The Raw Food Diet » Raw Food Vegan

Avocado Plant & Experiments in Vegetable Gardening

Raw Food — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 02:48:52 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I was given an avocado plant at a local Meetup group. The woman who gave me the avocado plant had 10 avocado plants sitting on her windowsill, seeped in water with 4 toothpicks on each of the 4 sides of the avocado. She had grown each avocado plant from seed.

Raw Food Lifestyle Film Festival

Raw Food — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 01:34:27 +0000

I came across something new and interesting—especially if you like movies (and who doesn't like movies?).

The first-ever Raw Food Film Festival will be held March 16-18th at MOA in West Hollywood, CA. Movies screenings will include:

Raw Food Meets Web 2.0

Raw Food — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 23:05:21 +0000

I've discovered a new raw food recipe site that allows you to share your favorite raw food recipes with other people across the globe. The site is called Gone Raw, and describes itself as, "A social recipe sharing website to help people find, compare, and enjoy raw food recipes from around the world."

No Such Thing as a B12 Deficiency?

Raw Food — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 21:54:16 +0000

According to Dr. Vetrano, there is no such thing as a B12 deficiency because the body gets B12 coenzymes from bacteria in the intestinal tract and from natural plant foods. Dr. Vetrano argues that the real problem is one of digestion and absorption. Namely, failure to digest, absorb and utilize the various cobalamins from food and natural sources (i.e. bacteria in intestinal tract).

Great Resource for Scientific Studies on Raw Vegans

Raw Food — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:50:38 +0000

If you're writing a book, or conducting research on the raw food diet, the following website lists raw vegan medical studies (both abstracts and full-text documents)…

Raw Food Vegan Research Studies

Raw Vegan Diet & Dental Health

Raw Food — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 20:31:26 +0000

I went to the dentist last week for a regular cleaning, and received some bad news. I was told that I have 3 cavities—small cavities, but nevertheless, they are cavities. This is rather upsetting to me, since I've only had 2 cavities in my entire life, before beginning a raw food diet. Three cavities in less than one year is not good.

I remember Frederic Patenaude writing about how raw foodists often have dental problems, and his own personal struggles with cavities. Apparently, the acid in fruit can cause erosion of tooth enamel and contribute to faster rates of decay. Frederic Patenaude has suggested rinsing your mouth with water after eating any fruit. Unfortunately, I have not been very diligent with this practice (and now I am paying for it).

Salt Lake City's Raw Food Restaurant: Omar's Living Cuisine

Raw Food — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 23:49:43 +0000

Omar's Living Cuisine was recently featured in The Salt Lake Tribune. This organic, raw food restaurant is located in Salt Lake City, Utah (30 minutes from the ski slopes). Article is excerpted below…

Durian Trivia–14 Fascinating Facts about the world's smelliest fruit

Raw Food — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 14:18:41 +0000

About the Durian

The durian is commonly known as the "king of the fruits." The name comes from the Malay word duri, meaning "thorn."

Durians cannot be plucked from the tree. You have to wait for durians to drop. The fruit usually drops at night.

The Blossoming Lotus, Vegan and Raw Food Restaurant, featured in paper

Raw Food — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 14:17:26 +0000

The DailyBulletin, a newspaper out of Ontario, Canada, recently spotlighted The Blossoming Lotus, a vegan and raw food restaurant located on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Excerpt below…

KAPAA, Hawaii – If you stay in Kauai long enough, you'll hear locals talk about the power of Hawaii's oldest island. There's a sense of wisdom and spirituality in the soil, and it makes its way into the lush, abundant produce grown here.

Dangers of Milk—52 Reasons to Avoid Dairy

Raw Food — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 23:53:20 +0000

Milk Contains Toxic Levels of Dioxins

"The level of dioxin in a single serving of the Ben & Jerry's World's Best Vanilla Ice Cream tested was almost 200 times greater than the 'virtually safe [daily] dose' determined by the Environmental Protection Agency."

-Steve Milloy, author of junkscience.com (Milloy tested samples of ice cream for dioxins. The only major newspaper to report the story was the Detroit Free Press). 11/8/99

Vegetarian Awareness Month

Raw Food — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 20:55:00 +0000

October is Vegetarian Awareness Month. How cool is that? To celebrate, I'll be posting a series of articles on vegan diet and lifestyle. Some interesting statistics…

The vegetarian food market is growing at a rate of 100 percent-plus every year.

Raw Vegan Athlete Profiled in Arizona Paper

Raw Food — Sat, 27 May 2006 18:12:10 +0000

Bradley Saul, a former pro-cyclist, raw vegan and founder of Organic Athlete was recently profiled in The Arizona Daily Star. According to its website, Organic Athlete organizes bike races called Tour d'Organics in which participants race from farm to farm to promote organic foods and athleticism. Upcoming races are planned in Austin, Texas, Portland, Ore., and Santa Cruz, Sebastopol and Santa Barbara, Calif.

Organic Raw Food Produce in Fort Worth Texas

Raw Food — Wed, 24 May 2006 22:50:00 +0000

When Jennifer Pittman moved to Forth Worth, Texas and discovered a lack of organic food providers, she decided to create her own source of raw food produce and products. Pittman started an organic co-op called Blueberry Market…

British Woman Says Raw Food Diet Has Cured Her Arthritis

Raw Food — Tue, 23 May 2006 07:42:00 +0000

In the article below, a Nottingham woman explains how a raw food diet cured her rheumatoid arthritis which she had suffered from since 13. Interestingly, the arthritis developed after a rubella immunization. (The more I read about vaccinations, the more opposed I become to the practice of immunizing children.)

Eating Raw for Humans and Pets

Raw Food — Wed, 17 May 2006 05:30:00 +0000

A recent article, published by DailyIndia.com (out of New York) describes eating raw for both humans and pets.

The Raw Food Diet
by Sylvia Riley

The raw food diet is as much a lifestyle as an eating plan; a naturalistic approach which excludes, in addition to cooked and animal foods, processed and refined ingredients. In the ever-hungry quest for new fads and health panaceas, the raw food diet, with adherents such as Woody Harrelson and Donna Karan, is growing in mainstream popularity. Unlike many other bandwagons however, raw foods (also referred to as 'living foods'), offer unarguable health benefits and one can reap rewards even as a 50% dabbler. To be a 100% extremist takes commitment, discipline and education and is best introduced gradually to avoid the overwhelm of inevitable detoxification.

Raw Food Resources for Australians

Raw Food — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 23:19:40 +0000

A new raw food website for Australians has just been created by Paul Benhaim, a living food lifestyle coach.

According to the website, Alive Foods is Australia's information portal to everything RAW.

Raw Food Chef & Cooking Classes

Raw Food — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 23:09:41 +0000

The San Francisco Chronicle just published an article highlighting raw food "cooking" and Cherie Soria. Excerpt below…

Cooking School in the Raw
by Olivia Wu, Chronicle Staff Writer

Like all canny cooks, Cherie Soria knows how to hook her audience: with desserts. But Soria doesn't pull out the stops with butter, sugar, eggs and flour, baking them into fluffy confections. She makes her magic with avocado and agave syrup — and no baking at all. By the time her students taste her creations, they don't mind that those unexpected ingredients are the major components of their chocolate mousse. As Soria would say, "If you can make a raw vegan cheesecake better than regular cheesecake, why would you eat regular cheesecake?"

Feeding Kids a Raw Food, Vegan Diet

Raw Food — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:02:48 +0000

Columbia News Service just published an article questioning whether children should be fed an all raw food diet. The article mentions the Talifero's, Gabriel Cousen's Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, and the Boutenko's. The recent controversy over whether children should be fed a raw food diet was sparked when a 6-month old girl in Florida died in 2003, after her parents fed her a diet composed only of wheat grass and coconut milk. The article, in its entirety…

New Raw Food Nutrition Bars from SmartMonkey

Raw Food — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 22:09:10 +0000

Looks like there's a new raw food energy bar for those who live on the West Coast (U.S.). From the press release…

SmartMonkey Foods, the West Coast's premiere gourmet raw food company, is launching a new line of energy bars packed with the fresh, organic, raw materials your body needs to excel. “Our bars are never dehydrated or cooked,” says SmartMonkey Foods co-founder and executive chef Ani Phyo. “SmartMonkey Bars contain all their original water content to support active enzymes, along with amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.”

Raw Cacao (Chocolate)–Dangerous?

Raw Food — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 22:00:30 +0000

This is interesting. There was a Chocolate in the Raw class taught last Saturday by Jeff Rogers, of Naughty Vegan in Seattle. Recently, there seems to be a lot of controversy over whether raw cacao is healthy and beneficial for you. Everybody seems to be promoting cacao (also known as "raw chocolate") as "healthy."

Why Raw Food?

Raw Food — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 21:54:02 +0000

Why Raw Food?
An article by David Wolfe of Nature's First Law (published on Alive Foods).

Many have spent lifetimes wondering what caused humanity's "fall from grace." What has caused humanity's disconnection from living in a natural paradise? Why is civilization out of balance with Nature? These thoughts are often triggered by a study of the classical, legendary, or religious stories of a former perfect age. Every culture seems to have a story about how human life began on Earth. Most describe a place where people lived in harmony with the plants and animals. While living this way, the stories indicate that, people experienced happiness and peace.

New Raw Food Restaurant in Los Angeles

Raw Food — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 21:50:54 +0000

A new raw food restaurant in Los Angeles called Leaf just opened its doors. Leaf serves raw vegan, organic, kosher cuisine and has two locations, one in L.A. just off the 405 freeway, and one in Sherman Oaks, CA. The founder is Rod Rotondi, who has a background in Italian and French cuisine, and previously worked at Juliano's Raw restaurant in Santa Monica. The menu looks great; wish it was closer to me.

Rod's story…

Growing up in an Italian-American family, Rod Rotondi, founder of Leaf Cuisine, learned to cook as a child, learned table service and Italian cuisine in Rome at the American Ambassador's Residence (his grandfather), took French cooking courses in Paris as a teenager (where his family lived), and worked in restaurants to pay his way through college and graduate school. Through 15 years of world travels (including working for the United Nations), he picked up culinary lessons from around the globe.

In 1996, Rod discovered raw and living foods and first introduced them in his restaurant in Egypt. Upon returning to the U.S., he opened "Rod's Wrap and Juice Bar" in Marblehead, Massachusetts and won the "Best of Show" and the "Best Theme" awards at the prestigious Marblehead Culinary Arts Festival. But California was calling, and Rod moved out to Los Angeles where well known raw foods chef Juliano hired him to set up, manage and chef at his new restaurant, "Juliano's Raw" in Santa Monica.

In 2004 Rod created Leaf Cuisine in order to offer "truly clean, delicious and affordable food in a convenient and relaxed format."

Staying on Raw, Living Foods–Avoiding Backsliding

Raw Food — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 21:43:25 +0000

Interesting article on how to stay on a Raw Food Diet.

Staying on Raw & Living Foods: How to Avoid/Minimize Backsliding
by Tom Billings

Following a raw or living foods diet can be difficult, given the general stress of living in modern times, and the prevalence of junk food and cooked food. One is often tempted to take the path of least resistance, which is usually junk or processed foods.

Effects of Cooked Food & Your Body's Response

Raw Food — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 20:38:44 +0000

New article from RawFoods.com…

Is Cooked Food Good For Us?
By T.C. Fry

In nature all animals eat living foods as yielded up by Nature. Only humans cook their foods and only humans suffer widespread sicknesses and ailments. Those humans who eat mostly living foods are more alert, think clearer, sharper and more logically and become more active. Best of all, live food eaters become virtually sickness-free!

Cooked Food Versus Raw Food

Raw Food — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 20:06:41 +0000

The excerpt below was originally published at Raw Food Info.

Cooked Food Versus Raw: Some of the Known Differences

Cooked foods cannot create true health because they are missing some very vital elements needed by the body for its optimal functioning; things like enzymes, oxygen, hormones, phytochemicals, bio-electrical energy and life-force. When foods are heated above 105 degrees Farenheit they begin to lose all of these. By 118 degrees Farenheit, most food is dead. Yes, the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and proteins are still there, but in a greatly altered state — not at all what nature provided.

Pros and Cons of Raw Food–From The Ohio Beacon Journal

Raw Food — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 20:00:24 +0000

Raw Food Heats Up Some Pros and Cons
by Marilynn Marter
Knight Ridder Newspapers

Raw food as an alternative lifestyle has been promoted since the '50s. In recent years, the success of raw-food restaurants in California has spread the concept nationwide. With Raw (Ten Speed Press, 2003), two visionary chefs — Charlie Trotter in Chicago, Roxanne Klein in San Francisco — created a landmark volume celebrating raw food, giving it gourmet glam and nudging it into the culinary mainstream.

Glaser Organic Farms–One of the Largest Raw Food Producers in the U.S.

Raw Food — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 19:53:29 +0000

An article about Glaser Organic Farms, which is one of the largest raw food producers in the U.S. From TheLedger.com …

Farm Finds Success With Raw, Vegan Dishes
Glaser Organic Farms near Miami doesn't use heat or animal products.

Raw Food Restaurant in Toronto

Raw Food — Sat, 13 Aug 2005 19:38:03 +0000

Article on new raw food restaurant in Toronto…

Live's Drive
Organic Bar Gets Parlayed Into A 30-Seater On Dupont
by Steen Davey

Jennifer Italiano is understandably stressed. In less than 24 hours, the vivacious chef will host a launch party for Live Organic Food Bar, the 30-seat upscale sequel to her wildly original –- but tiny –- Annex café. Acclaimed for its raw California-style vegan cuisine, the stylish bistro needs a lot of work. For starters, the banquettes have yet to arrive, someone just delivered a refrigerator and the construction crew seems to be weeks away from finishing. As if that weren't nerve-wracking enough, tomorrow's bash will be shot by Opening Soon, the Food Network's resto reality show that's been filming Italiano for months. Three days later, Live is scheduled to welcome its first paying customer. Now, NOW hails the latest version of Live as Toronto's top vegetarian restaurant. You'd be frazzled, too.

Raw Food in the News in Maine

Raw Food — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 03:33:02 +0000

Excerpts from a raw food news article published in The Kennebec Journal (a local newspaper in Maine)…

Enthusiasts Flock to Raw Food, Saying It Contains Health Benefits
by Mechele Cooper

A cool breeze floated in through the windows as the group of food enthusiasts sat down to a gourmet meal.The breeze was welcome, but not because these food groupies had been slaving over a hot stove. This group — gathered as part of Northern Botanicals Lifestyle Center's wellness retreat — were enthusiasts of raw food. A raw-food diet consists of uncooked vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, and cereals. None of the food is cooked, processed or animal-based. No sushi here. No steak tartare, either. Going raw, when it comes to food, is a growing trend in the United States, but it's relatively new to Maine, according to Bob and Pat Manning, owners of the lifestyle center on Cobbossee Stream.

Interesting article from Vegan Society about raw food, sunlight, and B12

Raw Food — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 19:10:51 +0000

From Vegan Society…

Healthy Choices on Raw Vegan Diets
by Stephen Walsh, PhD

A raw food vegan diet may be defined in various ways, but usually entails at least 80% by weight being raw plants. Many people report feeling healthier and more energetic on adopting such diets, but there are too few long-term raw food vegans for direct evaluation of the success of raw vegan diets versus other diets. We can, however, evaluate such diets against known human nutritional requirements to gain a better understanding of the ways in which appropriate raw vegan diets could benefit health. Raw vegan diets comprise three key food groups: sweet fruit, high-fat plants and green leafy vegetables. Raw food authorities differ in the proportions recommended, some suggesting that 2% of calories from green leafy vegetables (about 300 g of lettuce per day) is sufficient while others recommend that about 30% of calories should come from green vegetables. Similarly, recommendations on high fat foods such as avocados, olives, nuts, seeds and cold-pressed oils range from a few percent to about 40% of calories. The Hallelujah diet founded by George Malkmus puts particular emphasis on carrot juice and barley grass, which contribute about 15% of calories.