Banana Rama!

Everyday we learn something new about the lifestyle we've chosen to embark upon for optimal health. One thing that's hard to swallow (in a literal sense) is how much we literally have to eat because of how quickly our bodies process our raw diets. The average American that's chosen to go on a diet will usually restrict their calories to 1,500 calories or even less keeping in mind they are consuming an abundance of protein which the body isn't supposed to process in large quantities. Why? Rule of thumb - An infant surviving on mother's milk takes in about 7 percent protein. The rest of the components of the milk are the more imperative nutrients the baby needs to grow properly. 7%!!!! That's all of the protein that's in the milk and look at how quickly that baby grows. Also, when we consume large amounts of protein, we feel sluggish.

Since Racquel and I have adopted a high carbohydrate low fat raw vegan lifestyle, our bodies metabolize these natural foods much faster than we would if we ate a New York strip and eggs for breakfast.

Okay, now to my point. Because of the way our bodies rev up when we eat, we have to consume twice as much as what the average dieting woman would consume. You guessed it! Between 2,500 and 3,000 calories A DAY! I'm kind of starting to miss juicing. It's much easier to drink those calories. At least that's how it sounds. It takes a little creativity and eating enormous meals doesn't feel the same as over indulging on animal protein. Last night for dinner, I ate a very large salad and a pound of grapes and didn't have to sit and wait for my food to digest to run around with my dog for an hour or so. It's a completely different digestion process in the body. The body can use those calories more efficiently because their nutrient dense and clean calories.

About a week or so ago, I found one of my newest favorite raw foodies on YouTube (Megan Elizabeth - Easy To Be Raw) and she made this thing called a banana whip. So I had one for breakfast this morning. I call it Banana Rama. Here's the recipe:

4 super ripe bananas (frozen overnight)**
Cinnamon (to taste)
4 dates (be sure to remove the stones/pits)
About a half cup of water (depending on the blender and mine needs replacing :-) )
A few raw cashews for topping (or any nut of your choice)
A bowl and a spoon
**You can add as many bananas as you want. I only had four that were turning brown and the brown ones are the best to use because the sugars have concentrated so much. I prefer the yellow bananas for eating straight away. (Images below)

I started with one frozen banana a splash of warm water and all of the dates and I let them all whip up until it was chunky. Then I tossed in another banana with a little more water (about a tablespoon at a time). After the third banana I sprinkled in some cinnamon, added the last banana and poured it all in a bowl. You can also put the mixture back in the freezer to firm it up a bit. When you're ready to eat, sprinkle with some raw nuts and ENJOY!

 This is a super sweet breakfast but it packs an energy punch as well. It's enzyme and micronutrient rich so your body is going to love you for it. Our cells run on glucose so this will definitely get you going much quicker than a cup of coffee! Have a great Thursday!