Practicing healthy hygiene is the answer to preparing raw food. Avoiding contamination is a good way to eat healthy and prepare your raw food for eating. Many vegetables need to be washed and rinsed before eating. The same holds true for fish. Keeping your hands clean when eating your meal or preparing it is the key to avoid contamination that can sometimes lead to salmonella and other problems. Make sure not to leave food out for more than two hours at a time. This can cause them to go bad very quickly. Here is another idea for you to protect yourself.

Using hydrogen peroxide in a food grade to clean your food can also be a way to keep infection at bay. You can also use alkaline water to clean your foods or use another type of water that has been run through an ozonator to wash and clean your food before consumption. You need to know where you are getting your food from. Getting it locally is the best idea for the freshest produce and raw food. You will know what you are getting. Also get the raw food from a grocer or produce producer that you trust.

Make sure that your tools are washed before preparing your raw foods. This is where the biggest problem comes in when it comes to food poisoning. Make sure that your board and knives are all cleaned up before you move to a different raw food. Proper storage of all raw foods is also advised so that you do not wind up making yourself or others sick. This keeps cross-contamination at bay and allows for more healthful eating. Make sure after food preparation that you wash your hands before you sit down to eat. This protects you.

Make sure that all foods are washed before eating and keep surfaces clean and free from cross-contamination. These are all basic rules of the road when it comes to protecting yourself and preparing raw food that is good for you. By protecting yourself and following these rules of the road, preparing raw food is not that hard to do. By following these suggestions you can prevent problems such as salmonella and other potentially hazardous problems. Eating raw food is a pleasure and should not be dangerous. Taking the dangers out and using common sense will allow you to enjoy a raw food diet. Without all the problems that can potentially surface in a diet like this.

To see all the great recipes put together in the Eating for Energy book, click here!

This is also a beautiful meal to serve to guests interested in trying out raw foods for the first time. To make cutting the noodles as easy as possible, it is best to invest in a vegetable slicer made especially for such purposes.

Ingredients:

6 to 8 firm zucchini
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 cups blended fresh tomatoes
2 TBS chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Sea salt, to taste

Optional: Black olive slices, celery slices, pine nuts and/or arugula, to garnish

Instructions:

1) Make the zucchini pasta. Using the vegetable slicer or a sharp knife, make thin, long noodles out of zucchini. If you have the time, prepare the zucchini noodles up to six hours ahead of time and let them sit at room temperature – this sitting period makes them even more pasta like.

2) Make the sauce.  With the exception of the garnishes, blend the remaining ingredients together to the desired consistancy.

3) Serve! Put the zucchini noodles on a plate, then top with sauce and the optional garnishes if using. Enjoy!

For more great raw foods recipes, you should check out this excellent raw foods book: Eating for Energy.

Also, check out my entire list of my favorite raw food diet recipes.

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Here are some examples of foods to avoid eating raw. This list is by no means comprehensive, however.

1. Kidney Beans. In their raw state, Kidney Beans contain a toxic chemical, phytohaemagglutinin. Although the poisoning is unlikely to be serious, they will cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea if eaten in their raw state.

2. Parsnips. If you have ever encountered a wild parsnip and had an allergic reaction to it after handling, you already know that parsnip juice can cause a serious skin reaction. Domestic parsnips juice is also unsafe, and unfortunately need to be cooked before eating.

3. Buckwheat. The greens of buckwheat contain a toxin (fogopyrin) that causes photosensitivity in fair skinned individuals.

4. Cassava Flour. Many know this as tapioca, although cassava flour can be found in many different commercially prepared foods. Raw cassava flour can be toxic when eaten in large quantities.

5. Raw Meat and Other Animal Foods. Although there is some dispute about whether those on a raw foods diet need to avoid all animal foods (including raw meat, milk and eggs), in general most agree that these foods can potentially carry many different kinds of bacteria, viruses and parasites and that it is best to cook these foods before eating.

To learn even more about how to eat rich, delicious and safe raw foods, I suggest you consider getting a hold of one of these excellent raw food books.

If you want to learn more about how to start a raw foods diet and be successful at it, click here!

Here is the clip:

To learn more about Eating for Energy click here!

• An increase in energy level. This is perhaps the most dramatic change for many starting on a raw foods diet. In fact, you may not even realize how high your energy level can be until you have tried this diet.
• Loss of unwanted pounds. Although few go onto a raw foods diet with the main purpose being to lose weight, for many this is a wonderful additional benefit for many. In fact, it is very hard to gain weight while on a raw foods diet, so for those who are underweight, care should be taken while on this diet.
• Improvement in health and physical appearance and function. One of the most dramatic changes many see is a change in complexion, eyes, and an increased immunity to illnesses such as colds and infections such as bladder and yeast infections. Others also see benefits in terms of digestive function, and find it helps better regulate bowel movements and decreases signs of indigestion.
• Detoxification of the body. When you are eating an organic, raw and primarily vegan diet, you will be eliminating many of the pesticides, hormones and other chemicals commonly found in our foods. For this reason, many refer to a raw foods diet as a raw foods “detox” diet. However, a raw foods diet is not the best way to detoxify from alcohol or drugs. Unlike detox dieting which can be done at home, detoxing from alcohol should be done under the supervision of professionals at alcohol detox centers.
• An improvement in your mental and emotional condition. Some claim that a raw foods diet can help combat signs of depression, while others notice an improvement in their ability to concentrate and their memory.

Given these five important benefits, it is no surprise how many people are interested in starting a raw foods diet. Unfortunately, however, many will find the transition to a raw foods diet to be very difficult. In part this is because they must learn many new methods for preparing foods, some which can be quite difficult and time consuming. Others may miss the comfort foods they grew up with. Those who are most likely to be successful are those who have prepared themselves adequately with the information and resources they need to make the transition successfully.

If you are interested in learning more about raw foods diet and how to make the transition to this diet easily and successfully, then you should certainly take a look at Yuri Elkaim’s Eating for Energy. This excellent ebook contains all the information you need to know to successfully transition to a raw foods diet, including several meal plans and easy to prepare raw foods recipes.

To learn more about Eating for Energy click here!

Ingredients:

• Almond Milk (Recipe below)
• Three or Four Frozen Bananas
• (optional) Vanilla extract (or vanilla bean) or freshly ground nutmeg

Almond Milk

• 1 to 1 ½ cups of raw almonds
• 4 cups of water
• (optional) 3 or 4 dates

Soak almonds for at least six hours, and then put in a blender with water.  Blend until you have a milk like consistency. Adding the dates will make the almond milk a bit sweeter.  Then strain the mixture through a fine metal strainer, cheesecloth or similar in order to remove the leftover almond granules. Add vanilla, nutmeg or other desired spices to taste for flavor as well.

Instructions:

Place 8 ounces of almond milk in a blender. Take the bananas out of the freezer and let thaw for a few minutes, then cut into one inch size chunks and add to blender. Add bananas to blender, blend well and enjoy!

Here is a complete list of my favorite raw food diet recipes.

Also Check out EATING FOR ENERGY for more great raw vegan recipes and entire meal plans. To learn more, CLICK HERE!

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 large romaine lettuce leaves, separated carefully
• 2 ripe avocados
• 3 tomatoes, diced finely
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper (more or less), diced well
• 2 Tablespoons of yellow onion, diced finely
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped finely
• 3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced well
• Kernels from one ear of corn (preferably organic)
• 2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice

Instructions:

Mash the ripe avocado well in a medium sized bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients except for the romaine lettuce leaves, and stir well.

Take one of the lettuce leaves and spread two to three tablespoons of the mixture onto it, and then roll up similar to a burrito.

Once you’ve got the basic technique down, you should try experimenting with other fillings as well. Lettuce rolls are quite easy to make and enjoyed by many!

Here is a complete list of my favorite raw food diet recipes.

Also Check out EATING FOR ENERGY for more great raw vegan recipes and entire meal plans. To learn more, CLICK HERE!

Ingredients:

6 roma tomatoes
1/2 C onion (white is best)
1/4 C cilantro
1 tsp of taco seasoning
1/4 jalapeno pepper
2 stalks of celery
1/2 C to 1 C of water (depending on how juicy the tomatoes are)

Instructions:

Place all items into a blender and blend until smooth. Easy and delicious!

Here is a complete list of my favorite raw food diet recipes.

Check out EATING FOR ENERGY for more great raw vegan recipes and entire meal plans. To learn more, CLICK HERE!