When that “2:30 feeling” strikes, as the 5-Hour Energy commercial puts it, it’s easy to try to mask it with caffeine by choosing an energy drink from the myriad of options available at the nearest 7-Eleven. But, as we all know by now, that worn-out, running-on-empty feeling will return with a vengeance once all of the caffeine and sugar leave your system. As crazy as it may sound, perhaps next time you should swap out the venti Starbucks latte (and any extra shots of espresso) for a raw meal.
We’ve been conditioned to eat fruits and veggies since birth with cheesy slogans like the overused, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” But my understanding was that people are supposed to eat fruits and veggies because, well, that’s what people are supposed to do. And I've certainly never looked at fruits and vegetables before as a source of energy. In actuality, stimulating foods (i.e. the energy drink you may or may not have chugged this morning) will give you a short burst of energy, but it will ultimately leave you crashing down again shortly thereafter. As for those 5-Hour Energy drink commercials that claim there’s “no crash later"? They're a bunch of lies.
In contrast, the energy your body gets from eating non-stimulating raw foods is authentic and sustainable because your body has to do less work to digest them, according to holistic health coach, Sabine, behind the website Some Like it Raw. If you’re not sold yet, recognize that consuming veggies in their natural state has been shown to prevent aging. Veggies also retain more vitamins and more flavor when eaten raw as opposed to cooked. Plus, nobody's ever said that you have to be a devout raw-vegan to reap the benefits of raw veggies!
Since munching on a handful of carrots might make you feel too much like a rabbit, here are some recipes made with only natural ingredients. They'll give fruits and veggies as you know them a makeover, or at least spruce them up a bit to prevent that “2:30 feeling." Click the links below each picture to view the recipe, courtesy of Some Like it Raw--you may need to scroll down to find the highlighted recipe, but rest assured, it's there!
Butternut Squash Spaghetti with Broccoli-Pistachio Pesto
All images courtesy of some-like-it-raw.com
