Recently I've been tempted by the idea of a raw food diet. Raw food conjures up images of minimal preparation (winner), less washing up (double winner), fancy chopping with a mandolin (fun and a little dangerous) and of course delicious, vitamin-rich food which nourishes my body. The only problem is, if I go down this route I will need to convince the rest of the family that broccoli really is meant to be as crunchy as that and that raw kale is in fact a food. I’m not sure it’s going to wash. So, how about I adopt this way of eating some of the time but continue to cook normal food for the children? Giving up sugar and refined carbohydrates is a no brainer, we all need to adopt that lifestyle, but eating completely raw food for at least some of the time might be more of a challenge. Is it a step too far?
What’s the theory? It’s believed that food heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) has lost its healthy enzymes and therefore its nutritional benefit. Enzymes boost digestion and protect against disease, so the nutritional basis of a raw food diet is sound. However, you need to be careful you’re getting enough protein, iron and minerals; all the building blocks of nutrition. So, perhaps with a busy lifestyle like mine, it would be better to combine a sometimes raw diet, packed full of vegetables, seeds, grains and sprouts (not the brussel variety), with the odd egg, grilled fish and chicken. I love the idea of only ever eating food that is free from chemicals and antibiotics, which has been grown or raised ethically but again, money and time are limiting factors. (I looked into organic meat delivery and discovered a local medium sized chicken was £15.00. Eeeek. That would have to provide at least 2 or 3 meals to be economical. It’s Tesco free range at best for me.)
I would really like to make sure I have the energy to look after my boys and I definitely think a nourishing diet is the way to go. You also need to eat the right blend of food to have the energy to exercise after working all day, then feeding your children and putting them to bed. I don’t think a purely vegan, raw diet would hit the spot for me. I think I’ll do some experimentation with a couple of raw meals this weekend and see how easy it really is. It seems like a lot of planning might be order of the day with this kind of living. I can barely remember to get a piece of salmon out of the freezer in the morning on a work day.
Husband might be expecting steak and chips on his birthday this Saturday. Sadly for him he might be served a plate of this instead.
What’s the theory? It’s believed that food heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) has lost its healthy enzymes and therefore its nutritional benefit. Enzymes boost digestion and protect against disease, so the nutritional basis of a raw food diet is sound. However, you need to be careful you’re getting enough protein, iron and minerals; all the building blocks of nutrition. So, perhaps with a busy lifestyle like mine, it would be better to combine a sometimes raw diet, packed full of vegetables, seeds, grains and sprouts (not the brussel variety), with the odd egg, grilled fish and chicken. I love the idea of only ever eating food that is free from chemicals and antibiotics, which has been grown or raised ethically but again, money and time are limiting factors. (I looked into organic meat delivery and discovered a local medium sized chicken was £15.00. Eeeek. That would have to provide at least 2 or 3 meals to be economical. It’s Tesco free range at best for me.)
I would really like to make sure I have the energy to look after my boys and I definitely think a nourishing diet is the way to go. You also need to eat the right blend of food to have the energy to exercise after working all day, then feeding your children and putting them to bed. I don’t think a purely vegan, raw diet would hit the spot for me. I think I’ll do some experimentation with a couple of raw meals this weekend and see how easy it really is. It seems like a lot of planning might be order of the day with this kind of living. I can barely remember to get a piece of salmon out of the freezer in the morning on a work day.
Husband might be expecting steak and chips on his birthday this Saturday. Sadly for him he might be served a plate of this instead.
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