I love eating out and especially if what I’m eating is going to contribute to great health! If you’re ever in LA, check out Planet Raw in Santa Monica—one of the best known raw vegan restaurants around. I’ve reviewed it to whet your appetite…
A NATURAL STATE If you hadn’t heard of raw food aficionado Juliano and happened to stumble upon his restaurant in LA’s famed seaside suburb of Santa Monica, you’d be forgiven for wondering where the grills and ovens are. Here, words such as bake, boil, steam and barbeque are left at the door of the nearest fast food joint. At Planet Raw, it’s all about food preparation that keeps nature’s (organic) food in its natural state, with life-giving enzymes kept fully in tact to give you a boost that, quite simply, no other form of food preparation could. Yet, it’s important to know that carrots and beans on a plate it’s not. Food here is prepared with loving care, with many ingredients spending long, lazy hours in food dehydrators before being whipped up into gourmet works of art at the instruction of the “guru” himself, Juliano.
GOOD TIMES While optimal health through good eating is obviously important at Planet Raw, this is one must-visit restaurant that also knows how to have a good time. From organic espressos to the wine and elixir bar, a night (or day) out with Juliano is guaranteed to put a spring in your step.
MENU FAVORITES Whatever your pre-conceived ideas are about raw food, be prepared to leave them at the door. The Planet Raw menu is packed with incredible flavors in a menu that literally has a dish for every taste—from the “bacon” western double burger, with its side of more-ish zucchini fries to the green curry pasta (made from zucchini) dripping with a Thai nut curry kream and topped off with coco-noodles. Dessert (which Juliano suggests you eat at the beginning of your meal for your health’s sake) is also an experience to behold. I say go for the chocolate parfait or the “best ever cheeze cake”.
THE LITTLE EXTRAS Planet Raw is more than just a restaurant with great food and friendly service. Here, you can sign up for Juliano’s raw food classes, his seven-day detox program and stock up on all sorts of healthy goodies from kombucha
(a cold Chinese tea packed with probiotics and natural vitamins) to the God of all food processors, the Vita-Mix
TIP For those who are serious about raw food, inquire about Juliano’s certified raw chef program, which is said to be one of the world’s best.
609 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90405, U.S.A
Phone (310) 576-3180
www.planetraw.net
Juliano’s butternut squash soup pic courtesy: Swellvegan.net
Obtaining optimal health, eating living foods and detoxifying isn’t as difficult as it may seem, says New York-based clinical nutritionist and yoga instructor to the stars, Kimberly Snyder. It’s all about knowing how and having fun with it. The result—radiant beauty that glows from within—is well worth the effort.
I was fortunate to meet with Kimberly while she was in LA last year. During our chat (and snack of delish homemade raw cacao balls she brought with her) Kimberly shared all sorts of great tips about veganism and the raw food lifestyle.
Below are some of her top tips for staying young and healthy. For more fabulous vegan and living food insights head to Kimberly’s blog at www.kimberlysnyder.net. Enjoy!
1. Max out on raw greens. Uncooked greens and vegetables are a powerful beauty secret. The living enzymes in uncooked greens and vegetables contribute to skin health by acting as catalysts that assist body processes like digestion, detoxification, and rebuilding. For example, by assisting the body’s energy-intensive digestive process, enzymes free up energy for other tasks, like repairing and rebuilding the skin- the largest organ of all. Unfortunately, the valuable enzymes, proteins and vitamins found in plants are heat sensitive and can be damaged or destroyed by normal cooking temperatures. In fact, cooking can easily destroy a food’s entire enzyme reserve. So pack as many completely raw greens, salads, veggies, sprouts and fresh herbs into your diet as you can! An easy way to get a large amount of easily digestible greens is from a green smoothie. The simple recipe is available online at www.kimberlysnyder.net.
2. Add açai to your diet. Açai is loaded with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, including Omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, key vitamins and fiber. The Omega 3 fatty acids found in Açai maintain the structure and fluidity of cell membranes, facilitating the inflow of nutrients and the outflow of waste products, promoting youthful, smooth and radiant skin by keeping skin cells hydrated and strong. Acai is a key component of The Solution, as it is also extremely beneficial when applied topically.
4. Drink detox tea. Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins from the environment, our diet and chemicals from products we put on ourselves. Over time, these toxins promote illness and can accelerate skin aging. The liver is the blood’s filtering system, and when it becomes overloaded, the liver stops effectively filtering and neutralizing the toxins that enter the body. These excess toxins continue circulating and are deposited in fatty tissue, building up over time. The long-term effects of toxic overload are manifested externally in the form of wrinkles and spotted, leathery skin. One of the easiest and tastiest ways to promote healthy liver function is to drink detox tea 2-3 times per week. The recipe is available online.
3. Switch to Celtic sea salt. Celtic sea salt is unique among salts because it is a sun-dried – a process that allows 70 minerals and trace elements, enzymes and even marine microorganisms to remain intact. Other sea salts are kiln-dried, which causes valuable magnesium and most other minerals to evaporate. Normal table salt is the worst of all, being irradiated and denatured sodium chloride. It not only has no nutritional benefit, it depletes the skin’s natural hydration. So make the switch to Celtic sea salt!
5. Eat more onions. This everyday food has a considerable amount of sulfur, which helps cleanse the skin and liver and rebuild connective tissues like collagen. Onions are also an exceptional source of usable quercetin, which works to eliminate free radicals, protects and regenerates crucial Vitamin E and decreases capillary fragility.
6. Add sea vegetables to your diet. Sea vegetables are about 12 times richer in minerals than average vegetables. They are an especially good source of iodine, which regulates the metabolism by feeding the thyroid, iron, B6, B12, and magnesium, which opens over 300 different detoxification pathways in the body. You can throw sea vegetables such as dulse, hijiki and arame in salads or make nori wraps stuffed with salad. All are available at any health store.
7. Sprout your seeds and nuts. A raw, dry nut is dense in calories and encased in inhibitor enzymes, which keep it from sprouting before it is in a safe environment. The sprouting process changes the constitution of the nut, making it more like a plant. The nutritional benefit is that the proteins in sprouted nuts are more easily assimilated by the body. Here is a simple method for spouting almonds: Cover almonds in filtered water in a bowl and place in your refrigerator for 24 hours. Rinse well several times. You should peel off the outer coating of the almond before eating. A handful is a wonderfully nutritional, filling snack. Throw a few in a bag and take them to work!
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As more Westerners begin to embrace the life-enhancing benefits of natural therapies, understanding what treatment works best for what condition can cause a headache itself.
Holistic health care, unlike Western medicine, treats the whole person to identify the cause of each symptom. As each body is different, treatments are then tailored to the individual—to not only cure dis-eases but also help people live continually in optimal health.
The Health and Vitality Center’s Dr Shiva Lalezar says many people who deal with fatigue, for example, may overcome it with controlled doses of Vitamin C—a common vitamin which has a profound positive effect on immune cells and is specifically anti viral when given intravenously.
“It helps patients live a vibrant life filled with energy, stamina and mental clarity through diverse natural treatments including infusion therapies,” she says.
“A 24-year female was presented to my clinic with worsening fatigue in the past six months. She also had enlargement of one lymph node in her neck which was biopsied and found to be non cancerous. All her blood work was also normal. She was however feeling worse each day and had quit working out and was dragging herself at work. She could not get out of bed in the morning and this was affecting her work.
Dr Lalezar said she did a series of blood work and found two viruses to be extremely high (Epstein Bar Virus and Cytomegalovirus).
“She also had high Candida antibodies and a low Vitamin D level. I placed her on high dose Vitamin C intravenously once a week and gave her Ribose powder (the monosaccharide sugar backbone for RNA and DNA), probiotic and placed her on a Candida-free diet.”
The doctor says within three weeks the patient’s energy level went from 50 percent to 80 percent and has been able to work out and function better at work.
According to life food expert, David Wolfe, switching from a junk food diet to a completely raw lifestyle, without adding supportive herbs such as reishi
“Whenever we have eaten anything in our life, our immune system is reactive to it,” Wolfe says. “Why? Because it’s Shakey’s Pizza, it’s Fruity Pebbles, God knows what else … Hershey’s chocolate bars, and our bodies go what the heck is this? The food comes in, the immune system is activated, white blood cells multiply—this happens every meal for years.”
“When we get on raw food, we don’t have that reaction and our body goes ‘whoa’ and it can be lulled to sleep. So our immune system can become susceptible because we’re not crying wolf on it. Very important concept. The mushrooms (reishi) keep all that buffered so our immune system doesn’t go to sleep.”
I recently caught up with Dr Lalezar to chat holistic health care:
What is one natural therapy everyone should know about and why?
DR LALEZAR: High dose Vitamin C because Vitamin C boosts up the immune system, fights against bacteria, viruses, and cancer. Vitamin C can be taken orally in the form of buffered Vitamin C up to 10,000mg per day. Oral Vitamin C however can be hard on the stomach and may cause diarrhea. Patients who need high doses of Vitamin C (10,000‐75,000 mg) can be given IV infusion. They see immediate improvement in their health.
Explain allergies and how they can be best treated?
DL: There are different forms of allergies. An IgE mediated allergy causes hives, swelling, throat tightening, and shortness of breath. This is seen with bee sting, certain medications, and highly allergenic foods such as shrimp, peanuts, strawberries, and shellfish. Allergies of this nature can be quick in onset and cause anaphylaxis and death.
Another type of allergy is IgG or IgA mediated and they are more insidious and less obvious. Patients may not be aware that their daily symptoms are due to an allergic reaction or food sensitivity. Milk, wheat, soy, eggs, beef, and citrus fruits are the most common food allergens.
Patients may experience vague symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aches, brain fog, irritability, mood fluctuations, dark circles under the eyes, inability to lose weight or gain weight, and many more! Allergies are best treated with elimination of the food, and strengthening the immune system with (omega oils), probiotic, Vitamin C. Antidote drops are also very powerful in treatment of allergies.
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Eating raw, live foods enliven cells and contribute to a better functioning body. As more people awaken to the incredible benefits of this natural way of eating, the global ecology also begins to flourish. But besides grabbing an apple, how can eating raw become convenient to keep up with a busy lifestyle?
While mastering dishes such as sun-baked pizzas, mock salmon sushi or gourmet tacos (such as the delish one above, from Gourmet Vegan Chef) can undoubtedly take a little time, there are high quality options for raw foodies on the run.
Registered nurse and natural foods chef Alice Benedetto turned her passion into an organic raw-food product that gets my seal of approval (I’m addicted, actually). Raw Revolution Organic Live Food Bars
“When I made raw snacks for my son as an alternative to high sugar processed snacks, friends also loved the taste and suggested selling them. That seemed impossible. As a single mother of an active two year-old, working full time, how would I start a business?” Alice says on her website www.rawindulgence.com.
“I found time to develop the Brownie, tested them out and got great response. Even the average person, not just a health food nut, loved the taste.”
Raspberry & Chocolate and Spirulina & Cashew are a must try, as much for the superb taste as for the health-boosting enzymes that are very much left in tact in this generous-sized bar.
Some of my other faves include:
Pure Bar 
LÄRABAR — is simply fruit and nuts. Each bar has no more than seven ingredients. There’s no added sugar, is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan and kosher. Available internationally at natural, conventional and specialty grocers.
Righteously Raw Maca Bar — Vegans everywhere, rejoice. This decadent, raw, organic food bar has no sugar, no dairy, and isn’t pasteurised or homogenised. With ingredients such as cacao butter, cacao powder, khadrawi dates, lucuma, coconut oil, agave nectar, vanilla bean and Himalayan pink alt, it’s little wonder The Health Ranger named it his favourite too.
Main photo courtesy Geoff Peters 604
I was a little shocked to hear one of my favourite raw vegan restaurants in LA shut its doors this month. Leaf Organics wasn’t a five-star dining experience, no doubt. The service got better the more you visited and the interior had worn over time. But the food was always great and of course über healthy. Some of their smoothies were incredible, as were the burgers and wraps (loved the Flying Felafel).
As I Googled to find out the goss behind Leaf’s closure, I read a lot of comments from those who had visited Leaf at least once. Reviews were definitely mixed, but that’s bound to happen, especially when a restaurant is vegan and raw. It’s more than likely that some of the general public just don’t get it and that’s completely understandable. If someone had asked me to eat a mostly raw vegan diet just two years ago, I would have thought they were a touch on the crazy side. My, how things change.
What surprised me the most about some of the comments that referred to Leaf, was the belief that a raw vegan diet is extreme. Now as a mostly raw foodist (although this is only a label I give myself for the purpose of this entry), I’d of course have to beg to differ. But it did get me to wonder how many people out there think of the raw vegan lifestyle as off-the-scale extreme, and what part of raw veganism do they see as extreme? Inquiring minds are keen to know.
If you have any thoughts on, or questions about, the raw vegan diet, feel free to leave them in the comments. Or have your say in the poll below…
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Leaf Organics Culver City store
Main photo by: sweetonveg
Sweet potato in a smoothie? When I saw this recipe in Susan Smith Jones’ The Healing Power of Nature Foods, I was intrigued. Who puts a root vegetable in a drink? Susan Smith Jones and many others it seems.
So I took my intrigue into the kitchen and whipped up my own chocolate sweet potato smoothie. It was downright delicious.
As all good things deserved to be shared, here is the recipe in all its glorious flavour. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Yum!
Chocolate Sweet Potato Smoothie
(Serves 2-4)
• 2 cups juice (orange, apple, cranberry or almond milk, or any combination). For this step I made my own almond milk. See recipe here.
• 1 cup cooks sweet potato or yam flesh
• 4-5 pitted medjool dates
• 1 ripe frozen banana
• 1 1/2 tsp of cocoa (or raw carob powder)
• Dash of cinnamon
Preparation:
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I’m often asked why I choose to live on a mostly raw diet. When I began to understand that life creates life, it made the raw transition an easy one. Enzymes, which are present in live vegan foods, fuel the human body with nutrients that are almost completely devoid in cooked foods.
Since eating a roughly 80 per cent raw diet I have loads of energy, my skin has much better tone, my thinking is clear and I simply feel great.
Here’s are some basics:
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When it’s just too much effort to make it into the kitchen to spend time with my food dehydrator, I turn to one of my favourite recipe blogs, The Raw Chef. From there, I daydream about all the goodies I plan to make, as I flick through the delectable delights whipped up by raw food chef Russell James.
If you think pizza is unhealthy, Russell gives you good cause to think again with this masterpiece…
Pesto & Caramelised Onion Pizza
For the base
500g (approx 3c) buckwheat, sprouted for a few days until it has a small ‘tail’
2 avocados or 1/2c almond butter
1/4c olive oil
1/4c fresh basil
3T Italian seasoning
1/2c sun-dried tomatoes
3T lemon juice
1/2t salt
3 medium tomatoes
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Who needs to write about the benefits of a raw vegan diet when you can see it in action in Mimi Kirk, Peta’s Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50. Wow.
I love my local library. You just never know what treasures you can to find. For a not-so-vegan-friendly community where I live (that is, it’s hard to find a restaurant that doesn’t use animal products in every dish), I’ve been surprised to discover quite a few books on vegan topics.
The latest find is RAW from Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein — two celebrated US chefs who actively promote sustainable living and showcase it through their incredible culinary pursuits. Many of which are featured in RAW.
With recipes such as Mediterranean Cheese Salad with Dragon Crackers and Indian Red Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream and Pecan Praline, this talented duo show just how diverse and satisfying a raw diet can be (although they do include not-so-veganesque raw honey in some recipes, which I’d suggest switching up with raw agave nectar).
Plus with gorgeous pics from photographer Tim Turner you’ll want to un-cook every recipe in the book. I’m starting with the sweet stuff: banana chocolate tart with caramel and chocolate sauces, minus the honey of course.
While Thanksgiving may be an American tradition, I’m including it on my yearly calendar because I love the idea of expressing gratitude for all of the amazing things that fill my life (and even the not so amazing — because you learn from those, right?). I’m a big believer that anything we give out (whether it be gratitude or even the not-so-nice-stuff) comes right back at’cha.
So, in celebration of this wee American tradition (November 26), I’m sharing a pumpkin cheesecake recipe from Rachel Fracassa, via one of my fave social sites, Welikeitraw.com. Now this is definitely something to give thanks for! YUM.
Oh, and I say skip the Tofurky (yech) and get straight to dessert because this is one sweet snack that is actually good for your health. Bless you, raw food!
Raw Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 Cups Pecans
- 1/3 Cup Raisins
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- Salt
Filling
- 1/2 Cup Soft Dates, pitted and packed
- 1/2 Cup Agave
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 2 Cups Cashews, soaked 2 hours, drained
- 1/2 Cup Young Coconut Meat
- 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil, warmed to liquid
- 1/2 Cup Irish Moss Paste
Pumpkin Topping
- 3/4 Cup Pumpkin, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Carrots, peeled and chopped
- 6 Tablespoons Water
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
- 1/4 Cup Dates, soaked
- 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Directions
- To make the crust: In a food processor, process pecans, raisins, cinnamon, and salt until the mixture begins to stick together. Press the crust mixture evenly in the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan.
- To make the filling: Process the dates, agave, and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Add the pumpkin, cashews and coconut meat and process until completely smooth. Add the coconut oil and irish moss and process until well incorporated. Pour the filling onto the crust.
- To make the topping: Place the pumpkin and carrot along with the water and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the dates and pumpkin pie spice and blend again until smooth. Spread the pumpkin topping evenly on top of the filling.
- Chill at least 3 hours before serving
Servings: 8
Notes
- If you don’t have Irish Moss, don’t fret. You can make the cheesecake without it, but serve it straight from the refrigerator.
- If you have an aversion to eating raw pumpkin, peeled carrots can be substituted for pumpkin at any time.
- To make a pumpkin drizzle instead of topping, replace the dates with 2 tablespoons of Agave.
So soy milk is out. What to pour over your oats now? Well, the answer is simple—and so much more delicious and nutritious than any supermarket packaged non-dairy milks that are often laden with preservatives and goodness knows what else.
Making your own almond milk at home takes a small amount of preparation, and not only leaves you with great tasting milk, but also the peace of mind knowing exactly where it came from.
As with any recipe, you can change this around to suit your specific taste. Even add some raw cacao for a chocolate drink like no other. Here is the basic recipe I use to make my very own fresh almond milk. Enjoy!
Raw Almond Milk
1 cup of soaked raw almonds
Spring water for soaking
3 cups of spring water (for actual milk)
3 to 6 pitted dates
• Almonds are best soaked overnight in a refrigerator, but if you’re in a rush, soak for a couple of hours and you’ll still be on your way to making a fabulous milk. Be sure to rinse them before using.
• I usually soak the dates in spring water for half an hour or so, but this isn’t always necessary if you’re using soft dates.
Blend the soaked almonds with the spring water until smooth. Then strain that mix through a strainer or cheesecloth (I find a strainer much easier to use). You can also save the left over pulp to sprinkle over cereal or use in baking recipes. Waste not, want not!
Place the almond milk back into your blender, throw in the dates and blend until smooth.
And, voila, there you have it, fresh almond milk. If you prefer a thinner or thicker milk, simply add or take away water as desired. Your milk will last in the refrigerator for about three days. Be sure to shake before using.
To make vanilla almond milk
Add the seeds from 1 vanilla bean or a natural sweetener such as agave or stevia.
One last tip: You can also add your almond milk to a green smoothie recipe to make it that much more delicious.
Pics courtesy of www.thehealthyeatingsite.com
I’ve just moved out of one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the world — Los Angeles. I’m now halfway across the globe to a beautiful country where there are actually more sheep than people (guesses anyone?).
While my new city is quite green conscious, its eco-ness hasn’t yet extended into the vegan realm. This of course means rather than eating out at some of my fave vegan restaurants (as I did often in LA), I’ll be at home keeping my food dehydrator company.
To pay homage to the city that supported my vegan lifestyle so well over the past few years, I’ve compiled a top 10 list of things I miss about LA (mostly food, as you’ll see!) in no particular order:
Leaf Organics
From the can’t-get-enough live food wraps to the most incredible smoothies you’ll ever slurp, Leaf Organics is a raw food vegan’s heaven. Besides their cafe-style eateries in Sherman Oaks and Culver City, Leaf Oranics provides their scrumptious raw goodies (including burgers – see below) to many Wholefoods stores. Owner and vegan extraordinaire Rod Rotondi also recently joined forces with Agape’s Dr Michael Beckwith to produce a book: Raw Food for Real People, a guide I’ll be reviewing in the coming weeks.
Wholefoods
Wholefoods‘ aisles are peppered with vegan friendly edibles. From nature’s energy drink of choice — young coconuts — to specialised products such as sausages from the Field Roast Grain Meat Co (go for the smoked apple sage variety, the rest pale in comparison) this market is the place to shop if health is at the top of your agenda. Wholefoods, it’s time you swung open your doors down under.
Erewhon
You could sit for hours at the Eerewhon (pronounced air-ee-won) juice bar, sipping on liquid potions guaranteed to put an enzyme-infused spring in your step. This market is known by health gurus, such as David “Avocado” Wolfe, (who I heard speak there recently … if you ever get the chance to do the same, jump at it) to be at the forefront of real good real food. Really. Sure, it’s a tad pricey, but well worth spending a few extra bucks to get great vegan food and optimal health. Long live Erewhon!
Hugos
Oh Hugos, how I miss you so. Whether you’re in the Valley or on Santa Monica Boulevard, be sure to stop off at this ever-popular brunch, lunch and dinner hotspot. The new American veggie burger (made vegan) is out of this world. Be sure to order it in a spinach wrap with all the extras. If you don’t mind a bit of that evil soy every now and again, add the vege bacon to your order. Having just checked out the menu online, I also see they’ve added new vegan delights to their already jam-packed menu: vegan orange pancakes for brekky and the “best vegan New York style blueberry cheesecake”. Hugo’s how could you? Worth a trip back Stateside just to test these newbies out!
Bodhi Tree Book Store
A treasure trove of all things holistic and spiritual, Bodhi Tree Book Store on Melrose has a special section dedicated to vegans and vegetarians — including must-have cookbooks. Worth a wander, no matter your belief or diet. You might even spot a celeb or three in this local fave.
Vegan Plate
There’s a lot of soy on the menu at Vegan Plate, but there are also other options (including veges and wheat meat) at this Studio City restaurant, tucked away in a strip mall on Ventura Boulevard. It’s clean, the service is friendly and it’s frequented by vegan types and those who simply appreciate good Thai food.
Planet Raw
This Santa Monica restaurant is the playground of raw food god, Juliano. That is, this is his restaurant, where every raw vegan foodie dreams of visiting at least once. While prices are, well, pricey, the raw vegan food served up here is nothing short of sensational. You can also pick up kitchen goodies such as a Vitamix blender or Excalibur food dehydrator — must haves according to any good raw food vegan chef in the know.
Kombucha
Available at select cafes and eateries, I’d usually get my daily kombucha fix from Wholefoods. The multi-green variety from Synergy is my absolute fave, packed with live enzymes, probiotics and everything a body loves. Its founder Dave developed his brand of the cold tea after his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and found it hadn’t spread because of the kombucha tea she had been drinking.
Nutritional Yeast
This stuff is kind of addictive, simply because it tastes so good. Be warned, however, too much vitamin B can be bad, and cause you to break out in an unsightly red rash (speaking from experience). Nutritional yeast (and my fave from Kal’s) has various B vitamins including 1, 3, 6 and 12, which are much needed when you’re living vegan. It’s also packed with other nutrients including phosphorus, biotin, magnesium, zinc, copper and more. With Kal’s nowhere to be found at my local supermarket, I’m now sourcing a local equivalent.
Sunshine
LA is known for pretty well much constant sunshine — and after almost two weeks of rain now — I dearly miss it and have upped mushrooms in my diet, as they boast Vitamin D2. Besides being an instant mood-lifter, sunshine plays a huge role in our lives and isn’t the demon it’s made out to be (no, the sun doesn’t cause cancer, but sunblocks do!). Check out this great article from Health Ranger, Mike Adams.
I’ve been travelling a lot lately. Country hopping via long haul flights, sandwiched between lengthy hours on the road. Tripping from country to country has affected my diet much more than I expected. My usual raw food diet, which I eat around 80 per cent or so of the time, has turned to mostly cooked (gasp!).
The great thing about such a big change in my diet, besides the not-so-good noticeable decline in my usual joie de vivre? It has been a fabulous experiment.
I can easily tell the difference in my body from transitioning to mostly cooked, from raw, meals … physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. My energy levels have dropped, my thinking isn’t as clear and my usual Reiki practice and meditation has come to almost a complete standstill.
But why, one may ask, does eating cooked food make so much of a difference? Well, because I’m a) not thinking clearly and b) tired, I thought it best I get the lowdown from living-foods.com.
What are Living and Raw Foods?
They are foods that contain enzymes. In general, the act of heating food over 116 degrees F destroys enzymes in food (enzymes start to degrade in as little as 106 degrees F). All cooked food is devoid of enzymes, furthermore cooking food changes the molecular structure of the food and renders it toxic. Living and raw foods also have enormously higher nutrient values than the foods that have been cooked.
What are Enzymes?
Enzymes assist in the digestion of foods. They are known to be the “life-force” and or “energy” of food.
Why are Enzymes Important?
They assist in the digestion and absorption of food. If you eat food that is enzyme-less, your body will not get maximum utilization of the food. This causes toxicity in the body.
A raw creamy kale salad from chef Russell James. Delish!
