Incorporating Raw Foods into Your Everyday Regimen

Perhaps you've heard of "raw foodism" because of a celebrity you follow, an article in a favorite magazine, or maybe a raw food restaurant has even opened in your area. Regardless of the recent craze, a diet that includes raw fruits, veggies, sprouts, and nuts/seeds has many document-able benefits.
First off, there are several benefits associated with including high fiber, nutrient dense foods into your daily intake. Additionally, foregoing the cooking process preserves all of the vitamins and enzymes (which are degraded by heat). Because enzymes are responsible for the breakdown of ingested foods into their corresponding nutrients, it's hypothesized that the retention of more inherent enzymes in food sources results in a more digestible food source.
Therefore, whether you choose to commit to a certain percentage of raw foods in your diet, or you just want to experiment with a few recipes, you'll certainly reap a multitude of physical benefits. Below are a couple of recipes that are easily incorporated into any diet. Enjoy!

Summer Nori Wraps
2 Nori sheets, quartered
1 avocado cut in half, then sliced into 4 long sections (resulting in 8 slices)
1 carrot cut into 8 long slices
1 cup Broccoli or Alfalfa sprouts
8 large mushroom slices, or a comparable amount
8 long, thin slices of red pepper
soy sauce and wasabi for dipping

Preparation:
Arrange the precut vegetables on a large plate, with the quartered sheets of nori on the side. Using the Nori as the outer wrap, layer a portion of the sprouts, followed by a slice of avocado, mushroom, carrot and pepper. Finally, fold the Nori into a cone shape and dip into the wasabi and soy sauce. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Tropical Elixir
1 mango, peeled and cubed
1 cup cubed papaya
¼ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup Almond milk
½ banana, frozen
¾ cup frozen cherries
¾ cup frozen mixed berries
Flax meal for garnish

To prepare the almond milk:
Soak 1 cup of almonds for 8-12 hours (this will yield 1 ½ cups of soaked almonds). Add this to a blender along with 1 ½ cups water, 3 Medjool dates that were soaked in water for 10 minutes, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional). Blend on high until homogeneous. Add 1 more cup of water and blend until smooth and liquefied. Sift through a fine mesh strainer over a medium sized bowl. In a sealed container, the almond milk keeps for ~5 days. Be sure to shake before each use as sedimentation occurs upon sitting.

For the smoothie:
Add all ingredients to a blender and set on high until the desired consistency is reached. Experiment with using different amounts of almond milk to reach your desired thickness. More fluid will result in a liquid drink, whereas less fluid yields a milk shake consistency. Layer the flax meal like a parfait in tall glasses. Enjoy with a straw or spoon!

*Omit the Greek yogurt for a 100% raw treat.