreign concept to me. For the past nearly two weeks, I have been eating my weight in salads, with the occasional venture into something exotic, like mock tuna salad, for instance (this was a hit with Emma). But tonight!

Tonight, I will be making "Rawvioli" (I just made that up). Essentially, this is thin-sliced butternut squash, stuffed with pesto, and served in a white "cream" sauce. Sounds tasty!

For dessert? Brawnies (stole that one). My sweet tooth has been taunting me, it's time to give in. These are made with Raw Almond Flour, Raw Cacao Powder, Raw Agave Nectar, Pitted Dates and Vanilla (I think...?) and are frozen, rather than cooked. The picture looked yummy; I will let you know...

Better in the Buff

So maybe now you're wondering what the point of this blog is. Well, I don't know. Maybe its purpose will unfold as it evolves. In the meantime, I can tell you what MY point is; WHY I decided to go raw and, in doing so, I will share with you the physiological, environmental, ethical, sociological, and economic impacts of food choices, through facts, figures and links to reliable (or at least logically convincing) resources, as well as (here's the best part) RECIPES.

As I venture into raw foodism, I will be experimenting with an array of new (to me) foods and preparation techniques...the best of which will be posted with my reviews of the results. So, that's useful, right? At this point, I would also like to welcome (constructive) criticism, (productive) comments, (informed) suggestions, and questions, questions, questions! I love helping people achieve healthy lifestyles...LOVE it, so indulge me. :) I think, for me, this blog is an avenue to consolidated research for people like myself, who are seeking all the answers in one place. I'll do the research, you reap the benefits. Deal?

Personally, I have a rabid passion for environmental conservation and preservation, optimum health, animal rights, and human rights, so the answer is clear: Raw foods. Others out there may simply want to improve their dietary choices to combat chronic illness or to lose weight, or contribute less to environmental degradation, or maybe you just have an emotional attachment to cows. ;) In these cases, you may be satisfied with making minor changes to your grocery list, and so this blog can be a tool for a reformation, rather than a total transformation. Great!

My ultimate goal is to maintain a 90% raw food diet (because food is better nude!), while still enjoying the occasional cooked (yet healthy vegetarian) meal. Sure, I want to reduce my carbon footprint, free factory farmed animals, promote the basic rights of all human beings, and feel good, but let's be honest, we'd all like to look better in the buff.

This is my first blog, and I'm already naked...

My name is Julie, and I am a foodaholic. (Hi, Julie!)

I think it's safe to say that I have been slightly obsessed with food and nutrition for several years, now. Inspired by my formerly "meat and potatoes," broccoli-phobic father, I denounced all meat from my diet and became a lacto-ovo vegetarian when I was sixteen years old; I am now thirty one.

Initially, I saw vegetarianism as an opportunity to avoid my mother's lack-luster cooking. She was actually fairly gifted with cheesy, fatty, starchy dishes, but her carnivorous creations left something to be desired. She wouldn't argue.

Of course, out of concern for my health, after a year of eating nothing but cheese, potatoes, bread, and pasta (did I mention my own broccoli-phobia?), I began doing some preliminary research into the world of nutrition.

Wow! It turns out that vegetarianism is actually good for animals, you and the planet! Who knew? Okay...a lot of people knew. Mr. Faulkrod, my tenth grade Environmental Science teacher, had already instilled in me a devotion to environmental ethics. This, coupled with my emotional attachment to cows, compelled me to commit to my new diet.

It was a rough transition, while still relying on other people to provide me with regular meals, yet I managed to find sustenance in side dishes (which proved to be quite satisfying around the holidays). A girl can only get by on grilled cheese and gravy fries from the B'Ville Diner for so long, though! The time had come to learn to cook (I had not bargained for this).

I began studying vegetarian recipes, which led to vegetarian literature, which often stressed the importance of the "right" combination of proteins, which led to my interest in proper nutrition, which led to a deeper obsession with food and its benefits. I was evolving from "live to eat," to "eat to live." Out of sheer necessity, I developed a true passion for cooking, and more for creating. My goal? Animal-friendly comfort foods that enhanced quality of life...and still tasted...well, like they didn't.

I found moderate success, enough so that I embarked, briefly, on authoring a Vegetarian Home Cooking cook book, which I never saw to fruition. I was more interested in reading, than writing. I couldn't soak up enough of SHAPE, SELF, Vegetarian Times - type magazines, gathering all the current information on all the latest studies about what really does the body good. I have probably studied more scientific literature on nutrition than your average MD, nutritionist and fitness trainer, combined. I consider myself an unprofessional expert (that's my disclaimer, btw...always check with your physician before dramatically altering your diet and exercise regimens).

On March 11, 2008, I was diagnosed with DCIS, Stage I (that's breast cancer). I was 29. I had no significant family history; I didn't smoke; I didn't drink; I had never experimented with illegal drugs; I exercised regularly; I breastfed; I didn't even eat meat. Cancer? Seriously? I'm like the poster child for how to AVOID cancer.

Time for an overhaul...

Fast-forward to present day: January 11th, 2010 (Happy New Year, by the way!)...

For the past (nearly) two years, I have been trying (not very vigilantly) to transition from vegetarian to vegan. But, oh, how I adore cheese! Immediately after my diagnosis and surgery (mastectomy - ugh), I adopted a macrobiotic diet, which has been proven to slow cancer growth, and suspected to "cure" incurable cancer. In a nutshell, macrobiotics suggests that our bodies are adapted to our environment, therefore, for optimum health and bodily function, we require the foods which are indigenous to our environment: local fruits and vegetables, organic and unprocessed. Makes sense. And so, the journey began...for six months (did I mention I love cheese?).

I've waxed and waned since then, typically proclaiming vegan every Monday, and eating eggs and cheese every Tuesday. If you're reading this, it probably sounds familiar. I experimented with detoxification programs and fasting, to curb my unhealthy cravings and start on a clean plate (get it?), but my will power only lasts weeks, at the most. To be fair, though, my diet for the past many years, has consisted of mostly fruits and vegetables, soy meat replacements, and soy milk (that was a tough one), as I eliminated caffeine, refined sugars, bleached starches and alcohol about eight years ago. So even my unhealthy cravings weren't so naughty.

"I want something hot, on a plate, I can eat with a fork!" - My mother

I like cooked foods. Remember my quest to de-meat comfort food? I never, ever considered a Raw Food Diet. What's comforting about a celery stalk??? Yuck.

I honestly don't know what came over me this past December. It was not premeditated, nothing was planned...well, except for my annual detox and fast. I vowed that THIS time, I would go 100% vegan FOR GOOD. I had more motivation, after all, because I timed it so that my fast, which fed into my two-week detox, ended on Christmas Eve, allowing me to gluttonously binge for two days, while enjoying the family festivities. Then, on New Year's Eve, I would revel in my last ball of walnut-encrusted Boursin cheese, wrapped in kaitifi dough, and deep-fried...before the ball dropped on my old life, and the sun rose on my new one. Poetic, huh?

But while I was plotting against myself, my interest (or curiosity) in Raw Foodism was piqued. I am not sure WHAT piqued it...maybe an incoherent internet search for vegan recipes. My most vivid and recent recollection is that of a YouTube video I watched about a girl who was documenting her 100-day journey into raw foodism. She was about as fascinating as my mother's meatloaf, but for some reason, this inspired me. Without question, I decided to go RAW. And so the research began...AGAIN (only this time, I was up against a deadline, so I indulged in a self-taught crash course in why and how to go raw).

Here's what I've learned:

Yes, our bodies need protein; proteins are essential building blocks, without which we could not survive. Turns out, though, that the protein we eat is not utilized by our bodies. (Read on)

When we consume protein-packed foods like meat and fish, the body immediately goes to work breaking down those proteins, to extract the enzymes from which they were built, in order to create its own, usable proteins. Could this explain why omnivores experience such fatigue after a hearty meal? Yes. Meat makes you tired. Period.

Translation: we don't get our protein from meat, we get our protein from the veggies our meat eats. Think about it: Some of the largest, strongest animals on earth are vegetarians! Cows, Horses, Elephants, Dugongs (that's a marine animal). Talk about muscle mass!

So, the nutrients and enzymes naturally found in fruits and vegetables (especially the dark green, leafy ones) are more efficient at building the proteins that our bodies need, than beef, pork, poultry, or fish. Of course, we all know that the longer we cook and the more we process these foods, the less nutritional value they hold. Conclusion: Raw fruits and vegetables are the way to a healthy body, a strong immune system, and an increase in energy!

http://http://www.theproteinmyth.com/

Friday, January 1, 2010: "I'M GOING RAW!" (yeah, right)

Well, guess what, folks. I am 11 days vegan, 10 days raw, and 5 lbs. lighter. My skin has cleared up, my appetite has shrunk, my sleep is more restful, and, with the abundance of yummy, creative raw recipes available online, my palate is pleased!

Join me on my journey!