The Organic Climber – Vegetarian running, cycling, swimming, rock climbing and raw foods.

Wheat Berries and sunflower seeds in the soaking stage of sprouting.

Sprouting nuts, seeds, and grains yields a plethora of nutritional benefits. As an athlete, the biggest advantage of sprouting is the energy the sprouted nuts and seeds provide. Sprouting takes the seed out of a dormant state and releases all sorts of nutrients and beneficial enzymes that are only accessible through sprouting. The nutrients and enzymes released from sprouting vary depending on what you sprout.

In addition to being highly nutritious, sprouted nuts and seeds are more easily digested by the body, making the nutritional contents more usable by the body, thus how the provide an abundance of energy. The sprouted nuts, seeds and grains are best consumed raw. Heating them above 116 degrees begins to destroy the healthy enzymes and reduces the nutritional content.

Some seeds, such as sunflower, buckwheat, and pumpkin seeds yield a higher protein count when sprouted; making them an excellent source of protein for people with an active lifestyle. Consuming sprouts is easy. You can include them in a recipe, such as my raw granola recipe, or toss them in a salad. You can even season your seeds to make them more tasty.

Sprouting is very simple to do, it doesn’t take a small garden to accomplish, as I first thought when I heard about sprouting. You don’t need anything more than a mason jar and a sprouting lid, or something to cover the mouth of the jar, such as a fine cheese cloth.

Below are instructions on how to sprout seeds, nuts, and grains. In regards to nuts, almonds are the only nut that actually sprouts, but they typically have to be raw, organic, and unpasteurized, which is hard to find – but it is possible. Either way, soaking the nuts still makes them easier to digest, as with any nut. Almonds typically need to soak 8-12 hours. Most other nuts only need to soak for about two hours.

After sprouting seeds and grains, you will see tails grow on them, as pictured below. The length of the tail will depend on how long you soak them. Sunflower seeds will yield a small tail after just one day of sprouting, but if you sprout them for several days you will have a really long tail, making them a nice crunchy treat for salads. I prefer to keep my sunflower seed tails small though. It’s up to the person doing the sprouting how long they want the tails.

Sunflower seeds and wheat berries, "sprouting." Sunflower seeds take about one day to sprout. Wheat Berries take two days.

How to Sprout

1. First you will need to soak your seeds (pictured above). Refer to the chart below for the time it takes to soak your seed or grain. Place them into a mason jar (half full, as the sprouts grow and expand) and fill with filtered water, just until they are fully covered. You may need to periodically add more water as they will soak up a lot of it.
2. After your seeds have soaked for the appropriate amount of time, drain the sprouting jar and cover with a sprouting lid, or a fine cheese cloth (secured with a rubber band).
3. Set the sprouting jars at an angle so excess water can drain from the jar. I usually place mine in a drying rack as pictured above. Let the seeds set for the amount of time indicated on the chart below. You will also need to periodically fill the jar back up with water and drain to keep the seeds wet.
4. After your seeds are done sprouting place them in a dehydrator until thoroughly dry. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can leave them spread out to air dry. Store them in a mason jar inside your refrigerator for longer life.
5. Optionally, you can season your seeds and, or nuts. I prefer to season my sunflower seeds. This is best done immediately after soaking. Just place them in a mixing bowl, toss in some seasoning, and mix away. Garlic and sea salt is one of my favorite flavors to season sunflower seeds with.

Sprouting Chart

Sprouting Chart

And there you have it. All the information you need to know for simple sprouting at home. So, have fun with it, do some google searches for recipes involving sprouted grains. I have seen many great recipes, both cooked and raw, but remember, consuming them raw is best.

Sprouted wheat berries. Notice the white tails?

Sprouted chickpeas after two days of sprouting. Nice looking tail, eh?

Have you ever tried sprouting? Do you currently sprout? Let us know what you think about sprouting in the comments.

RAW Food, Recipes, Uncategorized by OrganicClimber
energy, enzymes, healthy, nutrients, nuts, seeds, sprouting
1 comment

Raw Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies with almonds.

This is the first Nutty Friday post that isn’t exclusively nuts. This delicious recipe simply involves almonds as part of the recipe. These guilt free, raw vegan cookies might as well be called energy cookies. They contain both simple and complex carbohydrates, a most for any athlete. They would be great as a pre-run snack, or for sustained energy on a long hike or day of climbing.

This is probably my favorite “desert – snack” recipe. I originally made it with raisins, but I have a thing for baked oatmeal cranberry cookies, so thought I would give this a try. I hope you enjoy it as much as my fiancé and I do.

The Recipe

• 2 cups of oat grouts
• ¾ cup of dates (packed fairly tight and then processed into paste in a food processor)
• ½ cup of dried cranberries, chopped
• ½ cup of raw almonds, coarsely chopped (this can be done in a VitaMix or coffee grinder)
• 2 or 3 apples, coarsely grated. I recommend Gala or Honey Crisp apples

Place the grouts into a food processor or VitaMix and process until smooth. If using a blender, you may want to add some raw honey, agave, or maple syrup to help the dough turn over. Next, transfer the flowery mixture into a mixing bowl and add all other ingredients, and mix well.

After you have your mixture, shape into cookies and place on a mesh dehydrator sheet. Keeping your fingers wet while forming the cookies well make for easier handling of the batter. The batter should make about 12 cookies, depending on the size. After you finish placing the cookies on a dehydrator tray, dehydrate at 90 degrees until desired texture is achieved. Twelve hours is a good starting point.

RAW Food, Recipes by OrganicClimber
carbohydrates, complex, cookies, cranberries, cranberry, desert, energy, oatmeal, RAW, simple, snack, vegan
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Energy bars made with dates, a simple carbohydrate that is an excellent source of energy.

There is no better way to fuel your adventures than with raw foods! Whether you are a climber, a runner, a cyclist or backpacker – raw foods are the optimal source of energy. Just a few years ago you would have found me at the climbing area with a bag full of gummy bears, orange slices (not the fruit, the candy) and maybe a peanut butter sandwich. I have even heard other climbers and hikers refer to these sugary snacks as energy. Sure, they may provide a quick boost and large amount of calories; but, it will quickly wear off. Additionally, these types of snacks are void of any real nutritional value.

When fueling your adventure, you want to give your body the most nutrient rich, easily digestible food possible. Foods high in calories and carbohydrates are going to be your best option. This is important so your body doesn’t start burning protein as a source of energy, thus reducing your bodies’ ability to build up muscle tissue. It’s crucial that your body burn fat as a source of energy, not muscle.

Most importantly though, simple carbohydrates are the best source of “quick” fuel available. They are easy to digest and provide a quick release of energy. These simple carbohydrate foods are what Brendan Brazier calls a one-step nutrient; they can be directly used as fuel by the body.

Foods rich in simple carbohydrates
Bananas
Dates
Mangos
Pineapples
Berries

Another reason to focus on simple carbohydrate foods as fuel, is that your body requires the least amount of energy to process, thus providing your body with more energy by conserving energy during digestion. Your goal is to gain the most amount of energy with the least amount of food, also the goal of the Thrive Diet.

When climbing or hiking my favorite simple carbohydrate foods to pack in my bag are: dates, bananas, and dehydrated mangoes. Really, the mangoes would be better fresh because they help in maintaining hydration, but when dehydrated they are lighter and easier to carry.

Fueling your adventure when running or cycling with these clunky fruits can be a bit more difficult, but have no fear. There is a great solution. I have developed my own energy bars, raw “shot bloks”, and energy gel to help fuel your endurance sport. Below is a list of recipes I have posted throughout the blog that use dates and agave nectar as the primary source of fuel. They also contain a small amount of protein as well.

Recipes to fuel your endurance sport, hiking or climbing trip
- Raw Shot Bloks
- Raw Energy Bars
- Raw Energy Gel (this recipe is coming soon, I thought I had posted it already)

Another favorite of mine that is easy to make if you have a food dehydrator is my raw buckwheat treats. These tasty snacks are actual full of both complex and simple carbs that will help provide you with longer lasting energy. A quick note on complex carbs; these are essential for providing high-quality protein but take longer to process and are not as readily available as energy to our body.

Climbing, Cross Training, Cycling, Health & Fitness, RAW Food by OrganicClimber
complex carbohydrates, cycling, energy, RAW Food, Running, simple carbohydrates
4 comments

Hint of Mint Green Smoothie

The other day I randomly got the idea of using finely ground mate in a smoothie to create an energy drink. I got the idea after discovering a green tea powder some friends of mine had. I inadvertently put a scoop of it into our smoothie, and it was wonderful! So upon arriving at home after that weekend I decided I would try a similar drink with peppermint yerba mate, thus creating a raw energy drink.

Although mate is caffeinated, it’s only about the equivalent of 1/4 cup of coffee and is naturally caffeinated. The mate I used for this smoothie was by Explorer’s Bounty. The mint flavor was just right, and became a bit stronger the longer the drink sat. Mate is a common ingredient in a lot of recipes by Brendan Brazier, as well as my own Shot Blok recipe. Mate is an excellent source of natural energy.

The Recipe

• 1 large hand full of spinach
• 1 large banana
• 1 packet of finely ground (using coffee grinder) Peppermint Mate*
• 1 cup of water
• 8 cubes of ice

* You can use your choice of mint flavored tea if you don’t have mate. Also, if you want to increase the amount of mint flavor, simply add another tea packet.

Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender, (preferably a VitaMix), yes I am partial, and blend.

I can’t attest to how effective the drink is in providing energy, but combined with healthy greens and the sugar from the banana, I’m pretty sure it will be quite effective.

Also, if you have been considering a Vita-Mix you can get free shipping through ordering from my affiliate links. I do get a small commission on the sell to, so I would greatly appreciate purchasing through my site.

Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
drink, energy, mate, mint, peppermint, RAW, smoothie, yerba
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RAW Chocolate Covered Cashews

Ever since discovering the RAW Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie, I have been somewhat addicted to this wonderful substance known as cacao. But, I will say this. As with any food, moderation is key. I have recently cut back my cacao intake after hearing of some negative side effects of the tasty powder. However, I’m not totally convinced that the positive benefits don’t outweigh the negative.

This recipe is really simple and only requires three ingredients. It takes almost no time to make, other than the time to dehydrate.

The Recipe

• 1 Cup of Cashews
• 1/2 TBSP of Agave*
• 1 TBSP of Cacao Power

*In the batch I made I actually used 1 TBSP of agave, but felt like it was too much.

So, start by placing one cup of nuts in a mixing bowl, then pour in the agave and mix thoroughly. Once the nuts are well coated with agave (add more agave if needed) pour in the cacao powder and mix until well coated. Next, place them on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate for 24 hours. After 12 hours remove the nuts from the sheet and place on the mesh tray.

Alternatively you could use your oven set at a low temperature as well. Since the nuts are not roasting it is okay if you use a lower temperature, just make sure you keep it under 116 degrees in order for it to remain raw. This tasty little snack will provide you with healthy fats, carbohydrates, antioxidants, and protein. This is also a good “energy” snack because of the carbs from the agave and stimulant like properties in the cacao (called theobromine). But I would avoid consuming too many of them before physical activity because nuts are generally harder to digest than raw fruits and veggies.

Nutty Friday, RAW Food, Recipes by OrganicClimber
agave, cacao, cashew, energy, nuts, RAW, snack
2 comments

Looking for reasons to go raw this New Year? Make your New Years Resolution to, “go raw”. Here are nine good reasons to make this dietary transition. These are all reasons I have learned along the way and have experienced myself first hand. Additionally I would like to note, this is really not a “diet”. It’s a food philosophy. It’s not something temporary as a means to loose weight, this is about how you look at food.

Raw BBQ Tacos, my favorite, easy to make raw meal.

1. Live a more vibrant life. I say this because to say “live longer” conflicts with my religious beliefs that our days are already numbered. But we can take good care of ourselves while we are here and live a healthy enjoyable lifestyle.
2. Cardiovascular health – Greens contain chlorophyll, which improves oxygen uptake, thus increasing your VO2 Max. This is amazing news to any athlete, as it boosts energy levels, increases endurance and reduces recovery times.
3. Less sick days – Since going green over a year and a half ago I have only been ill once. Sure there were days I wasn’t feeling great, but I have only had a cold once, and I know exactly how I got it too. Eating green improves your immune system, thus warding off the attacks of virus’.
4. More energy – Back when I was eating the SAD (Standard American Diet) I would always get really tired and sluggish about an hour after lunch. I would often times have to go for a second round of coffee (which for me was another 3 cups) just to stay awake. Eating green will require less energy to digest your food, thus giving you more energy to go throughout your day and be more productive. In fact, you won’t even need to depend on coffee if you chose to give that up, as your body will naturally be more energized.
5. Less sleep – Eating a nutrient rich diet will require less sleep. I am fully functional on six hours of sleep. This isn’t much different from when I was not eating raw foods, but the main difference now is I am actually functional and I don’t need coffee to keep myself going.
6. Reduce Stress – Eating a nutrient rich diet also leads to less stress on the body. It also affects mental stress as well. When the body isn’t adequately nourished it becomes stressed, thus accumulating additional body fat. The less stressed we are the better our bodies and mind can function.
7. Reduce the risk of cancer – Eating pure, whole foods greatly reduces your risk of cancer. I have read numerous articles about people’s cancer going away through raw foods. Kris Carr of Crazy Sexy Cancer is a prime example. Eating raw foods also reduces your chances of diseases in general. Today’s modern diet is a major cause of obesity and chronic disease in our society.  Take diabetes for example: simply changing ones diet will cure one of this disease, but most are unwilling to take on the challenge. They would rather be addicted to medication. (please note I say this knowing that there may be some situations where that is not the case and medications are a must)
8. Maintain weight – Through eating raw foods it is much easier to maintain a healthy weight. When I first went raw I dropped 10 lbs FAST, but since then  have maintained that weight and have only fluctuated within a couple of pounds. I have yet to drop below 170, and usually stay around 173 – I am 6′ tall.
9. Eating high amounts of raw food leads to healthier looking skin. That makes perfect sense – cut out greasy foods it’s only natural that your skin will begin to look better. I had some friends from Austin that commented on how great my skin looked after not seeing them for two months, and I had just started introducing raw foods into my diet the last time I had seen them.

Ready to take the plunge yet? Well, it’s easier than you think. You don’t even have to become 100% raw, I’m not. You will get many of these health benefits just from switching to a 50% raw diet. But the more raw foods you include into your diet the better. I always feel better when I am eating more raw foods.

They key to making it work for you is starting simple. I recommend starting with nutritious smoothies every morning, then begin working in fruits and other raw snacks (such as nuts, seeds and flax crackers) throughout your day and eating smaller cooked meals for lunch and dinner. Then, start phasing salads into your diet until you are having a large filling salad every day. At this point you will be eating 66% of your diet raw.

After that you can start phasing in “raw meals” made from cookbooks and the plethora of raw food web sites and blogs on the internet. I tend to have one or two “raw meals” a week, sometimes more. So, about 75% of my diet is raw. 50% is about the lowest it will ever go and that only happens when I forgot my salad for lunch or I go out of town.

Many of the raw cookbooks out there portray “raw gourmet” recipes that are difficult and time consuming to make. There are lots of blogs out there the offer simpler recipes that don’t require lots of prep time. A few of my favorite blogs for simple recipes are RawDawg Rory, Rawmazing, and Julie’s Raw Ambition.

Once you start eating more raw foods I suggest you purchase digestive enzymes to take for those times you do eat cooked foods. It will help you digest your food more easily.  You will quickly begin to notice the difference in how your body digests food. When you eat raw foods you will find yourself feeling much better afterward, as your stomach will not be churning trying to process a bunch of crap.

Also, expect to experience detox symptoms. This can come in a variety of ways, for me, it was strong headaches (but not migraine strength) for nearly a month. My system was getting rid of lots of toxins. I was also giving up coffee cold turkey at the time as well. I have sense then though allowed myself to have coffee a couple times a week. But detox is a good thing. If you are starting to go raw and experience this, just know you are doing something good for your body.

Health & Fitness, RAW Food by OrganicClimber
cancer, cardiovascular, detox, diet, energy, food phillosphy, health, healthy skin, new years resolution, RAW Food, stress
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I’m not sure how else to describe my new found addiction to running and cycling that is now competing with my climbing regime. I never in a million years thought this would happen to me. I mentioned before in other posts how I couldn’t understand my other climber friends lust for anything other than climbing, but now I am right there with them. Climbing is STILL and will remain my first and primary love. Even thought I am running and cycling more, it is simply because it’s easier to do without killing an entire evening.

Anyway, since purchasing my road bike for the purpose of endurance training as I previously posted I finally got go head out on a long ride today. I also left the homemmade gels at home and only brought a bottle of water with the juice of one lime, some agave nectar and sea salt for the purpose of replenishing electrolytes. The reason for doing this is to deprive my body of carbohydrates and teach it to burn fat as energy.

By teaching my body to burn fat for energy I will be able to perform better in a carb depleted state, maintain more energy for a longer period of time and build up a higher tolerance for pain as Matt from No Meat Athlete mentions in his Running Shorts blog.  This is important because there is more energy available in stored fat, this energy source is also more readily available; not to mention sugar burns a lot quicker.

I was also recently reminded of this concept in Brendan Brazier’s Thrive, an amazing book on sports nutrition from the standpoint of a Vegan. Brendan is a huge advocate of eating a highly alkaline diet, which I am also a big proponent of. Our bodies maintain a constant PH level of 7.35, but it has to work hard to maintain that level of PH. We can help our body out thought by eating less acid forming foods and more alkaline foods.

The cleaner and more alkaline foods we eat the less our body has to work to maintain a PH level of 7.35, thus making our bodies more efficient machines and giving us more energy. This is why I tend to eat more raw foods close to race days. I usually shoot for a 100% raw diet in the three days before, but so far have fallen short, mostly due to Holiday parties at work. In the future temptations to deviate will be minimal (at least I hope).

You can find Alkalizing / Acidifying food chart here.  Its best to avoid as many acidifying foods as you can, but many of them are still healthy for you, so it’s important to balance them out with more alkalizing foods.

As far as today’s ride… it was tough. It was extremely windy and there were lots of hills. You can view the elevation profile below the route map. I rode just over 35 miles in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. My time and speed weren’t too bad considering the conditions. I also was feeling a bit light headed at times because of the lack of carbohydrate intake. It was all for the good of endurance training though.

After getting out of the winds on more rural roads without having cars whiz by be at 60mph, the course become enjoyable and I had fun soaking in the quiet countryside, seems like I saw lots of farmers out working too. There were a number of hills though I didn’t get a lot of momentum going up and barely made it to the top. One of them I actually thought I might have to get off my bike and walk, thankfully I pulled through though. Somehow I was able to do quite well on the hills though and powered up them pretty will, which was surprising since I haven’t been on a ride in over a month.

I am looking forward to more and longer rides like this thought. I plan on riding the Hotter than Hell 100 in Wichita Falls in August 2010. I don’t know if I will do the 100K or the 100 mile yet though. More than likely it will just be the 100k. There are a couple other guys I climb with in the Texas Mountaineers that ride the race every year so I will more than likely have somebody to ride with.

On a side note I should be getting back into the climbing grove starting in January, so I will be able to start bringing you some climbing content for a change! Something I am excited about. Also, be looking for the announcement of a new climbing area I know about as well. It will likely excite a lot of trad climbers in North Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. That is all I can say for now, but if you dig through past blog entries you will see more information I have leaked!

Firs long ride - 35 Miles

Speed and elevation profile.

Uncategorized by OrganicClimber
100K, acidifying, alkaline, alkalizing, Brendan Brazier, carbohydrates, carbs, Climbing, cycling, endurance, energy, fat, food, Hotter Than Hell 100, Running, Sports Nutrition, sugar, Thrive, training, vegan
9 comments

Raw Energy Bar - Cashew Cookie and Pumpkin Spice Energy

This post is essentially a re-hash of the Larabar post I did a while back. These recipes are different and the date to nut ratio is far better. After seeing some raw energy bar recipes in Thrive by Brenden Brazier I got a better idea of how I should actually be making these. It is far simpler than what I was originally doing. Rather then pre-chopping the nuts I just toss all the ingredients into a food processor. So, I will actually be presenting to you two recipes here. One for Cashew Cookie and the other Pumpkin Spice Energy.

The Cashew Cookie flavor is my favorite Larabar, so now that I can make these on my own I will be buying them a lot less. Especially since I found out it’s easier than I had been making it out to be. For this recipe all you need is cashews and dates. It’s that simple!

The Recipe – Cashew Cookie

• 1 cup of pitted dates
• 1 cup of cashews

Directions: Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until the dates and nuts are well mixed and the nuts are coarsely chopped without any large chunks lingering about. There can, and likely will be a few but you don’t want too many. After your mixture is complete you have two options. One, place them on a teflex dehydrator sheet and shape into bars. I found myself creating one large square and then using a pizza cutter to divide into shapes. Once you have your bars shaped on the dehydrator sheet, place them in the dehydrator at 115 degrees overnight. In the morning flip them over onto the mesh sheets and remove the teflex sheet. Then dehydrate a few additional hours if needed.

Option two is to place them in the refrigerator overnight. They should also be stored in there as well. Your dehydrated bars won’t need to be stored in the fridge. My experience though with doing the refrigerator method with similar recipes is that they start to turn to mush after they warm up, so they have to be consumed relatively quickly after removing from the fridge, this is why I prefer using the dehydrator. When storing in the fridge wrap the bars in cellophane or place in a Ziploc bag.

The Recipe – Pumpkin Spice Energy

This one is destined to be one of my favorite raw treats. The Pumpkin Spice Energy bar is 100% my own invention too. Granted it was inspired by other raw goodies. Pumpkin Spice is one of my favorite flavors, so I will be more than likely making this recipe again and again. Another thing I like about it is I incorporate chia seeds. I have mentioned this potent little seeds before in Eating for Energy. The nice thing about chia seeds is that they slow down the breakdown of glucose when consumed with fruit (dates in this case), thus giving you loner lasting energy. Great for a long day at the crag, running or cycling.

• 1/2 cup of dates
• 1/2 cup of organic raisins
• 1/2 cup of almonds
• 1/2 cup of cashews
• 1 TBSP of chia seeds
• 2 tsp of pumpkin spice
• 1-2 TBSP of raw honey or agave nectar

Directions: Follow the same directions for the Cashew Cookie energy bar.

Oh, and on a side note. I fixed the overlapping comment box that occurs on shorter posts. So you will now be able to see the entire comment box without it being hidden by the sidebar. Yeah! Finally took the time to find the line of code that needed to be changed.

RAW Food, Recipes by OrganicClimber
almonds, cashews, chia seeds, dates, energy, energy bar, Lara bar, Larabar, nuts, organic, RAW, RAW Food, recipe, snack, sweet
6 comments

Specialized Secteur Sport Triple

Today I finally broke down and bought a road bike. I have been thinking about it for a couple weeks now after reading Thrive, by Brendan Brazier.  My roommate had also been trying to convince me to get a bike as well, but ultimately it was something Brendan had said about the way our body burns fat. He states, “during lower (longer exercise bouts) intensity exercise the body burns primarily fat.” What this essentially does is teach the body to become more efficient at burning fat as fuel, resulting in better endurance. Simply put, doing long distance bike rides will help me burn fat more efficiently so that I will be able to run further and faster.

It’s crazy to think I am actually going to start cycling as well. I have always given a fellow climbing buddy a hard time about cycling, especially when he misses a climb due to a race. But after hearing him talk about his recent trip to Mount Rainier I change my tune a bit. He and another biker out paced two marathon runners in the group. I think that speaks quite a bit to the benefits cycling can bring to both my running and climbing expeditions.

Raw Energy

During my training thus far I have managed to stay away from store bought energy drinks like Gatorade and have been making my own raw energy drinks consisting of dates, lemon juice, lime juice, coconut oil, agave nectar, salt and water. This concoction has done a wonderful job at replenishing electrolytes and providing simple carbohydrates. Brendon points out something interesting about coconut water. It had been used by Brazilian soccer teams for decades to replenish electrolytes lost in sweat.

Energy Gel - Flask

Another highly marketed energy product is sports gels. I have actually never tried these myself, but want to try one of Brendan’s raw versions during my runs. I have tried eating LaraBars for energy, but find them difficult to consume while on the run. The only down side to the homemade gels is they don’t come in convenient squeeze packets like the ones you buy in the store. It is for this reason I have yet to try making them, but recently I discovered gel flasks. So, I plan on purchasing one of these soon and trying they raw energy gels on a long run.

When it comes to my recovery I always make sure to have a recovery smoothie after my workout.  For me this is usually a mixed berry smoothie with almond butter and hemp seed protein and flax seed oil if I have it on-hand. This will ensure I get enough protein to help with muscle recovery and the flax seed oil helps with inflammation. If you are going to use flax seed make sure to ground them first so your body will be able to access the nutrients and benefit from the anti-inflammatory properties. This is something I only recently found out after reading Thrive.

I have found raw foods to be a tremendous benefit to my overall health and a contributing factor to my overall fitness level. One of my first posts here was Eating for energy, where I talk about what I typically eat on my climbing trips. I find it kind of strange that I usually eat more raw foods when I am out climbing or on days I run, but Brendan talked about the correlation in fitness and diet. When you look at it like that (that there is a correlation) it makes a lot of sense. The days I have great runs or climbs I am more inspired to eat better than when I perform poorly. I also feel I perform better when I eat better. There is a definite relation between diet and fitness.

Climbing, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, RAW Food, Running by OrganicClimber
biking, Climbing, cycling, energy, gel, RAW, raw energy drink, specialized, training
1 comment

Wow, it just dawned on me that I have been into RAW foods for about a year now. My first real exposure to RAW foods was 4th of July weekend while visiting friends in Austin. I had known they were RAW foodies for a while and even joked around about it with a mutual friend. I merely saw it as “extreme veganism” and never once did I stop to realize the true health benefits from the diet. But that weekend I had my first taste of RAW foods and actually enjoyed it. Prior to this you would rarely even see a vegetable on my plate – much less going into my mouth. After realizing there were lots of ways to eat and prepare RAW foods I began researching it on my own when I returned home.

By the end of the month I knew I wanted to start eating RAW foods. I started off easy at first, making smoothies in the morning and snacking on RAW foods throughout the day. After I purchased a dehydrator I started having simple RAW meals for lunch, but after realizing that was pretty hard to do every day, I replaced the “meals” with salads. Pretty soon I was eating around 70-80% of my diet RAW. At the time I was still eating meat and had zero intention of giving it up, I had been a hardcore omnivore up until that point.

However my omnivore mentality slowly went away. The healthier I ate the less I wanted to eat meat. I remember the day I decided to give it up. Before heading off to a one day climbing trip with a friend I decided I would no longer eat meat, however I inadvertently purchased a Lunchable to snack on, thinking it was only cheese and crackers; I had forgotten momentarily while in a hurry to leave the gas station that they contained ham. I mention this because it led to me eating a huge greasy burger and fries from Whataburger on the way home that evening. My friend had offered to pay for dinner since I drove, so I didn’t want to pass it up. I remember feeling slightly sick afterwards, but that, for the most part was the last time I had meat.

I have to admit though I have not held 100% to that standard, I occasionally slip in a slice of peperoni pizza with my veggie supreme and one time attempted to eat a very rarely cooked piece of red meat, but it just turned my stomach into knots. I have also very willingly had fish on occasion, although I could probably count those times on one hand.  I occasionally consider introducing chicken and fish back into my diet on a more regular basis, but the thought is usually fleeting, all I have to do is think of all the health benefits I have had from becoming vegetarian.

I don’t even know that I would consider myself a “raw foodie,” in fact I prefer not to be called that because that is not really who I am. However, my RAW food intake is usually pretty high, I don’t think it ever slips bellow 50% on any given week and on a good week I find myself eating as much as 80% of my foods RAW. The main reason I don’t go 100% RAW is primarily fellowship with other people. My life revolves around it, and I never want to have to pass up a social occasion to spend time with people and I don’t want to have friends strictly based on my diet, I would miss out on so much.

As for the health benefits? Well there have been many. I am rarely tired in the afternoons after lunch now, I never feel as though I need a nap. I feel fully functional off only six hours of sleep, sometimes less. I have a lot more overall energy than I had before. I dropped 10 pounds and keep a stable weight. My climbing ability also took a big jump as well once I started eating a high RAW diet; my cardiovascular health is also really good. I also have seen clearer skin and a few benign tumors I have shrink a bit. I am pretty amazed at the changes that have happened to me, it pretty much keeps me motivated to continue on this journey.

For anybody considering starting a RAW food diet I would say just start off simple; make smoothies in the morning, eat salads, snack on fruit throughout the day and just make wiser food choices overall. I believe you can improve your overall health simply by increasing your intake of fresh fruits and veggies, but at the same time you can’t expect to continue eating junk and see positive results. I liken it to an over weight person who makes lots of poor food choices and becomes frustrated when they don’t drop pounds after running and working out. It’s all about making wise choices, and I will admit I’m not perfect. There are STILL times I make poor choices. Usually it’s because I simply want to enjoy a certain food. I always enjoy it going down, but often times the after effects are not so great.

But I think the most important advice I can give is to not let food become an idol. People will always be way more important than food, thus why for me personally I will never go 100% RAW.  I also won’t do something that I don’t enjoy and for me maintaining an all RAW lifestyle would be too much work. Find a balance that works for you and go for it.

Health & Fitness, RAW Food by OrganicClimber
energy, food, health, junk food, omnivore, RAW, vegan, vegetarian, veggies
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