Rawgust

It’s Rawgust! You know we believe in the power of plant-based bioactives to help nourish our skin, but what do they do for the rest of our bodies?

Incorporating high-quality, organic raw fruits and vegetables into your diet offers healthy plant nutrients called phytochemicals, increased fiber, and an uptake of vitamins and minerals. It’s perfect that the month celebrating raw foods takes place in Summer, as many nutritionists recommend implementing more raw foods in the warmer months, whereas eating gently cooked foods in cold Winter months is preferable. Also, the foods that are in season during the Summer are super conducive to going raw for at least one meal per day.

Raw food enthusiasts maintain that eating raw allows you to receive more life-force from the fruits and veggies you consume. The idea is that cooking food above a 118°F destroys important enzymes and nutrients our bodies need. For protein, strict raw foodists rely on sprouted nuts, seeds, and legumes as their primary sources.

While we don’t recommend any particular diet (you know what’s best for your body!), we do enjoy our locally-sourced, organically grown fruits and veggies — especially in the raw. In the spirit of Rawgust, here are some of our favorite ways to get more raw goodness into our lives.

Drink More Smoothies
Smoothies can offer a lot of nutritional bang for your effort buck, and they make the perfect meal on a hot summer day.  We like this one, as it incorporates some raw, plant-based protein and healthy fats, too (feel free to substitute other seasonal fruits).

Ingredients (all organic)
1 banana
1 cup strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup pitted cherries
½ cup orange juice
½ cup spinach
¼ cup raw coconut yogurt, such as GT’s Cocoyo
2 tbsp. chia seeds
ice cubes (optional)

The beauty of the smoothie is its simplicity and ease. Add everything to your blender, blend on high. You can add a little filtered water if necessary. Sip with joy. 

Experiment With Raw Cuisine
If you’ve never experienced raw cuisine, you might be surprised by how complex and satisfying it is. This recipe for Raw Pad Thai is a great example — and it gets bonus points for being super easy to prepare. A quick internet search will reward you with myriad raw recipes from Asian to Mediterranean to good ‘ole American comfort cuisine.

To get the full raw inspiration, you could also plan to visit a restaurant featuring raw, vegan cuisine. The most famous spot on the west coast is Café Gratitude. While raw food restaurants aren’t exactly on every corner, you might be surprised by where you can find it (Salt Lake City, for example, has a stellar raw food restaurant called Rawtopia.)

You don’t need to go fully raw to enjoy the energizing properties of raw food. Plants are amazing, and should not only be eaten with frequency, but they do really well when applied to your skin, too! (Check out our bioactives library to learn more about that.) Happy Rawgust, everyone.