That goodness called raw food

Let me tell you all the nutrients your body needs- carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibres, and natural sugars. Each of these can be procured from raw plant based foods. Recall that when humans first evolved they survived and thrived on raw plant foods. They were and still are the easiest foods to acquire. It was the 'forbidden' food that caused our fall from grace and we have continued on this seemingly never ending path of eating forbidden foods losing our mind and body in the process. The best way to go forward to achieve brilliant health is to eat as much raw foods from the plant kingdom.

I am shocked to see people consuming foods that are overcooked, highly processed, topped with sugar, pesticides and artificial colours and we no longer know what real food tastes like. When you consume raw food, you actually get the truest taste of that food. Eating raw also ensures that most of the enzymes remain intact as cooking over 120 degrees Fahrenheit starts destroying the enzymes. Raw foods are alkaline.

I am not asking you to chomp on tonnes of raw salads. Let me run you through how I ask my clients to incorporate plenty of raw food easily into their diet. Raw foods are nutrient-rich and eating this type of food is easy and less time consuming. These included fruits, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, vegetables and dried fruit.

Begin the day with water. You could either have it plain at room temperature or squeeze some lemon juice into it.

After a little while, have a fruit. Of course, pick something that is seasonal. Currently, the market is flooded with beautiful local produce of gauvas, grapes, strawberries and fresh figs. For all the year round we have papaya and bananas.

At breakfast, you could do a handful of raw nuts; almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios along with a glass of my favourite green juice. This juice has coriander leaves, lemon juice and rock salt. If you need it, you can also have green tea or black tea with lemon squeezed in it. Along with this you can do some soaked raw rice flakes (poha) which have been soaked for half hour to which you can added chopped tomato, onion, green chilli, grated coconut, crushed peanuts and garnish with coriander. Add rock salt or sea salt and lemon juice to taste. Optional raw cold pressed mustard oil with turmeric powder can be tossed into it.

For lunch, start with a raw salad. In the winter the salad can include cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, radish, carrots and you can add in some raw fat in the form of seeds, nuts, and grated coconut cold pressed oils. Season this with fresh or dried herbs and spices and some lemon juice. Have this salad before your cooked meal.

Mid-evening, snack on nuts and seeds. You could add rock salt or sea salt to them with a squeeze of lemon. Dinner should be your lightest meal. Avoid any gas-inducing raw foods. You could begin with a fresh tomato juice that has mint leaves, sea salt and a dash of pepper. Include chutneys with coconut and dry podies( powder) made with fresh herbs, spices and seeds sesames is my go to seed for podis . Moisten them with desi cow's ghee and accompany it all with vegetables and a small quantity of a grain whether it is rice or roti. Wind up the day with a mixed seed digestive and just chill.