How to eat a balanced diet of raw and live foods

Eating a vegan diet of raw, live foods can be challenging. Since it’s a new diet and lifestyle for most people, it can seem intimidating, challenging, expensive, difficult to understand, and a bit overwhelming for someone used to eating an overly processed “meat and potatoes” diet. . That’s why learning to eat and maintain a well-balanced diet in general is key to maintaining vibrant health, however, when it comes to a live, raw food vegan diet, some of us just don’t know where to start.

Here are some ways to get over that hump when transitioning to a live, raw food vegan diet.

Eat according to the seasons. This is a wonderful way to keep your body healthy and also reduce your shopping budget. When you eat seasonal foods, you keep the ecosystem of your body in balance, as well as the ecosystem of the environment and the ecosystem of the economy. You are supporting organic farmers in their plight to keep growing and selling organic produce and seasonal fruits and vegetables will be less expensive. Also, your body craves foods that are in season, so respect your cravings.

Watch your food combinations. Eat fruit alone. Fruit is a very important food. It cleanses the body and is very easy to digest and due to its exquisiteness it should be consumed alone. Most raw fooders start their day with a smoothie or fruit plate in the morning. Let it digest for at least an hour before consuming anything else. Eat your proteins and fats in separate meals. And eat only one protein at a time. Nuts contain more than 50% fat and take longer to digest than other foods. They are best consumed before sunset.

Choose your colors wisely. The wonderful reward of a raw food diet is the colors of the food. When eating, make sure your food resembles the colors of the rainbow. Eat your greens, your reds, your oranges, your yellows, your purples, your tans, and your whites. Some green leafy vegetables, such as Swiss chard, contain both green and red. Or your winter squashes may come in various colors. Our bodies like variety and they love it when you diversify your food. So have fun with the colors of your foods.

Keep it simple, but varied. When transitioning to a more raw food diet, the shopping experience can be a nightmare. Before you leave home, divide your shopping list into the following categories: Nuts, Seeds, Oils, Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Superfoods, and Miscellaneous. Then add to your list what you need according to the category. Then take at least 5-6 recipes and make sure you can make at least 5-6 of those recipes from that list alone, keeping in mind that you may substitute a different oil or nut than the original recipe calls for. You should have at least 3 days worth of food, maybe 4 and you’ll learn to trust your own chef’s instincts.

Treat yourself to exotic foods from time to time. The raw food diet calls for some exotic foods that we haven’t heard of before, like acai berries, durian, kumquats, jackfruit, etc. Every once in a while treat your body to a food you haven’t eaten before. Sign up and see how your body responds and make a fun recipe with it.

The raw food diet consists of fruits, vegetables, sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, and superfoods. Make sure you get at least 2-6 servings of each of these in your diet daily. If you have to make menus and plan your meals, then do it. I know it may sound a bit silly, but our diets and lifestyles are deteriorating our health and we need to transform that to a place where eating well and living well is a way of life and no longer an option.

Fruits cleanse your body, vegetables make your body strong, grains, nuts, oils, and seeds provide bulk, fats, and substances for your body, and superfoods are a wonderful addition to your diet that can provide optimal overall nutrition for your body. the body. heals itself. Although the body is not lacking in nutrition when eating a primarily raw food diet, due to time constraints, lack of knowledge, and/or resources, we can sometimes neglect supplying our bodies with sufficient nutrition when eating raw foods, so I suggest finding a multivitamin or superfood of some kind to supplement your diet.

The raw food diet is simpler than we think. Once we get into the groove of knowing what foods we like and what’s in season and how to create a cheese, sauce, or simple meal, we’ll be able to eat like this more and more often.