Get in the Raw

This week marks the beginning of an experiment. It’s an experiment I’ve been planning for months and dreading for weeks.  For the month of August, I’m going RAW.

my raw-ready fridge. (except for the PBR.)

While there are several sides to the RAW revolution [it’s good, it’s bad, it should be used in moderation…], I’m on the fence.  This experiment is not about proving any of them right or wrong, it’s about challenging my body to perform at it’s best.  In order to discover that best, I must be willing to try different methods to find what’s right for me. And while I don’t think a permanent RAW existence is my personal dietary Utopia [I like pasta, I like rice, I like a warm soup on a cold Chicago night], I do agree that there are certain benefits to consuming whole, raw foods in their unaltered, nutritious state.  Overall, I’d like to make RAW additions to my vegan lifestyle and the best way to discover those [in my opinion], is to dive in head first and try it all for one month.  30 days in any lifestyle creates new habits that can be carried back to your old lifestyle…so that’s what I plan to do.

The experiment starts slow.  Because I feel ill-prepared both in my kitchen and my culinary skills, this week is only 75% raw. Currently, I’m awaiting the delivery of a RAW cookbook, but until that arrives, I’m making do with what I know:

Salads:

1. spinach 2. strawberries 3. goji berries 4. chia seeds 5. pecans 6. (not so raw) raspberry dressing

Green Smoothies:

1. spinach 2. banana 3. frozen berries of any kind 4. chia seeds 5. water

And internet recipes like Choosing Raw‘s Chocomole [more on that later]:

Chocomole: a work in progress. stay tuned.

Any RAW recommendations, readers? I’m all ears & eager to learn so please, leave your words of wisdom below.