| There are more raw food recipes than you can | | | | bit of a problem, especially if your place is |
| imagine. Nevertheless, there is a small | | | | not a four-story mansion, but even a small |
| catch: before discussing these, there are | | | | flat can house a few potted plants that |
| some things that need explanations to what | | | | provide you with fresh spices at any given |
| concerns what foods are raw, in fact. | | | | time. When owning your own potted spices, you |
| | | | are free to experiment with many raw food |
| Despite the general belief, there are | | | | recipes and you no longer depend on uncertain |
| different ways to determine whether a certain | | | | labels and producers. |
| product is raw or not, and exactly to what | | | | |
| extent it is so. It is essentially a matter | | | | Olives are also quite a touchy subject - |
| concerning the level of its processing, | | | | truly raw olives are, sadly, rather hard to |
| particularly the level of heat applied: | | | | find. Most of them are cooked or mixed with |
| anything cooked at over 118F degrees can | | | | salt or vinegar, and these should be off your |
| definitely not be part of raw food recipes. | | | | shopping list. However, if you do manage to |
| | | | get your hands on sun-dried olives, they are |
| Nevertheless, there is more to it than that. | | | | very healthy and safe. |
| Depending on the source of the product, its | | | | |
| contents and level of processing, you can | | | | Frozen fruits are also controversial. The |
| determine the quantity in which it is | | | | general recommendation is to consume them as |
| acceptable after you have adopted a raw food | | | | fresh as possible - implicitly, chain stores |
| diet. Obviously, the more processed it is, | | | | make among the worst possible places to get |
| the smaller its quantity must be in your | | | | them. However, there is no technical argument |
| diet. | | | | against frozen fruit - it is, at the end of |
| | | | the day, raw. Keep in mind, though, that it |
| Seaweeds, for example, are extremely popular | | | | has lost most of its benefic features due to |
| among fans of raw food recipes. If your | | | | freezing. |
| source is a small family shop, then anything | | | | |
| from Laver to Kombu is great - usually, | | | | There are also a few items, which you should |
| producers dry them in the sun. However, you | | | | try to diminish systematically, and |
| should take extra care with those that come | | | | eventually abolish from your diet completely. |
| pre-packed, especially in supermarkets. | | | | One of the essential ones is salt. The way |
| | | | most people eat implies too much salt, and |
| An ambiguous allusion to their origin such as | | | | this causes an unhealthy imbalance. Diminish |
| a simple "Asia" tag probably means they | | | | it as much as you can, regardless of its |
| roasted them. Moreover, strangely enough, | | | | origin and form, and try replacing your need |
| producers usually omit mentioning this detail | | | | for salt with seaweed. In addition, there is |
| on the package. So try to make only seaweeds | | | | a common misconception regarding maple syrup. |
| with certain origins part of your raw food | | | | Definitely, it is a processed product! So do |
| recipes, and keep the rest on a minimal | | | | not be fooled and replace it with something |
| level. | | | | else. |
| | | | |
| Also, watch out for spices. Considering their | | | | Probably the most important part of a raw |
| size, it is rather difficult to determine how | | | | food diet lies in knowing what not to eat. |
| raw they are with a mere glance. Implicitly, | | | | Some items are simply killers from this point |
| try to use them as rarely as possible. An | | | | of view, so if you are in any way addicted to |
| efficient alternative is available in this | | | | them, try to focus more on authentic products |
| case, though: you can grow your own spices at | | | | and create your own raw food recipes. |
| home. Indeed, growing your own fruit may be a | | | | |