It was some time in the late summer that I decided to enter the world of raw living. I have blogged about this at length, but in short I was intrigued by the health benefits that the diet promised and the ideology behind the lifestyle, which is you are essentially eating life in its more purest form when you eat food raw.
I fell hard for the raw lifestyle, although I kept my diet very simple. I stuck to lots of smoothies, nuts and salads, but I felt my body improving inside and out. My digestive track which has been continually problematic for me in the last eight years was actually doing okay. I was going to the bathroom, my energy was up, I looked better.
When classes started for me I tried to keep up my raw living and overall healthy lifestyle, but as seems the way, I became complacent. I began to eat more cooked foods and while I general kept it vegan, I began to feel not…100%. For awhile I tried to rack my brain on why I wasn’t feeling so good and then it hit me- I hadn’t been eating raw. I was eating a lot of rice, a lot of beans, things of that nature-all good things, but still not raw, not filled to the brim with life. I know my blog deals primarily with food, but in truth I am not a true foodie. I appreciate food and whatnot, but I don’t live to eat and it is not one of my favorite past times. I try to see food for what is really is, which is physical nourishment and leave it at that.
Having said that, I want to eat things that truly give my body all the essential vitamins and minerals it needs, as well as taste. I have been trying to go back to raw as of this week (no more rice, ect), and I already feel better.
Raw food diets can do the following
- Keep cholesterol levels low
-Keep weight low (in a good way)
-Raise energy levels
-Help to keep skin clear
- Boost the immune system
If you want to read more about it, check this site out- Why Raw Food is The Best
Now on to the food!
Before I came to accept that I am very allergic to wheat/gluten, I was a cereal junkie. Oh how I loved me some special K, golden grams, pops, and the ever beloved raisin brand! For awhile, I chowed on my mothers granola, but as many of you who are calorie conscious know, granola is a bit caloric for the measly amount a serving provides, and so I have pretty much cut it out of my diet. In honor of my love of cereal and my love of raw food, I bring to you the following.
Nuthing but Love Raw Cereal

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of raw thick oats
- 3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 3/4 cup of raw cashew pieces
- 1/2 cup of raisins
- 4-5 apples, chopped and sprinkled with date sugar and Cinnamon, dehydrated for 4 1/2- 5 hours
This cereal is seriously one of the easiest things to make and so good for you. Dehydrating the apples will be the lengthiest part of it, but do not fear. It only took me a 10 minute phone conversation to chop these babies (and I chopped more then five, by the way), and then I left it up to my Nesco dehydrator to do the work. I placed a little date sugar in a bowl, along with Cinnamon and coated the apples, but you can skip this process if you like, or substitute the date sugar for agave or raw honey or whatever else you may like. You really do not need much, especially if the apples are already sweet.

I like to cut thick chunks of apples for the cereal
The smell of the apples in the machine gave my whole house the smell of apple pie. YUM!!!
When the process was done, I just chose a container and placed a little bit of the oats, seeds, cashews, apples and raisins inside, alternating, so I created a layer of sorts.

This container is so cute and cheap! Check out places like TJ Maxx to find your own for under 15 bucks!
Speaking of cereal, did any of you ever eat cream of wheat growing up??? I sure did. I ate mine during winter time with lots of sugar and cream- I cringe now knowing how bad all that stuff is, but as a kid, I really loved it. The following recipe is another raw cereal, that is reminiscent of cream of wheat. FYI: It’s cold.
Strawberries n Raw cream of Wheat

Filled with fruit and a wonderful source of fiber- a great way to start your day year around!
Ingredients
- 8 fresh strawberries
- 1 frozen of fresh banana
- 3 TBS of Psyllium Husk
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk
-1/2 cup of water
* agave or honey or stevia to taste
Place all ingredients into a blender and either freeze contents (in a separate container) for a hour or refrigerate for three hours. You could technically eat this straight after preparing, but the blend becomes thicker with time, which is why I recommend waiting for an hour or so before eating it. The psyllium husk is what makes the cereal thick and also gives it that gritty texture, similar to the wheat grains in cream of cream of wheat. However, psyllium husk comes from a seed and is friendly for those who can not eat gluten products. It is also loaded with fiber!!! It’s a very refreshing cereal because of the berries and the chill temperature it is eaten at. However, the fiber in the husk and the berries helps to keep you full, which makes it a great meal to begin your day with.

I love how it gives the actual appearance of grain, just like cream of wheat

Of course, I have a new smoothie to share.

Berry Intense Smoothie
Ingredients
-1 small container of blackberries (frozen or fresh)
- 1 banana
-5 frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk or 1/2 cup of coconut ice cream
-1/2 cup of water
- 2 scoops of peach fiber
- agave or honey to taste
Berries are filled with antioxidants, which fight against cancer cell growth and aging- who doesn’t want that?!?!?!

I love that purple color!!

berry bliss!!
And finally, for all my salad lovers out there, I tried to create a “tropical salad” tonight.

Mixed greens, broccoli sprouts, nori roll strips, tomatoes, mango, black beans and a mixture of ranch dressing with wasabi mustard

I added some chopped up caribean tofu
Today I took a break from my studies and hit the gym. Instead of doing my usual time on the elliptical, I gave ten minutes to one of the stairmaster machines. I call it the stairway to nowhere, but damn did it make me sweat!!!

This machine will make you sweat like your dancing with Richard Simons!
Ok, I really need to get back to studying for my midterms!