By Guest Blogger on July 14, 2011
Raw food is a plant-based diet consisting of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouts, fermented foods, seaweed, live water, herbs and more. By definition, raw food is not heated above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Raw food includes lots of fresh dishes and also foods that can be made in a dehydrator. Crackers, breads, cookies and things like kale chips can be made in a dehydrator. However, if you don’t have one, you can still make so many raw meals such as raw burgers, wraps, pasta and smoothies to name a few. Foods that have been heated to 104 degrees Fahrenheit still have their enzymes and nutrients intact, and this is very important. No mineral, vitamin or hormone can do any work without enzymes.”
By including more raw food in your diet, you can help your body by providing it with a rich source of enzymes, vitamins, minerals and water. It is important to note that as we age, the amount of enzymes that we have in our body decreases, so raw food should be a key part of our diet. Eeating a diet rich in raw and living foods can help prevent degenerative diseases and support healing at a cellular level. Raw food is often used as a tool for cleansing our bodies and getting rid of the toxins that we have accumulated from our environment.
Truth be told, I don’t just eat raw food for the enzymes and the nutrients; I eat it because it is the purest form of food and it tastes amazing. Raw food is full of texture and flavor. The simple fact is that when I eat raw food I feel an increase in energy and mental clarity. My skin and hair start to look healthier and my face glows. The raw food that I put into my body shines through to my outer appearance. I feel more connected to myself and others. I feel more connected to my spirituality. I also experience better digestion, weight loss and decreased cravings.
Ten tips on how to introduce raw food to your family
1. Revamp your salad.
Eat more salads. Revamp them and include different types of vegetables in your salad. Don’t know where to start? Introduce kale, sprouts, parsnip, seeds and seaweeds into your salads. Flax and chia seeds are great for you and a source of omega-3. Use avocado as a dressing and find out how yummy a salad can be.
2. Make a green smoothie or juice.
Green smoothies and juices are loaded with nutrients and are a quick, fun way to add more raw vegetables and fruits to your diet. Create a wonderful vitamin- and mineral-rich drink in under 10 minutes.
3. Make a raw dessert or treat.
This is a great way to get your family excited about raw foods. You can replace a lot of not-so-healthy ingredients found in the traditional store-bought desserts, ice creams, chocolates and treats. Instead, try making something at home that is filled with wonderful flavor, and your family will be hooked.
4. Make a new recipe once a week.
If you have a family that is eating cooked food, it may take a period of adjustment to include more raw foods. Plan to make a new recipe once a week. This way you will build up your raw repertoire and give everyone an opportunity to try new dishes. If they have a favorite cooked meal, try to make a raw version for everyone.
5. Subscribe to raw food blogs and e-zines.
These can provide you with recipes, where to buy raw food and support you along the way, and they are free. Most raw food enthusiasts are very passionate about their food and freely share their recipes. Most of them will answer your questions.
6. Pick a theme for you meals.
This is one of my favorite tips. Since I am trying to feed everyone and don’t want to spend forever in the kitchen making tons of dishes, I pick a theme. Let’s just say that I am making my husband some cooked pad thai over some rice noodles. I will make a raw dressing for his pad thai. That way I can use it for my raw pad thai. I will also use the same vegetables in both the raw and cooked versions, and this will shorten my time in the kitchen.
7. Get the children and your partner involved.
Go to local markets and get your children involved in picking fruits and vegetables. The whole family will be much more interested in raw food and what they are eating if you include them. My daughter loves working in the kitchen mixing dishes or putting away groceries. When we spend time together in the kitchen, we can talk about the new vegetables that I bring home. I often tell her why they are good and what they can be used for.
8. Find a local raw food group or restaurant in your community.
Often people who eat raw food may partake in monthly potlucks. If there is no group like this in your community, do what I did and make your own. You don’t have to be an expert or know a lot about raw food to do this. This will provide you with a community of like-minded people, and an opportunity to share and learn. Also, search to see where the closest raw food restaurant is and try it out.
9. Reorganize your pantry.
Make a list of new things you will need to buy. Most raw books have a pantry list in it. Start to look for raw sweeteners, nut butters, coconut oil, seaweed, herbs and seeds. Start moving these new things into your kitchen. Before you know it, you will have included a lot of new foods and raw staples into your kitchen, and you will purchase less of the unhealthy choices. I buy a lot of staples from my local health food store where they have a bulk section. This is great if you are on a budget.
10. Make your own.
Make your own dressings, sauces, condiments and drinks. This will allow you to include the freshest and best ingredients in your family’s meals. You will be able to reduce the amount of processed foods that you use, and you will find how amazing your own versions taste. My family now prefers raw dressings and sauces because they are so full of flavor.
I hope I was able to inspire you in some way and wish you the best on your raw food journey!
Sasha Campbell is passionate about health and raw foods. She is currently enrolled in David Wolfe’s “Raw Nutrition Certification Course,” is studying nutrition at the BodyMind Institute and is certified as a life skills coach. Sasha is also working on a raw e-book and runs a local raw food group.
Photo credit: SweetOnVeg (recipe for raw chocolate pudding)
Read More
By Jennifer Reilly RD LD on June 24, 2011
As a dietitian and cheerleader for all green and life-extending foods, there’s one food I absolutely can’t wrap my fork around: raw broccoli. I eat kale right from the stalk and down wheatgrass shots with an ear-to-ear smile. But when it comes to broccoli, it’s got to be steamed, roasted or sautéed. So the question arises, am I killing my broccoli, and is it even worth it if I can’t juice or chomp it in its raw form? What actually happens during the cooking process, and are foods better raw or cooked?
Cooking does have advantages. It reduces or kills toxins that would otherwise be problematic in our systems. For example, the toxicity of aflatoxins found in peanuts is reduced by 45 to 70 percent when they’re roasted (note that they never go away completely). Kidney beans and soybeans can’t be sprouted because they’re toxic raw. Cooked and chilled, however, these beans make a charming salad.
Cooking improves the digestibility of some veggies and legumes and, therefore, increases the wealth of healthy chow we can enjoy. The availability of sulfur-containing amino acids is increased in cooked soybeans. Cooked potatoes are easier to digest, taste better and are still full of plenty of cancer-fighting vitamin C. And thanks to cooking, we can easily benefit from an eggplant’s potent cancer-fighting antioxidants nasunin and chlorogenic acid, which not only scavenge free radicals and protect cell membranes from damage, but also aid in reducing “bad“ LDL cholesterol. Eggplant isn’t toxic in its raw form, it’s just incredibly fibrous and fairly challenging to eat.
Heat actually boosts the levels of beta-carotene and lycopene available in fruits and vegetables by breaking down cell walls and increasing the body’s ability to access the nutrients bound to the walls. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body and is found in orange, yellow, red and green leafy vegetables. It plays a role in the prevention of cancer and heart disease, helps your immune system, reduces high blood pressure, and can even protect your skin against sunburn. Lycopene, which gives tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit and apricots their red color, is increased two and a half times in cooked foods. Lycopene is best known for its role in prostate cancer prevention, but it’s also helpful in reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol (just like eggplant … veggie ratatouille anyone?), and preventing osteoporosis, skin cancer and even breast cancer.
On the downside, cooking does have certain disadvantages. Water-soluble vitamin C is highly unstable and is easily oxidized, destroyed by heat and dissolves in cooking water. This is why vitamin C levels drop by about 10 percent after two minutes of cooking.
Cooking also destroys digestive enzymes, which may be essential for optimal health. While we naturally make gobs of digestive enzymes, it can only help to get a few spares in the foods we eat. For example, when it comes to broccoli, raw is actually better than cooked (Nooo!) since heat damages myrosinase – an enzyme necessary for the production of sulforaphane, a precancerous cell ninja destroyer. And while heat may increase the beta-carotene availability in carrots, it also destroys their polyphenols, which are strong antioxidants that reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight? Raw fruits and vegetables tend to be more advantageous when it comes to healthy weight control since they contain fewer digestible calories per pound than cooked veggies, and may increase your resting metabolism.
The verdict? A mix of raw and cooked foods is ideal. Some experts recommend at least one pound of each per day. Juice veggies that you may not enjoy raw so you can get the benefit of their life-giving and fully intact digestive enzymes and nutrient powerhouses. Mildly steam or sauté certain veggies from time to time to make them more palatable and richer in antioxidants like beta-carotene and lycopene. Avoid lengthy cooking times, heavy frying or deep-frying, and excessive boiling, which drastically decrease the vitamin C content of foods, and produces unsexy free radicals in the case of frying and deep-frying. And finally, shred that raw broccoli and add it to green salads and wrap sandwiches. It’s not so bad!
Photo credit: Darwin Bell, jacqueline-w
Read More
By Kris Carr on October 27, 2010
Calling all armchair chefs!
I could fill a dang library with the number of raw and cooked recipe books I’ve picked up over the years, and there are certainly some chefs who have knocked my socks off more than others. It’s not easy to choose only five in each category, but here are some of the most accessible (and delicious) books I use on a regular basis. And remember, get crazy sexy free and gutsy in the kitchen, don’t feel chained to the ingredient list or instructions. Add your own jazz to the recipes. Your taste buds are uniquely yours. Listen to them. When you do, creating healthy meals will be fun and nourishing for your body and soul. Oh and, let us know about your favorite raw and cooked recipe books in the comments!
Raw
1. I Am Grateful: Recipes and Lifestyle of Cafe Gratitude by Terces Engelhart
Terces and Matthew Engelhart have created six righteous raw food restaurants in California. As an extension of their Café Gratitude restaurants, the Engleharts started the Be Love Farm, where they live in community and practice a sustainable lifestyle while growing food using the biodynamic method. This rockin’ philosophy on life and food has been infused into Terces’ amazing raw food book, which is packed with easy-to-follow recipes that have names like “I Am Luscious” raw chocolate smoothie and “I Am Bountiful” bruschetta!
2. RAWvolution: Gourmet Living Cuisine by Matt Amsden
Matt Amsden switched to a raw food lifestyle overnight after hearing an interview with David Wolfe. Since then, he has opened Euphoria loves RAWvolution, a groovy live food café, which also features lots of raw food and raw living goodies. Matt’s book, RAWvolution, caters to all levels of experience and gives readers an inside look at his own raw food transition. His tips will get you on your way to success in the kitchen even if you don’t have fancy tools!
3. Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes by Ani Phyo
Ani Phyo puts mama earth first with her raw food lifestyle. Her dedication to healthy whole foods started early while growing up on an organic farm. Today, Ani is sharing her mouth-watering recipes through her numerous books and live raw demos across the country. She’s even developed living food vegan menus for Carnival Cruise Lines, Adidas headquarters, STOMP and Whole Foods Markets!
4. Living Raw Food: Get the Glow with More Recipes from Pure Food and Wine by Sarma Melngailis
Over the course of her career, Sarma Melngailis jumped from the world of finance to French cuisine to raw food. Currently, she is the owner of raw food mecca, Pure Food and Wine in NYC. In “Living Raw Food,” Sarma takes us inside the Pure kitchen and gives us the key to everything from their smoothies to elegant raw entrees.
5. Living on Live Food by Alissa Cohen
Time and time again, I return to Alissa’s book. It’s my raw recipe bible! She’s been eating raw and teaching others about live food goodness since 1986. Alissa took her raw food passion a step further by opening Grezzo restaurant in Boston and creating the Living on Live Food Program for aspiring chefs and educators. Alissa’s new book,”Raw Food for Everyone,” will be on shelves October 28!
Cooked
1. The Candle Cafe Cookbook: More Than 150 Enlightened Recipes from New York’s Renowned Vegan Restaurant by Joy Pierson, Bart Potenza, Barbara Scott-Goodman
After winning the lottery, my dear friends Joy Pierson and Bart Potenza started Candle Café and later, Candle 79. These vegan NYC gems will delight your palate whether you’re a veggie lover or a steak and potatoes kind of gal. The founders of Candle have loaded their cookbook with to-die-for recipes that will make your kitchen (and belly) sing with delight.
2. The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat by Tal Ronnen
You may know Tal Ronnen best from preparing the menu for Oprah Winfrey’s 21-day vegan cleanse, catering Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s vegan wedding, or making the first vegan dinner at the U.S. Senate. The amazing meals that brought his work to these prestigious tables are at your fingertips in Tal’s cookbook. Find out what the fuss is about by bringing Tal’s recipes to life in your home.
3. The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Colleen founded Compassionate Cooks to debunk myths about vegan/vegetarianism and empower individuals to make informed decisions about the food they eat. Compassionate Cooks provides veggie education through workshops, cooking DVDs, lectures and podcasts. Perhaps one of the most delicious ways Colleen raises awareness is through her cookbooks! The Vegan Table offers recipes perfect for everything from a kid’s party to a holiday feast. Her new book, “Color Me Vegan,” comes out in December 2010!
4. Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero
Isa Chandra Moskowitz created the Post Punk Kitchen show with her pal Terry Hope Romero in Isa’s tiny Brooklyn apartment in 2003. These vegan how-to cooking webisodes caught on like wild fire and led to their kick ass cookbook, “Veganomicon.” There are over 250 recipes inside this treasure including some soy-free, gluten-free, and low-fat options.
5. The Gluten-Free Vegan: 150 Delicious Gluten-Free, Animal-Free Recipes by Susan O’Brien
Look no further if you are facing celiac disease, fibromyalgia or food allergies. Allergy sufferer and gourmet chef, Susan O’Brien, wrote this cookbook to provide tasty alternatives for those facing health challenges or just seeking a healthier lifestyle. Easy breezy recipes that’ll meet your dietary needs and personal tastes are only a book away!
Peace & bon appétit!
Kris Carr
P.S. An oldie but goodie honorable mention is The Angelica Home Kitchen: Recipes and Rabble Rousings from an Organic Vegan Restaurant by Leslie Mceachern.
Photo Credits: Yvestown
Read More
By Guest Blogger on August 24, 2010
To enter the Ulimana Coconut & Harvest Nectar Truffle contest: Visit Kris Carr’s Facebook Fan Page and leave a comment under the Ulimana contest post for the chance to win some delicious raw cacao truffles. We’ll announce the winner on Monday, August 30th. Read on to learn all about raw cacao from Ty Stevens…
My first experience with raw cacao arrived in the form of a truffle. Wow, who knew?
Growing up, chocolate to me was a candy bar, a fudgsicle or even an almost drinkable syrup drizzled over a mound of ice cream. Little did I realize I was actually filling my body (my temple) with preservatives, processed sugar and artery-clogging saturated fats–with maybe a trace of cacao (or cocoa as it is often referred to). As a kid, I thought that was normal. As an adult, I realized that was a death trap …literally!
Chocolate always seemed to carry a certain “I shouldn’t” quality about it: so bad yet so good, an indulgence, even sinister. Hence the intrigue chocolate still seems to carry with it today. Eventually I got older, and I started to actually think for myself. I then became more educated as to what role food plays in my overall wellness and where my food actually comes from. I recognized the importance of eating closer to the source and digesting food in its purest form without all the fillers often masking its true identity.
Enter raw cacao. Cacao is actually a fruit, specifically the bean of a fruit. With a history dating as far back as the earliest Mayan civilizations, cacao was used as a form of commerce and even a status symbol. Cacao was enjoyed and honored for its mind and mood elevating properties in ceremonies and celebrations of that time. Still today, cacao is harvested in many regions throughout Central and South America.
This highly coveted superfood harbors hidden qualities that have only recently become evident. This sexy, yet sophisticated superfood (very much in opposition to the conventional and overly marketed chocolates I grew up on) offers an abundance of health benefits naturally. While so many are faced with dis-ease from lifestyle, genetics, food and environment, raw cacao offers live food desserts you can really feel good about.
The raw diet has become a popular method of eating food close to its most original state by not cooking the food past a certain temperature, which maintains its integrity and abundance of natural health benefits. The raw diet requires much discipline as to where we get food, how we prepare it and of course how it tastes.
In the case of raw cacao (chocolate), it maintains its potency and its many health benefits preventing dis-ease and even further supporting the fight against it. Many studies exist to solidify the many positive effects raw cacao has on our overall health. These studies provide evidence that places cacao high on the list of premier superfoods. The following are a handful of the findings, nutrients and compounds present in raw cacao:
Flavanols – Prevent fatty acids and blood platelets from sticking in the bloodstream. Improve circulation, reduce blood pressure and prevent blood clotting and ultimately strokes.
Tryptophan and Dopamine – Promote positive mood and serotonin levels.
Phenethylamine (PEA) – Increases mental alertness and concentration. Postpone dementia.
Antioxidant levels – More than red wine, green tea or acai.
Increased insulin sensitivity – Results in diabetes prevention.
Magnesium – Better mood and healthy heart.
Blood and circulation – Antiaging and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Mono-unsaturated fats – Helps increase HDL levels (healthy cholesterol).
While making the adjustment to eating raw, organic or more holistic foods can be transformative, it does not have to mean sacrificing taste or convenience. Raw cacao is an excellent example of how it is possible to combat dis-ease and still enjoy the decadent tastes and textures of even the most supposedly sinister foods.
Many companies have made a name for themselves blending health-enhancing superfood treats that satisfy a desire for something indulgent. Case in point, Ulimana’s mouth-watering raw cacao truffles use natural sweeteners such as raw honey, agave, and/or date sugars combined with complimentary super ingredients such as sea salt, goji berries, chia seed, hemp, coconut and more. These raw chocolate desserts provide a most ideal introduction into the world of raw food and serve as a catalyst to indulge just a little while preserving quality and longevity of life.
Now we can fulfill our sweet cravings while protecting the sacredness of our body (our temple) and truly enjoy life without sacrificing our health and our body’s ability to embrace it!
Ty Stevens enjoys traveling and spending time with his greatest life teacher–his 8 year old son, Caleb. He has represented many companies and publications as a freelance journalist, and public relations guru in the outdoor and natural products industries.
Read More
By Guest Blogger on February 22, 2010
Today’s Meatless Monday inspiration comes from Keri and Paul Haken’s personal journey. Read on to learn how they are beating the odds and savoring each day of their lives together. An essential part of their wellness plan includes an organic vegan (mostly) raw diet!
Keri & Paul Haken
By Keri Haken
“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein
In late December 2007, my 39-year-old husband was diagnosed with stage IV, metastic, inoperable Adenocarcinoma of the pancreas; pancreatic cancer. We were devastated. The diagnosis was like having a bomb dropped on our lives, and we were totally clueless as to what would happen next.
In February 2007, I battled a serious illness that almost killed me, and I was still in rehabilitation. I had a brain abscess that was remedied with surgery but left me with stroke-like symptoms on the left side of my body, along with blood clots to my lung and thigh. We were still dealing with my illness when Paul’s 40-pound weight loss and back pain proved to be cancer. It was difficult in the beginning, and it required so much just to get out of bed and face each day.
Pancreatic cancer typically means a life expectancy of three to six months and a zero percent success rate with conventional treatments. Facing this daunting diagnosis, we knew we wanted to really live our lives as positively and fully as possible. I have always remembered the time that one of my doctors told me that I was a “miracle woman.” I told Paul he could be a “miracle man,” and we have kept the attitude ever since. Eventually, Paul’s oncologist even told him that he was a miracle. Such positive reinforcement meant everything to us!
One day, I came home from work to find a new book on the coffee table. It was Louis Hay’s “You Can Heal Your Life,” and Paul seemed to soak it up. We also had a copy of “Crazy, Sexy Cancer Tips” by Kris Carr, and we devoured her book, too. Between Kris & Louise, we gained the first real measure of confidence and insight Our new focus was to heal cancer both physically and mentally, but we had to retrain our brains.
Paul began attending a place in our home town of Kansas City called Turning Point: The Center for Hope and Healing. There, he began to take T’ai Chi and Qi Gong, and he met a woman named Dee, a cancer survivor in her 70’s. At her suggestion, we read “The Secret,” which—in conjunction with T’ai Chi & QiGong teachings—led us to meditation. Meditation is a beautiful thing, and now a big part of our lives.
Paul has wanted a motorcycle for years, but he never knew how to ride. Finally, on his 40th birthday, he got that motorcycle. We have had a lot of fun on our bike, and we no longer use excuses about money or think of reasons to put off living in the moment. Now, we do the complete opposite. We no longer allow obstacles to stand in our way. Some concrete limitations are difficult to ignore—like having a balance of $20 in your bank account! Still, it is about being conscious and having the right attitude. In T’ai Chi meditation, one of my favorite flows is to acknowledge the past, honor the present, and be open to new possibilities. It is a beautiful thought.
A big part of our lives now is food: focusing on what to eat and what to omit. We, like most, were uneducated about what we were putting into our bodies before the cancer diagnosis, and diet and nutrition have admittedly become healthy obsessions as important components of Paul’s healing. Instead of viewing the changes as too overwhelming to conquer, we chose to look at them as natural ways to heal our bodies. In fact, one of my nieces battled her way to remission from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma using diet and juicing as part of her protocol, and she influenced our decision to do the same. I have been a vegetarian for over 15 years, so the changes were not actually so drastic. Paul jumped in wholeheartedly, and we are now organic vegan, almost 100% raw. I retrained my brain to think of cooking and food preparation as another creative outlet. Every meal I make is a healing meal, and I spend more time in my kitchen than any other room in our home.
I can honestly say that we have never been happier in our lives or our relationship than we are today. We are stronger, and our love is stronger, because we are part of each others’ lives and were confronted with the real possibility of loss. We no longer take each other for granted, and it is our goal to make the other happy each day. Life is truly wonderful, and it is bittersweet that it takes something like cancer and serious illness to make us fully realize that. Maybe this realization is why illness came into our lives. It awakened us both. Are we blessed? Yes. Do we bless ourselves? Definitely!
Keri is 36 years old and works at a family-owned furniture store; Paul is a 41-year-old musician and cancer thriver, beating the odds! They have been married for 7 years and together for 17 years.
Read More
