Michelle Woodworth

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Okay, I have to admit that when I first started hearing about eating raw I was skeptical. But the more I read about it, the more I realized that I was already enjoying quite a bit of raw food. I love salads and munching on carrots and cabbage. And we keep a constant supply of fresh fruits like apples, oranges, grapes, cherries, strawberries, and bananas around the house. Did I mention the nuts? I love to get raw (not roasted or salted) cashews, almonds, and walnuts for snacking. So there it was. I was already eating raw and didn’t even realize it.

Of course if I was going to try getting at least 50% raw food in my diet like Dr. Mercola recommends, I needed more than salads, nuts, and fruits. The first book I picked up was Carol Alt’s The Raw 50. The first recipes I tried were breakfast drinks and I wanted to share a couple of my favorites with you.

“Simple Favorite Green Smoothie
1 head of organic romaine lettuce, shredded
6 bananas

With the blender on low speed, puree the lettuce and bananas, adding water as necessary for a smooth consistency. Pour the mixture into a glass and enjoy.” –This is a simple recipe using basic ingredients and it’s very filling.

Another of my favorite recipes calls for some ingredients that aren’t as readily available but it is SO worth hunting them down when you taste this delicious shake.

“Cashew Banana Shake
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked for about 2 hours and drained
1/4 ripe pitted and pealed avocado
2 ripe bananas, sliced
1/2 teaspoon raw vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 tablespoon raw agave nectar or raw honey
1 cup crushed ice
2 tablespoons raw cacao

When you are ready for breakfast, blend the cashews, avocado, bananas, vanilla extract, salt, agave nectar or honey, and ice until they reach a milk-shake-like consistency. Pour the shake into a glass and serve. Add a little water (filtered and distilled if you have) to get the desired consistency, as this is one thick, creamy chake!

Add the raw cacao for an extra boost. For me, it brings back childhood memories of chocolate milk.” –I can usually find raw cashews and raw honey at my local grocery store. For the raw vanilla and cacao, I had to visit a Whole Foods Market. Here’s a tip: you can soak and drain the cashews the day before you want to make your shake and just store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I feel really good when I’ve had a raw shake for breakfast. They’re easy to make, delicious to drink, and they stay with me so I don’t get the mid-morning munchies.

I’ll wrap up this post, hoping you’ll give one of these recipes a try or hunt down some raw recipes on your own. There are some great people out there eating raw who want to tell you all about it.

If you’ve found the information interesting or useful, please share with your friends and followers using the buttons below. Thanks!

Michelle Woodworth
Going to bed with thoughts of breakfast in my head . . .

A big “thank you” to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) for creating the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides to help consumers make informed choices when purchasing fruits and vegetables. The Shopper’s Guide is based on laboratory tests done by the US Department of Agriculture Pesticide Training Program which tests foods for types and amounts of pesticide residue. Since fruits and vegetables should be a large part of our diet, this is great information to be armed with before we do our shopping.

Obviously, buying organic foods is best. It not only guarantees that you are getting food that is grown without synthetic chemicals or fertilizers but also sends a message that you support environmentally friendly farming practices. That being said, organics are not always accessible or affordable to everyone. This is where EWG’s Shopper’s Guide really comes in handy. This list will help you determine which foods have the highest pesticide residue and should be purchased organically whenever possible and which foods are okay to eat conventionally-grown. According the EWG calculations, you can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding the twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables. Here’s a rundown of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15.

Dirty Dozen (Buy these Organic): 1. Celery, 2. Peaches, 3. Strawberries, 4. Apples, 5. Blueberries, 6. Nectarines, 7. Bell Peppers, 8. Spinach, 9. Cherries, 10. Kale/Collard Greens, 11. Potatoes, 12. Grapes (Imported).

Clean 15 (Lowest in Pesticides): 1. Onions, 2. Avocado, 3. Sweet Corn, 4. Pineapple, 5. Mangos, 6. Sweet Peas, 7. Asparagus, 8. Kiwi, 9. Cabbage, 10. Eggplant, 11. Cantaloupe, 12. Watermelon, 13. Grapefruit, 14. Sweet Potato, 15. Honeydew Melon.

Want to know who’s using the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide?  Here are a couple quotes for you to consider.

“Making healthy food choices is simple, especially if you have the right tools to guide you down the produce aisle. I’m thankful that there is an organization like EWG that can provide this easy-to-use list so we can all shop smarter, save money and be that much more healthy — and happy.” Andrew Weil, M.D.

“The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health, produces the Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce. It is based on the results of nearly 43,000 pesticide tests. So if you need to work within a certain budget, use this information to help guide you to the best choices when it comes to lowering your overall pesticide exposure.” Dr. Mercola

That’s it for now. I hope you’ll check out EWG’s website and if you believe in what they’re doing you might consider making a donation so they can continue their research.

If you found this information interesting or useful, please share with your friends and followers using the buttons below. Thanks.

Michelle Woodworth
Buying organic whenever I can.