Tag Archives: raw food diet

Superbowl Sunday is just around the corner and this raw & vegan sour cream recipe forms a perfect base for so many healthy party dips. Mix in some shallots, garlic and herbs for a creamy Vegan French “Boursin” Cheese dip, or pureed red peppers, chili and cayenne for a spicy “Southwest” variation perfect with cut up jicama, celery and carrots. For die-hard fans add pureed raw beets, fresh dill and parsley.  Why eat raw? Raw food is rich in enzymes, which are protein molecules that act as biological catalysts for every chemical reaction in the human body including digestion. Enzymes give us energy to aid digestion and nutrient absorption. Cooking food at high temperatures destroys many of these living enzymes, which then requires our body to give energy to aid digestion and nutrient absorption.  A diet rich in whole organic raw foods is energy giving and strengthens our immune system! Diets rich in cooked processed GMO foods deplete energy levels and compromise the immune system. Check out this past blog for more favorite raw food recipes. Feed Your Body Royally- eat more raw foods! Hail Merry has a line of delicious fresh on-the-go gluten-free raw snacks for home, school, office or travel.

Raw Sour Cream Recipe

Makes approximately 1 cup

1 cup cashews, soaked 4-6 hours and drained

½ cup water

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1-2 teaspoons raw organic apple cider vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

1. Blend all the ingredients in a blender until completely smooth. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated for up to one week.

Mushrooms are powerful anti-inflammatory superfoods, plus many deliver on the Vitamin D and hard-to-get minerals such as selenium, copper and potassium. This Raw Pesto Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer Recipe is a delicious way to strengthen your immune system and stock up in disease fighting phytochemicals. One cup of sliced raw portabella mushrooms treated with ultra violet rays contains approximately 200-400 IUs of Vitamin D3 (the most potent form). Considering that 75% of Americans have low Vitamin D levels, our raw appetizer recipe is perfect for passing come Superbowl Sunday!

Raw Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

12 medium baby bella mushrooms, cleaned with stems removed.

Marinade:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste

Mix marinade ingredients together in medium bowl. Add mushroom caps and marinate for 30 minutes.

Pesto Filling:

2 small cloves garlic

1 cup firmly packed fresh organic baby spinach, washed

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup raw organic olive oil

1/2 cup Hail Merry® Chimayo Chili Pecans or Lemon Thyme Pecans or raw walnuts

1/2 cup Hail Merry® Sunflower Seeds- Salt N Pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

To make pesto filling: place garlic in food processor and process until minced. Taste and adjust seasonings. Use immediately or transfer to a glass container and top with a thin coat of olive oil to prevent the top of the pesto from discoloring.

Topping:

¼ cup raw walnuts or brazil nuts, ground in blender (optional)

To Assemble:

1. Drain mushrooms from marinade and place on serving plate.
2. Fill mushrooms with pesto and top with nuts.
3. Serve immediately and Feed Your Body Royally!

Eat a Raw Food Diet and Look Younger

By Susan O’Brien

What is this RAW FOOD diet all about and how can it make me look younger? The RAW FOOD diet is rapidly becoming the most talked about diet in America. What is it all about and how can we incorporate this lifestyle into our lives with out countless hours of dehydration and food preparation? There is also a shroud of “out-there” surrounding the raw food movement. “If I only eat raw will I stop shaving my armpits and join a commune”? “Will I become that annoying evangelist who never gets invited to a dinner party because I only talk about raw food and how it makes you super human”?

Here is my real life, real mom experience with the Raw Food Diet and how I walked away from 9 months of being 99% raw to become a total fan of raw food AND someone you still might want to invite to a dinner party (I hope).

First the Cleanse: It all started when I was turning 40 and wanted to do something for ME. NOT my kids, my husband or my 3 animals. But ME! I first started with the Master Cleanse. Which if you have never done a cleanse, I highly recommend that you research one that works for you. The Master Cleanse is a great one (the Master Cleanse is a yellow pamphlet that can be purchased at most Whole Foods Markets - it is always best to consult your doctor before doing a cleanse). I personally love the Master Cleanse because you don’t eat anything for several days. You just drink lemonade made with fresh lemons and maple syrup. When your body doesn’t have to digest food it can start to flush toxins and repair cellar damage. It was strange how after the first day or two you stop being hungry and you cannot believe how great you will sleep during this time.

Years of ingesting toxins from pesticides, environmental toxins that we absorb from the air we breath, as well as the chemicals that leach into our skin from sun screens and topical creams are stored in our fat cells. Doing a cleanse will allow you to burn off these old fat cells and flush out these stored toxins. Not to mention, you will loose weight, which is for most the number one reason for doing a cleanse!

After the Master Cleanse, it was time to eat again so I decided to eat only raw foods. The Raw Food Diet is comprised of only raw fruits, vegetables and raw nuts and seeds. It is vegan and gluten free, which is also a nice added benefit.

Living raw foods are loaded with digestive enzymes and co-factors that help us more quickly absorb the nutrients from our foods higher up in the gastric region rather than relying on the pancreas to manufacture these enzymes for us. When we rely solely on the pancreas to offer up our digestive enzymes our food sits for a longer time in our stomach and intestines waiting for these enzymes to take effect, which then causes the stomach to store this food longer and create more stomach acid.

When we flood our bodies with living enzymes at the moment we begin chewing our food, we absorb our nutrients quicker and more efficiently which de-stresses the pancreas by allowing it to produce enzymes for other important metabolic functions. When we cook foods above 118 degrees the vitamins & minerals in our foods are still prevalent but these vital enzymes and co-factors needed to absorb them are destroyed.

When you eat more raw foods you will quickly notice less fullness after meals, increased energy, faster emptying of the stomach, decreased gas and more regular bowel habits. The greatest of all benefits of the Raw Foods Diet is you will shed pounds rapidly.

Once my ideal body weight was achieved I began to incorporate more cooked foods back into my diet in the way of steamed veggies first, and then I moved to raw fish and eventually a meal of cooked seafood once or twice a week.

The whole process I just described creates an environment in the body that decreases the amount of stress on the body, which in turns slows the aging process and makes you look and feel younger! Another added benefit is most food allergies begin to dissipate because most food allergies are caused by an inability to manufacture the enzymes needed to absorb foods. That is why so many people are allergic to dairy. Those who are allergic to dairy don’t produce lactase and when they ingest pasteurized dairy (which is heated above 118 and void of any digestive enzymes) they can’t digest dairy at all.

Here are some easy ways to incorporate more raw foods into your regime:

• Eat only raw nuts and nut butters rather than roasted.
• Eat raw veggies with every meal.
• Make every meal at least 50-70% raw.
• Add raw fruit/veggie smoothies into your daily ritual.
• Learn about all the wonderful raw superfoods and how to add them into your daily regime.
• Begin to juice greens and add this to your daily intake.
• If you’re making a fruit based smoothie throw in a handful of spinach for greens.
• Explore the different raw food snacking options now available at most Whole Foods Markets and other natural retailers. You will be amazed at how flavorful and satisfying these foods can be. (check out our line of raw snacks at www.hailmerry.com)
• Raw desserts are so yummy and not off limits on a raw food diet. They kept me “in the game” and were so delicious.

Here are a few things to avoid:

Don’t over eat nuts & seeds, which a lot of new raw foodist do in the beginning to replace meat and dairy. Just remember that nuts are extremely healing but our livers can only digest one handful of nuts at a time

Eat your fruits don’t drink them! Raw foodist tend to over juice. Raw fruit juices are too carb/sugar loading. Sugar highs from over juicing can throw our thyroid and adrenal functioning out of balance.

Don’t freak out about the perceived lack of protein – Dark Leafy greens and nuts are loaded with protein. Plant based protein is also more easily digestible and you don’t need as many grams of plant protein to maintain muscle. You would be surprised at how many pro athletes are thriving on a vegan diet!

Here is my favorite raw salad dressing recipe that kept me in the raw food game in the beginning. I put this dressing on everything!

Raw Ranch Dressing

½ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Celtic Sea Salt
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 cup whole, raw macadamia nuts
1/3 cup cold-pressed olive oil

Blend all of the ingredients until very smooth. Add water to achieve desired consistency. Pour over chopped salad of choice.

Dark chocolate is often touted as a healthy, energizing “Superfood” because it is rich in so many compounds that fight inflammation and chronic disease, such as flavonoids, magnesium and theobromine. We combine the health benefits of dark chocolate with heart healthy almond milk and potassium rich bananas for a high fiber, nutrient dense Chocolate Banana Smoothie.

What are flavonoids, magnesium and theobromine?

1. Flavonoids- are plant-based antioxidants that neutralize free radicals and are associated with reduced risk of heart disease, ulcers, viruses, inflammation, osteoporosis, arthritis and diarrhea.
2. Magnesium- is an essential alkaline mineral required for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Health benefits of magnesium include: transmission of nerve impulses, energy production, aids in the absorption of calcium and the formation of strong bones and teeth, improves muscle functioning, and aids in the treatment of diabetes, osteoporosis, migraines, insomnia and depression.
3. Theobromine- is the bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, which acts as a mild heart stimulant to help regulate blood pressure and an effective cough suppressant.

For centuries, dark chocolate was consumed as a drink and revered as a food vital for health.  Here is our modern day chocolate vitality drink. We combine the health benefits of chocolate with heart healthy almond milk and potassium rich bananas for a high fiber, nutrient dense delight.

Dark Chocolate Banana Smoothie

1 cup raw almond milk

3 medjool dates (or 1 tablespoon agave nectar)

1-2 tablespoons raw cacao or dark cocoa powder, to taste

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste

¼ teaspoon cinnamon, to taste

¼ teaspoon cardamom, to taste

1 banana

1 tablespoon organic coconut oil (optional)

1 tablespoon flax seed meal (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness and flavorings as needed. Add ice if desired. Serve immediately.

Try this and other recipes from Hail Merry and remember to Feed Your Body Royally!