I have been thoroughly enjoying the responses to the salt post. I knew when I wrote it, there would be varying opinions. To use salt or not is objective…as your responses to the salt post have indicated! It also brings up an important point. Are we labeling? I have wanted to address this for a while because we like to use labels and unfortunately division occurs because of those labels.

People like to separate into camps. There even is a new school-old school raw food dichotomy present these days. Unfortunately it is full of judgment. Which is why I don’t like labels and why I deviate away from calling myself a “raw-foodist”. Really what I am is a person who is interested in eating the food I like in the healthiest, most nutritious form possible. In my opinion, that is raw.

Yes, there are certain foods, like Kale that develop more of some nutrients when cooked. So does being a raw foodist mean I can’t cook my kale? Not in my book. Am I 100% raw? Sometimes. Am I high raw? Most of the time. But there you go again…another label, “High Raw”. Do we need that label just to make ourselves feel good? To stroke our own ego? To put ourselves ‘one up’ over someone who isn’t?

Google “raw-foodist” and you will come up with all kinds of silly descriptions of what eating a raw food diet means-mostly written by people who have no experience with a raw food diet. We are freaks, fadists – and, oh my – you better talk to your doctor before eating natural raw foods because, who knows what might happen when you introduce more healthy food and nutrients.* I think that people should be advised to consult their physician before they eat a fast food, super-sized meal at McDonald’s!

The problem with labels, whether it be raw, vegan, vegetarian…is that they are divisive. Society, our broken food system, corporate farms and advertising make it hard enough to eat healthy in our society. Do we really need to put a label on someone and separate and judge them by how good at being raw we think they are? It doesn’t bring us together, it drives us apart.

I have friends that are complete meat and potato eaters. A green vegetable? Never. Now, because of what they are learning, they are starting to make different choices. Small ones but changes nonetheless. In my book, that is fabulous. Because all it takes is that one small step and before you know it, you are on the road to better health.

What it all comes down to is you. Your body and what you feel is best for it. See if something resonates in you and figure out if it works for you. Determine what your goals are. Eating mostly raw does amazing things for me and many people I know. It is why I am here, why I dedicate so much time to getting the message out.

Instead of labeling, let’s supporting anyone who is making choices to be healthier with their diet, no matter where they are along their path. Ditch the labels and share the recipes. Set an example instead of judging. Be a community.

Peace and Blessings!

*If you have health issues you should always consult your doctor before making any changes.

We can not live without salt. It is essential to many of our bodies functions. Did you know that along with water, the right kind of salt can actually help regulate your blood pressure? It helps promote a healthy ph balance in your cells and promotes bone strength. Salt has many other health benefits. But...all salt is not the same!

Your normal table salt (traditional iodized salt) is not the salt I am talking about. It has been cleaned with chemicals, heated at high temperatures and rendered into something that your body sees as a foreign substance. The big problem is that processed foods are loaded with this toxic salt. Your body doesn’t like this “industrial” salt. It can create a fluid imbalance that contributes to high blood pressure and other issues. The topper is that toxic chemicals such as aluminum hydroxide are used as preservatives in common table salt.

What salt is the best? I now only use Himalayan Salt in my raw food recipes. First, it is said to be the purest salt on earth. Second, the flavor is amazing. Nothing else comes close. And a tiny bit is all you need to add that special little touch.

Himalayan Salt contains 84 trace minerals. Mined at the foothills of the Himalayas, it comes from deep inside the earth from the largest salt range in the earth. Dating back to the Precambrian age, these salts are said to be pure and free from the polluting agents that are found in most of today’s environments. They are still mined by hand.

In raw food recipes, Himalayan salt can bring out flavor, balance flavors and add a greatly desired dimension to food. Using Himalayan salt can actually add health benefits, too. That said…a tiny bit is all you need. When I say a pinch of salt in the recipes here, I really mean a very small pinch. Literally about 1/16th of a teaspoon.

There are many topical uses for Himalayan salt, too. Rashes, bug bites, mouth rinses, nasal rinses…do a quick search on google and you will find some great tips.

Note: If you are on a salt-restricted diet for health reasons, I would consult with your doctor before adding any salt to your diet.

Just a quick Saturday update to let you know that Rawmazing will be at the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market this morning. I am demonstrating raw food preparation at 10:30, with samples! If you are in the Minneapolis area, stop by and say hi!

Other Morning Thoughts:

I have been having an interesting discussion with a friend this morning about TV and commercial influences on what we eat. I know that I fall prey to advertisements all the time. Do I act upon them? No. But do they mess with my head? You bet. I wonder what would happen if only pure, unprocessed, healthy food commercials and ads were allowed. Just sayin’…

Have a wonderful weekend!

Before we jump into today’s post, I want to take care of a little website business. If you subscribe to our feed, please note we are now implimenting Aweber. Why, you ask? Our Feedburner feed or RSS subscription will only notify you when a new blog post is up. If you subscribe through Aweber (upper left corner) you will get all of our communications including blog updates, newsletters, updates on Rawmazing happenings and also special offers!

Nutritional Yeast…what the heck is that stuff?

Nutritional yeast is used in both vegan food and raw food preparation. It is not raw but what is it and why is it used so much? Nutritional yeast is used for both it’s nutritional benefits and its taste. As a supplement to recipes, it gives that “cheesy” flavor that eludes us in a vegan diet.

Nutritional Yeast should not be confused with brewers yeast. It is a deactivated yeast that is grown on sugar cane juice and beet molasses in a carefully controlled environment. It is harvested, washed and dried before packaging. Nutritional Yeast is a good source of B vitamins and some nutritional yeasts are fortified with B12. Containing 18 amino acids, it is also a complete protein. There are an amazing 8 grams of protein in one and a half tablespoons.

Nutritional yeast is produced specifically for the nutritional benefits that it provides. It also provides a great taste. Cheesy and nutty, it brings a depth of flavor to our raw food recipes. Note it is not raw as it has to be pasturized to kill the yeast. But it is a healthy, nutritious, supplement.  it is a favorite ingredient in Rawmazing’s Kale Chips.

We are so close! The actual print copy proof has been ordered and should be here this week. After that, it will only be a matter of days until our first cookbook is ready! I am so excited to bring you this labor of love…and I mean that in the most literal of senses. If you have ever worked on a cookbook, it is an amazing amount of work! Months of development, creating, photographing, editing and design layout. But the results worth every minute!

All of the recipes are easy, tasty and have been loved by raw and non-raw people alike! You will find a Chocolate Ganache-Chocolate Mousse cake, soft Zucchini Bread, a Pecan Pie with Chocolate Crust and many more delicious, simple to make recipes. As always, I create these recipes for your success…both in making them and eating them!

Now that we are in the final stretch….I will keep you updated! I know you will enjoying having it as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.

This morning, I was a guest on KTNF Radio 950 AM in Minneapolis. The show is called, “Fresh and Local” and is hosted by Susan Berkson and Bonnie Denh of Dehn’s Gardens. Crystal Grobe of Cafe Cyan, a local food writer and blogger who writes about fresh, local food was also a guest on the show. I had a great time talking about raw food, the farmer’s market and interesting local growers.  I will post a link next week, when it is up on the website.

Talking about raw food is a passion that is turning into an obsession. Trying to communicate why we should be eating more raw foods in a short amount of time can be tricky. When you start talking about raw food, people seem to fall into a few different categories. There are the fast food junkies who don’t want to know anything about food affects their health. They look at me as if I am from another planet.  Then there are people who are becoming aware but giving up their comfort foods just isn’t an option yet. They still look at vegetarian, vegan and raw as extreme. It is the next group that I am the most interested in. They are the people that have made the connection. They know that what they eat can dramatically impact their health. They are interested in learning about healthier ways to eat. Those are the people I love to talk to.

When I talk about raw food, I really am just trying to help people understand how valuable it is to incorporate more fresh, nutrient dense foods into your diet. The more the better. Rawmazing is all about learning how to do this painlessly and joyfully!

It is easy to understand why you should be eating more raw, unprocessed foods. Think of this: your body is designed to be a self-healing machine. You cut yourself, and your cells go to work. Voila, the cut heals. This self-healing occurs on many levels in our bodies. When fighting free radicals and disease, your body is constantly working to heal. The main fuel for this healing is the nutrients in your food.

If you are constantly eating nutrient void food, your body has no fuel to heal. That is when chronic disease sets in. It is a pretty simple theory. All we have to do is look around to see how our over processed, nutritionally absent diet is affecting us. Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes and Obesity are raging out of control.

The other day, I told a friend of mine that I no longer wanted to play Russian Roulette with my health. That is why I eat raw. I would rather stack the deck in my favor than try to grab at a passing card once in a while. Nutritious, unprocessed raw food will help you stack your deck. And it also tastes great!

A note on Agave. There is another article out on Agave and I am sure many of you will be reading about it. I am already starting to get emails. I have an entire blog post on agave here: Agave: Hero of Villian. The agave I use comes from a trusted source. You can read all about Xagave, the agave I use, here: Xagave.  We also now carry it in the Rawmazing store. One other thing to remember, I normally use less than half the amount of sweetener when I use Xagave. Please be rational. I believe that there is a place for a good quality agave. Read, research and make your own decisions.

There are a couple of forums out there that I think have great information and wonderful community. If you are not familiar with them, you should give them a visit!

Raw Food Rehab “where you can add life to your years and years to your life!” Penny Shelton has done a wonderful job of building a strong community around great raw food information. You arrive at the Rehab and there are many places you can go, including the vault, where you can talk about your most private thoughts. Called the “virtual” retreat, you will find support and information here.

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Give it to me Raw is an open forum on the topic of natural health, personal development, green living, spiritual awareness and of course, Raw Food nutrition. Dhrumil Purohit created this site in 2007. There is an amazing amount of information and great support.

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Raw Fu: Bunny Berry had the same story as a lot of us. Health issues inspired her to search out answers through food. In her quest she came across raw food and started a 100 day challenge, with amazing results. She turned the quest into a community. You will also find Rawdawg Rory doing Geeked Fu over there right now!

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There is a lot of talk these days about making sure you read food labels so you can avoid many of the “substances” that we know harm us but are in every day food. I am suggesting that you take it one step further. Start eliminating “food” that has a label! If there is a label, there has been processing and processing usually means chemicals and artificial ingredients.

Let’s take a little trip through the pantry. I picked up a box of Aunt Jemima Original Complete Pancake Mix. It used to be a staple in my house on Sunday mornings. Just throw in some water and voila…pancakes! Instant gratification. Traditional pancakes have flour, eggs, milk and a little baking powder in them. Four ingredients. The Aunt Jemima box reads as follows:

Enriched bleached flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin, mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), dextrose, nonfat dry milk, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, wheat gluten, calcium carbonate, defatted soy flour, corn syrup solids, soy lecithin, sodium caseinate, mono and diglycerides, soybean oil, lactic acid. That’s 27 ingredients. 27.

I created a new raw food recipe for pancakes the other morning. Ingredients: Raw oats, agave, olive oil and an apple. What do you want to eat? What do you want your children to eat?

We are slowly waking up to the nutritional mess that the food industry has created. Over the last 50 years, how we eat has changed dramatically. We have gone from eating mostly fresh, unprocessed ingredients, using them making our meals, to the fast food society that we are. Obesity has increased by over 50% since 1980 and Heart Disease, Diabetes and Cancer are at epidemic levels. Our younger generation is now the first group that will most likely not live longer than their parents.

I find it so interesting to see how different generations eat. My mother’s friends still cook almost every night (If they are not going out). Their meals are simple. A vegetable, and a protein. Throw in a salad and some fruit and they are content. Then comes the next generation. We grew up on tv dinners and hamburger helper. Open a box, throw it in a pan and you have dinner. But to have this convenience, you had to give up the nutritiously fresh ingredients our bodies need to be healthy.

And now? Now it is even worse. Our fascination with fat free food (in the 80′s?) made us a nation addicted to sugar. It probably didn’t help that the surplus of corn lead to high fructose corn syrup being put in almost every prepared food. We need to retrain our taste-buds, which is entirely possible, and we need to do that by starting to eat more real food.

Reading labels is a start. Eating food with out labels is a huge step forward. Fresh, natural, preferably raw food that will help your body thrive!

At what point do we start realizing how important what we eat is to our quality of life. I was listening to Dr Christiane Northrup, MD, author of “Women’s Health, Women’s Wisdom”. She stated, “What we eat and exercise are the single most important things we can do for our health”.

I was informed by a good friend of mine that she and a friend were looking at the Rawmazing.com site the other day. How on earth do you eat like that. It is so hard and complicated! And the ingredients are so exotic…where on earth do you buy all of that stuff.

I sat, mystified. Was she really looking at my site? My *I am impatient in the kitchen site*? My *I need my food to be simple site*? It couldn’t be MY site…but it was.

There is a huge misconception among traditional diet eaters that raw is more difficult and time consuming than traditional cooking. I can honestly say, I spend less time actually preparing my raw food than when I made cooked food. I am not including dehydration time but that is just a matter of planning. I am talking about actual food handling time.

Many of the raw food recipes here are very easy to make and require very few ingredients. You can find raw food recipes that have a large number of ingredients, just like some traditional recipes can contain a lot of ingredients. If you want quick and easy, choose simple recipes.

My daughter was home for the last few weeks. She is a vegetarian, loves raw but still wants her veggie sausages in the morning. I bought a box from the coop. The next morning, I opened the cardboard box, and plastic packets, containing the sausage fell out. I opened them and dropped the sausage into the fry pan. It felt amazingly foreign to me. This “making of food” without ever touching one ingredient.

It felt so strange, so foreign. That’s when it hit me. There are a lot of people who’s idea of cooking involves opening a box. It is a different kind of fast food. No wonder why people think that actually touching fresh ingredients, cutting the vegetables, creating a raw meal is time consuming.

Along with this “fast box” mentality has come a fast decline in our health. Since we are an “I want it now” society, the need for instant gratification overwhelms the inner knowledge that this fast answer could create some really bad, very time consuming health problems down the road.

So, when you are contemplating the difficulty of incorporating more raw foods into your lifestyle, think of the big picture. The future picture. Know that taking a little more time with your food now could save you in the future.

The farmer’s markets around the country are back in full swing and I am loving it! I go at least once a week, sometimes twice just to have the opportunity to buy super fresh greens and veggies picked that morning! Even though many of the growers at our main market in Minneapolis are not certified organic (a very tough certification to get), many of the growers practice sustainable methods and do not use chemicals. You just need to ask.

Sunday morning, I was on the hunt for Kale. It is still a little early in our growing season so, my best hopes were for baby kale. Well, I quickly found out the baby kale was at the market last week. And the grown up kale will not be in for a few weeks. Even though I was unsuccessful in my bid for kale, there were all kinds of interesting greens, everywhere I looked. I kept seeing these lovely bunches (above). Turns out they are pea sprouts greens or pea vines.

I asked about the taste and was told that they are like spinach only without the bitter taste. Score! I bought a huge bunch for a dollar thinking, green drinks!

Turns out that pea greens are pretty amazing greens. 1 cup has 7.9 grams of protein. They are loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, Folate and Potassium. It is always a great idea to mix up your greens so you are getting a full compliment of vitamins and minerals. I threw a couple of handfuls into the vitamix this morning along with some blueberries and grapes (my favorite) and had a great, inexpensive dose of fresh greens!

If you are not already visiting your local farmer’s market, you are missing out on a great opportunity to support local farmers, and get beautiful, fresh produce at great prices. Plus it is just plain fun. For information on the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market click here: MFM.