Thoughts on the RAW food diet...

Well, I can't believe the 3 month raw food experiment is over already! And while the first few weeks were the hardest... asking myself over and over again, "Now why again am I doing this?" when I just wasted a bunch of expensive products making an inedible dish (pine-nut cheese anyone?? or perhaps sunflower seed taco meat?) Yeeeaaaah. Those were the rough days, but by the end, I was indulging in delicious pumpkin pie pudding, Italian salad with delicious dressing, rich guacamole with raw flax crackers, and yummy green smoothies! It was generally a wonderful experience, and while Thanksgiving saw me crash and burn a bit (did I accidentally have my mom's rolls and homemade apple pie? oooopps.) I made it through the 3 months predominately raw. My results?
Better sleep! More energy for sure. Not as many stomach aches; and I didn't have to take enzymes with my food anymore! Joint and muscle aching? Better off and on. Gorgeous clear skin? not so much. It almost got worse! That said, this is why I believed that happened: Eating raw massively detoxes your body -- especially when you jump into it with both feet one random day like I did. Your body with push those toxins out of your body in any way they can -- your skin being one of the main paths for this. Thus said, I'm sure the flare ups where due much in part to eating sooo healthy. Crazy huh? But it makes sense. Anyway, I am still eating about 80% raw these days, so we will see if my skin will get better if I keep this up.
My thoughts on all of this are: I loved this experiment, I believe that eating raw IS the healthiest way to live. I have read sooo much and seen sooo many wonderful testimonials and pictures to believe any differently. Is 100% raw for everyone? I guess it could be, but no, we all have to listen to our own bodies.... But, all of us can work to incorporate more raw foods into our diets each day. :) Like, while I plan on giving myself the option to eat steamed or cooked veggies and lean proteins at dinner time, I also plan on staying wheat, dairy, and refined sugar free. I still have a green smoothie in the morning, a big salad or fresh salsa or guacamole for lunch, raw LARA bars, fruits, and veggies for snacks, and eat yummy raw desserts (raw brownies, dates, and ice-creams are my favorite!) at any time in the day.
This raw food experiment was encouraging, fun, and helped to give me a lot more info and insights into what our bodies need to function well and keep us healthy! :) Who knows, maybe someday I will go 100% raw and never look back, but for now, I plan on taking it day by day and continue listening to my body. I also plan on continuing to post fun recipes and pictures for those that would like to add more raw foods into their diets in really delicious ways... So stay tuned! And in the mean time, check out the raw pumpkin pie pudding, salsa, and green smoothie recipes below:
Cheers! :)

Raw Pumpkin Pudding:
1/2 c. cashews (soaked overnight)
meat of 1 young coconut
1 c. carrot juice
1/3 c. raw agave nectar
1/3 c. coconut butter
3 dates, pitted
1/2 tb. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tb. cinnamon
1/2-1 ts. ground ginger (I usually go 1/2 ts. first and see how it's tasting)
1/4 ts. nutmeg
1/8 ts. ground cloves
1/4 ts. sea salt
*blend everthing until smooth and creamy. Pour into containers and refrigerate or freeze. Freezing it will make it last longer... just set out for 15-20 min. to thaw and it's almost like pumpkin ice-cream!

Fresh Salsa:
4 Roma tomatoes
1/4 bunch of cilantro finely chopped
1/4 c. red onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
juice of 1/2 a lime
sea salt to taste
1 red pepper finely chopped
1/2 red Chile pepper very finely chopped (more or less to taste, depending on how spicy you want it)
*mix together in a bowl and enjoy! :) Great alone or with slices of avocado or guacamole and baby carrots or crackers for dipping.

Chocolate Banana Spinach Smoothie:
2 ripe bananas (optional: freeze one or both of your bananas to make the smoothie thicker)
1 heaping tb. cocoa powder
a large handful of spinach
6 ice cubes
1 tb. of raw honey or raw agave nectar (optional or to taste)
2 tb. raw almond butter
1/4 c. water
*blend until smooth, ignore the green color, and enjoy! :)