Want to be a wild-eyed raw hippie? Don't read this post....

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My friend Teresa told me recently that every raw foodist she had ever met had been a 'wild-eyed hippie' and she was glad to see that I hadn't become one. Ok, so your average construction worker is not likely to become a raw foodist so there is a certain population that is even willing to consider the concept. More likely in my mind though, is the prominence of fresh fruits available to us and the popularity of juicing.

There is a popular diet theory related to cancer and chronic illnesses which claims that certain foods create acidity or alkalinity in the body with alkalinity being the preferred state (The Acid-Alkaline Food Guide).  Being familiar with this, I realized that when I first was starting out with raw foods, I was eating an acid forming raw foods diet! Lots of fruits, dates, nuts, and more fruits. I was eating very few veggies at all.  It was almost like the solid version of a fruit juice fast. If you've ever been on one, you realize that you can get extremely spacey and weak. 

I think that these 'wild eyed hippies' are well meaning people who have failed to adequately include vegetables, particularly greens in their diets. I have noticed a marked difference when eating chard or kale regularly. Also, I rarely drink fruit (or even vegetable) juice. I believe that my body needs the fiber in food to keep me grounded. A liquid diet is good for a short cleanse but most of my life I have been processing fiber!

Here is a great video from professional raw foodist David Wolfe (found on www.thebestofrawfood.com)

David Wolfe on Greens (and Love)

Enjoy!