You hear it all the time. Eat more raw food. 

You may question it. I did too. Everything?

Well, as much as you can.

The process of cooking kills more than half of the nutrients and live enzymes in our food. Crazy, huh? So I’m going to state what I think is the obvious one more time: Eat more raw food.

Raw is REAL. Raw is ALIVE.

Raw food nourishes your body in ways that cooked food simply can’t. You’ve probably heard of the diets that cancer patients or others with life threatening diseases follow. You got it. Juices, smoothies and raw food.

Here’s the thing though – even if you like to pop sweets and treats, love a grilled steak or crave a cheesy pizza – adding more raw food to your diet can do miracles for your body. Even if you’re not the person that feasts on processed food all day, what you do eat always has a way of catching up with you. Even the cleanest of clean diets will not give you 100% of the nutrients you need these days because of the soil toxicity we’re dealing with…. No how. No way.

If you pump your body full of ingredients that aren’t even making a difference, your body simply will not be able to function as optimally as it deserves to. One of the problems with our culture is that we often wait until we’re sick to heal. And then we put a band-aid on the “Owwee” but never get to the root of the cause.

Food is medicine. @hayleyhobson (Click to Tweet!)

If we ate right, like eating more live food, we would not have most of the problems we have now. To me it became a necessity. I hope for your sake, you get to this realization a lot sooner than I did.

So, give up your addictions to potato chips (even if they are organic and gluten-free) and make your own snacks at home that provide your body with the nourishment and love it deserves to get from you. It’s the only body you have.  😉

Here are some quick tips on how to incorporate raw into your diet:

1). Discover what raw foods you actually like

Do you even know? Carrots? Cucumber? Lettuce? Tomatoes? Zucchini? Squash? Beans? Kale? What nuts or seeds are your faves? You may think you don’t like zucchini but when it’s spiralized angel-hair style with fresh tomato sauce, I bet you’ll think differently. It’s all about the texture.

Here’s a Tip:  foods taste better when they are in season.

2). Buy a raw cookbook

Did you know that there are raw substitutes for almost everything? I make raw bagels, cream cheese, pizzas, tortillas…. You’d never know they were raw if I didn’t tell you. Crepes, cookies, pies… you won’t believe it.

3). DIY snackpacks

Raw food is great for snacking and it packs really well. Of course you can eat the obvious like veggies and fruit.  But how about dehydrating crackers, fruit roll ups, and nuts with flavors that will blow your pants off? Easy cheezy dips, salsas and guacs. Whoa! You’ll think you’re a gourmet chef!

I have just given you three ways to incorporate more raw food into your diet. How much raw food do you presently eat? Would it be hard for you to eat more raw food? I would love to hear from you, please leave your comments in the box below.

Please feel free to share this with others if you found this inspiring or useful. Post it on FB, Pinterest or Tweet it.

XO, Hayley

Hayley Hobson is an author, speaker, business coach, yogi, Pilates instructor, and holistic nutritional expert based in Boulder, CO. Her unique and intelligent style promotes strengthening while softening—empowering her clients to heal not only their physical bodies but their hearts and minds as well. To learn more about her nutritional courses, events, and custom programs, visit hayleyhobson.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.