LivHealthy

This week I'm going raw.

Why?

I want to see if it will make a difference in how I feel and I want to try a new challenge. You see, there is a history of digestive issues in my family. My father had rectal cancer, and because of that my siblings and I have to go for colonoscopies every five years. A couple of my siblings have had polyps. It's become very clear to me that good digestion is the key to my good health.

For the last few weeks, I've been incorporating more raw foods into my diet. It made me realize how often I cook my vegetables instead of eating them raw. Most of the fruit I eat is raw, which is a good start.

I started by having one completely raw meal per day, plus consciously adding more raw vegetables, nuts and seeds into my snacks. Then I increased it to 2 raw meals per day, and I'll go 100% raw for at least a week.

Now, I know this isn't a very long time. Some friends who have gone raw for years have told me this is more like a detox. However, it is a first step and I know it will make an impact on my eating habits.

I have already noticed that my body needs greens. It feels better when I eat more greens. If I don't have a raw breakfast, I start to feel funny by lunch time. I don't enjoy eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast anymore.

So what does it mean to go raw?

It means that I will only eat fresh or dehydrated fruits, fresh vegetables, raw or sprouted nuts and seeds and sprouted grains and beans. Food can be warmed, but not heated over 118F, because they say that food becomes "dead" at this temperature. Foods in the raw state are said to have all of the digestive enzymes necessary for your body to digest them. This makes it easier for your body to process these foods. For more information, check out the website Rawket Science created by raw food chef Robin Gregory. She is a wonderful person and a source of inspiration.

I have found some great recipes for cold soups (gazpacho- yum!), 'burgers" different smoothies and salads to give me some variety from typical green salads. I decided to try a raw diet in the summer time when there is lots of local produce to choose from. It will take some time to prep food and to get into the swing of things, but I'm up for the challenge!

I will let you know how I progress, and how this impact my lifestyle!