going raw for beginners

Recently some friends of mine asked for some advice with their health. They were interested in my raw diet, seeing that I had lost all my pregnancy weight and was full of energy carrying around my baby. I gave them advice advice about eating raw foods....it honestly turned my life around. Eating raw gives you such mental clarity, increased energy, detox, optimizes digestion, lets you sleep well, eliminates excess body fat (the kind that weighs you down and prevents you from doing cartwheels), gives you a body buzz or what they call a "natural high", restores your immune system, helps with all kinds of disease, and the list goes on....

I think its the optimal way of eating, and the natural flavours of live and raw foods are fun to explore! Of course i might not reccomend eating 100% raw, especially cold turkey - unless you want a total detox of your system. I probably eat about 80% raw, since limiting yourself or forbidding foods can lead to hang ups. Also, you really have to feel youre body out and do whats good for it. Some peopel eat raw, and continue eating meat, some are vegan, some eat sour dairy (kefir, plain yogurt), some keep grains in their diet - like me. It depends on your body type.

When I started I was pregnant, and my body natural urged me to eat lots of raw veggies and (for the first time ever) fruits. Cooked food made me vomit in the first trimester, and nauseous/constipated/bloated in the third trimester. By the time I was nursing, it was the best option because it involved no preparation and was the most convenient thing to grab in my minutes of spare time or with Deva in my arms. Salad is probably on of the most time consuming things I make!

You could start by incorporating lots of greens. Foods that are super packed with calcium include: basil, thyme, dillweed, parsley, kale, beet greens, kale (try to avoid light coloured crispy lettuce as a green). Iron is also vital when going raw, so I include plently of carrots, beets, and nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazlenuts, brazil nuts, nut butter...whatever floats your boat. Nuts are my fave because you can grab a few handfuls on the run and its like a full meal, you'll be energized and satiated for hours. Try to avoid peanuts and peanut butter because they are actually legumes - not technically nuts, and they contain a long molecule which is hard to digest (also the worldwide peanut crop is contaminated with a mould - ugh!) Sprouts are packed with enzymes, moreso than raw, becasue they are a "dormant" stage until they are sprouted. You can learn how to make your own sprouts from seeds, nuts, and grains by soaking them, and it can save a ton of money!

For sweets eat lots of fruits (banana for starch, mango, kiwi, orange, plum). Avacodo is sensational. Berries when in season, and melons (and pineapple) should always be eaten separate from other foods as they cleanse the system and can cause lots of gas otherwise. Try to avoid refined sugars. I go for natural sweetners like raw honey, agave nectar and stevia. Hint: honey dates and figs are very sugary and satisfy those sugar cravings...also try dried fruit.

If you leave cooked food in your diet, always eat it separately from raw food, you won't get the full nutritional benefit of raw foods and their enzymes in combination. For instance eat raw in the morning and for lunch, and have a cooked dinner. The best to leave in your diet are whole grains (brown rice, barley, quinoa, oat, millet, rye), and lean organic meats for those die hard carnivores (on the rare side). I stress organic, organic, organic! You don't want pesticides to build up in your body. Things that don't have to be organic are bananas, avocados, and carrots - they ar ethe least tainted with pesticides. Strawberries, bell peppers, and cherries are some of the worst. Save money - grow your own garden! Even if its in pots on the windowsill in your apartment!