Pack your fridge full of raw superfoods and you won’t want to eat potato chips!
One of the biggest benefits of a raw food diet is the way we naturally cut bad fats, refined sugars and calories from our meals. By switching to a diet and lifestyle dependent on whole, raw fruits vegetables, nuts and seeds, the majority of our food-related problems automatically disappear. At the same time, it can be hard to know what to eat when we subtract habit-forming, convenient snacks.
Especially in the initial stages, it is helpful to have a list of the best, nutritionally supportive, raw foods available. The biggest reason people retreat to their old way of eating is because they just aren’t comfortable or feeling satisfied with fruits and vegetables. This doesn’t have to be the case as long as we know what to expect during our transition. We can counteract some of our cravings with foods that fill us up and taste great.
All raw, edible fruits, nuts, seeds and veggies are better than any refined item you can eat, but some satisfy and heal us better than others. In this post, I am going to tell you about five superfoods you must not do without. Stalking up on these ahead of time and making sure you have a plan can make all the difference.
When you have a meal plan in place, the right items available to you, and a strong will, there is nothing you can’t do. This includes getting refined sugars, wheat, and dairy out of your diet for good. So start planning for the day you will cut out unhealthy, fatty, sugary, preservative-laden foods, and begin to get your health back.
Remember, right now it might not feel like you can make a permanent change, but all you have to do is take the first step. Day by day, eating raw gets easier. After a while, it feels just as familiar as your old lifestyle – with one exception: You are much healthier.
Raw superfoods help your body stay strong.
What is the difference between a superfood and other sustenance? While nearly all foods supply some energy and nutrients, a superfood tends to contain high concentrations of vital, healing components, especially antioxidants and other cancer fighters. They are known for being nutritionally dense and complete, with few calories. This makes them easy to digest and optimum for building a strong immune system.
In my eBook, Eating for Energy, I list a total of twelve amazing superfoods everyone should include in their diets. I also give you many more helpful tips and provide tons of delicious recipes and supportive information. I wrote it specifically to help people like you transition to a lifestyle that is better for your body and your mind.
However, you can start on your own by including the five foods I am going to tell you about in your diet right now. You can use them to replace a meal, or even in a salad or as a light snack. The reason I want to tell you about them is because they are so powerful and good for you, I know you will feel better just including them in your regular diet. If you just replace one processed meal a day with a raw, healthy superfood, I believe the energy and vitality you feel will just make you want more, and I want everyone to experience the brilliant energy a raw food diet provides.
When your body is healthy, your mind is healthy. You feel better, look better and you are proud of yourself. That means you have the motivation to care for others and help improve the world around you. As you know, the more people who feel that way, the better. Our fragile and beautiful world can certainly use more vibrant, happy, engaging people, right?
Here is a list of five raw superfoods just for you:
1. Avocados are not uncommon. Not anymore. They are a South American wonder-food, rich in good fats, b vitamins, and antioxidants, including vitamin E, an essential nutrient most of us don’t get near enough of. They are great for our hair and skin, and they are extremely filling. As a transitional food, they ease the pressure and hunger pangs so common in those new to eating raw.
2. Kale is a dark green, somewhat bitter lettuce-like vegetable that belongs to the same family as broccoli. It is very pretty, and so is quite often used as a garnish, but this vegetable is too nutritious to just look at. Dark, leafy greens are great sources of iron, calcium, vitamin K and vitamin A. Kale packs plenty of fiber, and proves itself a nutritionally dense superfood by pairing a bucket-load of vitamin C with uncommonly high iron content. In our bodies, iron and vitamin C work together, so we absorb and use iron better when we get it from kale, vs. red meat and other sources.
3. Parsley, like kale is a great source of iron, but its real power comes from a complex combination of flavonoids, vitamins, and other nutrients that are useful against cancer, heart disease, and signs of aging. It contains a number of antioxidants and has antiseptic uses. In fact, before parsley was a food, it was a medicine. It can still be a medicine. It is best eaten fresh and raw; juiced, or chopped into salads.
4. Sesame Seeds, not dairy products, provide the best source of calcium available. They contain some vitamins, but are most notable for being incredibly mineral rich. They provide copper, an important anti-inflammatory, and magnesium, which improves respiratory health. There are many ways to enjoy them, including as a component in hummus, tahini, and sprinkled on salads.
5. Coconut juice, from young coconuts is a natural sports drink that improves energy, beautifies the skin, increases the metabolism, and fights skin cancer. These can be very hard to come by in some of the smaller, northernmost states, but those who live in warmer areas will find them pretty easy to locate. Look in Asian and specialty markets. Avoid coconut milk from the can as substitute.
Enjoy at least one these five foods everyday for a week and see how great you feel. Raw superfoods are a powerful, wonderful way to kick start a raw food diet.
