FAQ
What are Raw/Living foods?
Raw/ Living foods are un-cooked, un-processed, un-altered plant based foods that are loaded with life-force energy. They contain vital enzymes that aid in the digestive process and trigger cellular action in the body.(See more about enzymes below) The molecular structures of these enzymes are altered at temperatures as low as 106 degrees and can be completely destroyed at higher temperatures, thus making the food toxic. Raw/ Living foods on the other hand are full of Life Giving Energy and provide your body with everything that it needs to thrive.
Why eat Raw/Living foods?
Because raw/living foods can be some of the most delicious foods on the planet….
Many mainstream chef’s are now taking raw food prep courses just so they can include the vast array of flavors that are possible with raw/living foods. The possibilities are endless. Not to mention that eating them helps you gain energy, lose weight, detoxify your body and revitalize your health. All this while increasing your Beauty and Longevity. When you eat raw foods you give your body what it needs to heal itself and do away with dis-ease. On the Mental, Spiritual and Emotional levels, we have both experienced a deep sense of clarity, along with a stronger, heartfelt connection with ourselves, each other, our Creator, Mother Earth and all living beings. Besides all that, Christopher has lost 75 pounds eating raw and he eats as much as he want whenever he wants. We think the real question is “Why not eat Raw/ Living Foods?”
What do you, as “Raw Foodists” eat?
We eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, fermented foods,wild foods, super-foods, seaweeds and herbs. A lot of people think if you eat raw food that it only consists of carrot and celery sticks or just salads. These people are sadly mistaken…..The truth is that there are countless magical creations like…. pizzas, pastas, cakes, pies, ice-creams, crackers, cookies, soups, etc… The list goes on and on…..
What do you drink?
The very best source of hydration comes through Raw/Living Foods because the water in them has been restructured in the perfect way for our bodies to assimilate it. If you want to take it to the next level, you can water your plants and foods with ORMUS water which contains every mineral along with anti gravitational elements and creates some crazy, cool results…We will talk more about that later. Second to those options, we choose spring water above all other water sources including the fancy and expensive water machines. Now when I say spring water, I mean walk to the source and fill your own glass bottles, spring water…I don’t mean go to the store and buy some so called “spring water” of which we are really not sure where it comes from, it has been packed and stored for who knows how long and is leeching from the plastic that contains it, on top of all that it just adds one more plastic bottle to the landfill….No! Not that kind….The real kind! This may seem hard at first but it isn’t that hard once you set yourself up properly. We also love fresh pressed juices, coconut water, kombucha, smoothies, and sun-tea. Stay tuned….Some time we will go into much more depth about water on our blog or somewhere else on our site.
Is this just another fad diet?
Nope! Raw food was the original way of things and is only type of food eaten by every species on the planet excluding humans! In fact! Cancer and other human like dis-eases did not exist in animals until humans started messing with their food too! Interesting… Huh!
For us eating raw living food is much more than a diet, it is a way of being….. A lifestyle that brings with it health, vibrance, happiness, true abundance, and longevity.
Does a raw diet mean raw meat? What about sushi?
Some raw foodists do choose to eat raw meat!! Most Raw Foodists, including ourselves do not eat meat. There is a whole list of reasons why we do not, ranging from health and spiritual reasons, to environmental and political reasons. Raw meat is hard for the body to digest and often has parasites that will stay in your body wreaking havoc. We believe that meat is only to be used in emergency’s to sustain life. IE. Sparingly in times of cold or famine.
As far as Sushi goes….Yes we eat Sushi, but not the kind you buy at stores. We make our own fresh Sushi filled with high protein nut, seed, or soaked wild rice, and loaded with avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, bell pepper, and sprouts and then we either top it with a spicy curry sauce or dip it in Nama Shoyu and eat it with fresh ginger and wasabi.
Do I need to be 100% raw to get the benefits?
No. You can start receiving benefits by just adding more raw living foods to your diet. The more the merrier…
Begin by educating yourself about the Why’s and “How To’s”
Then get the proper kitchen equipment so it can be fast and easy.
Start adding one dish or meal at a time to try it out and see how it tastes and how you feel.
Some people do go “cold-turkey” and have great success.
We recommend taking a slower and more gentle route where you gradually increase the amount of Raw/ Living foods that you consume over time, in a natural and easeful manner.
What books do you recommend?
“The Sunfood Diet Success System” by David Wolfe….this is my favorite book on raw food. I love that it talks about more than just raw foods.
“Raw Food Real World” by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis
“The Essene Gospel of Peace” by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely
“Eating For Beauty” by David Wolfe
“Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People” by Jennifer Cornbleet
Ours-Which isn’t written yet!:-) So stay tuned!
How do you get your protein when eating raw?
This qualifies as a “very frequently” asked question.:-)
The root of this question lies in the lies that have been fed to the american public for a very long time from some very rich people who stand to gain a lot of money by keeping you believing that protein only or at least mainly comes from dead animals. Every plant cell has protein and protein is what gives our food its shape and form. Eating food uncooked preserves the enzymes (which are also protein) that are vital to digestion and assimilation. The World Health Organization reports that humans need 5% of daily calories to be protein. The USDA says it should be 6.5%. On average, fruits have 5% of the calories from protein, vegetables 20% to 50%, and sprouts, seeds, nuts, beans, and grains 10% to 25%. Getting enough protein eating only raw living plant-based foods is easy. A persons daily need for protein can range from 30 grams for a small woman up to 70 grams per day for a large body builder. I will give you a clear example of how easy it is to surpass your daily protein requirements easily. Here is a days worth of raw food and the protein amounts contained.
Breakfast: Green Smoothie: (about 12 grams protein)
2 cups Orange Juice
2 cups spinach
1 Banana
1 Tbs. Spirulina
1 tsp. Bee Pollen
Snack: Celery Sticks with Almond Butter: (about 7 grams of protein)
2 Celery Sticks
2 Tbs. Almond Butter
Lunch: Nori Roll:(Sushi) (about 18 grams of protein)
1 Nori Sheet
2 Tbs. Hemp Seeds
1/2 Avocado
1 Tomato
1/2 Cucumber
1 Carrot
2 oz. Sprouts
1 Tbs. Nama Shoyu
Snack: Trail Mix: (about 12 grams of protein)
1/2 oz. Cashews
1/2 oz. Almonds
1/2 oz. Sunflower Seeds
1 oz. Raisins
1/2 oz. Pumpkin Seeds
Dinner: Salad: (about 9 grams of protein)
1 cup Lettuce
1/2 avocado
1 tomato
1oz. Cashews
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
A simple shake for breakfast, a couple of snacks, a light lunch and a salad for dinner and we have consumed 58 grams of protein. Nearly a body-builders amount with a light amount of food. As you can see…getting your protein can be delicious and easy.
Plus, because the protein has not been damaged by heat, it is much more effective and easy for the body to assimilate. Besides who likes eating parasites anyway?
If you don’t have milk or dairy products, how will you get your calcium?
Needing dairy to get calcium is also a myth. Actually about 90% of Americans are allergic to Cows Milk and dairy products do not provide you with sufficient calcium…actually the high animal protein content of milk causes calcium to be leached from the human body. The countries with the highest dairy consumption are the ones with the highest osteoporosis. Dairy products are also highly acidic and throw off the bodies PH Balance. You can find an abundance of calcium in many raw foods… especially in “leafy greens”. Have you ever wondered why we are the only species on the planet that drinks another species milk?
Have you ever wondered where Gorilla’s and Elephants and Rhinos and Cows get their protein? They all get it from leafy greens and raw/living foods. None of them consume “dairy products”!
Where do you get your B12?
Some people use supplements or get B-12 Shots in an effort to combat B12 deficiencies that have been know to exist in Vegans. We don’t really like supplementing from bottles and capsules or shots. So we always seek to discover how we can get what we need through alterations in the food that we eat instead. In our explorations we have found that, a vitamin B-12 deficiency is typically caused by lack of absorption in the intestinal tract, rather than a lack of this vitamin in the diet. B-12 doesn’t actually come from any foods at all, dairy or non-dairy… It is microb- a bacteria and it is produced by micro organisms. We can get these micro organisms by eating Fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, pickles, etc.), sea vegetables (such as laver, Dulse, Nori, algae, Spirulina, and chlorella) bee pollen, and good old home grown, unwashed, fruits and veggies…Remember the saying when we were children “God made dirt so dirt won’t hurt” Perhaps it is more true that we know…. Through proper cleansing and minor adjustments to our diet we can easily meet the B-12 requirements of the body.
What tools do I need to prepare raw foods?
Stocking your kitchen with the right tools makes food preparation super easy. Check out our Basic Kitchen Ingredients and our Best Ever Kitchen Tools & Appliances in our products section. But you can start preparing raw food with just some basic tools such as a cutting board and some knives.
Is it really worth the extra money to eat organic?
Eating all organic is a very important choice for our individual health and the health of the planet. First off, Organic food has many more nutrients than conventional food because the nutrients in the soil have not been killed off by chemicals. Conventional food is filled with pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, larvacides, insecticides etc. It’s like a mass genocide in and of it self. When you consume conventional food you are consuming toxic poisons that will take a major toll on your health and wellness in ways innumerable. For this reason it becomes especially important for people who consume larger amounts of living foods to choose organic… always. What you think you are saving in the short run will cost you dearly in the long run. Besides this is the only body that you have…Isn’t it time to start thinking in terms of how well can I maintain it rather than how much can I get away with abusing it?
The benefits for the planet run very deep and we will cover more on that later…..
If eating raw, do I need to cleanse?
When you eat raw you will automatically start to cleanse your body from the inside out. Some people even get a little sick which is totally normal because your body is detoxifying. After you have been raw for a while and allowed you body to start the healing process it is a great idea to do some cleansing processes. We also like to do at least a one week long cleanse ever spring and fall for a fresh start and to promote healthy nutrient absorption along with detoxification.
We plan to teach more on cleansing elsewhere on this site.
What are some of your favorite meals?
Some of our favorite meals include: Pizza, Pasta, Mushroom Burgers, Sushi, and Mexicali. All raw and organic of course!:-)
Do you miss certain foods and what do you do to curb your cravings?
Only occasionally do we miss and crave certain foods. When we do have those cravings we eat a raw version of that food. So if we miss chips then we make delicious Cheesy Kale Chips or when we want pie or ice-cream we make Raw Chocolatey Cheescake or Raw Ice cream.
Where can I find the best food sources?
The very best food source is directly from your organic garden. If you do not have a garden then I recommend going to Farmer’s Markets. There the food is nearly as high in nutrients and your are supporting local farmers….which helps the environment and your local economy. Next I would suggest your local health food stores. Last I would recommend a regular supermarket, but look for their organic section. Also if you look online you can get great deals on bulk things like nuts, oils, etc.
Isn’t it expensive to eat Raw & Organic?
It isn’t when you eliminate all the things like meat and dairy that can be very expensive. The money you save on skipping just meat will pay for organic. Also I tell people to think about their longterm health. You will pay for it in the long run if you don’t pay for it now. Some people think I am a fanatic because all I put in my body is organic. I think it is just smart. I always tell myself “my body is worth it”….no matter what the cost.
How do you get full when eating just raw living food?
When you first begin eating raw you may crave a lot more food. This could be due to the nutrients that you are finally getting that your body has been needing so badly. We have noticed that eating plenty of good fats such as avocados, nuts, seeds and oils helps us to feel more grounded and gives us a more full feeling.
When you first begin to transition into a raw food diet it helps a lot to eat heavier foods such as pates, nut burgers, etc. Also allow yourself to eat all that you want in the beginning until your body has caught up on nutrient deficiencies and such!
Your body will detoxify and eventually you wont crave so much. A lot of people have a lot of parasites in their bodies. When you are full of parasites and you put crappy food in your body then the parasites eat it and excrete it. Their excretion contains elements that make you crave more crappy foods so that you will continue to feed them just like any good host would!:-) Once you get rid of the parasites you will notice you don’t have as many cravings and feel more content with less food.
There is also a very powerful tie between eating and emotions. It pays big time to bring awareness to your eating and emotional patterns.
Will I loose weight eating raw?
Usually Yes!! But you need to realize that it is not a weight-loss diet, and definitely not a diet where once you loose the weight you go back to what you were eating. It is a lifestyle. When you eat raw your body will return to its natural state. Before Christopher went raw he weighed 260 pounds and could not loose the weight for anything. He worked out every day for 1 to 2 hours 5 days a week and still nothing. Once he changed his diet and started introducing raw foods the weight dropped like crazy. After a couple years of transitioning he went 100% raw and lost even more. He now weighs 185 pounds. He feels 10 years younger and 10 times lighter.
Isn’t preparing raw food time-consuming?
There are a lot of things that you can do to make it faster and easier.
First off getting the right equipment is key.
Next is learning recipes that are fast and easy!
Sometimes we set aside a few hours and prepare 5 or 6 meals that we can place in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week with no added prep time. Some items that are easy to pre-prep are: pesto, hummus, salsa, dressings, crackers, cookies, and much more.
One other factor is that when eating raw there are zero pots and pans to clean and no burt in caked on foods, everything rinses off quickly and easily.
On the emotional, mental and spiritual levels I think it very important to set aside more time in our lives to reconnect and actually be present with our dining experiences rather than just running, running, running, anyway.
How do I eat with my friends when I go out?
When you go out with your friends bring different raw goodies with you to snack on. Like an apple, banana, raw chocolate, raw trail mix, flax crackers etc.. so you won’t feel left out or tempted to eat something that is cooked. When going to a social event that you know there will be food you can eat before so you won’t be hungry or bring a dish that you can have or even better, share with others. When at party’s and gatherings look for things that you can eat…like fresh fruit trays and/or vegetable trays. When you go to a restaurant with your friends you can look at the menu and see what salads they serve and find all the things that are raw on the menu and custom order an amazing salad. Most of the time the chef can make something for you that is raw. You can ask them to bring lemon, lime and olive oil for the dressing. I also keep a little bottle of Celtic Sea Salt in my purse at all times and I have even brought my own dressing from home in a small bottle to put on a salad and then I have the best meal ever.
How do I get my kids to eat raw?
The best thing is to offer it to them. If they say no…don’t force it. Next time just ask them again. Studies show that if you keep offering a child a particular food with no force or coercion, eventually they will most likely try it. One thing we do with our kids is take them into the produce section of a grocery store and tell them they can have whatever they want. By doing this it lets them be in control and they make the choice. You can also make yummy things like raw ice cream and raw chocolate and usually kids will gobble it up. Another great way to get them to eat raw food is to make it fun. Let them help prepare the food. Add lots of color. Make the food into cool shapes or forms. Most of all be an example. If you eat it not long after they tend to follow, especially when they see that your food looks so much more appetizing.
How can I create support?
You can create support in many ways. Start with sharing with your friends and family what your intentions are with going raw and how you would like their support. See if you can find local people who are raw that you can get together with and support each other. There are lots of raw food pot lucks and if there isn’t one in your area then you can start one of your own.
Questions? Additions? Please comment below or contact us to suggest any changes to this FAQ.
