Ani's Raw Food Essentials - Ani Phyo [4]
Even though I eat a nutrient-rich diet of fresh, organic, whole foods, I still have days when I need to work on feeling happy. It helps me to make a list of ten to twenty blessings I’m thankful for today. I may be grateful for something as basic as a new day, a good night’s rest, a strong body, a beating heart, and my family and friends. I try not to think about what I don’t have, once had, or wish I had, and focus on this moment and all that’s good in my life.
To increase happiness, be kind, take a minute to help someone out, and give compliments freely. Give it a try, and you’ll see how good it makes you feel. Spend more time with your family. Our family and friends are the most important thing in life. At the end of your life, you won’t wish you’d worked harder, or made more money. You’ll wish you’d spent more time with the people you love.
I haven’t had a TV in years, and I avoid gossip. Living without these leaves me with more time to make nourishing food, meditate, contemplate, and feel gratitude and bliss. And, I make sure to give my dog, Kanga, as much love as possible.
GREEN EATING
What we choose to eat has the largest impact on our planet, and the right foods can help us feel and look our best. By enjoying more organic raw foods, we’re contributing to a green planet by decreasing the production and use of toxic chemicals and their contamination of our natural environment. We ingest less poisonous chemicals, and place less stress on our immune system. We provide nutrient-rich food to fuel our optimal physical, mental, and emotional performance.
When I started eating more whole foods, I noticed an immediate decrease in kitchen garbage, as most of it comes from food packaging. The stuff we throw away is what we’re paying for . . . the packaging, printing, manufacturing, warehousing, refrigeration, and distribution. After all this has been paid off, there’s not much money left for the actual ingredients in the food. This is why most processed, packaged, and prepared foods are full of chemical flavors, colors, and empty calories created to make actual food ingredients go further. Another reason for enjoying more whole, fresh, raw foods straight from the source.
RAW FOODS 2.0
My style of Raw Foods 2.0 includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Most are never heated or cooked, and if heated, the temperature never goes above 104°F. I believe anything hotter than 104°F begins to damage the nutrients and enzyme activity in our food. Research has shown nutrients are damaged and destroyed as food is heated and cooked. I’ve heard some people heat raw foods up to as high as 110° or 118°F, and you’ll hear varying numbers. I believe anything hotter than 104°F damages enzymes and nutrients, because 104°F is hot when I touch it and feels as if it’s damaging my skin.
Whole, unprocessed, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are mixed together in a blender or food processor, or simply tossed together in a bowl, to create delicious, nutrient-rich dishes that taste better than the cooked versions. Good for you and good for the planet, my recipes support eco-green living, health, and overall well-being.
I consider my food to be living foods, which is a bit different from the “classic” definition of raw foods. A dehydrated cracker can be raw but has less enzyme activity, so its shelf life is longer than, say, a living apple, which contains water and enzymes and will ripen more and more over time until it eventually composts back into the earth. I recommend enjoying dehydrated foods in moderation, and drinking plenty of water with it to keep hydrated. Remember, water is the basis of all things living.
I prefer soaking all my nuts and seeds, and even sprouting them, whenever possible. It can be challenging to soak and sprout when busy or traveling, though, so I do the best I can each day. Personally, I don’t eat much dehydrated food. But these