raw! raw! raw!

Raw1three cheers for raw food! hubby and i have embarked upon a three weeks raw eats challenge.  that's right.  all raw food.  only raw food.  for three weeks.  raw! raw! raw! aaaaand...we are also pairing this challenge with 21 days of yoga.  every. single. day.

we are now 5 days in.  and i must say that this is a really interesting challenge for us.  it is taking us out of our comfort zone, for sure.  and i am learning all kinds of new "cooking" methods.  kind of cool.  more juicing.  more smoothies.  more shredded veg.  sprouting.  soaking.  getting creative.  beneficial things that we can continue to incorporate into our life even after the challenge is through.  as i have said before, i am not a fan of diet labeling.  i don't like restriction.  but i am always up for a good challenge!  and if anything, doing this will give us a broader appreciation for different foods and preparations.  it will add even MORE to our diet.  have you had soaked, sprouted oats?  i mean, they are the best.

there are things about every diet which appeal to me.  macrobiotic.  raw.  paleo.  vegetarian.  plant-based.  mediterranean.  yada yada.  and learning about each of these ways of life only reinforces the fact that it is about balance.  for each diet that is anti-carb, there are five diets that sing the praises of oats and grains and legumes.  one well-respected doctor says eat lots of animal proteins and another touts vegetable proteins.  one is pro-raw and another says that legumes and fats are the best.   you get my drift.   balance.

overall, i think that it is beneficial to educate yourself about food.  plus, it is fun and oh-so-interesting.  God has built-in some incredible nutrition for us.  from kale to eggs.  soup to nuts.  and so, for the next little while, we are going to be exploring the nutritional goodness of living foods in their raw state.

okay, who's in?  the more the merrier!  if you are an instagrammer, make sure to follow us and post pictures of your three weeks raw eats, we would love to see what you are eating and doing during the raw challenge.  just slap a hashtag on it!  #swankyanddappergorawrawraw

isn't it better to do things together?  i think so.  jump in and do as much or as little as you would like.  but make sure to SHARE.  we want to see what you are up to.  let's encourage each other.  plus, i am looking forward to featuring some of your concoctions, ideas, and inspirations on the blog!  maybe even some of your feel-good testimonials or before and afters... you can email your pics and stories as well swankyanddapper@gmail.com

and for those of you who are interested...here's is a quick list of some staples of our raw diet: 

a rainbow of raw veggies + juicing + green smoothies + chia + maca + hemp + bee pollen + fresh fruits + RAW nuts + sprouted seeds + cacao + wheatgrass + superfoods + spirulina + blue-green algae + avocado + raw nut butters + cold pressed oils + raw coconut water + aloe + kombucha + water, water, water! {with lemon to help alkalize the body}

wahoo!  let's do this.

some pics of our favorite things so far...

Raw2

{raw breakfast}

apples + cinnamon + maca + chia + hemp + homemade peanut butter + ginger granola

Raw3

{raw breakfast for dinner}

sprouted oats soaked in fresh orange juice + vanilla bean + cinnamon + chia + sprouted pumpkin seeds + raspberries + figs

Raw4

{green juice}

kale + celery + cucumber + broccoli + apple + lemon + ginger