It’s Day 1 of Brad’s 7 Day Raw Challenge for March!

Wow, things have been so crazy here with moving and all that my mind completely passed the fact that Brad’s Raw Challenge started today! Thankfully I got a reminder early this morning ;) I realized the moment the challenge starts I go from relaxed to beast mode when it comes to prepping meals for the week. I become focused and determined to prep only the best raw eats! So who’s ready to RAWK out!?

Morning Routine: 

A lemon water. I’ve talked about the benefits of drinking lemon water first thing in the morning. Not only does it hydrate a dehydrated body, but it jump starts the digestive system and detoxes along the way. For more info, click here. 

Breakfast:

For the last 26 days I have been following Young and Raw’s 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge and we are near the finish line!! It has been quite an adventurous journey to say the least, adding ingredients into my smoothie I would never consider adding, testing recipes and discovering which combos work out great and which one’s don’t…not to mention the plethora of young coconuts I have hacked through in order to obtain the sweetest, most refreshing coconut water and yummiest, creamiest meat. Oh and the community! The amount of info you gain from it is incredible! People of all ages, from all over the world are sharing recipes, ideas, information about health and testimonies…it’s addicting to be around so many like minded and positive people! Absolutely love it! Today’s smoothie was one of the best during this challenge! Berries and Chai? Who knew!

Berry Chai Green Smoothie

By Young and Raw, Day 25

• 2 handful of kale
•  1 Tbsp of hemp or chia seeds, or both!
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries or raspberries (or both!)
• 1 frozen banana (optional)
• 1 scoop or packet of Vega ONE, Chai flavored
• 1 cup of water or coconut water
• Optional add ins: 1 inch of aloe leaf gel, 1 knob of turmeric peeled, wheatgrass

1. Add all the ingredients into a blender in the order that it is listed, blend and sip away!

How many sips does it take to get to the bottom of the glass?? (As one of the smoothie challengers said, “Threeeeee”!!)

Lunch: 

A few days ago, a fellow Y&R smoothie challenger posted this salad on our community page and I knew immediately that I had to make it! Already I could tell this salad was going to be a favorite with its combination of flavors and textures, something I love, love, love in a dish! I grabbed the ingredients and went to work. It was fast to prep and put together and I was right, the combo of flavors and textures make every bite a whirlwind of fun on your tastebuds. The only downside I noticed is that the salad was without a dressing. I thought hard about what type of dressing would compliment this salad and not overpower and only one came to mind, Honey Mustard! I did notice I didn’t need much dressing as the salad tasted great as is, but the dressing did add a nice hint of sweet and sour to the dish.

Rocket Avocado Walnut mango Apple Salad

By the Earth Diet

Modified to serve 1 average portion

(and to make it more of a salad, salad) :)

• 2 cups of mixed herb greens, including arugula
•  ¼ - ½ cup mango, diced
•  ½ small green apple, sliced
•  1/3 avocado, sliced
•  2-3 Tbsp of chopped walnuts
•  Salt to taste
• 1 Tbsp of Nutritional Yeast (optional)
• Sprouts (optional)

• 1 Tbsp of organic stone ground mustard
• 1 Tbsp of raw, unpasteurized honey
• ½ Tbsp of hemp oil

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey and oil. Set aside until ready to use.
2. On your favorite plate or into you favorite bowl, layer the ingredients in order as listed from the herb greens to the walnuts. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and nutritional yeast. 
3. Serve with the dressing drizzled over or you can toss it before plating.

Snacks: I enjoyed a yummy Ginger Kombucha by GT and a banana before nom nomming at dinner time.

Dinner: 

GIANT PUMMELO!

I am obsessed with pummelos right now! It is citrus season after all, and these babies are at peak perfection. They are very similar to grapefruits in taste, except a tad sweeter and little to no bitterness. The flesh is firm, yet juicy and the rind is at least an inch thick which explains their massive size. When picking a pummelo, as you do with all citrus, choose one that is heavy for its size. The heavier the juicier! 

I just cut this baby in half, drizzled with raw honey, sprinkled with grounded flax meal and dug away. It does give your arm sort of a work out!

Dessert: 

Raw. Chocolate. Chipotle. Ice. Cream. Yummmmmmmmmmmm.

I’ve been going through young coconuts like crazy, using the water for my smoothies and searching for ways to use the meat. In last month’s challenge I had made a simple vanilla coconut ice cream but found it to be…well…plain. I wanted, no I craved, more flavor! 

I browsed the Fragrant Vanilla Cake blog looking for an ice cream that would satisfy my cravings for something different - something with crunch, something not to sweet, something made with…CHOCOLATE! I knew I could trust Amy, the queen of raw sweet treats and creator of the recipe I used to make my first ice cream, to provide me with the perfect recipe…and OH MY did she! Chocolate Chipotle Pecan. YES!!!

I followed the recipe to the T and used my ice cream maker to create this delicious gelato-like frozen treat. I stirred in pecans and cacao nibs instead of raw chocolate, using only half of what the recipe called for for both, and scooped it into my container to freeze, eating at least a third of it along the way.

It was love at first bite. Rich, creamy, sweet and oh so decadent. Pure chocolate with a hint of smoky heat that creeps up on you slowly, forcing you to take another bite just to cool it down. Crunch and nuttiness that comes from the pecans and cacao nibs. Flavor, texture, richness, perfection. Oh, and If you’re not a fan of coconut, don’t worry. You can’t even tell it was made with coconut meat! Yes, it’s that good!

The only complaint I have is that when frozen, it is hard and very difficult to scoop. It needs to be thawed out for at least 30 minutes just to get a spoon through it and even then, it still needs some coaxing in order to create a perfect scoop. But all the hard work is worth the crazy deliciousness of this perfect raw ice cream.

Evening Routine:

I always end my day with a raw apple cider vinegar sweetened with honey. It signals the brain that the day has ended, eating is done and it aids in digestion. Raw apple cider vinegar has several additional health benefits as well. It supports a healthy immune system, helps control weight and aids in removing toxic build up. It’s the perfect ending to my day.