An Adventure into raw & healthy food: or, uncooking, as it may be

I am one of many people on the planet that has an interest in eating better. Many of my friends are undergoing a similar journey - eating gluten-free, juicing, adopting a raw foods diet, or going vegan. Their reasons are many: better health, concerns for animal welfare, neutralizing food sensitivities, or creating a clean and clear system. In my current path, I have experimented with all of the above, listening all the while for how my body responds. I gather my ideas from other bloggers, or from hearing friends talk about their experiments or favorite foods. I also get ideas from my local health food store newsletter.

Since May 2012, I have largely gone sugar-free. With rare exceptions (a homemade cupcake on my birthday, a cookie on Christmas), I have committed to living with out sugar in my diet. I have learned to root out the more obvious culprits: where I am now on the journey is rooting more subtle forms of sugar out of my diet, such as what may be found in salad dressings.

Here is a recent recipe, adapted from something shared by a friend. When I cook, or un-cook, my goal is to feel how the ingredients collectively sit in the body: is more energy available?

-steamed brown rice
-steamed kale, broccoli, spinach
-raw avocado, sliced
-green Goddess dressing
-handful of raw nuts

I am amazed at the simplicity in the organization of the foods. For people that struggle with food sensitivities, either known or subtle and hard-to-define, such a gathering of foods can mean the difference between stable energy in the body, or distracting the nervous system into other realms.