Raw Foods for Weight Loss

Cooking foods for longer than a brief period of time destroys many of the nutrients they provide. Cooking changes food's chemical structure and starts to produce carcinogens. Cooking food above 116°F can destroy food's enzymes. Eating a diet full of raw fruits and vegetables, provides the vital nutrition your body needs. A raw food diet is a popular way for people to lose weight. Such a diet is low in saturated and trans fats, so it's easy to see why many people lose pounds almost immediately. You can eat nuts, sprouts, fruits, vegetables, seaweed, beans, peas and grains on a raw food diet. Many of the meals are filling and will also enhance your energy level.

Approved Food

• At first glance, a raw food diet is very limiting; however, careful preparation and good recipes will give you tasty, filling meals. You can eat unsalted nuts, coconut milk, herbs, grasses, sea vegetables, almond flour, flax crackers and nut cheese, and some raw food diets include fish. Experiment with what works best for you. Everyone has their own tastes. Though it may be strange in the beginning, many have claimed to develop a taste preference for raw food.

Equipment

• There is various equipment you will need to prepare raw food recipes: A dehydrator with a temperature setting of less than 116°F; a juicer for making fruit and vegetable juices; a blender for making sauces, smoothies and soups. Mason jars are also handy to have on hand for storing nuts and growing sprouts.

Breakfast

• Make a delicious breakfast using raw foods: For oatmeal, let 1 tbsp. of flax seed sit overnight in 2 tbsp. of water. In the morning, combine 1 banana, 2 apples and 2 tsp. of cinnamon in a blender. Blend until the mixture has an oatmeal-like consistency, and serve with a drizzle of honey on top.

  Smoothies are an easy way to go, because they can be blended the night before and taken to school or work. Blend together 1 banana, 2 tbsp. hulled hemp seed, 1 bag of frozen berries, 1 cup pure water or coconut milk.

  Make banana pancakes by mixing 1 banana, 2 tbsp. dried coconut and 1 tbsp. water. Leave them in the sun for a hour and eat.

Lunch

• Lunch can be made the night before and taken with you. Peel three zucchinis with a potato peeler so they resemble pasta noodles, and pour 1/3 cup of olive oil on the peelings. In a separate bowl, make your marinara sauce. In the blender, combine 6 large tomatoes, 5 sun-dried tomatoes, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 bunch fresh basil, 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, 1 tbsp. pepper, 1/4 cup minced onions, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 4 pitted dates, 1 jalapeño, and 1 tsp. salt. Pour over the zucchini.

  Another great meal is avocado, carrot and spinach soup. Soak 1 avocado, 1 carrot, 1/4 cup almonds in water overnight. Combine in the blender with 1/4 cup baby spinach, 1 garlic clove, 1 tbsp. ginger, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp. cayenne pepper.

Dinner

• If you choose to eat seafood, this recipe is for you. Top a 1/2 pound of thin-sliced raw tuna with a sauce made in the blender. Blend together 6 gloves garlic, 4 tbsp. olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cups of cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

  Pair this dish with a seaweed salad rich in iodine. You'll have a dish that tastes like it came straight out of a sushi restaurant.

  For a great burger, combine the following in the blender: 1 large diced red onion, 1 chopped red bell pepper, 3 sliced carrots, 1 head of cauliflower, 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup of soaked almonds (at least 24 hours of soaking is required), 1 cup of sunflower seeds (soaked six hours), 1/4 cup sesame seeds (soaked six hours), 5 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp. Braggs seasoning and 1 cut up jalapeño. Form into patties and cook in your dehydrator at 105°F for 13 hours. Flip after six hours to cook all the way through.

Your Diet

• During your first couple of weeks, you will rapidly lose weight. It's important to drink a lot of water. Exercise moderately, and refrain for getting too much sun. Call your doctor if you have signs of dizziness or a stomachache. Eat all of your meals. It is not good to skip meals on a raw foods diet. Soon your body will start burning fat, and you'll be shedding the pounds.