After all these blog posts about raw foods, what if you are saying to yourself... I am not a huge fan of eating raw food....? The goal does not have to be eating a completely raw diet, though for some it might be.... Instead, set your goal to eat more foods in a raw or lightly cooked state than you have in the past. Try to increase the percentage of raw food in your diet; it can complement the cooked food that you choose to eat.
Raw food has enzymes present, and when raw food is chewed well, these enzymes start the digestive process, lightening the digestive burden generally placed on our own bodies. Another tip, if you sprout your beans and sproutable grains prior to cooking, the cooking time is minimal, really just until the taste is palatable. This would lessen the destruction of nutrients (although I admit that is challenging for me to do, as I am aware that sprouts are living and growing). Personally, I find it easier to mix them with a dressing that includes umeboshi vinegar or lemon - I assume that stops their growth in a more gentle manner.... and eat them in such a combination, heating them a bit if the taste was too strong.
Minimizing cooking time and temperature, in whatever ways possible is most ideal. Avoiding cooking oil as much as possible is another good idea. If you do cook with oil, try adding a bit of water first, as I have been told this can minimize the damage to the oil. Some oils should never be heated. This includes flax and hemp oil. The omega 3s are very sensitive to heat and become negative to consume after heating. So be wary of foods that have been highly heated / processed, yet claim to be high in the omega 3s. These products may contain the omega 3s but not necessarily in a form that will do your body good!
So try to find the balance that is right for you. If you don't like something raw, try cooking it until it is more palatable. Fruit should always be consumed in the raw state - it is not ideal for us when it has been heated. Listen to your body. If a food turns you off in the raw state, don't eat it because you think it is good for you. It may not be. Practice truly listening to your body and you will start to be amazed. We are given messages in many ways by our bodies, but much like a radio that is not properly tuned in, if you are not truly tuned in, you will miss this valuable information..... So practice tuning in.....Until tomorrow, I wish you a day filled with clarity and truly hearing the information that your body is equipped to share.....
It has taken quite a few years and multiple "failures" to get myself to maintain a healthier diet. Once again I gave it a try and I started drinking vegetable/fruit smoothie's created in my VitaMix last December. Now, 4 months later when I go to a restaurant and I get cooked vegetables it sometimes "gags" me. When your body starts to get used to introducing more and more raw vegetables, your body begins to crave these beautiful bright colors, textures, and nutrients!!
ReplyDelete