Becoming A Raw Food Enthusiast

Becoming A Raw Food Enthusiast

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Who would have thought that our homes are not built to support the idea of being a raw foodist. Becoming a raw foodist takes time, lots of money, dedication, good space planning, and a family commitment.

First, a raw foodist is a new term for a person who chooses to consume freshly harvested and organically grown uncooked meals and foods. These foods are taken in liquid, paste, puree, and solid form. Just about anything you can get your clean hands on, which is prescribed as healthy is considered by raw foodists.

The Family Commitment

Becoming a raw foodist should not be a sole decision by one individual in a family unit. Otherwise you will be cooking multiple meals daily. Of course, involving the entire family, children and so one, probably requires a slower transition than with just adults or even a single person household.

Refrigerator Space

A good size refrigerator is between 14 to 18 cubic feet. There are even refrigerators with a 20 + cubic feet space. A sizable freezer is beneficial to have for storing berries etc... for off-season times.

Several raw foodist transition-ists have experienced a refrigerator space problem and second refrigerators were acquired. A second refrigerator can be placed in a garage for increased electricity consumption or perhaps in a mud room area... Top load freezers are also good too have, but require some extra space.

Extra space requirements for a raw foodist is an issue because you will have more vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts in storage so you don't have to go shopping every day. Of course fresh vegetables and fruits almost need to be bought on a daily basis.

Pantry Space

A raw foodist's pantry is emerging into a bird food storage space, just about. Little containers with lids emerge, either out of plastic or glass. You will find more seed and nut and flower residue on the kitchen floor and if not careful, dragged around throughout the house. This requires more vacuuming.

A pantry organizer-system for raw foodists is really over-due, something that keeps the seeds and dried berries from falling out and making the floor and shelves sticky or soiled. And stacking up glass containers on top of each other can only bring much luck with broken glass, and cut feet and fingers. No wonder some people say, becoming a raw foodist, takes blood, sweat, and tears.

Inner-Refrigerator compartment storage areas

The refrigerator issue, even if you have two fridges and two freezer compartments, the items often frozen and cool-stored require little compartments. So you once again use little tiny containers. Increased washing, spilling, refrigerator cleaning, floor cleaning, and also more spoiled food than necessary is a promise, when becoming a raw foodist.

Green house productions

Then you have your daily trips to the fresh, raw, and organic grocery store and health food departments. You will soon wonder about the prices of wheat grass pre-grown for you at $ 8.00 to $ 10.00 a flat. Not is it also pricey, but where are you going to store it? Cold stored in the refrigerator is best. Or is it better to cut your fresh organically grown wheat grass when ever you need it? You will find a cost savings when producing your own wheat grass. Some people are even making a neighborhood business out of it, supplying wheat grass to their neighbors. But don't be surprised putting $ 150 to $1000 down for equipment.

Now you are looking into a green house. Will you have the space for it? Are you going to have a greenhouse outside, or will it have to be one inside your home? Growing your fresh vegetables and fruits is a great idea. But you will have to also account for the seasons, based on where you live. But greenhouses can be small too, just big enough to grow your daily flat of wheat grass.

Budget

We have received many responses to our questionnaires about becoming a raw foodist. Some people start out with juicers and then transition to blending. Others want to master the complete task from gardening, over juicing, bread baking, blending, and even composting... while yet others have fruit trees and vegetable gardens full of produce awaiting their crock pots for fermenting...

Good juicers cost in the range of $ 200 to $ 300 dollars while a blender ideal for a raw foodist of course costs between $ 400 to 1000$. If you want to do wheat grass juicing, you will either experience much hassle with a $ 50 to $ 100 purchase or much convenience and speed in the $ 200+ range. We have seen wheat grass juicers for $ 1000.

Good mini indoor greenhouses run from $ 170 upwards, depending on the size. Some people build an exterior green house for $ 1000 upwards. Depending on whether it is a 4-season greenhouse or a 3 season greenhouse, it could cost even $ 4,000 plus. Starting indoors is easy as you make some space above a pantry, or on top of the cabinets. But then you may have to carry around a ladder.

Dehydrating

Dehydrating is also not just about making a $ 150 purchase for a 10 Tray timer-included dehydrator. You will begin acquiring books and DVD's to learn the science of dehydrating foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, and even meals).

Dehydrating requires space in the refrigerator to keep the fruits fresh until ready to process. The dehydrators themselves are bulky. Where are you going to place it permanently or are you going to keep positioning and then storing somewhere on top in your garage again?

And certainly, where will you put the dehydrated foods? Are they going to go into your already very full refrigerator or into one of your sauerkraut 1/2 gallon container that you are reusing the fourth time?

Fermenting

If you have not heard about fermenting yet, a fermenting crock pot can produce lots of vitamin C. Captain Cook took 60 barrels of Sauerkraut with him and not a single crew man died on that 3 year journey.

A fermenting crock pot itself is not very expensive, but the shipping, when buying one, will represent about one third of the bill. Don't be surprised if you pay $ 100 for the crock pot and $ 50 + dollars for shipping. They are heavy. Do not get a pot larger than 7.5 liters. Your back will thank you for it.

Fermenting too, will require learning much with new books and DVD's. Soon, your raw-foodist library will fill up shelves and under-the-bed spaces, hopefully not collecting too much dust.

Associated Time Management Issues

We have actually never heard of anyone planning a raw-foodist kitchen design and storage space management project. Everybody just happens to plunge into the raw world of healthful eating. "Here I am", people shout, once their $ 550 dollar Blendtec Connoisseur or Vita Mix 3 hp blender arrives. And they think the are raw foodists. What a surprise. We haven't even touched on the subject yet, if you ask..., and already an article of many words and characters is presented.

The time management issue is a huge one. Not only must you make time to prepare the new meals, you will need to spend time to get a Ph.D. in Raw-Foodology. There is a learning curve requirement in making smoothies, the choice of recipes, the ingredients, and the learning of how to use the blender.

Where will you go to get your ingredients? Are you going to shop online. Where are you going to take the time from, to browse on Google for recipes and ingredient sources? Remember, everybody out there is in it for the buck$$$$. I would not just go to the first best health store and buy, buy, buy.

If you take the time to shop around and learn as much as you can about the various types of raw-food preparation and the ingredient sources, in time you will probably pay $ 4.50 per pound of fresh hazelnuts instead of $ 10.00 per pound. Or you will find sources for Chia Seeds for $ 3.00 instead of $ 8.00 per pound. Flax see could cost you $ 4.00 per pound if you don't shop around much, or if buying in bulk at the right place you only pay $ 1.20 per pound.

So you see, to take the time is important. Learning requires time. The ideal household is headed by a woman who comes from a farmer's family or already trained by her mother as a raw foodist.

You will see, it will not be long before Raw Foodology is a course offered in College or even in High School. By taking however too much time for learning before jumping in, weigh out the drawback, of not already using or consuming better foods.

You are the boss, or better, your budget availability can help you arrange your time and space issues. Truly, becoming a raw foodist takes you to the new frontier.

If you have the money, you can hire a nutritionist housekeeper who specializes in raw food. And if you are short on dough, you may have to go little by little. Remember, its better to start with juicing or blending, with one thing, and then getting the next one, than not starting at all.

About the Author:
T. Fox researches healthy smoothies ,a mix of blenders and health ingredients, at the at the workplace , resulting in work collaboration. People perform better when they are healthy.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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