One of the many questions I receive is along the lines of… “it’s hard for me to get more greens in my diet, how can I do it?”

The short answer is, it couldn’t be easier… if you want to. Making your salad the main dish for dinner is a great start… and then start experimenting with different greens. There’s an abundance of green leafy vegetables that you can make into dozens of salads, burritos, wraps and many more.

Here’s a favorite that’s quick, easy and a great way to increase greens in your diet.

Blended Salad

One of the benefits of blended salads is that you can get a large amount of greens into a meal.. and you can be creative with what you add to the mix. Here’s one of my favorite recipes:

(serves 1-2 … adjust accordingly)

3-4 Kale leaves
5-6 Romaine Lettuce leaves
2 Roma Tomatoes
1/4-1/2 Cucumber
2-3 Green Onions
Handful of fresh Cilantro
1/2 Avocado
Handful Sun Dried Tomatoes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 Red Pepper
Sprouts (alfalfa, brocolli, etc)
Sprouted Pumkin Seeds

Add all ingredients except green onions, red peppers, sun dried tomatoes and avocado into a blender or food processor and blend until you get a smooth consistency. I recommend adding a little at a time and saving the sun dried tomatoes until the end and blend partially to leave small chunks. Top with chopped avocado, green onions, pumpkin seeds, and sprouts and you have a super green meal! You can be creative and make any combination you’d like… toppings, different greens, vegetables, seeds… make a different one every time and have fun!

Enjoy!

All good things,

Mark

When you read about raw food, it’s often referred to as the ‘raw food diet’. But is it really?

No, it’s not a diet. Diets are something you normally do for a short period to lose weight, and often have a set of steps or rules to follow during that time. In most every case, the diet doesn’t work and the weight or condition you were trying to get rid of returns.
Read more…

During the winter months, some on a raw diet look for warming foods. Normally after some time on the raw food diet, the want for physically heated foods diminishes for most.

For those looking to ‘warm’ up in the colder months, here’s a list of warming foods from raw food coach Karen Knowler:
Read more…

There are numerous benefits to a vegan/raw diet, most being health related.

But here’s a benefit I hadn’t considered or noticed until I had been eating raw for 3 months.

Garbage!

Or lack of garbage, that is. I’ve noticed that my household generates less than 1/3 of the normal amount we used to before eating raw. Since very few whole, raw foods are packaged, you’re saving a great deal of packaging waste.

There’s even less to recycle since I choose to use my own canvas bags for grocery shopping. If you’re a Whole Foods shopper, you may have noticed their new “green bags”. They’re a steal at under $2 and now will save at least 175 paper bags a year.

Yes, eating raw is eco-friendly too. Just another benefit!

Keep it raw…some,

Mark
The Vegan Raw Diet

• You can’t STAND the smell of any kind of Fast Food no matter how delicious it’s supposed to be and you can detect who has just eaten a greasy burger by noticing the odor of Fast Food Ooze coming out of that person’s skin
• …your idea of junk food is celery dipped in tahini, agave, cinnamon and cocoa powder….or the best part of your day is when you get to turn on your juicer
• when the guys in the produce department know your name
• You know that a “9″ on the sticker on the fruit/veggie (example: 94031) means the produce is organic.
• Your cravings have gone from chocolate chip cookies to a banana wrapped in romaine leafs!
• when you’re packing for a trip and the 1st thing you think of is your juicer.
• when your friends use organic produce to bribe you into doing things for them
• When you’re buying fruit and the cashier looks at you puzzled and then asks, “You ate all that fruit you bought yesterday?!”
• …you start using words that are not in the English dictionary…like RAWESOME.
• you walk into a natural foods store and can barley find something to eat
• you make SEXY sounds while eating a mango….

Source: Nature’s First Law Forum

Enjoy… to your best health!

Mark

As one transitions to the raw/vegan lifestyle, the tendency to overeat fats, mostly in the form of nuts is quite common.

It’s understandable to eat large amounts of nuts when transitioning… they are more “filling” than fruits and vegetables and satisfy the hunger as your body adjusts.

In the long term, this can lead to many problems. In his book, The Raw Secrets, Frederic Patenaude describes this in detail and offers alternatives to avoid the difficulties and make the necessary adjustments. A full review of his book is coming up.

Many leading raw food proponents recommend a 80/10/10 ratio… 80% carbs, 10% protein and 10% fats.

In my experience, the urge to eat larger amounts of fat diminishes over time. Eating an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables along with seeds makes up most of your daily intake, satisfies you and lets you happily keep your intake of nuts to a minimum.

Keep it healthy and raw!

Mark
The Vegan / Raw Diet

Here’s a brilliant example of what happens when you’ve been eating healthy, choosing a vegan raw lifestyle and then decide to eat ‘normal’, like most of America does.

Read more…