I recently completed a 30 day raw food cleanse at my local yoga studio. Since this was my first cleanse, and it was 4 weeks long, I decided to take it in phases. The first week I really tried to focus on increasing my fruit and veggie intake, the second week my focus was on decreasing wheat, dairy, and sugar, and then for weeks 3 and 4 I really tried to ramp up the raw. It was tough. I realized that my body really still wanted warm, cooked foods, and that all raw is not realistic for me in the winter. I also realized that my body responded really well to significantly increasing my intake of raw foods. Raw for breakfast and lunch with some warmth for dinner worked out to be a great combo for my body. I have continued to enjoy this combination with some more raw dinners as the weather warms up and spring arrives, at a very leisurely pace!
I was also reminded of the importance of being mindful of my meal. So often we are multi-tasking and rushing through our meals, it is important to slow down and pay attention. Being fully present is a life skill and it needs to be practiced in all that we do. Developing mindfulness and a sense of being present in this exact moment is a gift to yourself, so enjoy it! And what better way to enjoy it then with some fabulous food? I have (with Dawn’s permission of course) included a few recipes that I especially enjoyed below.
Experiment for yourself and find out what balance of raw and cooked foods work best for you. Boosting up your intake of fruits and veggies is a great thing and it can be fun to get creative – play with the flavor combinations and find some that you love. Enjoy!
Banana Balls
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 RIPE bananas
- 2 cup oats
- Raw dried coconut
Puree maple syrup, milk, cacao, vanilla, and bananas in food processor or VitaMix. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Add oats and mix well. Line baking sheet with wax paper. Put coconut in small bowl. Using the big end of a mellon baller or a small spoon, scoop up a little chocolate ball and drop into bowl. Turn ball over in mixture of coconut until coated and then gently place onto wax paper and freeze. After frozen transfer to an airtight container and store in freezer.
Caramel Apple Dip
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/8 tsp pink salt
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
Pulse all ingredients in food processor on/off for 1 minute, then leave on for 4 minutes (precise timing is important so set a timer)
Cut any organic apples you like
Goddess Dressing
- 2-3 Zucchini
- ¾ C Tahini (or raw sesame seeds)
- ½ C Fresh Lemon Juice
- ¼ C Cold Pressed Olive Oil
- 4 Cloves garlic (more or less depending on what you like)
- 2 t Sea Salt
- 1 t (or more) cumin
Blend all ingredients together and use as dip or salad dressing.
For more great recipes check out Dawn at http://www.youtube.com/user/DoInItRawWithDawn