Mmmm, lunch

I'm sure many people think that a rawfood diet is very boring, or limiting, or ascetic, or...insert a negative adjective here.

In fact, it is tasty, healthy and simple, and I believe that it's the way we are all meant to eat.

A raw meal can be as easy as eating some fresh fruit. No preparation, no mess, no waste for the landfill. Or it can be made complex by soaking, sprouting, blending and dehydrating, if you have the time and inclination.

I originally read the book Nature's First Law about 5 years ago. I was totally convinced. I don't think that anyone who reads this book could deny the obvious - that all the creatures on this planet were designed to eat a raw diet, just the way all the wild animals do now.

Many of us get defensive when our beliefs or lifestyle are questioned but we need to remember that just because we've been doing something for years, or just because it is tradition, that doesn't mean that we should continue doing it.

Think about it - why would humans be the only species on the planet that should cook their food before they eat it? Every animal (and I include humans in that) has a perfectly designed system for eating and digesting and eliminating and the food that grows around us (plants) is perfectly designed for nourishing our bodies. If we mess with that perfect system, what do we get? Degenerative diseases, of course.

I have been an aspiring raw foodist since I read that book, and whilst I don't maintain a 100% raw diet 100% of the time (I tend to have more success in the summer and fall off the wagon in the winter) I totally believe that my goal should be 100%. I managed it today - a whole pineapple for breakfast, a small salad and a couple of energy orbs* for lunch, a mango and an orange before Taekwondo and a couple more energy orbs afterwards. I didn't go hungry, I had lots of energy, and I'm glad I had the willpower to avoid eating the fresh bread that I made for the rest of the family. (Bread does NOT agree with me.)

*Energy Orbs
2 cups of raw nuts (almonds are good, or a combination - today I used almonds, brazils and cashews)
15 fresh Medjool dates, soaked in water for 20 minutes
half a teaspoon of cinnamon
half a teaspoon of vanilla extract (not the artifical kind)

In a food processor, grind the nuts up finely. Add the rest of the ingredients and process to make a cohesive mixture. Take small spoonfuls and roll them in your hands, then roll them in coconut (today I used a mixture of coconut and ground up raw cacao beans).