Days 42 - 46

46 days!  So hard to believe that the time has gone so quickly.  There are still so many things that I want to try and tell you all about.  But more on that a little further down.

As we continued on our 46 day journey, I was constantly looking for fresh ways to present foods that we really like.  Thus the servings of Raw Carrot Pate and Sundried Tomato Sunflower Pate in tomato cups. ( These recipes are given in earlier postings.)  It makes a lovely presentation and the scoops of pate are just the right serving size.  The avocado provides healthy fat which we all need in our diets.  These healthy fats help to make us feel full, too - and they are not fattening.

One of the comments I've heard over the last month or so is that you would need a wide range of recipes to be able to eat this way.  Really, that is not so.  Just think of what you eat now - you have your favourites and a few others, and keep making them over and over.  Very few people are adventurous and spend a lot of time looking for new recipes for their families - besides, who has the time?  Find some recipes that you like a lot and stick to them.

This is a recipe that I found in Becoming Raw.  It is Warm Red Cabbage Salad.  When I try a new recipe I almost always make it as per the original recipe the first time.  Then, if it is worth making again, I will add my own twist.  This is one of those recipes.  The next time I make it I'll add a little more zip to it.

Warm Red Cabbage Salad

4 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

2 tablespoons water

1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)

1 teaspoon tamari

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup walnuts

Put cabbage in a wide, shallow dish or pie plate.  Add the water, oil, and tamari.  Toss to distribute evenly.  Put in a dehydrator at 110 degrees for 30 - 60 minutes until cabbage is wilted.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and add walnuts.  Toss and serve.

**Slicing with a mandolin slicer works really well to get this slices.

**I found that I needed to leave this in the dehydrator for about 2 hours.

If you are looking to add more raw foods to your diet, the book Becoming Raw is a great resource.  There is so much information in the book, including nutrition guidelines and menus.  I hope this is available at or through the library (ISBN 978-1-57067-238-5 - by Brenda David and Vesanto Melina).

Another recipe I tried from this book is Crunchy Sprouts and Veggies.  If you've been following this blog, you know how much we like sprouts.  This is a really tasty and easy salad that uses several kinds.

Crunchy Sprouts and Veggies

3 cups chopped napa cabbage (I only had savoy on hand, so used that)

1 cup mung bean sprouts

1 cup lentil sprouts

1/2 red sweet pepper

1/2 rib celery, sliced

15 snow peas (I didn't have these)

1 green onion, finely sliced (didn't have this so used red onion diced)

1/2 to 1 avocado, diced

Combine all and add your favourite creamy dressing.  I used my new fav dressing Creamy Honey Mustard from Day 1.  This really was a good salad - a recipe to keep.

**I used the sprouts that I had on hand - any will work well.

We have so enjoyed these last 46 days that we've decided to keep this as a large part of our diet.  So, for 5 days a week we'll eat all raw, taking 2 days to add in some cooked food.  The cooked foods will be mostly grains and beans (legumes).  We find that the more raw foods we incorporate into our diets, the better we feel and the more energy we have.   We have no indigestion, no heart burn, no bloating, and Noel's blood sugars are stable.  It's all about quality of life and the better we feel the better the quality.  As far as I'm concerned, life is too short to waste it being sick.

I have had so much fun with this blog that I'm going to continue it, probably posting once a week or so.  I do hope you keep checking in to so what we're up to!  In the meantime, if you want to contact me, check out my website www.sandycovenaturalwellness.com or email me at bah@ns.sympatico.ca .

To your health...

Beverly Facey, Certified Health Coach