Raw foods have often been the discussion as a choice for beautiful healthy looking black skin and natural hair.

However, the key is in making sure your choice of raw foods, whether veggies or fruit, is organic.

Eating raw provides your body with natural enzymes and nutrients. Enzymes boost your digestion and fight chronic disease.

Eating lots of fruits and veggies have been known to help control blood pressure.  In addition, eating raw foods are also low in sodium and just might lower your chance of stroke and heart failure. It’s highly possible that you can very easily loose a pound or two.  Its been known to help prevent or manage type 2 diabetes.

Is Gardening Your Best Source of Raw Food?

If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, you’ve got the best of both worlds: food at your door step and exercise to boot. Get your growing cycles right, and you can have your pick of salad fixings any time of day.

Nine out of 10 times,  you’ll have to share with the birds, worms and squirrels.   However, Mother Nature will provide plenty to go around. Don’t want to get your hands dirty? Find a neighbor who loves to garden and offer to purchase your weekly supply from them. The next best choice is your local farmers market.

You Can Always Follow the 80/20 Rule When Eating Raw Foods

What’s the 80/20 rule? Well … you can eat 80 percent raw and 20 percent steamed or sautéed. Although eating raw foods is said to have a risk of food poisoning and bacteria, putting a little fire to them can be helpful.

Cooking your food can boost some of the nutrients, like beta-carotene and lycopene and it kills bacteria. This helps avoid food poisoning as well. It also helps to take supplements.

Here Are A Couple for Recipes to Consider for Your Raw Food Menu.

Healthy Broccoli Salad Without Bacon or Mayonnaise

Ingredients
• 1 lb broccoli, chopped
• 1 small bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds and 1/2 cup of walnuts.
• 2 tablespoons of Honey Mustard Dressing

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped onions
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• Red pepper flakes, to taste

Instructions
1. In a large salad bowl, add broccoli, pepper, raisins, salad dressing, vinegar, chopped onion, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
2. Preheat large skillet on low-medium heat, add nuts and seeds; then toast until browned a bit and fragrant, stirring frequently. You don’t have to brown the nuts, you can actually toss them in the salad as is.
3. Add to the bowl with other ingredients, stir and adjust peppers to taste if necessary.

Store: Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days.

Spicy Watermelon Salad

Ingredients
Dressing
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ½ garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the salad
• 5 cups cubed watermelon
• 1 heaping cup diced English cucumber
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onions
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 avocado, cubed
• ⅓ cup torn mint or basil leaves
• ½ jalapeño or serrano pepper, thinly sliced, optional
• Sea salt

Instructions
1. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic and salt.
2. Arrange the watermelon, cucumber, and red onions on a large plate or platter. Drizzle with half the dressing. Top with the feta, avocado, mint, and serrano pepper, if using, and drizzle with remaining dressing. Season to taste and serve.

To finish it up …

These are two recipes that I pulled from my local grocery store food pantry. However, you can experiment with them until you get them to your pallet liking.  Also, eating raw in order to enhance the beauty of your dark skin complexion can be very rewarding. Don’t make it complicated, simplicity is always better.

That’s it for this week. As always …

Dedicated to Your Beauty,

Juliette Samuel

Esthetician/Author/Publisher
Nyraju Skin Care