Monday, March 30, 2009

Raw-volution!

Raw foodism is a choice to eat whole foods that are unprocessed, unrefined and in their original and natural form. You may have guessed that this is a vegan or at least a vegetarian lifestyle choice since one can't really mow down on uncooked meat! So yes, by raw food I mean chomping on a celery stick or biting into a tomato. Though having its own health and eco-minded culture, raw menus are as diverse and elaborate as you can imagine!

I knew about and was intrigued as a vegetarian with the raw diet craze that had erupted out West, the most so in California from what I understand. But not anything about the hows or exactly whys. I visited these sites and found out alot of unbelieveable information. It always amazes me how little so many people know about how food choices affect our lives and lifestyles! I'm really exited about this raw food revolution and I definetely want to make at least some effort to try and contribute to it. It's better for our bodies and the environment, and promotes a veg diet which as I wrote about in a previous post about how it is crucial to ecological health.

The Best of Raw Food.com answers the question of "why not eat cooked food?" By cooking food it terminates the enzymes that promote health towards metabolic and digestive functions. Here I also found out the specifics to what exactly constitutes a food as raw. "Raw food" is:

a) uncooked - never heated above 42C/118F

b) unprocessed - as fresh (and wild) as possible

c) organic - no irradiation, preservatives, pesticides

Raw Food, Right Now! is an extremely helpful blog that contextualizes pretty much everything you need to know about Raw Food. I learned that people also turn to raw diets for health reasons and weight loss as well as the vegan and vegetarian aspect. It examines a plethora of issues including that going raw encompasses not just a food diet but everything you put into your body which of course includes beverages. Think of "raw beverages" as liquids that do not contain additives or extensive processes such as pop. In terms of alcohol, if any at all wine is usually preferred among raw foodies. The least desirable is hard liquor as it is distilled. I really learned alot about raw foodism from this blog including a new term:

Raw-ish: the act of eating something as raw as possible in a cooked food environment

To me this is a concept that also best describes the sentiment of striving towards a raw diet and lifestyle without necessarily being a strict vegan raw foodie. I have decided to make the effort so wish me luck! I got many ideas from the Oregon blog Big Raw Vegan which you should visit for more info and for a window into the dynamic menu and recipe options of raw foodism! One great idea is using lettuce leafs as a bread replacement which is way yummier and filling than it may appear. Already I have experienced the benefits of eating whole, raw foods and I haven't even come close to making it the majority of my diet. Delve in and discover fruits, vegetables, seeds and other edible items that you did not know existed!

What do you think about the raw-volution?

4 comments:

  1. Wow, great entry!

    Raw food is something anyone can get into at their own pace. Start by having a green smoothie for breakfast and a giant salad for lunch. Being 100% is something I strive for, and with a lot of work it's possible, but I just do the best I can right every day. I try to keep it "Raw 'Til Dinner". That means juices and salads for breakfast and lunch (mm raw tacos) then have a huge salad and some of the cooked entree i prepared for the family. This is working for me now. My weight has leveled off at 155 (down from 220 in May 2008!) and I eat as much as I want of whole foods that I prepare myself.
    Again, it's not a lifestyle for everyone, and it's a lot of work but I LOVE IT!

    Thanks so much for the link and keep up the great blogging!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is great Nicole, and I just linked to you for my allergy blog post. Apparently raw food gives you what you need to avoid having allergies, and meat/dairy can actually increase your allergies by a lot. Check it out.... http://feedyourheaduwinds.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. I LOVE LETTUCE WRAPS! lol.
    how's the raw food thing going for you so far? i found a few recipes i wanted to try on the blog you linked to, but i don't think i could ever make a complete switch. finding meat alternatives is proving to be difficult enough for me.

    ReplyDelete
  4. zucchini breath: thanks so much your blog is great too! Im already on the green smoothie kick but 'raw til dinner' is such a great way to start out and maintain a raw food diet these days, thanks for the suggestion!
    Amber: raw food has so many health benefits, its crazy!
    Shauna: you inspired my next post so check it out!

    ReplyDelete