Posts tagged ‘make changes’

July 24, 2013

Be Raw, Y’all!

ImageOk, so I confess that I am not a full-time raw foodie; however, I dabble in the lifestyle every so often. Raw foods are some of the most nutrient dense choices and beneficial nourishment  options available. Some would say that raw foods are what we were intended to eat… others, however, prefer to cook what they eat. Whatever your preference, I challenge you to try some of these raw recipes and experience the benefits—if only temporarily—of raw foods. Why would you do that? 

ImageA raw foods diet is made up of fresh, whole, unrefined, living, plant-based foods: fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, and seeds, which are consumed in their natural state, without cooking or steaming. Contrary to popular belief, a person consuming a raw food diet draws enough daily calories from fruits, which are high in calories, along with liberal amounts of vegetables for their high mineral content, and small amounts of nuts and seeds.

ImagePeople who adopt this diet are often referred to as “raw fooders” or “raw vegans” (or in my case, when I am practicing this style of nourishment, “weird.”) Hey, you’re not really living unless you’re called “weird” or “odd” once in your life, right? Other benefits of taking this nutritional road less traveled (especially in America, where more than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese and where 23.9 million children ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese) include cleansing your internal organs.

How’s your liver these days? Have you checked in with your colon? If you’re experiencing any gastrointestinal issues, skin imperfections, exhaustion, or unexplained moodiness, your internal systems may be gasping and working overtime, trying to wash themselves of toxic gunk left over from the standard American diet. (Abbreviated to the S.A.D. diet by some) By consuming more raw foods, you basically eliminate any constipation or other “plumbing issues” you might be experiencing. You also reduce toxic build up because everything you consume now takes under 24 hours or less, to travel through your body and deliver nourishment appropriately.

Scared to take the raw plunge because you’re an athlete and you need your energy? You might like to know that athletes can perform successfully at an elite level by following a raw food diet. James Southwood, international kickboxing champion, Brendan Brazier, Canadian professional triathlete and Kenneth G. Williams, third at the Natural Mr. Olympia are all raw food practitioners. Likewise, Suzanna Strachan admittedly leads a vegan lifestyle of 75-90% raw and has demonstrated extreme athleticism in Ms. Fitness competitions and ex-model Carol Alt convinced her Russian hockey star husband Alexei Yashin to go raw. Apparently adding more raw foods to his diet increased his athletic performance!

Surely, you’re intrigued to give it a try. Think about it this way:

  1. You save time by not cooking
  2. You experience an inexpensive detoxification process
  3. You can make it a spiritual experience with prayer and fasting (consuming fruits and vegetables only)

In closing, here is a favorite Raw recipe to try—especially for you pizza-lovers. (Compliments of


 Garden Veggie Crust

2 Local Red Bell Pepper

1 Small Sweet Yellow Onion

2 small Yellow Squash

4 Garden Carrots

2  Cups Sunflower Seeds

1 tsp. Paprika

1/2 tsp. Coriander

1/2 tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. Himalayan Salt

Instructions: Process all of your ingredients in a food processor until you can form small sized patties. Place on your dehydrator sheets and form whatever shape you like, patties, bread etc. Let them dehydrate for 5-8 hours depending on how moist or crisp you’d like them to be. I recommend more crisp for a pizza recipe.

Sun-dried Tomato Basil Pizza Sauce:

Half cup sundried tomatoes

2 small chipotle peppers *optional

2 small vine ripened tomatoes

1/4 tsp. himalayan salt

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup fresh basil

Instructions: Process or blend until the mixture is smooth and warm.

Pine Nut Parmesan

1/4 Cup Pine Nuts

1/4 tsp. Nutritional Yeast

1 Garlic Clove

Pinch of Himalayan Salt

Few dashes of onion powder

Instructions: Put ingredients into the food processor or blender and pulse/blend until you have a finely ground parmesan.

Not all recipes are this in-depth either… These days I am running to long days of filming or training, and nothing gives me a better combination of energy and vibrance (due to the sustainable ratio of protein, carbs, and fat) like an organic fruit and veggie nut smoothie or a crisp and satisfying spinach salad with quinoa and cranberries. YUM!


In health and complete weirdness, Lacey Pruett