So, I’ve gained a few kilos. It’s been pretty chilly these past few months, so I’ve stuffed my cheeks with tortillas to keep warm. Now that things are heating up around here I’m finding myself a bit sluggish, not to mention I’ve acquired a ‘muffin top’.
No matter how popular these are here in Mexico, it’s not the look I’m going for. So, I’ve decided to go RAW. I’m going to stick to a raw foods diet for a week to give my system a break and clean out the ol’ colon.It needs a break, believe me. After months of tortillas, beans, tons of dairy, and lots of sugar (from vodka), my body needs some spring cleaning!
What is raw food? Live or raw foods are those prepared at or less than 105 degrees, therefore retaining their enzymes and vital nutrients. These foods included fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and sea vegetables.
Processes used most often to prepare raw foods include fermenting, dehydrating, sprouting, and cold pressing. Most of us already incorporate raw foods into our daily eating habits. Salads, salsas, pickles, sauerkraut and sundried tomatoes are all raw. So don’t freak out!
I’m not encouraging you to move to a commune and eat twigs and berries, or to stop wearing deodorant….no one wants that. Huele mal! I’m planning on giving my system a break from highly processed, high fat, high calorie, high sugar and salt foods. Replacing these suckers with the life giving nutrients of fresh, whole and gloriously yummy foods, like fresh juices and grandiose salads. There are many other options for a raw food but I’m going to keep it simple for all of us!
I’ll start my mornings off with fresh vegetable and fruit juices. Fresh juices are a chock full of enzymes which aid in digestion and absorption of food. If you don’t have a juicer, not to worry, a blender will work just fine. Or you can always hit up a juice “puesto” on the corner. The standard offerings are usually made of various combinations of celery, beet, orange juice, grapefruit juice, pineapple, parsley, and nopal. Any combo, with the majority being vegetable, will work wonderfully to start your day.
If you’re using a blender, add spinach and other greens for amazing amounts of Chlorophyll, which support body’s ability to absorb nutrients and supplies the body with Vitamins A, C, E and Minerals like Magnesium and Iron. Your adrenal glands will appreciate the break from coffee and your colon with happily welcome the dietary fiber! My favorite is Grapefruit Juice, Spinach, Nopal and Parsley.
Morning vegetable juices are a natural way to promote morning movements if you know what I mean. The first few days of withdrawal from caffeine and sugar will make some feel lethargic but hang in there; you’ll feel much better in a few days.
If you order a liter of Grapefruit Juice, you can add you’re your own Spinach, Parsley, and Nopal and blend it up at home. You can have half in the morning and the other half an hour later to hold you over until lunch with a light snack such as an Apple and Almonds.
Drink water. Water will keep you hydrated and help flush the system.
Lunch is crucial as I’ll be really ready for something filling. So I’m opting for a big green salad with tons of vegetables with a mixture of nuts, seeds and sprouts for a variety of textures and additional protein. Dressing is super simple with fresh lime juice and a bit of olive oil. Recipe to follow….
Drink lots of water.
My afternoon snack will look something like Apple and a raw nut mix of Almonds, Walnuts and Pumpkin Seeds, or maybe a little Tomato Salad with fresh Basil.
I’ll close out the evening with another veggie juice and salad with a variation of raw veggies, nut and seeds. Keep it colorful. A VARIETY OF COLORFUL VEGGIES REPRESENTS A VARIETY OF NUTRIENTS. Green means Chlorophyll, Iron and Magnesium. Orange is Beta Carotene. Here’s a little chart.
Orange and Yellow fruits and vegetables
Contain Beta-Carotene, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and Vitamin C
Green vegetables and Fruit
Green vegetables contain Chlorophyll, Fiber, Lutein, Calcium, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, calcium, and Beta-Carotene.
Blue and purple fruits and vegetables
Contain nutrients which include Lutein, Resveratrol, Vitamin C, Fiber, Flavonoids, and Quercetin.
White Fruits and Vegetables
Contain nutrients such as Beta-Glucans, and Lignans that provide powerful immune boosting activity.
If you’d like to try a cleansing diet but aren’t sure where to start, here are some ideas.
1. Cut out all meat, fish and dairy products.
2. Don’t eat any processed foods or simple carbohydrates.
3. Stick as much as possible to raw, organic fruits and vegetables as the main part of your food. If you want juice, make sure it is freshly squeezed and not from a bottle.
4. If you feel like you have to eat something cooked, try brown rice. This is a healthy, fiber-filled food that will help you feel fuller, and organic varieties are available.
5. The point of a cleansing diet isn’t starvation. Go ahead and eat when you are hungry, again sticking to raw, unprocessed foods.
6. When you come out of the diet, don’t go back immediately to eating as you used to. Start by gradually adding in more cooked foods. After a week or so of transitioning back to a more regular diet, you should be able to start eating more meat and processed foods again.
The main point to remember is to be gentle with yourself.
This week is meant be full of discovery about yourself and your body and maybe a side effect is getting rid of the muffin top and gaining a bit of energy!! Keep it simple and nutritious.
And by all means don’t starve yourself. It’s not about that; it’s about creating abundance and health. If a week works for you, great! If a day works for you, this is also a good way to give the body a break and nourish yourself.
Good luck.
CHOP VEGETABLE SALAD
A chopped MIXTURE
Spinach, Acelga (Mexican Chard), Beet Leaves and Red leaf lettuce
Grated Beets
Grated Carrots
Avocado
Diced Cucumber
Chopped Broccoli
Green Onion
Chopped Tomato
Sliced Radish
Sliced Yellow Peppers
Slice Mushrooms
Alfalfa Sprouts
Chopped Cilantro
Chopped Basil
Chopped Mint
Pumpkin Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Salt and pepper
Toss these ingredients together.
Add fresh lime juice and olive oil.
Let salad rest in dressing for
5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Provecho !!!
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