Please do yourself a favor and watch Food, Inc.as soon as you can. Saw it the other night, and it really confirmed that I’m on the right path. Unbelievable… It pulls back the curtain on the food industry, and what is revealed is very scary. Be a responsible consumer, and find out where your food is coming from before you put it in your mouth. Although this was filmed in the U.S., and Sweden might have stricter standards, there is always room for improvement…

Want to take action? Here are 8 simple things you can do to change the food system…

1. Stop drinking soda and other sweetened beverages.
2. Eat at home, instead of eating out.
3. Bring foo labeling into the 21st Century.
4. Tell schools to stop selling junk food.
5. Meatless Mondays! Go without meat one day a week.
6. Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.
7. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer’s market.
8. Make a point to know where your food comes from – Read labels!

(All facts from http://www.foodincmovie.com/get-involved.php)

Books definitely keep me on track… I’m constantly buying new ones to keep me motivated. One of my favorites is (of course) Raw Food, Real People.

If you want to satisfy your chocolate cravings (the natural way – not by stuffing down a Snickers bar), then try this smoothie at home. Mix frozen banana, raw cashew milk or almond milk, cacao or carob powder, and a few drops of vanilla in a high-speed blender. Yummy!

Stopped by Dean & DeLuca in Soho this weekend with my brother Gustaf and picked up a blueberry orange juice. They have a ton of beautiful fresh fruit, veggies, and flowers.

There are many reasons to avoid food sprayed with pesticides – depending on the kind, they can cause irritation of the skin, have negative effects on the nervous system, create hormone imbalance, and cause cancer (due to the carcinogens).

So choose organic produce when possible. To see if fruit or vegetables are organic, check the number on the little sticker… if it’s 5 digits total, starting with the number 9 it’s organic and if it’s 4 digits total, starting with the number 4, it’s not organic.

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is a big fan of raw food, frequently spotted at Pure Wine & Food (my favorite raw food restaurant in NY). She is also a big coconut water supporter and has been seen drinking it on the go in the city on several occassions.

What does coconut water do for you? Raises your metabolims, boosts your immune system, cleanses your digestive track, balances your body’s PH, helps with body’s circulation, and keep the body at its proper temperature.

The raw food lifestyle can be difficult to grasp at first (and I admit, in the beginning I was a little confused myself). So let’s clear things up – since I don’t want anyone thinking they can eat sashimi, that’s raw ”fish” guys…

What exactly IS raw food? Raw food is food that has never been heated over 118 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius); preserving the enzymes and nutrients in its natural state. As soon as a food is cooked or has added chemicals, the vitamins, nutrients, enzymes, and other healthy compounds start to change or become destroyed.

SO what DOES a raw foodist eat? They eat fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, and soaked or sprouted grains. You’d be surprised at the vast amount of recipes that can be created using just the mentioned foods… Cakes, soups, smoothies, crackers, dressings, “pasta,” “burgers,” etc.

Welcome to Raw Clarity! A blog about living the raw food lifestyle. I’m a Swede raised in the U.S. and have spent a total of 20 years in this country, hence why I choose to write in English – so, shoot me a comment if there is anything you do not understand.

I began eating raw for health reason, but ended up enjoying additional benefits – one of them being clarity. When you don’t clog up your body with junk, your thoughts make more sense, and your mind sees life in a clearer light.