“IF YOU WANT SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER HAD, YOU’VE GOT TO DO THINGS YOU’VE NEVER DONE”

I’m not saying I’m only going to eat raw foods from now on- don’t be absurd! But one raw meal a day could only be good for you. I’ve been reading up on raw eating and this is what I’ve found online:

• I read this really interesting and informative blog post about a guy’s 30 Day Raw Diet Experiment.
• Raw foodists believe that cooking food kills the naturally occurring enzymes which help your body to break down and absorb nutrients from food
• Cooking foods often depletes their nutritional value completely. For example broccoli, which contains tons of cancer-fighting sulforaphanes.
• According to the raw foodist community, at least 70% of your diet has to raw for you to qualify as a raw foodist
• The raw foodists community sounds like a bunch of hippy snobs
• The benefits include clearer skin, increased energy, weight loss and reduced risk of disease.
• Read more about raw diets here
• Read about what is typically eaten on the raw diet here

The easiest way to follow the raw diet seems to be by juicing your fruits and veggies. That way you can get all the raw nutrients from things like broccoli and spinach into your body, while masking their raw taste with strawberries and bananas.

Here are two really yummy looking recipes that I’m actually keen to eat with my teeth and not just throw down my throat. Pretty sure Nash will go for them too. Especially now in summer.

Ingredients:
Leafy Green Base:

• 5 cups baby romaine

Fruit Mixture:

• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh chopped pineapple
• 1 cup fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chopped radicchio (or any bitter lettuce)
• 2-3 Tbsp sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbsp capers (optional)

Sunny Citrus Dressing:

• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Prep Fruit Mixture. Mix Dressing. Toss dressing with Fruit Mixture. Pour fruit mixture over top salad base.

Raw Zucchini “Pasta” With Tomato Sauce

• 4 zucchinis, ends removed
• 2 cups sun dried tomatoes soaked in 1 cup boiling water
• 2 fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, stems removed
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast + extra for garnish
• 1/4 medium onion, diced
• 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped + extra for garnish
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp dried oreganum
• 1 tsp Himalayan rock salt, or to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Soak sun dried tomatoes in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine all ingredients but walnuts in the bowl of your food processor.
When the tomatoes are done soaking, add them to the bowl with the 1 cup of soaking water.

Process the tomato mixture for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Remove bowl from machine and stir in chopped walnuts.

To make the pasta, cut zucchini in half vertically and use spiral slicer to make long strands. If you don’t have a spiral slicer, you can shred with a food processor or hand held grater. Garnish with extra wallnuts.

Original article: Tails Of A Mermaid