Your Neighbor's Garden Salad- Au Naturale! & the Benefits of Raw Foods

​Summer and fall are the times of year I absolutely love because of the abundance of garden-fresh foods.  It's the time when neighbors share the fruits (and vegetables) of their labors in their gardens.  Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, lettuces, zucchini, squash, herbs, and much more are happily and generously passed along to lucky recipients. That's why I named this chopped salad, "Your Neighbor's Garden" salad.

Your Neighbor's Garden Salad:

For my latest garden creation, the main ingredient I had on hand was cucumbers (given to me from a tennis friend).  I then mixed in other raw vegetable ingredients from my fridge.  Just chop, stir, and enjoy!

• cucumbers
• yellow squash
• red peppers
• onions
• celery
• mixed herbs
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Note: Chopped cucumbers usually soften quickly, so I only made enough for a day or two.

​It's hard to find vegetable combinations that don't mix well together, so feel free to get creative.  The possibilities are limitless. The more colors of the rainbow, the better!  

Don't forget to add in some herbs, which are ultra high in antioxidants. Plus, drizzle in some Kasandrinos olive oil to add in some healthy fat, which is delicious, aids in satiety, and improves the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins.
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Need some olive oil? 
Kasandrinos olive oil is the best olive oil on the planet, in my opinion!  It's top of the line in every way (except price).  Their olive oil is 100% pure and made from a Greek family business.  Opa!!

​The Benefits (and drawbacks) of Raw Foods:

FUN FACT: Every traditional culture cooked some of their foods and also ate some of their foods raw, including animal foods!

The ingredient list for the garden salad above includes any produce you can eat raw and stir together. Simple as that! However, raw foods, especially vegetables, are sometimes hard to digest for those with a sensitive or weaker digestive capability, so the recipe isn't for everyone. Some people need their vegetables and fruits cooked.  So, smoothies and juices aren't right for everyone either.  And as far as grains, none should be eaten raw.  They all should be soaked, fermented, and cooked to neutralize many of the anti-nutrients and complex starches they contain. (Read much more in my article A GRAIN of Truth - How They Wreck Health).  So, I don't advocate eating an all raw foods diet because of the drawbacks. 

However, there are two main benefits to eating raw foods:

• Benefit #1: Enzyme preservation

Your body's digestive enzymes (protease, amylase, and lipase) are used for the digestion of food.  However, the capacity to make enzymes is exhaustible. Thankfully, food enzymes are the digestive enzymes naturally present in live, raw foods.  They serve the function of specifically activating the digestion of the foods in which they occur.  This means that if you eat a food in live, raw form, it will use its inherent enzymes for the digestive process and preserve some of your body’s digestive enzymes.  

Fermented foods are a great way to enjoy raw vegetables because they are easily digestible and because they contain beneficial probiotic bacteria. They also preserve their inherent enzymes!

Lower levels of enzymes are found in elderly individuals, those with chronic diseases, and the obese.  Therefore, how enzymes are utilized and replenished may determine your overall health and longevity. Additionally, evidence suggests that eating foods devoid of enzymes as a result of cooking, food irradiation, and microwaving causes an enlargement of the pancreas (which secretes the digestive enzymes) and also stresses the associated endocrine glands.  

Go raw when you can & you may just live longer!!
Source:   Enzymes: A Secret of Health and Longevity
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• Benefit #2: More nutrients from animal foods

Many people would balk at the idea of eating raw animal foods*, but eating them ensures you can enjoy the benefits of vitamin B6, in particular, which is mostly found in animal foods and is destroyed by heat.  It's important for detoxification especially. Raw meats are also great sources of vitamin B12, vitamin A, and vitamin D.  Raw liver is a fantastic source of iron, too.  So, it's no surprise that raw meats can increase your energy, mental clarity, and help improve various bodily functions.

There are many dishes from around the world that feature raw meat or fish products (such as steak tartare, carpaccio, oysters, kibbeh, and sushi), and even raw insects!  Raw egg yolks are a great addition to smoothies (but not the whites, which are often allergenic). Many people also make their own raw liver tablets by cutting a piece of liver into small pieces that can be swallowed whole when frozen.  

​So, you can enjoy your animal foods both cooked or raw!

Raw Dairy Products: If raw meat is something you want to work up to, the best way to start eating raw animal products is to eat raw dairy like raw milk or cheese!

Unpasteurized, raw milk contains natural nutrients: 

1. The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, & K.  The water soluble vitamins  such as vitamin C, plus many B vitamins. Minerals include calcium, phosphate, sodium, magnesium, sulphur, and potassium.
2. Helpful enzymes lactase, lipase and phosphatase; these help the body digest the milk's protein, fats, and carbohydrates. 
3. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA):  This is nutrient found in meat and milk from grass-fed cows.  It can help combat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, insulin resistance, inflammation, and allergies.  It is also helpful in achieving a muscular body composition.
4. Beneficial bacteria: These foster good gut health, keep bad bacteria at bay, and are vital for the body's immune system and overall health.

​Read much more about raw dairy in my article: 
Got Milk? A Series on Dairy (part 1 - Raw Dairy).

*Always be sure to obtain your animal products from clean, trusted sources or farms!  Meats should ideally be grass-fed, organic, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free. Seafood should be from clean, cold-water sources, and wild-caught.  To mitigate any fears of microorganisms or parasites in the meat or fish, it is recommended to freeze it first for at least 14 days to kill them off.  

Source:  The Wise Traditions podcast #38.  It's a great listen!

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