Bountiful Bowls                                 Return to Health and Fitness

By LifeAdviceSite.com

I am by no means a raw foodist.  Not even close.  I love white pasta.  Domino's pizza makes me weak in the knees, and let's face it there's nothing wrong with chocolate.  I've done some research on the raw food movement, however, and I think I understand the appeal.  I grew up eating my fruits and vegetables, and I've always known they were good for my body. 

Raw food enthusiasts believe that eating any natural food cooked at a temperature above 118 degrees kills the vital enzymes inherent in that food.  Thus, they are drawn to food in its natural state - apples off the trees, greens out of the ground, potatoes from the earth and so on.  (It's really much more detailed, but you get the idea....)

While I'm not about to give up cooking  a nice meal, I also truly appreciate the value in eating "of the earth".  I believe since we were made of the earth, it's probably a good idea to eat the stuff that grew here for us rather than the stuff we invented in laboratories.  So, more often than not I reach for an apple rather than a Twinkie, as tasty as they are.  (Sorry, Hostess!)

Recently, spurred on by my raw food research and a need to get back in touch with my body after a long winter of eating too many processed foods than I'd care to admit, I re-embraced natural eating in a fun way I'd like to share with you.  I call it, "The Bountiful Bowl Lifestyle".  The idea is to start with a large bowl, lunch bag, basket etc.  In the morning (or even days in advance) I fill it up with tons of veggies, fruits, a few whole grains and a little protein such as some cheese.  Not only does it look pretty, it provides vital sustenance to my body from breakfast until dinner time.  I keep it close at hand all day, and instead of setting specific meal times I simply munch all day.  It's wonderful.  It ensures I always have healthy food at my fingertips.  I get to eat all day so I never feel deprived.  My body is radiantly healthy and enjoying the many benefits of foregoing empty calories for those filled with nutrients and vitamins.  Even though I give myself free reign to eat as much of nature's colorful treasures as I want throughout the day, I find I'm less hungry than I was when trying to diet on small meals.  When my day is settled back at home, I focus on preparing myself a small dinner of salad, salmon, a tuna sandwich or whole-grain pasta. 

 

This bowl contains two apples, a banana, a bunch of red grapes, a handful of carrots, whole grain crisp bread and two ounces of cheese.				This day I had several broccoli florets, crisp bread, orange slices, a lime (in my water) half a yellow bell pepper, grapes, an apple and baby carrots				This bountiful bowl carries my trusty grapes and apple, a section of a cucumber, several mushrooms, half a green bell pepper, a plumb tomato, orange slices and  a small cooked beet
More grapes and an apple in this bowl along with multi grain crisp bread, a plump tomato, half a yellow bell pepper, a lemon to shake up my water for the day, a cucumber portion and broccoli florets				This bowl contained half a green pepper, an orange bell pepper, baby carrots, a large bunch of grapes, and an apple