Raw Food Diet an Alternative Health Lifestyle

A raw food diet is an alternative health lifestyle that restricts the consumption food to raw or uncooked foods. It also prohibits foods that processed. Organically grown fruits and vegetables are preferred by people who choose this alternative health lifestyle. The organic foods are much safer for the body since they were not treated with fertilizers that contain toxins. These toxins are harmful to the body. People who follow this program believe that foods which are cooked lose much of their nutritional value. Here is a great source of information, and you can find it at weight loss diet plan for men and women. As a lifestyle, people who practice the raw food diet treat it as permanent change in the type of food they eat, and not as temporary solution for their health problems. There different degrees of doing a raw food diet.

1) Raw veganism
A person who is a raw vegan only eats unprocessed and raw plant foods. This is the strictest form of raw food diet. They eat only plant based foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes. Raw vegans are further divided into three groups. These are:
a) Fruitarians - These people exclusively consume fruits.
b) Juicearians - They usually turn their food into juices.
c) Sproutarians -They eat only sprouted foods. Example of which is bean sprouts.

2) Raw vegetarianism
Raw vegetarians also consume raw plant based food. They also exclude any forms of meat such as fish, poultry, beef, and pork. But unlike the raw vegans, they allow themselves to eat dairy products and eggs. They typically get most of their proteins and calcium from eggs and dairy products.

3) Raw animal food diets
These are people who primarily eat raw animal food. These include, raw and unprocessed meat, meat organs, eggs, dairy, aged century eggs, and fermented meat. They also eat raw plant based food but to a lesser proportion to raw meats. One of the famous raw meats is Sashimi or raw seafood. In order to prevent food poisoning, they often follow a careful procedure in preparing for their foods. Most of them usually buy their meats from free-range and grass-fed sources. They can be picky on how the animals were raised. Different people follow different types of raw food diets. However, there are some common benefits that most of the "raw foodists" will agree to. The benefits of raw food diets are:

1) The digestive enzymes found only raw foods are good for the digestive system. Foods that are stripped of these enzymes make digestion difficult and lead to the buildup of toxins.
2) Good bacteria and some microorganism that can be found on raw food. It strengthens the immune system.
3) In general, raw foods contain more nutrients than the cooked variation of it.
4) Cooked foods can increase pH level of your stomach which can lead to acidosis.
5) Raw food diet practitioner claims that they noticed changes in their energy level.
6) It can help people lose weight.
7) There is a better appearance on skin tone. It makes the skin healthier. They prevent harmful toxins found in cooked and processed foods from entering their system. These toxins can cause chronic disease and other health problems.

No-Bake Chocolate Pie

Or Snettisham's Down and I Really Shouldn't be Turning on my Stove Pie, which is how I will present it to my co-workers when I bring it in to work on Monday. Last month an avalanche knocked down our hydro-electric towers. We are now running on diesel. For the next three to four months, our electric bills are going to be five times higher than normal. We've made national news. We're a model of energy efficiency, apparently. For an entire town to cut it's energy usage that quickly is unprecedented, the energy experts say. You'd live in the dark too, if turning on a light to use the bathroom was going to cost $10. Thankfully the days are getting longer, lightwise, so it's okay that we keep all of the lights off. I really shouldn't be baking. I didn't much care, for awhile. But it costs us 50 cents for each kilowatt hour of electricy we use. According to the wonderful chart the city put out, if I use my oven an hour a day, it's going to cost me $48. I get squeamish at the thought of paying $15 for a dinner entree. I'm not spending $48 just to cook a pie. For my co-workers, no less. But I really need to bake. So Friday night I did an internet search for "no bake" recipes. Hmm. There are lots of gelatin desserts, which I hate. Lots of no bake cookies using oatmeal, which I've had once and thought were nasty. There were lots of variations on buckeyes, the peanut butter candies. Lots and lots of those. The girl at work who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate will not be amused when I bring those in. I settled on this Easy No-Bake Chocolate Pie I found on Better Recipes. How much clearer can it be, that it won't cost $50 to make. Plus, I could use up a graham cracker pie crust that had been sitting my cabinet for more than a year. I think another good name for this pie would be Sugared Butter Pie or Buttery Sugar Pie, or even Save Yourself Some Time and Eat a Stick of Butter Instead Pie. Because it tasted just like a stick of butter. With some sugar sprinkled on top. And a few chocolate chips tossed in as well for good measure. I feel like this pie is either a very regional recipe, or something you love, love, love if your mom made it while you were growing up. So that you didn't know that pies shouldn't taste only of butter. Or because you're a kid, and you just love eating butter (I was never that kid). It falls into that weird category of food, am I the only person who has this category, somewhere between immediately toss it in the trash and this is not going into the office, it's that good and I want it all for me. You take a bite, think, this isn't so great, but it has an odd something that makes you keep eating it, trying to figure out if you like it or not. Or maybe I just misinterpreted the shrieks of my arteries as they died a slow, buttery death, and thought my mouth wanted more. So, if you happen to find yourself in the middle of a summer-long electrical crisis and just need to bake, I offer this pie. I would omit the chocolate chips mixed in, if you decide to make it. I added peanut butter chips, and couldn't taste them, and it was kind of weird biting into an otherwise creamy filling, only to be met with a jarring chip.


Total Calories: 4336; Servings: 8; Whisks: 1.5. Ingredients: 1 9 inch graham cracker pie crust; 1 cup granulated sugar; 3/4 cup butter, softened; 3 ounces semisweet baking chocolate; 3 eggs; 1 ounce semisweet baking chocolate, grated (I used mini chocolate chips); 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used peanut butter chips, but really omit them); whipped cream (I didn't use, because this pie was totally not worth it, plus it would've cost $4.16 to whip the cream).

Combine sugar and butter. Beat until fluffy. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan on low heat (I melted in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds, much cheaper). Add to butter/sugar mixture. Beat until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour mixture into crust. Top with grated chocolate. Refrigerate pie at least 6 hours before serving. Top with dollops of whipped cream, if you wish.

Chocolate Loaf Cake

As I've said before, I'm not much for chocolate. Still, that doesn't stop me from wanting to like chocolate. I'm as entranced as anybody by the sight of tall chocolate layer cake or a small, perfectly egg-shaped truffle. Flipping through Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess, a Christmas gift from the same co-worker who brought me the macadamia nuts (and she says she's not trying to drop hints), I kept resting on the photo of this cake again and again until I gave in and made it the other evening after work.

Total Calories: 4045; Yield: 8-10 slices; Whisks: 3. Ingredients: 1 cup soft unsalted butter; 1 2/3 cup dark brown sugar; 2 large eggs, beaten; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled; 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 cup plus 2 tbs boiling water; 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease and line the loaf pan, (seriously, grease and line. It's a sticky cake, you can see how much of it stuck to the greased parchment paper). Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla, beating well. Fold in the melted chocolate; blend well but do not overbeat. Mix the baking soda and flour and alternately add to chocolate mixture with boiling water until you have a smooth, fairly liquid batter. Pour into greased pan and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325 F and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes. The cake will still be slightly damp, so a cake tester won't come out entirely clean. Place on rack and let cool completely before removing cake from pan. Tips/Comments: Nigella used the word "squidgy" to describe how the completed cake will look, which I can only take to mean damp, which my cake was. I had to cook it for an additional 15 minutes at 325, but that may just have been my oven, which is slightly off. The cake will collapse in the center because it's so dense. I removed it from the pan the next morning, having left it to cool on the counter, completely uncovered, overnight. It is a very damp cake; it wasn't uncooked, as there was no chocolate ooze, but it was extremely moist. It reminded me a bit of an old cake recipe I used to make in college, where you mixed all the dry ingredients in the pan, then poured boiling water all over it, it'd never come out spring like regular cakes. Fudgy, a co-worker called it. The photo in Nigella's cookbook didn't have it looking as fudgy, hers looked decidedly soft. Regardless, it didn't affect the taste, as everybody in the office munched on it all day. One person cut a slice in thirds, stacked it with sliced strawberries and poured some half-and-half over it. It looked heavenly, though I'd rather opt for sweetened whipped cream if you have it.

Gingerbread Pancakes

I have a love/hate relationship with pancakes. I love them in theory, but I eat so many of them that I'm always left with that heavy feeling in my stomach, which I've dubbed, ugh, pancake lump. I swear them off for good, but the next time I'm faced with them on a menu, I order the large stack, and the cycle begins again. At least I've become strong enough to not put syrup on them. I usually douse them, which makes pancake lump even worse. Now, I just eat them plain. I'm much better off making pancakes at home, where I can make them in small portions and freeze them, to pop in the toaster for breakfast or a snack, usually breakfast, at work, wehre I can guarantee that only the four I brought along are the ones that will get eaten. "Ugh, pancake lump" avoided. I came across this recipe for gingerbread pancakes a few months ago in Gourmet. It was in the reader request section, and is an adaptation of the pancakes made at the Magnolia Cafe, I believe in Texas, but I cut that part of the recipe out so I can't remember. I made them around Christmas, thinking they'd be a nice, spicy alternative to gingerbread cookies. The pancakes are good, but didn't have as much of a spicy bite as I'd hoped for. But then, spices need to be overpowering for me to notice, with my lack of smell, so for anyone with a working nose, these may hit just the right note. The recipe uses coffee but I think the next time, just to amp up the spiciness for myself, I'll substitute a strong cup of Bengal Spice tea.


Total Calories: 1890; Servings: about 30; Whisks: 2.5. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 3 large eggs; 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar; 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk; 1/2 cup water; 1/4 cup brewed coffee (not espresso); 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and brown sugar. Whisk in buttermilk, water and coffee until combined, then add to flour/spice mixture. Whisk in melted butter. Heat a dry griddle or large heavy skillet (I used my electric griddle) over moderate heat until hot enough to make drops of water scatter over the surface, then brush with oil (I sprayed with vegetable spray). Working in batches, fill a 1/4 cup measuring cup with batter, then pour onto griddle and cook, turning once, until deep golden, about 2-3 minutes per batch. Serve immediately, transfer to heat proof platter and place in 200F degree oven to keep warm until serving, or let cool completely and freeze.

Lemon Meringue Cake

Lemon meringue pie has always been my favorite dessert. I'm not a huge fan of cake. Because I lack a sense of smell, I can't taste the subtleties of spices or chocolate. But tart lemony custard contrasted with the sweetness of the meringue - that's something I can taste. And I love the soft, pillowy texture of the meringue (and as I got older, the almost guilt free feeling you get from eating the sugar egg mixture). So when I found this recipe in Food & Wine a few years ago, I thought maybe it could make a cake lover out of me. Or at least allow me to make a cake for my husband (who is not a fan of pie) that I'd actually enjoy. It had been stashed away in my recipe box with plans to make it last year for my birthday. When I mentioned it to my assistant, she was aghast that I planned to bake my own cake and offered to do it for me. The result was truly delicious, and I think it's a cake I would not be loathe to eat in the future. It had a light and airy texture, perfect for a summer day. No feelings of cake heaviness to be found after eating it, just a delightful sweet-tart taste in the mouth that left you feeling refreshed. Although I can't attest to whether it was difficult to make (supposedly it wasn't), this is definitely a 4 whisk effort.

Cake: 3 cups cake flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1/2 tsp. salt; 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened; 2 cups sugar; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 4 large egg yooks, room temperature; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 cup milk, room temperature. Curd: 9 large egg yolks; 1 cup sugar; 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice; 1/4 tsp. salt; 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 tablespoons. Meringue: 2 1/4 cups sugar; 1 1/2 cups egg whites (from about 1 dozen extra-large eggs); 3/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice.

Make the Cake. Preheat oven to 350. 1. Butter 2 9-inch round cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust pans lightly with flour, tapping out any excess. In medium bowl sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter with sugar at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture at low speed in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, until just smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes in pan on rack for 10 minutes; remove and let cool completely on rack. Make the Curd. Fill large bowl with ice water. In heavy, medium saucepan whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, lemon juice and salt. Add butter and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until curd is thick and beginning to simmer, about 5 minutes. Set the saucepan in the water bath and chill the curd, whisking constantly. Make the Meringue. Whisk sugar, egg whites and lemon juice in bowl of a standing mixer. Set bowl over double boiler with approximately 1-inch of water, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves, about 6 minutes. Return bowl to the mixer and beat meringue at medium speed for 10 minutes, or until room temperature. Continue beating at high speed until meringue is thick, shiny and billowy, about 15 minutes. Assemble the Cake. Using a serrated knife, level the cake tops, then halk each cake horizontally. Set 1 layer on cake plate and spread with 1/3 of lemon curd. Top with second cake layer and spread with 1/3 of lemon curd. Repeat once more and top with final layer. Using a large offset spatula, frost the side of the cake with a thin layer of meringue. Top the cake with the remaining meringue and swirl decoratively, then serve. Garnish with curled lemon slices, if desired. Note: Cake layers can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 2 days or frozen 1 month. Curd can be refrigerated for 3 days. The assembled cake can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Tips/Comments. Since I didn't make this cake, the only comment I have is that apparently 1 cup of milk seems like too much when you're making the cake. They ended up using 1/2 cup, and although the cake wasn't horribly dry, you could tell that using the full cup would have made a difference.

Chocolate Griddle Cakes

I claim to love pancakes. I go on and on about them, and order the hugest stack on the rare occasions we go out for breakfast. Halfway through the stack, I have that pancake lump in my stomach and, in between the waitress checking on us, quietly whine that I hate pancakes and swear to never eat them again. Portion control and pancakes are apparently not my strong suit. So I've taken to making them on Sunday afternoons to have for the rest of the week's breakfast. Something about not being in a restaurant helps me keep the portions well with the limits of what one person should eat. And these chocolate cakes are a nice departure from the typical sourdough or buttermilk pancake. They're not overly sweet or chocolately, and are cleaner than chocolate chip pancakes, I haven't quite mastered the art of bake-in's in my pancakes, so usually wind up with chocolate pancake bits stuck to my skillet. I've never made the chocolate sauce because it would be too much chocolate for me, and I rarely use syrup on my pancakes anyway. But I include the recipe for those who want to make a richer treat. And no, they're not burnt (not entirely, really). Think of it more as a deep concentration of chocolate.

Total Calories: 2200; Yield: 12 4-inch pancakes; Whisks: 3. Chocolate Sauce: 1 cup heavy cream; 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped. Griddle Cakes: 1/2 cup dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup sugar; 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 1/8 tsp. salt; 2 whole large eggs; 1 large egg yolk; 3/4 well-shaken buttermilk; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1 tsp. vanilla.

Make Sauce. Bring cream to a boil in 1-quart saucepan, then pour over chocolate, gently whisking until smooth. Keep warm or at room temperature. Make Griddle Cakes. Sift first 5 ingredients into a large bowl, then whisk in remaining ingredients until well-combined. Heat griddle over moderately-high heat and lightly coat with butter. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle and cook until bubbles appear on surface, 1-2 minutes. Flip cakes and cook until tops spring back when pressed gently, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Tips/Comments. After the pancakes cool completely I freeze them to take to work later during the week. Depending on the level of toastiness you like, 1-2 toaster oven cycles do the trick of defrosting (and I'm told they smell wonderfully chocolately). They're also a nice snack, especially when spread with a thin smear of peanut butter.

Mexican Chocolate Sorbet

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I made Mexican Chocolate Sorbet. Apparently, the addition of almond extract helps make it mexican. Who knew? I don't remember almonds being a part of any Cinco de Mayo celebration we had in elementary school. But maybe I was just more focused on the pinata. The downside to making ice cream is the lack of instant gratification. You have to let the mixture chill, preferably overnight. As I've been having not the greatest of luck since we moved into our house with ice cream - it always comes out of the machine almost as liquidy as when it went in (and apparently, after 3 1/2 years of living here, I'm too lazy to fiddle with the temperature knobs in my fridge), so I chose to let it chill in the fridge overnight. So to get my instant gratification, I made a strawberry kuchen. That turned out to be a bit of a disaster. The upside, however, is that I found out a day in advance that the spice girls also finished my cinnamon, which I needed for the peanut butter torte I planned to make on Sunday. To be fair, I may have finished the cinnamon before I went on vacation, but 1) they did finish my cumin and paprika and 2) they made a bunch of other messes while I was gone, so I blame them. I'd made this sorbet a few years back, in my old apartment where the ice cream froze perfectly every time. It comes from The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein. I remembered it being rich, creamy and chocolate, which it should be, considering the official name for the master version is "Chocolate Sorbet #3 (Rich and Creamy)". It's almost as rich as ice cream, although a tad grainy from the cocoa powder - but not too much to make it unpleasant. Just make sure to mix well before pouring it into the freezer. A trip through a fine meshed sieve before placing in the fridge to chill may help too. It also wasn't fully frozen when I ate it last night, so the bit of graininess may disappear entirely when firm. The cinnamon probably would give it a kick to somebody with the ability to smell, but I need much more than 1/2 teaspoon to have any noticeable effect. I do think the tiny bit of almond extract added a bit of something, as it tasted slightly more than just chocolate. But it's still a tasty sorbet. Viva la Mexico!

Total Calories: 1639; Servings: 8 (about 115 grams per serving); Whisks: 3. Ingredients: 3 cups water; 1 1/4 cups sugar; 3 tablespoons light corn syrup; 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/4 tsp almond extract; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 2 ounces semisweet chocolate; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.

Combine the water, sugar and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to medium, bring to a boil, adn cook 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the chocolate, almond extract and cinnamon and simmer 2 minutes more. Remove from heat, and add the chocolate, stirring until it's completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature, and stir in vanilla extract. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Stir the cooled mixture and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Eat directly from machine, or place in freezer for 2 hours to firm.