I’m at the end of the first week and still sticking to the raw food and juice diet with gusto. It is definitely getting easier to plan and implement the recipes, although dinners are still a bit of a challenge. I have a tendency to repeat easy recipes that I’ve mastered and I mostly “wing it”. I will continue to experiment with different recipes. I’ve found many good recipes in my two raw food cook books and on Google, however I’ve discovered that to make a majority of raw food basics, a really good food processor and a dehydrator are almost essential. I already have the dehydrator that I love and my next purchase (after I rob the piggy bank) will be a Thermomix. I figure that if I’m going to stick with this for three months minimum, then I “deserve” a useful new kitchen toy!

In Byron Bay we are so lucky to have a raw food restaurant, Naked Treaties.  I love their pizza, falafal meals and their smoothies are “to die for”. So I cheat occasionally. OK…I’ll confess…I cheat often and run into town for a Naked Treaties treat.  

Here are some of the recipes and ideas I’ve tried this week:  

I start each morning with a half a lemon squeezed, a teaspoon of honey and warm water…great tip for alkalising the body. I also make carrot, beetroot, celery, apple, ginger juice to last 2-3 days and drink during the day.

Breakfast: I make a green smoothie most mornings. The ingredients are: fresh juice (about a cup),  1 scoop Sun Warrior vanilla raw protein powder, fresh or frozen organic blueberries from our Farmer’s Market in Byron, 1 teaspoon each of the following…reishi mushroom powder, vitamin C rosehips powder, vital greens, Zing green superfood, Hemp protein powder and chlorella, 2 teaspoons chia seeds and occasionally a banana. 

OR

Alternatively I eat about 3-4 tablespoons of Power Start cereal (superfood breakfast blend of chia, flax seeds, pepitas, almonds, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, goji berries, blue berries, bee pollen powder, pomegranate powder, lemon powder, ginger powder, acai berry powder) with some coconut yogurt (or rice, coconut or almond milk…one of these three) and I throw in a few spoonfuls of raw granola with the Power Start. 

Lunch: Here is what I did and it worked. I sliced a loaf of essene (raw sprouted grain bread that is available in my little unique shop around the corner from my house…Baz’s & Shaz’s). Essene bread can be purchased in most good health food stores. I then dehydrated the bread slices overnight. It turned out to be a tasty but a little over crisp-afied so I made a mental note to reduce dehydrating time for the next loaf.  I make an open faced sandwich which is wonderful. I spread raw hummus, avocado (my daily standby), sundried olives, sunflower sprouts, lettuce, sliced organic tomatoes and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. This is REALLY good and I add anything else that excites my senses like grated carrots, beetroot and cucumber, etc.

OR

I make a yummy mixed green salad (romaine lettuce, red lettuce, baby spinach) with tomatoes, sundried olives, sprouts, seeds (sunflower, pinenuts, pumpkin), cucumber, hummus and anything else that tickles my fancy. My dressing is simple olive oil and balsamic vinegar drizzled over the top or I make a tahini dressing to add protein.

Dinner: The picture at the top on the left is a main meal I made one evening. It is hummus, avocado, tomatoes, sundried olives, tofu-tempeh, raw essene bread pieces. 

The other picture to the right is the pizza and salad take away from Naked Treaties. I bought two of these because they are soooooo good and I created dinner for two nights.

My sister-in-law in Hawaii is also eating raw food/juice for three months but she is working with a professional in the field who is guiding her. We are supporting each other and has shared her information with me and I incorporated this recipe into my diet for a week. The following recipe is to aid in liver cleansing. Along with this recipe she suggests a supplement of Milk Thistle. This plant is a natural liver cleanser as it contains silymarin. Silymarin enhances liver function and inhibits factors that cause hepatic damage. It also prevents free radical damage through its antioxidant properties.

Recipe: Carrot salad to be eaten every day for 7 days. Take one cup of finely shredded carrots. Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. (add more lemon or olive oil, but not less). Pour over grated carrot and mix well. Option: add fresh pineapple or raisins to taste. If a day is missed, begin all over again.

So that’s the basics for the first week. I’ll be back with week 3 at the end of next week. I’m  going on an overnight trip this weekend which will take some planning as we will be eating out for our meals. This will be a good self- control test for me.