Have you ever considered going raw? While it’s not the easiest of diets, the health benefits are many, making this change in lifestyle totally worth it.
If you’re prone to following the latest news out of the world of diet fads, you’ve definitely come across the raw lifestyle. In a nutshell, the raw diet consists of eating unprocessed, unrefined, and preferably organic foods, none of which should be heated about 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Preparing food in this way allows nutrients to remain intact, as heat tends to destroy portions of what makes food nutritious. What’s more is that a raw diet is much easier on your digestive system—after all, before human beings invented fire, all our food was consumed raw. In other words, the raw diet is a return to the natural way of consuming food, and therefore allows food to be processed in a much more natural way by our bodies.
Now, if you’re not familiar with the raw diet, you might imagine it consists of plates of raw fruit, nuts, and vegetables. And while such foodstuffs can make up large amounts of what followers of the raw diet consume, there are also much more interesting recipes you can create. In fact, you yourself may already have unknowingly created some very tasty raw dishes in the past. Have you ever made a smoothie in your blender before? In a number of cases, these have probably been raw, as long as you didn’t use any processed, non-vegan milks.
Adherents of the raw diet also use dehydrators to prepare food. These useful kitchen machines remove all the water from fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables. This allows all sorts of fresh foods to last much longer than their actual shelf life, meaning you don’t have to visit the supermarket every day.
All in all, the raw food diet is a fantastic way to lose weight and improve your general health. As raw food products are high in nutrition and low in fat, you’re definitely going to lose some weight after going raw. And while it may seem like a lot of effort, it’ll be totally worth it. This is because, beyond weight loss, the raw food diet can also lead to healthier skin, better digestion, more energy, and a generally healthier body and mind.
So if you’re up for a challenge, consider going raw. In a world plagued by climate change, the raw diet is also a great way for you as a consumer to have a positive effect on the environment. The same goes for veganism, as animal farming for the purpose of producing meat and dairy products both have a disastrous effect on the environment. So if going raw is a bit too much for you, perhaps consider trying out vegetarianism first, before moving on to veganism. Once you’ve freed yourself from all animal products, the next logical step is to go completely raw. Good luck!
A new way of thinking about lasagna
When you hear the phrase “raw diet”, a tasty lasagna is probably the last thing you’d think would be involved. After all, don’t all great lasagnas involve a magnificent combination of cheese, meat, and pasta? It’s hard enough to imagine a vegetarian or vegan lasagna, let alone a raw one! After all, cooking all of the ingredients together in the oven is the final step in any tasty lasagna.
Luckily, for those who’ve gone raw, lasagna is still an option, even if it might sound far-fetched at first. So if you’ve been following a raw diet for a while now and had resigned yourself to never enjoying lasagna again, then it’s time to reconsider. Rejoin the legions of lasagna-lovers by concocting a luscious raw vegan lasagna with zucchini. This colorful dish combines layer upon layer of basil pesto, tomato cream, and a cheese-like paste containing macadamia nuts, yeast flakes, and water. And while the ingredients list for this raw treat might not be as simple as a classic meat lasagna, it’s definitely worth a try. You won’t regret it!
Raw snacks for on the go
If you’ve gone raw recently, you’ve probably encountered the following problem—you’re hungry all the time. Don’t worry—you’re not alone. As your body gets used to your new diet, it’s common to feel a bit unsatiated throughout the day. Luckily, there are a number of easy-to-make vegan snacks that you can easily whip up to enjoy throughout the day.
One option you should consider are raw crackers with sesame and flax seeds. Not only are these crackers raw—they are also super healthy. Sesame and flax seeds contain large amounts of omega fatty oils, the consumption of which are integral to a healthy body and brain. Aside from the titular ingredients, you’ll be using raw onion, garlic, and yeast flakes for these crackers. Combine with a sprig of rosemary, a pinch of paprika, and some sunflower seeds for that extra crunch. After dehydrating these snacks for about 8 hours, you’ll have yourself a nice collection of raw crackers to munch on.
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