Dawn’s Place

Oh, God, help me.  I’m not taking the Lord’s name in vain, I’m actually praying here.  But feel free to laugh at me, I don’t mind! 

You remember how I said that I’ve started drinking green smoothies for breakfast every day?  You remember how I said that it took a long time of reading about it and basically observing from afar as some fellow bloggers tried it?  Do you remember how I said that it sounded gross at first, and then it sounded not so gross, but not something I would ever try, and then it sounded like something I would try, and now it’s something I don’t think I could bear to give up?  Do you remember that whole sequence of events?

Do you remember how I said a raw food diet is definitely not for me???

Well, I’ve been reading articles.  I’ve been observing from afar.  I’m guessing less than two months until I’m eating mostly raw food.  Even as I sit here and eat this apple turnover from the bakery at Target.

Today I read an article from Natural News that clearly laid out the biology and the benefits of raw food.  To quote a summarizing statement: Numerous studies reveal that cooking causes a big drop in a food’s nutritional profile. Heating food beyond 118 degrees Fahrenheit kills off all the enzymes and decreases the amount of vitamins and minerals originally present in the food.  If you’re intrigued, I highly recommend reading the article.  The author is very specific and cites a selection of references.  I’m sufficiently convinced of the benefits of raw food.

I suddenly feel compelled to clarify…A raw food diet is entirely vegetarian, and mostly vegan.  In other words, no meat, no eggs, and some raw dairy products.  It is my understanding that many “raw foodies” do not eat any dairy at all, raw or not.  We are not talking about raw chicken here!!!  And in case you’re not familiar with dairy foods, raw milk is perfectly fine, as long as it’s fresh, the cows are healthy, and the facilities are clean.  Pasturizing simply makes the milk last longer without spoiling, so that it can be transported, packaged, and sold.  (Right, Becky?  Mom?  My raw milk gurus better weigh in on this.)

My one doubt about the theory of raw food is that while I’ve always known that overcooking can destroy some of the vitamins and minterals, and it’s obvious to me that cooking would kill the enzymes, I’ve also heard that some vitamins and minerals are not accessible to our cells until the food is cooked.  I’m not sure if that’s a real fact, or just something that I heard and it’s actually not true.

So beyond that, it’s a question of what I can really do.  Can I really live without warm food?  Can I really give up cookies, bread, and other baked goods?  Can I really afford to only shop in the produce section every time I shop?  Am I really willing to admit to other people that I eat so differently?  Am I really willing to serve extremely unusual foods to others when they come to my home?

From my research, I’ve found that almost no one eats 100% raw.  Everyone has to find where their line is, a level where they are comfortable, satisfied, and able to maintain the habit.  That’s with anything, not just a raw food habit.  One thing I know is, I’m not willing to never go out to eat with people.  So several meals a week would likely be not raw.  And while all chilled or room temperature food sounds lovely as we head toward summer, I can’t imagine never putting my nose in a steaming bowl of soup in the winter, or never opening the oven to a bubbly casserole or lasagna. or never putting my hands around a hot cup of coffee.

At the same time, when this green smoothie thing started, I couldn’t imagine giving up toast with butter and jam in the morning.  I also couldn’t imagine washing my blender every day, it sounded like such a chore for a small reward.  After experiencing what a green smoothie feels like in my body, toast doesn’t sound that awesome, and washing the blender is about as difficult as brushing my teeth.  Maybe once I got started on raw food, the benefits would make the “I can’t imagine’s” insignificant.

Right now, I still can’t imagine.  :)  Mostly raw food sounds ridiculous and impractical.  But I am intrigued.  And I am aware.  I have been trying to eat something that’s alive every time I eat.  Most of my morning smoothie is alive, with the exception of a splash of orange juice.  At lunch I usually have some raw veggies or some yogurt.  Supper often misses the raw food goal, because I’m often eating out or eating in a hurry.  And then I also sometimes eat some fruit when I get home from work, to tide me over until supper.

As with everything else, change is easiest made one step at a time.  I have completely changed my morning eating habits to include lots of living food, and almost a complete day’s portion of fruits and veggies.  It has made a huge difference!  But it’s been accomplished, I’m in the habit of buying the groceries I need for it, washing the dishes that I use, finding the time to consume it, etc.  Now it’s time for another step.  I’m still denying that I’m on my way to a raw food diet, so let’s just call it a step toward healthier eating.  It might be getting in the habit of having a big old salad for lunch, instead of my usual sandwich or leftovers.  Greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, cucumber, maybe some boiled eggs or some chicken, a dollop of cottage cheese, a really good homemade dressing, or my favorite Dorothy Lynch…it might be really good.  (It’s definitely that time of year where cool, crisp raw veggies are sounding really good to me!)  Or maybe it will be a different habit.  These things seem to work best for me when I don’t plan to commit, I just plan to try.  I planned to try one green smoothie.  That turned into a plan to try it for the rest of the week, just to see if it was something I would like.  That turned into a habit, still not a commitment, but I have no doubt in a few months I will still be having green smoothies regularly.  It wasn’t hard, it just happened.  The effort was truly minimal.  That’s the easiest way to do it!  And it proves that this is a habit that fits my needs and limits right now.  Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so easy.

Well, whether or not a raw food diet is in my future, my blogger-friend Sara has several raw recipes that I’m interested in trying:  Raw Strawberry Pie, Walnut Taco Salad, Raw Pad Thai

And may I just say, LOOK at that picture I found!  Doesn’t that look like the most wonderful thing ever???  If only berries weren’t so stinkin’ expensive, I would eat something that looked like that every day!!!