Lemons Alkaline or Acidic?
Most would expect that the effect of a lemon on the human body is to create more acid. In fact, a lemon’s reaction inside of the body is one of alkalinity. There is so much debate about what causes disease, and one of the many schools of thought is that it is acidic conditions. Raw food in general is very alkaline, and there are some surprising Alkalinity Superheroes in the raw bunch, including the lemon. So enjoy that tangy goodness!
Ideas for using lemons
--Squeeze lemon and olive oil onto a salad for a quick, easy and healthful dressing.
--Cut up cucumbers and squeeze a fresh lemon into a pitcher of water for a wonderfully skin and body refreshing drink.
Picking a Good Lemon
Lemons should have a thin skin and give a little bit, sort of like a ripe but not over-ripe banana feels. Softer lemons equals more juice!
Bananas When are bananas ripe?
Bananas should not ever be eaten when they are still green. This means they are not yet ripe and will taste hard and bitter. By waiting until a banana has at least a few speckles of brown spots, you ensure the most vitamins, taste, and ripeness of the banana.
Freezing Bananas
Believe it or not, frozen bananas can morph into a drink that is like a milkshake or even an ice cream. The easiest way to freeze and then later to use the bananas is to wait until they are ripe, then peel and cut them into about 8-10 chunks and then put them in the freezer in a container.
All About Avocados Picking a Ripe Avocado
Often grocers and local farmers’ markets will not have any ripe avocados, so you may need to store the avocado at room temperature for a few days while you wait for the avocado to ripen to perfection. You will know when the avocado is ripe when you can press semi-firmly on its skin and it gives so that you can feel the softness of the avocado "meat" inside.
Diverse Options in Avocado Flavors
The Avocado is the chameleon of the raw food world. It can be mashed with a banana to make a sweet and creamy pudding, mashed and salted to be used as a rich spread on a cracker or raw bread, can be eaten with a touch of agave or with salt. The creaminess can replace the oily aspect of a dressing to make a salad more rich and filling, which is perfectly paired with something acidic like lemon or apple cider vinegar. And of course, it is the star in guacamole!
Health Benefits of Avocados
Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat which is said to reduce the "bad" cholesterol levels. As well, eating avocados with tomatoes increase the absorption of lycopene by the body. Avocados are a great mixed with other foods and digest well, as well as help absorption with many foods, not just the tomato.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes lose much of their prized lycopene when refrigerated. It is best to buy fresh tomatoes, keep them out at room temperature, and use them within 1-3 days of purchase.
Beets Be careful not to stain
Beets are so vibrant -- but be careful not to color yourself or your counters the color of the beets. There is a reason beets are often used for food coloring! Wash anything immediately that comes into contact with beets.
How to use the leaves and spines
The leaves at the top of beets are wonderful to toss into a green smoothie (which will often turn red like a strawberry smoothie when beets are added). The spine on the leaves can be juiced and produces quite a lot of juice.
Remove the skin for a sweeter taste
When juicing beets or using them in any recipe, it is really important to remove the peel. That final layer is quite bitter, but everything inside is sweet and tasty. This will make a huge difference in taste!
Some juice recipes
A wonderful sweet juice: 1 large beet, the spines from that beet’s leaves, 3-4 large carrots, 2 apples, and about a teaspoon of lemon juice added. A savory juice: 1 large beet, the spines from that beet’s leaves, half of a yellow onion, 3-4 large carrots, and about 1/4 of a head of red cabbage (cut into large chunks to juice in a centrifugal juicer), and about 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice added.
Garlic
A great tip for those who have difficulty digesting raw garlic is to remove the green root in the middle of the clove before pressing or using the garlic in recipes. I have found many useful tips, including this one, in Ani Phyo’s recipebook Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen.
