The Benefits of Raw Food Snacks - Part 2

Hello Again - This blog will feature "Part 2" of the introduction material (begun with the previous blog) written in my newly released "Raw Energy" book. I hope that after reading this, it will inspire you to want to read the entire book and try some of my raw snack recipes. In future blogs, I will be discussing - more indepth - the importance of consuming raw foods in your daily diet.

Part 2 starts here . . .

"What is the real health difference between my raw snacks and ubiquitous commercial snacks? Most conventional snacks are made with processed, refined, nutritionally empty ingredients with a sprinkling of preservatives and synthetic flavorings and a heavy-handed complement of white sugar and sodium. Yes, consuming them will indeed give you a real, albeit temporary, energy lift when you need it most. But because they are not created from whole foods consisting of unprocessed proteins, essential fats, and complex carbohydrates, that digest slowly and feed your body with sustained vitamin-and mineral-rich pep, but instead are made of refined ingredients, stripped of their former life-giving elements, they will cause your blood sugar to spike. Within an hour or so, the opposite happens: your blood sugar plummets, and low blood sugar means low energy, a cranky attitude, and a hankering for even more junk. By consistently consuming these types of snack foods, day in and day out, you may have unknowingly jumped into an unhealthy eating cycle replete with unstable energy, a raging appetite, poor health and mood, and a less-than-radiant appearance.

It's time to hop off that merry-go-round of poor snacking choices. The recipes in Raw Energy are chock-full of nutrients and long-term energy boosters that taste so incredibly good, you'll wonder why you haven't been snacking this way all along. These raw snacks meet your body's nutrient quota, trigger your natural appetite-regulating hormones, and won't leave you wanting more. We tend not to overeat the foods that satisfy on all levels.

The basic goal of this book is simple: to introduce you to a new way of snacking healthfully in the raw. The snack recipes in this book eliminate the negatives and accentuate the positive aspects of snacking, helping to maximize vigor, vitality, beauty, physical stamina, and endurance at every stage of life. These family-and friend-tested recipes will aid in the achievement of the utmost nature has to offer: total, resilient, whole-body health, with eyes that sparkle, hair that is lustrous, skin that is fresh, glowing, moist, and smooth, nails that are strong, bodily organs that function well and work in harmony with each other, and - best of all benefits, as far as I'm concerned - mental and physical energy to spare. The road to health can be paved with wonderful freshness, new taste sensations, vibrant colors, and delectable flavors that make your taste buds dance and your spirits soar.

Anyone who is still a bit dubious or isn't sure about the taste excitement of whole, raw snack foods will swallow his or her skepticism with the first bite of my Creamy Carob Freezer Fudge or sip of my Papaya Sunset Soup. So, turn the pages and absorb a bit of information about the fresh world of raw foods and the importance of regular snacking. Learn how to stock your kitchen with the best raw ingredients and essential food-processing equipment and gadgets, and read the primer on learning how to "uncook". Then, jump right in, find a recipe that piques your interest, get your hands messy, and be prepared to enjoy some luscious snacks in the raw. The recipes are relatively simple to concoct, yet exciting on both visual and taste-satisfying levels. Once you get the knack of cooking in the raw, I hope you will be inspired to tap in to your own inner creativity in tweaking these recipes to suit your own personal tastes and dietary needs.

NOTE: The above article was derived from the book, Raw Energy, by Stephanie Tourles, Storey Publishing, 2009. The information is true and complete to the best of the author's knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author. Ms. Tourles disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information. It is for educational purposes only.