Real food...refocus

Hello to all of you again, my friends. I want to explain my absence from blogging recently.

To say again, that my busy life has gotten in the way of regular posting, would be true... somewhat. My real reason has more to do with a different direction our food has taken. What I mean is that we have been trying to refocus on more natural and healthful eating. The one thing that stands out is that we have been eating more raw live foods. That is to say that we are not cooking, but eating more unheated foods. So recipes that are heated I am looking for similar ways to enjoy them without cooking or baking.

As you may have noticed, the recipes in the last 2 or 3 months have focused on this. I do not eat 100% raw, so that is why you still see the occasional cooked recipe. I find a balance is nice for us right now. There are still days that things get out of kilter and I find myself eating mostly cooked foods...what is interesting is that those days I don't feel as good as when I am eating mostly raw.

There is something about raw foods that give me energy. Maybe because raw foods retain their enzymes and heated foods (heated above about 105 degrees) do not. Actually, foods start to lose their enzymes when heated above 105 degrees. They are lost entirely when a food is heated above 120 degrees. That is not to say, there is no worth in cooked foods. They retain some, though not all, their vitamins and minerals, when cooked. You will find that the most healthful way to eat is through eating mostly (at least 80% or better) raw foods.

There are those that do eat a diet that is raw and still eat animal based ingredients. I still maintain that the vegan diet helps me to feel my best and eating raw helps me feel alive! I love eating this way.

It does take some preparation in the kitchen...not unlike most cooking, but when preparing raw foods, more time is helpful. Doing simple tasks that really help to set the stage for a great meal. For example, soaking seeds and nuts will help them to be more digestible. And sprouting takes time to produce some added greens for salads and such. Some recipes call for a dehydrator that uses low heat with a fan to "slow cook" a food and that takes longer than cooking or baking would.

Overall, it is fun to be in the kitchen and find recipes that are raw (or almost nearly) and enjoy them. My family is enjoying it with me. Yes, I still cook some. But, we love to find recipes, especially easy ones to replace the old cooked standbys we were using out of habit.

What are you eating out of habit? Is there an even better way to enjoy it that gives you a more alive feeling? Please comment.