Going Raw

I've been experiencing stiffness in my knees and then all over for the last three months. In September, my knees felt like they did when I tore my meniscus a few years ago. Something was whacked.

At the time, I had been taking some herbal supplements (prescribed by a naturopathic doctor about one month before onset of the symptoms), so I stopped and concentrated on supplements for joints. The condition improved, so I started the herbal supplements again. It really is a long story so I'll just cut to the chase.

My naturopathic doctor interpreted one of my blood test as indicating kidney damage; my GP repeated the test and said I'm fine. He ordered me to stop taking the herbal supplements to which at this point I was in total agreement. I suspect the supplements contributed to what's going on in my body.

Anyway, I'm still experiencing stiffness so after some thought, I've decided to switch to raw foods. I've read a lot about it and believe I can relieve this stiffness by changing my blood pH through this diet change. I will be experimenting with different recipes and will share those that I think are delish. Here's one, so far.

Mock Tuna Salad

For the salad:
3 cups of soaked raw sunflower seeds, ground in a food processor
3 to 4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 bunch scallions, diced
2 tablespoons dulse flakes
1/4 cup dried dill

For the dressing:
1 1/2 cups Thai coconut water
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups raw macadamia nuts, cashews, pine nuts, or a combination
1/2 cup stone-ground mustard

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the salad ingredients and toss to mix.
In a high-speed blender, combine all of the dressing ingredients and blend thoroughly. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to mix well and serve.

Serves 4.

Notes: Soak the sunflower seeds in water for 2 to 4 hours. Drain and dry.
Dulse is a sea vegetable and can be found at Good Foods Co-op.
I didn't have any scallions and used a little diced onion instead.
I think scallions will be better.
I made half of this recipe using half of the garlic; I would use less garlic
next time. I used cashews for the dressing. It is absolutely delish.
I used coconut milk since I didn't find any coconut water.
And finally, even though I like dill I did not and would not use as much as
the recipe recommends.

I had this on a bed of salad greens and sliced tomato for lunch. Excellent.
At another time, I made a sandwich. It was as good as tuna salad for me.