Tracy’s Raw Food Journal

Those just transitioning from a SAD (Standard American Diet) lifestyle to a high-raw/Eighty Percent Raw (www.EightyPercentRaw.com) lifestyle will likely appreciate ideas for how to begin improving their existing diet in a tasty and healthy way.

Here’s another of my favorite breakfast ideas which will satisfy your yearning for a sweet breakfast cereal but will minimize your cooked/grain, dairy and refined sugar consumption. Try it and let me know what you think!

Natural Applesauce with Homemade Granola and Soy Creamer

1 to 1-1/2 c. raw (preferably) or All-Natural Applesauce

1/2 c. Homemade Granola (recipe to follow)

3 to 4 Tbl. Store-bought Soy Creamer

Just put the applesauce in a bowl, top with granola, spoon soy creamer on top and enjoy! Simple, delicious, and MUCH more healthy for you than many other “traditional” breakfast foods! *Here’s my “off-the-cuff” recipe for Homemade Granola (I just tossed the ingredients into a bowl, mixed them and toasted it in the oven…measurements are approximate.)

Homemade Granola

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup brown flax seed, ground in coffee grinder

1 cup raw almonds, chopped

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 c. dark agave nectar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Sprinkling of sea salt

Spread on ungreased cookie sheet and toast in 400 degree oven about 20 minutes. Stir and return to oven for an additional 10 or so minutes. Allow to cool. The toasty deliciousness is fabulous and even though this isn’t raw (you absolutely COULD just use this raw instead of baking it!) it’s still a MUCH healthier alternative to most store-bought breakfast cereals. Also, if you follow the recipe your meal is MOSTLY natural applesauce and the granola just supplies a nice, toasty, crunchy addition so you feel like it’s a REAL TREAT! The soy creamer adds richness and makes you feel the same satisfaction you get from putting milk on cereal without all the negative aspects adding dairy can cause in our bodies.

Hi Gang!

Well, it’s been a couple of weeks since I wrote an entry for this blog so I thought I’d update with a subject I think a LOT of people might find helpful. Delicious healthy, if not always Raw, food alternatives for some of your favorite, unhealthy foods.

I’m having weight loss success that is being sustained over the long-haul, and I believe a big key to WHY I’m having that success is that I’ve made some key substitutes for some of the unhealthy foods I used to consume on a regular basis.

I hope these help you, too, and maybe even spark a few of your own healthy versions of favorite foods! If so, PLEASE email them to me! I’d love to have them and post them here!

Ok, here you go -

Soda Pop (Diet or Regular)

Replace With: Water, Green Tea, Yerba Mate Tea, Red Wine (evening only)

Fruit Juice (Bottled/Store-bought)

Replace With: Water, Green Tea, Yerba Mate Tea, Red Wine (evening only)

Salty/Crunchy Snack (Chips, popcorn, pretzels, etc.)

Replace With: Raw nuts such as almonds, cashews, etc., roasted peanuts in the shell, dill pickles, olives, celery filled with natural nut butter and topped with raisins, raw vegies and hummus or ranch dressing

Pudding or Creamy Comfort Food Desert

Replace With: Old Fashioned Oatmeal* or Raw Chocolate Pudding*

Pasta or Noodles

Replace With: Zucchini Noodles or Real Egg Noodles*

Bread/Rolls

Replace With: Lettuce for wraps. Deli meats and sliced cheeses w/o bread

Store-bought Chocolate & Candy

Replace With: Raw Cacao Goop, 70-85% Chocolate Bar, Dates & Almonds

Milk Shake, Malt or Ice Cream

Replace With: Green Smoothie, Frozen Pure-Fruit Sorbet

French Fries or Potato Chips

Replace With: Baked Yam, Baked Sweet Potato, Baked Home-Fries, Boiled Yukon Gold or Baby Red Potatoes

Any dish served over rice or noodles

Replace With: Eat the sauce/topping alone or on-top of raw baby spinach leaves, bean sprouts, zucchini noodles

Sweet Breakfast Cereal and Milk

Replace With: Tracy’s Raw Apple/Banana/Nut “Cereal”*, Old Fashioned Oatmeal*, Green Smoothie

Toppings such as butter/margarine, cheese, sour cream, milk. cream, creamy salad dressing, etc.

Replace With: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray, olive oil, salsa, hummus, home made salad dressings, balsamic vinegar, canned garbanzo beans or home made/fat-free “refried beans”*

Thick meaty soups and stews

Replace With: Meat-free home made lentil soup, pinto bean, garbonzo bean, and other bean and vegetable-based soups and stews.

A Couple of Other Tips

Replace sugar, artificial sweeteners and corn syrup based sweeteners with:

Stevia (I use the powdered version in packets), Agave Nectar, Raw Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, Medjool Dates, Raisins, Applesauce

Eliminate potatoes and other starchy vegetables and grains as much as possible.

Eat chocolate every day in order to prevent a sense of deprivation. Raw cacao is best, but Lindt or Green & Blacks 70-85% Cocoa chocolate bars are very low sugar and are very satisfying.

Always put “greens” (raw spinach is our favorite but try any other salad greens you like) in your fruit smoothies. Read more about this below in another post about green smoothies.

Eat something every 2-3 hours to keep yourself from feeling overly hungry. Try to have a small, balanced snack or meal which includes a good source of protein along with primarily vegies and/or a piece of fruit.

Drink a large glass of water prior to, or just after eating and only eat until satisfied. Personally, I like to eat until I think I might still be a little hungry and then top it off with a big glass of water. That way I feel totally FULL!

WALK wherever you can instead of taking your car. MOVE YOUR BODY!!! A great, free workout tracking website and support community can be found online here: www.teambeachbody.com/coachtracyj

Find a workout buddy or team who will support you and hold you accountable to your own weight loss and fitness goals!

*Recipes for foods listed with an asterisk can be found below in this blog or will be provided soon. Check back in the next few days for my Old Fashioned Oatmeal recipe.

GOOD LUCK!

Ok, I am soo jazzed that I actually weigh 2.5 pounds less today than I did yesterday that I had to record what I did to achieve those results! AND…a huge side bonus is…this puts me at exactly 50% of the way to my weight-loss goal!!! This is since December 2008, so I am really excited about that!

Since I lost 2.5 pounds and didn’t even feel like I was restricting myself,  I want to document my actions so that I can duplicate that behavior in the future. Here is what I consumed and did:
Got up and drank a big mug of green tea.
Had a substantial breakfast of my famous “banana, apple, almond cereal”  but used walnuts instead of almonds.
Drank lots of water throughout the day.
When I got hungry in the afternoon I ate 2 heaping tablespoons full of homemade hummus with several mini dill pickles.
Had a big mug of yerba mate tea.
Walked to Borders and rewarded myself with a large, iced-decaf Americano. Black.
Walked to WinCo and bought two bags of groceries (3 pack romaine, raw spinach leaves, big bunch of bananas, head of fresh garlic, 2 dark chocolate bars & 1 large bottle of red wine)
Walked home with the groceries.
Sipped a glass of wine while doing a live reading for a client.
Had a salad of romaine, red bell pepper strips, fresh minced garlic topped with several tablespoons of home-made dressing made from what was left of the hummus plus the left-over heirloom tomato/balsamic vinegar, olive oil & garlic dressing from the salad I had the other day.
Nibbled 4 squares of dark chocolate (two of the orange variety and 2 of the 85% Cacao variety – both Lindt brand) and had another glass of red wine!

I felt sooo satisfied and full. Oh! And I even tasted the raw cashew “sour cream” I made late last night!

WOW! I’m really astonished I had so much success…it was the walking and toting the groceries, for sure, LOL!

I’m DEFINITELY repeating THIS day again!!!

Ok, I have received enough requests for this recipe now that I figure I should post it here for anyone who wants it

If you dislike the taste of olive oil in it (I use Extra Virgin) you can substitute it with a milder version of olive oil or just go for coconut oil…which you will find at your local health food store.
Enjoy! And please do post a comment if you try them and let me know what you think!

Tracy’s Raw Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 c. steel cut oats
1/4 c. golden flax seed
1/2 c. almonds
1/2 c. unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/3 c. honey or agave nectar
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 c. olive oil

Grind first three ingredients (seperately) in a coffee grinder until a fine powder. Combine in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put by tablespoon full onto a wax paper lined baking sheet and press each cookie with the greased bottom of a glass to flatten. Place in refrigerator to chill. Eat cold just like that! Or, simply eat the dough by the spoonful if you can’t wait! That’s what WE do!!! Some now…some for later!
**Alternatively – “Bake” in dehydrator for 2 or more hours till desired “done-ness.

I am very pleased to report that since early March I have eliminated 22 pounds and a whopping 18.5 inches of body mass from my frame! Very cool!

I have adjusted my diet a bit since the last time I wrote in this blog. I am still eating primarily raw foods, but I do allow myself a few, select, cooked items, as follows;

Steamed Broccoli

Canned Olives (on my salads)

Baked Yams

Baked Salmon (very rarely)

Canned Garbonzo Beans (on my salads)

Home Cooked Pinto Beans, from dry and then mashed “refried bean” style, but with no added fat

Pan-Fried Potato, (very rarely – in fact, ONCE) using a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Canned Stewed Tomatoes and/or Bottled Salsa

Ranch Style store bought salad dressing (occassionally)

Something new I have added to my diet almost daily is a Raw Cacao and Acai Berry “Banana Split” concoction that I”m in love with currently! Here is the recipe for you;

Choco-Banana Deluxe

In a bowl mix the following;

2 Tbl. Raw Cacao Powder

1 Tbl. Raw Acai Berry Powder

1 Tbl. Raw Coconut Oil

2 Tbl. Agave Nectar – or 2 packets Vanilla flavored Stevia

1 Tbl. Vanilla Extract (if using the Agave Nectar)

1 Tbl. Flax Seed – ground to powder in a coffee grinder first

1 tsp. Orange Peel Powder (optional)

Dash of Sea Salt

Mix well. Then add 1 lg. sliced banana and a handful of chopped walnuts or almonds. Stir together.

*Alternately – put all ingredients (except nuts) into a small food processor and blend well. This becomes more like a fudgy-pudding texture. Then add chopped nuts and stir.

YUMMY!!! Very filling, good for you AND satisfies both your chocolate and sweet tooth cravings!

I continue to consume absolutely no “refined” foods (flour or sugar), dairy or grains of any kind. Only what I consider “real” food…ie; nothing processed or artificial. Technically, I “might” allow myself a bit of dairy if I wasn’t ME and didn’t know that I’m lactose intolerant. So, dairy is just inherantly “bad” for my body. But if it isn’t bad for your body you might include a wee bit of yogurt or fat-free milk. But, really, I do believe I (and most people) would be healthier omitting most dairy foods from their diet….though, don’t get me wrong! I LOVE GOOD CHEESE!!! And a great loaf of crusty bread, too! But, I am more concerned about my health and fitness right now than satisfying those kind of food cravings!

Oh! But I HAVE re-introduced a glass or two of red wine to my diet occassionally now, as well, with no apparent disadvantage.

Ok, I have to fess up here. I tried a new concoction yesterday and quite frankly, it SUCKED!

I had my first “crack” at a Young Thai Coconut (pun intended!) and am having a blast thinking about the many ways I can use the soft flesh in a wide variety of recipes.

BUT…

After reading information on the internet about how nutritious and enzyme-rich the coconut water from inside these coconuts is I decided to use it as the base for a green smoothie.

BIG mistake!

Well, in truth, I also read about how nutritious papaya’s are and that the seeds should also be eaten because they are supposed to be a powerhouse of nutrition, SO I bought 4 smallish ripe papayas and cut one in half, peeled it, and put a whole half into the blender with the coconut water. I added a big handful of fresh spinach and threw in some frozen strawberries and a packet of vanilla flavored stevia for texture and to balance the flavors.

WELL….ya, no. Not so good.

In the first place, I think it must have been the seeds from the papaya that have a peppery heat and flavor to them…so, that was…interesting…and the papya is just too…perfumy for me. The combination was more than I could stand. I HATE wasting good, raw ingredients…but I made nearly a blender pitcher full and drank only about 1/2 a cup of it. Then I had to toss the rest out.

I AM adding some solid raw foods to my diet once in a while now, including some fruits. But I’m trying to stick mostly with the vegetable and greens juice as my mainstay with other foods serving more as “condiments” or side dishes.

I’ve noticed over the past two years as I have experimented with raw foods that sometimes you do make dishes or concoctions that just don’t work for you. Or you make far more than you will actually eat before the rest goes bad. It just takes some experimenting and you have to expect a few mistakes along the way as you learn what you really like and what satisfies you, both physically as well as what tastes good to you.

I _won’t_ be making this particular green smoothie again, lol!

Good luck on your path.

~tracy

Ok, so this morning I am down another 1.5 pounds for a total weight loss of 11 pounds since I started the cleanse!

I must admit, I’ve added some whole, raw foods to my diet since the beginning…but I’m still getting great results. And I even included a wee bit of fruit…I’ll provide a breakdown of what I ate yesterday in a moment. But I’m not consuming any condensed sweet fruits like bananas or mangos or dried fruits like dates or raisins.

Also, I think a big contributor to my success so far is the addition of a powdered magnesium supplement I am consuming 3 or 4 times a day. It’s called CALM and it is lightly sweetened with all-natural Stevia and gently lemon flavored. I mix it into a big mug (about 20 ounces) of cold water and add ice and just sip on it throughout the day. Magnesium is necessary for our bodies to absorb calcium and many other minerals and nutrients in our diet. From the research I’ve done most adults are severely deficient in their magnesium intake. Magnesium also offers the added benefit of reducing anxiety and stress and helps you achieve a good night’s sleep. I have noticed a significant reduction in my anxiety and stress level this past week and I am definitely experiencing more restful sleep, awakening rejuvenated and refreshed! Which is a nice change of pace for me! So, I highly recommend the addition of CALM to your diet.

Ok, so I noticed that I was feeling very satisfied just sipping the vegetable juices I was sipping, from a hunger perspective. But I wanted to change-up the variety of what I was consuming. So, I decided to add in a green smoothie yesterday morning. I made it out of only water, fresh spinach leaves and frozen strawberries with a packet of vanilla Stevia for flavor. That was very filling and satisfying. Then in the afternoon I remembered I had purchased a zucchini at the health food store the other day and wanted to use it up but didn’t really think it would be great in the juicer. So, I decided to make a batch of Raw Spaghetti (recipe below in another posting, but I replaced the tomato with red bell pepper since I didn’t have tomato and I blended all the sauce ingredients in my food processor. Also, I added no olive oil during my cleanse period)

I spent the afternoon and evening out with my daughter visiting an Asian market I’ve been wanting to go to for years. I bought 2 Thai Young Coconuts! (First time I have ever tried them! They are still sitting on my kitchen counter waiting to be opened!) and a couple of big bags of mung bean sprouts. Then we went to Barnes and Noble and I gave into my one vice – Iced Decaf Americano. I don’t add sweetener or milk…just sip it black. But it’s a treat and it isn’t interfering with my progress…at least not the weight loss. I will have to wait and see how my body is doing when next cycle comes around again.

Anyhow, when I got home I was ravenous for something to eat…so, I treated myself to my version of a raw Thai Peanut Sauce dish (I just mixed a tablespoon of fresh ground peanut butter, light soy sauce, powdered ginger and stevia in a big bowl then added about 2 cups of the raw mung bean sprouts I purchased at the Asian market. It was delicious.) I felt a little guilty because of the peanut butter and soy sauce…because they aren’t on my list for what I planned to allow myself for my raw vegetable juice cleanse…but they DO fall well within my regular 80/20% raw foods parameters, so I didn’t allow myself to feel bad too long! I still stayed raw and today I’m seeing even more results!

So, I’m happy!

Today, so far, I’ve only sipped my big mug of CALM and I’m getting ready to make some vegetable juice. I think something light and green, like celery and cucumber…maybe with a carrot and some other fun things…will fill the bill!

Anyhow, I’m going to get back to mostly just juice today after my little “binge” yesterday, but SO FAR, SO GOOD!!!

~tracy

I am really excited this morning! Not only is it a gorgeous Saturday outside with blue skies, sunshine and the perfect temperature, the birds are chirping and I’m feeling great!

But in addition to all of that, I have lost 5.5 pounds in the last 3 days, the dark circles under my eyes are seriously diminished and my skin looks GREAT!

The cause of these results? Vegetable juice cleansing!

Three days ago I decided to start a cleanse for an undetermined period of time…at least a few days…because for the past three months my monthly cycle has been giving me problems and it seems to be getting progressively worse each month. Now, at 47 years of age you might just assume it’s nature’s way of moving me closer to that dreaded “menopause” chapter of my life…but I don’t think that’s it.

So, since I am very much into taking personal responsibility for my own health and well being and not just running to a traditional, western medical “doctor” to solve my problem…because in my experience they never do SOLVE the PROBLEM…they just prescribe pharmaceuticals which mask the symptoms and don’t really address the underlying cause…I decided to work on healing myself before I look to outside sources for help.

After considerable research I have discovered there is undeniable and empirical proof that the human body CAN and WILL heal itself when given the correct environment of fresh, raw, living foods which are nutrient dense, for doing so.

That said, I have adopted a short-term, fresh leafy greens and vegetables only cleanse that appears to be producing great results, thus far, in my body. I feel lighter, have increased energy and  many of my symptoms have been significantly reduced, and I am seeing the added benefits listed above which are a HUGE side benefit!

Here is my thinking on why vegetables and greens only. It is a well established fact that bacteria, yeast, mold, parasites all thrive in a sugar-dense environment. For example, try activating some regular bakers yeast in water, one dish without the addition of sugar and the other with a teaspoon of sugar added, and see which one grows more rapidly. Because of this, anything sweet in our diet aids in the growth of these little buggers in our bodies. That said, fruit and fruit juices, in addition to alcohol, grains, dairy, animal products, etc., will encourage their growth. Removing these fuels from our bodies seems to starve them and this appears to be a good place to start the healing process for any disease or illness in the human body.

If you are interested in what I am putting in my juice (I am using a juicer and not a blender, in order to give my digestive tract a break from working so hard) here are a couple of examples:

Vegetable Juice #1 -

(All vegetables are organic)

1/2 lg. Cucumber with skin

1 whole Beet, with skin and greens

about 2 inches of fresh Ginger, peeled

part of a bunch of Italian Parsley

part of a bunch of Red Dandilion Greens

Generous sprinkling of Dulse flakes

a little salt and pepper to taste.

Stirred and iced.

Vegetable Juice #2 -

5 whole Carrots with peel

1 whole Red Bell Pepper – seeds and stem removed

1/2 small yellow onion, peeled

3 stalks of Celery with leaves

part of a bunch of Italian Parsley

part of a bunch of Red Dandilion Greens

Generous sprinkling of Dulse flakes

a little salt and pepper and Soy Sauce to taste.

Stirred and iced.

I was going to move on to a fully-raw, whole foods diet starting today but with the success I’m experiencing I’ve decided to extend my cleanse a few more days. I’ll let you know how I’m doing. My plan is to adopt the whole, raw foods diet following the cleanse and maintain that at 98% raw for the entire month and then see how I’m feeling when next month’s cycle rolls around. By the way, when I do move into the raw foods regimen I plan to include no nuts, some seeds and still eat primarily greens and vegetables with fruit being a smaller portion of my diet.

Let me know if you decide to try any of these ideas yourself!

Blessings,

~tracy

Ok, I promised to post some of my favorite Raw Food recipes so I’m including them below for you.

These are inexpensive, take very little preparation time, and are absolutley delicious and satisfying! Try them yourself and let me know what you think!

Tracy’s Raw Breakfast “Cereal”

1 banana

1 apple (I like Fuji or Gala)

1 handful raw nuts (I prefer almonds or walnuts)

1 packet Vanilla flavored Stevia (optional) (all natural sweetener – get at health food store or order online)

sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

Rinse apple and quarter it. Remove core/seeds, stem section from each piece but do not peel. Shred the apple on a cheese grater. Put into cereal bowl. Peel banana. Slice in half length-wise. Slice each half length-wise into 3 segments and then cut multiple times across to “dice” the banana. Add to shredded apple in bowl. Finely chop the handful of nuts. Add to bowl. Sprinkle with stevia and cinnamon if desired. Mix well and eat.

Makes 1 substantial serving

Tracy’s Green Smoothie

3 cups orange juice from concentrate (or any other 100% fruit juice you desire. Pineapple is delicious!)

1 large handful raw spinach leaves

1 banana (frozen or fresh)

2 cups frozen fruit (I like strawberries and mixed fruit blend from Costco)

1 packet vanilla flavored stevia

Put  juice into blender. Add spinach and blend well until spinach is fully incorporated into juice. Add stevia, banana and other frozen fruit. Blend until smooth and creamy.

This recipe can be adapted any way you like, but make sure you always include spinach or other “greens” to make sure the fruit is absorbed into your bloodstream more slowly.  I like using a variety of juices for variety as well as other frozen fruit options, but I do try to almost always include a banana because it really adds to the creaminess and the sweetness of the drink. Try adding frozen; peaches, mixed berries, blue berries, pineapple, etc. Let your imagination run wild!

Makes a blender pitcher FULL! Share with a friend or drink it all yourself!

Raw Chocolate Pudding

1 large or 2 small avocados – ripe/soft, peeled and pitted.

3 Tbl. baking Cocoa or carob powder (I like carob better because it has it’s own natural sweetness. Raw cacao powder is very expensive but you can use it if you want to be a purist)

3 packets vanilla stevia

1/2 c. cold water

4 – 6  ice cubes

Put the cold water into the bottom of the blender jar. Add carob or cocoa powder & stevia. Scoop soft avocado into the blender jar and add ice last. Blend at high speed until completely creamy and looking  just like chocolate pudding. Add more water as necessary for correct texture. Adjust ingredients to taste.

Makes 1 very satisfying serving

Raw Spaghetti

1 medium zucchini – rinsed and spiralized, shredded, or thinly shaved into “noodles” with a vegetable peeler

2 or 3 ripe, red roma tomatoes or other tomato of your choice

4 to 6 Crimini mushrooms – or other mushroom of your choice

1 large clove garlic – minced

Dry herbs to taste; basil and oregano or fresh, finely chopped, if available

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Spiralize, shred or peel zucchini and place in bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and massage  with hands for a couple of minutes to work oil into zucchini to soften. Let stand while you prepare the sauce.

Dice tomato, press or mince garlic, finely chop mushrooms and place all in separate mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with all herbs and spices. Stir well. Mash with a hand potato masher for a chunky texture or place in blender or food processor and blend for a smooth sauce.

Place “noodles” in spaghetti bowl (it will be very juicy, so you don’t really want to use a plate for this) and top with all of the sauce.

Enjoy!

Makes 1 very satisfying or 2 small servings

Tracy’s Sante Fe Corn Salad

1 cup frozen organic white corn kernals (Costco)

1/2 red bell pepper – diced

1/2 avocado – diced (optional but makes for a rich, creamy, filling meal)

1 thick slice red onion – diced

Black olives (optional)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Powdered Cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh ground black pepper

Put corn kernals into colandar or strainer and run under warm tap water to thaw to room temperature. Place corn and all other ingredients into mixing bowl. Mix well. Season to taste. Enjoy!

Makes 1 very large serving or two regular servings

Tracy’s Guacamole Salad

1 large avocado – peeled, pitted and diced

2 – 3 red, ripe roma (or other) tomatoes – diced

thick slice red onion – minced

1/2 lime – juiced

Cumin (optional)

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Mix well and serve!

Makes 1 very large serving or 2 regular servings

Ok, that gets you started! Check back for more in a day or two. Please do let me know if you try these. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Blessings,

~tracy

I decided to use this blog as the foundation for the Raw Foods Blog on my www.tracypartridgejohnson.com site rather than starting a new blog from scratch because I think there is some good information and background already here. However, it has been 2 years since I last wrote a post for this blog, so I need to provide a few updates to bring it current. Afterwards I’m going to offer some of my favorite Raw Food Recipes for your enjoyment and to get your creative juices flowing!

First – The Update!

Over the past two years I have been playing with different configurations of Raw Foods living to see what works best for me and have come up with a few conclusions which may also be of benefit to you. But one thing I have learned is, just like religion, diet is a very personal thing and what works for one person may not work for another. Keep that in mind as you design your own eating regimen so that you can do what works best for your personality, preferences and health objectives.

In addition to the obvious health benefits of increasing the amount of raw food I consume on a daily basis compared to my consumption of refined, highly processed foods, my primary goal with going raw is weight loss. I have struggled with my weight my entire life and I’d really like to get beyond that concern and obsession so that I can move on to more important issues.

That said, I suspect many reading this post my have weight loss issues to deal with, as well. If so, these few insights I’m about to offer my be helpful as you pursue a raw foods lifestyle.

Weight Loss and a Raw Foods Lifestyle

Based on my personal experience I discovered that even though I felt GREAT essentially eliminating nutrient deficient foods from my diet, still, I wasn’t losing that much weight. And here is my belief regarding WHY that is the case;

When you move away from the SAD (Standard American Diet) and the plethora of highly cooked, processed and refined foods consumed on that diet and towards a Raw Foods lifestyle many people look for “replacement” foods to take the place of the old, familiar, comfort foods they are used to eating. In addition to that, most people don’t really know or understand HOW to eat a Raw Foods lifestyle. So, they search the internet and find loads of wonderful information and ideas about what to eat. It really is amazing the vast variety of gourmet foods that can be created using raw ingredients as substitutes for many of the grain, animal, and dairy foods we are used to consuming.

While these raw substitutes are, in most cases, much more nutrient dense and healthier options than the refined grain, meat, and dairy foods we are seeking to replace, they can also be extremely high in fat and thus, calories. The fat isn’t generally saturated fat, so technically that isn’t a bad thing. BUT the high calorie consumption can definitely slow or stop any weight loss objectives you are working towards.

Many recipes you will find on Raw Food websites offer delicious choices for making meat substitutes, dairy substitutes and wheat flour or other grain alternatives. GREAT! But the problem with most of these recipes, when it comes to weight loss, is that most of these substitute foods use Nuts and Seeds as the foundation for their recipes. Avocados are also extensively used. All of these foods are very dense, heavy, and fatty foods. I LOVE the fact that we CAN creatively replace all these unhealthy, refined foods in our diet with nutrient-dense, all-natural, raw alternatives. BUT…if you include these type of foods in your diet on a daily basis you will likely find it difficult to lose the weight. Even though your body will be much healthier because you’re removing all the toxins, preservatives, and “glue” from your digestive system, still, weight loss can be a challenge.

I know it has been for me.

So, here is my recommendation for those of us wishing to become healthier by eating Raw Foods while at the same time shedding unwanted pounds;

While you are actively working on losing weight, eliminate or very severely reduce your consumption of the following raw foods from your diet -

Nuts

Seeds

Avocados

Juices

Dried fruits such as; Dates, Raisins, Cherries, etc.

These foods are all very “dense” heavy foods with the exception of juices. You may be wondering why I would say limit your consumption of juices. A lot of Raw Foodists recommend juice fasting as a means of cleansing you body. There may or may not be value in this. All I can tell you is that it is much better to consume the whole fruit and not just the juice. The reason behind my thinking is that 1.) Juicing removes all of the fiber from the fruit or vegetable you are consuming. The fiber is the part of the food that satisfies your sense of fullness, but more than that, it slows the body’s absorption of natural sugars and thus it’s release of those sugars into the bloodstream. Of course, this is desirable in order to maintain a steady, stable blood/sugar level. 2. If you think about it, you would never be able to consume the same number of whole fruits and/or vegetables as you require for a glass full of juice. It’s just not possible to eat that much Raw Food. It takes me about 8 large carrots, juiced, to fill a good sized mug. Compare that to my ability or even desire to sit down and eat 8 whole, large carrots in one sitting. It’s just not going to happen. So, there is immense value in consuming the whole food and not just drinking the juice.

Then, what DO I eat on a Raw Food diet if I’m limiting my consumption of the above foods?

WHILE YOU ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT -

Focus on consuming a LOT of leafy greens. Supplement that with as many other raw vegetables as you desire. Then use fruit as dessert or a snack. You can still use the above ingredients as “condiments” in moderation…but remember you are trying to lose weight and piling on loads of high-calorie foods in the form of nuts, seeds, dry fruit and juices just won’t help you in that department.

That said, in my next post I will offer some really great recipes and meal ideas to get you off to a great start with the Raw Foods lifestyle! Recipes that won’t put on pounds and bulk you out.

Until next time…

Blessings and Namaste

~tracy