Raw?

Lately, I notice how horrible I feel when I haven't eaten anything fresh in awhile. It's a hard feeling to describe..but its kind of heavy and sluggish? Whatever it is, it's a bad feeling. Recently, I saw a video on Youtube of a woman who was around 70 years old, yet looked about in her 40s or so. She was gorgeous, disease/medication free, and attributed her youth to her diet which actually consisted of 100% raw foods- basically just fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, olive oil, etc. No meat, no dairy. While it may be hard to imagine such a diet- when you really think about it, it makes alot of sense.

It seems in every magazine we read, there is a new article that says :

"(Such and Such vegetable/fruit) has been tested to reduce cancer!" or,
"New study finds that (such and such vegetable/fruit) helps with (such and such disease!)"

So, of course eating a diet consisting solely or the majority of these things (most people who follow the "raw" diet only follow it 75-90% or so) would lead to a life of health, right? That's my thinking.

Now before you think I've really gone off the deep end on you, I'm not "going raw" so to speak, haha. But I am definitely going to incorporate raw meals into my diet more, and I am going to start making smoothies, specifically "green" smoothies which include any mixture of fruit and then greens such as kale or spinach. (It colors them green, but most of the time you shouldn't even taste it! Kind of like those green "Naked" smoothie drinks.)

I definitely feel that incorporating more raw food (to reiterate, not raw as in "raw fish" but raw as in, fruits and veggies that are not cooked- eaten in their most nutritious state!) into your diet
can be nothing but beneficial!

From happycow.net:

Why go Raw?
The benefits of going raw-vegan are boundless. Rawfoods are easy to digest, and they provide the maximum amount of energy with minimal bodily effort. Studies have shown that living foods have healing powers that can alleviate many illnesses such as low energy, allergies, digestive disorders, weak immune system, high cholesterol, candida, obesity and weight problems (weight normalization), etc.. Research and real life experiences have also shown that a person can prevent the body's healthy cells from turning into malignant cancerous cells by consuming mostly a raw food diet that includes whole organic foods!

If you are not eating any fruits and veggies, and consider a slimy piece of lettuce and tomato slice on a hamburger at McDonald's your sole source of fresh food- I am willing to bet you are suffering from fatigue, headaches, aches and pains, trouble with losing weight,etc. It is SO IMPORTANT to eat fresh food! And for people who say they can't "afford" eating healthy... save your money on Tylenol and prescription pills, cigarettes, sodas, junk food, etc. and use it to buy food that tastes great, gives you energy, fights disease, and makes you feel great!

After doing some more research on raw recipes, I found one that I was eager to try and I made it tonight. It's a Mediterranean Kale salad with kale, olives, lemon juice, olive oil, and red bell pepper. It's so healthy you feel your cells thanking you with every bite, haha. And it's very tasty as well!

You can find the youtube video explaining the recipe here . It provides the technique for making kale palatable without cooking it. (The woman comes across as a bit awkward at first haha. But I'd rather watch her than Paula Deen.... the Food Network demon of all that is unhealthy and life-threatening!)