What is Raw?

What is Raw?

I like the way Purely Delicious Magazine describes "Raw":
"Fresh, raw and living, plant-based foods provide a bountiful array of delicious,
all-natural, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that we can all use to increase energy, lose unwanted weight, and improve general health and mental disposition."

One of the reasons eating a diet primarily of raw foods is so good for you is because raw natural uncooked whole foods contain energizing enzymes. From a raw vegan standpoint, any food heated over 118 degrees is considered "dead" food This is because those precious enzymes are destroyed by heat. Without enzymes, we could not live. Enzymes are considered the "sparks of life" feeding and rejuvenating the cells!

Enzymes are the life force in all living things. We need enzymes to think straight!
Enzymes build, cleanse and help our bodies heal. Enzymes are necessary for us to break our food down and absorb it. (and by the way ladies, the older we get, the less of them our bodies produce, & a tell tale sign is feeling bloated, sleepy or sluggish after meals). In addition they regulate tens of thousands of biochemical functions within our bodies. seeds sprout and produce ripens because of enzymes.

You will find adopting a "raw" lifestyle can be very advantageous to your overall health because it comes with quite a few benefits including:

*More energy
Do you always find yourself thinking "if I just had more energy"? Well eating a raw enzyme rich diet of plant based foods can give you increased stamina and more energy.

*Improved Sleep
You'll find that overall, you'll rest better when your diet primarily consists of raw foods. The main reason being, raw food is easier to digest and easier to eliminate. Eating your final and lightest meal by sundown as Paul Nison recommends, is easier on the body when its time to rest. During sleep time energies are not diverted & the body can easily perform its healing, repair & rejuvenation.

*Eat as much as you want
A great advantage to a raw foods diet is you can pretty much eat all you want! With some
exception to grains, nuts & seeds, eating a diet in raw high water content foods is like having your own all you can eat buffet. I don't count carbs or calories or worry about portions.

* Raw foods will keep you Regular!
No need to worry about constipation being a part of this lifestyle. When raw foods are eaten in proper balance & combination, you'll go & flow!

*Regulate appetite
The cool thing about eating raw is your body will begin to regulate its appetite. Eventually you begin to intuitively eat the foods you need as your body will tell you. For the most part, negative cravings will cease while your body will cause you to crave or gravitate towards healthier more nutritious foods.

*Weight loss is a side effect
By eating a diet of primarily raw foods, you'll find your weight will regulate itself. Interestingly, it seems the more you eat, the more you lose. The powerful thing here is that the weight will re-balance and stays off as you continue to make healthy raw food choices.

Oh and on that note, I re-started my Raw jouney in July, to date I have lost 14 pounds and lovin it!. Once I fully reach my weight goal, I will let you all know the exact starting weight and total of pounds lost. I love this so much because IT'S NOT A DIET FOR ME but a LIFESTYLE and I'm not counting calories or carbs or starving myself!

I might also add here that I am not 100% raw, I am a 90/10 er(90% of my diet is raw and the other 10% consists of some cooked food-but don't go crazy! I'm not talkin about chicken wings or BBQ(unless its tofu) or the like) I mean flatbreads, crackers, some chips you catch me?

I could go on and on and eventually I will, but right now, I'd love to hear from you about your thoughts, comments or questions on raw lifestyle!

That said......
On to some new resources!!!!

I've got some new resources for you! This has got to be one of my absolute favorite discoveries on my raw journey.....

Have you ever wished you knew how to tell which watermelon would be the sweetest, or how to choose the perfect ear of corn or how to buy the sweetest juiciest grapes?! Well, now you can by visiting one of my new favorite blogs and it's called The Produce Blogger
Author: Richie Chang

This site has all kinds of information on how to choose the best produce (an important skill I might add if we're going to eat raw) in addition to delivering humorous stories as to how the business got started. There are all types of links to visit for a variety of services they offer and I love the specific way they describe the different produce with full color mouth watering pictures (ugh how could anyone look at those pics and not believe in God!) Whew! O.k. I got to calm myself down....it's just fruit & veggies, it's just fruit & veggies.....Wow!
My suggestion is when you get there, scroll down on the left and read "My first Post", this will give background and history on the author as well as his expertise. Enjoy!

Also there's one more I'd like to showcase is Little House in the Suburbs!
Author: Ivory & TL

Ivory & TL are two friends who say "We’re just two gals that garden, cook, build, soap, and raise smallstock in the ‘burbs." O ma goodness! We should all be so blessed to have friends like these! These ladies have made country living possible in the suburbs and they make it work quite well! This site is a plethora of "how- to's" for sane self sufficient living. From recipes, to gardening, raising your own chickens (yes in the city!) to making your own laundry detergent, they do it all! It is a super fun blog and these two keep it real. With its nearly 3000 blog followers it offers something for everyone. Oh and if you don't see a subject you're looking for (which I doubt), just ask!

Well, that's all for now, but I will be hittin you up later about possibly living in a Raw Foods community through the means of Co-Housing.

Until I write again

Shalom & blessing to you!
Miss Yna