>Submitted to veg-raw by: Debbie Sartain <[log in to unmask]>
>I am thinking about making the transition to a raw food diet but due to my
>lack of love for raw vegetables I am wondering how I am going to do it!  I
>do love vegetables but generally cooked and with another food.  Can someone
>recommend a few recipes for vegie salads that are yummy and will help make
>the transition a little less painful.

>If you could recommend a good recipe book it would be great but it would
>have to be one that is available in Australia or easily ordered from here.

>I seriously need the raw food diet for health reasons and because my common
>sense tells me that it really is the best thing for my body.  If there is
>anyone out there who can tell me how they made the change to a raw food diet
>and how it went for them it would be great to hear from you.
>Thanks a lot,

Hi Debbie:

I have been having a little bit of a difficult time with the transition,
too, for the same reason.  I do love cooked vegetables!  What I am doing to
get into it slowly is to have one cooked item, such as baked potatoes, or a
rice dish, and then making a large salad to go with it.  I have been getting
into Ann Wigmore's books on sprouts and the "Hippocrates Diet", both of
which have recipes in them.  I've tried some of them and have liked them
pretty well.  (Last night I had carob pudding which was pretty good.)

I am really getting into sprouting in a big way as a means of making the
transition because of what I have learned about enzymes and their importance
and the high enzyme content of sprouts, in addition to vitamins, proteins,
etc.  I am not an expert on this by any means, but I have read enough to
realize that sprouts provide high levels of things my body needs!
Especially enzymes--and I guess my theory (whether accurate or not...) is
that if I eat foods very high in enzymes especially during the transition
while I'm still eating cooked foods, that my body won't have to use up so
many of its own enzymes to digest the cooked food.

I am finding that if I follow Ann Wigmore's suggestions in the Sprouting
Book and use 1/2 gallon canning jars to sprout in, then I can simply put a
cap on them when the sprouts are ready and put them in the refrigerator.
They last for the whole week, so I am trying to get into a regimen of making
sprouts on Fridays to use for the following week.  I'm also starting to grow
buckwheat and sunflower greens for my salads.

This is one recipe for a good sprout salad.  I don't include amounts for
most items because it depends on how large of a salad you want to make.  You
can make a huge bowl with everything except the wet items and it will give
you a ready made base for your salads for several days.  I don't always put
in everything I've listed, although sometimes I do:

Buckwheat Greens
Sunflower Greens
  (you can substitute lettuce for these, but its not as nutritious!  Fresh
spinach and      red cabbage is also good)
A mix of alfalfa, red clover, and radish sprouts (I sprout these together)
Lentil Sprouts
Sunflower Sprouts
1 clove of garlic, minced  (this makes a big difference to me--but then, I
love garlic!)
chopped tomatoes
sliced or chopped cucumbers (with or without the seeds)
broccoli (chopped very fine...I don't like it in big chunks, but its great
if you cut it    cross wise from the flower end and then chop it up even
finer (I only use the       flower part, although you can peel the stem and
chop it also)...you hardly know its in    the salad and yet you get all its
vitamins!)
cauliflower (chopped fine as above)

Sometimes I also add organic canned kidney beans or garbanzo beans.  I know
these arent' raw, but there are times when just the greens doesn't seem like
enough for me.

I haven't totally gotten away from commercial salad dressings yet, but I am
planning to try an avocado/tomato dressing in one of the books I mentioned.
Flax or olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar, chopped garlic, and
Italian seasonings is good also.  Some people I know just use Bragg Liquid
Aminos on their salads.

As far as being able to get the books, my husband and I are starting a web
site with products and supplies for people who are eating live foods, and we
will be adding books soon.

I am doing this for the same reason as you are--health problems and just
knowing that its good for us.  My husband and I are also juicing wheat grass
and carrots.  I am starting to see health results aleady.  It is very
encouraging.

By the way, I think it is in Ann Wigmore's "Hippocrates Diet" book where she
gives a chart that shows you three categories:  live foods, transitional
foods, and foods to avoid.  I find this very helpful.

Good luck!
Deborah Pratt
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http//www.netins.net/showcase/balancedlife/

"When we really, deeply understand each other, we open the door to creative
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