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