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| Key #1 for Digesting Raw Paleo - Helpful Herbs & Spices |
Keys to Digesting Raw Paleo Foods
I have been a mostly (99.9%) raw paleo
person for 18 months and I can tell you that in the beginning it was a tough
transition to let go of all grain and sugar. I did lots of cleanses to get rid
of candida’s tight grip on my gut!
I've experimented with my diet my whole life. Then I met "some One" ;-) and he gave me Robb Wolf's Book on Paleo a year and a half ago. Then I read Nora's
Primal Body Primal Mind (An Absolute Must Read!). Going all organic, mostly Raw
Paleo this past year and a half has definitely and totally changed my health, looks and my
life massively for the better!
Key Number 1:
Using Digestive Herbs Liberally in Raw Paleo Meals
For the last few months I’ve been heavily into using a
plethora of herbs and spices; liberally consuming an abundance of them compared to my past habits in both my food and drinks, with
emphasis on those that aid digestion. I can now make EPIC raw, fermented and
dehydrated paleo cookies, crackers, kale chips and grass-fed beef jerky. I’ve
never eaten as little ( I was a chronic over-eater especially when emotional), with little problem digesting my food and I've never been healthier or
happier!
I believe that the addition of high quality organic herbs
and spices was the difference. I feel this is an area where it is critical for
me to focus my spare time studying now. I don’t shop big stores and don’t like the bulk bins
at the health food store – so not sanitary, especially since I eat everything
raw!
I have a new garden growing with Spearmint, Chocolate Mint, Lavender, Rosemary, Camomile, Echinacea, Sage and, Basil - for the rest I currently get my organic herbs and spices online at
Maison Terre in small quantities to keep it affordable and fresh. I
feel it’s better to do that than have large amounts of herbs and spices
deteriorating on my pantry shelf!
Key Number 2:
Using Fermentation to Pre-Digest Raw Paleo Foods
I am a big fan of ferments. Kefir, Kraut, even fermented Meat - it's how I "cook" my food. By using "controlled spoilage" (lol I know it sounds gross) my food is pre-digested for me and loaded with pro-biotics. It's fun to be creative with our food, it's easy to do ferments once you get the hang of it and after you've tried it and gotten used to it for a while you'll crave and love the extreme depth of flavors and interesting dishes.
Key Number 3:
Only Eating Raw Paleo when Hungry and Stopping Before Fullness
I think the key for anyone to be able to apply this practically is to first have your candida under control. I only use green leaf Stevia to sweeten my food/drinks, I do not eat any fruits with the exception of lemon in my water, fermented salsa when tomatoes are in season and the occasional goji berries fermented in my Kefir or Kraut. Yes, in the beginning I fell to cravings - cleanses and colonics helped my transition. It is this strict adherence to the rule of NO SUGAR in any forms that has allowed me to maintain a clear head and open heart when faced with extremely emotional situations in the roller-coaster ride that is my life.
There is a huge difference what Raw Paleo has made for me; to the tune of 15-20 lbs of unnecessary fat off my body,
clearer, younger looking skin, far more energy and vitality, higher brain
function and far far FAR less PMS symptoms – no more yeast infections, no
getting sick for weeks… the list goes on and on!
Raw Paleo isn’t for everyone
but it definitely works for me.
Are you raw Paleo? I'd love to hear from you if you are. Comment and include your blog so I can check out what and how you are doing it! =)
