This sweet, summery, strawberry salad is juicy and so flavorful – just delicious on top of some baby spinach.

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

My good friend tried an intriguing diet this summer.  She saw the documentary, “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” about a man on a mission to lose a considerable amount of weight to reverse his obesity-related symptoms. He lost 100 lbs in eight weeks, eating a raw, fruits and vegetables-only diet.  Most of his meals came from juicing.  After the weight loss, his auto-immune disorder disappeared and he felt great.

(

I found this little tool for hulling strawberries.

The New Raw Diet

Sooooo, my friend decided to go on a lighter version of his diet.  She ate only fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts for three weeks.  She juiced most of her meals and found new ways to prepare dinners (lots of salads).

love LOVE my new citrus juicer!

Right in the middle of her diet, she was supposed to come on over to our house for a play date.  She offered to bring her own lunch and I said, “No!”.  She didn’t want to inconvenience me by requiring a raw lunch.  I was up for the challenge and came up with this crazy delicious lunch (with no specific measurements).

Strawberry Mango Avocado Salad

2 cups strawberries, washed, hulled, and chopped
2 firm avocados, chopped
2 mangos, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Mix all of these goodies together in a large bowl and let them sit in the fridge for a few hours.  When you’re ready to serve, eat it as is or place a few scoops of the fruit salad on top of some salad greens and top with walnuts and balsamic dressing (and hunks of goat cheese if you’re feeling naughty!).

Results:

This strawberry salad is one of my favorite summer lunches now.  I’m glad she inspired me to think raw.  On a side note, my friend lost 15 lbs in three weeks.  Food tastes so much better to her now.  She’s slowly added back whole grains and some small amounts of meat.  She said the three weeks of detox was exactly the boost she needed to change the way she eats and thinks about food.  Great job, girlfriend!

And, here’s another way I salad: