Is it Raw or not?

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, "Is (fill in the product name) raw?" and "Is there a list of raw foods that I can eat? Well I do not know of any such lists, but this article will explain my answer to the above questions.

First, I think we need to take a step back, and ask yourself, "Why I am I eating raw?" For most, it is to improve or maximize health.

So the questions should be:

1. "Is it healthy or not healthy?"
2. "Is it raw (processed at under 118 degrees?"
3. "Has the food been processed?"

I can think of many things that would be considered "raw, but I would NEVER eat it. Such as raw meat and dairy. In my opinion Meat and Dairy are both not healthy to eat. While it is true they do some benefits, I believe the harm that comes to the body is much greater. With that aside, I will break it down into many three categories: foods to maximize, foods to include some, and foods to minimize or exclude. The information is based on my research and based on being raw for over half a decade. I always recommend eating organic whenever possible.

On a raw foods diet, you want to maximize your intake of the following raw food:

* FRESH FRUITS and FRESH VEGETABLES. - Any fresh fruits or vegetables. The fresher the better. If you can pick the produce yourself, that's the best. The next best would be direct from a farmer or farmers market, next best from a health food store, and last from a "chain store". here is why- once the food is picked, the vitality starts to lessen. If the produce is refrigerated, the vitality is lessened even further.
* FRESH SPROUTS - you can sprout your own seeds yourself, and eat these life-force rich foods while they are still living and growing!

Next as a raw foodist you may want to consume some of the following: (concentration should be on FRESH fruits and vegetables)

* Nuts and Seeds - Many nuts are raw and go through no heat processing. Always purchase nuts in the shell whenever possible, since once nuts are out of the shell, they start to oxidize, and can go rancid. Some nuts are heat processed in the process of getting the nut out of the shell. There is an excellent article, "What every raw fooder should know about nuts" in the article section that I suggest you read. Most "raw" cashew nuts are not really raw.
* Young Coconuts - Young coconuts are a excellent source of electrolytes, the best purified water and a good source of fat and calcium.
* Dried Fruits- did you know that most dried fruits in the natural food store are COOKED? Yes!! They are. I have spoken with many manufacturers and distributors of dried fruits and even "dried tomatoes" and asked them the temperature at which their product is dried. Usually it is well over 200 degrees. They say this proudly, because its not too feasible to dry products at an acceptable temperature to a raw foodist (around 118 degrees or less) because there would be an inconsistent and "ugly" looking product. So cut down on the dried foods! Usually only "sun dried" foods would be considered "raw" since they are dried by the sun.
* Dates - Dates are generally sun dried, if good organic dates are purchased. Many "conventional" dates can be dried and then steamed to make them look "plump" and moist. The Date People and Flying Disc Ranch are my two favorite sources of dates.
* Sea Weeds - Sea weeds such as nori, dulse, Laver, sea lettuce, kombu purchased from a "family" business are usually sundried. Seaweeds from "asia or china" may or may not be sun dried. Sometimes they are roasted, and it may not be mentioned on the package. This should be eaten minimally
* Dried vegetables, herbs and spices for flavoring - I have not checked to see if these are in fact considered "raw" or if they have been heat treated in the drying process. Whenever possible dry your own herbs and spices, and use as sparingly as possible.
* Olives - You may want to consume some raw olives. Raw olives are hard to find. The best raw olives are sun dried raw olives, that have not been preserved with salt. Most olives are preserved with salt. Most canned olives are cooked in the canning process. Most olives are packed in a vinegar or lactic acid brine, which I do not recommend.
* Green Powders - I believe a good green food powder can be helpful as long as it is not heat processed, considered "raw" and dried at a low temperature, and do not include toxic additives. Some examples would be dried wheatgrass, blue green algae, barleygreen, etc.
* Raw Honey - I do agree that raw honey is probably the best concentrated sweetener to use, I still reccomend minimizing concentrated sweeteners such as honey. Get a honey that includes the pollen and propolis, a more "whole" food.
* Frozen Fruits - From the manufacturers I have talked to, it seems that most frozen fruits are not blanched before freezing, so they could be considered "raw". Although its best to eat FRESH FRUITS instead, or freeze fruits yourself.

Things to minimize or cut out completely. The items listed below are many times included in a raw food diet. I believe they can be helpful while transitioning to a raw food diet, but have no place in a long term health building raw food diet.

* Table salt and celtic sea salt- While table salt is much worse than celtic sea salt, many raw foodists believe that celtic salt is good for them. I believe it is not. This is primarily due to my research on the potassium/sodium balance. Each cell in our body needs to maintain a ratio of sodium to potassium and in the "standard American diet" has the sodium ratio way too high. I also have ill effects when I eat any salt. I believe we get enough sodium from fruits, vegetables and seaweed. (Use seaweed instead)
* Nama Shoyu and Braggs Liquid Aminos - Once again these items show up often in raw food recipes, and many people think them "healthy". Try drinking a bottle of the stuff, and tell me how you feel. I bet you will feel sick to your stomach! These are highly processed foods that do not occur naturally in nature. (try using seaweed instead)
* Maple Syrup - Maple syrup is another ingredient considered as "raw" by many. Based on my research all maple syrup is cooked, so it is not raw. I have not sucked on a maple tree to determine if FRESH maple syrup is a viable food source at this point. Use fresh barhi dates (which to me taste like maple syrup - there are many different varieties of dates to try!)
* Agave Nectar - While this "concentrated sweetner" is very popular in raw cuisine, I believe it has no place in a truly "raw" diet. This is primarily due to the fact that it is a concentrated sweetner. The "nectar" is collected or "cooked" out of the agave plant, then must be "cooked" or dehydrated down, much like "boiling down" maply syrup. There is even some rumors about "corn syrup" and other sweeteners being added to "raw" agave nectar to give it the sweet taste. In any case, it is a processed, product, and not a raw, whole food in my opinion.
* Wine - Wine can be raw, but while it may have some health benefits - I say drink FRESH made grape juice instead. Exclude wine from the raw food diet. Alcohol does kill brain cells.
* Apple Cider Vinegar - Vinegar contains acetic acid. Acetic acid is a toxic chemical. If you drink a whole bottle of vinegar, I bet you wont feel too good. Did you know acetic acid is used as a pesticide?
* Bottled oils - Many raw foodists include oils in their diet. I believe this should be minimized for a few reasons. Oil does not occur naturally in nature. Once oil is extracted, it generally goes bad (rancid) very quickly. It is super concentrated and hard for your body to break down. Try drinking a bottle of oil, and tell me how you feel. Probably like you want to sleep - its your body having to work overtime to digest the oil. Yes, even if its cold pressed an organic. Eat the food instead- i.e.: eat olives instead of olive oil. Eat coconuts instead of coconut oil. Eat ground flax seeds instead of flax oil.
* Frozen Vegetables - I have confirmed with several major manufacturers of frozen vegetables, that they are blanched before they are quick frozen, so these would not qualify as raw.

10 Advantages of Eating Raw

The human race learned long ago that cooking meat before eating it would protect them from certain diseases. Since then this practice of cooking has grown to include all types of foods and is now considered an art. Very few meals are eaten which include raw elements, except for the leafy green salad.

One advantage of eating raw is that it brings Nature’s intentions into focus. When I speak of eating raw I am referring to fruit, nuts, and vegetables, which taste good to the majority of humankind in their basic simplicity direct from tree, bush or vine.

I realize it isn’t easy to simply abandon thousands of years of tradition and revert back to 100% raw food. Margaret Mead once said, “It is easier to change a man’s religion than to change his diet.” So to the point, there are 10 advantages to a diet of fresh, whole raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts, which may lead you to find a greater place for them in your diet.

1. Raw foods are better quality, therefore you eat less to satisfy your nutritional needs. The heat of cooking depletes vitamins, damages proteins and fats, and destroys enzymes which benefit digestion. As your percentage of raw foods increases you feel satisfied and have more energy on smaller meals because raw food has the best balance of water, nutrients, and fiber to meet your body’s needs.

2. Raw foods have more flavor than cooked foods so there is no need to add salt, sugar, spices, or other condiments that can irritate your digestion system or over stimulate other organs.

3. Raw foods take very little preparation so you spend less time in the kitchen. Even a child of 5 or 6 can prepare most items for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This gives children a sense of self-esteem and independence, not to mention the break it gives Mom or Dad.

4. When you are eating raw there’s little chance of burns, unless you’re in the middle of a forest fire or out in the sun too long. Just think! No burns to tongues, the roof of your mouth, or fingers, and many fewer house fires.

5. Cleaning up after a raw meal is a snap. No baked-on oils or crusty messes. And any inedible parts go directly to the compost pile.

6. Eating a diet of raw foods can reverse or stop the advance of many chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Remember, cooking creates free radicals, which are the major cause of cancer. When you lower the number of free radicals your cells are bombarded with, you lower your risk of cancer.

7. A raw food diet can protect you from acute diseases such as colds, flu, measles, etc. Raw foods maintain a healthy body and a healthy body will not become diseased.

8. As long as you combine raw food properly according to the rules of Natural Hygiene, you will soon reach a level where you no longer suffer from heartburn, gas, indigestion or constipation.

9. It is environmentally sound. With humanity on a diet of raw foods, the food industry would close up shop and take up organic gardening. This would save us enormous amounts of natural resources used to produce power for these industries. Nuclear power would be clearly unnecessary. And think of how many trees and oil reserves could be saved without the need for the paper and plastics used in packaging our processed foods. There would also be less carbon dioxide released in to the atmosphere when all the cooking stopped and more oxygen produced from all the new orchards and gardens, thus helping to reverse the Greenhouse Effect.

10. Eating raw saves you money on food, vitamins, pots and pans, appliances, doctor bills, drugs, and health insurance.

So don’t waste your food, yourself, and our planet by cooking what you eat. Fruits, nuts, and vegetables which are whole, fresh and raw are brimming with life and have the ability to transmit their life force directly to you.

What Snacks Are Best For My Kids?

A recent study conducted in Australia regarding after school snacking, has revealed that almost half (46%) of all children surveyed, eat biscuits, cakes and pastries after school, with chocolate or other sweets (lollies) being consumed by 17%.

Do you know what, and how much, your child is eating after school?

A lot of common snacks include ready-prepared, portion controlled packages such as cheese and crackers, yoghurt or dairy food, and snack bars. Remember that a snack is just that - it is not a meal in itself so keep the quantity small.

The type of foods often eaten, according to the study, are high in carbohydrates (in the form of sugar), and fat. These are not good choices as they are not nutritionally beneficial.

Let us assume that snacks are essential in your childs daily eating plan, regardless of their age, how do you know what is best?

The best snacks providing essential nutrients to benefit your childs health are:

* high in protein, such as cheese and crackers, snack size salmon or tuna on a cracker or toast
* high in calcium, such as a milk drink or low fat yoghurt
* high in fibre, such as bananas, mandarins, apple, grapes, nuts, toast
* low GI, such as freshly popped pop corn, baked beans, dried apricots

When choosing any snack food (or any processed food for that matter), this is what you need to look for on the nutrition panel:

* Choose foods low in sugar
* Choose foods low in salt (sodium)
* Choose foods with low fat content
* Choose foods with low saturated fat content
* Choose foods high in fibre
* Choose short ingredients lists
* Choose no additives or preservatives
* Choose Heart Foundation Tick, Low GI
* Choose gluten free for wheat allergy sufferers

Just a note about Carbohydrates. On the nutrition panel it may be listed as total carbohydrate. This number tells you how many carbohydrate grams are in one serving of food. This total is broken down into grams of sugar and grams of dietary fibre.

So if the sugars number in a product is similar to the total carbohydrate amount you know that the product is mainly sugar rather than the better form of carbohydrate - fibre or starch.

In summary, have a good variety of nutritious snack foods available. Fresh fruit is ideal. Boredom with the same thing each day and will mean kids will feel the urge to binge on unhealthy snacks. Have a treat occasionally but do not make it a habit.

Healthier Breakfast for Happier Kids!

It's well known that breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day but it's also an easy meal to include nutritious foods for kids in. We all know that mornings can be hectic and that it's not uncommon to rush out of the house without having breakfast, or even make sure that the kids get something in their bellies. Eating a healthy breakfast provides the energy you and your kids need to stay energized, fueled up and productive all morning up until lunch. Here are a handful of quick and easy breakfast ideas that your kids will enjoy:

• Apples, Bananas, Oranges, Pears, Berries, and more: You've heard the saying before. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? There is actually something to it. Having plenty of fruit for your kids to eat and take with them in the mornings is simply a great idea. It is not only simple but it's also very healthy. When you think fruit you don't typically think fiber, but it's in there. Getting plenty of fiber will help to keep your body running smoothly throughout the day. Most medium size fruits like apples, pears, oranges, bananas and peaches have around 3-5 grams of fiber. That's a pretty good start to getting the 25 grams per day that is recommended. Your AM fruit possibilities are endless: cut up all of your kids' favorite fruits and make a fresh fruit salad. Berries, sliced up bananas and strawberries are a great addition to a bowl of cereal or oatmeal, and it just so happens that both taste great when topped with milk!
• Eggs: Eggs are a protein power pack and can be prepared in so many different ways. Throw some low-fat cheese on your scrambled eggs for a dose of calcium then wrap it all up in a tortilla to take on the road. Build your kids a amazing breakfast sandwich at home just by topping an English muffin with a poached egg, slice of ham, and slice of tomato (if you kids will allow it). Don't forget to bring along your to-go containers of chocolate milk with re-sealable lids so you don't have to worry about spills on the car ride to school!
• Chocolate Milk: The benefits of chocolate milk and chocolate milk drinks are clear, and that's why it's a favorite, it goes perfectly with most breakfast foods. Not only that, it provides an easy and tasty source of calcium and other vitamins your kids need. You can pair it with eggs and toast, or blend it up and make a nutritious smoothie; Chocolate milk makes your mornings a lot easier and your kids a lot happier.
• Low-fat yogurt: Yogurt, like chocolate milk, is one of the best nutritious foods for kids and a great source of calcium and provides your kids with nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong. When time is a luxury that you don't have in the morning, yogurt can be your savior. Just top it with fruit and maybe some granola for a blast of carbohydrates and send your little ones on their way.
• Peanut butter: This super spread is packed with protein and heart-healthy fats. Not only does peanut butter add a little flavor but kids love it and it will add a little fun to your boring breakfast regulars. Spread some peanut butter on whole grain toast or a bagel and top it with banana slices or raisins. This is quick idea to go to if your clock is moving faster than your kids in the morning. The carbohydrate-protein combo will give them the energy their bodies need and the fruit will keep you happy and them healthy!