Some wonderfully, healthy eating trends are picking up speed with the mainstream population, which makes nutritionists like myself very joyous. Both raw food and gluten-free diets are becoming popular while the low-fat trend of the 80s and 90s is on the way out. This is good news as the latter did nothing good for us other than make our muffin tops and love handles grow at an obscene rate due to the over consumption of carbohydrates and processed foods.

These newest food trends are here to stay because they are all about promoting health. When you subscribe to the notion of eating nutrient-dense, low-allergen foods as the path to wellness, your gut and life will change for the better.

Eating raw is not something I personally do 100 percent of the time. I love cooked foods, especially soups and certain vegetables, which are easier to digest and simply taste better when cooked, including cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower. However, as Dr. Brian Clement, a raw foodie and co-director of the Hippocrates Health Institute says, "Food is not only for pleasure; it has the potential to aid in reducing disease and prolonging life." I couldn't agree more and truly believe that eating more raw food is critical to a joyous healthy life.

Top three reasons to go raw and cookie recipe after the jump

3 health benefits of eating raw:

1. Enzymes: Cooking food destroys most of the natural enzymes that are needed to break down nutrients and digestion. Think of enzymes as the little worker bees of your body that are involved in everything from delivering nutrients to your brain to balancing cholesterol levels.

2. More BM's: That's right, bowel movements and who doesn't feel great after a quality bowel movement? The late Dr. Jensen who wrote the book Guide To Better Bowel Care believed that toxic bowels were truly the root cause of disease. Eating raw means you automatically get more fibre. Fibre softens stools and is an excellent way to help the body more effectively detoxify.

3. More energy: Although there is no scientific, placebo-controlled study to back this up - do we really need science to tell us that eating raw wholesome foods will give us more energy? No way. I know first hand when I focus on eating more raw foods, I have more energy and my skin glows. I see this everyday with my clients who make a choice to eat "real" foods.

Rawlicious Nibbles
These little gems of deliciousness are bursting with goodness. They are quite sweet, so keep them as a treat!

Ingredients:
1 cup medjool dates, remove the seeds
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 sesame seeds

Method:
Place all the ingredients (excluding the sesame seeds) into a food processor, blend for a couple of minutes until all the ingredients are combined well. Form the mixture into bite-sized balls and roll into sesame seeds and slightly flatten. Place the rawlicious nibbles into a container and refrigerate overnight or for a couple of hours. Makes about 12-14 balls.

EnJOY!

Joy McCarthy, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Health Coach of Joyous Health, loves to inspire others to eat well and live well. Joy is the resident holistic nutritionist at 889 Yonge, a Yoga & Holistic Lifestyle Spa in Toronto. Joy welcomes your questions or comments.