Take the 7-Day Raw Challenge!

If you think going on a raw food diet would be edgy, mysterious, or even unattainable, then listen to what Paul Nison, one of the world’s leading experts on eating raw foods and author of The Raw Life, has to say.

Paul Nison’s journey toward eating raw started at age 20 when he found his health compromised by severe digestive troubles. Living in New York City, rushing through a frenzied life as a Wall Street trader, Paul’s poor health caused him to rethink where he was headed.

He soon decided to chuck his Manhattan lifestyle and move to West Palm Beach, Florida, where he settled into an apartment right next door—as fate would have it—to the Hippocrates Health Institute. He had no idea what the Institute did, but he soon learned that they taught people how to live healthier with a raw food diet and lifestyle. Back in the Big Apple, Paul had noticed that eating seemed to make him feel worse, but when he followed the Hippocrates Health Institute’s recommendations, he discovered that raw foods left him feeling good—even vibrant and healthy. After following an 80 percent raw food diet for several months, Paul’s body was transformed, which kindled his interest in the raw food lifestyle.

Paul began working as a raw food chef in a vegetarian restaurant and started a raw food support group. He read everything he could about raw food and talked to as many pioneers as he could find. Those actions sent him down a new career path to tell others about the health benefits of eating raw, uncooked, and unprocessed foods.

Paul says that cooking food destroys important enzymes, and a diet composed exclusively of cooked food puts a severe strain on the body, drawing down its reserves because the body is constantly working to produce enzymes that ought to be in foods. The result over time can mean compromised health. Humans eating an enzyme-poor diet, comprised primarily of cooked food, use up a tremendous amount of their enzyme potential in the outpouring of secretions from their digestive organs.

To make sure that our bodies have the digestive enzymes needed to break down the proteins, starches, and fats in the foods we eat, it’s important to eat certain raw and fermented foods high in enzyme content. The enzymes in raw food help jump-start the process of digestion and reduce the body’s need to produce digestive enzymes. If we don’t take steps to reduce that need, the result could lead to a life of poor health, Paul said.

You can turns things around by eating raw. To get you started, here is a 7-Day Menu Plan adopted from Paul’s latest book, Raw Food Formula for Health. He says that these sample meal plans do not have to be eaten in any particular order; you can skip Day 2 and pick up Day 6 if you like. Paul is a vegan, so this Daily Plan does not include foods like raw meat (such as sushi and cerviche) and dairy products. You can choose to add these foods, if you wish.

Paul suggests eating two main meals a day, but if you feel this is too much of a change and need three meals a day, just make sure your last meal is eaten by 7 p.m. He also recommends not drinking water with your meals but hydrating one hour before or after you eat.

Breakfast:   Juice of 1 cup spinach, 1 cucumber, and 2 stalks celery.   Morning Snack:   Green apples or berries and a salad, if desired.   Noon:   Juice of 1 cup kale, 1 cucumber, 1 green apple, and 2 cabbage leaves.   Afternoon Snack:   Juice of 1 cup spinach, 3 stalks of celery, and 3 carrots.   Dinner:   Paul’s Powerful Salad: fresh spinach leaves (as much as you like), 1 ripe avocado, half of a medium-sized cucumber (chopped), half of a red bell pepper (chopped), half a stalk of celery (chopped), and 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds. Combine ingredients and sprinkle with juice of one lemon and the flaxseeds. Yield: 1 serving.

Breakfast:   Juice of 1 cup spinach, 1 cucumber, and 2 stalks celery.   Morning Snack:   Fruit of your choice and soaked nuts.   Noon:   Juice of 1 cup buckwheat greens, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, and 1 cucumber.   Afternoon Snack:   Juice of 1 cup sunflower sprouts, 1 cup cabbage, 3 kale leaves, and 1 carrot.   Dinner:   Every-Need-Met Salad: 1 ripe avocado, half of a medium-sized cucumber (chopped), half of a red bell pepper (chopped), one celery (chopped), half-cup of dulse, soaked for 30 seconds (then drained and chopped) and 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds. Combine ingredients and sprinkle with flaxseeds. Yield: 1 serving.

Breakfast:   Juice of 1 cup spinach, 1 cucumber, 2 stalks celery.   Morning Snack:   Melon (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, etc.)   Noon:   Juice of 1 stalk of celery, 1 cucumber, 1 cup spinach, 3 beet greens, and 2 carrots.   Afternoon Snack:   Juice of 3 collard green leaves, 2 beets, and 2 carrots.   Dinner:   Sweet Annie Kale Salad: 1 bunch kale (stemmed and chopped), half-cup raisins, one-fourth cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, and one-fourth cup raw honey. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, being sure to massage them for 5 minutes to soften the kale and blend the flavors. Yield: serves 4-6.

Breakfast:   Juice of 1 cup spinach, 1 cucumber, and 2 stalks celery.   Morning Snack:   Green apples or berries and a salad, if desired.Green apples or berries and a salad, if desired.   Noon:   Juice of 1 cup greens, 1 cucumber, 1 green apple, and 2 cabbage leaves.   Afternoon Snack:   Juice of 1 cup spinach, 1 cucumber, 1 lemon, and 2 kales leaves.   Dinner:   Everybody’s Favorite Salad: 2 large heads romaine lettuce (chopped), 2 ripe avocados (chopped), 2 ripe tomatoes (diced), one-fourth cup pine nuts, one-fourth cup raisins, 3 tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 2 teaspoons raw apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Let the salad rest for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 servings.

Breakfast:   Juice of 1 cup spinach, 1 cucumber, and 2 stalks celery.   Morning Snack:   Fruit or melon in season.   Noon:   Juice of 1 cup buckwheat greens, 1 red bell pepper, 1 handful parsley, and 1 beet.   Afternoon Snack:   Juice of 1 cup of parsley, 1 lemon, and 2 beets.   Dinner:   Spanish “Rice”: 1 head cauliflower, 2 ripe tomatoes (diced), 1 ripe avocado (diced), 1 orange bell pepper (diced), 4 green onions (chopped), one-fourth cup fresh cilantro (chopped), one-fourth cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 jalapeno chile (minced), 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Grate the cauliflower in a food processor and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, avocado, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, chile, paprika, chili powder, and sea salt to taste. Mix well. Yield: 4 servings.

Breakfast:   Juice of 1 cup spinach, 1 cucumber, and 2 stalks celery.   Morning Snack:   Sliced bananas.   Noon:   Juice of 1 cup spinach, 1 cup watercress, 1-inch cube peeled fresh ginger, and 1 apple.   Afternoon Snack:   Juice of 1 cup sunflower sprouts, 1 cup cabbage, 3 kale leaves, and 1 carrot.   Dinner:   "Sautéed” Mushrooms: 1 Portobello mushroom and Nama Shoyu, which is a raw, unpasteurized Japanese soy sauce available in natural food stores or online. Remove and discard the stem of the mushroom and slice the cap into squares or strips. Sprinkle with Nama Shoyu to taste and allow to marinate 2 hours before serving. Yield: 1 serving.

Breakfast:   Juice of 1 cup spinach, 1 cucumber, and 2 stalks celery.   Morning Snack:   Blended salad of your choice and flax crackers.   Noon:   Juice of 1 cup kale, 1 cucumber, 1 green apple, and 2 cabbage leaves.   Afternoon Snack:   Afternoon snack: Smoothie of your choice made from fruit and greens.   Dinner:   Chinese Broccoli with Pine Nuts: 3 cups chopped broccoli florets, half-cup pine nuts, 1 ripe avocado, one-fourth cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 habanero chile, 1 clove garlic, and half-teaspoon sea salt. Combine the broccoli and one-fourth cup of pine nuts in a large bowl. Place the other one-fourth cup of pine nuts, avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, chili and garlic in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour over the broccoli mixture and season with sea salt. Marinate for 45 minutes in the refrigerator before serving. Yield: 4 servings.

Need More Choices?

There are no limits to the wonderfully delicious and different recipes you can enjoy on a raw food diet; just scour the Internet by typing “raw food recipes” into your search engine and you’ll find everything from mashed “potatoes” to mock salmon pâté.

Check Out Paul Nison and the Raw Lifestyle

Interested in learning more about eating raw? Go to Paul Nison’s website at www.paulnison.com, which contains tons of information and insights about one of the fastest-growing lifestyles happening today.