Going Raw.....

A spoonful from Amy...

Last summer Julia and I decided to go on a raw diet for three weeks.  We successfully completed our three weeks despite endless comments and questions  from family and friends.  As summer approaches the thought of fresh fruit and veggies from the farmer's market are calling us to give it another try.

The raw diet is great for those of us who don't like to cook or know how to preheat an oven!!!  Everything is FRESH!  So you end up spending lots of time chopping fruits and vegetables.  During my three week hiatus from processed foods, I found that I had more energy and felt better overall plus I lost a few pounds!

A spoonful from Julia...

I am not into extreme diets, I rather just use portion control (who can live without chocolate?) and eating healthy. But the raw diet caught my attention. The initial thought of eating everything raw was a little weird. But this diet, or better yet lifestyle is more than just raw vegetables and fruits. The raw food diet states that the food cannot be processed, refined or heated above 118F in order to keep its nutrients. That means the food has be whole, and that's why the main raw food groups are fruits, vegetables, sprouted seeds, nuts, grains and natural fats. 

Living in Michigan where the summers are short and winters are long (it snowed today, in April!) going on a diet relying on most organic and fresh vegetables is really challenging, that's why Amy and I decided to wait until the summer so we can get really fresh produce from the farmer's market. Going raw means more preparation and it can be quite time consuming (it's raw food, it should be the other way around, right?). But I am ready to take the challenge and turn my culinary skills into a RAW work of art! I am planning on getting a dehydrator to be able to do more recipes, like crackers, pancakes, wraps and even pizza! We also have these...

There are so many yummy recipes I wanna try! Speaking of which, I tried an amazing dessert inpired by a recipe from Pure2Raw. It was so easy to make and the glaze on top is definately a winner (not a 100% raw, but a winner!). I made a few changes and this is what I came up with...

Spice truffles with chocolate glaze

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole raw almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
pinch of salt
1 tbs coccoa
2 tbs maple syrup
1 tsp ground ginger
2 medjool dates

-combine all ingredients except syrup and dates into a food processor. I used the magic bullet and worked just fine. Next add maple syrup and dates until it forms a thick batter. Roll into little balls.

Chocolate glaze:
1/3 cup coconut oil liquid form
2 tbs coccoa powder
3 tbs confectioner sugar

-whisk all ingredients together and dip the balls into the galze. Place in the fridge a few minutes to let the glaze set. Enjoy! It makes a lot of glaze, you can do two dough recipes for one glaze.

We are not looking to go to the extreme and go 100% raw. We are looking for a lifestyle change, where we can eat cleaner and at the same time enjoy the foods that we love. Besides, who can live without chocolate and ice cream?

Raw Recommendations....

1.  Do your research!  There are some great resources on the web.  Check them out!

2.  Consult your physician before starting a raw lifestyle. 

3.  Buy a GOOD cookbook.  The books Julia and I have purchased (pictured above) are great     examples and have tons of great recipes.  Check for raw recipes online.   

4.  Be adventurous!  Going raw can be boring and tasteless if you don't experiment with spices and different fruits and veggies.  

5. Be flexible.  Going 100% raw can be difficult at times, so go with the flow.  If there aren't any raw options when you are at a restaurant, forgive yourself and move on!