January 2024 is here and I have decided to make a raw food diet a priority in this year’s goals. For me, it’s about losing weight, detoxing my cells and feeling better with a high vibrational body. I will be posting each recipe that I make on my journey. Some of the recipes will be more of a transitional ingredient list but most will be high vegan raw food.

So what is a Raw Food Diet?

A raw food diet is a dietary approach that emphasizes the consumption of unprocessed and uncooked foods, typically plant-based. The main idea behind the raw food diet is that cooking and processing food can destroy its natural enzymes, nutrients, and other beneficial compounds. Proponents of this diet believe that by eating raw foods, individuals can maximize their intake of essential nutrients and enzymes, which may contribute to better health.

Foods commonly included in a raw food diet include:

• Fruits and vegetables: Fresh fruits and vegetables are central to a raw food diet. These can be consumed in their natural state without cooking.
• Nuts and seeds: Raw nuts and seeds are often included for protein, healthy fats, and other nutrients. Some people also make nut milks and seed-based dressings.
• Sprouts: Germinated seeds, grains, and legumes are considered rich in nutrients and enzymes and are often included in raw food diets.
• Raw grains and legumes: Some individuals on a raw food diet include sprouted or soaked grains and legumes to increase their nutrient intake.
• Seaweed and algae: These are nutrient-dense foods that can be consumed in their raw state.
• Cold-pressed oils: Oils obtained through methods like cold-pressing are sometimes included for healthy fats.

It’s important to note that a raw food diet excludes foods that have been cooked, processed, or heated above a certain temperature (typically around 118°F or 48°C). This means that commonly consumed cooked items like grains, beans, and cooked vegetables are avoided.

While some people follow a raw food diet for perceived health benefits, such as increased energy and improved digestion, it’s essential to approach this diet with caution. A raw food diet can be challenging to follow, and it may require careful planning to ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, and vitamin B12. Additionally, consulting with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian is advisable before making significant changes to your diet, as individual nutritional needs vary, and a poorly planned raw food diet could lead to nutritional deficiencies.

Day One – January 1, 2024

Happy New Year, everyone! January 1st found me in the kitchen making my go-to snack. Corn chips! Well, I actually started them on December 31st, 2023 because these take 16 hours to dehydrate. Planning ahead is a must! You can pair them with so many different dips and sauces. After they were done, I whipped together a quick and easy guacamole. But you could do salsa, chutney, or even make them into a plate of nachos with raw cheddar cheese and toppings. Most people who hear of a raw food diet think of salads everyday. That is far from the truth. Do I want to have greens in my diet? Absolutely, but I thought I would start the year with a snack!

Prep

The recipe calls for corn on the cob, sweet onions, paprika and either sea salt for Himalayan salt. The two optional ingredients are cayenne pepper and carrots. I chose to add the carrots to mine today.

Corn

As you can see, I used a really large bowl and shaved the kernels off the cob. Using a large bowl like this helps contain the mess when you are shaving the cobs with your knife.

Corn, also known as maize, is a cereal grain that is widely consumed around the world. It comes in various forms, including fresh corn on the cob, corn kernels, cornmeal, and corn-based products. Corn is a good source of carbohydrates, providing energy in the form of starch. It is a complex carbohydrate that can contribute to a balanced diet. Corn contains dietary fiber, which is beneficial for digestive health. Fiber helps regulate bowel movements, may contribute to satiety, and can assist in maintaining a healthy weight. Corn is a decent source of various vitamins, including B-vitamins such as thiamine (B1), niacin (B3), and folate (B9). These vitamins play essential roles in energy metabolism and overall health. Corn contains minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese. These minerals are important for bone health, energy production, and various physiological processes. Corn contains antioxidants, including carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin. These compounds contribute to eye health and may help protect against age-related macular degeneration.

There are many health benefits to adding corn into your diet such as:

• Digestive Health: The fiber in corn promotes healthy digestion and can help prevent constipation.
• Eye Health: Lutein and zeaxanthin, found in corn, are associated with promoting eye health and reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
• Heart Health: The fiber, along with certain compounds in corn, may contribute to heart health by helping to lower cholesterol levels.
• Energy Source: The carbohydrates in corn provide a quick and sustained energy source, making it a suitable option for those with high energy needs.
• Weight Management: The fiber content in corn can aid in satiety, potentially contributing to weight management when part of a balanced diet.
• Skin Health: The antioxidants in corn, such as vitamin C, may have benefits for skin health by combating oxidative stress.

Blending it Together

You will needing both a food processor and a dehydrator for this recipe. I used a Cuisinart Prep Plus 11 food processor that you see pictured here. It’s a pretty basic processor that comes with several blades. I have my blending blade, my dough blade and it even has a slicing and shredding blade. The recipe is so simple because you can toss everything right into the blender at once (except for the grated carrots, if using).

Once everything is blended nice and smooth, I pour it back into the bowl that I used to shave my corn. I then mix my carrots in by hand as you can see below.

Dehydration

The next step is the longest of all the steps and that is, of course, dehydrating your corn chips for 16 hours! You will definitely need to plan ahead to make any of the dehydrating recipes that I will be posting. As long as you are well organized, it should be a breeze. I use the Excalibur 9 Tray Dehydrator and I absolutely love it. It’s very versatile as you can use all nine trays at once filled with different recipes or you can remove a couple when making taller items like banana or zucchini bread.

I removed all the trays and only used the three trays it took for the corn chips. Leaving space between the trays also allows more circulation which will help to reduce your drying time.

I ended up starting these in the hydrator at 4pm on Sunday the 31st so that I could time the flip with New Year’s Eve. As the clock struck twelve, we hooted and hollered and sipped our champagne and then I went into the kitchen to flip these, peel off the non-stick Teflex sheets and score them for easy breaking. I then put them back in for another 8 hours of dehydrating so that when I woke up in the morning on the 1st, then would be done. I took them out, broke them apart and set them aside to finish hardening up while I went about my normal morning routine.

While not the quickest recipe in the world, it is very easy and very delicious. When I was feeling hungry later that morning, I whipped up a quick and easy guacamole and enjoyed these chips immensely.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and please let me know if you make these and what you thought of them. I would love to hear from you!

Until next time,

LOVE & LIGHT