Summer is the absolute perfect time to be incorporating more raw foods into your diet.  Raw foods are alkalizing, cooling, cleansing (not to mention slimming!), nutrient-dense, and have the perfect carbohydrate balance for a high-energy summer.   Try making fresh green juices, salads, fruit, raw nuts and seeds, and sprouted raw grains a bigger focus in your summer eating, and you will be amazed at how much more energized, light, and happy you will feel.

Summer is also the ideal time to transition into a 100% raw food diet, if you have ever considered going that route.  Although a completely raw foods diet is a little too hardcore for me, I totally respect the determination and willpower necessary to make it happen (and definitely envy the boundless energy, amazing skin, and teeny tiny waistlines of those who go totally raw).  But going raw doesn’t have to be an all or nothing endeavor!  I myself love doing occasional raw food cleanses, and going raw for just a couple of days can do a lot of amazing good for your body.  Even having a raw breakfast and dinner, and a normal, healthy, cooked lunch can be an amazingly cleansing detox for 3-5 days!

Making the transition to a raw foods diet can be a grueling process if you don’t have access to the right resources to aid you.  Here in New York, we’re lucky enough to have tons of options (like my beloved Pure Food and Wine) for experiencing raw foods, but you don’t need to live in the big city to enjoy the benefits of a raw, or occasionally raw diet.  The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (my alma mater) recently posted a really great list of raw foods resources on their blog, with great recipes, books, films, products and kitchen tools that form the Ultimate Raw Food Resource.  Check it out for some great ideas!

Organic Beauty Raw Watermelon Gazpacho
I’ve been seeing watermelon gazpachos popping up on menus all over NYC, and wanted to share my own version. This super yummy twist on popular, chilled soup is one of my favorite refreshing summer dishes… perfect for the 90+ degree weather!

Ingredients:

8 cups seedless watermelon, chopped
1 local cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/5 of an organic red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp minced shallot
1 organic jalapeno pepper, diced
1/2 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp organic rice wine vinegar
3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Combine all ingredients except the avocado in a large mixing bowl.  Blend about 3 cups of the mixture at a time, and pour into a separate bowl.  When all of the soup is completely blended, chill for at least 10-15 minutes, then serve, garnished with a handful of chopped avocado and sprouts.  If serving as an appetizer or amuse bouche, use glasses, if as an entree, the soup looks gorgeous in a white bowl.

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