Celebrating 5O issues of vibrant living inspiration! For people passionate about pure food, health and living life to the full Fresh! Raw guide to LA The stimulant trap And how to stay out of it ELECTROMAGNETIC POLLUTION How to minimize your exposure, why you need to SLEEP How much do you really need? Nature’s free superfoods SPRING 2008 81 UK £3.95 US $7.95 0 74470 23470 8 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE FOOD AND PSYCHOLOGY ❥ DAIRY-FREE MILKS ❥ HEALTHY FOOD FOR KIDS FO OOD DAIRY Contents Main Features 22 26 29 32 41 51 The stimulant trap Electromagnetic pollution How much sleep do you need? Interview with Gabriel Cousens Raw Guide to Los Angeles Wild foods for beginners Fresh! Spring 2008 29 In This Issue 16 18 20 36 39 56 58 60 63 78 82 Fighting the fast food giants The food trap and freedom of choice Ask Alissa! Raw on the dating scene Enzymes: nature’s life force Psychology and our food choices The pitfalls to avoid when going raw Why every cell counts Raw courage: a true story A mother’s best-kept secrets Healthy Breaks: Detox in Devon A Day In The Life Of Dhrumil Purohit Food 66 68 72 76 Sweet treats for kids of all ages, by Shazzie Cherie Soria’s ‘Secrets of a raw culinary artist’ Raw chef Chad Sarno with gourmet salads How to make raw milks and shakes 41 Regulars 4 Editor’s Letter 6 What’s new? 10 Book reviews 12 News 15 Events 49 Consulting Room 66 Spring 2008 Published by Welcome At the time of going to press, soft drinks giant Pepsi has just announced the UK launch of a new drink called ‘Pepsi Raw’ (slogan ‘Raw recruits, raw ingredients’). You could be forgiven for thinking the multinational must be opening a chain of juice bars in order to deliver this product; after all, no packaged drink with a shelf life could ever be raw. However, ‘Pepsi Raw’ comes not freshly made but in a bottle. It is also proudly billed as having ‘all natural’ ingredients. Well, there are many different ways of interpreting that standard so judge for yourself whether the following list meets your personal definition of it: apple extract, plain caramel colouring, coffee leaf, tantaric acid from grapes, gum arabic from acacia trees, cane sugar and sparkling water. What is most interesting about this is not the product itself but how it is being promoted. The fact that one of the world’s biggest soft drinks manufacturers is now using the words ‘raw’ and ‘all natural’ in its marketing is about the clearest sign we could hope to have of the growing public awareness that these are highly desirable characteristics. This same awareness is driving the huge explosion in the availability of products that genuinely are ‘raw and all natural’ by anyone’s definition. Hard though it may be to believe, this magazine had its début in May 1992, almost 16 whole years ago. Back in those days it was still impossible to get a vegetarian meal in many places and there wasn’t a single raw food restaurant anywhere in the world. Now there are well over 100 raw food restaurants in the US alone, and in this issue we report on new raw restaurant openings in Boston, London and Edinburgh. We also bring you our comprehensive guide to dining in LA. Along with close rivals San Francisco and New York, the city of Los Angeles is one of the best places on the planet to visit if you want to eat life-force-filled, exquisite gourmet raw vegan cuisine. But all the signs are that the day is fast approaching when you won’t have to travel to one of these cities to be spoilt for choice about where to go and eat food that matches that description. The day is approaching when this food, REAL food, will be available wherever you are. We hope you enjoy this, our 50th issue, and we wish you a healthy, happy and fun spring. Director Cary Kikis Editor Sarah Best Design Sara Popowa Printer Warners Cover istockphoto.com/vgstudio Contact details Get Fresh! magazine, The Fresh Network, Chequers House, 9 Stratton Road, Hainford, Norwich, Norfolk NR10 3AZ. Editorial enquiries sarah@fresh-network.com Advertising enquiries +44 (0)845 833 7017 info@fresh-network.com This magazine is printed on environmentally friendly paper produced from a sustainable source. SUBSCRIBE CALL +44 (0)845 833 7017 SEE PAGES 7&8 FOR DETAILS OF OUR SPECIAL OFFERS AND GIFTS. The Get Fresh! Philosophy Get Fresh! is the international voice of the raw food movement, featuring viewpoints, teaching and philosophies from some of the most prominent natural health authorities in the world, and real life stories and interviews with those living a raw and living foods lifestyle. Its aim is to educate, motivate and inspire, while retaining a rational and realistic worldview. The Get Fresh! philosophy, while focusing on diet, acknowledges that true health is about much more than food. It encourages each reader to seek, learn and discover what works best for them as an individual, on all levels – mind, body, spirit and emotions. If you’re interested in including more raw foods in your diet, having more energy, living more consciously, or are already living the lifestyle, Get Fresh! is for you! Disclaimer All recommendations featured in Get Fresh! magazine are for information purposes only and not intended to replace appropriate care from a qualified practitioner. Sarah Best Editor 04 Meet our contributors is an expert on the nutritional and healing properties of wild plants. Her beginner’s guide to nature’s free superfoods starts on page 51. Brigitte lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband Tom. Which five words best describe being raw for you? Amazed, enthusiastic, energetic and cosmically attuned. Which five foods do you eat most often? Kale, cabbage, apples, wild greens and avocadoes. Best way to transition to a raw diet: nice and slowly or cold turkey? Within a month. What is your focus this spring? Work on two writing projects: The Wild Things Uncook Book and my memoirs, Wildflower Child. On page 66, writes about raising children raw and shares a selection of superfood-filled dessert recipes for kids. Shazzie lives just outside Cambridge with her daughter Evie, aged three. Which five words best describe being raw for you? Eternal, ecstatic, love, bliss and bubbles. Which five foods do you eat most often? Raw chocolate, blue manna, hemp, cucumbers and avocadoes. Best way to transition to a raw diet: nice and slowly or cold turkey? Each to their own, or make a new person and keep them raw, like I did with Evie! What is your main focus this spring? My ‘Make Raw Food Mainstream’ campaign. Brigitte Mars Shazzie the best raw food Los Angeles has to offer and getting to know the chefs behind it for our guide to the city (starting page 41). Jeni lives in London with her husband Paul. Which five words best describe being raw for you? Freedom, health, clarity, energy, aliveness and gratitude (ok that’s six!) Which five foods do you eat most often? Spinach, romaine lettuce, green smoothies, celery and (dehydrated) onion bread. Best way to transition to a raw diet: nice and slowly or cold turkey? I went cold turkey, but I don’t think it’s the best way for everyone. I’d say gradually is best. What is your main focus this spring? To detox, de-clutter and organize – oh, and to return to LA! Jeni Cook spent a week sampling on Wall street before becoming a raw chef and entrepreneur. On page 16 she lets us in on her mission to make healthy raw food as easily available as fast food. Sarma lives in New York City with her cats Dallas and Sydney. Which five words best describe being raw for you? Energizing, exciting, comforting, liberating and lovely. Which five foods do you eat the most? Lately it’s been dark greens (in my big green shakes), grapefruits, fuji apples, our Cinnamon Crispies and raw cocoa. Best way to transition to a raw diet: nice and slowly or cold turkey? I did it cold turkey. I think it’s more exciting that way. What is your main focus this spring? To make my company independent so we can expand overseas. Sarma Melngailis worked 39 WHAT’S NEW? Durian on demand The durian is a firm favourite among raw food fans everywhere with its heavenly and unique taste. But this exotic Southeast Asian fruit has always been an expensive and hard-to-get-hold-of delicacy unless you happen to live in a region where it grows. In western countries, you’ll find it only in a handful of specialist markets, and a fruit will usually set you back anything from £10 to £20. But now The Fresh Network has started selling a premium-grade freeze-dried durian, meaning you can enjoy this healthy treat whenever and wherever you want it, for a fraction of the usual price: just £4.70 for a 100g bag and £2.70 for a 40g one. This product contains just premium-grade durian from chemical-free plantations – and nothing else. Furthermore, it is the world-renowned “Monthong” variety, widely acknowledged as the most exquisitely flavoured of all. And because the freeze drying process removes 97% of the water, the natural flavours are concentrated and intensified. How does the drying process work? In brief, the fruit is first frozen and then the moisture is removed in a vacuum environment using a method which preserves not only taste but also shape and nutrients. It can be eaten straight out of the bag as a crunchy treat, or you can rehydrate it until it regains the soft, delicate texture of the fresh fruit. Because it is packed with nutrients and good fats, durian makes a rich, satisfying meal or snack. To order, visit fresh-network.com or call +44 (0)845 833 7017. Raw soap! Organic skin and body care company Raw Gaia has launched the world’s very first raw soap. Hand-made with organic and cold-pressed oils and using a lowtemperature process, the soap comes in two deliciously scented varieties: lavender or rose geranium, and unlike most soaps is not drying but extremely gentle on the skin. For more information or to order see rawgaia.com or call +44 (0)1273 311 476. Brand new blender the best ever? The Vita-Prep3 is a new, state-of-the-art blender which boasts proudly in its marketing blurb that it will purée “anything, even asparagus, with no strings, no lumps and no seeds. Just a silky smooth puree every time.” Well, we put it to the test and it is true! Thanks to its 3 horsepower motor, the Vita-Prep 3 has the ability to handle the thickest, toughest ingredients (the highly popular Vita Mix blender, meanwhile, has a 2 horsepower motor). A variable speed function allows you to grind, chop, blend and purée ingredients at just the right speed to achieve the desired effect. This blender is commercial quality and if you do a lot of raw food preparation would make an excellent investment and addition to your kitchen worktop. Processing hard raw ingredients can wear out the motor of even the best noncommercial blenders, as many a raw chef has discovered. The Vita-Prep3 retails at £697 but The Fresh Network is selling it at £570 for the month of March only. Order online at fresh-network.com or by calling +44 (0)845 833 7017. The perfect prize! Raw superstore Detox Your World, run by popular raw food promoter Shazzie (featured on pages 66-67 of this issue), is giving away this luxury hamper to a lucky Get Fresh! reader. It contains a fabulous collection of raw foods and superfoods including organic cacao liquor, wild purple corn flour, organic cacao nibs, organic chocolate powder, organic maca, mesquite meal, organic shelled hemp seeds, organic cacao butter and raw agave nectar, plus Himalayan pink salt for bathing and a copy of Shazzie’s Detox Delights. Also included is a copy of the book Naked Chocolate, signed by authors Shazzie and David Wolfe. All of these goodies come packaged in a reusable bamboo hamper. For your chance to win this prize, just send us your answer to the following question: Which was the first Shazzie’s Naked Chocolate bar to be released? 1. 2. 3. 4. Goddess Empress Temptress Siren Send your answer to us by May 31, 2008, at info@fresh-network.com or to Detox Your World competition, Get Fresh magazine, Chequers House, 9 Stratton Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR10 3AZ. Be sure to include your name, postal address, email address and phone number on your entry so we know who you are and how to get hold of you if you are the lucky winner! This competition is open to UK-based readers only. 06 Subscribe to Fresh! and save 20%! More and more people worldwide are discovering new levels of health and wellbeing by eating high raw or all raw discover and enjoy these benefits for themselves. Every issue is packed full of ground-breaking nutritional and holistic health information ■ news ■ reviews ■ inspiring true stories ■ advice on finding the most natural, eco-friendly products and services ■ insightful and thought-provoking commentaries on our mental, emotional and spiritual potential ■ the best raw recipes ■ useful contacts ■ and much much more! Fresh! is the magazine for those who want to Fresh! Your quarterly dose of vibrant living information and inspiration Now available by download - magazines and subscriptions For more information see overleaf Save money GIFTS AND enjoy FREE H £90 T our fabulous WOR FREE gifts e-package of six hour-long MP3s (plus transcripts). You’ll hear a selection of the world’s leading experts on raw and living foods and optimum health talking about the link between nutrition and achieving your potential – on all levels. Also covered: ground-breaking natural healing information and the tricks to making healthy food taste amazing. Talks by world-renowned authorities Victoria Boutenko, Elaine Bruce, Brian Clement and Paul Nison and raw chefs René Archner and Cherie Soria. Total package worth £90 – but yours for FREE when you subscribe to Fresh! Please return this form to: Fresh! 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Online at fresh-network.com Call +44 (0)845 833 7017 Complete the form below Please select ONE of the offers below. Please ensure you tick the box indicating your location. Yes! I would like to subscribe to 4 issues of Get Fresh! receiving a 10% discount on the cover price! I live in the: UK: £14.25 Europe: £20.00 US and rest of world: £28.00 Yes! I would like to subscribe to 8 issues of Get Fresh! receiving a 20% discount on the cover price! I live in the: Your details (all details on this form must be completed in block capitals please) UK: £25.25 Europe: £37.00 US and rest of world: £52.85 Your Credit / Debit card details Visa Mastercard Switch Maestro Card Number Ms / Miss / Mrs / Mr Forename Surname Address Start date Issue No.(Switch) Cardholder’s Signature Postcode Expires Security No. Home Tel. No. *Mob. Tel. No. Email address * optional, also see terms and conditions. Name on card WHAT’S NEW? Get downloading! To celebrate our 50th issue we are making our entire back catalogue available for download. There is no better raw food and optimum health reference library anywhere in the world, and now you will be able to own it in its entirety. We get a great deal of demand for back copies, but unfortunately we only have a handful of issues available; on all others, the entire print run sold out long ago, so we have regrettably had to disappoint anyone requesting them. But soon you will be able to purchase any of our 50 issues at the click of a mouse, and also choose from several greatvalue package deals. We are also now selling e-subscriptions – exactly the same as the print magazine, just in electronic form. If you live outside the UK, and especially if you live outside Europe, the savings are substantial. Plus, all e-subscribers will be able to access each issue of the magazine on its actual publication date, which for many overseas readers will be days or weeks earlier than they would receive the print magazine. Not only are our e-magazines and subscriptions cheaper than the print version. And not only can you access them in seconds from the comfort of your home rather than having to trek to your nearest stockist or wait for the postman to call. They are also the most environmentally friendly option! The options A one-year e-subscription to Get Fresh! will set you back just £9.97 and a two-year subscription is even better value at £17.00. Here are the percentage savings you can enjoy by choosing an e-subscription: Subscription option UK 1-year Europe 1-year Rest of world 1-year UK 2-year Europe 2-year Rest of world 2-year Current price £14.25 £20.00 £28.00 £25.25 £37.00 £52.85 Saving 30% 50% 64% 33% 54% 68% A walk down memory lane Get Fresh! was launched in May 1992 and for the first few years of its life this magazine was a black-and-white newsletter, produced inhouse by founding editor Susie Miller (and later by editors Kate Wood and Karen Knowler). But what it lacked in gloss and colour it more than made up for in content. Until 2000 it went by the name Fresh Network News. It was Karen Knowler who gave it the name it now has when she took over as editor. Although this magazine has continually evolved and improved over the years, every single issue is packed with first-class raw food and holistic health information. Even in its earliest days it featured leading experts in the field. In fact, if you haven’t already seen a copy of this magazine from the early 1990s you will be staggered at how much of the knowledge now available was available then too; just attracting nowhere near the attention and excitement it now is! Our back issues are priced in different bands according to size. The most expensive band – the latest issues – are £2.97 a copy, a saving of 25% on the cover price. Earlier issues come at even lower prices. We’ll also be offering great-value package deals for bulk buys, the best value of all being the entire back catalogue, in one go, for you to then peruse and absorb at your leisure. The only bad news we have on this subject is that we don’t have all the back issues on our website yet. However, they will be available very soon, so be sure to keep checking the Get Fresh! page at fresh-network.com. Live twice In the last issue we wrote about the exciting launch of a new range of ‘organic skin foods’ by new natural beauty company Live Native. All Live Native products are hand-made on the Isle of Skye using premium-quality vegan, organic, fairly-traded and aroma-therapeutic ingredients. They are free of all things unnatural and are processed either raw or at very low temperatures to preserve delicate essential nutrients. Live Native is now offering Get Fresh! readers the chance to pair together any two of their products in a beautifully presented gift set. The Island Bag (pictured), contains two 30ml jars and is now available for just £27.99. Just pair together the two items of your choice from the list below: Essential Woman with frangipani – beautifully scented all-over moisturiser Head to Toe for Men – all-purpose skin care with sandalwood Everybody Every Day – anti-allergy and unscented Pure Natal – especially for new mums with babies (also toddlers) Deep Hair Repair – penetrates deeply to condition and nourish for lustre and body Fresh Feet –revitalize and restore healthy feet Love Lube – a non-toxic, edible and seductively aromatic premium quality erotic lubricant. For more information or to order call Live Native on +44 7912 978 608 or visit livenative.com. 08 Natural Wisdom Physical Harmony, Peaceful Powerful. That Creates That Creates In An Environment As In An Environment As As It Is As It Is Receive The Receive The •Life Changing Lectures •Delicious Organic Living Foods •Wheatgrass & Juice Therapies •Medical & Dark Field Analysis •Ozonated Pools, Saunas & Spas •Exercise Classes - Group & Individual •Yoga, Meditation & Qigong •Skilled Professional Massage Therapists •Hyperbaric Therapies •Diapulse •Immune System Building IV Therapies •Oxygen Therapy Procedures •Aqua Chi •Psychological Counseling & Mind Mastery •Electromagnetic, Turbosonic & Vibrosaun •Medical & Nutritional Counseling •Whole-Life Market & Gift Shop with: - Books, Music & DVD’s - Organic Essential Oils and Make Up - Complete Line of Organic Supplements For a Free Brochure and DVD, Visit Our Website - www.hippocratesinstitute.org or Call Us Toll-Free at1-800-842-2125 BOOK REVIEWS There Is A Cure For Diabetes By Gabriel Cousens, MD with David Rainoshek North Atlantic Books, $19.95 As author Gabriel Cousens states in his interview with us on pages 32-35, worldwide 246 million people have diabetes and every two seconds one person dies from it and two more contract it. It is a problem that is spiralling further out of control with each passing year and the mainstream medical world has little to offer in the way of a solution – it sees diabetes as “incurable”; a chronic disease that can, at best, be managed with medication and maybe the odd dietary tweak. What the average person (and the average doctor) does not know is that holistic physicians have been successfully healing diabetes for decades now. With 35 years of clinical experience, Cousens is a world-renowned expert on the subject, who has been referred to as “the world’s leading medical authority on diabetes.” This book is substantially broader in its scope than a simple exploration of diabetes and how to heal it naturally, and this is because Cousens sees diabetes as a symptom of what he calls ‘the culture of death’. Many alive today would simply call this ‘normal life’: dead food, fast food, obesity, nutritional deficiencies, stress, caffeine, alcohol and vaccinations. Diabetes can be healed by adopting the ‘culture of life’ lifestyle, which is outlined in the book. It is centred on a nutrient-rich plant-based diet made up of large amounts of raw and living foods. The plan Cousens recommends (a 21-day kick-start followed by a maintenance programme) has been shown to not only completely reverse type-2 diabetes but even to massively improve type-1 diabetes. So effective is the programme that it is not unusual for diabetes patients to have normal blood glucose readings within the first 21 days of following it. This book is an impeccably researched and highly practical guide to transforming one’s life with a holistically healthy lifestyle. Resources include a comprehensive recipe section and also a detailed chapter on juice feasting (see page 14 for more information on this powerful practice). As such, it is not just for the diabetes sufferer but for anyone who wants to upgrade their diet and lifestyle and reap the benefits in their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Raw Success By Matt Monarch Monarch Publishing Co, $15.95 As the author rhetorically asks on the back cover of this book: “If the raw food diet is really so amazing, why aren’t we living decades longer than people who eat cooked food?” Most of the older pioneers of the raw foods movement, he points out, are dying between the ages of 80 and 93, and many younger raw vegans are experiencing less than optimal health. In this book he asks why, and then provides a theory and set of solutions which could be the key to long-term health and longevity on a 100% raw diet. Monarch believes the number one reason 100% raw fooders don’t experience the optimal health they should is because they don’t take cleansing and detoxification seriously enough. Many people enjoy such an amazing transformation in their health, energy levels, appearance and emotional state within a few months of going raw that they assume they are done detoxing. But, says Monarch, if you discovered raw foods as an adult, and ate the standard diet until then, you will be detoxing for the rest of your life and you need to support your body in this process. The single most important piece of advice he has is to go for regular colonics – and the cleaner your diet, the more important that becomes. Cleansing is the first of the five steps Monarch outlines in the book. The others are ‘avoiding marginal deficiencies’, ‘optimal food intake’, ‘emotional and spiritual health’ and one he calls ‘exploring the rabbit hole’. In this chapter, Monarch explains the natural tendency of the body to want less food over time on a raw diet, but advises caution here: just as any long-time raw fooder would be very ill if they ate a hamburger, if your raw diet is too pure you can even get to the stage where raw restaurant food makes you sick. So choose very carefully how far you want to go, he says, because as you become cleaner you become more sensitive and there is a serious danger of shock from any inconsistencies in the amount or quality of what you eat. This book is a fascinating and highly original look at some common problems long-term raw fooders experience. 10 vegan. Premium of the purest, freshest and cleanest raw-blended ingredients the most nutritious life-loving hand made skin care available skin food is complete, balms ~ Live Native hand made organic and truly unique range of cleanly absorbing and nature intact moisturisers, sex lubricant and remedial on the Isle of Skye ~ they’re all raw, organic and made including fresh-fillet Aloe Vera juice. For information and more about our bio-active ingredients or to order on-line visit www.fresh-network.com or direct from us at www.livenative.com or simply call us on O7912 978 6O8 NEWS Raw restaurant round-up Saf London Chad Sarno’s much-anticipated London eatery and hip hang-out joint, Saf Organic Restaurant and Bar, will be opening its doors in late spring. Diners will be able to choose from a wide selection of plantbased cuisine, prepared using the freshest locally-sourced organic ingredients. The menu will be all vegan and mostly raw, and it will even be possible to book a meal at the showcase ‘chef’s tasting table’. Apart from creating the innovative Saf menu, Sarno will also offer on-site raw culinary and ‘green chef’ courses, apprenticeships and talks on the benefits of pure and organic cuisine. At the time of going to press, the address of the restaurant remains a closely-guarded secret; however, we can tell you that it will be located in the Shoreditch area of East London. For enquiries or bookings, ring +44 (0)207 613 0007. More information available at safrestaurant.co.uk. Saf Restaurant, owned by lifestyle company The LifeCo, also has two branches in Istanbul and one in Munich. For more information see safrestaurant.com or thelifeco.com. The world's biggest and best raw networking site Late last year, the team behind popular blog We Like It Raw (welikeitraw.com) launched the raw food networking site Give It To Me Raw (giveittomeraw.com). If you haven’t seen it yet, think Facebook or MySpace raw-style – only that doesn’t begin to do it justice. The beautifullydesigned and user-friendly site is a great place to head to regularly, whether it is serious information or light-hearted diversion you are after. Grezzo! We have been hearing delighted feedback from customers who have visited Alissa Cohen’s brand new raw restaurant, Grezzo, located in Boston’s North End. When we peeked at the menu, items on offer included ‘Vanilla parsnips and tart green apple soup with shaved black trumpets, truffle and chervil’, ‘Gnocchi carbonara (Home-made dumplings, creamy rawmesan and fresh English peas with crispy eggplant and pea shoots)’ and ‘Decadent deep dark chocolate fudge cake with strawberry moat and blueberry’. Starters range from $8 to $13, mains from $19-$23 and desserts from $9 to $11. Grezzo, 69 Prince Street Boston, MA 02113 Tel: (001) 857-362-7288. Red Sugar The UK’s first all-raw eating establishment opened in Edinburgh in February. Red Sugar is a superfoods cafe, store and smoothie bar. The store stocks many hardto-get-hold-of superfoods, whilst the smoothie bar promises “a choice of unique smoothies quite different to anywhere else.” The café also boasts impressive green credentials. Everything possible is recycled or composted and all takeaway packaging is biodegradable. For more information see red-sugar.co.uk or email info@red-sugar.co.uk. Red Sugar, 21b Raeburn Place, Stockbridge, Edinburgh EH4 1HU, UK At not even four months of age, Give It To Me Raw has already attracted a staggering 1,330 members. The discussion forum area of the site has raw food fans sharing views and knowledge on over 600 raw food and health-related topics, and there are hundreds more topics being debated in the groups section. To date, a staggering 176 groups have been formed by members. Many of these are geographically focused – anything from San Diego Raw to South Asia Raw – and every continent is represented. Other groups exist to bring together members with similar characteristics, philosophies or interests: ‘Raw Athletes’, ‘Raw Bellydancers’, ‘Raw Geeks’, ‘I’m Into Raw But My Partner’s Not’, ‘Raising Kids Raw’, ‘Superfood Lovers’ and ‘We Like It Wild’ are just a few of the online communities this site has spawned . Our columnist Pete Vincent (featured on page 58 of this issue) has even started a ‘Get Fresh Fans’ group where Give It To Me Raw members give their feedback about the magazine and submit their requests for future content. Entirely free to join, this is a networking site where you can be as active or as passive as you wish. You don’t even have to register in order to browse discussions or peek at member profiles. But if you do want to participate on the site, it is quick and easy to add your profile and start networking with like-minded people in your locality, or anywhere in the world. This really is the most all-singing, all-dancing raw networking site ever and it's sure to be a great way of meeting lovely people, both offline and online. So congratulations and thanks to the entire team, led by We Like It Raw founder Dhrumil Purohit. Dhrumil tells us all about his daily routine on page 82 of this issue. 12 NEWS Will YOU join the juice feast? Have you heard about ‘juice feasting’ yet? Maybe you have even experimented a little or a lot. It is a craze that is sweeping the raw food world right now, with numerous blogs chronicling ‘juice feasts’ of anything from a few weeks to three months. Popular health journalist Mike Adams has called juice feasting “the future of medicine and health.” What is juice feasting? In short, it is flooding the body with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and enzymes through drinking large quantities of fresh, raw juice. There are many different ways to incorporate this healing, energizing practice into your own life – from simply adding a litre or more of more of raw juice to your existing daily regime, to living on just juice for a period of time. This can be anything from a day, to a week, to several weeks, to the full 92-day period recommended by David Rainoshek of the website juicefeasting.com for the ultimate body “cleansing, alkalizing, hydrating and re-building” exercise. David and his wife Katrina are currently hosting a 92-day ‘Global Juice Feast’, which started on March 1 of this year, and which, they say, will be an annual event from now on. Access to the online community of people doing the Global Juice Feast is available at GlobalJuiceFeast.com. You have to register in order to access it, but registration is free. Health seekers have been juice fasting for decades. The difference is that this involves consuming less than your daily calorie requirement, making it challenging to carry out your normal daily activities and not a great idea to either, as the body needs a lot of rest while undergoing such a deep detox. As such, few people have juice fasted for more than a couple of weeks to a month. Because juice feasting involves drinking enough juice to give your body everything it needs – it’s recommended you consume at least 4-5 quarts (litres) a day, from 12-15lb (5.5-7 kilos) of fresh vegetables and fruits – it is possible to still engage in your normal activities, and also to carry on for much longer. A further difference is that while juice fasting involves no solid food of any kind, on a juice feast it is recommended you take a range of supplements and superfoods including MSM, bee pollen, hemp or flax oil and powdered greens. If you’re wondering where you’d get your protein if you were living on juice alone, the answer is from green vegetable juices – they are an incredibly rich source of easily useable protein. This is why the Rainosheks recommend including at least 2lb (900g) of mineral-rich greens each day. Beyond that you can juice whichever vegetables and fruits you choose. If you are curious to find out more, head over to the juicefeasting.com site for tons of free information plus the opportunity to sign up to a membership programme that is truly fabulous. The main site covers such subjects as supplements and superfoods, techniques which support detoxification, grocery shopping, how to make beautiful juices, what a day in the life of a juice feaster looks like and instructions on safely breaking your juice feast and returning to solid food. It even has free forms you can print off and fill in to help you easily keep track of your progress. As the Rainosheks state on the website, “Juice feasting is a paradigm shift that will utterly transform the world of healing, nutrition and health. A little over a year ago almost no one knew this was possible! Now laypeople and professionals alike are making this practice part of their personal and professional lives. “Juice Feasting is the Occam’s Razor of cleansing: a practice that is as simple as it is profound in its ability to heal, transform, and empower. It pushes the reset button on your physiology [causing the body] to cleanse, rebuild, alkalize and hydrate. [It] will train your physiology to ask for the foods that will keep you well and vibrant for all your years. Juice Feasting makes transitioning to a plant-based diet much more pleasant because of this ‘cellular training.’” So, are you tempted to join the Global Juice Feast and enjoy the support of fellow health seekers around the world while you benefit from the transforming properties of large quantities of fresh, raw juice? All are welcome, from the person who just wants to add a litre of more of juice to their normal daily regime, to those who want to go all the way and live on just juice for a fortnight, a month, two months or even the whole 92 days. Say the Rainosheks: “We encourage you to just get juicy!” In the next issue: Our exclusive report on juice feasting including a riveting personal account. Important note: Unless you are already highly knowledgeable about raw food nutrition and holistic health it is vital to carefully study all of the information at juicefeasting.com before experimenting with this powerful healing modality. If you are not currently in good health it is also advisable to seek the advice and guidance of a suitably qualified practitioner. For the latest raw-related news, views and reviews, visit fresh-network.typepad.com. 14 EVENTS Learn, be inspired, shop, eat, have fun with like-minded people. All details are correct at time of going to press but may be subject to change so please check direct with the organizers. Please note that all of these events carry an admission charge – however this can vary according to age, circumstances and time of booking, so again we recommend checking with the organizers. Friday 21 to Sunday 23 March The Second Annual Raw Lifestyle Film Festival Los Angeles This glamorous Hollywood event, known as the ‘Raw Oscars’, features a selection of films exploring the raw diet and lifestyle and/or sustainable living, and the chance to meet the people behind the films. For further information visit serenityspaces.org or call (001) 310 854 2078. Tuesday 25 March Life Force: An evening with Drs Brian and Anna Maria Clement London This evening is a rare opportunity to hear the directors of the world-renowned Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida speak in the UK. Tickets £11.75. For more information, see the advert on page 28, visit fresh-network.com or ring +44 (0)845 833 7017. Saturday 29 March Raw Food 101 featuring Karen Knowler New York Karen Knowler is the guest chef at this all-day workshop and food demo class in conjunction with the team at We Like It Raw. More information at TheRawFoodCoach.com and WeLikeItRaw.com. Saturday 5 April Raw Food Preparation Classes with Catherine Parker Finsbury Park, London N4. 10am to 4pm. Price: £50. Catherine Parker is a Tree of Life Spiritual Live Food Instructor and Alissa Cohen Certified Living on Live Food Instructor. Learn how to make easy, healthy and delicious raw vegan dishes. All food used is organic wherever possible and made to be eaten on the day so bring an appetite with you! Recipes available to take away with you. For more information call +44 7734 294 548, email reallivingfood@ yahoo.com or see cathparker. wordpress.com and rawteacher.com/ catherineparker. Thursday 24 April Raw Food Class with Debbie Took at RawforLife Berkshire Alissa Cohen Certification Course (Level 1) 10:30am-3:30pm – £70 Be inspired, motivated and excited whatever your stage of raw. Lots of demos and delicious food! For more information see rawforlife.co.uk. Fri 25 to Sun 27 April The Alternative View (Conference & Workshops) Totnes, Devon. The primary objectives of the United Nations’ Codex Alimentarius (Global Food Code) are to eradicate organic farming and to destroy the complementary and alternative health care industries. Outrageous? Impossible? Really? If you have any interest in retaining your right to unadulterated foods and natural healthcare, you need to participate. Our future is in our hands. Speakers include Natural Health campaigners Dr. Robert Verkerk, Executive Director of the Alliance for Natural Health, and Phillip Day, author and Chief Executive of Credence. For more info, visit thealternativeview. co.uk or call +44 1803 840 069. Wednesday 14 May RawforLife Experience with Debbie Took Berkshire 10.00am – 4.00 pm. £50 Be inspired, motivated and excited whatever your stage of raw. Lots of demos and delicious food! For more information, see rawforlife.co.uk Saturday May 31 and Sunday June 1 6th annual Bristol Vegan Fayre Amphitheatre & Waterfront Square, Central Bristol The biggest vegan event in the UK offers entertainment, education, inspiration and numerous vendor stalls. A special 'Living Raw area' will feature first-class shopping opportunities plus a 'Raw Food Prep Class Zone' and 'Living Raw Talks Room'. Visit bristolveganfayre.co.uk or contact organisers Yaoh for more information: +44 117 9239053 or info@yaoh.co.uk Sunday 15 to Fri 20 June Karen Knowler’s Raw Coach Training Cambridgeshire (Residential) Would you like to coach and teach people about the benefits of raw foods for a living? If you feel raw food may be part of your life's work then this one-ofa-kind course will give you all the tools you need to create, build and maintain a life-changing, thriving business. For more information see RawCoachTraining.com. Friday 22 to Sunday 24 August Vibrant Living Expo Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, Fort Bragg, California The fourth event of its kind, run by top raw chef Cherie Soria, the programme includes talks by Viktoras Kulvinskas, Dr Fred Bisci, Dr Jameth Sheridan, David Rainoshek and Brigitte Mars, to name just a few. Also: pre and post-Expo seminars with selected raw teachers and a mini Raw Film Festival. For more information see rawfoodchef.com or call (001) 707 964 2420. Friday September 12 to Sunday September 14 Raw Spirit Festival Sedona, Arizona The world’s largest raw vegan gathering, last year’s event attracted hundreds of attendees and the biggest and best selection of vendors at any raw food festival ever, and featured lectures by many of the world’s leading authorities on raw foods and holistic health. The 2008 festival is set to be even bigger and better! More information at rawspirit.com. To enquire about advertising your class, workshop, festival or other event in a future issue of Get Fresh!, contact sarah@fresh-network.com. 15 RAW IN THE CITY The battle between raw & evil cups per year, or 30 cups a second. They also sell, of course, doughnuts. I don’t know how many doughnuts they sell, but according to their website, if you lined them up end by end, you would circle the earth 5.8 times with doughnuts. If we knew the average length of a doughnut, we could extrapolate for the exact number, but the point is, they sell a lot of doughnuts. With 7,000 locations worldwide serving 3 million customers a day, they also must sell a massive volume of their other food products, such as muffins, cookies and bagels. Their list of “breakfast sandwiches” is a giant jumble of various combinations of the words egg, sausage, cheese, ham, bacon, croissant, bagel and biscuit. You can choose from a long list of “beverages” such as a 500-calorie Vanilla Coolatta with which to wash one of these down. Or you could have coffee – but if you don’t want plain old coffee, they have blueberry flavoured coffee. Blueberry coffee? Does that actually appeal to anyone? Out of morbid curiosity, I want to go sample some. I have become somewhat obsessed with Dunkin’ Donuts, and will herein explain the reason. Years ago, I worked in private equity. We bought companies. Then we’d make sure those companies grew much bigger. Then we’d sell them and usually make lots of money. The original founder of this particular group, called Bain Capital, is Mitt Romney, currently running for President of the United States. Having already spent a couple of years in the trenches of Wall Street, I was accustomed to being around a lot of sharks in sharp-looking suits. However, the people in this company were noticeably different. It was comprised of generally really nice people, and I always considered this to be a reflection of how lovely a person Mitt Romney himself was. He was lovely to be around, usually smiling, extremely down to earth and genuinely Sarma Melngailis explains why she’s on a mission to make quality raw food as easily available as processed fast food. E ating a raw food diet is still considered alternative. On the fringe. People don’t understand it. What is so hard to understand? Food that naturally grows from the earth, fed by sunlight. No one disputes that fresh fruits and vegetables are full of good things, nor that, generally, people should be eating more of them. Everyone seems to know now that nuts and seeds are good; full of “good” fats. Flax, sesame, hemp and more – most would recognize that these are good foods. Yet if I went on a road trip across the US, I know that there would be long stretches of driving where I would be hard pressed to find places where I could conveniently purchase natural and clean food. I would likely encounter a lot of people who would find my eating preferences unusual and odd. But I wonder: if I eat a ‘raw food diet’, does that mean that so many others out there are on a ‘processed food diet’? Are there enthusiastic processed foodists? For these people, is there an inspiring magazine called “Get Processed”? I used to drive out of New York City to Maine very often in the summertime. To This industry of fast food/junk food seems to be where tobacco was years and years ago – reaping the benefits of a still very much uninformed consumer base. get to a small waterfront town, we passed through Augusta, the capital of Maine. Turning off the highway, it was a short drive through the centre of Augusta to get to the road which took us further east to the shore. On this very brief stretch is one fast food joint after another. And not just one of each. I would count three Dunkin’ Donuts. Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s largest retailer of coffee by the cup, selling a billion 16 warm-hearted. Okay, and yes, he’s totally charismatic and Superman-handsome too. But the point is, the partners of this company were extraordinarily smart, I was very well taken care of, and always felt a great deal of fondness for all the people I worked with. Also, because of Mitt’s Mormon faith, it was generally off limits for the company to invest in any businesses related to alcohol or tobacco, or anything else overly controversial or ethically suspect. One day, about two years ago, I came across the news headline that Bain Capital was part of a group purchasing Dunkin’ Donuts for $2.4 billion. Immediately my heart sank. I sat there feeling so bad. A huge chain selling primarily refined sugar, icky fats, lots of chemicals, and caffeine? I know these people, and I like them! And they are directing not only massive amounts of money but also their collective quality brain power towards Dunkin’ Donuts? Really? This just simply bummed me out, on many levels. If you are in the mood to be alarmed, simply go to dunkindonuts.com and look at the nutrition tab. Writing this article, I have just done this for the first time ever and am now even more wildly insane over this whole thing. I clicked on the most harmlesslooking thing I could find – the ‘garden salad’ – and found the ingredient list was an extensive paragraph containing more words I don’t recognize than ones that I do. They should call it a ‘laboratory salad.’ Onward to the most offensive looking thing I could find. The ingredients listed for the ‘Bacon Lover’s Supreme Breakfast Sandwich’ is so long you have to keep scrolling down the screen to read it all. I am fascinated. What is Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate? It says it’s added to maintain colour. I googled it, and guess what? In leather treatment, it can be used to remove iron stains on hides during processing! How handy. Also, in petroleum production, it can be used as a dispersant in oil-well-drilling muds. Well that sounds just lovely, but I still don’t know what it is or where it comes from. What about Sodium Hexametaphosphate? This is a mixture of polymeric metaphosphates of which the hexamer is one, and is used as a sequestering agent. Right, of course. Google it, and you will find that it is a substance used in the industry of soap, detergents, water treatment, metal finishing and plating, pulp and paper manufacture, synthesis of polymers (fantastic, I will keep this in mind next time I am synthesizing polymers), photographic products, textiles and scale removal. Scale removal? Well, these descriptions should add that it is also apparently used to mysteriously enhance supreme breakfast sandwiches, produced for and widely consumed by bacon lovers. Anyway. Not long after I read about this deal, I happened to get together, on separate occasions, with a partner and former partner of the firm with whom I remain in touch. They are both insanely smart, really great people that I respect very much. I asked, in a very light-hearted way, if they had any she’s endorsing Dunkin’ Donuts. It’s like endorsing crack for kids.” Bourdain adds: “I’m not a very ethical guy. I don’t have a lot of principles. But somehow that seems to me over the line. Juvenile diabetes has exploded. Half of Americans don’t have necks. And she’s up there saying, ‘Eat some I want it to be just as easy to drive through any town and find some good, organic, tasty, raw, plant-based snacks and foods as it is to find highly-processed snacks and foods. qualms about this particular deal. I pointed out that it seemed to me potentially worse than investing in a tobacco company, since there is at least a very clear awareness by the public, including very young people, of the very damaging health effects of cigarettes. There are warnings on the boxes. There are gross-out ads on TV showing amputations or close-ups of charred lungs, making their point very clear. But there is not yet any similar sort of awareness by or communication to the public, particularly young people, of the very harmful effects of the refined sugar, refined white flour, gnarly fats and chemicals, as well as the coffee/caffeine, that comprise most of what Dunkin’ Donuts sells. Nor of the truly addictive nature of these substances. Artificial, unnatural, highly-processed food makes people sick. This industry of fast food/junk food seems to be where tobacco was years and years ago – reaping the benefits of a still very much uninformed consumer base. Back to the question I posed to my friends. Both gave me exactly the same answer, which was to say that this comparison I was making to the tobacco business was precisely what made this such a “good deal,” because “everyone is already addicted.” Ouch. I didn’t know what to say. What disturbs and upsets me is the fact that the expansion of this emporium of grossness is being propelled by the brainpower of some of the very brightest business minds. And they’re nice people! I simply don’t understand. It’s become this very personal thing for me now. I want to stop them. Every time I pass a Dunkin’ Donuts, another splash of fuel lands on the flame of ambition that is burning inside me. Furthermore, it was not long ago announced that the wildly popular TV food personality, Rachel Ray, signed on to appear in ads and marketing for Dunkin’ Donuts. One of my favourite writers and another TV food personality, Anthony Bourdain, was quoted in The New York Post as saying the following: “She’s got a magazine, a TV empire, all these best-selling books – I’m guessing she’s not hurting for money. She’s hugely influential, particularly with children. And [bleeping] Dunkin’ Donuts. You look great in that swimsuit - eat another doughnut!’ That’s evil.” I agree with him. It seems evil. I want to change things. I want it to be just as easy to drive through any town and find some good, organic, tasty, raw, plant-based snacks and foods as it is to find highly-processed snacks and foods. And eventually, easier. I have in fact dramatized this in my brain as a battle between good and evil. I feel like the underdog. In Dunkin’ Donuts, I see an opponent with a lot of money, power, and now also armed with people that I know, so it has further become personal, and somewhat conflicting. Maybe I feel like Luke Skywalker, when he found out that Darth Vader was his father. Anyway, this will not likely be an easy victory. However, by making deliciously appealing products and marketing those products well, along with everything else still tucked up my sleeves, I think I will help to eventually significantly shift the demand. And then maybe Dunkin’ Donuts and others will be forced to retreat, or begin to change their ways. This is what I’m working towards. And do I think the force is with me? Yes! ■ is the co-founder, owner and executive chef of premier New York raw restaurant Pure Food and Wine. She is also co-author of Raw Food, Real World and founder and CEO of One Lucky Duck, which operates an online boutique offering selected products for the raw and organic lifestyle. For more information see purefoodandwine.com and oneluckyduck.com. Sarma Melngailis 17 A fat lot of good When you’re stuck in the food trap you need more than logic to get you out, says Jason Vale arlier this year, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver teamed up with nutritionist Jane Clarke and the world famous Dr Gunther von Hagens (the guy who does autopsies live on TV!), to make a documentary entitled ‘Eat To Save Your Life’. The idea was to use as many scare tactics as possible in order to frighten people to change what they eat. On the surface, you would think that showing – on prime-time TV – an autopsy of a 25-stone man and the devastation a junk food diet can cause would be enough to encourage anyone to start eating healthily. Jane Clarke herself appeared to echo what many people would logically think: “There is something to be said for using images such as this autopsy as a shock tactic. In a way, it’s not dissimilar to showing smokers what happens to their lungs”. However, what the majority of people don’t understand is that logic plays no part in any form of addiction. If it did then every E liquid fat. Nice. What did he or any of the programme to makers expect to happen? Did they expect her to jump up out of the oil saying, “That’s disgusting – I will never eat fat again”? The only thing she thought was, “I need a bloody bath and where are the cakes!” Just because someone is thick physically, it doesn’t make them thick mentally I think it’s fair to say that we all know junk food is bad. I wish people would stop treating overweight people like they’re a few burgers short of Big Mac. They know what they are doing, they know fruit and veg are good and fries and coke are bad. What they don’t know is how to get in the right frame of mind to find the change easy. What they don’t know is why they are doing it, not why they shouldn’t do it. What they don’t know is the nature of the very ingenious ‘food trap’ they are in. The programme had its good points, but along with the scare tactics, the nutritional advice wasn’t the best. The nutritionist on the show, Jane Clarke, wrote in The Daily Mail: “If you only like white bread, fine – just try and eat it with something healthy. So swap your bacon [sandwich] for an egg on toast”. Am I missing something or aren’t they pretty much the same? She suggested people eat dark chocolate and drink wine for their antioxidants. What ever happened to fruit and veg? On that subject Clarke wrote: “If you can’t – or don’t want to – buy fresh fruit or veg, opt for tinned or frozen varieties.” This you could accept from a layperson, but from one of the UK’s most high-profile nutritionists you would expect something better. Eating egg on white toast with butter will not in any way help you to ‘Eat To Save Your Life’ and when she also stated that baked beans are one of the best forms of fibre, I honestly thought I was hearing things. Isn’t the average can of baked beans full of refined sugar and other nasties? The very same sugar which Jane Clarke herself mentioned in the same show as ‘empty calories’ and as a major reason people overeat. If all of that wasn’t disturbing enough, in her article in the Daily Mail she mentioned, “I am fed up with gimmicky pseudoscience where people are first ridiculed for their diet and then told they must eat goji berries, cut out all alcohol and only drink herbal tea. These diets are completely inaccessible and unappealing.” Well, I am fed up with “real She suggested people eat dark chocolate and drink wine for their antioxidants. Whatever happened to fruit and veg? smoker who has ever seen pictures showing what happens to their lungs would stop. Having smoked three packets of cigarettes a day myself in the past I know first hand that not only does this sort of approach rarely if ever actually work, but it often has the opposite effect. For example, one of the times a smoker will reach for a cigarette is when they are feeling stressed or upset. They see a picture of diseased lungs or people dying from smoking and BOOM! The first thing they do is light a fag to try to calm their nerves. Equally, one of the times people reach for junk food is also out of a response to a stress or upset, so showing them a dead fat person being cut open while saying that unless they stop what they are doing they will suffer a similar fate will usually be about as effective as a cat flap in an elephant house! Jamie at one point even put an overweight woman in a bathtub and filled it up with science” and people saying eat what you like, just in moderation, and all will be fine. It’s like telling a 40-a-day smoker to smoke in moderation and all will be okay. Many people are addicted and the drug, food and drink companies (just like the tobacco companies of the 1970’s) are deliberately adding more chemicals to keep people hooked. But this time it’s not nicotine; it’s sugar, fat and more E’s than an 80’s rave. The programme suggested these people could simply choose to change, and yes, logically that’s true. But you cannot have freedom of choice without freedom to refuse. Let me say that again: You cannot have freedom of choice without freedom to refuse. Most people don’t have the freedom to refuse, which means they don’t really have a genuine choice. The only way to change for many is to have a full understanding of exactly how this type of ‘food’ affects the brain and a clear mental plan explaining exactly how to escape fully from the food trap. ■ Jason Vale also known as The Juice Master, is a best-selling author and one of the UK’s most sought-after speakers on the subjects of health and nutrition. His book Slim 4 Life: Freedom From The Food Trap is a comprehensive guide to the themes raised in this article. For more info, see JuiceMaster.com. 18 Alissa Cohen is an internationally recognized writer, speaker and consultant on raw and living food. Alissa’s fans include hundreds who have maintained successful weight losses, healed themselves of a myriad of diseases and swear by her simple and fun approach to fantastic health. Alissa is author of the bestselling Living On Live Food book and DVD set and is a regular on American TV. For more information visit AlissaCohen.com Dear Alissa, I’ve been eating mostly raw for some months now and I’m feeling great eating this way and having no problems with it whatsoever – except when I am out on dates. Suddenly I feel self-conscious about my diet as it’s so different from the way most people eat. In short, I’m afraid it will put prospective partners off. Alcohol and animal products are two absolute no-go areas for me and for most people that is “extreme” enough. On recent dinner dates I have found myself diving into the bread basket, or consuming plates of pasta or rice, in my desire to appear more “normal”. But I don’t like the way these compromises make me feel, either physically or emotionally. I don’t want to pretend to be someone I’m not, but as there are no raw eligible bachelors in my vicinity I don’t want to grow old alone either. Help! Erica Dear Erica, I understand your dilemma! For many years I had the same issues you’re describing here. First of all, I always tell people, when they go out to eat, to remember that it’s not about the food. If it were just about the food, you could stay home and make delicious raw food. You’re out to eat because you want to connect with other people instead of sitting home alone. So it is helpful if you switch the focus off the food and onto the company you are with. When that alone doesn’t work, here are some other things that could be useful. I would suggest doing other things on a date, rather than going out to eat. You could go to an event or to a museum, or go biking or walking. Doing other things for the first few dates with someone new will give you time Remember, the way you portray raw food will have a lot to do with how others will perceive it. If you talk about what you cannot have on a raw food diet and what you are missing, others will see this as a diet of lack. If however, you tell them all about the amazing gourmet raw food that you can eat every day, how this food can help you feel healthier, younger, more full of energy and more vibrant – and how you can notice an improvement in your health and wellbeing in just a few days – most people will be on the edge of their seat asking you to tell them more! I also suggest having this conversation away from being out at a restaurant because, if this were me, I would be holding one of my decadent dessert recipes while I tell my date this! I don’t think I have ever heard anyone say that they didn’t think this was a good idea The way you portray raw food will have a lot to do with how others will perceive it. to get to know them while also giving you the chance to show them who you are without having to tackle the food thing first. They will get to know what you enjoy, what your personality is like and how you interact with them, without the distraction of anything that could come across as ‘extreme’ or ‘weird’. After the first couple of dates I would suggest having a conversation about raw food, what it is and how it makes you feel. Doing this away from a dinner table when you’re not eating may be a better choice. If you believe what you’re doing is healthy and the way you want to live, then you will have better luck at convincing others that this is a ‘normal’ way to eat. And I believe it is much better to have this conversation in a relaxed setting away from food, rather than in a gourmet restaurant where your date is tucking into steak and you are trying to explain yourself over your salad! after telling them about the benefits of raw food and all it can do for you while simultaneously handing them a piece of chocolate fudge cake, all the while telling them that this is the kind of stuff they can eat all the time! Remember also that if you are honest about who you are from the beginning, it may seem like your choices will be a little more limited but they will be better choices for you. If you stay true to yourself, the people that are right for you will be drawn to you and will be able to find you. Good luck and happy raw dating! Best, Alissa 20 BORROWED ENERGY If health is your goal, stay away from stimulants, raw as well as cooked, says Brendan Brazier. Beware of U nexpectedly hearing a loud noise when the room is quiet you might feel a sudden rush of energy. This is the most basic form of stimulation, left over from your primal survival mechanism. Your body assumes the loud noise is a threat and so prepares you for action by engaging the adrenal glands to draw more energy. In reaction to the onset of stimulation – a form of stress – we gain energy. We become more alert, our strength can increase and we have the ability to process information and to react more quickly. Summoning its hormonal resources to to be used as often as they are today, it is common for them to become overworked, resulting in exhaustion. Adrenal burn-out, as it is commonly referred to, has become a widespread modern-day problem. If stress (and therefore cortisol) remains elevated, several problems arise; one being that the body shifts fuel sources. Switching from burning fat as fuel, a stressed person’s system will have replaced its use with carbohydrate in the form of sugar. Now burning more sugar and less fat, the body will begin to store body fat instead of using it for energy. A healthy, sustainable whole food diet and lifestyle will be one that does not require additional stimulation through food. momentarily improve strength and reaction time, the body would have likely improved its odds of getting out of a prehistoric bind. Early man would have of course benefited from greater strength and quicker reaction time if confronted by a predatory animal; his odds of survival would have dramatically increased. Of course, we aren’t confronted with those types of threats today. But we face a host of modern-day ones that evoke the same hormonal response. Stress of any kind – be it too much work, family-related concerns, poor diet, breathing impure air, constantly having to be “on” and not enough down time – puts strain on the adrenal glands. What is actually happening when the body is confronted with stress? To varying degrees, based on the body’s perception of the severity of the stress, it releases cortisol. As mentioned, cortisol was designed to stimulate us to deal with the apparent threat. The downside is that the result of regular stimulation is fatigue. Since our adrenal glands were not designed Stress-free people are fat burning machines. Not the case for stressed ones: they burn – and therefore crave – carbohydrates. This leads to over-worked adrenal glands, adrenal fatigue and eventually to a host of stress-related impairments. A reduction in sleep quality is also a common consequence of elevated cortisol levels. I use the term biological debt to refer to a state that the body goes into after energy from stimulation has dissipated. Often brought about in the modern world by eating refined sugar or drinking coffee to gain energy in the short term, biological debt is a state of fatigue. Unfortunately, it is a state that many average-diet-eating westerners are accustomed to living in. But now biological debt has found its way into the health food and even the raw food arena. For long-term health and vitality, we need to understand the difference between Biological debt two types of energy: one obtained from stimulation, the other from nourishment. As a general rule, the more processed a food is, the more stimulating its effect will be on the nervous system, and the less nourishing. In contrast, the more natural and whole a food is – raw and sprouted being the best – the less stimulating and the more nourishing it will be. As a society, because of our insatiable desire for quick, convenient energy “on the go,” our streets are crammed with coffee, doughnut, and fast food establishments. This solves the convenience problem and offers a short-term energy solution through stimulation. However, it does nothing to help with the payment inevitably required by the body if this route is taken regularly. The body can subsist on stimulating, nutrient-deficient food only for so long before becoming either exhausted or sick. This problem was once only true for those who ate an unhealthy diet comprised largely of stimulating foods such as refined flour, refined sugar, coffee and caffeinated soda. But other forms of stimulating foods have become prevalent in the raw food world – cacao, or raw chocolate, being the most notable. As with any food that contains caffeine, cacao is stimulating, which will result in an energy surge and a sense of well-being in the short term, but in greater fatigue days later. Therefore, the desire to eat more of it to ward off fatigue becomes stronger, and this, some would suggest, is the beginning of a dependency. This can lead to the need for regular consumption of cacao to maintain energy and a sense of well-being, which of course is not healthy. Dependence on a stimulating substance never is. Additionally, caffeine-containing foods raise cortisol levels, which lowers immunity, making the body more 22 SPECIAL FEATURE vulnerable to infection and eventually leading to the storage of body fat and the creation of inflammation. in a short burst of energy, then greater fatigue and more stimulation to try and re-energize. The circle is complete. Each time the circle completes itself, the severity of the condition increases, creating an incremental decline in health and an increased risk factor for serious disease. As the illustration shows, the first completion of the circle will likely result only in a slightly increased appetite. The next time around will result in cravings, likely for starchy, refined foods (often making raw foodists more tempted by cooked food). Sequential passes involve difficulty sleeping, irritability, mental fog, lack of motivation, body fat gain, lean muscle loss, visible signs of premature aging, and sickness. Each round produces a more severe symptom, on top of the previous ones, compounding the effect. If this cycle of chronically-elevated cortisol levels is allowed to continue, tissue degeneration, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and even more serious diseases can develop. A healthy, sustainable whole food diet and lifestyle will be one that does not require additional stimulation through food. As a result your body will re-establish its sensory system, functioning at a healthier, more energetic level – without the cellular-damaging need for stimulation. Recalibration can be achieved by removing as much of the stimuli as possible for a set period. The less stimulation a person has in everyday life, the greater impact stimuli will have on the body. This is good. It means the person is living a low-stress life, and we all know the benefits of that. But there’s more to it. It also means that considerably less stimulation is needed to evoke a stress response from the adrenal glands. One of the body’s most resourceful traits is its ability to adapt. Acclimatizing to stimulation is no exception. Stress – stimulation – sickness Many of us are in a constant state of biological debt. It is a huge contributing factor to overall stress and therefore has become a major precipitator of fatigue, weight gain, and compromised health in general. If untreated, it can lead to serious diseases. One measure of health is having cost-free energy – energy that lasts and does not have to be “stoked” continually with stimulating foods. The stoking of energy can end in one result only: less energy. Stimulating foods are certainly not part of a sustainable, high-energy diet. As you can see from the illustration below, stress triggers the spiral. For the average North American, 40 percent of that stress can be directly linked to diet. With the first onset of stress comes natural adrenal stimulation, which is not unhealthy in small doses. The rise in cortisol levels, however, always results in fatigue. That is, any kind of stimulation, regardless of how dramatic or mild, produces short-term energy, but it is always followed by fatigue. The degree of fatigue depends on the degree of stimulation: the greater the stimulation, the greater the fatigue. The healthiest things a person can do at this point are to rest and remove the elements causing the stress, such as poor diet. Yet this is when most people turn to selfimposed adrenal stimulation such as coffee and refined foods in the regular world and cacao in the raw world, to regain energy. This results Here’s an example. When you turn on a light in a dark room, it seems very bright, although it really is no brighter than usual. Similarly, when ambient sound levels are low, the body’s sense of hearing is heightened. Have you ever noticed that sometimes the phone’s ring sounds very loud, and at other times it sounds relatively quiet? The key word is relatively. Our body has the ability to adjust to much of what goes on around it. To calibrate its sensory system, the body must decide at what level it will sense stimuli. The only gauge the body has is through the information we feed it: sound, sight, touch, smell, and taste. Its decision is based on the level at which we supply that information. If we eat a daily serving of cacao to increase our energy, it won’t take long before its effect is diminished; before one serving will no longer provide the boost it once did. It might seem logical, then, to eat more to get the energy that a single serving used to deliver. But where does this cycle end? Our bodies are chronically over-stimulated, yet most of us don’t realize it. Our bodies have adapted, but at a cost. Constantly having to climb to a new level to remain in the same place is a tough way to live, yet all Recalibrating to benefit from small amounts of stimulation Extracted from The Thrive Diet with permission. 23 Beware of BORROWED ENERGY too common. The way to fix this problem – to remove considerable stress from the body and in doing so increase energy – is to recalibrate the body. A healthy, plant-based diet free of stimulants will serve as a solid platform. will boost performance. The caffeine in the yerba maté or cacao will stimulate the adrenal glands, thereby improving endurance and facilitating a better performance than would have otherwise been possible. This will also bring about greater fatigue within a day or two, and that’s fine. At the time of the race, the athlete simply borrowed energy from the future to fuel performance. Extra fatigue a day or two later will be a small price to pay for his healthy diet that is stimulant-free will provide you energy by nourishment. If stimulation is used when it will not help you achieve something of value, it is of no value, and as explained above, a detriment. I term it uncomplementary stress. I consider the regular consumption of cacao a form of an uncomplementary stress. I view it as a form of credit, similar to shopping with a credit card. You get energy now that you don’t When and how stimulation can benefit you Not all stimulation is bad or always has a negative effect. It will always result in greater fatigue as mentioned above, but its value is determined by what it is summoned for. When the adrenal glands are stimulated in order to achieve something that could not be done, or done as well, without this stimulation, the stress that results can be viewed as positive. I call this kind of stress production stress in my book, The Thrive Diet. Here’s a way in which stimulation can be used to one’s advantage: an athlete who has recalibrated by eating a clean diet and has abstained from all stimulating foods – including cacao – can benefit from a small amount of adrenal stimulation before a race. Drinking a cup of yerba maté (a South American herb) or eating a small amount of cacao before a race You get energy now that you don’t actually have, but you pay for it later – when the “bill,” or fatigue, hits. elevated performance. The same holds true for those trying to get more done at work. Stimulation can enable them to achieve more in the short term. However, if this borrowing strategy is used too often, it will lose its effectiveness and simply become another form of stress that perpetuates the cycle. To be effective, the strategy can be used only a few times a month, and once a week at most, for those times when a boost would really be beneficial. Ideally, you would rarely, if ever, need it; a actually have, but you pay for it later – when the “bill,” or fatigue, hits. Simply eating more cacao to put off the inevitable is like paying off one credit card with another: it will catch up with you sooner or later. You’ll most likely pay a high interest rate as well, needing more time to recover than if that energy had not been borrowed in the first place. This is the beginning of a vicious circle. One of the main attributes of a healthy diet should be adequate energy through nourishment, without the need to artificially stimulate the adrenals to gain it. This, along with simply being properly rested by getting efficient sleep (because of a reduction in stress, obtainable though better diet), will prevent a spiral such as this from developing. If fatigue is consistently a problem for you and you crave stimulating foods such as cacao, and/or certain cooked foods, chances are your adrenals need nourishing back to health. The best way to do this is by recalibrating with basic whole, plant-based foods. A beneficial food for nourishing the adrenal glands as opposed to stimulating them is a root vegetable called maca. I include 2.5 grams of it in my blender drink each day to maintain strong adrenal function. ■ is a professional ironman triathlete, author of the bestselling book The Thrive Diet, and the creator of the awardwinning Vega range of wholefood nutritional products. For more information, see BrendanBrazier.com and ThriveDiet.com. The book and the Vega range are available in the UK and Europe from fresh-network.com. Brendan Brazier 24 The invisible threat to your health EMF’s – are such a new phenomenon, the human body doesn’t recognize what they are. People can come down with viral-like symptoms or unexplainable health problems. I believe the immune system thinks it has been infected and reacts as it would to a continual viral, bacterial or a toxic onslaught. Some people need to substantially reduce their exposure to EMF’s for a period of time in order to get back into balance. Lisa took a number of steps to achieve this. She ditched the Wi-Fi at home, switching her internet access to a wired connection. She then immediately got a wire mesh which went around her bed, a lot like a mosquito net, until she got the house sorted out. This screened out the EMF’s almost completely from where she was sleeping. Within a few days she started to feel better and within a week her sleep greatly improved. She used anti-EMF paint on the walls where most of the radiation was getting in. It usually contains zinc, which blocks electromagnetic signals from penetrating walls. This blocked the majority of the radiation coming from the neighbours’ Wi-Fi. She then got a window net for the bedroom to block the residue of the mobile phone masts. After eight weeks she felt she was making a recovery. She was not as prone to viral infections and was at last sleeping well and feeling more energetic. I used a number of herbal remedies to help her body make the adjustment necessary: burdock and yellow dock to help the deep immune system, and bugleweed and Siberian ginseng for toxins and radiation. ‘Chel-8’, although primarily for heavy metal poisoning, is very effective for reducing electro-sensitivity and helps cells communicate with each other. Twelve months on, Lisa is in very good health and still does regular detoxification and follows a good diet. However, she is conscious about the level of electromagnetic exposure in her Thanks to modern technology many of us are living in a sea of electromagnetic pollution. Naturopath Philip Weeks explores the potential health risks, and the steps you can take to reduce your exposure. hen Lisa came to see me she was suffering from a lot of common complaints. At 36 she had chronic insomnia, fatigue, ongoing viral infections and depression. However, what marked her as a little different was that she was a therapist who was having a lot of good treatment by a number of practitioners and nothing seemed to be really working. She was not making any tangible progress even though she had been detoxing and taking homeopathic and herbal medicine. When I undertook bio-resonance testing on her it was difficult to get clear readings. This can happen when there is a complicated health picture but also because disturbances in the body have their own signals. These signals create a lot of ‘noise’ in the body, with the presence of the different discordant frequencies. Essentially, cells communicate with each other through subtle electromagnetic signals of their own. When this is disturbed, dis-ease arises. With testing, the overwhelming factor was that she was suffering from some kind of electromagnetic overload. She worked for a telecommunications company and used a mobile. Week days were spent in an office full of computers, and at home she had Wi-Fi (wireless internet connection). Lisa didn’t think that her electromagnetic field exposure was any more than anybody else’s. It was only when she hired a number of machines that test levels of electromagnetic pollution that she realized she had a big problem at home. In her home she could view 18 different Wi-Fi connections from neighbours whose connections were spilling into her home. She also found that there was a radiation hot spot from the local mobile phone mast in her bedroom. Essentially, all of the external radiation of ‘electro smog’ was undermining her core level of health. As high electromagnetic fields – or W home and workplace and keeps it as low as possible. The inconvenient truth Most of us will have heard of the many concerns regarding EMF’s. There are researchers in the field who have established compelling links between overhead cables, pylons and illness. Many people living near mobile phone masts suffer from symptoms of tiredness, depression, immune deficiencies and increased mental health issues – symptoms which subside when they reduce their exposure by moving house or by implementing EMF protection measures. Dr. George Carlo is a public health scientist who headed the first multi-million dollar research programme funded by the cell phone industry. After six years, his research discovered very alarming discoveries linking mobile/ cellular phones to serious health problems and diseases. On submitting his findings to the industry, he was discredited and his research ignored by the very people who paid him to carry it out. He came to certain conclusions regarding how EMF’s cause damage (however, Wi-Fi is a newer area that urgently needs more research): Cell membranes become damaged and harden. Cellular respiration is reduced, resulting in inefficient cellular nutrient intake and detoxification. Free radical concentration within the cell can dramatically increase, leading to DNA damage. Disturbed intra- and inter-cellular communication. This results in impaired organ function. Blood-brain barrier can become inefficient, potentially risking toxic chemical uptake into brain tissue. Cellular death with an increased likelihood of disrupted cell production, potentially increasing the number of malignant cells. 26 Professor Lawrie Challis is on the committee for mobile phone safety research in the UK, funded by the government and related industries. Because of the incredibly small number of studies into levels of exposure to Wi-Fi in schools, he is highlighting the potential growth of health problems in children. His main concern is children using a laptop while using Wi-Fi, and he had this to say on the subject: “With a desktop computer, the transmitter will be in the tower. This might be perhaps 20 centrimetres from your leg and the exposure would then be around 1% of that from a mobile phone. However if you put a laptop straight on your lap and are using Wi-Fi, you could be around two centimetres from the transmitter, and receiving comparable exposure to that from a mobile phone. Children are much more sensitive than adults to a number of other dangers, such as pollutants like lead and UV radiation, so if there should be a problem with mobiles, then it may be a bigger problem for children. Since we advise that children should be discouraged from using mobile phones, we should also discourage children from placing their laptop on their lap when they are using Wi-Fi. Recently, a lawsuit was filed in a suburb of Chicago by parents against a school on the grounds that exposure to Wi-Fi could potentially cause neurological damage to their children. Lakehead University in Canada has banned the use of Wi-Fi networks over fears about possible links between EMF’s and cancer. In the UK, many teachers and parents are pressing for a total Wi-Fi ban in schools. Until it can be proved the technology is safe, pupils are being used as “guinea pigs in a large-scale experiment”, according to the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT). Regarding general EMF exposure Professor Ross Adey, a researcher on EMF’s, concluded from his studies that they can: disturb the immune system and reduce the number of white blood cells available to kill tumour cells contribute to disturbed foetal and psychosexual development increase miscarriage risk accelerate growth in existing cancer cells affect the central nervous system and the brain in the ways which affect stress sensitivity We are going to have an ever-increasing exposure to the electromagnetic field as technology plays a larger part in all of our lives. Mobile phone masts are gradually connecting the world’s population and alarmingly, many cities are proudly boasting complete Wi-Fi coverage for their residents. So at the moment at least we are all bathing in a certain amount of electromagnetic smog. I personally think the further we get from nature, the more we are going to run into problems. In my view, it is not healthy to be paranoid about factors beyond our control. But it is healthy to take reasonable steps to limit the risks as much as we can. HOW TO LOWER YOUR ELECTROMAGNETIC STRESS LOAD Limit your mobile phone use. Text messaging at least avoids direct brain exposure. Talk on your mobile/cellular phone only when necessary, and keep the call short. If possible, use it on speakerphone mode and switch off when not in use. Don’t keep your mobile phone in your pocket or next to your body all day. Men should be particularly aware of the potential effect on fertility. Avoid using cordless phones and use a regular wired analogue one. If you choose to have Wi-Fi in your home, at least disable it when not in use. Better still, have a wired internet connection with a special dLAN adaptor which will turn your home’s circuitry into an extension to your computer network, allowing you to access the web from any electrical socket in your house. Rent machines to test for microwaves and EMF’s so you can identify the hot spots in your place of work and at home. Homes and bedrooms should have electric fields of lower than 10 V/m (volts per meter) and AC pulsed magnetic fields below 100 nT. If you are a parent, talk to your child’s school about not using Wi-Fi because of its questionable safety. Many parents I know have successfully changed the school’s policy on this. Avoid obvious EMF exposure such as electricity sub-stations, overhead pylons, and microwave ovens. Some EMF exposure is unavoidable, but at least ensure that your sleeping area is as free of it as possible. Electric alarm clocks can sometimes emit very high EMF’s. Avoid using your mobile as an alarm clock or having it in your bedroom at night, and avoid having a TV in your bedroom. Wooden bed frames are the best. Avoid electric blankets. Fluorescent lights produce more EMF’s than regular bulbs. Energy-saving bulbs are fluorescent and contain mercury so their alleged environmental benefits are questionable. Amalgam fillings produce their own electrical current; those without fillings are a lot less likely to suffer from electromagnetic stress than those with a mouth full of fillings. My website has number of articles on this issue. Anything that promotes healthy cellular respiration will support your body, such as clean or ideally alkaline water, skin brushing and any activity that promotes lymphatic drainage, such as rebounding. High antioxidant intake (ideally through superfoods and fresh fruits, vegetables and their juices) also has a protective effect. Walk barefoot on grass and spend some time outdoors every day. Finally, it is helpful to promote healthy melatonin production by ensuring your bedroom is as dark as possible at night. www.powerwatch.org.uk a great source of online information and you can also hire machines to test levels in your house and buy the screening paint. www.electric-fields.bris.ac.uk The Human Radiation Effects Group: a resource concerning the environmental factors linking childhood leukaemia and EMF’s. www.botanicalhealth.co.uk manufactures Chel-8 which is what I use with patients who are suffering from electromagnetic related conditions. is a master herbalist, naturopath and licensed acupuncturist. He sees patients from all over the world at his clinics in Hereford and London. For more information see PhilipWeeks.org or telephone 01432 265565. Philip Weeks Life Force: Superior Health and Longevity An evening with Brian and Anna Maria Clement A unique opportunity to hear two of the world’s leading experts on living foods nutrition and holistic health speak in the UK! At this information-packed event you will: hear two world-class speakers sharing the most cutting-edge knowledge on the link between enzymes, life force, health and longevity spend an evening among like-minded people AND enjoy some very special offers on the best healthy lifestyle products on the market Brian and Anna Maria Clement are co-directors of the Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida – the complementary healing centre that was voted 'no 1 medical spa in the world' by the prestigious Spa Magazine. BOOK NOW! Tuesday March 25, 2008 7:15pm-10pm Cavendish Conference Centre 22 Duchess Mews, London W1G 9DT (5 minutes from Oxford Circus) Doors open at 6:45pm and close at 10:30pm Tickets at £11.75 each Secure your place NOW – advance booking only and numbers are strictly limited! Both Brian and Anna Maria have spent the past 25 years conducting ground-breaking research into nutrition and health, ensuring that what they share is always right at the cutting edge. In this lecture, they will zone in on the role of enzymes in health, healing, rejuvenation and longevity. This dynamic husband and wife team promote a diet high in enzyme-rich living foods. Living foods include sprouted legumes, seeds, nuts and grains, wheatgrass and a fascinating class of superfoods called ‘baby greens’. The subjects Brian and Anna Maria will cover include: The link between enzymes, life force, health and longevity Why science is starting to confirm what living foods experts have known for decades What an enzyme-rich diet really looks like How to put this knowledge into practice in your own life, helping you reach your true potential on all levels – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual Those of you who have heard Brian and Anna Maria speak before will know that their knowledge and passion for this subject know no bounds. This is what makes them two of the most sought-after speakers in the fields of optimum nutrition and holistic health today. Like all of our events this one will be a fabulous opportunity to meet lovely people just like you and also to take advantage of some very special offers in the Fresh Network store. Buy your ticket Online: www.fresh-network.com By phone: +44 (0)845 833 7017 Bookings are non-refundable but can be transferred to a third party upon request. How long should your beauty sleep last? Tonya Zavasta on why mainstream research into sleep requirements has little relevance to you if you are eating a raw food diet. leeping Beauty: is this just a pretty fairy tale? Or is it a metaphor for a girl’s awakening womanhood? Let’s not go too deep. Let’s just take a beauty viewpoint. Is there really such a thing as “beauty sleep”? Excited, one of my readers wrote to me: “You simply must read T. S. Wiley’s Lights Out. It seems that raw foodists pride themselves on less and less sleep. Fooling with the circadian rhythms of seasons and sun is only fooling ourselves…” I’m an insatiable reader. I never turn my back on a book, especially one given such an enthusiastic recommendation. So I had to read this one. Wiley ventures to prove that obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer are caused not by eating fat nor by lack of exercise, but by stress and sleep deficiency. The author’s general recommendation is that we should sleep about nine and a half hours per day. S Another book recommended to me: Take A Nap! Change Your Life: The Scientific Plan to Make You Smarter, Healthier, More Productive by Sara C. Mednick. Note the word scientific. In fact, this painstaking research was done by a Harvard-trained research scientist. She claims there is “hard scientific evidence that the nap is woven into our DNA.” This conclusion was reached through experiments with real people. But how many among these subjects were yogi masters or even raw foodists? Educated guess: none. Otherwise, the author would likely have noted a prevailing peculiarity: Very little sleep during the 24-hour circadian period. Some of you probably already enjoy the miraculous results of a carefully observed raw foods regimen. And the fact is, far from needing more sleep, when you eat mostly raw vegan food you will need much less sleep. How long should your beauty sleep last? One study of 70,000 women showed that heart attacks increased in those who slept less than seven hours nightly. Those who slept five hours had a 40 percent higher rate of coronary artery disease or heart attack. Sounds scary. But this has no relevance to you. Why not? Because not a single test subject was eating the way you are. The usefulness of this research is zero so far as you are concerned. When you remove the cause of illness, you reduce the need for healing time. You reduce the need for sleep. Mednick notes in her research that tested subjects experienced a dip in energy twice during a 24-hour period. One big dip of energy signaled them to sleep at night, while another mini-dip hit near midday, usually after lunch. People on the raw food lifestyle usually do not experience this midday mini-dip. For example, it’s extremely rare that I ever need a midday nap. My husband Nick is a different story, and more complex. It’s funny—get a football game on television, and he’s there, rooting. But change the channel and pick up a chick-flick, one of those Brontesisters-Wuthering Heights-Regency-Romance things, and Nick is sawing logs inside two minutes. Other women report similar effects with their male companions. Clearly, there is here a marvellous opportunity for someone doing a master’s thesis in sleep disorders. But I digress… Sleep experts have brought together an impressive cross section to study sleep patterns across lifespan, occupation, culture, age, and gender. They are justifiably proud that what they have is a slice of the general population. But almost all studies share one common defect: Their study populations are people who consume cooked food. As a result, conventional studies tend to take the absence of symptoms for actual health. But absence of symptoms is not necessarily health, any more than the absence of darkness is sunlight. (And remember that famous scientific dictum: Absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.) Books about sleep research usually claim that sleeplessness causes hypertension, which can also lead to strokes. Hypertension is caused by arteries being occluded with fatty build-up from eating meat, dairy products, and cooked foods. Insufficient sleep does not allow the body to detox and heal itself. In this case, sleep is the remedy, not the cause. This is an example of how screwed up – how’s that for a scientific word, dear readers? – scientific conclusions can get when research is focused upon a general population which is eating cooked food and is afflicted by ailments resulting in part from those very eating habits. In my research for this article, I’ve been amazed to find that the connection between sleeping and eating is either entirely missed or is misinterpreted. We all get sleepy after a heavy meal. Sleeping and eating are intimately connected. After ten years on a 100 per cent raw foods regime and experimenting with different raw foods and quantities, I can say confidently that nothing influences your sleeping needs more than the amount and quality of food you eat. Digestion is a hard job for the body; the equivalent of ditch-digging. In fact, this analogy is pretty accurate if you consider that an average person in an industrialized nation consumes at least 100 tons of food in a lifetime. Some eat even more. No wonder they lack energy – they’ve dug the Panama Canal with their forks and spoons! The real Panama canal took a lot of heavy machinery. When we eat the old “hundred-ton” way, our digestive system is working every bit as hard as those excavators and dredgers. Too hard – harder than it was designed to. The more we eat, the more sleep we need. But the converse is also true: The less we eat, the less we sleep. Eighty percent of our energy is expended in digesting and metabolizing food. People who fast a great deal sleep little. Sleep is like a hospital recovery room. The more you’ve been hurting yourself, the more time you need to spend there to recover. If you don’t bang your head against a wall every day, you won’t need to spend a lot of time applying bandages. Am I against a long night’s sleep or a well deserved nap? Definitely not. I just want you to grasp how irrelevant to you, as a raw foodist, are the typical general recommendations about seeking more and more sleep. When you are following a raw food lifestyle you are not general, typical, average, or generic—you are unique and special. And you have an advantage. What you eat, how much you eat, and even when you eat all contribute to the quality of your sleep. It is the quality of sleep, more than quantity, which is so essential. Of course, if the quality is poor, more might help. But extra hours of bad sleep, you’ll agree, is never the real answer. Sleep takes place in a recurring cycle of 90 to 110 minutes. Sleep comes in two broad patterns: Sleep is like a hospital recovery room. The more you’ve been hurting yourself, the more time you need to spend there to recover. (1) REM (for “Rapid Eye Movement”) sleep, and (2) non-REM (which is itself further split into four stages). Human sleep is thus a sequence of five successive, recurring stages: four non-REM stages, followed by the REM stage. • Stage one of non-REM sleep: Drowsiness. During this first stage of sleep, we’re half awake and half asleep. • Stage two: Light Sleep. Within ten minutes, we enter this second stage, which lasts around 20 minutes. Breathing and heart rate start to slow. This period accounts for the largest part of human sleep. • Stage three: Deep Sleep. The brain begins to produce delta waves, a type of wave that is large (high amplitude) and slow (low frequency). Breathing and heart rate find their lowest levels. • Stage four: yet another Deep Sleep. This stage is characterized by rhythmic breathing and limited muscle activity. REM sleep follows upon these four non-REM stages. The first rapid movement (REM) period begins about 70 to 90 minutes after we initially fall asleep. Though we aren’t conscious, our brain is very active. This is when most dreams occur. Our breathing rate and blood pressure rise. After REM sleep, the whole cycle starts again. The dimensions of sleep change with age. The bad news: the average percentage of time spent in deep slow-wave sleep decreases almost six times from early adulthood (age 16 to 25 years) into mid-life (age 36 to 50 years). This lost deep sleep is replaced by lighter sleep. The good news: if you eat two highly nutritious meals per day and skip supper entirely (the regime I outline in my book Quantum Eating), you will sleep very deeply. You will get up fresh as a daisy and actually look good upon awakening. When you keep to a limited eating schedule, you don’t have that puffy, creased look upon awakening. Even better, you sleep only five or six hours a night. What’s important is how deeply you sleep, not how long. When we talk about sleep quality, we mean how long you spend in stages three and four of deep sleep. Deep sleep is the time the body rests and repairs itself. That deep sleep is what our late eaters miss, especially in the early part of the night. To get enough sleep is not, by itself, enough. You have to get enough deep sleep. After my initial adjustment to cancelling supper, I began sleeping more deeply – a huge contrast to the very light sleep I’d experienced early on, after my operation (to correct my congenital hip problem). The slightest noise would wake me. Recently my husband forgot his key. He was banging on the door and windows for a good 30 minutes, trying to wake me to let him in. Even the neighbours were up. But not me. Nick was annoyed. He said he could have demolished the whole house and I’d have slept through it. Nick couldn’t imagine anyone could sleep so deeply. On the other hand, when he gets up between 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning to visit the bathroom, I’m already up. His usual comment: Why aren’t you asleep? Answer: Because by then I’ve had quite enough sleep and I’m ready for a new day. Health and sleeping is a two-way street. As you transition to a raw foods lifestyle, you’ll find days when you feel on top of the world and need very little sleep. But there will be days when the cleansing has gone deeper and you feel tired, drained of energy. Don’t do anything else – just sleep. You need it. You deserve it. It’s during sleep that the body heals and performs its cleansing chores. Never use someone else’s sleep pattern as the standard for your own. Sleep as much as your body tells you to, whatever others may do. Normally, I sleep about five to six hours. Still, I have days when I sleep eight or nine. For example, one day I went for a deep tissue massage. I specifically asked the therapist to work on the scar tissue on my hips. When she was done with me, I felt exhausted. Toxins released from areas that had been operated on so many times made me sick and tired. I took a bath with Epsom salts and barely made it to bed before falling asleep. I didn’t awaken fully until twelve hours later. You should never live with sleep deprivation. The classic signs of sleep deprivation are difficulty getting up in the morning, feeling tired throughout the day, lacking energy, and feeling irritable. How much sleep do you really need? Your body will let you know. Observe how you feel in the morning. The ideal is to wake up feeling refreshed, alert, energized – even euphoric. People in love do not sleep much. No doctor will say this is abnormal. ‘Quantum Eating’ will make you feel like that most of the time. You are simply not ever sleepy, except for five to six hours during the night. Admittedly, during my first few days without supper, I was so hyperactive I had a difficult time falling asleep. Eliminating your evening meal should be a gradual process. Start by eating at about 6pm for several weeks. Then move to 5:30pm and so on, until you reach your most comfortable schedule. Your body will adapt to a personal inner rhythm. Your body will let you know when it is most comfortable. Push your body to its limits, but be willing to compromise with it so you are not in a constant conflict. Less sleep should never be imposed. It must be the natural result of your increasingly superb health. Compromise…not conflict. It’s an excellent idea to establish a regular schedule for your bedtime and wake-up time. When you have a regular sleep routine, your inner clock can work efficiently, so that at bedtime every aspect of your physiology is aligned to help you sleep. When it is time to be awake and alert, all your body’s parts and systems will be supporting your alertness. Stay consistent with your times. This will assure you a more regular sleep pattern. Normally I do not eat after 2pm. I awake very early in the morning, feeling like a twelve Eighty percent of our energy is exerted in digesting and metabolizing food. People who fast a great deal sleep little. year-old and ready to go. If I eat late at night, giving in to social pressures – I have slips like everyone else – I feel miserable, as if I’ve been mildly poisoned. I toss through the night, and that makes a huge difference in how I feel in the morning. I certainly will get no blissful awakening. While writing this, I decided to test the theory of sleeping nine hours. When I woke up at my usual hour, I made myself fall asleep again. When I finally was up, I felt groggy, in a foul mood and hurting all over. If you’ve ever deliberately indulged yourself and overslept ridiculously long, you’ve likely felt similar effects. Sleeping nine hours is not for me. Our entire culture is at fault for this consumerist thinking: if something’s good, more of it must be better. This simplistic approach fails again and again when applied to the non-linear system of the human body. The main point is simple: let your body tell you how much beauty sleep it needs and ultimately, your body will allow you to experience the beauty of sleeping. ■ Tonya Zavasta is the author of Quantum Eating: The Ultimate Elixir of Youth, Your Right to Be Beautiful and Beautiful On Raw. For more information see BeautifulOnRaw.com Get Fresh! Autumn 2007 3331 Interview with Gabriel Cousens Many raw and living foods experts teach that there is an ideal diet which works for everyone, but you have long been a vocal opponent of that view. Could you explain why? There’s no such thing as ‘normal’. That is a mythical person. As a species we have 30,000 genes and 200,000 gene variations. You can’t possibly expect with that many variations that everyone needs the same diet. One of the most brilliant health systems in the world is Ayurveda, and one of the main principles of Ayurveda is: eat according to your dosha, or type. Additionally, there is the work on biochemical individuality by Roger Williams at the University of Texas. And there’s also research showing that the pH level of the venous blood going into the brain is optimally 7.46, but that different people have to eat in different ways to achieve that pH level. We have had very powerful success in helping people with mental disorders just by addressing this one issue. So I didn’t invent this. There are three major bodies of research that support the need to tailor the diet to the individual. When people write books saying there is one diet for everyone they are not drawing on science; it’s an extension of their ego. The book Mucusless Diet Healing System by Arnold Ehret is an excellent example. It’s a great diet for kapha types as kaphas have a tendency to create excess mucus, but it’s a disaster for people who are vata. Could you speak a little more about the main differences between the types? A higher-protein diet is needed for fast oxidizer (or parasympathetic or vata) types, while slow oxidizers (or sympathetic or kapha types) need a higher percentage of carbohydrates and far less protein. Mixed oxidizers are in between. All of this is genetically determined Gabriel Cousens, MD is an internationally recognized living foods physician and the author of several books including the classic Conscious Eating and the newly released There Is A Cure For Diabetes. He is also the founder and director of the Tree Of Life Rejuvenation Center, which has locations in Arizona and Israel. He talks to Sarah Best about his unique approach to optimal nutrition and his quest to turn around the global diabetes pandemic. based on characteristics of the DNA and mitochondria [the energy factories in the cells]. The genes in question determine how you metabolize food for energy. So a person who’s a fast oxidizer needs more protein and these people will fail on a live food or vegan diet if they try to do it the high carbohydrate/low fat way. They won’t be getting enough protein to make the mitochondria in the cells work right. The only people who can stay stable on a high-sugar diet are extremely slow oxidizers, and very few people are in that category. When you’re in a state of hypoglycaemia, your mind can’t be steady. You can’t possibly have clarity if your blood sugar is going up and down. I have personally challenged Indian Swamis by saying, “I meditate 6 hours a day, you go 1-2 hours and you can’t hold it. Try a low-glyaemic live foods diet and see if there’s an improvement.” So they cut out high-sugar items, including bananas and papayas, and their ability to hold steady improved greatly, as did their mental clarity. Are there people who cannot thrive on a raw vegan diet? In almost 30 years of treating people with live foods I’ve only tested one person, a lady from the Arctic circle, who had an actual biological need for animal protein. But even in that case a serving of fish once a week took care of it. If you follow the version of the live food diet for your constitution you never have to worry about protein. Fast oxidizers can get plenty of protein on a live food diet as long as they understand that they need to, and know where to get it. Beef contains 14% assimilable protein, fish 15% and chicken 16%, yet spirulina is 40% assimilable protein. So getting enough protein on a live food diet is not an issue. Research from the American Dietetic Association showed that most vegans get double the amount of protein they need. People get sick from too much protein, not from not enough. A person who feels they Gabriel with guests at the Tree Of Life during the evening Satsang session when sprititual questions are asked and answered. When people write books saying there is one diet for everyone, they are not drawing on science; it’s an extension of their ego. Interview with Gabriel Cousens have to have animal protein often feels that way because they are craving vitamin B12. Scientific studies have consistently shown that nearly 80% of vegans and live fooders tested are B12 deficient. These deficiencies don’t happen overnight; some take a year to develop and some take 10 years or more. But as a physician, I can’t recommend people wait until they get B12 deficient to pay attention to this. At our centre we have a living nano B12 complex from bacteria and half a teaspoon to a teaspoon a day is all that’s needed. Apart from that, there is nothing in animal foods that you can’t get from the right balance of plant foods, so why would you want to take sentient life when you don’t have to? How can you be a liberated being living off the life force of other sentient beings? This is a spiritual perspective, not a ‘me-first’ materialistic perspective. In the past, humans couldn’t choose what they wanted to eat. The luxury we have today is that we have the ability to practice ahimsa, meaning a lifestyle of causing no harm. How did you first discover this diet and lifestyle? I got into live foods originally for spiritual reasons not health ones. As a holistic physician seeing thousands of people interested in a spiritual life, it became clear to me over time that the diet that best supports that life is the live food diet. When I started on this path 35 years ago, understanding of how to make a live foods diet work was very limited. But I realized early on that live food is like a jet plane, and you have to to learn to be a jet pilot to know how to fly the plane without creating a lot of turbulence. Although I first became interested in live foods for spiritual reasons, as a scientist I did not just accept live foods as a religion; I felt very free to look at all the potential difficulties with live foods and work out a solution for every one of them. So I began to deal with such matters as individualizing the diet according to constitution, the sugar issue, the B12 issue and so on. For those seeking optimal health, is it necessary to follow a 100% living foods diet? Without doubt 100% live food is the best diet as it supports spiritual life and compassion and turns you into a superconductor of the divine. It’s the Olympic approach. When leading experts in the field got together to discuss this, the consensus was that 80% is the minimum intake of live food for a healthy addicted. We recommend green juice fasting over water fasting as it’s so much easier. Water fasting can cause heart palpitations and people can end up with long-term mineral deficiencies. Juice fasting gives you most of the same rewards for minimum effort and risk. A one-week green juice fast two to four times a year is the safest, easiest and fastest way to get optimal results. Even for people living a clean lifestyle, we’re all living in a contaminated world, most of us with lots of stresses, so unless your digestion is perfect – and few people are like that – it is necessary to do this to clear out bowel toxins. Otherwise they affect brain function and emotions. Of course, a seven-day juice fast is not as powerful as a 21-day one, but it is much better to do between two and four seven-day fasts in a year than one 21-day fast. Also, if you are a vata type, a 21-day fast will really stress your body. So again, this is about maximum return for minimum stress. In your opinion, how important is nutrition compared to all the other factors which determine health? Where does it come in the ranking? From a holistic perspective, everything is important. But for different people, some things are more important than others. I’d rate proper diet – meaning a healthy live foods diet – as number one on the list. That is definitely the case for most people on the standard diet. Right behind that is spiritual life and after that emotional life. But if someone is very emotionally unbalanced, that’s the most important thing and the thing that needs to be addressed first. A major area of focus for you currently is the work you are doing not only to heal people of diabetes through living foods, but also to massively raise awareness about the fact that diabetes is not an incurable illness; that people have a choice. Over 246 million people worldwide have diabetes. It is a global pandemic. Worldwide, one person dies of diabetes every two seconds, and two new people get it every two seconds. The live foods lifestyle is what is needed to heal the planet and heal ourselves at this time of crisis. Diabetes and all chronic diseases are accelerated aging. Diabetes is an acceleration of the aging process by nearly one third. Live foods slow the aging process. We’re helping people transition from what we call ‘the culture of death’ to ‘the culture of life’. Within 10 to 15 years, the average diabetic is suffering from diabetes-related chronic problems including heart disease, blindness and neurological problems. Diabetics are twice as likely to get Alzheimer’s. The average diabetic loses between 10 and 19 years off their lifespan. But diabetes doesn’t just come out of the blue; you cultivate it. Between 45% and 80% of people with diabetes have the gene for Diabetes doesn’t just come out of the blue; you cultivate it. Between 45% and 80% of people with diabetes have the gene for it, but genetics only loads the gun. Diet and lifestyle pull the trigger. lifestyle. 100% moves you very quickly, whereas 80% moves you more slowly, with fewer healing crises and emotional crises. One of our Masters students at the Tree Of Life did a study of people who had been on at least 80% live foods for two years. Most reported that they had a better spiritual life, better health, less depression and so on. But the author and teacher Victoria Boutenko observed that certain people are not able to remain consistent at 80%, because that 20% keeps you addicted to cooked food. How many people are like that is the question. In my practice I would estimate only 5-10% of people I see have that problem. A lot of people are not that concerned about food and will simply eat whatever they think will make them healthiest. But as live food puts a focus on food it sometimes attracts people who have a lot of focus on food and leads to addictive behaviour. But dairy has casomorphines which are very addictive. Meat is also addicting: it’s very stimulating and some people get addicted to that, as well as to the taste. Sugar is addicting. What is the best way to overcome food addictions? Fasting. When you fast you lose the cellular memory of the foods to which you are Chefs in the kitchen at the Tree Of Life centre in Arizona Gabriel with wife Shanti Golds-Cousens it, but genetics only loads the gun. Diet and lifestyle pull the trigger. What a lot of people don’t know is that if you eat animal protein you are four times more likely to get type 2 diabetes than a vegetarian. Meat, fish and chicken raise the insulin index by as much as an equal amount of white sugar. One of the symptoms of a diabetic condition is insulin resistance: vegetarian protein lowers insulin resistance while animal protein increases it. Healing diabetes with live food has been done since 1920 when Max Gerson healed [the doctor and philosopher] Albert Schweitzer [with a regime of raw vegetables and fresh raw juices]. I haven’t made a new discovery here. In fact, I have been healing people of diabetes for the last 30 years. How, exactly, does the live foods diet and lifestyle heal diabetes? It upgrades your genetic expression, just as the ‘culture of death’ diet and lifestyle act as a downgrading of genetic expression leading to diabetes and other chronic diseases. People talk about enzymes all the time, but enzymes have a relatively minor role. Our diabetes programme works not because of enzymes but because it upgrades your genetic potential. On live foods you have more enzymes and more biophoton energy and that’s all significant. But the real shift is in upgrading your gene expression and turning on anti-aging genes. A 2001 study observed the effects of calorie-restricted diets on rats. It was found that cutting calories by 40% switched on anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant and – by implication, though not proven – anti-diabetes genes. On a live food diet you can eat half as much because cooking destroys such a high percentage of the nutrients in food. By eating less, you actually reverse the aging process. And when you don’t cook food you further increase the anti-aging gene expression. Clearly the implications of all of this are huge, and never has it been more important to get this information out into the mainstream, which is exactly what you are doing with your work. Yes, this is so powerful it’s really mindblowing and if approached in the right way it could put live foods right on the front burner. In the documentary Raw For 30 Days which was made at our centre in Patagonia, Arizona, we put five ‘culture of death’ standard-dieteating diabetics through our living foods programme. We achieved results that are still considered impossible in allopathic medicine. We’re currently seeking funding to put 400 diabetics through our programme and document the results. Our goal is to take this to the mainstream. We have to show people they have choices. We’re helping people make the transition from the culture of death to the culture of life. In the past, humans couldn’t choose what they wanted to eat. The luxury we have today is that we have the ability to practice ahimsa, meaning a lifestyle of causing no harm. The culture of life is about respect for all of life, and living in a way that is harmonious with all of life. If everyone was on live foods we could feed world 14 times over. If everyone ate a vegan diet, we could feed the world seven times over. The implications for healing the planet are immense. ■ For more information about the work of Gabriel Cousens, and the Tree Of Life centres in both Patagonia, Arizona and Qumran, Israel, see treeoflife.nu or call (001) 520 394 2520. Gabriel Cousens is the author of several books, including the newly published There is a Cure for Diabetes, reviewed on page 10. Get Fresh! Autumn 2007 33 35 Enzymes: nature’s life force Dr Brian Clement explores the catalysts that govern life and health E nzymes have finally reached front and centre in the annals of scientific research. They had previously been relegated to the lowly position of “just another protein”. But now there is an ever-growing group of quantum biologists who fully understand that while the exterior physical make-up of an enzyme is protein-based, the purpose of an enzyme is astonishing and literally the spark of all life. Dr. Anna Maria Clement and I spent some invaluable time several years ago working with an electron microscope in the pursuit of observing a wide selection of enzymes. In every case, when they were split open, an l l i l h b d actual electrical charge was observed. We concluded that these remarkable elements are the most important nutrient that our bioelectric bodies require. Far more so even than proteins, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, which only have the ability to nourish and create the structural part of our physical being. Electrical life force is the very heart of our true persona. Therefore, it must be our foremost objective to consistently acquire electrically-charged enzymes to maintain an adequate and significant level of high frequency. hi h f The academic community is quite lost when it comes to understanding the role enzymes play. If you look up the word “enzyme” in most medical dictionaries, it describes these powerhouses as the catalyst of all life. Yet in classrooms, we train our burgeoning scientists and doctors that an enzyme is a building block rather than the fuel 36 80 years ago, Dr. Edward Howell, the most prominent enzyme researcher in history, began to demystify our understanding of these extraordinary molecules. Today, there are many scientists worldwide who have built on his foundational wisdom and scientific verdict. Here at the Hippocrates Health Institute, we consider enzymes to be one of the four legs supporting the table of physical health, the other three being hormones, oxygen, and phytochemicals. Independently and combined, these elements, in the proper balance, afford us maximum levels of health. In allopathic medicine, there is no question about the body being foremost electromagnetic. The proof of this is in the diagnostic technology that is universally utilized in finding disease. MRIs, highspeed CAT scans and PET scans all measure the frequencies of organs and systems of the anatomy. Ironically, due to called macrophages destroy abnormal cells, keeping their numbers in check. Doctors LePage and Miller showed that malignant tumours are in fact receptacles for surplus incompletely metabolized protein and fats. It seems that the circulatory presence of undigested fats and proteins leads to an interference with oxygen transport severe enough to threaten life itself. According to Nobel prize winner Dr. Otto Warburg, normal cells can mutate to malignant cells within 48 hours under reduced oxygen levels. The cancer cell acts like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up the incompletely metabolized fats and proteins and recollecting up to 20 times more protein than normal cells. From this work you can see that cancer is, in effect, similar to obesity. In cancer cells, the body stores surplus unmetabolized protein and to a smaller extent, fat. In obesity, fat cells store incompletely metabolized fats. Cooking food above 118 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees centigrade) destroys all of the enzymes. the pharmaceutical industry’s control of medicine, after the diagnosis you are not treated electromagnetically, you are treated chemically. There is an ever-growing medical science of electrical stimulation therapy. The most noted are TENS units employed in the conquest of pain. Diathermia, H-wave, and magnetrons are just a few technologies that we have used here at the Institute. They may be found globally where open-minded, cutting-edge complementary healthcare professionals practice. Each red blood cell has two electrons strategically placed an equal distance apart. This causes the cell to rotate in a clockwise manner, to maintain a round dimension, and to flow freely throughout the bloodstream. This function requires an ongoing input of high-frequency stimuli. Nature’s way to bring this about is by saturating fresh raw living foods with enzymes. With each passing day after food is harvested, these enzymes diminish. Cooking food above 118 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees centigrade) destroys all of the enzymes. Today, lipase, a fat-consuming enzyme, is becoming more popular in weight loss supplementation. It is estimated that in Europe, Japan and the United States alone, there have been 20 million people successfully utilizing this enzyme to take off unwanted pounds. Dr. Michael Williams, immunologist and professor of medicine at Northwestern University, states that there are tens of thousands of abnormal cells floating around in our bodies at all times. When enzyme levels are adequate, immune system scavenger cells German researchers, over a two-decade period, showed that there was a parallel to the mechanics of protein storage into cancer cells. A large part of cancer research is now directed towards strengthening the immune system. Dr. A.E. Leskovar showed that supplementation with enzymes on human subjects increased the macrophages by 700% and the natural killer cells by 1300%. There are those who still contend that enzymes are no more than builders. How sad it is that we are limited by the diminished awareness of these purported authorities. I would challenge any of these “experts” to spend time with me here at Hippocrates Institute observing the importance of enzymes in raising immunity and overall health. We have keenly focused in on the dynamics of these powerful elements in the rebuilding of afflicted bodies. Our system constantly cries out for stimulation and enzymes are at the epicentre of this quenching. Another interesting aspect of the importance of enzymes in the totality of the body’s mechanics is that the more enzymatic activity that occurs via food and organ stimulation, the more enzymes are manufactured. Dr. Vivian Hunt filmed the increased bioelectric frequency that occurred when a person consumed uncooked vegan cuisine. She compared this pictorially to the results that occurred when one consumed a conventional diet. The difference was stunning. The individual consuming the living food exhibited a visible electrical frequency beyond the parameter of their physical body, whereas the electrical frequency of the cooked that ignites life. When a sperm and egg unite, it is actually an enzyme activity that starts human life. Ironically, after our last breath, it is an enzyme activity that breaks our physical bodies down to once again join the earth. I often think of enzymes as little gatherings of life force that unite the continuum of all that we call living. They give and take on all levels, including health and longevity. I believe the time is fast approaching when mainstream science will finally grasp the true role and importance of enzymes. Some 37 Enzymes: nature’s life force food consumer was greatly diminished. When such dynamic activity occurs within moments after enzymatic consumption, it further validates the intricacy and signi cance of these essential elements. In the landmark book Megatrends, John Naisbit so well states the future of medicine. “Biology will be to the 21st century what physics and chemistry were to the 20th century. The main area of interest [will be] the production of enzymes or living catalysts, which [will] act in the same way as chemical catalysts.” This thoughtful volume revealed future trends for business, industry and civilization. It was on target for all of its predictions made back in the early 1990’s. So many thinkers have concluded what we have scienti cally established over the last half century. The body without enzymes is like the ocean without water. In the journal Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Biochemistry Pharmacology it was so well stated, “In the near future, substantial development in pharmacology and therapeutics can be expected of enzymes.” Germany is one country that has been decades ahead in their use of enzymes on the frontline of disease. Dr. Dick Couey, professor of physiology and nutrition at Baylor University in Texas stated, “I will never eat another meal without taking a plant enzyme supplement. My body doesn’t deserve such poor treatment.” “Today’s Health”, a report by the American Medical Association, stated, “Enzyme is the most promising word in research today. Many researchers are convinced that virtually all disease can be traced to missing or faulty enzymes.” Do not use yourself as a guinea pig and deplete your enzymes to experience the inevitable disorder. Give yourself the gift of an enzyme-rich diet coupled with high-quality digestive enzymes for 60 days and see for yourself what Dr. Couey and millions of others have experienced. ■ Q I eat a raw diet with plenty of living foods. Do I need to take enzyme supplements? A Many living food enthusiasts ask the question, “Why do we not receive all of the enzymes we need from our raw food?” The human body was built to eat a 100% raw living food diet throughout its entire life. Since this was not achieved for all but a handful of us, our enzyme reserve was depleted and our body’s ability to create its own enzymes dwindled. By taking supplemental enzymes we rekindle the anatomy’s ability to manufacture these vital life components. Together with the enzymes we derive from raw vegan food, these natural occurring enzymes offer the metabolic support and needed protection that they inherently possess. The supplemental consumption of enzymes also helps to clean up the body ecology. International research demonstrates that these powerhouses of life force clean the anatomy the same way that microbes clean up the earth. When the blood serum of the body is clean, we can help to prevent cancer as well as many other diseases. In fact, everything from the regeneration of tissue after placing a disease in remission to tissue injury suffered from sports can heartily and effectively be addressed through the use of supplemental enzymes. There are two common forms of supplemental enzyme. The most widely used are digestive enzymes, made up of protein, carbohydrate and fat digesting elements. Systemic enzymes, largely made up of protein, manifest proteindisassembling processes which are commonly used in the effort of conquering disease. Throughout Northern Europe, systemic enzymes have been successfully used for decades in such diseases as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Enzymes in and of themselves, when active (alive), are all beneficial. Each type’s benefit is truly determined by the wisdom of the formula. Top-quality digestive enzymes not only help to gain maximum levels of nutrients from our food, but also increase the electromagnetic frequency in and around our cells, helping to prevent free radical damage, the cause of all premature aging and disease. The best systemic enzymes can help balance the immune system and create an ongoing network of high-frequency electrical charge moving through the bloodstream. In my own life, I take up to 20 HHI-Zymes per day as a deterrent from unnatural aging. This is the digestive enzyme formula Viktoras Kulvinskas and I created some 15 years ago. At times throughout the year I also take systemic enzymes, generally after periods of extensive physical exercise. We must all begin to think of enzymes as a vital, central nutrient that is essential for all anatomical systems. The antiquated view of so-called modern science has significantly slowed down the progress of the adoption of enzymes into our daily life. Brian and Anna Maria Clement will be lecturing on the subject of enzymes and life force in a lecture in London on Tuesday, March 25. For more information see page 28. Brian Clement Ph.D, N.M.D, L.N. is director of the Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida. He has spent more than three decades researching and practicing living foods nutrition and progressive health care. For more information see hippocratesinst.com. 38 What do you need to believe? You know what you “should” be eating, but do you frequently sabotage yourself and choose foods that don’t serve you? How much can your mind sway whether something tastes or feels good to you? In the first of a two-part series, Karen Knowler explains why the beliefs you hold about healthy food could be holding you back. A t the time of publication I’m entering my sixteenth year of raw food eating. Amazing! Even this far down the line, in many ways it feels as if my junk food days are only a few weeks behind me, still quietly mumbling in the background wondering if I’ll “go back” and “be normal”. In a cooked food world there are endless sights, smells and temptations wherever we go, but as I’ve said before and I’ll say again: “I’m not giving up this magic for anything!” Recognizing that eating raw foods is a choice like any other, it is not hard to see that all of us are usually walking a fine line between the two worlds, shunted one way or the other according to the present-moment focus of our mind and its interpretation of events. Growing up I hated vegetables with a passion. They literally made me gag and I would become tearful and extremely defensive and emotional if anyone put even a few tiny peas on my fork and suggested I “just have a few”. Of course, with hindsight I know my family meant the best, but at the time I felt as if they were trying to hurt me by forcing me to do something I didn’t want to do – and that’s the point. My mind was closed tight like a box nailed shut. “No vegetables – I don’t like them, they make me sick. Leave me alone.” I’m wondering now, looking back as I do, how much of that was purely in my mind? Was the feeling sick partly psychosomatic? I actually think it probably was. I wasn’t allergic, I wasn’t phobic, but I definitely know myself well enough by now to know that I can create very strong reactions physically when disturbed enough emotionally, and that is generally true of us all. So how did it serve me to stay eating junk in my childhood and to eschew all the foods that now make up most of my day-to-day diet? How much of it was simply down to taste buds, how much down to beliefs, and how much down to any miscellaneous other factor you care to name? There really is no way of knowing for sure but what I can tell you is this: As soon as I made the decision to eat healthily at the age of 19, it was very easy – and enjoyable. And guess what? I got really good at it, and I even came to love it... And now I do it for a living! Looking back, there is definitely awareness about timing with all of this. Look to your own eating history and chances are that you didn’t upgrade your diet, or consider doing so, until My staples were chips (fries), white bread and butter, full fat milk, fizzy drinks, crisps, cheese, burgers, sausages, fish fingers, biscuits and icecream. Yes I was a little pudgy, but no, I wasn’t going to change for anyone, and I certainly wasn’t going to be bringing more “life” into my diet. I needed the junk food for comfort and protection. My mind finally changed eight years later as I approached adulthood because I got fed up of being overweight. Four years of on-off dieting had achieved what you would expect – frustration and even lower self-esteem and My staples were chips, white bread, full fat milk, fizzy drinks, crisps, cheese, burgers, sausages, fish fingers, biscuits and ice-cream. you were in a certain place mentally and/or emotionally. Why? Because deep down inside we know that when our food choices change, we change, and rare is the human who actively and consistently goes after change – especially change of the proportions we’ll be discussing. So the ten year-old Karen was not interested in peas, carrots nor anything else that she didn’t want to be interested in for a reason. I am not sure I have a full and complete handle on many of those reasons, but you can bet that having had my parents divorce and both remarry in the preceding four years, as well as moving home three times and living with different sets of family, could very well have had something to do with it. I think I had probably already had quite my fill of “change” thank you very much! Add to this the common childhood desire to hold some cards of my own – to not have people giving me foods I didn’t want, and to have some say in my own life and my own identity, and you can bet this would make for a very closed in set of food choices – and it was. self-regard. It was actually one fateful day in the summer of 1990 when my journey to living health really began – and I guess you could say that it really all began in my mind. I was 18 years old, had just returned from California after a three-week exchange trip and had basically “eaten for England” while I was there. In fact, I ate so much I put on 8lbs in 21 days and then accused my poor hostess of shrinking my jeans in the wash! Yes, I was rather rotund to say the least – and in denial. My “defining moment” happened a week or two later as I stood naked in the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, what stared back at me was a young woman with the body of a much older woman – and one that didn’t take care of herself either. Wodges of fat turned an otherwise strong and healthy body into a flabby lifeless one, and where my legs should still have retained their lithe and toned appearance from my sporty mid teens, now there was cellulite spreading like wildfire – even into my arms. In this moment 39 What do you need to believe? my mind kicked in. It had gone beyond emotion now. The physical was plain to see, my crying heart felt powerless, especially acknowledging that I could be so out of control with food that I often felt unable to stop. Now all that was left you think positive thinking affects how well people get on with a raw food diet?” As soon as he asked the question I knew he was onto something. I’m not sure he even realized that at the time, but I did. Having by My “defining moment” happened a week or two later as I stood naked in the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, what stared back at me was a young woman with the body of a much older woman. was for my mind to come into the conversation and take charge – and it did. Thank goodness for my strong enquiring mind. That was when I had this thought that really did go on to change my life: “There has to be a way of eating that is healthy, makes me lose weight, helps me find my perfect body and that tastes great. Life cannot be so unfair to make it so that we have to choose between great taste and a fat body, or bland food (or semi-starvation) and a great body. If I don’t do something now then what will I look like when I am 30, 40 or 50?” This really is where it all began. It was time to take action now. I had reached my point of no return and now that I had asked the question, as unfamiliar as I was with the power of directed thinking, I just believed that I would find my answer. I just didn’t have a clue where, that was all... The months that followed took me from one book to another. Books were really all there was in those days in terms of anything like alternative information. I followed the “healthy eating” trail and gleaned new pieces of information from every book I read, and while they helped and inspired, I just knew there had to be more. As the months rolled by I realized that I could actually like foods I previously hated. I did find healthy foods enjoyable – in fact more enjoyable than the foods I had loved before. Hmm. Uh oh – a new truth – I love healthy foods, they taste great and they make me feel great and, and...can it really be this simple? Some serious life-long beliefs were being busted and this was just the start. Of course the long story short is that over the next few years I went from 100% junk food eater to 100% raw food eater. Quite a journey. And yes, absolutely a lot of it has been, if I think about it, in my own mind. My mind has been my initiator, my driver, my doubter, my inspiration, my everything along the way. Emotions may move us, but they don’t necessarily “groove” us. We need the mind to give us the solidity and foundations that we need to move forward with confidence, at least in those early stages. Eleven years later in the summer of 2001 I was being interviewed for radio at the International Raw and Living Foods Festival in Portland, Oregon. The interviewer posed a question that really caught me off guard at the time, asking something I had never even fully considered before: “So Karen, how much do this point spoken with literally hundreds, if not thousands, of raw foodies and aspiring raw foodies over the previous few years, I noticed there was most definitely a trend that was impossible to deny: Those who positively embraced raw foods with an open heart and open mind appeared to thrive, while those who got rigid, neurotic, overly focused and/ or pursued it for intellectual or “should” type reasons alone never really seemed to do well – physically or otherwise. They just never seemed happy, let alone healthy. Knowing what I do now, it is not at all hard to see why. Going raw is a whole person journey and we don’t get to choose which bits come with us. It really is all or nothing, otherwise we flounder and we feel pain. Pain is simply the symptom of a person who thinks they can self-compartmentalize or do something they think they should when their heart is not on side (or vice-versa). Someone who fails to see that dietary changes – particularly changes to a more live food diet – recreate us from the cells out. Nothing gets to stay the same. The more I looked, the more I realized that my own journey has been comparatively straightforward because I always wanted it. And that was with my heart and my head. There was no fight. I wanted to be healthy, I wanted to eat raw, every fibre of my being knew it was the right thing to do for me and there was no bitter inner struggle. And when one of them doubted or got wobbly on occasion, guess what? It was a mini-vacation back to the bread and potatoes, I always felt worse and then the inevitable: back to raw. Raw food was my new rock, and cooked food was sand. Now in the present day, a further seven years along, as a raw food coach it is very easy for me to spot who will do well on raw foods and who will struggle. In fact it is crystal clear usually from the get-go and that makes things very easy and comforting for both myself and the client, so we know where to focus first. Sometimes there is some “work” to be done before people try to go high or all raw, usually on an emotional level. This typically means that some meaningful inner work needs to take place so that the client can get clear and clean and up to speed so they can embrace raw foods from a place of passion rather than pain. Pain and raw foods just don’t mix well; the dynamic energy of the raw foods simply stirs it all up in its bid to eject it from the body, and the heart, unsurprisingly, doesn’t much care for that. This is otherwise known as “emotional detox” and is something that is rarely spoken about. This is also why cooked food binges can become so common in many struggling with emotional issues – it can sometimes just feel like “too much” depending on where the individual is at. So often I will recommend people simply upgrade their diet, slowly adding in more raw foods as and when their emotional state allows. When they’re ready, they’re ready – and they will know. So how about those whose heart is open and ready to embrace raw foods but they just can’t seem to stick with it, or those who have found that eating raw is the only way they can feel healthy or get rid of certain health conditions but don’t feel the rest of them is quite so keen? Well, this is absolutely where it is imperative to really “get” the vital role that belief has to play in all of this. Whether you are conscious of them or not, right now you hold multiple beliefs in your mind about raw and living foods and Whether you are conscious of them or not, right now you hold multiple beliefs in your mind about raw and living foods and your relationship to them. your relationship to them. Ditto with regard to eating generally, to health and to your future health. We all have these inner-mind conversations going on constantly, but largely they are never fully heard, they just remain an often random set of beliefs floating around either serving us or not. If you’ve been having a tough time going or staying raw then in the next issue I am going to give you some powerful exercises to help lift the lid for you. Chances are that lurking somewhere in that wonderfully powerful mind of yours are more than a few little anti-raw gremlins nibbling away at your confidence and ability to stay on track, and we’re going to bust them just in time for summer. See you then! ■ Karen Knowler is The Raw Food Coach. Visit her website for masses of free raw food recipes, food demos and life-changing information at TheRawFoodCoach.com or call 01353 723133 for more details. 40 RAW guide to LA RAW guide to LA Jeni Cook dines out in Los Angeles, samples some of the best gourmet live cuisine on the planet and gets the city's top chefs talking about raw food and vibrant living. O ctober 2007 has to have been the highlight of my year. As well as going to the best raw food festival in the world – the Raw Spirit Festival in Sedona, Arizona – I also got a chance to spend a week in Los Angeles hanging out with old friends and chomping my way through the menus of some of the best raw food cafés and restaurants I have ever been to. But this was no walking tour. If you've ever been to LA, you'll know it is a sprawling metropolis covering a vast area, so I am indebted to my friend Lawrence for acting as my chauffeur – and eating buddy! My first stop was the coastal city of Santa Monica where I headed to Juliano’s Raw. Opened in 2002 by the flamboyant Juliano Brotman, this was the first ever raw vegan restaurant in LA and the clientele spans the range from 60’s hippies and yogis, to Joe Public, to dedicated raw foodists, to musicians and Hollywood movie stars. It’s so famous that people come from all over to check it out. Juliano no longer runs the restaurant himself but still uses it as his office and he can be seen perched at the far end of the drinks bar clicking away on his laptop. He leaves the running of it in the capable hands of his fiancée and head chef Ariel who has it completely under control. The wait staff are very friendly and are pleased to help with choosing from the large menu. I liked that it was filled with tropical plants and fresh pink orchids. Even the tables outside were dressed with freshly cut flowers in vases. I was there with my friend Mike for lunch. He was new to raw food and admitted to being rather nervous but by the end of the meal he liked it so much he promised to go back with his girlfriend (who it turns out has been trying to persuade him to go for years!) We decided to go for the Tasting Menu which is six courses and at only $40 per person is very good value for money considering main courses are priced at up to $15 each. There I was expecting bite-sized portions of each dish Juliano’s Raw but to my surprise each one came full size. From the appetizers, which range in price from $4-$10, I chose The Maki S&M Special Sushi and Mike chose the Chips & 3-Layer Dip which was a groovin’ salsa with guacamole and flax crackers. We decided to share and try a bit of each. Good choice! From the soups, which range in price from $5-$10, Mike had the Bangkok Thai which was a frothy warm coconut cream with lots of lemongrass, lime and spices, while I had the Sea Witch: a Japanese style broth with 10 kinds of seaweed, lots of coriander, spice and slithers of avocado which added a nice creaminess. I could eat that every day. The next course was Ariel’s Salad which came highly recommended by our server and it was a good choice. Lots of medicinal greens, seaweed, and avocado topped with truffle oil, which made it very creamy. By this time, though, I’d more than eaten enough and we still had mains and desserts to get through. Mike polished off a Green Curry Pasta – courgette spaghetti with a spicy and very creamy almond sauce. I chose the pizza but decided to have it to go. To complete our tasting menu experience we choose our desserts. Mike chose the Chocolate Parfait – an avocado mousse on a nutty, gooey crust decorated with dried coconut, goji berries, chopped nuts, strawberries and cream. I chose the Chocolate Chez cake which I also had wrapped to go. I managed a taste of Mike’s dessert, which was heavenly, and couldn’t wait for my stomach to go down so I could enjoy mine later. There’s something for everyone at Juliano’s and we certainly enjoyed our tasting menu experience, even though it was more than we could physically eat in one sitting! Juliano’s Raw 609 Broadway Santa Monica, CA 90401 Tel 310-587-1552 planetraw.com 68 What was your professional background before becoming a raw food chef? My dad took me out of school at age eight and made me his assistant chef. I was a meat and dairy chef, but at 15 I stopped eating meat and became a vegetarian chef, then a vegan chef… How long have you been a raw food chef? I’ve been a raw food chef since the age of 19. Raw food was always here obviously, but when I was 19, in 1999, there was no such thing as raw ‘junk food’; it was only salad and wheatgrass. I felt great on it but I started making all these crazy concoctions like pizzas and tacos and burritos. One night I went to a raw food party in San Francisco. It was at this nice prestigious place, everyone was middle-aged and very wealthy – doctors and prominent lawyers – but they had no exciting food, just salad, fruit and bowls of nuts. So the next month I brought raw pizzas and cheese burgers and burritos. They couldn’t believe it because no one had ever thought of it. At that point we didn’t even have a restaurant; we just threw parties and we kept getting write-ups in the papers. Then in 2000 we moved to LA and started doing raw parties and within a few months hundreds of people were coming. I would throw a party in my friend’s warehouse then we’d be on the cover of The New York Times. How did they describe you? Did they think you were some weird hippy? We got good exposure because my friend’s warehouse was super elegant, classy and amazing. We had girls in cocktail dresses serving and you had to dress up nice to attend. We made it very classy and the next day we were in the “Dining Out” section of The New York Times and they said it was “the best of everything we’d ever tasted”. Then we started doing underground dinners and beach parties and this London TV show called Hollywood Beach Party came to one and they thought it was great. By then I knew I needed a permanent place because everyone was demanding the food every day instead of just once a week, so we opened the restaurant and everything is working to keep this gigantic menu going. We want to make all your food for you. Our customers come in two or three times a day so we make it affordable. Don’t shop or make your own food if you don’t want to. Let the professionals do it and that’s us! Do you have plans to open more restaurants? Yes, we’ll be opening more restaurants – we have our eyes on London, Paris, Tokyo, Miami, Las Vegas and Sydney. We’re just looking for locations. Describe a typical day for you? I do a lot of writing – 8-10 hours a day, 7 days a week. I don’t work in the restaurant anymore because Ariel my girlfriend took it over several years ago. I do about 8-10 hours a day formulating strategies and writing. That’s pretty much my work day. After that it’s yoga, movies and parties. What’s your view on percentages and do you think it’s necessary to be 100% raw? I think that cooked vegan foods are fine if they’re something you crave about two to four times a year! Any more than that and you have a problem. A raw fooder looks at organic vegan food and thinks “glue, bleach and metal”. Why metal? All cooked food is What would you definitely recommend a person to give up when embarking on a raw food diet? I have a great answer to that. There’s only one thing you need to do and everything else will fall into place and it’s that you need to stop eating cooked food. That’s it! People owe it to themselves to do this. I always describe raw food this way: “It’s the diet that everybody is looking for but most don’t even realize exists”. Would you say that raw food has changed your life? Yes, in every way. No longer am I a part of the sick system. The food is sick, the people are sick and the system is sick and raw food I always describe raw food this way: “It’s the diet that everybody is looking for but most don’t even realize exists” cooked on pots and pans and during cooking the food actually absorbs some of the metal. When you quit cooked food for three weeks and eat raw and then you go eating cooked food again, even vegan organic, there’s a very major taste of metal left over in your mouth from the meal. takes you out of that. No longer am I a part of the medical matrix. We can all make the choice to be free and liberated. Just remember what your mother told you: “Eat your greens” and “Don’t play with fire”. Well, let’s add to that: “Don’t eat what you played with fire with!” Jeni talks to Juliano Owner and creator of Juliano's Raw RAW guide to LA What was your professional background before you became a raw food chef and restaurant owner? I didn’t have any experience at all. I wasn’t a chef or a cook; I only got into food preparation after going raw. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do but it soon became clear that I was meant to be preparing food for people so I started doing dinners one or two nights a week. Pretty soon, every week I had a whole bunch of people coming in for a meal so I decided that I’d do five or six different dishes each week and over the course of a couple of years I’d compiled a whole bunch of recipes. So did you have a whole collection of books that you went through or did you make up your own recipes? They were completely original recipes. I spent a little time working with Juliano when I first came to California, so I was doing his recipes, but when I started doing the dinners I created my own recipes. It was just trial by fire minus the fire! I would think of the end product I wanted to create and think, “Right, how do I get there?” You know, just experimenting. When did you decide to expand and have a restaurant? Before the restaurant, the second incarnation after the dinners was realizing that not everyone was going to come to me and the way round that was to do the delivery service which is now called “The Box”. The main reason people give for not living this lifestyle is not having the time, so I thought ok, we’ll make it all and deliver it to you. The Box started in Los Angeles and then I thought, why can’t I put it in a box and ship it all over the country? To more effectively do that we opened a kitchen in New York City so that we could take care of the East Coast from there. There’s no one that doesn’t need this kind of food, so there are a lot of people we could help. How did you come to hear about raw food? David Wolfe was giving an interview on the Howard Stern Show in 1998. I was in my car listening to it on the radio on my way home from a late night. He gave out his website address and I quickly wrote it down. As soon as I got home I checked it out and ordered his book. I read it from cover to cover and thought, “This is what I’m going to do”. I was eating MacDonald’s and overnight I changed my diet 100%. What was that like? It was a little challenging the first couple of months going from one extreme to another, but after that it just began to get better and better. It was a small price to pay considering I haven’t had any cooked foods in 10 years so when I get my blood tested and it’s okay, I know raw food is working for me. the health benefits are so innumerable. Feeling better mentally, physically, having more energy, never getting sick... I just feel super lucky that I found out about it. Most people will go through life never really knowing that it exists and we get to enjoy all these things. What are your favourite raw foods? I love watermelon in the summer and as boring as it sounds, I like nothing better than a really fantastic salad with sprouted seeds, dulse, and lots of dark greens. Do you think it’s necessary to be 100% raw? No, it’s not absolutely necessary but I would highly recommend it. You can get a lot of the benefits from being 80% raw, which is so heads and tails above what most people are doing, but I have to do things all or nothing. Also, I want to be a promoter of this lifestyle and I think when you’re doing it all the way you can really speak from a place of authority more than others because the cynics out there will say, “Well you’re healthy because of the 20% of rice that you’re eating”! I haven’t had any cooked foods in 10 years so when I get my blood tested and it’s okay, I know raw food is working for me. I got my blood done when I first started out to keep my mother from worrying and I’ve had it done a couple of other times routinely. But I feel good and that’s the main thing. In fact I feel better than I ever have. Not just okay but really fantastic! What are the things you would definitely recommend someone give up when embarking on a raw food diet? Highly processed foods are the most insidious part of the American diet. In decades past people weren’t eating so many chemicals and preservatives. When people give up these foods they find a lot of benefits right away, as allergies, weight problems, skin problems and congestion all clear up. Interview with Matt Amsden Owner and executive chef of Euphoria Loves RAWvolution What advice would you give for a happy transition? Go by how you feel. Some people are motivated to go all the way like I did. If that moves you, that’s great. If not, it’s really adding more every day. If you can start with a smoothie for breakfast and a salad with dinner you’re already incorporating a huge amount of raw food without having to change your lifestyle too much. Also, have fun with it! We’re talking about the best foods ever here! Who can’t enjoy themselves with raw chocolates from Peru, goji berries from the Himalayas, olive oil from Spain and vanilla beans from Madagascar? That sounds like an enjoyable lifestyle to me! How has raw food changed your life? It’s changed the entire course of my life because it’s not like I continued in my same job and just changed my diet. It really became something I’ve taken on as a mission. Anytime you find something that’s fantastic, you hear a new band or see a great movie, what do you want to do? You want to tell all your friends, right? So I found something that makes me feel better than I ever have and I just want to tell people about it. Whether or not you go that far with it, if you’re a lawyer it’s going to make you a better lawyer, if you’re an athlete it’s going to make you a better athlete, if you’re a musician, it’s going to make you a better musician. Because a lot of what comes with it is not just physical; you also get a mental clarity when your brain isn’t clouded with all the sludge and toxic chemicals of poor food. I’m just sharper and more aware and I’m never hampered by physical discomfort anymore. This is just like a super hero diet. If super heroes really existed, what would they eat? This would be it. lso in Santa Monica is Euphoria loves RAWvolution owned by raw chef, restaurateur and musician Matt Amsden (left) and his beautiful wife Janabai. Janabai is a holistic health and beauty consultant who owns and runs the natural beauty products A Euphoria Loves RAWvolution store Beauty and Wisdom, a place of calm and tranquillity just a few doors down. RAWvolution is not just a café; it’s more of a lifestyle boutique with clothes, an elixir bar, a deli counter, delivery service, bookstore and all the latest nutritional and cleansing products. It’s also a really cool place to hang out. I visited RAWvolution with my husband Paul and his band mate Phil, both musicians and used to less healthy fare on the road. The menu is extensive and I hardly knew where to start. We all decided to choose something different so that we could share. I got us off to a good start with the Euphoria Platter – a selection of the veggie salads and creamy delights which included mock tuna, guacamole, seaweed salad, egg-less salad and no-bean hummus, which I have to say tastes Who can't enjoy themselves with raw chocolates from Peru, goji berries from the Himalayas, olive oil from Spain and vanilla beans from Madagascar? Euphoria Loves Rawvolution 2301 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90405 Tel 310-392-9501 rawvolution.com Beauty and Wisdom 2307 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90405 better than the real thing. We added a side order of Matt’s famous Onion Bread which comes thoughtfully decorated with edible flowers. Between us we were already getting full so I decided to save what was left of my appetite for the dessert. For his main course, Paul chose the Big Matt With Cheese, which is Matt’s signature dish – a tasty veggie burger with layers of crisp salad, cheese, pickles, onions, mock mayonnaise and mock ketchup sandwiched between two slices of the onion bread. It’s pretty big and you would need to have not eaten for at least a week to finish it all. I couldn’t resist a bite and thought it was yummy as well as being good value for money. Phil decided to go for the Coco-phoria: strips of curried coconut, tangy mayonnaise, lettuce, onions and tomatoes, all sandwiched between two slices of onion bread. By this time Matt himself had turned up on his push bike and as a fellow musician, he was happy to meet Paul and Phil and see them enjoying his food. For dessert, Matt kindly served us a complimentary Decadent Dessert Platter which consisted of a little of everything that was in the dessert display case: dark and white chocolate truffles, coconut walnut fudge and – my favourite – chocolate ganache. Full or not, it seemed rude not to polish off the lot. The food is real value for money and there is also a large variety of hot and cold drinks, smoothies and custom-made elixirs to choose from at the elixir bar. Earlier, while at Beauty and Wisdom, Janabai, Matt’s wife, had lovingly prepared Paul and I an elixir which was so delicious and moreish I can only describe it as the most exotic hot chocolate ever. When in town, put RAWvolution on your “must do” list! Get Fresh! Autumn 2007 33 45 RAW guide to LA ocated in Redondo Beach on The Pacific Coast Highway is Terra Bella, a delightful café run by raw food chef Melissa “Mango” Davidson. My friend Lawrence and I got lost trying to find it, and by the time we rolled up there we couldn’t wait to get inside and get started! The interior reminded me of a Parisian-style café with lots of dark wood and beautiful murals which Melissa painted herself. There were also display cases with an array of raw books, and some raw snacks, condiments, and superfoods. Melissa was working that day and served us, helping us with the difficult job of selecting from the menu. We tucked into the Sampler Platter, which was absolutely massive. It featured two Bruschetta: fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil on a cracker made from courgettes and sprouted sunflower seeds. There were also two Tacquitos – flax meal wraps with salsa, spicy no-fried beans, pine nut cream cheese, coleslaw, ‘toonah’ paté and guacamole. And sprouted seed crackers, plus some more cream seed cheese wrapped in courgette strips and topped with a spicy tomato salsa. Mmm, mmm, mmmmmm! TITLE L We skipped the mains and the huge choice of wraps and amazing salads in favour of – you guessed it – the desserts! Melissa took us through the choices and you could tell by the way she described them that she was very proud of the fact that they are super healthy. Not too heavy on the nuts and sweeteners, instead they are surprisingly light. On the menu that day was a choice of café mocha ganache, blond or brunette macaroons, butter cookies, chocolate pecan truffles, layered parfait, pumpkin pudding, and cinnamon rolls. We opted for the Cinnamon Rolls and Butter Cookies, which were so light and creamy they practically melted in the mouth. I would have liked to have returned to Terra Bella one evening to sample more of the menu and to catch one of the bands that play there each month but it’s a fair trek from Sunset Boulevard and time wasn’t on my side, so it looks like I’ll just have to return to LA some time soon! Meanwhile Lawrence, my friend and my chauffeur on this raw tour, managed to bag himself a job working alongside Melissa! Other appetizers included larger individual portions of the bruschettas and tacquitos with a choice of dips and patés, and there was also a choice of soups. The “sammiches” looked good too with a choice of veggie burger, toonah sammich, veggie heaven, or the ‘summer lunch’ which is a choice of half a sammich and a cup of soup. Jeni speaks to chef Melissa Davidson How long have you been living the raw lifestyle? Since about 2000. I’m not as rigid as I used to be about what I eat and I’m much happier that way, but I do feel my best when I eat 100% raw. What was your reason for going raw? I was a professional dancer and I wanted to get lean for a competition. My personal trainer So I got into eating raw foods because of my trainer. He just turned my whole world around. I started making my own food, learning anything I could, ploughing through books like crazy. Once it worked for me, I wanted to heal the planet! I was on a mission because I’d changed myself. I got really good at preparing food and pretty soon I started hosting dinners at my house and that turned into lecturing. I started teaching at Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats and one time I was visiting the Tree of Life centre and they asked me to be a guest chef and instructor. I felt very privileged to be a part of that. I was there during the filming of the documentary "Raw For 30 Days" and helped prepare food for the guests on the programme. Then I came to Los Angeles as a personal chef and met some great people, changed their lives and helped heal them from all sorts of stuff and they said “Let’s open a restaurant!” Don’t you think it amazing how the raw lifestyle can take you on a completely different journey and change your life? Absolutely! I was a bartender and burlesque dancer before. Still a great person but I had no clue about the impact I was having on myself and the rest of the world. When you take away the cigarettes, the junk food, all that stuff, no matter what it is, your whole spirit starts to shine. You’re like, “Wow! What is all this cool stuff happening on the planet, how can things be better and how can I be a part of the solution?” Terra Bella Once it worked for me, I wanted to heal the planet! I was on a mission because I’d changed myself. told me, “So you want to get thin, you want to build muscle, you don’t want to feel tired anymore – stop taking those pills that give you fake energy and watch what you eat instead!” I thought my diet was healthy already but I was eating fish and drinking low fat milk and not getting a whole lot of fruit or vegetables and it was destroying me. Terra Bella Café 1408 Pacific Coast Highway Redonda Beach, CA 90277 Tel 310-316-8708 TerraBellacafe.com 32 Get Fresh! Autumn 2007 H idden off the beaten track in an area east of Hollywood where the creative and alternative live, Cru is run by selftaught raw chef Rachel Carr. The décor is calm with warm tones; clean and understated. The door remains wedged open and people breeze in curiously, not realizing at first that it’s a raw restaurant, but deciding to stay and try it. On the wall, proudly displayed for all to see, is a framed Los Angeles Magazine food award for best raw food restaurant of 2007. My friend Lawrence took me there on my first visit and I came back a few days later with my hubby, and our nephew Spencer and friends Howard and Eddy who were all nursing hangovers after a very late night out on the town. I think they thought they were going for a fry-up but once they got over their disappointment at learning otherwise they were all up for trying something new. It was a Sunday and right outside the restaurant the local farmers’ market was in full swing. I could see head chef Rachel struggling with arms-full of fresh produce for the day ahead. We were the first customers of the morning and the efficient server took our orders right away. I went for the same as I’d had on my first visit which was the Antipasto Plate of cashew cheese, tapenade, caponata, radishes, heirloom carrots, cucumber and flax crackers, and to follow I had the Spring Rolls. Both dishes were from the appetizer list and large enough to satisfy. The spring rolls are the best I have ever tasted – very clean and crisp – with daikon sprouts, enoki mushrooms, red cabbage and coriander, all wrapped in thinly sliced daikon root, with a shoyu, lime, and sesame oil dip and a creamy nut dip. Spencer and Howard both opted for the Thai Curry and Eddy chose Shiitake Wraps: marinated shiitake mushrooms, red bell peppers, basil, sprouts, and cashew cheese, all encased in collard greens, and with a side order of sweet potato crisps! Eddy wasted no time in getting stuck in and expressed surprise that something wrapped in raw green leaves could taste so good! Finally, Paul, who’s becoming something of a raw food connoisseur, chose the Shiitake Ravioli – cashew cheese raviolis with a sweet miso cream sauce, marinated shiitake mushrooms and a side order of arugala salad – and declared it the best thing he’d tasted on this trip to LA. My main reason for coming back to Cru was for their fantastic Chocolate Brownie à la Mode topped with coconut ice cream and chocolate sauce. OMG, this is – as they say in LA – to die for! The boys shared raspberry chocolate crepes and the response was, “That was absolutely blinding!” I think they liked it! Cru is a deserving winner of its raw restaurant award. The food was clean, crisp and light on the palate, and the service was efficient and friendly. So when in Hollywood, take a mini detour and give Cru a visit. It’s well worth it. Cru Jeni meets Cru’s head chef, Rachel Carr How long have you been raw and how did you get into the raw lifestyle? It all started 18 months ago when a close friend wanted to go raw to lose weight. The more I read about it the more it interested me so I decided to do it for 30 days with her, and I felt so good that I decided to keep going. She and I were raw food buddies: we would make food together, read, write visualizations and really get into how the right diet can open you up spiritually and emotionally. It was really great that could we take that journey together, and so far she’s lost 100lbs! What’s a typical day’s eating plan for you? I don’t eat that much. My main meal of the day is usually a green smoothie with superfoods, and through the day I’ll have salad and fruit and I always make sure I have one big green juice every day. I’ve always really liked foods that don’t use a lot of nuts and that are easy to digest. Although nuts have a place because they give a certain richness – especially to sauces and desserts – when a recipe is dominated by nuts you can’t eat too much of it without feeling strange afterwards. Do you think it’s necessary to be 100% raw? No, where I’m at right now I feel a great sense of freedom with regards to food. Ultimately, eating raw foods shouldn’t be a burden to you – it should make you feel more free. I find that I like to have a little taste of other things when I go out, so I’m probably about 90-95% raw. What advice would you give someone wanting to transition from cooked to raw foods? Not to limit themselves in how much they eat. When I first went raw I was ferociously hungry all the time for about four months and I would eat incessantly. I had to have bags of food with me at all times and I was really spending a lot of money on food, yet the weight kept coming off. I was eating a lot of dates, nuts, bananas and other filling foods because I never felt satisfied otherwise. As you detox your body really craves sugar and fatty foods, but that phase passes. While it may be good not to overeat those foods, it’s better than going out and eating processed foods. Is there anything in particular that you would advise as necessary to give up when starting out on raw foods? For me the thing that made the biggest difference in the way I felt was giving up refined flour and carbohydrates. Cru 1521 Griffith Park Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026 Tel 323- 667-1551 crusilverlake.com Get Fresh! Autumn 2007 33 47 RAW guide to LA TITLE T here were a few other cafes I had the pleasure of visiting that were not exclusively raw but definitely worth a stop on the raw tour nonetheless. I used to get so excited about going to LA just because I could eat in vegan restaurants in the same way I get excited now about being able to visit so many raw restaurants. Y’all know what I mean! The great thing about these vegan restaurants is that you get to choose from raw options and some healthy cooked ones, knowing that everything on the menu is animal-free, and the food is prepared with love and integrity. I popped into Real. Raw. Live. in Hollywood for a Rawkstar Smoothie no less – a blend of mango, kale, almond butter, almond milk and cinnamon. As well as organic shakes and smoothies, it serves salads and vegan food. servers who were always ready to help you as soon as you walked in the door. I’ve never seen this place less than full and it’s great for a bit of celeb spotting! My favourite dishes on the menu are the good old House Salad, the Living Paradise (julienned vegetables, avocado and raw almond cheese rolled in rice paper with a raw tomato sauce for dipping and watercress and cucumber garnish), and the Living Wrap (red pepper sunflower spread, cucumbers, guacamole, tomatoes and salad greens in a collard wrap). Another place I have to let you all in on is M Café de Chaya in Melrose, Hollywood. Again, although not strictly raw it has some amazing raw salads. Everything is laid out deli style freshly made in display cabinets and you can also see right through to the open plan kitchen. They also have a great selection of health books on sale. M Café de Chaya 7119 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90046 Tel 323-525-0310 mcafedechaya.com One of the best places I found to shop for all things raw while in LA was Erewhon Natural Foods. It has the largest selection I found of raw food products, fresh ready prepared raw meals, raw chocolate and superfoods. It also has a great salad bar, a juice bar and a tonic bar where Ryan the tonic man will prepare you a bespoke tonic or elixir to suit your specific needs. Erewhon also helps promote the raw food lifestyle by hosting raw food talks and classes as well as putting up slogans such as “Get Raw” in the store and in their car park. Real Raw Live 5913 West Franklin Ave. Hollywood, CA 90028 Tel 866-563-4545 realrawlive.com One of my favourite places to hang out (which I did on a daily basis while in LA, because both Paul and I love the buzzy atmosphere) is Real Food Daily in West Hollywood. We’ve been going there since it was first opened by Anne Gentry in 1998 way back when organic was still a fairly new concept to the mainstream, and being vegan was seen as radical, never mind being raw! This place is super efficient with a very glamorous host I loved seeing everyday just so I could admire her outfits, and the super friendly Real Food Daily has two locations – more information at realfood.com 414 N. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048 Tel 310-289-9910 514 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401 Tel 310-451-7544 Erewhon Natural Foods 7660-B Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 96636 Tel 323-937-0777 Los Angeles also has around 10 branches of Whole Foods Market – another great place for picking up raw produce, treats and superfoods. For store locations visit wholefoodsmarket.com And finally, here are the all-raw restaurants I didn’t make it to on this trip but hear are definitely worth a visit. Next time… Leaf Cuisine has branches at the following locations More details at leafcuisine.com Culver City 11938 W. Washington Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90066 Tel 310-390-6005 Sherman Oaks 14318 Ventura Blvd Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 Tel 818-907-8779 West Hollywood 8365 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA Tel 323 650-0181 Taste of the Goddess Cafe 7373 Beverly Blvd (Nestled inside Prive Hair Salon & Spa) Los Angeles, CA 90036 Tel 323 933-1400 TasteOfTheGoddess.com Good Mood Food 5930 Warner Avenue Huntington Beach , CA 92649 Tel 714-377-2028 goodmoodfood.com Au Lac 16563 Brookhurst Street Fountain Valley, CA 92705 Tel 714-418-0658 aulac.com Jeni Cook is a London-based raw chef and lifestyle coach. For more information see rawhealthharmony.co.uk 32 Get Fresh! Autumn 2007 Thomas Lodi, MD practices integrative oncology and homeopathic medicine in Arizona. After completing his formal training 22 years ago, he worked in conventional medicine for 10 years before returning to his holistic roots in search of more effective and less toxic treatments. He continued his training by qualifying in a range of holistic modalities including homeopathy, nutrition, oxidative medicine, chelation therapy and orthomolecular medicine. In addition to the holistic modalities he offers his patients, the foundation of his practice is detoxification and teaching people how and what to eat. For more information see AnOasisOfHealing.com or call (001) 480 834 5414. “Do you recommend the consumption of raw meat and/or dairy? I am experimenting with large quantities of raw food, and gradually going more and more raw, but I can’t imagine being vegan. In my twenties I was vegetarian for several years and I lost a lot of weight and felt tired all the time. I went to a nutritionist who told me that due to my metabolic type, I shouldn’t be vegetarian. When I started eating meat again, I felt so much stronger and more energetic. Now I am eating a diet of around 70% raw food and 30% quality organic meat, fish, eggs and milk. Should I start consuming the animal foods in their raw state?” Unfortunately, most “vegetarians” are really “pastatarians” or “breadatarians”. Cooked starches require more energy to digest and assimilate than they provide to the eater, hence the well-known postprandial somnolence (sleepiness) associated with the eating of these types of meals. Q Consulting Room of cancer. This is not uncommon when vegetarian animals are fed animal protein thereby exceeding their physiological and metabolic capabilities. If you were raised in Thailand, you might think that large insects were delicious, in China you might crave live monkey brain and in Italy you would find yourself in a queue to purchase a cheese swarming with maggots. Yes, humans will eat anything a cockroach will eat and then go on to defend it bitterly. “I feel better and stronger when I eat steak”, “I feel better and more energetic when I eat dog meat.” Plus of course, “I feel better and more alert when I smoke a cigarette”, “I feel better and more motivated when I shoot heroin”, and, “I feel better and happier after a few shots of whiskey”. The increase in energy you feel after eating the decayed musculature of an animal corpse is a direct consequence of the ingested fats. The myofibrils, collagen, fascia, connective tissue, and blood vessels do not impart energy when eaten because of the protein content but rather the fat content. The consumption of seeds, nuts and oily plants provides A When one violates the Laws that govern biology, the consequences are disease, pain, mental and emotional discomfort and finally, premature aging and death. Clearly, the eating of energy-draining foods must be avoided on any diet. People forget that the root of the word ‘vegetarian’ is vegetable! Protein is not used for fuel (energy) except during states of starvation in which there is a negative nitrogen balance. Protein is primarily used to produce enzymes, structural components of cells, carrier molecules in the blood and hormones, amongst other things. Under normal circumstances, we obtain energy as a breakdown product of carbohydrate (sugar) and lipid (fat) metabolism, and we are able to store for later use any of the unused energy in the form of glycogen (starch) and fat; protein cannot be stored, so excess consumption of protein overburdens the kidneys, liver and lymphatic system. In any species, the size of the kidneys is proportional to the quantity of animal flesh a creature is designed to eat. The kidneys are the chief organ system designed for the excretion of nitrogen waste products but they have their limits. The unused waste is delivered, as designed, to the lymphatic system for elimination. It is of great concern to note that the blood supply to the lymphatic system is minimal, resulting in a low concentration of oxygen there. The resulting admixture of un-excreted, foreign proteins which find their way into the oxygen-poor environment of the lymphatics often results in the development humans with all of the appropriate fats required for optimal functioning, without contributing to the toxic burden of the body. The membranes of our cells are designed with an outer and inner layer of conductive material enclosing an inner, insulating material. This is the description of a ‘capacitor’ which stores voltage. Therefore, one extremely important function of our cellular membranes is to store energy. These membranes are made of lipids (fats). Unhealthy fats = unhealthy membranes = low or no energy. Finally, careful review of the literature reveals only conjecture, not evidence, regarding metabolic typing and food requirements. There are many extremely healthy raw vegans who are blood type O – the type that purportedly needs meat and cannot thrive on a vegetarian diet – including Gabriel Cousens, MD. The mammary secretions of warm-blooded animals are designed to double an infant’s size as quickly as possible to attain viability. Depending upon the data source, human milk contains from 0.8% to 5% protein, 3% to 5% fat, 6.9% to 7.2% carbohydrates and 0.2% ash (minerals). During the time of our lives when our protein needs are at their maximum because our bodies are doubling in size, Nature says that we only need somewhere around 3 to 5% of calorific intake to be protein. Even potatoes are 8% protein and broccoli is 35% Dale Pinnock is a degreetrained medical herbalist and nutritionist. He runs a private clinical practice and health consultancy called Natural Solutions. He regularly features in national press and on radio discussing nutrition, natural healing modalities, raw foods, and herbal medicine. Dale has been following a 70% living foods diet for the past 12 years, and has been researching natural health and nutrition for the past 14 years. For more information see DalePinnock.com. 49 protein. If one eats, it becomes difficult to develop protein malnourishment. Clearly, milk is “baby food” and we are the only mammals who insist on eating baby food as adults, not to mention that we go so far as to consume the baby food of another species. We would find it nauseating and distasteful to drink gorilla or bonobo milk, in spite of the fact that their milk is much closer to our own than that of a cow. We have moved so far away from nature’s paradigm that we no longer recognize the absurdity of it all. Remember, carnivores eat either dying animals or those freshly killed. They first eat the organs and undigested intestinal contents and if they leave anything for the vulture, it is what you and I call “steak”. The scavengers, hyenas and jackals prefer the corpse, but not after 48 hours. If you wish to abandon your primate heritage and adopt the habits of the scavenger, you must eat the corpse soon after it has been killed otherwise you are eating the food of bacteria, fungi and maggots. The major problem here, however, is that when one violates the Laws that govern biology, the consequences are disease, pain, mental and emotional discomfort and finally, premature aging and death. Even the person who doesn’t believe in ‘gravity’ will fall to their death upon stepping off a high building. Natural Laws are non-negotiable. By the way – if you wanted your horse to win a race and you had one month to prepare her, what would you feed her? Hay soup? Or fresh-growing grass and alfalfa? TL area creating the familiar inflammation, irritation, streaming eyes, soreness etc. As uncomfortable as this response is, it is a natural one that the body would usually use to “trap” any potential infectious agent. Our immune systems, for the sake of simplicity, have two distinct branches with specific attributable actions and responses. These two branches are referred to as non-specific (or innate) responses, and antibody-mediated responses. In non-specific responses, certain cells of the immune system have the ability to recognize things as being “self” (belonging to the body) or “non self” (an invader). These cells can also recognize referred to as either Th1 or Th2. Th1 triggers non-specific responses, and Th2 triggers antibody-mediated responses. Hay fever, asthma, eczema and autoimmune conditions are all Th2 states. Thankfully for us, Th1 and Th2 are mutually inhibitory responses. When one goes into action, the other is immediately suppressed. With the response explained, this brings me to the single most profound and exciting remedy for the treatment of hay fever: resihi mushroom. This potent Asian mushroom has been used as a superior tonic herb for millenia. It has come to light in recent years that reishi mushroom can have a very interesting Dairy products contain a whole host of bovine immune complexes that can play havoc with our own immunity. whether the cells in our tissues are damaged (as in cancer initiation) or infected by a virus or pathogen, and can take the appropriate action. This is really as far as the activity of non-specific immunity goes. In antibody-mediated responses, our immune system has the ability to recognize something that is a challenging factor for us and develop antibodies to it. Whenever the body experiences this ‘antigen’ again, it can remember the type of attack that successfully defeated the antigen, and will proceed to launch such an attack again. In cases of exposure to infectious illnesses that we have previously suffered from – i.e. chicken pox – this battle is often fought quite silently and we are completely unaware of anything going on inside as this branch of the immune system quietly does its job. However, in cases of allergy, such as hay fever, the antigen (pollen in this case) has tiny variations, so each time we are exposed, we experience the same symptoms as the immune system battles to control the allergen. These two branches of the immune system are equally as powerful as each other and will both offer high levels of protection against infection. Now, lets take this one step further. There is a control mechanism in place that helps the body determine which of these two types of response (non-specific or antibody-mediated) is appropriate for certain circumstances. This is a chemical messenger system orchestrated by cells known as T helper (Th) cells. These cells are relay units. Certain cells known as antigenpresenting cells constantly patrol the body on the lookout for any kind of invader or troubled tissue. When they come across something, they radio back to base: the Th cells. This radio call will then enable Th cells to dispatch the correct force of troops for the job. They do this by releasing certain groups of chemical messengers called cytokines into general circulation. Depending on which group of cytokines is released, the body will either instigate non-specific, or antibodymediated immune responses. The groups of chemical messengers secreted from Th cells are affect upon our immune systems. It triggers a phenomenon called a Th1-Th2 shift. This means that reishi will cause the immune system to shift from a Th2 type state into an Th1 type state. As mentioned above, if we stimulate one type of response, the other type and all its attributable actions within the body will be suppressed. Supplementing with reishi mushroom has proved time and time again to drastically down-regulate allergy symptoms for this very reason. I’d recommend an initial loading dose of reishi mushroom of around 6,000mg daily, going down to a maintenance dose of around 4,000mg daily. This should begin at the start of the hay fever season, or when one first becomes aware of any symptoms. I have seen this work miracles, with patients who have previously needed to hibernate for the summer being out playing sports within two weeks! From a dietary perspective, there are a few things that we can do to make things a little easier for ourselves. I notice that you are vegetarian, so I’m assuming that there may indeed be a certain amount of dairy products consumed. As is well known, dairy products have a tendency to be mucus forming due to their acidifying nature (if the body becomes too acidic, mucus is produced to protect tissues). More mucus in the system will make matters a lot worse, and will keep pollens in the respiratory tract for longer. Dairy also contains a whole host of bovine immune complexes that can play havoc with our own immunity. Both of these considerations make a good argument for avoidance. There are also certain foods that you can add in order to ease your symptoms. Pineapple contains a powerful anti-inflammatory enzyme known as bromelain which can cut down inflammatory symptoms quite notably. Garlic and ginger also both contain potent compounds that interrupt the inflammatory response before it gets the chance to get going, so regular consumption of these can keep the inflammation within the respiratory tract to an absolute minimum. DP Q A I have been suffering from hay fever since childhood and I’ve tried so many methods to cure it, including conventional and alternative ones. I have also improved my diet by going vegetarian. With the hay fever season coming up I am wondering whether there is anything else you can suggest? I have written quite extensively on the subject of hay fever, and have worked with some really difficult cases in the past. Hay fever is essentially an exaggeration of a specific type of response within the immune system. It is related to the other common allergies, asthma and eczema, in what is known as the ‘atopic triangle’. We will often find that sufferers of any of the above will also have a history of the other corresponding conditions within their immediate family. The symptoms of hay fever arise from a localized immune response within the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. As we breathe, inhaled particles are constantly being analyzed and sampled by the cells of the immune system that line these mucous membranes. When the cell population of this area come across allergens (in this case pollen), a distress response will be triggered, and the immune system reacts. Cells known as mast cells release histamine into the local 50 “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Beginner’s guide to wild foods I Did you know that the “weeds” that grow in your back garden or nearest green space can be better for you than the high-priced organic produce on sale in stores? Brigitte Mars introduces seven wild superfoods that are easy to find, delicious to eat and have myriad health benefits. being stepped on, left to fend for themselves and pitted against the elements. They thrive without fertilizers or watering, and when we consume them they impart to us their natural strength and vitality. Wild plants are the ancestors of many of our store-bought foods. Many were brought here as vegetables and in various cultures are still viable vegetables. Wild weeds are nourished by rain, sunlight, moonlight and wind. So why not go on a gathering expedition and see what you find in your own garden or neighbourhood? If you live in a city, head to the greenest space you can, whether that is a park within the metropolis or an area of natural beauty outside. Enjoy the sunshine and fresh air as you collect. And then enjoy the freshness of a salad or a green drink that was collected minutes before consuming. These wild foods are so mineral dense they support health and satisfy our cells on a deep level that can decrease cravings. It is a bit ironic that people work so hard to eliminate “weeds” then turn around and pay top dollar for imported foods. To follow: descriptions of seven plants you are likely to find in your locality. n the early 1970’s, I lived in a teepee on a commune in Reynolds, Missouri. Every week I would visit an elderly neighbour who generously showed me that most of the so-called “weeds” that came up in gardens were more nutritious than the cultivated plants we were attempting to grow, and that not only were these plant allies free, but they were also easy to grow. Did you know that it’s not unusual for half of the plants which sprout up in our gardens to be edible ones? These natural superfoods are also found in parks, along paths and in fields and forests. Wild foods survive despite Beginner’s guide to wild foods Violet As we look deep into shady areas, heartshaped leaves and brilliant purple flowers announce the violet (Viola odorata), a member of the Violaceae family. You might catch their beautiful aroma before you glimpse them. Violet leaves are edible all year round. The flowers are in their prime in the spring. It is easy and elegant to add a sprinkle of raw violet blossoms on any dish being served. The leaves and flowers are both high in Vitamin C and an esteemed remedy for coughs, fevers and lung complaints such as bronchitis. The ancient Athenians used violets as a medicine to “moderate anger.” The smell and flavour of violets helps to comfort one who is grief stricken. Young nettle shoots are edible if puréed or juiced, as the stinging hairs quickly lose their “bite”. of arthritis pain. Young nettle shoots are edible if puréed or juiced, as the stinging hairs quickly lose their “bite”. Nettles are very high in iron, build the blood and benefit the kidneys. Nettles are considered anti-allergenic. Taking nettles in capsule, tea or tincture form before the hay fever season begins can minimize the annual discomfort of hay fever. Nettles stabilize the mast cell walls, which stops the aggravating cycle of mucous membrane hyperactivity and inflammation. The result is that it requires lots more pollen to cause the histamine release and degranulation that occur in hay fever. Nettles’ high content of betacarotene and vitamin C help strengthen mucous membranes. Most people will want to wear gloves and use scissors when collecting nettles and only the young plants should be consumed as they become irritating to the kidneys when they start flowering. Chickweed Chickweed is a member of the Caryophyllaceae (also known as ‘Pink’ or ‘Carnation’) family of flowering plants, and is native to Europe. More than 30 bird species, including chickens, are known to eat this plant. The genus name, Stellaria, refers to the star shape of the calyx that holds the flower and sometimes chickweed is referred to as Starwort. Chickweed is delicate and delicious. The leaves, flowers and stems can be included in salads or raw soups and marinated dishes. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a fortnight. Chickweed is known for its high vitamin C content and is a herb that has traditionally been used to strengthen frail people. It has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties and can be made into a tea to ease bladder irritation, bronchial irritation and ulcers. It is an excellent salve ingredient, helping to soothe everything from nappy (diaper) rash to psoriasis. Chickweed makes an excellent ground cover, as it grows outward instead of upward. Its very presence indicates a fertile soil and chickweed helps the soil retain its nitrogen content. Violet leaves and flowers are both high in Vitamin C and an esteemed remedy for coughs, fevers and lung complaints such as bronchitis. HOW TO USE WILD FOODS 1. In salads. Except for nettles, which must be puréed, all of the plants featured in this guide, when young (before flowering) may be included in a salad. 2. Blend clean chopped greens into some soaked nuts to make a pâté or dip. Season with lemon, garlic, salt and chopped onion. 3. Use greens as you would spinach in making raw lasagne. 4. Purée wild young greens to make a raw pesto or soup. 5. Enjoy fresh, wild, green juices! Nettles The nettle plant is a member of the Urticaceae (Nettle) family. Urtica is from the Latin, meaning, “to burn” and the nettle is probably best known for the stinging hairs that can cause pain when touching the plant. In the hairs is formic acid, also found in ant bites, and there are actually health benefits to the stings such as in the relief Chickweed is delicate and delicious. The leaves, flowers and stems can be included in salads or raw soups and marinated dishes. 52 Malva Malva (Malva neglecta) is a member of the Malvaceae (Mallow) family. The word malva is Latin for “soft”. An Asian native, malva is sometimes referred to as ‘Cheeses’, as the tiny seeds resemble an old-fashioned round cheese wheel. Malva leaves are soothing and antiinflammatory. They can be eaten raw and when added to raw soups, their rich mucilage content helps to thicken the broth. The delicate pink and white flowers are a lovely and edible addition to grace the dinner plate. The seeds are edible and can be eaten raw or can be pickled. The high moisture content of the seeds has been used to moisten the mouth when water has been scarce. Malva leaves have served in traditional medicine as tea for sore throats and ulcers. They also make a simple poultice for treating skin rashes, burns and insect bites. The leaves are very rich in beta-carotene and have been included in teas and syrups for coughs and irritated lung conditions. greens are rich in this mineral. Dandelion blossoms can be separated from the calyx and sprinkled on salads. The flowers contain lutein, a nutrient beneficial for the eyes. Dandelion roots are edible. We like to dig them up, scrub them, chop, add a bit of olive oil and Nama Shoyu, and then dehydrate them a bit, just to soften them. Delicious! Dandelion root tea has long been used to improve skin conditions such as acne and eczema and improves liver function. Purslane Purslane is a member of the Portulacaceae (Purslane) family and though its creeping succulent leaves seem tenacious, it is truly a valuable plant. It is thought that the genus name, Portulaca, is from the Latin porto and laca meaning “milk carrier” in reference to its juicy liquid. The species name oleracea means “potherb.” It also is known as summer purslane, Indian cress, pussley, wild portulaca, verdolaga (Spanish), and loni (Sanskrit). Introduced by Arabs to Europe in the fifteenth century, purslane was actually cultivated as a salad and potherb. Purslane was a favourite food of Gandhi. It is high in the essential fatty acid omega-3 and helpful in protecting the heart, and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It is a cooling summer vegetable rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C. It also contains dopamine, noradrenaline, sterols, malic acid, oxalic acid, glutamic acid, asparagic acid, iron, potassium, glucose and fructose. Not only does it make a fine salad herb, but is wonderful in raw soups like gazpacho or used in place of okra in recipes. It is a good cooling summer food. Our local farmer’s market even sells this fine herb. Purslane is considered an alterative, antibacterial, diuretic, hypotensive, mucilaginous, nutritive and refrigerant. Purslane has been used medicinally to improve cardiac weakness, dry cough, diarrhoea, dysentery, fever, gingivitis, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, scurvy, sore throat, ulcers, urinary tract infections and to rid the body of worms. As a poultice, it is used to treat for bee stings, boils, burns, and haemorrhoids. Dandelion flowers contain lutein, a nutrient beneficial for the eyes. Lambsquarter Lambsquarter (Chenopodium album ) is a member of the Chenopodiaceae (Goosefoot) family. The goosefoot-shaped leaves of this abundant plant have long been used as a nourishing food during times of war and famine. This European native tastes like spinach but is much easier to grow and even more nutritious! The species name, album, means white and refers to the whitish beads of moisture that form on the top of the plant. Being rich in iron, lambsquarter is considered a remedy for anaemia. The seeds can also be collected and sprouted or used as a grain substitute. The delicate pink and white flowers are a lovely and edible addition to grace the dinner plate. Dandelion Almost everyone recognizes dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), a member of the Asteraceae (Daisy) family. The genus name, Taraxacum is from the Greek, and means “the remedy for the disorder.” Though most people regard this plant as a nuisance, it is rich in uses. The leaves are edible in the springtime, before the plant flowers and they become too bitter. They are high in iron and beta-carotene and also have diuretic properties. Most chemical diuretics deplete the body of potassium but dandelion Not only does purslane make a fine salad herb, but is wonderful in raw soups like gazpacho or used in place of okra in recipes. This European native tastes like spinach but is much easier to grow and even more nutritious! 53 Beginner’s guide to wild foods Wild herb pesto (Serves 4-6) Pour over spiralized vegetable pasta or drizzle onto a raw pizza crust. 3 cups fresh young wild greens Fresh garlic to taste 1 cup soaked and rinsed pine nuts or walnuts 3/4 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon Celtic salt Purée everything in a blender or a food processor fitted with an ‘S’ blade. Gathering Guidelines Learning to grow or collect wild plants from your area will greatly enhance your pleasure, and connection to the earth. 1. Make sure you are collecting the proper species. Some plants have poisonous lookalikes. Use a good guidebook as a mistake can be fatal. Also be sure you are collecting the correct plant part; for example blue elderberries are wonderful, but the leaves are toxic. Just because an animal eats a plant doesn’t mean it is safe for humans to ingest. Be sure no unwanted plants are woven into your collecting. 2. Any known endangered species must be left alone. 3. Ask permission before gathering on private land. 4. If possible, water plants the day before collecting. 5. Identify the grandfather/mother plant and leave it to ensure the continuation of the strongest of the species. 6. Ask permission from the herbs you gather and give thanks. My friend Debra St. Claire likes to remind people, “Bless it before you pick it.” 7. Avoid collecting plants within 50 feet of a busy road, in sprayed (with herbicides or pesticides) or polluted areas. Collecting behind some sort of barrier such as a house or brick wall decreases the possibility of auto exhaust. 8. Never take more than 10% of what’s there. Leave some for the wild animals and other aspiring herbalists and raw foodists! 9. Gather leaves and flowers in the morning, after the dew has risen and before the sun is too hot. 10. Replant seeds as often as possible. 11. Leaves are best taken when the plant is starting to flower, not after, as the energy will still be in the leaves. Flowers are best when just starting to open. Fruit (such as rose hips) are best when fully ripe, seeds when fully ripe and dry, and roots and barks are ideal in the spring (of the second year if the plant is a biennial or perennial) or fall, after the plant has completed its cycle and the life force of the plant goes back into its roots and inner bark. 12. It is kinder to take a whole leaf rather than tearing a leaf. Collect plants when they are in their prime, not fading. 13. Collect in a way to ensure the continued survival of the species. For example, if all you need are the leaves and flowers, take only some tops. Cutting a plant back can actually help to promote new growth. Leave the roots to continue their growing cycle. Also help to “thin” plants growing too close together to help the other plants have more room. Vary the places that you collect from. 14. Taking a root usually destroys the life cycle of a plant, unlike taking leaves, flowers or seeds. It is best to collect roots in the fall, after the seeds are ripe. Then the seeds can be replanted to continue the plant’s survival. 15. Cover holes after digging roots, while replanting some of the ripe seeds. 16. When trying a new food for the first time, it’s good to have only a moderate amount. is a nutritional consultant and a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. She has been working with natural medicine for more than 30 years and is author of the books Rawsome!, Beauty by Nature, The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine and Healing Herbal Teas, among others. For more information see BrigitteMars.com Brigitte Mars 54 Get Fresh! Autumn 2007 33 COMING NEXT QUARTER Are YOU living the ultimate green lifestyle? Sun protection on a raw diet We expose the myths and facts Building muscle The taste that destroys health The shocking truth about excitotoxins Plus: Juice feasting Practical transitioning tips Cooling summer soups SUMMER ISSUE ON SALE FROM JUNE 1 Transitioning T to raw and why it isn’t always an easy ride In the first of a two-part series, Elaine Bruce outlines some common pitfalls to avoid on the journey from cooked to raw ransition, in raw food circles, is a very over-worked word. It can be used to describe almost any degree of eating raw, including an occasional really good salad when there’s time to shop and prepare at the weekend, and on other days little more in the way of raw than a juice from your local health store which may not even be organic. It is also used to describe people who embark on 100% raw for a while, not always at a good time of year to make a sudden change, and then come up against out-of-control cravings with the mood swings to match. This is usually because the diet is neither balanced nor chosen according to what is needed to nourish and satisfy during the detox from previous eating habits. There are numerous other permutations, of course, and in this issue I’d like to help with some discussion on what to avoid when you are transitioning to a raw (or more raw) diet, so that you don’t set yourself up to fall at the first craving. In the next issue I will be back with some tips on the basics of a good transition plan. First, what a good raw diet, and even more, what a balanced living foods diet, is not! • It’s not about existing on tubs of ready made “superfoods”, though some of these are very good and certainly have a place in boosting nutrition. • It’s not about adding a daily wheatgrass shot to an otherwise largely cooked menu, nor buying the dried version of the latest discovery in antioxidant berries • It’s not about going to town on chocolate, however raw and natural it may be! • Nor is it about loads of fresh fruit snacks and/or fruit-based juices and smoothies (a healthy raw diet is a low-sugar diet). Does any of this ring a bell? Are you chuckling yet or is that just a wry smile? You can probably fill in a few more for yourself, but at this point let’s lighten up a little! Yes it’s a serious subject and we all need and deserve to get it right for long-term good health, but stop and laugh at yourself now and then instead of getting anxious, and definitely stop comparing yourself to other people. When you feel under pressure regarding your diet the whole thing becomes a worry instead of the joyful, clear-thinking, energetic transformation you set your sights on. Everyone has a different history, a different metabolism, a different starting point and a different motivation. To take motivation first, is it simply that you want excellent health? That’s a great starting point, but what else is in there? Maybe a feeling of needing to excel at something new to compensate for past ‘failures’? A bit of a competitive spirit, perhaps, or a need to show someone in your life (maybe yourself?) that you can start again and succeed? Not to be too solemn about it, a good first step is to sit down with yourself and work out how things have gone in the past with new ventures. Forewarned is forearmed, and a bit of personal insight is a great tool. The age factor You may have noticed that younger people often appear to do fine for several years even on the most unbalanced raw diets. Older people, meanwhile, need to be realistic about declining levels of absorption. The small intestine just isn’t as efficient at getting the minerals into the bloodstream, and that may be compounded by a build-up of mucus on the villi, which acts as a barrier preventing nutrients from getting through. This unwelcome build-up comes from years of eating complex meals, badly combined and not thoroughly chewed. Your goal is to maximize your own personal health and energy, not to achieve some textbook standard. So successful transition comes not just from what you eat but how you combine it, how you eat it and your digestive efficiency. If you are an older starter, you’ll need to take account of this and get your digestive and detoxing organs unclogged and working as well as possible. Looking at younger and older raw foodies from a different perspective for a moment, there has been a steep change in the kinds of food the different generations of vegetarians and vegans eat. On the whole, older people who have been vegetarian for decades have eaten a better, fresher, more balanced diet: meals made from scratch and incorporating a lot of fresh and often home-grown produce. By contrast, in the last 10 or 15 years young vegetarians and vegans have been eating more processed foods such as tofu and soya products rather than preparing vegetable dishes from scratch, and they also snack and graze more. Neither of these new habits helps digestive efficiency or long-term health. They are vastly different ways of eating, so when these two age groups take their first steps into raw food, they may have very different basic levels of nutrition. In fact, some of the digestive inefficiencies discussed earlier are occurring in younger and younger people, simply because of poor eating habits. This is a very good reason for stock-taking and changing some basic things. Spacing meals; choosing simple meals made of natural, whole foods; sitting down to eat; chewing thoroughly – all of these can make a huge difference. It’s important to notice how your body is reacting to your lifestyle. Doggedly sticking to the raw meals you’ve eaten for years, in spite of symptoms – for example bloating, which you never used to experience – isn’t the best plan, so you may have to adapt what you’re doing. You may also need a few good supplements for a while, especially B vitamins and probably a daily dose of flax oil too. After all, your goal is to maximize your own personal health and energy, not to achieve some textbook standard. That applies to all age groups, as lowered digestive efficiency can and does occur in comparatively young people as well as older ones. However well-balanced and motivated you are, your own physiology and personal metabolism need respect as much as your mind and emotions. An attitude or an idea cannot override your stomach’s requirement to eat protein separately from starch, for example, nor the fact that your metabolism needs kick-starting with protein in the morning. Along with protein-rich green juices you need to be clever with nuts and seeds and to prepare them by soaking at the very least and always chewing thoroughly. As an illustration of mind over body, and a misplaced idea, some years ago there was an American fashion for eating nothing at all before noon, and then only fruit. This was based on the idea that a few hours worth of extra fasting was beneficial on a daily basis – an idea which had a kind of narrow logic, but took no account of the different requirements of the anabolic (building) and catabolic (breaking down) metabolism, and when they prevail. Many natural health practitioners believe that eating like this for years, and losing the natural keen morning appetite, will eventually have a detrimental effect on the whole endocrine system. So if you’ve been tempted there’s a good reason which needs tracking down and correcting. There’s only one rule on this path and it is this: Don’t beat yourself up – find out what needs beating instead. In the next issue, I will outline a practical step-by-step way for you to make a safe and achievable transition to your chosen level of health through raw, living foods. In the meantime, in preparation for the practicalities, get yourself a good juicer which will do green leaves as well as everything else, and if you already have a masticating juicer, It’s not about adding a daily wheatgrass shot to an otherwise largely cooked menu, nor buying the dried version of the latest discovery in antioxidant berries. to adopt this strategy because it’s so easy to grab some fruit in the morning, just add some well-chewed seeds or nuts. The same effect lasts until early afternoon, so focus on protein at lunch as well. For most people it will take a couple of years of steady progress to achieve a reliable 100 percent raw diet, and there is no golden rule which says that 100 percent raw is necessary or right for you to be at your best. There are other things to take into account, such as digestive competence, your general lifestyle, how good or bad you are at stressing yourself, what responsibilities you have, and how balanced and available your energy is. So for the next few weeks I suggest you get yourself into mental shape for what you want to achieve. Here are some questions to ask yourself: • Why do I want to be raw or high raw? Be honest. • What do I know about myself which might get in my way? • Is there any ingrained way of thinking or behaving that could be sorted with a little help? Perhaps from flower remedies or with a few sessions of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)? There’s a long list of good practitioners out there. The good news is that you can programme yourself to succeed at this, whereas if you just plunge in without a realistic view of what it might take for you as an individual, with an individual digestive system, individual mind and unique emotional history, it will be hard to adapt successfully. If you are already well on the way with a high percentage raw diet, you may be absolutely fine, at peak energy and resilience, sailing through and providing a fine example for others. If that is you then congratulations! However, if you are puzzled or downcast by developments such as losing energy or positivity, or experiencing some digestive discomfort which never used to bother you, consider a wormscrew one which will also do wheatgrass. You don’t actually need a blender right at the start, but it comes into the picture pretty quickly. In the early stages of getting to grips with raw, you don’t need a dehydrator either. You can spend a lot of time playing with dehydrator goodies before getting a solid raw foundation, when it is actually better to get grounded with plenty of vital, water-rich, alkalizing raw food first. So for the next issue, come with your personal assessment, some progress in any mental-emotional areas that need addressing, and a few months’ experience of adding organic, freshly-pressed juices to what you normally eat. Finally, if you eat a lot of fruit, it will help if you start eating rather less of it. ■ References Find an Emotional Freedom Technique practitioner at theamt.com. Flower remedies and a pocket prescriber (free with orders) from healingherbs.co.uk. Free advice on juicers from livingfoods.co.uk is the founder and director of The UK Centre for Living Foods. An experienced naturopath, she has lived and taught the living foods programme for over 25 years. She offers courses, consultations and practitioner training, and is author of the book Living Foods for Radiant Health. Elaine Bruce 57 Every cell Pete Vincent on the importance of taking care of your health before you need to worry about it. magine – if you will – a big, loud clock that starts ticking the moment your body begins to develop a disease or starts to go wrong at a cellular level. How long would you leave it before investigating or doing something about it, even though you might not actually feel any different or feel that you needed to do anything? Our bodies are good, but not that good, and unfortunately they don’t have a large disease-warning clock, so undetectable cellular malfunctions begin to happen unnoticed by you, and by your doctor. You continue with your current lifestyle, doing the things you like to do but know you shouldn’t, unaware that those habits are having a very real effect on your health. The human body (the ultimate biological survival machine) is so amazing at compensating and adapting that no disease-avoiding action is taken until the alarm actually goes off. counts initially and your level of cellular health, which determines your cells’ ability to either repair or replicate themselves. This would explain why some people heal themselves and others merely slow down their condition and why others can’t seem to nd anything that works for them. It also might explain why some people who seem to eat and drink all the wrong things and who eat no vegetables and fruit at all, live longer than others who are eating seemingly all the right things and yet experience nothing but poor health. If there is some other reason other than diet that your body is not functioning correctly at a cellular level, then no amount of raw food will fully correct that problem on its own. I memory potential (some of us have more Giga Bytes than others), it contains trillions and trillions of cells. Many people are asking today why so many people are getting sick, but the real question should be why aren’t more of us getting sick when you consider how little most people know about their body, and how most people fuel their body. Disease – the cellular connection Take any disease and it can be traced back to a cell-related problem. The ultimate cellrelated disease today, currently affecting at least 1 in 3 people in developed nations, is cancer. Cancer begins with one microscopic cell and only becomes a problem when it is allowed to proliferate and left to develop into a large tumour made up of billions of hungry individual cancer cells. No amount of chemical therapy will cause these cells to function correctly. I fear that rather like re, there will never be a cure for cancer. As long as the three requirements for re to exist are present – those being oxygen, ignition source and fuel – there will always be re. And as long as there are living cells, various factors that damage cells, and fuel for those damaged cells to survive, there will always be cancer. Why isn’t conventional medicine exploring this avenue? One of the things I often hear people ask is, if lifestyle has such a massive impact on health, then why doesn’t my doctor give me all this information? Doctors ultimately pass on the information that they are taught in medical school. As they aren’t taught to give people pro-active disease prevention information, unless they know it themselves – and sadly, most don’t –they can’t give it to you. The medical schools prefer the ‘ ght disease’ approach. They are not in a rush to change this because just look what has happened to re ghters just recently. Their success in helping prevent re has meant that now, because there are so few res, stations are being closed down and re ghters are losing their jobs. The bigger problem is the stupid money being made by selling medicines to people who get sick. Healthy people don’t need drugs. Imagine how happy the car tyre companies would be for you to know of a simple way of you driving your car that meant the tyres never wore down? Cells, cells and more cells It is hard to imagine how complex the human body is, yet it all begins with just one microscopic fertilized cell that contains all the information that is required to make a complete body. How does it construct over 200 different types of cell that all end up working perfectly together like a team? A team that knows which cells are going to make what, what information to use and what not to use in each different cell, how many to make, where they go, what they have to do when they get there, when to stop multiplying, how to protect themselves against foreign microbes, and, most importantly, how to repair themselves when they go wrong during our lives. By the time a body is ready to come off the production line, complete with all the mod cons like colour vision, audio receptors, auto temperature control, state-of-the-art defence system, and a vast Why should raw food help? The fact that some people have healed themselves from medically-diagnosed incurable diseases, using nothing but fruit and vegetables, clearly demonstrates that it is possible and that raw food does have the potential of doing just that. But it doesn’t work for everybody. Why is this? I believe that the simple answer is that raw food does not always heal you; it merely allows your cells to function better, which consequently allows your body to heal itself, if it can still do so. Whether you heal or not largely depends on why the cells weren’t functioning 58 Many people are asking today why so many people are getting sick, but the real question should be why aren’t more of us getting sick when you consider how little most people know about their body, and how most people fuel their body. FACTORS KNOWN TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO CELLS • • • • • • • • Low oxygenation – Causes include air pollution, lack of exercise, lack of fresh air, problems with red blood cells. Dehydration – Water affects every process in the body, but most people are dehydrated Over acidi cation – Affects body chemistry and promotes disease-causing factors Malnutrition - All of our cells need certain nutrients in order to function Polluted internal environment – Heavy metals, toxins, food additives, chemical sweeteners, preservatives, poisons Microbial infections – Read the last issue of Get Fresh! - microbes can seriously ruin your day Electromagnetic radiation – Computers, mobile phones, microwaves and so on [see article on page 26] Genetics – Plays a big part in health and anything that damages a cell has the potential of damaging DNA, which can then affect the next generation. • Bad hair days, premature grey hair, poor skin tone and brittle nails? • No energy, no exibility? • Depression? Irritability? Low pain threshold? • Slow healing? • Warts, liver spots, lumps, spots and boils? What are the signs that your clock is ticking? In the time it has taken you to read this article, millions of your cells have naturally died off and have already been replaced. It is the unnatural cell death that should concern us. If more die off than are replaced, this accelerates aging and speeds us towards the moment our health alarm goes off. What time the alarm is set to go off is anyone’s guess. Ignoring the signs that indicate that it may go off soon if nothing changes is a dodgy game of Russian roulette, as nobody has all the answers to healing from serious health challenges, despite what they might tell you. • • • • Itching? Seemingly insigni cant aches and pains? Dry skin? Can’t keep warm in winter, can’t stay cool in summer? Prevention always was and always will be… One of the biggest and best changes I can imagine would be for the powers that be in the eld of medicine to switch a large portion of the attention and nancial spending that is currently aimed at ghting disease to educating about disease prevention. You don’t have to waste another cell waiting for this to happen. The sooner in life you begin exploring the exciting world of health, and begin incorporating small changes into your life, the better. And the time for these changes to happen is now, because every cell counts… ■ Pete Vincent is a healthy lifestyle consultant specializing in motivating people living in the real world to be more proactive with their health. He can be contacted by emailing pete@ everycellcounts.com For more information visit EveryCellCounts.com. 59 READERS’ RAW TRANSFORMATIONS RAW courage W hen Janette Murray-Wakelin was diagnosed with highly aggressive carcinoma breast cancer over six years ago, she was given six months to live. The tumour was three centimetres and the cancer had spread into the chest wall and the lymph nodes. It was recommended that she undergo conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which she was told may possibly extend her life a further six months. At 52 years, a mother of two and grandmother of one, she was not willing to accept this prognosis. “I had lived a very healthy lifestyle, being vegetarian for 25 years and vegan for the previous 15 years,” Janette explains. “I have also been extremely physically active all my life, so I was quite shocked with the diagnosis. However, the power of intention is far greater than that of fear, and I had every intention of staying around for a very long time!” Janette was alerted to the possibility of cancer being present when her little grandson Kieran inadvertently found the tumour. “I had been carrying him all day as we walked around a local Janette Murray-Wakelin beat cancer through a raw food diet and has enjoyed better health than ever since going raw. She tells Sarah Best the story of her journey to optimum health. this was just a message from my body that there was a problem I needed to deal with.” A year earlier, Janette had been present at her grandson’s birth and had held his little hand for his first 24 hours of life. “I promised him that we would have many wonderful times together over the years and that I would always be there for him,” she recalls. “Now he had brought this to my attention so that I could take care of the problem and be able to keep my promise!” Janette and her husband Alan have spent most of their lives travelling together worldwide. They married and their two children were born while they were still in their early twenties. In search of a healthy lifestyle for their little family, this adventurous couple sailed from their home country of New Zealand when their children were very small. Their sailing boat was completely self-sufficient, relying on the four winds to take them throughout the South Pacific; visiting, living and working in places like the Tongan Islands, Micronesia and Papua New Guinea. “Our time on the ocean was incredible,” Janette recalls. “We learned a lot about ourselves The power of intention is greater than that of fear, and I had every intention of staying around for a very long time! festival and he had fallen asleep in my arms,” she remembers. “When we finally got home and I put him down, I noticed some pain in the breast area where he had been holding on to me. It was then that I discovered the lump. I was not overly perturbed; I had always done regular self breast examinations and had never had any sign of a problem. In fact, apart from a bout of scarlet fever and measles as a tiny child, I had never been sick in my life. I have never had so much as a cold and I’ve never taken any drugs, not even an aspirin! I thought it was just bruising to the tissue from being held onto for hours by my grandson.” It was Janette’s daughter who suggested she should have it looked at and the following day she had an ultrasound and biopsy, which led to the diagnosis. “My intuitive response to the recommended treatment was that it did not make sense to compromise the body’s system further,” Janette explains. “It seemed obvious to me that I should be helping the body to rejuvenate and rebuild, thereby reversing the problem. My instinct told me that treating the symptoms would not address the cause. I was also convinced that I was not meant to die of cancer, so I treated the diagnosis as a challenge. It seemed to me that from living on the sea. Most of the time it was so serene, but there were moments of awe when the storms raged around us! It was fun homeschooling our children and as a family, we grew very close,” she mused. “It was a carefree life with very little stress, our food was mostly fresh fruit and vegetables and our environment was pretty clean and green.” It was hard for Janette to think of what the cause of her illness may have been given the healthy lifestyle she had been living. However, during a maintenance refit for the sailboat, she did suffer an accident, which exposed her to a high dose of toxins. “I was painting the boat when the scaffolding collapsed under me,” she recalls. “It happened so fast that I was still holding the can of paint when I hit the ground! I was completely covered in marine paint that has toxic ‘antifouling’ properties. It was in my hair, my eyes, nose, ears and mouth. I ingested quite a bit and my skin was covered in paint. It took three months before my normal skin colour came back and since the skin is the largest organ of the body, over-exposure for me was inevitable!” After four years sailing in the South Pacific, the family embarked on a new adventure for a further four years; living and working on a cargo ship on the inland waterways throughout Europe. “This adventure is another story in itself,” Janette says, “but during that time I was also exposed to toxic fall-out from the Chernobyl disaster. Looking back over my life and remembering those two times when I was over-exposed to toxins, I realized that my body must have been highly compromised.” Whether it was one incident or the other, or perhaps the combination of both, Janette was sure that the toxic load in her body predisposed her to the onset of cancer. “I could think of no other explanation, but once I had established the likely cause, I felt more empowered to do something about it,” she says. “I was no longer guessing, taking a gamble on treatment, nor in fear of the outcome. I knew that I could take control of the situation myself, doing 100% the best I could for my body.” The family’s initial reaction to the diagnosis was to research all they could about breast cancer and the possible causes and the treatments that were recommended, as well as looking into natural holistic therapies and making lifestyle changes that would be most likely to result in a positive outcome. “We needed to know all the possibilities so that I could make an informed choice as to the best course of action to take,” she says. “I knew that it made sense to do everything I could to give the body the tools it needed to take me on my journey to optimum health. Our extensive research not only gave us the knowledge to do just that, but also the confidence to know that I had made the right choice.” With the help of a naturopathic physician, Janette established a regime that would support mind, body and spirit. This intensive regime included intravenous immune therapy; infrared detoxification therapy; increasing the amount of oxygen to the body through ozone treatment; conscious breathing; aerobic exercise; visualization; meditation; positive thinking and spiritual awareness; and optimal nutrition through juicing, wheatgrass and living food nutrition. For the following six months after receiving the diagnosis, Janette spent three hours a day, five days a week at the naturopathic clinic having therapy to help boost the immune system. “I used the time sitting hooked up to the intravenous drip to relax. It also gave me time to do more research,” she said. She increased the amount of exercise that she was already doing on a daily basis, incorporating 60 Janette with grandson Kieran4 yoga and long distance running. “With yoga I was able to reunite with myself. I came to know my inner self and to love myself unconditionally. My running became more meditative. I chose to run on trails in the mountains or barefoot in the sand along the beach. I could feel again the sense of freedom that I remembered when I ran as a child.” She adds: “I visualized achieving personal goals that I had long since put aside – perhaps I would write, perhaps I would paint. I visualized myself proudly looking on at my grandson’s wedding then going full circle and being present at his child’s birth.” Daily sessions in the infrared sauna maximized the detoxi cation process. “I could feel my body ridding itself of toxins while enjoying the feeling of complete relaxation during the sessions,” she remembers. “At the same time, my nutritional intake took a huge leap. I started juicing in earnest. It made sense that I could consume more nutrients by juicing because I just wouldn’t be able to eat that amount of food. If it takes 4 cups of carrots to produce 1 cup of juice, and I could drink 4 cups of juice per day, I knew I was way ahead of the game,” she said. “I think I was close to consuming a truckload of carrots every week during those six months! My hands turned carrot-coloured, but I didn’t care! I was alive and running!” She also started taking wheatgrass: “When I learned that one ounce of wheatgrass juice has the equivalent nutritional value of 2lbs of green leafy vegetables – more than most people eat in a week – I never hesitated.” Apart from having all the vitamins and most of the minerals the body needs to be healthy, wheatgrass juice also has all the amino acids making it a complete protein. Like all greens, wheatgrass is also very high in chlorophyll, which is like giving an oxygen infusion to the body. When taken, the juice goes directly to the bloodstream, oxygenating the blood and the whole body. “I knew from the research that we had done that this was a crucial factor in stopping the mutation of cancer cells,” Janette explains. “Cancer cannot survive in an oxygenated environment, therefore the more oxygen I could pump into my body through exercise, conscious breathing and drinking wheatgrass, the better!” Although Janette had been vegetarian and vegan for most of her life, she decided that if she was going to “give it 100%”, she would also eliminate all cooked food, thereby getting the maximum amount of nutrients from all foods she consumed. “I couldn’t believe the difference in the way I felt within only one week of changing to 100% raw food,” she remembers. “The rst thing I noticed was that my clarity of mind was intensely heightened. I no longer had to think about decision making. Everything became very clear; there was no hesitation. I lost 15lb within the rst month of eating 100% raw food, which took me just below my recommended weight. The following month my weight came back up a few pounds and has not changed since,” she says. During the rst six months, Janette’s body revisited old injuries that had obviously not completely healed. For example, during family and friends. “I am blessed with a loving family who rallied around me and helped with the research, with physical and mental support, and most of all,” she emphasizes, “with their unwavering conviction that the path I had I couldn’t believe the difference in the way I felt within only one week of changing to 100% raw food her accident with the paint, she sustained an injury to her elbow that had left her unable to straighten her arm. She experienced ten days of pain in the elbow, similar to that which she had endured at the time of the accident, but when the pain stopped she could straighten her arm again! “I also found I had much more energy than before and that it lasted longer. It was especially evident during my long training runs and my physical performance level increased,” she says. “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that consuming 100% raw food made a huge difference to my recovery time and to my overall healing.” It is interesting that although the lifestyle changes Janette made were minimal – as her diet and lifestyle were already very healthy – the positive results were profound. “I really only had to stop eating the odd muf n, a sandwich now and then, eliminate the pasta and stop wokking my vegetables!” she laughs. “I had already eliminated meat and dairy and I had never eaten processed or junk food, so the change to 100% raw food for me was not that big, but the change to my overall health was huge. Not only did I immediately experience clarity of mind, increased energy, speci c injury healing and a feeling of well-being, but I actually cured myself of cancer!” Within the six months Janette had been told by doctors was her maximum expected lifespan, she received a clean bill of health. There was no longer any sign of cancer cells in her body. At that point, she came off the immune therapy regime, but has continued with all other aspects of her raw lifestyle. Janette is quick to mention that those crucial six months were also lled with love, laughter and lots of support from her chosen was mine to choose. I believe having unconditional support is also paramount in healing the body.” She adds: “I now have two more grandchildren whom I believe I would never have known had I not made these informed choices to follow a raw diet and lifestyle. My diagnosis of cancer and resulting journey to optimum health has been an experience I am truly grateful for. I know for certain that I will continue on the raw path, as I continue to experience more health bene ts and an everincreasing enlightened consciousness. Every day is exciting when you are raw!” As a result of this life changing experience, Janette and Alan established the ZenZero Centre for Optimum Health in Courtenay on Vancouver Island in Canada, where they offer ‘raw lifestyle programmes’ based on a holistic approach incorporating mind, body and spirit. On a weekly basis, health presentations, seminars and workshops are offered by over 40 holistic practitioners af liated with the centre, and international health educators speak monthly. ZenZero also sponsors weekly and monthly raw food potlucks and has a raw lifestyle store, a raw juice fountain, and The Raw Food Oasis vegan restaurant. Both Janette and Alan are 100% raw and their staff of 20 also follow the raw lifestyle. ■ For more information about ZenZero see ZenZero.ca, call 001 250 338 0571 or email janette@zenzero.ca. ZenZero recently became the of cial Canadian distributor for Get Fresh! magazine, so for Canadian subscriptions or for wholesale enquiries, please contact the company by phone or email. 61 Turning kids on to healthy eating Tera Warner with a mother’s seven top tips to get children to eat more raw food. hese days the most colourful thing found in the average school lunch box is the wrapping of a candy bar. An alarming proportion of children spend more and more time bonding with iPods and video games than with each other. Ritalin is “in”. The ratio of students to teachers in schools continues to be on the rise, resulting in the fact that mind-altering drugs are offered to children before a dictionary to help them clear up their misunderstandings. At a young age, children risk encountering tremendous invalidation under these conditions. As a parent, this can be disheartening. And yet, despite our best intentions, our children will be subjected to the pressures of what can appear to be a declining society. The very least we can do is ensure that on the home front we’re offering the best we can in terms of food, good communication and a commitment to provide our children with the tools they need to make informed decisions for themselves. Whether you’ve got teenagers or toddlers, the question that begs to be answered for those of us who are passionate about health is: “How do I get my child to eat more raw food?” Here are my seven best-kept secrets for doing just that: 1. Make it beautiful I still recall fondly the first recipe book I received at the age of five. There was a fantastic “recipe” that showed how to make spiders using half a peach for the body, carrot shavings for legs and clove buds for eyes. Then there was also a mouse that required half a pear for his body, a curly carrot tail and marshmallow slices for ears. Okay, in our case, T we’ll skip the marshmallow slices, but I think you get the idea. Ultimately, we want children to discover that raw foods are beautiful, fresh and fun. There’s only so much creativity to be had with a plate of soggy noodles, but a grocery bag of fresh, colourful fruits and vegetables offers endless possibilities for creative decorations and presentation ideas. There are loads of fantastic ideas on how to decorate fruits and vegetables to make things interesting, and many companies these days are even doing edible bouquets and arrangements using nothing other than fresh fruit and veg. Teaching kids how to make their own cucumber flowers, or watermelon basket, for instance, can only be a cool thing to do no matter what age they are. When you’re ready to take this game a notch or two up, pick up a package of reusable kebab skewer sticks, toothpicks, and some of the thick green foam used by florists to make arrangements. From there, the sky is the limit, so enjoy!! 2. Get them involved Allow and encourage children to create and contribute in the kitchen around meal times. Pull out a few skewers, pass around cutting boards, knives and serving platters, then roll up some sleeves and prepare to be impressed. Allowing children to get involved and take responsibility for specific tasks and meal preparation instills them with a sense of confidence and pride. As much as possible, aim to really give them the space to create and contribute as they would like to, which may not necessarily be as you would like them to. Make allowances for splashes, spills and general chaos, knowing that the important part is that they’re getting involved and having fun. The more space you give them, the more they will appreciate and enjoy the experience, and the more likely they will want to repeat it again. It’s also a very valuable thing to teach them how to use kitchen appliances safely so that they feel empowered and confident creating and experimenting themselves. If your children enjoy inventing recipes, consider getting a handsome little book that you keep in the kitchen for recording them. Encourage your children to write them out using colours, and name them, or maybe even take pictures, and inspire your children to create their first raw food recipe book. 3. Educate rather than indoctrinate As much as you may be naturally concerned about the foods they eat, if you’re too serious or stressed on the subject of food and nutrition, it will be a major turn off to your children and anyone around you. Quite frankly, no one likes a food Nazi. Lead by example, and learn as much as you can yourself, so that you become a fountain of nifty details and interesting information that you can cleverly drop at just the right moment, piquing curiosity and interest in others to learn more about what you do and how you live. Consider doing some internet research yourself once a week. Just go online to do a bit of investigation on the latest fruit or vegetable in season, so that when it just happens to show up on a gorgeous platter of afternoon snacks, you’ll be able to add; “Did you know that there are over 100 different kinds of bananas?” Tell stories and you will be amazed at how easy it is to get them interested in these 63 foods. Naturally, we fear and tend to dislike the things we do not understand. The more your children understand fruits and vegetables, the more their affinity for them will naturally increase as well. 4. Teach them about their body In the same way that it helps them to learn more about the foods they eat, children will benefit from learning a great deal about how the body works and what it needs to thrive and be well. Take the time to learn these things yourself at the same time. The more you know, the easier it will be to inspire and excite your children to learn more about this. Get picture books from the library and help them to get in communication with their own bodies by understanding how they work and what they need. The more they know, the more responsible and empowered they become. Most people, once they really understand how the body works and what it needs to thrive, naturally take more responsibility for it. 5. Never underestimate the value of a good, wide straw Sounds simple, and if I hadn’t tested this one out on a whole lot of children myself, I might have underestimated its power. After three years of having my own day care, the proof is in the empty smoothie glasses: Kids eat more when there’s a good, thick straw. The thin ones just don’t do the trick as well. One of the biggest concerns when transitioning children to more raw food is simply making sure they’re getting enough calories. If you’ve got some good, thick straws, you’ll be impressed and amazed at the volume you can pack into those little tummies. Presentation counts here, too. So if you’re serving up smoothies, try doing layers in a wine glass with a berry on top. Let’s say “green smoothies” are on the lunch menu. Well, tuck aside a portion of the smoothie before greens were added, and layer alternate layers of green and ordinary smoothie in a handsome wine glass. Then top it off with a cherry or tasty berry, and slip in a good, thick straw! 6. Make them work for their meal (the trick to handling fussy eaters) Starting off on the raw food path, like many parents, I questioned how a meal of fruit and vegetables could be “enough” for growing bodies. Especially given the fact that my children expressed interest in other foods – namely the classic, cooked carbohydrates and proteins. When I offered up my raw fruits and vegetables, and was met with a nose in the air or general fussiness, it caused me to question whether or not this way of life could work for children. When my children begged for burgers, I had an internal struggle inside questioning whether these pleas were cries based on physiological need or addiction. It’s easy to be fussy when you’re not really hungry. I have found without question that one of the best ways to get children to eat more raw foods is to give them a workout and let them really work up a hunger. We all have some degree of food indoctrination that operates almost innately as part of who we are. Overcoming it can take practice and determined application. When trying to lay in new habits and patterns with our children, it’s only natural that some of our buttons on the subject get pushed. If, at meal time, you’re met with a fussy child, unwilling to eat smoothies or certain fruit, don’t give it too much attention. Let him run off and play, take him for a good, long walk, or better yet a run through the park chasing balls and playing hard. Let him come home ravenous enough that when you put that tasty smoothie back in front of him, he practically begs for it! Fussiness can just be an indication of the fact that the body isn’t truly hungry. 7. Leave it out and at their little fingertips If you’re looking to transition your children to more raw foods and gradually reduce or eliminate the quantities of cooked food meals, start by buying their favourite raw foods and in abundant quantities. Be sure to leave plenty of their favourites at their little finger tips. Big fruit bowls are beautiful, but if they can’t reach them, what’s the point? Keep plates full of grapes, or little baskets full of clementines, celery, cucumber and carrot sticks always topped up and primed for picking at. You’ll notice that when meal time comes around, if the snacks have been consistently available, they’ll be much less interested in a cooked food meal than they usually would. A final word on the importance of positive communication If your children do make choices to eat foods that you do not consider ideal or even desirable, please avoid invalidating their choices with negative language. In relationships and in life, we get the best results when we validate the things we want to grow and prosper, and do not put excessive attention on the “negative.” Let them eat their doughnut holes, if that’s what they’ve chosen to do, but let them digest in peace and guilt free. We understand more now than ever the effect that our thoughts and outlook can have on our physical bodies. And most of us have carried enough guilt and food obsessions at one time or another to last lifetimes. Let’s not inflict them upon the next generation. When they do make healthy choices for themselves, then validate them for having done so, and you will quickly see them making more decisions of that nature. As much as we as parents and caregivers could impose all kinds of things upon children in the way of food and nutrition, the biggest gains are to be made when we’re inspiring children to make healthy choices for themselves. Being self-determined is more important than being stuffed with green smoothie against one’s own desires or interests. Honour their right to choose and they will make self-determined choices that last. Force and impose your ideals upon them, and you’ll be met with rebellion or resentment. Make a game for yourself to see just how tantalizing, creative and enticing you can make your raw food charms and continue to invest time and energy into helping your children get better acquainted with food, principles of nutrition and their bodies so that they are well-equipped to make informed decisions for the long haul. Do everything you can to create positive experiences for children and honour their right to choose. This ultimately will go a very long way for helping you to gain their long term trust and helping them make healthy decisions with confidence. ■ is co-creator of The Raw Divas, which offers information, products and programmes designed to support women in leading healthier lives and getting their families on board the fruit and veggie bandwagon, too. Through her work she has inspired mothers and women throughout the world. For more information see TheRawDivas.com. Tera Warner 64 Healthy desserts for healthy kids Mexicoco Meat or jelly of 1 young coconut ¼ teaspoon purple corn extract ½ teaspoon paprika ¼ teaspoon acai powder ½ teaspoon pink salt ½ lime cut in 3 Scoop the meat or jelly out of the coconut and cut it into 2cm ribbons, then put it in a dish. Mix the powders together and sprinkle onto the coconut meat. Top with the lime pieces, to squeeze once served. Mango pudding Serves one hungry mummy and a fussy toddler. 1 ripe mango, peeled and stoned ½ cup of lucuma powder ½ cup of mesquite powder 1 dessert spoon of agave nectar ½ cup of shelled hemp seeds ½ cup of coconut water 1 teaspoon of coconut oil Blend everything in a high-speed blender until really smooth and creamy. Serve with love and some hemp seed sprinkles. I like to top this with lecithin, too. 66 Raw author and entrepreneur Shazzie has guidance on raising children raw, plus three simple sweet treats they will love. M y daughter, Evie (pictured left) will be four in August. She’s been raw vegan all her life, she’s above average height, is scarily psychic and is very sociable and loving. Since turning two, she’s tried a few mouthfuls of vegan cooked foods from my dad here and there. When she turned three, I decided to give her tofu sporadically for substance, and she decided to start drinking soya milk (not my idea, and don’t ask how it happened!) Bringing up a raw vegan child requires dedication and a good understanding of nutrition. Children should never be our experiments, regardless of how well intended our actions are. They need a diet high in essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and protein found in non-sweet or semi-sweet fruits, vegetables, nuts, superfoods, seeds, sea vegetables, sprouts, herbs and juices. They need breastfeeding for as long as possible (Evie still breastfeeds, though I don’t have much milk now). And, most importantly for excellent health, raw vegan children need supplements for vitamin D, choline and vitamin B12. Pregnant and breastfeeding vegan mothers need to take vegan DHA to help the child’s brain grow properly. If you don’t breastfeed up until two years of age, you really should supplement your child’s diet with DHA. In the UK, vitamin D supplementation is necessary for you and your child as severe, irreversible conditions can occur if your child doesn’t get enough. She won’t get enough from you if you don’t get enough from the sun or via supplementation. I believe the raw diet to be the perfect diet. It’s certainly the original diet. However, being vegan (especially in the UK) means you need to accept a little help, otherwise your family won’t remain in optimal condition. Your child could suffer for life as a consequence. I’ve seen this happen, so please supplement your child if you’re raising her raw vegan. I wrote Evie’s Kitchen (publishing in the summer) as a response to all the questions mothers and mothersto-be were asking. It’s a comprehensive book about Evie’s food and her natural upbringing in this modern world. In the extensive recipe section, we have breads, crackers, soups, main meals, juices, smoothies, side dishes, and sweets. In reality, Evie and I don’t eat many sweets at all. But here are three of our favourites – I hope you enjoy them! ■ The daily supplements I recommend are: Viridian vitamin D (D2, which is vegan), 1000 iu. Break the vcap and add to a drink. Higher Nature soya lecithin granules (a good source of choline) – 1 teaspoon sprinkled into food. O-Mega-Zen-3 vegan DHA, 300mg. Cut and squeeze the vcap into savoury food. Ortho-Bone Vegan (includes B12). 2 vcaps sprinkled into food. Water Oz ionic (angstrom) iron. 1 dessert spoon, drink on its own through a medicine syringe. Purple corn and apricot crumbly chocolate This is a fun chocolate to make with your small ones. 100g raw cacao butter 1 cup of hemp seeds 1 cup of almonds 6 dried apricots ½ cup of purple corn flour 1 dessertspoon of raw agave nectar ¼ teaspoon of blue manna Pinch of Himalayan salt Melt the cacao butter over a very low flame. Grind the almonds, but not very fine. Cut the apricots into strips; I use scissors for this as it’s much easier. Add all the ingredients to the cacao butter and mix up. Pour this into a mould or moulds and allow to set. Sometimes I add some Etherium gold flakes on top, and tell Evie how precious it is. Then I tell her she’s even more precious! Shazzie is managing director of UK superfood retailer Rawcreation Ltd, trading online as Detox Your World. She is one of the UK’s leading raw food promoters and author of best-selling books Detox Delights, Detox Your World, Naked Chocolate (with David Wolfe), and the forthcoming release Evie’s Kitchen. Visit shazzie.com and detoxyourworld.com for more details. 67 of a raw culinary artist Cherie Soria explains the importance of texture in making raw food that tastes more amazing than cooked. ost people start eating a raw vegan diet because they want to experience improved health and vitality. They don’t usually prefer the flavour and texture of raw foods to cooked foods at first – that may come later, after their addiction to the comfort foods of their past has been overcome. But for the majority of Secrets M texture of the foods we eat, or we don’t. We are delighted when food is creamy contrasted by crispy (as in chips and dip), or tender contrasted by crunchy (as in pasta served with baguettes), or hot and cold (as in hot fudge sauce over ice cream). On the other hand, we are disappointed if food is gritty when we expected smooth (as in ice Think about the foods you love best, especially your favourite cooked foods. What textures and mouthfeels do they possess? How can you duplicate these in similar raw dishes? people, flavour, texture, and appearance are primary when making the decision about what to eat. I am dedicated to making raw foods taste so good that people prefer them – not necessarily for their health or weight-loss value, but because they taste better than cooked and provide the level of comfort and satisfaction people are looking for! In the last issue, we explored flavour dynamics: how flavours interact, and methods for bringing them into balance with each other. Flavour, however, is only one element of our eating experience. In this issue we explore the importance of texture, or “mouthfeel” – another element vital to our experience of eating. We also reveal how mouthfeel affects flavour and discuss a variety of ways to create familiar and desirable textures in foods. Mouthfeel refers to the physical and chemical interaction of a food in the mouth. It is not something most of us think about – we either experience pleasure from the cream), or soggy when we expected crisp (as in crackers), or hard when we expected tender (as in pasta). So, our expectation of mouthfeel has a direct impact on the level of satisfaction we experience. We evaluate mouthfeel from the initial perception of the food as it enters our mouth, to the first bite, through chewing, and finally as we swallow. Texture influences flavour for many reasons – some are too complicated to address here, but others can be demonstrated by a few simple tests you can do yourself: Take a bite of a carrot and note what it feels like as you begin to bite into it. It is hard to start with, and you have to do a fair amount of work to chew it into pieces. In the beginning, the sweetness isn’t really prominent. Then, as the juices are released and mixed with your saliva, the starches are broken down into sugars and the carrot becomes sweet and delicious (provided you chew it long enough). Next, try eating some shredded or spiralized carrots. The saliva in your mouth breaks the starches into sugars more quickly, making this form more pleasurable and easier to digest. Along the same lines, think about what you enjoy most about salsa. If you were to put big chunks of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and coriander (cilantro) in your mouth, it would be a different experience than if the ingredients were finely diced first, so that each bite contains the perfect combination of balanced flavours. Add some pungent spices to counterbalance the sweet coolness of the tomatoes, then contrast these with crunchy tortilla chips served on the side, and you are in raw food heaven! Think about the foods you love best, especially your favourite cooked foods. What textures and mouthfeels do they possess? How can you duplicate these in similar raw food dishes? Become aware of the textures you find most pleasing, and see what you can do to replicate them in the dishes and meals you create. Humans are pleasure-loving beings; therefore, how we feel about our food is important to us. Very few people are satisfied eating the same food day after day or the same textures all the time. Understanding the effects texture, consistency, and mouthfeel have on the pleasure of eating is what separates a good chef from a great one! And the next three pages are full of resources to help you do just that! In the next edition we will explore another very important topic that I am often asked about. Stay tuned for creative and delicious answers to the question, “Which binders, thickeners and emulsifiers are best?” 68 Living Light students at work with instructor Elaina Love Here is a list of some of the types of equipment that can help you create a variety of textures Equipment Knives and mandoline food slicer Spiral or turning slicer Food processor Blender Standing mixer Hand-held shredder or box shredder Juicer Food mill Dehydrator Use Slice, dice, mince, chiffonade (cut long, thin shreds), and julienne. Cut thin ribbons and create delicate pastas. Slice, dice, julienne, mince, shred, grind, purée, and create patés and nut butters. Blend, grind, purée, emulsify, cream, and add loft. Add loft, whip. Shred. Create beverages, “ice creams,” nut butters, and patés. Process soft foods like tomatoes and berries, and remove skin and seeds. Warm casseroles, sauces, and vegetable dishes; marinate and soften vegetables; reduce and thicken sauces; and create firm/ crisp/crunchy textures. 69 Secrets of a raw culinary artist Here are a few tips that may help create the texture and mouthfeel you so enjoy in cooked foods Make sure foods that are supposed to be creamy, crunchy, crispy, tender, etc., truly are! Provide textural contrast to the dish (i.e., smooth and crunchy). For example, add chopped nuts or crispy diced apples to soaked, blended oat or buckwheat groats; top creamy, blended soups with seasoned pumpkin or sunflower seeds; pair crunchy crudités or crackers with dips and patés. Include dishes of different textures together in a meal, rather than serving monotextural meals (everything smooth or crunchy, for example). Balance dense or heavier dishes with lighter ones. For example, pair a creamy soup with a crisp salad, and add crunchy crackers. Use methods such as marination and massage to tenderize vegetables and give them a familiar, cooked mouthfeel. For example, vigorously massage shredded kale leaves to create a cooked texture. Soften spiralized zucchini noodles by sprinkling them with salt, setting them aside for a few minutes, then rinse and drain them before adding sauce, to create a pasta with a cooked mouthfeel. Or, marinate finely julienned vegetables in a dressing containing salt or tamari and acid fruit juice; cover and place in a dehydrator for an hour, or leave in the refrigerator overnight, to allow them to soften and take on a cooked texture and appearance. Layer diced fruit or vegetables in between creamy emulsions, and serve the combination in a glass goblet as a parfait. Top it with something crunchy. For example, serve warm, creamy chocolate or pineapple sauce over frozen sliced bananas or banana ice cream, and top with candied walnuts; or serve a fruit smoothie in a soup bowl with diced fruit and chopped mint and coconut. Add finely diced or shaved vegetables to creamy soups. For example, add corn and minced vegetables to a cream soup to make delicious corn chowder (see recipe) or add shaved fennel to a cream of courgette (zucchini) soup. Add a dollop of cream to vegetable or fruit soups. For example, spoon nut or avocado cream over a tomato or spicy papaya soup, then sprinkle with chives. To take the experience to the next level, top with tiny croutons. Finish a light soup with a creamy topping and crispy bits. For example, top a thin puréed gazpacho with diced avocados and crunchy dehydrated seeds or croutons. Add puréed fruits and vegetables to emulsify and add creaminess. For example, puréed avocados, tomatoes, coconut cream, pine nut cream and even mango can be added to soups to create a creamier consistency. Thicken and emulsify soups, dressings, sauces, and fillings using culinary staples like Irish moss, agar agar, psyllium powder, lecithin, and flax meal. (Learn about these in the next issue of Get Fresh!) Use kitchen tools and equipment to create a variety of textures. Consider appearance and mouthfeel when you decide which type and size of cut you will use for different ingredients in your recipes. For example, you can cut courgettes (zucchini) into lasagne noodles using a mandoline. You can then julienne those same thin planks lengthwise to create wide “egg” noodles, or crosswise for use in marinated vegetable dishes of all kinds. You can even cut them into grain-size pieces that substitute for rice! founder and director of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, has been teaching gourmet raw vegan cuisine for more than 15 years. Known to many as the “mother of raw gourmet cuisine,” Cherie is author of Angel Foods: Healthy Recipes for Heavenly Bodies and the upcoming The Raw Revolution Diet, Feast, Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Feel Younger. Visit RawFoodChef.com or call Living Light at (001) 707 964 2420. Cherie Soria 70 Corn Chowder This luxurious, comforting soup provides the contrast of a smooth, rich broth along with the chewiness of corn, and the crispness of celery and bell pepper. At the same time, because the vegetables are diced finely, it offers the uniformity of the perfect bite every time. (Serves 6) 6 medium dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup purified water until soft 1 cup cashews, soaked 4 to 6 hours, rinsed, and drained 6 cups corn kernels 1 cup purified water (as needed) 1/4 cup celery, finely diced 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced 3 tablespoons onion, minced 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, puréed 1 1/2 teaspoons natural salt 1 teaspoon red jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper) 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning pinch of nutmeg pinch of white pepper tablespoon minced parsley, for garnish only 1 Dice the softened mushrooms and set aside, reserving the soak water 2 Put the mushroom soak water in a high-powered blender with the cashews and half of the corn, and blend, slowly adding up to 1 cup more water, as needed, to make a thick, smooth, creamy soup base 3 In a large bowl, combine the other half of the corn, the celery, bell pepper, onion, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic, jalapeño pepper, salt, poultry seasoning, nutmeg, and pepper, and stir well 4 If desired, place the chowder in a covered shallow bowl, and warm it in the dehydrator for 1 hour at 125 degrees 5 To serve, pour each portion into an individual bowl, and garnish with a little of the parsley, or reserve some of the corn and vegetable mixture and add a tablespoon to each bowl as a garnish 6 Store in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to two days Get Fre h Autumn 2007 Get Fresh! Autumn 2007 Fresh! A um 007 resh h! m 00 07 33 33 71 Beyond Green: The Salad Revolution How to take your salads to the next level of nutrition, freshness and taste, by Chad Sarno. When the average eater first hears the term ‘raw’ in describing this cuisine, salads are usually the first visual that springs to mind. And an immediate thought typically arises: lettuce and carrots! As we all know, raw gastronomy is far from that; on the contrary, it is a vast world of exciting textures, flavours and balanced ingredient combinations. It is interesting to note that the word ‘salad’ stems from the Latin term ‘having been salted’ – salata. Over time, salads have evolved from cured and pickled vegetables to delicate greens, often without salt and sometimes even without vegetables! In my tribute to plant-based salads, I want to share a few of the favourites from my restaurants, all of which reflect and highlight different possibilities with the almighty salad course. No matter what shape, texture, mixture or process you are using, it is of utmost importance to have the vital foundation of clean, fresh ingredients to work with. Here are a few helpful tips in seeking and storing quality ingredients for energy-packed salads. Choose organic, mineral-rich produce as opposed to conventional mineral-deficient options. Select produce that is not bruised, wrinkled or damaged. Choose fresh produce over frozen, canned, jarred, pasteurized and other enzyme-depleted options. Choose ripe fruits and vegetables over unripe. Favour red, yellow and orange peppers over unripe, difficult-to-digest green. For nature’s true sweetness, choose seeded fruits and vegetables over genetically-modified, seedless options. Buy whole spices and grind them yourself for optimum freshness and flavour. Ever compared freshly ground cinnamon to preground? Worlds apart! Choose fresh herbs over dried to obtain the highest mineral content together with ultimate flavour. Source locally-grown produce and eat as seasonally as possible to lower the environmental impact of your food choices. Start your own kitchen garden by sprouting seeds and grains. Sprouts are the most complete foods you can incorporate into your diet. They are alkalizing, enzyme-rich and extremely high in proteins, vitamins and minerals. Mixed salad - SAF Salad with Shaved Roots, Sprouts and Miso Mandarin Dressing Typically a lettuce or delicate green-based salad, tossed right before serving with an oil-based dressing. Pressed salad - Cabbage Avocado Salad with Hemp and Coriander Pressing salads is a simple technique used with cabbages and other darker and tougher greens, such as chard and kale. The dressing – containing salt, fat and acid – is pressed with the salad in order to soften the greens. Layered, or assembled, salad – Semi-Dried Tomato with Truffle Tapenade and Garlic Oil With the focus on flavour balancing, a layered salad should consist of at least three components: salt, fat, and acid. This dish highlights the acidity and sweetness of tomatoes (when in peak season), and the richness and salt of the tapenade. The dish is completed with the slight heat of the chilli. Paté-based salad - Almond-Dill Pate with Pickles Paté-based salads are made with a base of nuts and/or seeds, together with a balance of complementary flavours. The paté can be served with your choice of leaves, herbs and/or diced vegetables for a rich, protein-packed salad. This simple salad, with a subtle citrus sweetness and energy-packed sprouts, is a favourite at my restaurants. The organic farms we work with provide us with most of our greens when in season. The mix consists of delicate baby greens such as frisée, mizuna, spinach and mustard. Using such delicate, flavourful greens encourages us not to use too many heavier condiments. This way the simple spiciness of the baby greens stands on its own, and is only complemented by the subtle dressing. SAF Salad Serves one handful of spicy baby mesclun green mix 2 ounces of miso mandarin dressing (see recipe below) small handful of shredded carrot and beetroot small handful of mixed sprouted sunflower, buckwheat and pea greens 2 mandarins or clementines, segmented a drizzle of olive oil black pepper, freshly cracked 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds 1 tablespoon of alfalfa sprouts, to garnish SAF salad with shaved roots, sprouts and miso mandarin dressing In a mixing bowl toss the greens, dressing, roots, sprouted greens, olive oil, sesame and cracked black pepper. Equally dispersing the dressing, centre the salad in the bowl and top with alfalfa sprouts. Miso Ginger Dressing 2 cups olive oil 3 cups mandarin (or orange) juice 1 cup white miso 3 tablespoons ginger, freshly minced 4 cloves garlic ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon sea salt In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. This makes a large batch of the dressing which will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Adjust quantities according to your requirements. Storing fresh produce Fresh herbs Remove any packaging, rinse, pat dry and store in damp towels. If storing fresh herbs with roots and/or long stems submerge roots in fresh water and store in fridge, or on counter top if using in the near future. Grains and spices When storing dry goods always store in sealed glass jars to retain optimum freshness. This will also add more organization to your cupboards. Nuts and seeds To maximize freshness and longevity, store in sealed containers in freezer. Nuts are preserved by freezing in the wild. Prepared foods Don’t keep perishable foods for more than three days. After the third day the flavours and quality will begin to diminish. Use glass containers To preserve freshness, store prepared foods in glass, sealable containers. If using plastic storage containers, avoid storing any acid foods or ingredients in them. Freeze! To have fresh, flavourful herbs accessible whenever you need them, vacuum seal them and store in the freezer. 73 Beyond Green: The Salad Revolution Almond-Dill Pate with Pickles Serves four 1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 10-12 hours 1 cup almonds, soaked 10-12 hours 1½ tablespoons fresh dill, minced 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced 1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon kelp granules ½ tablespoon Celtic sea salt 1 teaspoon black pepper ½ cup celery, minced ¼ cup red onion, minced ¼ cup pickles, diced Homogenize almonds and sunflower seeds in food processor then hand mix in remaining ingredients. Serve with your favourite salad mix or wrapped in nori sheets with assorted vegetables. Cabbage Avocado Salad with Hemp and Coriander Serves four 6 cups finely-shredded cabbage (mix of purple and green) ¼ cup red and yellow peppers, diced 1½ avocadoes, diced 3 tablespoons hemp oil (or flax oil) 1½ tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons red onion or leek, diced ¼ cup hulled hemp seeds 3 tablespoons loose coriander leaves ½ teaspoon sea salt In a mixing bowl toss all ingredients together, squeezing as you mix to ‘wilt’ the cabbage and cream the avocado. Serve immediately. As a variation, add chopped fresh herbs or your choice of diced vegetables. This dish works equally well if you substitute the cabbage for kale, chard or spinach. Note: Toss right before serving to retain crispness. 74 Tomatoes at the beginning of the season, around August, are at their peak of sweetness with a perfect balance of acid and sweet. There are hundreds of varieties of these gifts of nature, from the common Roma and cherry to the less familiar heirloom varieties such as green zebra, black crimson, Cherokee purple, brandy wine, and red cup, all with their own distinct flavour, persona and sweetness level. This simple recipe is perfect for highlighting the true flavour of these gems. Semi-Dried Tomato with Truffle Tapenade and Garlic Oil Semi-Dried Tomato 8 vine-ripened tomatoes with stems intact 3 cloves of garlic, sliced in thin strips ½ tablespoons spice mix (fennel seed, chilli flake, diced oregano, sea salt, black pepper) green leaves of your choice tossed with olive oil and lemon juice freshly made Truffle-Caper Tapenade (see recipe opposite) garlic oil (or a good olive oil) Truffle-Caper Tapenade 1½ cups capers, rinsed 4 cups kalamata olives, pitted ¼ cup red onion, finely diced 3 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 tablespoon red chilli, finely minced 2 tablespoons oregano, finely chopped 2 tablespoons tarragon, finely chopped 3 tablespoons black truffle oil For best consistency, mince all by hand and then mix thoroughly. If using food processor, process the capers and olives then hand mix in the remaining ingredients. 1 Pour hot water (not boiling) gently over the tomatoes, being careful not to break 2 Remove tomatoes from water and carefully peel off the skin, making sure stems 3 Place a slice of fresh garlic in each tomato through the bottom. 4 Dry by placing tomatoes on screen sheet of dehydrator for 3-4 hours or more. (To speed up the process you can also place tomatoes in low heat oven for 40 minutes, then dehydrate for 1 hour). Chill tomatoes in fridge until cool. To serve, gently toss the green leaves with enough olive oil and lemon juice to cover. Place small amount of this salad on each plate, with a scoop of tapenade on top, and then a tomato. Serve this ensemble singly as an elegant starter, or multiply according to how hungry you and your guests are. Finish by drizzling tomato and plate with garlic oil and freshly cracked pepper. remain intact. the stems. Cover and allow to sit to ‘blanch’ for 10-25 minutes 5 6 7 Chad Sarno is one of the world’s leading chefs specializing in raw and living foods. He is currently executive chef at The LifeCo’s Saf chain of exclusive raw food restaurants. He is also director and founder of Vital Creations Culinary Services. Through his consulting work he has assisted in establishing some of the world’s premier raw food restaurants and spas. For more information see rawchef.com. Get Fresh! Autumn 2007 33 75 Got mylk? If you haven’t yet mastered the simple art of making raw nut milks you’re missing out, says Sarah Best. Getting started You’ll need a blender and something to strain the milk with. A fine mesh sieve will work, but a nut milk bag is more convenient. Be prepared! Why not blend up a big batch of your favourite raw milk every few days and keep it in a sealed container in your fridge? That way you will have it on hand whenever you fancy a nutritious and satisfying drink, or need some of the white stuff as a base for a more complicated recipe. Basic almond milk • 1 cup almonds, ideally soaked for at least 8 hours • 3 cups water S ince you are reading this magazine, chances are you already know that drinking cow’s milk is not only unnecessary but also far from healthy. And that milk does not, in fact, “do a body good” – unless, that is, you happen to have the body of a calf. You’re probably also aware that so-called healthier alternatives such as soya milk and goat’s milk are really not much better. Without going into all the various problems with each, what they share in common is that they have a tendency to cause congestion in the body. They are also all pretty much guaranteed to be pasteurized. So what to do when you crave a dairy fix – a long, tall glass of cool milk perhaps, or a creamy, frothy shake? Do you have to choose between health and taste? The answer, I’m happy to report, is no. Nut and seed milks are a yummy, easy, cheap and healthy alternative to the white stuff that comes in a carton. Raw chefs often refer to them as “mylks” to differentiate them from regular milks, and they really are a world apart. They couldn’t be simpler to make. Ingredients: nuts (or seeds) and water. Just blend then strain the mixture and it is ready to drink. But if you’re after something a little more exciting, you can embellish this nutrient-packed base by adding the sweeteners and/or flavourings of your choice. There is a world of possibilities waiting to be discovered! Discard the soak water from the almonds, rinse, then put them in the blender with the fresh water. Blend well. If using a sieve or strainer, position it over a bowl and pour the mixture in, using a spoon to press the liquid through. If using a nut milk bag, place it around the top of a jug before pouring. When the bag is around two-thirds full, close the top of it, squeeze the liquid through, and continue squeezing until no more comes. Your milk is now ready to either drink or use as a base for more elaborate creations. If you are drinking it as is, you may want to sweeten it by blending in a little agave nectar or yacon syrup or a raw date or two. This basic recipe works just as well with pecans, Brazil nuts, cashews and macadamias. Alternatively, you can make seed milk, substituting the nuts for hemp, sunflower, sesame or pumpkin seeds. Each milk has its own distinct flavour, so experiment to see which you like best as a stand-alone drink, and also as a base for your favourite smoothies and shakes. Almond milk is a staple among raw food fans everywhere because it has a subtle taste that would be difficult not to like and also marries well with any other flavours you care to pair it with. Milks with a more distinctive, eitherlove-it-or-hate-it flavour include hemp milk, sesame milk and Brazil nut milk. You can make your milk as ‘watery’ or as ‘creamy’ as you want; by playing around with the proportion of nuts to liquid you can create anything from ‘skimmed mylk’ to the fullest fat version. You can even make whipped cream if you blend soaked cashews or macadamias with an equal volume of water. I want to start my raw milk bar going now but I don’t happen to have any soaked nuts or seeds lying around. Do I have to wait eight hours before I can “get mylk”? No! Soaking does make the nuts and seeds more digestible, as it releases the enzyme inhibitors. It also softens them up a bit so you’ll get a slightly smoother consistency and fewer bits left over after straining. But if you want to whiz up some nut milk and you haven’t taken the preparatory step of soaking, don’t let that stop you. And if you’re really in a hurry you’ll want to make…. “Ready in seconds” raw milk Simply blend one tablespoon of raw almond butter with a cup of water and sweeten to taste. This can be done with any raw nut or seed butter, including tahini, cashew butter, macadamia nut butter, and – oh, the possibilities are endless! Shakes and smoothies Nut and seed milks make an excellent base for shakes and smoothies of all kinds. You can add flavourings such as coconut butter, vanilla, carob or mesquite powder, and you can blend them with fruits, and/or with a mix of superfoods such as maca, blue-green algae, tocotrienols (a rich source of natural vitamin E) or any high-quality powdered green supplement (to name just a few). And you don’t even have to go as far as making the nut milk first. For a thicker shake, and one that takes literally seconds to make, you can just throw the nuts (or nut butter) and water in the blender along with everything else. Here are a few recipes to get you started. 76 Healthy shakes Almond Nog 1 cup almonds ½ cup pitted dates ½ vanilla bean 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg 3 cups water Blend the almonds, dates, vanilla bean, nutmeg and water until smooth. Will keep for four days in the fridge. Fancy a drink that’s fresh, frothy and fun? Raw chef Ani Phyo introduces some of her favourite nut and seed-based milkshakes. All recipes make four servings. Fuzzy Navel 2 oranges, peeled, seeded and sectioned 1 cup pecans ½ cup pitted dates 1 vanilla bean 1 cup water Put oranges in the blender, then the pecans, dates, vanilla bean and water. Blend until smooth. Will keep for three days in the fridge. Beautifying pumpkin mylk Brazilian Carob Shake 1 cup Brazil nuts ½ cup pitted dates 1 vanilla bean 1 tablespoon raw carob powder 3 cups water Blend the nuts, dates, vanilla bean, carob powder and water until smooth. Will keep for four days in the fridge. ½ cup pumpkin seeds ½ cup pitted dates ½ vanilla bean 1 pinch sea salt 5 cups water Put the pumpkin seeds, dates, vanilla bean, salt and water in the blender and blend until smooth. Will keep for four days in the fridge. is the author of 2007 Best Vegetarian Cookbook winner Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen: Easy Delectable Living Food Recipes, from which all of these recipes are taken. Ani is the host of the popular YouTube uncooking show Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen. Visit AniPhyo.com for more information. Ani Phyo 77 HEALTHY BREAKS Detox Devon In this issue the spotlight is on Sura Detox’s week-long detoxification retreats in the heart of Devon. Report by Sarah Best What’s on offer? About as deep a cleanse as it is possible to get in one week, in idyllic surroundings, and presided over by a team of four holistic health experts. in vfdd Tell me about the facilities? Where? Dolton, Near Winkleigh, Devon. What’s on the agenda? Juice fasting, colonics, meditation, yoga, pre Tai Chi, nutritional talks, life coaching, massage and other treatments. On the last day, a much-anticipated raw extravaganza together with a crash course in making healthy raw food, including basics like nut milks and smoothies. Although Sura is not a spa offering a luxurious pampering experience, guests don’t exactly rough it. The farmhouse-plus-stone-cottages venue has a heated indoor pool and pine sauna, and the accommodation throughout is classy and extremely comfortable. Single or shared rooms come in a variety of sizes, and all room categories bar one have en suite bathroom facilities. The venue is even equipped with broadband internet for those who can’t quite cut the umbilical cord to the outside world. Cost What does the juice fasting involve? No solid food for a week; just ‘juice meals’ five times a day. Why? Because the more substances we take into the body that require digestive input, the less energy there is left for detoxification. For the deepest cleanse of all, you fast on just one variety of juice, and this is how they do it at Sura. Each of the juice meals consists of carrot juice diluted 50% with water, together with detox-enhancing psyllium husks, bentonite and digestive enzymes. From £700 for a shared room to £1,050 for a small single to £1,350 for the luxury master bedroom with large bathroom. Who’s behind it? A friendly and very hands-on team of four – each member with a distinct area of expertise. Nutrition and detox advisor Dao does the educational talks, Amida leads the morning meditation and pre Tai Chi exercises, Kate supports guests with homeopathy and life coaching, and Benita helps them wind down with massage and bodywork. Daily schedule 08:00 Morning meal 09:00 First ‘juice meal’ 10:00 Colonic and relaxation 11:00 Personal time 12:00 Second ‘juice meal’ 13:00 Nutrition talk 14:00 Personal time 15:00 Third ‘juice meal’ 16:00 Yoga 17:00 Personal time 18:00 Fourth ‘juice meal’ 19:00 Colonic and relaxation 20:00 Movie 21:00 Fifth ‘juice meal’ 78 Interview with Dao Earl, Sura’s resident nutrition and detox advisor What, typically, are the changes you see in people who come on the retreats? My input is very much on the physiological and dietary side but the changes I see in people go way beyond that. Of course there is a physical transformation – that is most noticeable in how the face and eyes look. There is also an average weight loss of 10lbs during the programme! But more profoundly, most people come with that very strong exterior we all walk around our cities and busy lives with. Within a couple of days all that’s disabled and people relax into a different space. In short, they’re much more open to receive so they’re gaining a lot more. By the end of the week there’s a whole new person in the room. People tend to sleep more than they’ve ever slept in their lives. They get complete physical and psychological rest here and that’s the platform from which all other healing can happen. Anyone could do the nutritional side of this programme at home, but it’s doing it in the retreat environment that is so important: not being bombarded with adverts, work pressures, family conflicts and so on. Why the twice-daily colonics? They powerfully aid the detoxification process. On a basic level, the colonics help move things along. When the colon is cleansed this has a knock-on effect on the rest of the body. The blood becomes thinner and clearer and the mood lifts. But just as importantly, colonic hydrotherapy inflates the colon with water and really relaxes, works and tones those muscles. A lot of old emotional blocks are held in the physical and especially in those muscles. How strict are you about guests adhering to the programme? Everything is entirely by choice. Don’t want to do the yoga class or your colonic? Want to stay in bed? That’s fine. We screen a movie every evening and we try to suggest it’s something inspirational but the group is even allowed to overrule that and pick a chick flick if they want! Is this a programme people need to do once only, or do you get a lot of guests returning for a top-up? On average three people on each retreat have been before. Many of our customers come once a year for maintenance. Others may come back for reinforcement because they fell off the rails and they need to return to really get it. Often when those people leave again, they fly. What is the most amazing transformation you have ever witnessed? One man had crippling IBS for 18 years, with a strong family history of it. After he changed his lifestyle his symptoms went completely. He only came on retreat once but he took it all on and went 80-90% raw immediately. A big chunk of his recovery was that he rested and cleansed his bowel on retreat – both on the physical level, and also the emotions being held there. The rest was down to the lifestyle he adopted after the retreat, which continued that healing. This man is a marathon runner, and within a short time of the retreat he has smashed all his personal best records. Your nutritional talks are an important and, we hear, very popular part of the retreat. What do people learn from you? I don’t tell people to go 100% raw. I just encourage them to go rawer, so they will feel the benefits of that and want to be rawer still. I tell people, “Integrate a bit more raw and see what that brings up for you.” I take all of the spin out of the information and keep it very practical: “Do that and your liver will have to do that, your skin will have to do that...” The gist of my talks is that raw food is so obviously what we were designed to eat and process, but it may not be that being 100% raw is where you need to be right now. So I am not here to preach; I am here to get people to think about what they’re eating – to come out of a place of unconsciousness about food to a place where they can ask questions. A lot of people come to us just looking for a bit of weight loss and to get a bit of energ y back. They get a lot of other stuff besides that! The best thing is that people come looking for that and once they are through the door, I can take the tops off their heads and start tweaking! My week on retreat by Fiona Wilson Eighteen years of eating disorders takes it toll on the mind as well as the body as any fellow sufferer will know. Like any bad relationship, it can seem easier to accept being the victim rather than to find a way out. I decided to go on the retreat with the simple objective of putting myself first for one week. My desire was to deeply relax and to have time to think about the past, the present and what I wanted from the future. The week-long break from food, alongside the nutritional advice, colonics, life-coaching, therapies and environment was like a new breath of life entering my exhausted (and abused) 33-year-old body and soul. Set in the depths of the Devon countryside, the accommodation and environment are simply beautiful. Lots of pockets outside where you can hide away to contemplate... walled gardens housing beds of flowers and shrubs…magnificent trees that provide a sense of protection to the community…pathways that lead off into meadows and woodlands... Rooms are there to be nestled in at any time – and post colonic, nestling is often what I wanted to do! Was it hard going without food? Well, that depends on the individual. Personally, the absence of food coupled with a whole week of “me-time” meant that I could finally listen to buried emotions, some of which had been submerged for over 20 years. A lot of painful, hot tears were wept over the first few days. I experienced emotions about issues that I thought had been dealt with. At times all I wanted to do was curl up in bed with a hot water bottle and sleep, at other times I wanted to swim, walk around in my blanket or drift into another place of healing with a massage from resident therapist Benita. The ability to reconnect the body and mind in a week is what makes this retreat and team so special. I lost over a stone during the week and a further stone in the three months following the retreat. Other benefits have been: Becoming caffeine free (which has enabled me to listen to my tiredness levels rather than being another city worker addicted to the “hit”) An end to bingeing on food (as an exbulimic, this is a huge milestone) Eating much more (but the right foods, and when I am hungry) Glowing skin (it’s still glowing and I’m still getting comments) Increased energy levels and sense of revitalization Will I be back? You bet! This is the start of a journey I am committed to. Sura Detox runs monthly retreats for a week. Further information on programme, dates, availability and prices at SuraDetox.com. To talk with a member of the team call 08456 343 895. 79 CLASSIFIED ADVERTS Making healthy living delicious! 80 TO ADVERTISE IN Fresh! PLEASE CALL +44 (0)845 833 7017 81 A Day In The Life Of... Dhrumil Purohit Dhrumil (Dhru) Purohit is editor and team leader of the web’s most popular raw food blog, We like it Raw (welikeitraw.com). He is also the man behind Give it to me Raw (giveittomeraw.com), a rapidly growing online community for people who love raw food. W hat I don’t hear first thing in the morning is a noisy alarm clock. Instead I wake up when I wake up. I sleep on the floor with the crown of my head facing east, so that means I’m usually up the same time the sun rises. My grandmother, who lived by the principles of Ayurveda, was big into that sort of stuff. When I was younger I thought it was all mumbo-jumbo and old-school Indian logic. Now, after studying and experiencing these practices first hand, I realize just how onpoint my elders were. Once my eyes are open I usually lay on the floor for 5 to 15 minutes. Two years ago I heard off with a litre of spring water with a tablespoon of MSM, two teaspoons of organic lemon and a pinch of sea salt. Skin: I start with skin brushing. I can usually knock it out in three minutes. If I’m traveling and forget my brush then I’ll use a dry organic cotton towel. After a good brushing, I hop in the shower and use a mild organic soap. A little organic virgin coconut oil on the skin adds to that raw glow. I used to rush into my day and just starting doing, but now invest time into my internal world first - both spiritually and physically. Eckhart Tolle said it best, “Your external I used to rush into my day and just starting doing, but now invest time into my internal world first - both spiritually and physically. Eckhart Tolle said it best, “Your external world is a direct reflection of your internal world.” a spiritual teacher named Adyashanti say that the deepest practice of meditation is to simply let everything “be as it is”. This is my opportunity to do just that. It really allows me to let go of anything I was holding onto from the day before. So-called failures, negativity, doubt or any other excuses the ego uses to protect itself. Just taking time to acknowledge those feelings is enough to remove or greatly reduce the fear inside. And with the fear out of the way, now I have an opportunity to really make magic happen and inspire others in the process. 7:30am: Morning routine - I’m centred, present and ready to create my day. But first things first, I need to take care of my body. That’s where my morning routine comes in. I have to admit, I stole much of it directly from David Wolfe. Four years ago he invited me to stay with him in NYC and help him with his speaking tour. It was then that I understood first hand how important a morning routine was. Teeth: Surprisingly, many raw foodies have teeth problems from too much sugar. Cutting down on a high-glycaemic diet is key. I’ve also found that brushing with a mixture of 3% food-grade hydrogen peroxide works wonders too. It gets to the root problem, the bacteria. I take about 5 to 8 drops of it and put it into glass filled with half an ounce of water. I stir the mix with my brush and then get to brushing, rinsing thoroughly afterwards. Water: I’d say that one out of three raw foodies is still dehydrated. Up until two years ago I was one of them. Now I start my morning world is a direct reflection of your internal world.” When you make your internal world a priority, naturally your external world unfolds beautifully. 8:30am: Creating the day - I spend 90% of my working day on the computer. That’s why it’s important to me to create my day before I hop online. I do this by taking 30 minutes to set my outcomes for the day on paper. Outcomes are different than to-do lists because they focus on intention rather than just getting things done. My outcomes always come back to larger goals that I set for the week, month or next 90-day period. Once my goals are on paper, I update my schedule on the computer and just fly baby! 9:30am: Team - Everything from We like it Raw to my internet consulting company, DBoost.com, is run by a team. Before we get started on projects we take an opportunity to check-in with each other via group chat or conference call to see where we need to collaborate. This morning check-in also allows us to share personal insights and talk about larger vision. World-transforming vision! 11:00am: Get juicy - My first meal of the day comes in liquid form. Usually that means I’m blending up a green shake or superfood elixir. My standard green shake has a Brazil nut milk base with maca, acai powder, raw chocolate (sometimes), organic raw honey, Raw Power protein powder and one of the many highquality green powders out there. 12 noon to 4pm: With purpose - Right around noon is when my real work starts. My work takes shape in 45 to 90 minute sessions. I have a kitchen timer on my desk to keep me present and keep my work purposeful. I also turn off my cell phone, home office phone, email notices, chat applications and anything else that could be distracting. During this time I could be editing a podcast for We Like It Raw, scoping out designs for a DBoost client, posting a recipe on Give it to me Raw, writing a proposal for a new business venture, sourcing a product to sell or sending projects to our overseas teams. 4:30pm: Get ripped - Breaking my day up with a workout session does wonders for my energy. And since I primarily work from my home office, it’s easy for me to step away to invest time into fitness. It’s really important that raw foodists, especially males, do some sort of strength training. It’s easy to lose mass when you first go raw. Working out, with the raw right diet, can counter that and build serious muscle. 6:30pm: Breaking bread - Most of the first half of my day is spent working alone. In the evening it’s nice to mix things up by getting together with family or friends for a big kale salad. When I’m at home in Delaware that means dinner with my business partners Nirav, Mihir and Neel. When I’m in New York City that means dinner at Pure Food and Wine with the We Like It Raw entourage, Anthony and Philip. If we’re lucky, Sarma Melngailis will join in. 8:00pm: Winding down - Evenings are an opportunity to connect with family. You can usually find me either a) hanging out with my lovely sisters or b) visiting my original raw food mentor, Mr. Nature Love. Nature and I chat about everything from the latest Kanye West track to our thoughts on Vladimir Megre’s Anastasia. 11:00pm: Thank you! - I close my day by spending an hour or two writing two types of emails. The first are connection emails. These emails are introduction messages sent to two people who are on the same wavelength, but have yet to be introduced. The second type of email I send are gratitude emails: short and sweet personal messages that I send to my network of friends thanking them for being incredible. Midnight: Stillness - My day ends the same way it started, in stillness. I lay on the floor with my eyes open staring at the sky - just letting everything be as it is. ■ 82 +44 (0)845 833 7017 orders@fresh-network.com www.fresh-network.com