A Seed Sprouted, An Idea Planted

This weekend my friend Kate lent me the book "Living on Live Food." I've never thought about going "raw," but figured it might have some good vegan recipes.

Before the recipe section of the book, the author explains all of the benefits of going raw - weight loss, glowing skin, shiny hair, feeling younger, healing yourself of pain and disease... who doesn't want all that?

A few pages in I started thinking seriously about giving it a try. Then I realized how hard that would be to do every day. Eating vegan has been challenging at times. Do I really want to make life more challenging? Hmmm, not really... But, I do want to feel my best!

I do feel really good since going vegan. I have more energy and better digestion. I feel mentally and emotionally lighter. But I still have some aches and pains that I could do without, I don't feel any more glowy than before. and I haven't lost any weight. So, maybe going raw could help me get there...

I'm not quite ready to commit to a raw life, but I am thinking about a challenge - maybe I'll start with a week and see what happens. But, not yet - I need a week or two to go through the food in the fridge I've planned to cook.

In the meantime, I did get some good ideas that I could use right away, including sprouting! Coincidentally, just the other day my friend Laura brought me some sprouts that she had grown and they were delicious. I think they were some special beans sold just for sprouting, but according to this book, you can sprout all kinds of regular beans and grains.

I decided to give it a try with some lentils. I started soaking them earlier today and after 8 hours, I drained out the water and I'm supposed to leave them in the bowl on the counter covered for 3-4 days, rinsing 2-3 times a day before they sprout. So, we'll see how it goes!

Prickly pears on Dr. Oz

Another unrelated coincidence: A few weeks ago I picked some prickly pears from the cactus in my sister's yard. My dad said he had heard they had medicinal properties. I did some research and found out they have lots of magnesium, which is good for muscle soreness, so I was excited to give them a try. I used them to make Millet and "Blackeyes Bean" Salad with Basil and Prickly Pears. They were really good!

It's not a fruit you hear about everyday, so I was excited to hear Dr. Oz mention them as one of several "bizarre foods that fight cancer."  Also on the list were aloe, walnuts and bottarga (a dried, cured slab of fish eggs, so I don't think I'll be trying that anytime soon).

Anyway, I thought it was pretty interesting to hear about the prickly pears, after just discovering them.

So, stay tuned to see how the sprouts turn out. And, watch for more about my upcoming raw food challenge!

Have you ever tried prickly pears, sprouting seeds or grains or a raw food diet? Post a comment below!