“‘You are what you eat.’ You may have heard this before. It is one of the most frequently used statements about food and health. But what does it mean? If you eat nuts, are you nuts? The simplicity of this statement makes it easy to disregard. Our minds are geared towards complexity, yet the most powerful truths are the simplest. What you eat literally becomes you. The nutrients in the food are absorbed and become your cells, blood, tissues and organs.”
This excerpt comes from the delightfully informative raw foods book Rawlicious by Peter and Beryn Daniel. When I first read it, what stood out to me the most was the line “If you eat nuts, are you nuts?” This has been, more or less, the reaction I’ve received when friends hear the word “raw,” especially when paired with “food.” They usually think sushi, grassy lawns, and weirdos in terms of raw; I must confess at one point, I did too. I’m still not an expert on raw foods and I haven’t transitioned my cooked vegetarian diet to a raw vegetarian one, but I’m learning. My only barrier to making the transition is my lack of knowledge on the subject, but reading the following books on raw foods has been helpful in making my decision.
As I mentioned previously, Rawlicious has oodles of information explaining what a raw food diet is. It also explains the benefits of raw food, provides amazing recipes, and tips and techniques to begin your exploration. I am a visual and kinetic learner, meaning I absorb best with clear visual examples and then physically doing something right after I see it demonstrated in front of me. Rawlicious has this fantastic visual element and the straightforward directions I need, especially since half the time, the tools required are a blender, juicer, or dehydrator and cutting utensils (the book highlights the tools in much greater detail). Rawlicious gives recipes like “Cream of Celery Soup” a much easier and healthier twist without sounding like the confusing chores that other cookbooks provide.
You can find Rawlicious HERE.
Two other books I’ve looked at have been just as drool-worthy and beneficial. A book by raw foodie Victoria Boutenko called Green Smoothie Revolution is amazing. While perusing the pages, I’ve come across the most simple recipes I have ever seen. For example, one called “Perfectly Peachy” in her “Green Smoothies for Beginners” section has my stomach grumbling and my fingers on my phone typing in the ingredients I need from the farmer’s market. The recipe only calls for 3 peaches, 1 head of butter lettuce, 1/2 pint of raspberries, and 2 of cups water, blended (for about 30 seconds according to Victoria’s tips in the beginning of the section). And voila! A filling, nutritious, and delicious meal. It really could not be any easier and healthier for a college student on the run in the morning (and with meager funds). This book is a definite must-have for the recipes alone, but like Rawlicious, Victoria provides tons of information on raw foods that goes beyond what I expected.
You can find Green Smoothie Revolution HERE.
The Art of Raw Food by Jens Casupei and Vibeke Kaupert is doing a fine job at convincing me to go raw with its beautiful, tantalizing photos. I could practically eat the raw eggplant lasagna off the page. I love eggplant lasagna as it is, but raw? Never tried it. That is definitely going to change once I get my hands on my own copy of the book. I am just that enthralled. With recipes like “Egg Salad Look-Alike” and “Super Simple Vanilla Ice Cream,” where can you go wrong? Similar to the other two books, this one provides tidbits of information about raw foods and preparation tips in addition to simple, delicious-sounding recipes.
You can find The Art of Raw Food HERE.
There tends to be a wary resistance to this way of eating, but with the world becoming more actively “green” conscious and with issues of healthy eating constantly permeating our lives, I would recommend that everyone consider incorporating some aspects of a raw food diet into their daily eating habits. As I’ve mentioned before, these three books provide super simple and speedy recipes plus many of my raw foods questions answered. I recommend all of them, or even just one to try out. I am still weighing the possibility of a full regimen of raw foods and am definitely trying as many recipes as I can (especially that lasagna one).
Hello Lily!
I recently wrote a blog post called, “Why I’m a Raw Foodist”.
I would love to share it with you since we are on a similar path, and of course with anyone else who would like to know more about what it is like to eat raw plant based foods & what the benefits might be.
http://sundayisforlovers.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/why-im-a-raw-foodist-david-wilcock-wolfe-interview/
Much love to you, Lily! I’m proud of you for being adventurous.
Hi Aimee! Thank you so much. You have a fantastic blog post. I especially liked your statement here: “It’s just a diet I take one day at a time, & almost everyday turns out to be a raw fruit & vegetable day on its own. The better I feel, the more I choose what makes me feel better.” It’s so true and relatable. I find the same testimony from numerous raw food books discussing how it’s such a feel good diet.
Thanks for sharing!
I’ve tried many of Victoria’s green smoothie recipes, and I’ve found it a great way to consume quantities of raw greens and fruit in a sustainable way. Kale and collard greens seem to be cheap and plentiful right now (August), so I’m enjoying them blended up with the abundant fruit at the markets. The key to this book, Green Smoothie Revolution, I think, is that making smoothies isn’t a lot of work, making it easier to incorporate as a sustainable part of healthy eating.
Thanks for the heads up on the kale and collard greens! And yes I completely agree about the simplicity of Green Smoothie Revolution. I feel like the easiness makes it more tempting to try and leaves lots of room for experimentation by providing such basic steps.