For the past 2 weeks I’ve been on a mostly raw food diet. It all started with a health conscious urge and decision to perform some kind of detox/cleanse.
I’ve cheated. Approx 75% raw and 99% vegan, BUT I’ve made some huge changes. Changes I can totally live with.
My opinion of raw food before trying it… well, I don’t think it ever crossed my mind. I’m a meat eater. I love ice cream. I love to cook. Why would I want to eat only fruits, veggies and sand?
Surprisingly this has been a very tasty experience. The methods are so new to me; more like natural science. The food I’ve made so far has loads of potential.
Things can tend to look a bit a like, but the flavours have a wide and fresh range.
Best of all- there is a wealth of information at your fingertips. Raw niche blogs, YouTube, cookbooks. **I will definitely try to update this post with my favorite online resources.
To give you an idea of the No-No’s as far as my cleanse goes:
- Sugar has been cut and replaced by natural options. This was tough for me as it’s difficult to enter a deli and leave without sour patch somethings. Luckily raw agave, (real) maple syrup, dates etc. are available.
- Processed grains have been cut out dramatically. A few corn, lentil, or pop chips here and there. Vegan noodle dishes and bread are still in the mix occasionally, though not ideal.
- Dairy has been totally cut, as well as meat. There are reasons-a-plenty to cut way back on both of these. **I’ll try to update this with some explanatory links soon.
- Alcohol might be the toughest due to lifestyle and season. I’ve cheated here with some red wine, but never more than 2 glasses.
Is it worth it? To me, yes. Looking a little deeper into what you put into your body is never a wasteful act. Am I feeling positive effects? Yes. Absolutely. Would I recommend to a friend? Many of them.
