It’s that time of year again – new years resolutions, attempt to eat more healthily, loose a bit of weight… here are 5 ideas for you:
- Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Fruit and veg should be the cornerstone of any healthy diet. Try having some fruit for breakfast and/or a salad with your dinner.
- Get some exercise outdoors every day. It doesn’t have to be too much, but try and do a little every day – a walk in the park, cycle to the shop, etc.
- Replace junk food snacks with healthy snacks. Fresh fruit or dried fruit and nuts can make great snacks. Replace unhealthy chocolate with healthy raw chocolate.
- Grow your own sprouts. Sprouts are highly nutritious, full of enzymes and are easy to grow in your kitchen. Some good seeds, beans and grains to try: sunflower seeds, rye, mung beans.
- Learn how to make tasty healthy food. Get yourself a good raw recipe book, or go on a course. If you know how to make delicious food which is healthy, you are more likely to be able to stick to a healthy diet.
On Jan 10th, Jolita and myself are running an introductory raw food workshop. We’ll teach you how to make lots of healthy raw foods, including a raw lasagne and raw curry, along with healthy cakes and chocolate. A small group size allows time for your questions. Visit the Funky Raw website for more information about this class.
Your site is great and I was delighted to find a section on wild edibles :o) Thanks! I’m enjoying my new beginning :o) I’m getting a bit concerned that some things in my cupboard and fridge are not truly raw like olives, agave, tahini (I buy the light one in the hope it isn’t heated), almond butter, etc. Is there a useful list anywhere on the internet for brands that are commonly available in local shops that are raw? There’s so much to learn but luckily I have a reasonably good knowledge of foods and nutrition to start with. Phew!!!
Thanks! Unfortunately most processed foods in shops are not raw. So only products which actually say they are raw on the label are likely to be raw. But you also have to look out for things that say “raw” but are not really, eg cashew nuts in shops will say “raw” meaning that they have not been roasted, but they are not raw by our standards as they have been heated in the shell removal process. For foods like this, you need to buy them from a raw food company.
Virtually all olives for sale in shops are not good. They are picked unripe and processed with either salt or chemicals to make them edible. The only good olives are sun ripened olives.
Agave in the shops will probably not be good, and even agave from raw food companies might not be the best food in the world. Personally I’ve stopped using agave and now use yacon syrup or raw honey.
Detox Your World does a brand of raw tahini and almond butter, available in some shops or online.
Having said all this, my advice is not to worry too much about it initially. As long as a good portion of your diet is fresh fruits, vegetables and greens then you are on the right track.