Raw Food Cleanse

Starting tomorrow, Brandon and I are going to celebrate the transition into summer by eating only raw foods for ten days! This is the second time we are going to embark on this type of "cleanse" (hopefully with a bit more ease this time) and personally, I'm thrilled to use this as a way to usher in the summer!

Lets talk a little about what eating only raw foods entails, because I know some of you are thinking "you're going to eat raw meat?!?!"


According to wikipedia, a raw food diet consists of raw plant foods that have not been heated above 105 degrees (F). According to your source, that number can fluctuate between 105 and 120 degrees. The idea is that below that "transition temperature" (for lack of a better word), the heat does not break down essential enzymes, antioxidants, etc. Essentially, it is food as nature intended it.

We struggled the first few days last time we attempted a raw food cleanse for a couple of reasons

1. We were unprepared. Most raw foods recipes require overnight soaking of nuts or grains and a little advanced planning
2. We were unprepared...for the change to our bodies. Mostly in Brandon's case, there was a lot moving through him, to be euphemistic.
3. We didn't really know exactly what was considered "raw". In the case of "to eat or not to eat" when we didn't know the answer, we just wouldn't eat...and that left us HUNGRY. 
4. Sometimes it's difficult to figure out how food is prepared. Example: oats. Are they raw? You can buy raw oat groats, but rolled oats are heated when they are rolled. Not raw. Also, Bulgar is generally parboiled before it is packaged. 

Alright, so I'm (hopefully) not going to run into those issues this time around. There are a lot of resources out there for raw food recipes, tips, etc. Here are a few:

• Choosing Raw: Gena's wonderful blog has a lot of raw food recipes, as well some that are not-so-raw and posts about a plethora of other things
• Rawmazing: a really awesome resource for lots of raw recipes! 
• The Raw Chef: Some of these recipes are seriously gourmet raw food
• The Raw Food Coach: Not just recipes, but advice, tips and tricks, stories, coaching and classes.

I am going to be using my blender and my magic bullet and my dehydrator a lot in the coming days. You guys can look forward to a few new and interesting recipes and "cooking" techniques. Oh, and I'm sure you'll hear a lot about one of my favorite foods: 

(sorry, I really enjoy this picture...is that weird?)

Avocados are a staple in the raw world. Thank god.

There are a few exceptions to the completely raw rule that we are going to employ in the coming week and a half:

• iced tea - sometimes the ingredients are roasted, but I'm only going to make it with already cold water
• almond milk - last time we made our own, but this time I bought a few half gallons, because it was on sale. Honestly, I don't know if they cook it for any reason...but it's entirely possible they do.

Personally, I think the most important point you should take out of this post: I consider wine to be raw. Beer going through a boiling process before it is fermented, but wine does not. Hence, raw.

Good thing I bought that Groupon for $75 worth of wine!

Do you eat any high raw meals? What is your favorite raw food?