103204187 Laura Bruno the Lazy Raw Foodists Guide

7/27/2019 103204187 Laura Bruno the Lazy Raw Foodists Guide

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The Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide

Because you deserve the best without spending years to find it!

Limits of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty:

As a Life Coach, Medical Intuitive, and self-described “Lazy Raw Foodist,” I have helped many clients,students and friends integrate a raw diet with the rest of their lives; however, I am not a medical doctor or licensed nutritionist. I offer ways to make a raw food diet take less time and effort, andnothing in this book constitutes medical advice. Before embarking on any major dietary change, Irecommend you contact a trusted medical advisor or nutritionist who can follow-up with any necessarytesting or support. Realizing such people are difficult to locate, I offer tips for finding raw-friendlyhealthcare providers, but I disclaim all liability for loss or damages. Please enjoy this book as it wasintended: a fun, slightly irreverent guide to support major aspects of your own raw food journey.

©Laura Bruno 2008—All Rights Reserved www.lazyrawfoodist.com

http://www.lazyrawfoodist.com/





Table of Contents

Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………………………… 2

About the Author …………………………………………………………………………………… 4

About the Cover Image ………………………………………………………………………… 5

Acknowledgments ………………………………………………………………………………… 6

PART 1: THE LAZY RAW FOODIST’S GUIDE

Defining a Raw Food Diet ……………………………………………………………………… 7

Finding Your Why …………………………………………………………………………………… 8

Finding Your Way …………………………………………………………………………………… 1

Good Lord, That’s a Pricey Blender! ……………………………………………………… 22

Excalibur! ………………………………………………………………………………………………

8 Food Combining Rules for Raw Foodists …………………………………………… 28

Sneaky Ways to Get More Greens ………………………………………………………… 32

The Great Pretenders ………………………………………………………………………… 35

Short Cuts to Get You Glowing ……………………………………………………………… 41

Raw Foodists and Rotten Teeth ……………………………………………………………… 45

Cacao or not Cacao ………………………………………………………………………………… 49

Superfoods ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Deficiency or Excess ……………………………………………………………………………… 63

Food Poisoning ……………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Detox Basics ……………………………………………………………………………………………







On the Fast Track …………………………………………………………………………………… 82

“But I Worked through that Years Ago!” ……………………………………………… 89

Skeletons in the Closet …………………………………………………………………………… 95

Vulnerability ……………………………………………………………………………………………

“Help, I’m Suddenly Psychic” ………………………………………………………………… 102

Stagnation ………………………………………………………………………………………………

“I Love My Attitude Problem!” ……………………………………………………………… 110

Bless “Cooked” Partners of Raw Foodists ……………………………………………… 115

Finding Raw Friends ………………………………………………………………………………… 12How to Locate Raw-Friendly Health Care Providers ……………………………… 122

Attracting the Resources You Want or Need ………………………………………… 126

PART 2: SUPER LAZY RECIPES TO SUPERCHARGE YOUR DAY ……130

Recipe Table of Contents ……………………………………………...…………………...... 131

PART 3: SUPER LAZY BONUS SECTION ……………………………………………188

Listing of Raw Restaurants, Delivery Services & Potlucks ................... 189

Personal Chef Services .................................................................. 191

Mail Order Raw Food Treats ........................................................... 192







About the Author

Photo by Stephen Bruno

Laura Bruno is an Intuitive Life Coach , author of “If I Only Had a BrainInjury ,” and Reiki Master Teacher whose articles, classes and sessions havehelped thousands of people make gluten-free vegan and/or raw vegan dietswork for them.

A Medical Intuitive who specializes in “medical mysteries,” Laura has longrecognized diet as a key factor in healing and creating a vibrant life.Laidback, friendly, and time-stretched herself, Laura began following a rawdiet in late 2004 when she provided early reviews of Alissa Cohen’s then-new book, Living on Live Food and the first book by the Boutenko twins,

Eating without Heating.

In search of an extra three hours per day to devote to writing, Lauragradually committed to the phenomenal energy of a 95-100% raw vegandiet. (Her first novel actually includes some raw vegan themes andcharacters!) Laura has lived and traveled all over the continental U.S.,giving her first-hand knowledge of raw/vegan challenges in diverse locales.She also works with people internationally and finds diet often becomesrelevant while coaching writers, artists, healers, entrepreneurs and othervisionaries.

Many of Laura’s clients and friends find themselves craving theconsciousness and energy of raw food, but they don’t have time to learn allthe ins and outs of their new lifestyle. Laura finally responded by creatingThe Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide . Here’s to your fun, health and success!


http://www.stephenbrunophotography.com/

http://www.internationalrenaissancecoaching.com/

http://www.ifionlyhadabraininjury.com/


http://vegfamily.com/book-reviews/living-on-live-food.htm











About the Cover Image

This 2004 drawing of the “Tree of Life” by visionary artist Tania Marie jumped out at me as the perfect cover image for “The Lazy Raw Foodist’sGuide.” I love how the figure faces out or in, depending on yourperspective, and I love how the arms stem from shrugging shoulders orhands openly receiving—again, depending on your perspective. Oneperson’s “lazy” is another’s “effortless abundance.” Same appearance withan alternate experience and meaning!

Tania Marie is a raw foodist who inspires and uplifts with her heart andgorgeous paintings. She also leads spiritual journeys to Egypt and othersacred lands. You can visit her at the 2008 Raw Spirit Festival, other venues,and her website, www.taniamarie.com .


http://www.taniamarie.com/


http://www.taniamarie.com/





Acknowledgments

I would like to offer thanks to all the wonderful contributors to “The LazyRaw Foodist’s Guide,” including: Matt Amsden, Anthony Anderson, MeredithBaird, Cecilia Benjumea, Alissa Cohen, Jennifer Cornbleet, Angela Elliott,Karen Knowler, John Kohler, Tania Marie, Sarma Melngailis, Heidi and JSOhlander, Chris and the Purely Raw folks from the UK, Shazzie, Cherie Soria,and Tera Warner. Your recipes, spirits and dedication to spreading a rawglow around this planet inspire me and so many others!

Special thanks to Cecilia Benjumea of www.rawglow.com for herspontaneous raw meal invitations, Sonoma County potluck, sweet and

contagious enthusiasm, web design, and trips to nearly every farmer’smarket in Northern California! You’re the best raw neighbor I could possiblyimagine.

Love and enormous thanks to my ever-supportive husband, Stephen Bruno ,who indulges my sweet tooth and writer’s hours, pushes me just hardenough, and always makes me smile. Your compassion and creativity makethis world a brighter place.


http://www.rawglow.com/









Defining a Raw Food Diet

Anyone who spends even a few hours reading raw blogs, books or websites

will find that no single “raw food diet” exists. Some people eat uncookedmeat, dairy and eggs. Others eschew anything but fruit dropping naturallyfrom its tree. Some folks follow an 80-10-10 (high carb, low fat and lowprotein) ratio, while others lose weight and gain energy gorging on coconutsand almond butter.

Some people live on as many greens as possible but allow occasional “treats” like popcorn or steamed brown rice. We’ve also got gluten-free rawvegans, and those who eat uncooked sprouted grains, including wheat.Some people start their day with warm (not boiling) Yerba Maté. Othersswear by green smoothies or chocolate shakes. Agave has replaced honeyfor vegans, but now we learn that neither meets truly low-glycemic goals.

Sakes Alive! What’s a Lazy Raw Foodist to do?

This e-book does not claim to offer one, all-inclusive, unchanging answer,because if such a thing exists, I suspect it’s bigger than a prescribedpercentage of cooked versus raw (or greens, fruit and fat). Rather, this e-book helps you to navigate a sometimes complex and highly individual

journey. You can find your own way more quickly and efficiently when youknow where to look and which questions to ask.







Finding Your Why

“Just because I’m a raw foodist doesn’t mean I want to become a gourmet chef.”

-- Steve Pavlina , author, speaker and legendary blogger

Your why comes before your way. In fact, your why comes before anything!Before we go any further, take a moment to define your why. Why did youdecide to read this book? Why do you feel drawn to explore raw foods?

Finding your why makes any journey easier and more direct. When youknow your why, you can more clearly weigh your options. When you knowyour why, you can better handle distractions and temptations. When youknow your why, you can dead reckon your way .

Wikipedia defines “dead reckoning” as “ the process of estimating one'scurrent position based upon a previously determined position, or fix, andadvancing that position based upon known speed, elapsed time, andcourse.”

I first learned about dead reckoning from a helicopter pilot whose GPSmalfunctioned. He explained that if you know where you’ve been and youknow where you want to go, then you can find stopover points along theway. You can take shorter journeys and reassess the progress on yourlonger journey each time you pause. As long as you have a clear idea of where you’ve been and at least a vague idea of where you’d like to go, thenyou can hop, skip and jump your way to your destination.

Does dead reckoning always work? Well, that depends on your perspective!Christopher Columbus intended to reach India and dead reckoned his way toAmerica instead. Miscalculations of his estimated speed led him somewhere

completely unexpected, but he got there by following what he viewed as hisintended course. Mistake or inspiration?

I wonder how many great discoveries happen by “accident.”

In exploring your why, you do not need to pick a final, unchangeable answerright now. It just helps to know your current motivation. You can changeyour why or correct course at any stopover points along the way.


http://www.stevepavlina.com/


http://www.stevepavlina.com/





Perhaps you initially choose raw food for health reasons. Maybe you sufferfrom chronic fatigue, cancer or fibromyalgia and have heard stories aboutthe miracle raw food diet. Or maybe an intuitive spark just says, “Do this,and don’t ask questions! You’ll see why later.” In that case, you still havean initial why: you’re following your intuition. As a Medical Intuitive , Iwould say that’s one of the greatest whys you can ever have!

I had mostly recovered from a disabling brain injury when I chose raw. I’dgone vegan in 2003, but in October 2004, it suddenly seemed as though rawfood signs popped up everywhere I turned. In retrospect, these nudges hadhappened for years, but I finally noticed them while working at ametaphysical center in Sedona, Arizona. On two slow work days, I devouredGabriel Cousens’ Conscious Eating , and this time, some of those seedsbegan to sprout.

My brain felt incredibly bright and hungry inside, and I quickly consumedand reviewed books by Alissa Cohen and the Boutenko Family. We movedto a less veg-friendly town, but I stuck with it. At the time, I wantedfreedom, and that remains my primary motivation today.

Freedom? Yes, I wanted to be free! I felt it, but I could not explain how araw lifestyle would liberate my soul. I just knew it would. After leavingSedona, I spent six months following a 100% raw vegan diet in a meat-eating, back-woods town in Northern Arizona. I ate what paltry organic

greens and cucumbers I could find and lived on way too many unsoakedalmonds, bananas, dates and oranges—but I could taste the freedom!

We moved to Lake Tahoe, and things shifted again. For a couple of yearsand many moves, my diet remained vegan, and usually high to 100% raw.Because I knew my why, I let freedom lead the way. When I wanted towrite travel articles, I allowed myself to eat cooked vegan meals inrestaurants. When I wanted enhanced clarity for my intuitive practice, Ireturned to very high raw eating. When I wanted to free up three hours perday to finish my first novel, I re-committed to 95-100% raw vegan foods.

Without cooked food in my system, I need three fewer hours of sleep pernight. Those extra twenty-one hours per week have allowed me to finishand publish my first book, If I Only Had a Brain Injury , research andcontinue writing my novel, publish over twenty-five health and personalgrowth articles, teach natural healing classes and double my coaching practice—all with a sense of play.


http://www.internationalrenaissancecoaching.com/m_88.asp

http://www.amazon.com/Conscious-Eating-Gabriel-Cousens/dp/1556432852





http://www.amazon.com/Conscious-Eating-Gabriel-Cousens/dp/1556432852







If I can’t manage to make it fun, then I don’t do it. My husband calls me “the hardest working lazy person he’s ever met,” and he’s absolutely right!When I love something, I throw myself headfirst into the waters and splashand swim and play to my heart’s content.

Well, I love raw food! Not because it healed me. Not because I lost 200pounds. I love raw food because it gives me freedom to pursue the otherthings I love.

I never forced myself to stay raw, because that would have gone against mywhy. Restriction, deprivation: those don’t jive with freedom.

But I’m not you! If you have cancer that only disappears when you eatstrictly, or you know cooked food sends you on a binge that lasts for

months, then your why might lead you to a very different way than mine.That’s OK. In fact, it’s more than OK. It’s imperative, because it’s your journey.

Know your why for right now . Why do you want to learn about raw foods?Why do you want to eat this way?

When you know your why, you will be able to find your way.







100% Raw : Very few people actually follow long-term 100% raw diets.Because of unknown origins of some condiments or supplements, manymore people follow a 95% - 100% raw diet. Dr. Gabriel Cousens has sharedin numerous places that he does not notice a difference in blood work or

vitality among those last few percentage points; however, others note amajor difference in energy, mental clarity and spiritual awareness. In Raw Success , Matt Monarch and Dr. Fred Bisci advocate total exclusion of certainingredients, noting that even occasional “cheating” will keep people fromreaching the next level. If you feel inclined to commit to 100% raw, youmight want to read Raw Success , because it shares the positives and somesurprising negative impacts of that choice.

People whose diets contain anywhere from 80-100% raw foods often use theterm “ high raw ” to describe themselves. The classic Prescription for Natural Healing , recommends 80% fresh, raw foods as optimal, and manypeople do find this a nice balance. Unfortunately, it takes effort to calculatepercentages, and someone could technically continue to eat Big Mac’s on ahigh raw diet! As a result, many people add a disclaimer like, “I’m 95% raw,but I sometimes eat a little miso,” or “I’m 100%, except I eat corn chipsonce a month,” or, “I WISH I was a raw foodist. I tried, and I made it for aweek at 100%, but then I ate a pizza and it was all downhill from there.Boy, did I feel great that week, though! I’d like to get back there someday.”

Percentages can backfire, in that they imply some sort of grading systemwith a perfectly attainable score. This has created a lot of shame,embarrassment and dysfunction both internally and externally in the greaterraw community. I suggest either ditching the idea of percentages, or usingit as a tool for your own convenience.

For example, one advantage people do find while eating 100% raw asopposed to, say, 80% raw is that it takes the complications and cravingsaway. Some people find they can resist cooked food if they never taste it,but one nibble reawakens any addictive tendencies. For these people, eating100% raw makes life easier and more enjoyable, because they know how tocontrol themselves without cooked food. For other people, eating a littlecooked food makes life easier and more enjoyable, because they have moresocial flexibility and greater diversity of nutrients available to them.

As you experiment and explore your “why,” you will find what works best foryou. Keep in mind that your needs or wants may change with time. You


http://tinyurl.com/RawSuccess


http://tinyurl.com/PrescriptionforNaturalHealing











always remain free to tweak your diet or lifestyle in order to enhance yourtime on this planet. In deciding 100% or a different percentage, it helps toassess how varying degrees of “raw” affect things like your: mental clarity,mood, blood sugar, weight, relationships, budget, sleep patterns, energy

levels, synchronicity, spiritual “connection,” and overall quality of life.

The Beautiful People : Okay, we’re all beautiful people, but here I meanthe people who get paid to look beautiful or to help others do so: those inHollywood, television, and the world of international fashion. AliciaSilverstone, Carol Alt, Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore, Uma Thurman, OwenWilson, Natalie Portman, Oprah’s Dr. Oz, Supermodel Gisele, Kate Bosworth,Orlando Bloom, Cher, Anthony Anderson ( the raw model ), Donna Karan, and

many others … beautiful people looking younger, fitter and even morebeautiful through raw and living foods! This group often frequents gourmetraw restaurants and juice bars. The lifestyle provides a balanced andhealthy way to maintain that slender, toned body, glowing skin andboundless energy demanded by careers that focus on beauty.

The Cacao Crowd : Hyper, happy and more than a little kooky, the cacaocrowd has helped to usher raw food into mainstream consciousness. While

we don’t find raw cacao bars at Safeway or Starbucks (yet), most healthfood stores now carry at least something with raw cacao in it. Appealing tochocoholics who would love to lose weight and gain health with their favoritefood, raw cacao has reformed the way the world views a raw food lifestyle.Instead of sprouts, we find … candy … and all in the name of abundant,radiant vitality.

Although the Superfoodists sometimes overlap with this group, I make adistinction in that cacao remains perhaps the most controversial superfood.

(Some raw foodists who regularly consume things like spirulina, hemp andchia seeds pointedly avoid cacao.) Famous members of The Cacao Crowdinclude David Wolfe and Shazzie (authors of Naked Chocolate ), Kate Magic,Kelly of Sedona’s Café Raw Bliss, Philip McCluskey, and many participants inwww.welikeitraw.com weekend seminars, some of which feature wild partiesfueled entirely by cacao.


http://www.therawmodel.com/

http://www.thebestdayever.com/bde-david-wolfe.html

http://www.shazzie.com/

http://www.welikeitraw.com/


http://www.therawmodel.com/

http://www.thebestdayever.com/bde-david-wolfe.html







I’ve also found raw cacao fans in the most surprising places—gleefullytouting this Mayan food of the gods. The Cacao Crowd carries a distinctiveyet indefinable vibe. If you look for it, you’ll know what I mean.

The Cleansing Crowd : People already on a high or 100% raw path oftenfeel wonderful after their initial period of weight loss and rejuvenation, butprogress can slow when the body’s cells start detoxifying faster than thebody’s elimination channels can process and release the toxins. When thishappens, people may suddenly feel sluggish, emotional, achy, have cravingsfor cooked foods, get acne or rashes, and generally feel less than fabulous.Some people return to cooked food at this point, but there are other options!

Dr. Bernard Jensen advocated a popular cleanse with bentonite clay andpsyllium husk, along with daily enemas. Stanley Burroughs wrote a tinybooklet called “ The Master Cleanser, ” aka “The Lemonade Diet.” Though notraw, this cleanse catapults many people on their initial raw journey.

I have several chapters in this book devoted to physical and emotionaldetoxification and cleansing, but for our purposes here, you can just notethat some people really get into these ideas. The Cleansing Crowdsometimes but not always overlaps with The Colonic Crowd. The cleanserstend to like herbal preparations and fasting, whereas the colonic fans go at

things “from the other end.” Really dedicated members of both groups—like92-day juice feasters —will try both at once.

Just to clarify, in order to be a raw foodist, you do not need to obsessyourself with “number 2,” sweat lodges and/or the Ejuva cleanse. Believe itor not, though, these things can make a raw journey more pleasant andinvigorating, so many people eventually choose to try them. Please don’trule out the diet because you’re afraid of what you might find inside of you.I know many raw foodists who have never cleansed. The Cleansing Crowd is

just one group among many.

The Colonic Crowd : This group includes many colon hydrotherapists andother advocates of enemas and colonics. By irrigating the colon with wateror a mixture of water and other substances like coffee, wheatgrass juice or


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Jensen

http://www.thelemonadediet.com/PDFBooklet.html

http://tinyurl.com/JuiceFeasting

http://www.ejuva.com/


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Jensen

http://www.thelemonadediet.com/PDFBooklet.html

http://tinyurl.com/JuiceFeasting

http://www.ejuva.com/





spiritual Awareness. The Essene approach retains its Jewish roots, withsome emphasis on ancient mystery teachings.

Gabriel Cousens’ Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, Arizonaoffers Essene classes and priesthood training. He and his staff emphasizeraw foods as a means of healing the body and soul, as well as attainingspiritual mastery and world peace.

Note : Dr. Cousens advocates a very low-glycemic raw and living foodsdiet. His recipes tend towards heavier, denser creations—sort of the oppositeof Dr. Graham’s 80-10-10 diet! Many people with Blood Type O resonateparticularly well with Dr. Cousens’ approach to raw foods, so if you’ve hadtrouble going vegan with that blood type, give his recipes a try. Dr. Cousenshas also worked extensively with diabetic patients and people with

Candida overgrowth.

Fruitarianism : The strictest definition of a fruitarian refers to someonewho only eats ripe fruit that has naturally fallen from its tree. Looserdefinitions cover people for whom fruit (including savory fruits like tomato,cucumber and bell pepper, as well as tree nuts) forms at least 50% of theirdiet. Among the diverse paths within the raw foodist community, fruitarianusually means someone who subsists on mostly sweet fruits, which some

advocates claim formed the original diet in the Garden of Eden.

Even more so than other raw paths, fruitarianism can lead to long-termnutritional deficiencies and tooth decay if not carefully balanced with eithersupplements or at least some greens. Most, if not all, of the successfuladvocates of fruitarian diets actually follow a high fruit diet rather than100% fruit. Common long-term problems on a 100% sweet fruit pathinclude: B-12 deficiency, tooth decay/loss, major blood sugar swings,Candida overgrowth, protein deficiency, and mental decline.

If the idea of following a strict fruitarian diet still appeals to you, pleaseeducate yourself about which fruits contain the most protein, and pleaseread Dr. Cousens’ article on B-12 , so that you can make an informeddecision about potential supplementation. Also consider that hybridized,genetically engineered fruits contain higher sugar and fewer minerals than


http://www.treeoflife.nu/

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/b12article.html


http://www.treeoflife.nu/






anything in Eden. If you opt for 100% fruit, you will receive far morenutrients from organic produce grown in rich soil.

Hallelujah Acres : This organization teaches “Healthy Living from a BiblicalPerspective.” They emphasize raw and sprouted vegan foods, citing thefamous China Study, along with Old Testament verses regarding dietarylaws. An unusual organization, Hallelujah Acres completely intertwines theBible and the raw food diet (aka “The Hallelujah Diet”™), so if you cravespecifically Christian support on your raw path, you might want toinvestigate them further. Headquartered in Shelby, North Carolina,Hallelujah Acres provides health ministry around the world. Their website offers testimonials as well as free recipes.

Natural Hygiene : According to the movement’s founder, Dr. HerbertShelton , “ Hygiene is properly defined as that branch of biology whichdesignates the conditions upon which health depends and the means bywhich it may be sustained in all its virtue and purity while we have it, andthe means upon which its restoration rests when we have lost it. --- It is thescientific application of the principles of nature in the preservation andrestoration of health." (H. Shelton, 1968, ch.10)

Shelton and the Natural Hygiene movement turn many traditional medicalbeliefs on their head. For example, symptoms are not the sign of sicknessbut the sign of healing. Prescriptions that suppress symptoms are theperpetrators of illness, not the cure. The Natural Hygiene movement aims toreturn the body to its natural state by following natural, unchangeable lawsof the universe. The greater one’s adherence to these principles, the greaterone’s health. For this reason, some people swear by Natural Hygiene, whilecritics find it complex and arbitrarily rigid.

Adherents like that Natural Hygiene places disease in an easy, definablecontext, which each person has the power to change by making choices inaccordance with Natural Law. Most raw foodists share this last concept atleast to some degree—although they may hotly debate definitions of humans’ “natural” diets!


http://www.hacres.com/home/home.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Shelton


http://naturalhygienesociety.org/present.html


http://www.hacres.com/home/home.asp



http://naturalhygienesociety.org/present.html





Non-Vegan Raw Foodists : This group includes “beegans,” those peoplewho exclude all animal products except honey, bee pollen and royal jelly, aswell as people who include raw meat, eggs, and/or dairy. Many of AniPhyo’s recipes offer “beegan” options, and the early Boutenko family books

almost always included honey as sweeteners. Carol Alt follows a raw dietthat includes animal products. She credits this non-vegan raw fare withreturning her vitality as well as curing her from a lifetime of food issuesencouraged by her supermodel career.

“Instincto’s ” are another subset of non-vegan raw foodists—perhaps themost on the fringe of a fringe diet. Instincto’s try to eat as close to natureas possible. They might catch their own fish with bare hands or swallow afreshly laid egg—as long as their bodies lead them to do that. When noteating animal foods, they often eat nuts, seeds, fruits and veggies, butusually in whole, completely unprocessed form. In other words, instincto’sdo not juice, pulverize, pound, combine or otherwise denature their food inany way. Raw gourmet is NOT instincto.

Instincto’s pay particular attention to the hunger instinct: if a particular foodtastes wonderful at one meal but less delectable at another, presumably thebody has acquired whatever nutrients it needed from that source. They callthis phenomenon “the taste change,” and even vegan raw foodists note theeffect when eating monomeals (composed of only one food, such as mango

or cabbage).

Raw Gourmet : Though not always the most visible raw foodist online,Cherie Soria of The Living Light Culinary Institute has dramatically influenced theterrain of gourmet raw food. As of 2008, she has taught vegetarian foodpreparation for 38 years, and she’s been a raw vegan for 16 of those!Because Cherie studied with Dr. Ann Wigmore, her recipes tend to offerlighter meals and easier food combinations than many raw gourmet

creations. Cherie has personally trained such high profile chefs as ChadSarno, Jennifer Cornbleet, Elaina Love, Roxanne Klein, and Sergei and ValyaBoutenko.

Another early and continued presence on the raw gourmet scene is thewildly creative Juliano of Santa Monica. His ideas have influenced Ani Phyo


http://tinyurl.com/Instincto

http://vegfamily.com/interviews/cherie-soria-and-dan-ladermann.htm

http://www.rawfoodchef.com/

http://www.julianoalive.com/bio.php

http://www.aniphyo.com/about_ani_phyo.php


http://tinyurl.com/Instincto

http://vegfamily.com/interviews/cherie-soria-and-dan-ladermann.htm


http://www.julianoalive.com/bio.php

http://www.aniphyo.com/about_ani_phyo.php





( Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen ) and Matt Amsden of RAWvolution , also in SantaMonica.

Alissa Cohen has taken raw gourmet training to the masses by certifying

teachers and creating an affiliate program that rewards people for spreadingraw gourmet food prep to their friends and community. Alissa cured herself of Fibromyalgia through raw foods and offers many of her favorite recipesand techniques in her book, Living on Live Food.

Chef Sarma Melngailis’ Pure Food and Wine recently won Forbes Magazine’sprestigious award as one of the top five restaurants in New York City. Nottop five healthy or vegetarian restaurants: top five of all Big Applerestaurants! In a city that prides itself on gourmet food, gourmet raw foodhas finally come of age. Sarma’s cookbook, Raw Food, Real World , co-

authored with Matthew Kenney, brings many of the restaurant’s mostpopular meals within reach of your own kitchen.

Superfoodists, aka Ecstatic Foodists : Shazzie and David Wolfe are by farthe most famous examples, followed closely by Suki Zoe and Kate Magic.These people thrive on raw foods but liberally add items like Himalayan gojiberries, spirulina, hemp, raw cacao, maca, mesquite, fo-ti, and blue greenalgae like E3Live. Many raw fooders have begun to supplement their dietswith superfoods, but it remains a controversial topic in some circles, largelydue to the high cost and foreign sources of most of these ingredients. In theU.K. people cannot legally use the term “superfood” to sell products, hencethe alternate description, “ecstatic food.”

David Vitalis of the company Ambrosia Mystique has taken herbs, elixers andsuperfoods to a new level. At the time of my writing this, his website is stillin development phase, but please check here for more information.

Norman Walker : Dr. Norman W. Walker lived nearly (or, according tosome sources well past) 100 years. He advocated raw vegan foods, juicingand systematic under-eating as keys to longevity. Current followers includeMatt Monarch and Dr. Fred Bisci; however, many, many raw foodistsincorporate fresh vegetable juices into their diet, whether or not they’veever heard of Norman Walker. Because so many low calorie raw foods offer


http://vegfamily.com/interviews/matt-amsden.htm

http://www.rawvolution.com/

http://www.alissacohen.com/

http://www.purefoodandwine.com/

https://oneluckyduck.com/product-details.php?id=87


http://www.thebestdayever.com/

http://www.elixircraft.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_W._Walker


http://vegfamily.com/interviews/matt-amsden.htm



http://www.purefoodandwine.com/

https://oneluckyduck.com/product-details.php?id=87


http://www.thebestdayever.com/

http://www.elixircraft.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_W._Walker





concentrated nutrients, significant numbers of raw foodists also practicecalorie restriction, whether or not they consciously follow Norman Walker’srecommendations. Like Bernard Jensen, Norman Walker consideredconstipation the primary cause of most disease.

Dr. Ann Wigmore : “ Dr. Ann ” cured herself of gangrene by drinkingcopious amounts of fresh wheatgrass juice. Many people consider her theoriginal proponent of greens, sprouts, energy soup and green juices—especially wheatgrass juice. She advocated a simple, economical diet rich inchlorophyll, nuts, seeds, fruits and veggies, all of which allow the body toheal itself. Dr. Ann’s approach goes “beyond raw,” with a strong emphasison the body’s ability to assimilate nutrients. Hence, sprouting, culturing and

juicing earn more emphasis here than with many raw paths.

Cherie Soria of Living Light studied directly with Ann Wigmore, which meansmany of today’s top chefs have learned from her vicariously. VictoriaBoutenko and “The Raw Family” follow many of Dr. Ann’s tenets and speakof her fondly. In today’s extremely diverse raw world, Victoria’s emphasison greens, foraging and simplicity seem perhaps closest to Dr. Ann.

Dr. Ann’s way has many names, among them: "The Wigmore Diet," "TheWheatgrass Diet," "The Detoxifying Diet," "The Living Foods Diet," "The

Energy Diet," "The Diabetic Diet" and "The Garden Diet.”

To see where Dr. Ann did much of her writing and teaching, you can visit theAnn Wigmore Natural Healing Institute in Puerto Rico. I will leave you withone of Dr. Ann’s more famous quotes: "Reconnect with nature and yourbody will take care of the rest. This is the beauty of self-healing."

The Lazy Raw Foodist’s Way is less a route or destination than an

encouragement to experiment and trust your own intuition regarding any of the above raw paths.

In coaching so many people of different backgrounds, lifestyles, blood typesand interests, I have found that certain issues and stumbling blocks presentthemselves regardless of these other factors. This guidebook collects tips


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that work for most people. It also provides warnings of potential hazardsalong the way, so that you can face them courageously and efficiently.

I consider coaching like teaching: good teachers do not provide every singleanswer to their students. Rather, they teach students how to ask goodquestions and how to determine the answers for themselves. They also helptheir students integrate teachings in ways that enhance their lives.

I’m not interested in creating a raw primer so that people who read it will “know everything about raw food.” (With the rapidly changing frontier of raw foods, I question whether that’s even possible!) As a successfully Lazy Raw Foodist , I have simply aimed to provide you with enough information tonavigate an exciting yet complex path that supports your health andhappiness … with minimal effort on your part!

If you bought this e-book for the recipes from famous chefs and rawactivists, please feel free to skip everything else I share. I specificallyrequested easy recipes from people who make delicious raw food every day,so that you can eat luxuriously without taking hours or days to do so. Youcan just print out “Super Lazy Recipes to Supercharge Your Day”(pages 130-188) and have at it!

If, however, you want answers to the most commonly asked questions, youwill likely find those addressed in The Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide. In case you

ever get stuck along the way, you’ll also find effective ways to shake thingsloose and continue on your journey. For your convenience, I have includedmany hyperlinks, so that you can click to resources without having to type inurl’s or run your own Google search.

If you feel you would like even more information that’s intuitivelypersonalized for you, please feel free to email me:[email protected] . I’ve worked with everyone from the heaviestmeat eaters to famous raw foodists to artists and healers who just want

more inspiration. Whatever your background, I would love to help youcreate more of the life you feel called to live!


mailto:[email protected]







Good Lord, that’s a Pricey Blender!

Do I really need a Vita-Mix?

Ah, yes, the perennial complaint: “A $400+ blender? You’ve got to bekidding!” Perhaps more than anything else, some people resist purchasing aVita-Mix.

I know, because I did, too. In fact, I’ve owned my Vita-Mix only since May2008—nearly four years after I initially began some serious, raw foodblending. When I first went raw, my husband purchased me a very sturdyOsterizer, and it continued working despite a missing plastic cap(unfortunate garbage disposal incident), a rusted outer base (too manydishwasher runs), and thousands of green smoothies. Contrary to manypeople’s experiences with cheaper blenders, my Osterizer actually handledthe toughest jobs without an early motor death or cracked container.

After years of delaying a Vita-Mix purchase, I finally retired my Osterizerafter our second sojourn in Sedona, right before our last cross-countrymove. In a way, this seemed appropriate because my initial raw food

journey had come full circle with me teaching Conscious Eating 101 classesin the same place I had first decided to go raw.

Call it sentimentality, but I found it sad to leave that little blender sitting ona pile of worn out things that hadn’t made “the final cut.” I couldn’t donateit anywhere, since it required packing tape to hold the stopper in place andshowed substantial outer rust—but that blender had served me faithfully foryears. It supported me on my raw journey, and it was a loving gift from myhusband. In the end, Stephen gave me the final push to start fresh inNorthern California: “You’ve talked about a Vita-Mix for years! You deservea better blender. Go for it! It’s not that big a deal. You use your blenderevery single day.” At his urging, I preordered my Vita-Mix to arrive whenwe did.

Despite my affection for the Osterizer, I must admit that the Vita-Mix has farexceeded my expectations. In fact, it’s a Lazy Raw Foodist’s dream cometrue!







1) Faster speed means less blending time and smoother smoothies. Youcan literally dump minimally chopped fruits, greens and/or veggies inthere, and the Vita-Mix will pulverize them in no time.

2) Faster speed liberates more nutrients by breaking through that toughcellulose wall of fibrous plants. Less robust blenders do not fully rupture the cell wall, which means some of those nutrients stay lockedaway—passing through you without releasing all of their potentialbenefits.

3) The Vita-Mix blends things so thoroughly that you won’t find anymoresticky green or seedy flakes on the sides of your blender. Maybethat’s not important to you, but as someone who will use a fully loadeddishwasher, I admit that it makes a huge difference to me! With the

Osterizer—cute and reliable as it was—little unblended chunks alwaysremained on the container. These required significant scrubbing toremove, and even with that pre-scrubbing, those chunks would stillwind up all over my other freshly washed dishes. I needed to spend atleast an extra 10 minutes per finished load re-rinsing each of my

“clean” dishes and utensils.

Why put the blender in the dishwasher? Well, it never felt quite cleanby hand washing. I couldn’t get behind the blades, and the bottomhad fused itself together over the years, so I could no longer take itapart for better cleaning. In order for me to experience anysemblance of sanitation, I needed to perform the following daily ritual:carefully chop up produce, blend, check for chunks, blend some more,keep blending, get tired of listening to that noisy blender, settle for aslightly gritty smoothie, rinse, rinse again, scrub, rinse, get frustrated;throw blender in dishwasher; run dishwasher and then rescrub allplates and silverware as I unloaded them.

Because I had never owned a Vita-Mix, I just accepted this as a

normal part of the raw foodist lifestyle. “ Say it ain’t so!” Happily, itisn’t. Since purchasing my Vita-Mix I have never needed to re-rinseanything from our dishwasher! The container’s more open design alsoallows for easier hand cleaning, so I frequently use it twice or moreper day. With the Osterizer, more often than once per day use createda huge ordeal and some concern of food poisoning. With the Vita-Mix,I just blend away to my heart’s content. In cutting my prep time by at







least half—perhaps even two-thirds—it has re-sparked my love of preparing my own raw foods again, which has probably paid for it andthen some!

So … do you really need to buy a Vita-Mix? The answer depends on threethings:

1) How strongly do you feel about maximum nutrient assimilation?

2) How much do you enjoy smooth vs. gritty smoothies, soups and desserts?

3) Do you mind some messy clean-up?

If you’re just getting started and don’t want to invest that kind of cash, Irecommend an Osterizer, which chugged through years of heavy dutyblending without so much as a whine. On the other hand, if you really wantto make raw living as easy as possible, and you have the money to invest,you won’t be disappointed with a Vita-Mix. Your only regret will be, “I can’tbelieve I didn’t get one sooner!” But must you have one? Nope. Food prepand clean up are just nice and easy once you do!

(Lazy Raw Foodist’s Note: I’m probably one of the few raw foodists orvegans with an online presence who is not an affiliate for Vita-Mix. Searcharound. Most affiliates can offer you free shipping if you order with their

coupon code. You can also sometimes find some screamin’ deals at Costcoor online vendors with a surplus of older models.)







“Excalibur!”

More than Hot Air?

Besides the pricey blender issue, would-be lazy raw foodists want to know if they really need a dehydrator. They look at recipes that require two to fourdays of preparation and decide to toss the entire concept of raw foods.“Anything that requires that much time must certainly be fanatical and unsustainable. I don’t want my diet to be my life!”

Believe me, I hear you! When I first went raw, someone gave Stephen andme a brand new microwave from Wal-Mart, which I promptly traded in for a$30 circular dehydrator. At the time, I owned two raw “cookbooks”—AlissaCohen’s Living on Live Food and the Boutenko’s Eating Without Heating ,both of which include a few dehydrator recipes. I felt so jazzed about thisdiet that I had dreams of making banana bread and rye crackers that wouldwow Stephen into embracing a raw path.

What really happened? I used that economy dehydrator about three timestotal. Because of its design, things took much longer to dry, and they neverreally crisped—even after several days. The sound bothered me for 72hours straight, and the food tasted, well, not good enough to justify so much

electricity and work! When we moved to Lake Tahoe, I gave the dehydratorto someone who wanted to make beef jerky. I decided I would eat lots of raw food, and if I wanted a cracker I could just eat “a normal, vegan one.”

For years, I completely avoided dehydrators. I continued to collect rawrecipe books and just skipped anything to do with crackers, cookies, orbreads.

Then raw foods began to pop! Whole Foods in Monterey, California begancarrying goraw!’s dehydrated spirulina bars and I felt instantly hooked. We

moved to San Luis Obispo, and I found a raw chef who made daily housecalls with a freshly prepared raw entrée, soup, salad and dessert. All for$8.50! I was in heaven, and she just happened to make the tastiest flaxcrackers and spinach tortillas.









When we decided to move back to Sedona so I could finish researching mynovel, I thought, “Whatever will I do without these meals?” In preparation,I bought an Excalibur.

Of course, I quickly discovered that Sedona had become far more raw-friendly in the three years since we had lived there before. Not only did thislittle town have one entirely raw vegan and one raw-friendly veganrestaurant within a short walk of our home, but I could buy tons of dehydrated goodies at two different grocery stores (also within walkingdistance), and I met a raw products distributor within the first week of livingthere.

Did I need my Excalibur? Definitely not! I think I only used it once in thefirst four months of owning it. Then one day, out of curiosity, I decided to

try some of the recipes I had made in that cheap dehydrator so long ago.They took about half as long to prepare, and they actually tasted good thistime. For fun, I invented a few of my own recipes and fed them to studentswhen they took trainings at my private studio/classroom. I began tounderstand why some people love their dehydrators.

Even though it was not a high-use item, the Excalibur made the cut when wemoved back to California, which is where I’ve really come to appreciate it! Ino longer have two health food stores and two raw vegan restaurants withinwalking distance of our home. I do have a fabulous raw neighbor and amonthly potluck within walking distance, but the convenience foods are farless “convenient.” Sometimes if I want raw pie, I need to make my own rawcrust and filling. If I want something warm, I need to stick it in theExcalibur myself.

At first, I scrambled to find someone else who would prepare the food forme. I’m writing a novel; I run a busy coaching practice; I have a life! How can I possibly make my own crackers ? But you know what? It’s actuallyreally easy. I put the Excalibur on our covered porch, and I just let it whir

outside overnight. I’ve made my own “bread” and found I like it muchbetter than the stuff I buy in stores. Unlike prepackaged raw foods thatneed complete dehydration, I can keep my breads slightly pliable and eatthem warm. I can make cookies for potlucks, or warm up a squash “bake” by removing all but one tray and placing the whole serving dish inside of theExcalibur.







I’m still lazy with the food prep, but I’m also happy making my own,customized creations, and I feel much more self-sufficient. In today’s world,with its ample online resources, you really do not need to purchase adehydrator, even if you live in a non-raw-friendly town. If you decide to

purchase a dehydrator, though, I highly recommend the Excalibur for lazyraw foodists. The models with built-in timers allow you to forget about yourcreations if something more interesting comes along because the air will juststop flowing. With their extra power and efficient design, Excaliburs alsotake less time and create less mess than the circular versions.

They do cost more, so if you want to try your hand at dehydrating beforeplunking down a couple hundred dollars on an Excalibur, many of thecheaper round ones may work well enough. Shazzie began with a rounddehydrator, and Shannon Marie, the raw cookie maven fromwww.welikeitraw.com , uses a cheaper dehydrator to make her “Girl ScoutCookies” and other unbelievable raw treats.

As a truly L azy Raw Foodist, I just recommend the Excalibur because thesquare trays, higher speed fan, temperature gage, and timer offer greaterease and flexibility.



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8 Food Combining Rules for Raw Foodists

(Tera Warner , co-founder of The Raw Divas, wrote this great article and kindly gaveme permission to include it in The Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide. You can find manymore helpful resources—especially for women, but also for men—on their site:

www.therawdivas.com . People write entire books on Food Combining, completewith charts, so if this fascinates you, you’ll find lots more research and opinions. I

like Tera’s article because it simplifies and injects some fun into a complex andoften too mental process.)

Though the subject itself has only really come under investigation in the last100 years, it has been covered in so many ways by so many different peoplethat there are entire shelves in bookstores devoted to this very subject.Unfortunately, this makes for a whole lot of confusion for the averagehealth-seeker.

No other creature on the planet seems to need elaborate charts andpyramids before they dive into their daily feast, so let’s see if we can’t comeup with something simple so we can get out of our heads and on with the

joys of eating and feeling good!

One of the first things to understand about food combining is that the needfor these principles comes from the fact that we have removed ourselvesfrom our “natural environment.” Meaning that most of us can’t go out andpick our own mangos and then graze on the green leaves we find along ourmerry way. In modern society we have an infinite selection of food stuffsavailable to us at any moment. Combine that with our seemingly endlessneed for stimulation and we find that even though some apples, bananasand celery sticks would be a perfectly acceptable, nutritionally completemeal, we seek complication. The end result has been some marvelouslyelaborate recipes and a whole lot of indigestion.

The main problem with our combo-abombos and "gourmet" meals, (raw orotherwise), is that different foods digest at different rates. Generally, inorder of speed of digestion, it’s sugars, starch, fats and then proteins. If youput something in your stomach that takes a long time to digest, followed bysomething that would normally digest very quickly, well the latter is forcedto sit in the pipes and wait. Given the nature of the environment in thestomach, this leads to fermentation (sugars) and putrefaction (proteins).


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The byproducts of this gastric volcano is alcohol, indigestion and a whole lotof hot, smelly air. LITERALLY!

So, how can we avoid these physically and socially uncomfortableexperiences? If you are going to get adventurous in your raw food play, takethe following simple guidelines into consideration:

1. Fat and Sugar do not mix well.

Fat, which takes several hours to digest, and sweet sugars, which digest andare assimilated very quickly, do not make great belly-mates. Unfortunately,when you look around at most raw food recipes, you’ll see there is adiscouraging number that contain mixtures like dates with nuts, banana withavocado, or sweet fruits with coconut. These recipes are an open invitationfor digestive fermentation (never mind what they do for blood sugar issues)!

2. Bananas and Acid do not mix well.

Mixing bananas with oranges, for example, is less than ideal. Bananas are astarchy sweet fruit and where other fruits are concerned, combine best withother sweet fruits (like mangos) and sub-acid fruits (apples, pears, berriesetc.) You should always listen to your body's response to the combinationsyou try, but we definitely advise you to avoid combining bananas anddurians. Other fruits generally mix fairly well together.

3. Acidic Fruits and Fats are okay for some.

Some people have no problems combining acidic and even sub-acid fruitswith fat. The understanding is that these foods can actually help digest fats.The idea makes for some nice salad dressing combinations:

Tomatoes and tahini…Orange juice and avocado…

4. Avoid Mixing Different Fats in the Same Meal.

Mixing different sources of fat like coconut, nuts, seeds, avocado or durian atthe same sitting can make for a heavy-duty digestive workout and is bestavoided. It’s just a lot more work than necessary for that beautiful body of yours.







5. Dark, Leafy Greens Go With EVERYTHING!

Mix them in your smoothies, or smother them with your favorite avocadodressing. Either way, leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, celery, etc. combinewell with anything! (Green vegetables like broccoli, and cabbage do NOT mixwell, and are not considered dark, leafy greens. They can be mixed with fatswithout any problem, however.)

So What About Cooked Foods and Other Vegetables?

If you want to eat fruit in the same meal as other foods, (salads with fattydressings or cooked foods) then allow at least 20 Minutes for the fruit tomake its way through the system, thus avoiding the uncomfortable side-effects of bloating, gas and digestive fermentation!

The Sweetness of SimplicityUltimately, we recommend simplicity because it most closely resembles theway things would be in nature. When you permit yourself the luxury of enjoying foods for the individual wonders and works of biological art thatthey are, you also allow your body to digest in “layers.”

Eating one food at a time, follow the following guidelines:

1. Eat Your Watery Foods First!

Because of its high water content, melon digests very quickly and withinminutes of eating, it has already left the stomach!! While it does mix withother fruits very well, in sequential eating watery foods first, please!

2. Eat Acidic Fruits Before Sweet or Starchy Foods!

Things like citrus, kiwis, pineapples, and tomatoes should be eaten beforeother fruits. Again, if you think that most oranges tend to be less

“concentrated” than a mango or a banana, this makes sense.

*Dried fruit can be considered a concentrated food and should be eaten afterfresh fruits, if eaten at all. We do not recommend more than occasionalconsumption of dried fruits.

3. Fat, Protein and Other Vegetables To Follow.

That’s it. Think generally in terms of eating your least concentrated foodsfirst, and you’ll pretty much have it covered.







We hope these tips are comfort to your tummy and help to simplify what canappear to be an awfully complicated subject. The simpler you keep yourfoods the better you’ll feel!

Here’s to your health!

© Tera Warner, reprinted with permission.

www.therawdivas.com









Sneaky Ways to Get More Greens

Victoria Boutenko started a green smoothie revolution with her bestsellingbook, Green for Life , which details the super nutritional profile of leafygreens like kale, collards, parsley, carrot and beet tops, chard, and romainelettuce. I recommend Victoria’s book to all of my clients and students,because she includes such wonderful scientific information, along withrecipes and testimonials from people who reversed health issues simply byadding a quart of green smoothies to their day. Most of the people in thisstudy did not go raw: they simply added blended greens.

Victoria notes how closely human DNA matches that of chimpanzees—whothrive on an extremely high green diet. Some people attribute the healingstories to the alkalizing effect of greens. (A Standard Western diet tends tomake blood and tissues overly acidic, creating favorable breeding ground forbacteria, cancer and other pathogens.) When we can fully assimilate greens—either through juicing them or blending them with fruit—we also unlocktheir high chlorophyll and oxygen content, as well as key amino acids knownas the building blocks of protein.

For a Lazy Raw Foodist, the amazing power of greens brings very goodnews! Greens counteract some common dietary lapses. Dark leafy onesprovide key minerals like calcium and iron, and fiber from green smoothieshelps to sweep the colon clean. This gives you a certain amount of extraleeway when experimenting with your diet. Eat too many acid-formingnuts? Make sure you juice and/or chug a green smoothie every day. Hateeating salads but know you should? Drink up! You’ll actually get morenutrients from a blended salad than most people do by chewing. Worried about cravings? The high mineral content of greens satisfies mostnutritionally based cravings, especially if you juice or blend celery.

In fact, Victoria shares how after a few weeks her cravings actually changed.Instead of dreaming of heavy, fatty foods, she began to prefer saladswithout oily dressings. She started salivating over wild greens and enjoyingsavory green soups. I’ve noticed the same pattern with my clients andstudents: once they incorporate green smoothies, their bodies start askingfor healthier foods. This fact makes transitioning to a raw or high raw diet


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consult the Super Lazy Bonus Section for my product recommendations.)Yes, it looks odd drinking a green smoothie and eating cereal with green”milk,” but I find it fun to start my day like Dr. Seuss.

• Always add fresh herbs when making nut or seed pâtés . Parsley andcilantro offer some of the highest nutritional benefits of any greens. Parsleycleans the kidneys and freshens breath, and cilantro can chelate heavymetals, especially mercury. Rosemary stimulates circulation and memory,while oregano and thyme boost the immune system. I also make liberal useof celery, watercress and basil as savory accents to satisfying spreads.

• When making guacamole, blend in sunflower sprouts and cilantro .If you season it with lemon or lime juice and add a pinch of sea salt, you canstill enjoy your typical treat—with slightly more flavor and nutrition. I

especially recommend adding the greens/sprouts if you eat guacamole withcooked tortilla chips. The greens will help to alkalize the acidic effects of grain.

• Spinach and/or celery blend well with powdered cacao. If you addup to 5 oz. spinach or two celery stalks to a cacao shake with bananas orother fruit (blueberries go well with cacao), you usually cannot taste thegreens. When using celery in this way, discard the leaves, as they will giveit an odd aftertaste. You might need a little sweetener or vanilla, dependingon which ingredients you add besides cacao and greens. Fresh mint alsoworks amazingly well, and you can blend it with carob instead of cacao.

• Supplement with green powders like wheat grass, Vitamineral Green orSun is Shining Superfood—great for travelling in places that don’t offer asmany dark leafy greens.

• Double up your collard wraps. Instead of using one leaf as “bread,” stack ‘em before you roll. If you cut out the thick rib, you’ll find this mucheasier to fold and chew!

• Add pre-packed greens to pre-cubed butternut squash , then seasonto taste with Thai or Indian seasoning. Add some coconut oil and/or coconutwater (preferably fresh, but also packaged if time-pressed and ok with justhigh raw), and enough liquid to blend until warm. Top with choppedcucumbers, bell peppers and/or avocados. Serve alongside Lydia’s GreenCrackers.







naturally-derived xylitol. In testing he found them to be both raw and low-glycemic sweeteners. Again, for details on raw sweeteners and glycemic load, please see Dr. Cousens’ book and movie about curing Type II diabetesthrough a raw food diet.)

Almonds : Many almonds come from America, and those almonds nearlyalways come from California. Because of a new law, (Sept '07) all Californiaalmonds produced are pasteurized and therefore no longer raw.

(Lazy Raw Foodist’s note: You can still buy truly raw almonds directly fromfarmers, just not through resellers. We need to come together to find resources and ways of accessing raw almonds. As the only alkaline nut,they provide calcium, protein and B-vitamins. I live in California and buy 8-

pound bags whenever I visit almond farmers, but if anyone finds other

options, please spread the word!)

Bragg’s Liquid Aminos : Made from a base of cooked ingredients.

Brazil Nuts : If shelled they've been baked, boiled or steamed. (SubstituteWalnuts, Pine Nuts or Hazelnuts)

Cacao : After harvest cacao pods are piled up to ‘sweat’ or ferment for 3 to4 days. During this time the temps can reach above 140f. They are oftenheated again during the drying process. We would like to find a source forfresh cacao pods or cacao beans that will sprout, if anyone has one.

(Lazy Raw Foodist’s Note: Cacao is controversial for many other reasons, asexplored in the upcoming chapter, “Cacao or Not Cacao: That is theQuestion” (page 49). Most sources do claim a difference in raw vs. “cooked”

chocolate, i.e. that their cacao is actually raw. As recommended above, please check with your sources to learn if their processing meets your standards.)







Nama Shoyu : Made from a base of cooked ingredients.

Nori (seaweed): Both black and green are dried at high temps. The colouris not a sure sign. Even 'Clearspring' brand when sold as raw.

Nutritional Yeast : Basically baked to kill the yeast. (Substitute Pine Nuts,lemon and a little raw salt.)

Oats : Steamed to keep out worms in storage.

(Lazy Raw Foodist’ note: Some sources claim that although steamed, oatscan maintain their integrity and enzymes at higher temperatures than most foods. I don’t know have any way of testing this theory other than to seehow people react to oats. If they work for you, great. If you get headaches, indigestion or feel grumpy, then you might be reacting to thegluten and/or to the heat processing. In any case, pay attention to your own response when deciding whether or not to use oats.)

Olive Oil : Must say unfiltered and cold-pressed and even then you shouldcheck with the producer. (Substitute Avocado)

Olives : If canned, jarred or packed they're usually cooked and normally inbad oils as well.

Pecans : If shelled they've been boiled or steamed. (Substitute soakedWalnuts or Hazelnuts)

Sugar : All processed sugar has been boiled and dried at high temps. Even'Raw' sugar is NOT raw and often dyed brown.







Tahini : High temps during processing. Even stone ground, unpasteurizedand made with un-roasted sesame seeds does not ensure that it is raw.Check with the manufacturer. (Substitute self-ground sesame seeds and alittle raw Olive Oil.)

Wild Rice : Neither wild nor raw. Blanched after harvest to keep out bugs.

Copyright © 2007, 2008 Purely Raw www.purelyraw.com

Reprinted with permission.

Notes from the Lazy Raw Foodist:

OK, before your throw up your hands in exasperation, remember your “why.” Go back to the reason(s) you want to explore raw foods, becauseyour why greatly influences how you can best utilize this information.Where there’s a why, there’s a way .

I decided to include this list because every now and then you’ll hear thatsomething you thought was raw, is not really raw , and that can causeconfusion, shame, a light bulb moment, or anything in between. For manypeople, though, such information causes some initial panic. “ What will I

ever do without agave nectar?” “Oh, my God, almonds aren’t raw anymore? That’s, like, my whole diet!” “Cold-pressed doesn’t mean cold-pressed?” “Labels lie? How can I ever buy anything in the grocery store again? This is

just way too hard!”

If your why stems from a desire to remain 100%, absolutely certain that younever, ever eat anything even remotely cooked, then yes, this listsignificantly limits your available foods. You might want to reevaluate yourwhy so that you know how important that 100% versus 95% may really befor you. If your recovery, vitality and/or philosophy truly demand 100%raw, then consider this list a gift. You can print it out and take it with youwhen you shop or eat in restaurants—safely avoiding the “raw pretenders.”

If, on the other hand, your why makes little distinction between 100% and95% raw, then you have a little wiggle room. You can aim for 100% raw,and back down your consumption of pseudo-raw staples like agave nectar orpasteurized almonds.


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Personally, I noticed a big difference after the California almond law passed,because some raw restaurants continued to serve “raw” almond pâtés, whichwere no longer actually raw. I deduced the problem by observing twosimultaneous factors: 1) if I saw that their prices had not inflated with thecost of importing truly raw almonds and 2) if my body suddenly felt heavyand fatigued when it used to feel vibrant.

Some raw restaurants have large enough clientele that they could absorbthe cost increase, so please don’t take this as a blanket statement that allrestaurants use cooked almonds just because their prices stayed the same!I’m just sharing my own experience as an example of how I have had todeal with “raw pretenders.” Recognizing my sensitivity to pasteurized asopposed to raw almonds, I just switched my menu selections to thosewithout the almonds.

Other raw friends of mine seem to tolerate the pasteurized almonds justfine. For them, “raw” means “raw enough” on special occasions of gourmetfood. Yet these same people who fare fine on cooked almonds might have aparticular sensitivity to heated seaweed or tahini!

If your why does not require raw perfection, then I suggest you use this listfor trouble-shooting. It may help you locate reasons behind feeling less thanoptimal, thus allowing you to tweak small things in order to enjoy bigbenefits. If your “raw” diet includes substantial portions of non-raw foods,experiment to see if elimination or alternate sourcing makes a difference. If it does, terrific: enjoy your next level of health! If it doesn’t, then you canstill include those items in your diet—but perhaps not quite so often.

In any case, fresh produce and fresh almonds bought directly from thefarmer remain raw—even in California. Talking to farmers does more thanuncover processing methods; it also helps you to connect more deeply withyour food and the planet. Once you establish a relationship with the farmersin your area or with suppliers of condiments and prepared “raw” foods, youwill find more resources than you imagined.

When you appreciate the people helping you maintain your lifestyle, you

open doors. Think about it: don’t you love feeling useful? Most people do!By expressing gratitude and support to individuals and companies who selltruly raw foods, you begin to set new standards. Instead of angst anddisappointment, you can live in a world of gratitude—where people watchout for one another. You can develop community.

Ultimately, the “raw pretenders” have made the concept of raw food morepalatable to the masses. Greater palatability means greater demand, which,







Short Cuts to Get You Glowing

Quick Beauty Tips for Guys and Gals

Not everyone comes to raw food for healing or weight loss. Some peopleexplore this path because they want to look younger and more attractive.With Hollywood fans like Alicia Silverstone, Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore,Natalie Portman and Uma Thurman, it’s easy to see why!

Fresh, organic fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and especially greens will get youglowing in no time, but a few tricks can provide an extra boost.

MSM —hands down, the quickest way to get a glow! This organic sulfurcompound supports skin, hair, nails, detoxification and most metabolicprocesses. Naturally prevalent in rain water, MSM has largely disappearedfrom our diets due to greenhouse and hothouse grown foods. Forgetbronzing powder: if you have a photo shoot or just want to wow your blinddate, a little MSM in drinking water goes a long way. It tastes bitter,though, so don’t use more than 1-2 teaspoons in 8 ounces of water untilyou’ve grown accustomed to the flavor. Some people take MSM every singleday. I personally don’t, but when I want to look extra radiant, MSM workswell.

(Note: MSM is very heat sensitive, so if you want to ruin your smoothie withthat yucky taste, mix it in afterwards! Even the blender blades can destroyits healing properties. You can also find it in veggie caps, if you want toavoid the powder, or mix it with lemon juice, which cuts some of thebitterness.)

Fresh Vegetable Juices —especially greens, cucumber and beet juice. If you want to clear your skin and get a rosy glow that bursts forth from theinside—what some people call a “healthy California look”—freshly juicedvegetables produce fast results. They provide beauty minerals like sulfur,silica, potassium and iron, plus, they alkalize our systems. Acidic systemscome from stressed out lives, but they also contribute to our stress.







Raw Foodists and Rotten Teeth:

What They’re Not Saying

( Tera Warner , co-founder of The Raw Divas, has graciously shared another great article for The Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide. You can find many more helpful resources—especially for women, but also for men—on their site: www.therawdivas.com . Asyou may have noticed, I’m all for minimizing effort, but when it comes to your dental care, you really don’t want to cut corners.)

Every week, participants of our Body Enlightenment System come togetherto talk about their progress, concerns and share sisterly giggles. LastSaturday, it seemed dental issues were on the minds of our Divas, and in amajor way. However, it wasn’t until we got our divas on the phone line thattheir concerns came to the surface.

Many of them felt afraid to speak up on the forums—not wanting to benegative and feeling like the failure was theirs alone. It’s no secret that rawfoodists have dental issues on the brain, and yet, they’re practicallywhispering about it behind the scenes afraid to reveal their fear about thepossibility that this miracle path to health may have some hidden traps.

Instead of finding solutions amongst ourselves, we’re left with falseimpressions. Those who struggle slip away disappointed and take theirstories with them in silence.

I’m not an obsessive brusher. I don’t use any miracle potions ordevices, just a plain old purple toothbrush and dental floss. So far, so good.My raw food dental path has been relatively drama free. I can definitely passalong the tricks that I feel have helped me maintain that level of dentalhealth.

But obviously, it's not been the same situation for everyone. And as long asdental issues continue to be forefront in the raw food movement, I think thisdiscussion warrants further attention and research.











Raw Foodists and Rotten Teeth

Having spent a great deal of time with a long time raw foodist who hadliterally been traumatized by dental experiences on the raw food diet, I haveheard more than my fair share of dental drama related to raw foods.

I’ve also seen the mouths of many raw foodists who lost more than just theirpearly sparkle and attribute the damage to the pursuit of the gourmet rawfood approach of eating loads of dried fruit, nuts, and condiments.

If I could take all I've learned up until now, and summarize it in a fewhelpful tips, it would look something like this:

What You Can Do To Start Addressing Dental Health

1) Eat more greens.

(We’ll be announcing a Green Goddess Cleanse very soon to help those whoare unfamiliar with this territory learn more about how to make greensmoothies and get on the green bandwagon for better health.)

2) Eliminate dried fruits and excessive nuts.

3) Keep the consumption of orange juice or acidic fruits to a

minimum.

4) Brush and floss, regularly!

5) Simplify your foods.

When you come back to the basics and clean out your system, you will bebetter equipped to observe your body’s responses and thereby makeinformed choices about what is best for you. Not informed by some long listof alpha-enzymatic whatcha-macallits. Informed by your experiences--whatyou have observed to be true by applying tools and information to your life.

6) Speak up!

When extremism creates an air of secrecy or fear to speak up about what’sNOT working, then we’re going backwards. When problems go unspoken,those who struggle to make the diet work pack in the whole thing assumingthat none of it is worth applying.







Frankly, I’d rather see the whole world become thriving 50% raw foodiststhan a handful of obsessed extremists finally claim their place in the 100%Hall of Raw Fame. If something isn’t working for you, be willing to come outof the closet and say it.

Let’s create amongst ourselves a community of people who are willing toseek solutions collectively before throwing in the towel on ourselves or ourhealth goals.

Our community forum, The Powder Room , is one of the best places to letthat kind of communication happen. All divas are welcome to investigate thistremendous source of constant inspiration and support.

7) Inform yourself.

Karen Adler, creator of the internationally renowned Toothsoap and owner of Perfect-Prescriptions , has researched extensively the links between diet anddental disasters. She’s truly one of the leaders in the natural health andbeauty circle of entrepreneurs.

Something to Chew On

If all raw food gurus and health enthusiasts were open about what works forthem, we’d have a better chance of getting where we’re trying to go in termsof health and healing on this planet. Until then, fiery-tempered redheads likemyself are left to blaze a trail in the name of truth, hoping that those whoseek solutions will find them and in so doing reclaim the peaceful existencethat is rightfully theirs.

You deserve to keep those pearly whites sparkling for a long time yet tocome! Just be ready to walk your own path when it comes to knowing whatultimately brings you to your ideal health and happiness.

© Tera Warner, used with permission.

www.therawdivas.com


http://therawdivas.com/thepowderroom/

http://www.perfect-prescription.com/dentalhygiene.php?



http://therawdivas.com/thepowderroom/

http://www.perfect-prescription.com/dentalhygiene.php?






Additional dental notes from The Lazy Raw Foodist :

I have found two products whose results I feel confident recommending:ECO-DENT “ExtraBrite” for occasional whitening and Mouth Doctor ( ORAMD)for gum health and cavity prevention.

Shortly after I recovered enough from my brain injury, I took a part-timewaitress job at a little café in Prescott, Arizona. To my surprise, customersand employees suddenly began commenting on my teeth. We wore whiteshirts, so I initially felt self-conscious: nothing like a white shirt to highlightoff-white teeth! But no, my co-workers were serious. I soon learned thateveryone thought I had gone through professional tooth-whitening, eventhough I’d changed nothing with my dental hygiene. Except for ECO-DENT:I still use it if I go through a period of major juicing, which can stain yourteeth an unappetizing brown. After a few days of normal brushing, my teeth

start gleaming white again. This stuff really does the job!

I discovered ORAMD while researching natural gingivitis cures, because gumissues came up as factors for several Medical Intuitive clients in a row.Knowing that gum disease impairs the immune system and has links toheart attacks and other problems, I wanted to offer at least a starting pointfor my client’s own research and pro-active steps. I read the site and,despite what seemed like possible overselling, I ordered a few bottles formyself. Stephen and I both noticed a difference right away. Our gums felttighter and less irritated, and my one sore tooth stopped hurting.

I like the simple ingredients: very high grade essential oils of peppermint,spearmint and almond—and that’s it.

In Eating for Beauty , David Wolfe also explains the importance of silica forprotecting tooth enamel. Most diets lack good sources of this nutrient, so Isometimes include powdered or liquid silica if I feel like taking supplements.

Depending on your gum health, you might consider using a Waterpik, whichwill help you reach hidden gum pockets and keep them healthy. Myhusband even uses a few drops of ORAMD inside his Waterpik for extra

cleansing and antibacterial support.In summary : as a Lazy Raw Foodist, you can find all sorts of short-cuts andtricks to make this diet work for you, but please don’t compromise yourteeth! If they fall out, you won’t feel so happy with your choices, and youwon’t be eating many of your favorite foods—raw or cooked. Respectfulattention now can save you tons of money, aggravation and even dentureslater.


http://www.herbsmd.com/specialstore/ecod.htm

http://tinyurl.com/MouthDoctor



http://www.herbsmd.com/specialstore/ecod.htm







Cacao or not Cacao:

That is the Question!

One of the characters in my first novel is a Lemurian Queen who happens tobe a raw cacao addict. That was loads of fun to “research” in Sedona, whereI could buy raw cacao all over town! I have a very sensitive system, and Ineeded to eat a LOT of raw cacao in order to experience the junkie aspects,but they did surface. After a few weeks, all I could think about was my next

“hit.” Ah, the perils of art! The novel takes place in Sedona and features ahighly implausible plot, so I continue to conduct extensive research andconsultation on all details in order to give it as realistic a flavor as possible.

My chocolate research led me to conclude that no matter what anyone says,raw cacao is definitely addictive for some people. My character gets reallyirritable and has physiological changes during withdrawal, and I based thisobservation on fact. I see it periodically with clients, too. Initially they willfight me on it. No one wants to think of themselves as an addict, and hey,isn’t raw cacao, like, a superfood? But sure enough, when they experimentthey find they’re abusing raw cacao.

We can abuse anything, so it’s a matter of finding what works for you. For

me personally, I always take at least two cacao-free days per week and thatseems to work well. I also find I do way better on cacao in the presence of agreen smoothie rather than a piece of raw candy.

Will I continue eating cacao once I finish my novel? I honestly don’t know.To date, raw cacao has fueled the publication of two books and greatlyenhanced my fiction writing. Does that mean I “need” raw cacao to write?No, of course not! I wrote most of my first book and many articles beforethe raw cacao craze hit, and I have terrible allergies to cooked (even vegan)chocolate. I almost never touched the stuff until I went raw. Then Igradually built up to the highest levels I could stand, just to see what wouldhappen.

I do not recommend experimenting with your body just for the sake of realistic art, but I really wanted to know what would happen—for clients aswell as characters. Within a few weeks, I began to recognize signs of overdose: sluggishness and the feeling that I might vomit if I even thought







use. If we consume these substances out of context, then their addictive,destructive natures predominate.

In Christianity, for example, wine represents the blood of Christ and just asip enables converts to “commune” with God. Yet wine nearly destroyed theNative American population, who had no religious context for it. Even today,Native Americans remain highly susceptible to alcoholism. Scientific studieshave shown that they lack certain protective genes that minimize theaddictive effects of alcohol.

Conversely, many tribes have traditionally used small amounts of tobacco inreligious ceremonies. When Europeans tried the tobacco recreationally, theygot hooked. Today, millions of people die from the cancerous effects of cigarettes. With its spiritual qualities removed, tobacco enslaves instead of

liberates.

In Mayan and Aztec times, rulers drank and/or ate vast quantities of cacao.Societies even used it as edible “money that grows on trees.” For thisreason, cacao resonates with prosperity consciousness, and I find it nosurprise that the raw cacao craze coincided with popular teachings likeAbraham-Hicks and The Secret . In their delightful book, Naked Chocolate (which I also consulted for research purposes) David Wolfe and Shazzieshare many ancient cacao myths. As this self-proclaimed “Chocolate Popeand Chocolate Nun” observe:

“The mythology of cacao has great bearing on the current state of the world.The upsurgence of the desire for cacao is the myth playing itself outeternally. The general theme of the legends describes that when humanitybegins to misappropriate nature by cutting down jungles and misusingnatural resources, then the cacao tree, its fruit and seeds are introduced torestore harmony with nature. City-based cultures … are greedily swallowingthe seeds of life for future generations of plants, animals and humans.Essentially when the balance between humanity and nature is lost, then

cacao arrives to save the day.” ( Naked Chocolate , p. 9)

As an Intuitive and someone who has spent a lifetime studying mythology,diet and sacred cultures, I could not agree more. When we treat cacao as

“Theobroma”, literally “food of the gods,” instead of as a stimulant ordessert, we invite more of the sacred into our lives. We can certainly do thiswithout cacao, but remembering this link will keep us balanced and inspired.


http://www.detoxyourworld.com/acatalog/naked_chocolate.html



http://www.detoxyourworld.com/acatalog/naked_chocolate.html






Superfoods:

The Great Debate

When I first went raw in 2004, things seemed a lot simpler. Raw foodists just ate fruits, veggies, greens, sprouts, nuts and seeds, with perhaps a littleseaweed or spirulina thrown in for good measure. When people thought of

“superfoods,” they thought of nutritional powerhouses like blueberries,broccoli and garlic. When Reader’s Digest or other magazines publishedarticles about nutrition, most of us had heard of the ingredients! Even if weneeded to supplement the local grocery store’s selection, most of theproducts grew domestically.

Then something positively global happened! Largely due to the internationaltravels and efforts of Sunfood Nutrition™’s David Wolfe, a new generation of

“superfoods” entered the raw food scene. Scientists took notice, and theselittle gems spilled over into mainstream kitchens and consciousness. Part of the appeal no doubt arose from their exotic origins: Tibet, ancient Mayanand Aztec Empires, the Amazon rainforest. Some of the fascination camefrom funny names: goji (Go-gee), açai (ah-SIGH-ee), camu camu, andE-3Live. The high price tag didn’t hurt either—building mystique andreputations for miraculous healing. Almost overnight, raw foods went from a

fringe diet of ascetics, to a cool, multi-million dollar business—and that’swhen the Great Superfood Debate kicked into high gear.

People began to wonder, “Do we really need these foods, or do some rawgurus really know their marketing?” “People have eaten raw food diets fordecades—actually since the beginning of human history. Surely they survived without Himalayan goji berries and raw cacao?” “If these thingsare so good for us, then why have they gone mainstream so fast? I can buyV8 Fusion with açai! Isn’t it all just a clever ploy to engage my pocketbook?”

The UK government has grumbled about the hype of so-called superfoodsand other forms of dietary healing. The cheeky raw Brit, Shazzie, created aneven more intriguing phrase, “ecstatic foods.”

Whenever someone “big” talks on the radio or blogs about a raw food diet,fans usually ask some variant of the same question: “What’s your take onsuperfoods?”


http://www.rawcuisine.co.uk/whats-happening-to-food/codex-alimentarius/

http://www.naturalnews.com/021670.html


http://www.rawcuisine.co.uk/whats-happening-to-food/codex-alimentarius/

http://www.naturalnews.com/021670.html





Personally, I like them, and I use some of them daily. Do I believe they’rethe answer to all of humanity’s problems? No, but they’ve made my rawfood diet a heck of a lot easier to maintain! I appreciate that things like rawcacao and goji berries have gone mainstream. It means that I can usually

find them while travelling. Having a sweet tooth and desire for grounding, Ilove that açai contains as much protein as an egg.

I have noticed some clients’ and friends’ tendencies to go overboard on “ecstatic foods”—emptying their wallets in search of the next Holy Grail of health. People can also take too much of certain items, figuring “If a little isgreat, then a lot must be unbelievably awesome!”

Take spirulina, for example. It's green. It's "clean," and it's touted as the"world's healthiest superfood." Spirulina offers 60% all-vegetarian protein by

weight, but can you take too much?

In a word, yes!

People usually begin taking spirulina in order to support their health. A blue-green algae rich in beta carotene, iron, vitamin B-12 and the rare essentialfatty acid, GLA, powdered spirulina is a bit of an acquired taste. Even so,converts often swear by its powers to clear the skin, relax the mind, andprovide extra energy. Whether added to smoothies and fresh juices or takenin pill form, spirulina initially seems like a winner.

Anecdotal stories suggest healings from malnutrition, cancer, acne, allergiesand protein deficiency, to name a few. From an environmental standpoint,spirulina offers ways to stave off deforestation, because it grows in brackishwater on non-fertile land. Some manufacturers and proponents considerspirulina a critical supplement for ending world hunger! Indeed, this littleblue-green algae does some pretty incredible things.

Unfortunately, very few resources warn of the dangers of ingesting too muchspirulina. Though far from a "mainstream problem," overdosing on spirulinais surprisingly common in health nut circles, particularly among the rawfoodist crowd, who may use it in salad dressings, smoothies, and fresh

juices--all in the same day!

Spirulina contains 3900% more beta carotene than carrots. At first, thissounds like a benefit: more is better, right? Well, not always. The body canconvert beta carotene to vitamin A, and in large doses, vitamin A becomestoxic to the liver. High dosage spirulina users often complain of severe body







itching, which seems to come from under the skin. No amount of oils, lotionsor water seems to alleviate the itch.

If you or someone you know has this problem, it could be a sign of livertoxicity. Many people experience relief in a few days by stopping spirulinaand any other high beta-carotene foods or supplements like goji berries,beets, carrots, E3Live™ or Crystal Manna™ and some sea weeds. Once theitching subsides, they can gradually add in lower doses of beta carotenecontaining foods, but they'll need to use caution for a while as their liverrecovers.

For people who began taking spirulina for health, the prospect of livertoxicity poses an ironic effect. Spirulina and other superfoods still offerpotent benefits, but we need to remember that "super"foods really canprovide "too much of a good thing." Recommended doses range from 3-5

grams all the way up to 40 grams per day, which makes it difficult to gagean overdose situation. If you experience unusual symptoms and have beentaking a lot of powerful plant foods like spirulina, consider backing thosesuperfoods down a bit. When it comes to supplements and/or superfoods,more does not always mean better.

For the record, I do take spirulina, but I also know of the overdosesymptoms through personal experience, clients’ issues and consulting with anaturopath who followed a raw vegan diet for twelve years. I’m fairly small,maybe 100 pounds or so, and for me 2 TBSP per day caused severe itchingafter a couple months. Others notice the effects only if they’re taking otherhigh-beta carotene foods like dulse and goji berries. I have nothing againstspirulina; I love the watery feeling, strength, clarity and unique glow itprovides. I’ve just run into the overdose effects often enough with clientsand friends that I thought to mention it here.

But do raw foodists actually need so-called “superfoods”?

As always, the answer depends on your original why. If you want the

simplest diet from local sources, then no, you likely wouldn’t want to importsupplemental foods from Tibet or Peru. If you have a major health orhormonal issue, then yes, you might consider some of the claims of superberries and maca root. I’m not a doctor or nutritionist, and I don’thave a website that sells these things. They’ve actually gone so mainstreamyou can buy most of them on Amazon! For your convenience, I will just listsome of the most common ones, along with a bit of information, and, if applicable, my comments.







Açai (ah-SIGH-ee) Berry : Flavored like a cross between blueberry andchocolate, this little berry tastes amazing in smoothies with both of thoseingredients. Açai hails from the Amazon rainforest and boasts ten times theantioxidants of grapes and twice those of blueberries, along with good

Omega fats, protein, and fiber. I absolutely love açai. Cousins IncredibleVitality, a raw restaurant in Chicago, has an açai smoothie called, “Beauty,” which I drank twice during a trip September 2007. I still think of it at leastweekly!

A few notes: if you have caffeine sensitivity, avoid products that list açaiwith “guarana.” Guarana is caffeine! Many of the drinks and pulp availableare flash-pasteurized, and often quite sugary from mangos and bananas, soif you want just pure açai, aim for the berries themselves, carefully sourcedfrozen pulp, or a freeze-dried powder.

Blue Green Algae ( Aphanizomenon flos-aquae—AFA for short ): Sold undernames like E3Live™, Crystal Manna™ and Klamath Lake crystals, blue-greenalgae comes from Klamath Lake Oregon and provide a super vegan source of protein, 80% assimilated by humans. Considering that meat sits at about20% assimilation, blue-green algae offer big gains through small amounts.These algae contain the highest percentage of chlorophyll of any plant, as

well as 64 easily absorbed vitamins, minerals and enzymes, making them “the most nutrient dense food known to mankind.”

I actually discovered E3Live™ by doing Animal Communication sessions.Several sick animals requested it, so I passed along the information to theirowners. The results have been astounding. One dog's terminal cancer wentinto remission. A bird's tail grew back. Another dog's rapidly declining healthstabilized. I've since learned that E3Live™ is a blue-green algae that can bepurchased in a variety of forms: frozen, flakes or capsules. Humans can useit, too. In fact, after witnessing their animals' recoveries, many of my clients

have started using it for themselves. Stephen and I also like CrystalManna™ and Manna Bars, which include AFA in mint cacao or Mayan cacaoflavors.

Because algae filter toxins from waters, you do want to make sure you buyAFA from reputable sources who harvest from clean, unpolluted water.Otherwise you could get more than you bargained for!


http://tinyurl.com/E3Live-com

http://www.internationalrenaissancecoaching.com/s_175.asp


http://tinyurl.com/E3Live-com






Chia Seeds : Ch-ch-ch-chia! Yes, the source of those funny chia pets turnsout to be a powerhouse of Omega-3 and protein! Chia seeds congeal inwater, making them excellent thickeners in smoothies and puddings. Theycreate a tapioca-like flavor and texture that soothes the digestive tract andencourages bowel and hormonal regularity.

Chlorella : With extra tough cellular walls, this green algae works overtimein detoxifying the body—especially from heavy metals. Some people cannottolerate its effects until their bodies become less toxic. Signs that you mayneed to hold off on chlorella include burping it, hives, nausea or wheezing.

These symptoms do not necessarily indicate an allergy, but you may needgentler nutrient support until you can handle the potent detoxifying effects.

Other people find that large doses of chlorella help relieve symptoms of detoxification, such as headaches, nausea, brain fog, hives or other rashes.You might note some overlap here with chlorella sensitivity. Use your

judgment and experiment in small amounts to see what works for you.

For example: when I still had a lot of prescription migraine pills in mysystem (after my brain injury, doctors had me taking 20-30 pills per month,

even though they were designed for a maximum of 2-3 pills per month), Ihad extremely strong reactions to chlorella. Even if it formed just a tinypercentage of a green drink, my lungs tightened up so much that I couldbarely breathe. After years of cleansing my body, I can now take chlorellastraight without any adverse reactions. Your own response will depend onyour personal biology, as well as what types of toxins you’re processing.

Goji Berries (aka Wolfberries): Perhaps the hippest “superfood,” these tiny

red berries come from the Himalayan Mountains. At 14% protein, they offera stronger nutritional profile than most fruits, but their antioxidant levelshave drawn the most attention. Juices like GoChi™, though not technicallyraw, come with all the benefits of goji juice flash pasteurized and bottledwithout preservatives. You can now find dried goji fruits in many grocerystores and in higher end trail mixes.







Goji’s contain high amounts of beta-carotene, and FreeLife International, themakers of GoChi™ and Himalayan Goji Juice™ have received excellentendorsements from scientific studies. Test participants consistently noticedbetter sleep, less stress, increased energy, greater happiness, improved

bowel regularity, and higher levels of antioxidants and SuperOxideDimutase(SOD), thought to be especially helpful in cases of inflammatory boweldisease.

On a personal note, I eat goji berries almost every day. We’ve also foundgoji juice quite effective in keeping my husband’s Lyme symptoms at bay.Regular use of goji juice seems to sharpen his mental clarity, give extraenergy and minimize his joint pain. (FreeLife tastes best, but we haven’tnoticed a major difference in its effectiveness over other brands.) I don’tsell goji products, but I have turned down opportunities to sell otherproducts because I felt they did not perform as well. (This is just a personalobservation, though.)

Hemp : A THC-free relative of marijuana, hemp has faced greater restrictionthan most health foods. With a perfect ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fattyacids, plus highly absorbable protein, the tiny hemp seed also features highchlorophyll content. Used as seeds, it makes a crunchy topping for fruit or agood substitute for bulgur wheat in raw tabouli recipes. As a proteinpowder, hemp tastes a bit gritty, but provides a grounded, earthy flavor andnutrition to fruit smoothies. You can use hemp oil in place of olive oil onsalads and in recipes, and the hemp butter makes a tasty spread.

Incan Berries (aka Cape Gooseberry or Goldenberry): These ancientberries look kind of like extra-plump golden raisins and have a sweet/sourlemony flavor. They offer high sources of pectin, phosphorous, vitamins A,

C, B1, B2, B6, and vitamin p (bioflavonoids). Like goji and açai berries, theyalso contain extremely high protein (16%) for a fruit.

Maca (aka Peruvian Viagra): A root indigenous to the highest peaks of theAndes Mountains, maca grows strong under the harshest conditions. It actsas an adaptogen, meaning it has a balancing effect on all systems. If







estrogen is too high, it can lower it; too low, maca raises it. Maca alsocontains protein and minerals, making it an excellent all around adrenaltonic. I love maca!

One caution: don’t use too much maca powder at once, as it tastes likeradish. In small amounts (1-3 tsp.), it blends well with raw cacao andhemp. Enjoyment of larger amounts will depend on your acquiring a tastefor this sometimes spicy, always potent ingredient.

Medicinal Mushrooms (Coriolus, Kombucha, Maitaki, Reishi) Coriolus, alsoknown as Kreshi, has been used for thousands of years to boost Japaneseimmune systems, and over 300 scientific studies support its claims to fame.

Reishi has also been used medicinally for thousands of years. Also known asthe "Herb of Spiritual Potency" and the "Ten-thousand Year Mushroom,"Reishi offers documented improvement on immune systems and cancertreatments. Some people enjoy powdered Reishi as a coffee substitute.

Maitaki has less of a history but has recently shown strong healing effects.

Kombucha is not mushroom, but rather a fermented yeast culture grown inbrewed black tea and sugar. People mistake “the Mother” as a mushroomfloating on top of their drink, but the Mother just feeds the naturallyoccurring lactobacilli so prevalent in kombucha.

Not really raw, kombucha nonetheless functions as a popular “transitional” drink for people trying to quit soda. Synergy brand has flavors ranging fromginger to citrus to strawberry or multi-green, and some people swear bykombucha’s energy boost. For others, the fermented qualities lend a bit of a

“buzz” akin to wine’s effects. Anecdotal evidence talks of kombucha healingbreast cancer and other ills. People with Candida should go easy on thekombucha—as well as other fermented foods. Additionally, some of the

original tea’s caffeine remains, which can occasionally cause issues forcaffeine-sensitive individuals.

Mesquite : Native to the Arizona desert, powdered mesquite pods providesweetness, minerals, protein and fiber to smoothies and desserts. Theflavor goes well with cacao and maca, and I often add all three to my


http://www.gtskombucha.com/synergy.html


http://www.gtskombucha.com/synergy.html





morning “power drinks.” Mesquite contains the amino acid lysine, thoughtto help cold sores, making it a nice addition for people wanting to avoid aflare up. Careful: too much mesquite can have major laxative effects!

Pomegranate : Besides goji berries, pomegranate juice has probablyreceived the most media hype of any so-called superfood. Pomegranate

juice contains high amounts of vitamins A, C and E, plus substantial folicacid. It also offers three times the antioxidants of red wine or green tea.Media attention often focuses on its apparent cholesterol lowering effects.Pomegranate seeds contain healthy Omega fatty acid profiles, and they’re

just so darned pretty! I love how beautiful and crunchy-tangy they makeany salad or pudding.

If you’ve ever opened your own pomegranate, you know it can make quite amess! As a Lazy Raw Foodist, I opt for letting someone else deseed mypomegranates. Trader Joe’s sometimes has them prepackaged in theproduce section. If you do decide to open your own pomegranate, youmight want to wear gloves, as the juice can stain! Note: bottled juices,including pomegranate juice are not raw unless the bottle specifically states

“unpasteurized.”

Schizandra : Also known as the five-flavored berry or wu wei zi , schizandrais an adaptogenic berry often used in Oriental medicine. With specialhealing effects on respiratory and adrenal functions, schizandra is alsothought to promote longevity. As an adaptogen, it has the effect of balancing systems and improving immune function. When I assisted a long-time herbalist in Seattle, he often prescribed schizandra for people withnervous exhaustion or anxiety.

Seaweeds (Arame, Dulse, Hijiki, Kelp, Kombu, Nori, Wakame): Though notalways raw (check with distributors), seaweeds offer rich sources of traceminerals from the sea. They have been shown to counteract the effects of radiation poisoning and contain high amounts of B-vitamins, iodine andfiber.







Note: Be careful using large amounts of kelp and arame if you have thyroid issues since the very high amounts of iodine can interact with thyroid medications or cause changes in hormone levels. If you suffer from acneand hope raw food will cure it, you might also want to avoid large or

frequent amounts of seaweed. The minerals can help your skin, but highiodine content sometimes makes people break out.

Spirulina : In contrast to wild AFA’s, spirulina is a cultivated blue-greenalgae. For more information, please review this chapter’s earlier discussionof spirulina.

Sprouts : Although not an exotic superfood, I mention sprouts here becausethey are a “living food.” They’re still growing and have tons more enzymesthan even typically raw food, which has already been picked. TheHippocrates Institute and other rejuvenation centers make liberal use of sprouts for healing.

You can easily grow sprouts at home with a sprouting jar or trays. I haveboth but honestly, as a Lazy Raw Foodist, I usually buy my sprouts atFarmer’s Markets or Whole Foods. They cost exponentially more this way,

but I don’t need to worry about rinsing them on time or fear mold growth. If you are not quite as lazy as I am, then you might find this chart helpful.

Even though I rarely sprout seeds, I almost always soak nuts overnight.Allowing them to sit in water for 8-12 hours (some say 24, but I worry aboutmold), removes enzyme inhibitors so that you can digest them easier. Idon’t want to make my tummy work hard either!

Wheatgrass Juice : Originally advocated by Dr. Ann Wigmore, wheatgrass juice has long been used to bolster the immune system. High in vitamin K,which helps spider veins and bruising, wheat grass juice also offers a richsource of vitamins A and C, plus iron and chlorophyll.

Things to note: most people favor outdoor grown wheatgrass over indoors,as mold can easily cover the sprouts. Using seawater solutions orhydroponic techniques tends to minimize indoor mold growth.


http://www.energygrid.com/health/sprouting.html


http://www.energygrid.com/health/sprouting.html





Young barley grass and kamut grass are sometimes packaged as “wheatgrass,” with the rational that nutritional profiles of young grasses remain thesame.

You can buy fresh, frozen or freeze-dried and powdered wheatgrass. Whilefresh is usually best, the powders certainly make for convenient travelgreens!

Wild Foods : This designation refers to any number of uncultivated foods,especially greens. In general, wild foods offer denser nutrient profiles,higher amounts of essential fatty acids, more protein and hardier effects.Common wild foods include: nettles, purslane, lamb’s quarters, mâche, and

chickweed.Note: Wild rice is not technically raw; nor is it rice; nor should it bemistaken for a superfood!

I have just listed some of the most commonly seen super/ecstatic/wildfoods. It seems every week people discover something else, so you can

research more on your own if interested.Can you survive without them? Sure, people have for years! On the otherhand, they do make a raw diet more lazy-friendly by ensuring optimalnutrition with less planning. I eat them for both taste and nutrient profiles.If you like the idea, great! If not, you might just need to pay a little moreattention to nutrients like essential fatty acids, iron, and protein. Either way,you can still thrive on a raw food diet.







Deficiency or Excess:

Finding Balance

Potential Deficiencies:

B-12 : Gabriel Cousens wrote what many consider a definitive article onvegans and B-12. I encourage you to read it, because he bases hisconclusions on actual medical testing and extensive study. Contrary to otherclaims, his research found that algae and fermented foods do not produceabsorbable B-12, which means long-term vegans are often deficient. Even

people who eat meat lose the ability to digest B-12 as they age. Therefore,sublingual (under the tongue) tablets remain the most reliable way to ingestsufficient levels.

For me, B-12 supplementation is a no-brainer. The risks from deficiencyinclude: extreme fatigue, irreversible nerve damage, mood disorders andmental illness, high blood pressure, and heart attack. As a Medical Intuitive,I’ve had to implore a number of clients to request B-12 testing beforesomething serious occurred, and I’ve known friends who caught theirdeficiency just in time. As a long-term raw vegan, I take sublingual B-12 atleast several times per week. Yes, it’s a supplement, but research showsthe benefits far outweigh my objection that it’s not 100% natural or raw.

B-Vitamins : With the exception of B-12 and possibly choline (found in soylecithin, eggs and bee pollen), eating a varied raw vegan diet can usuallysupply enough B-vitamins. Exceptions occur during times of extremely highphysical or emotional stress, which makes people burn through their B’smore quickly.

When travelling, approaching a writing deadline, or other high intensityperiod, I sometimes opt to take a “Stress Support Multi” from New ChapterOrganics. (You can usually find this brand in major health food stores,which makes it a convenient travel pick-up.) To my knowledge, this is100% vegetarian but not a raw product. As a Lazy Raw Foodist, I just findthat sometimes I function better with some extra B-vitamins, and I don’t



http://tinyurl.com/sublingualB12








always have the extra time, energy or desire to ensure a completelybalanced diet when focused on other projects. Occasionally, clients feel thesame way if travel, deadlines or visitors disrupt their normally sufficient rawvegan diet. B-vitamins can sometimes make the difference between staying

raw or resorting to fortified but cooked options.

Vitamin D : Our bodies can make sufficient Vitamin D with adequateexposure to sun; however, this remains a tricky one for many vegans.Factors like melanin levels, haze, angle/intensity of the sun, and other,unknown issues can affect how much we actually produce.

In a recent article for VegFamily Magazine, Registered Dietician Marty Davey

cites studies from Hawaii and Arizona (both high-sun places) in which peoplewho received as much as eleven hours of direct sunlight per day still testeddeficient in Vitamin D. I have also had a number of medical intuitive clients(including omnivores) whose blood work showed Vitamin D deficiencydespite cod liver oil and/or holidays in sunny India.

Symptoms of deficiency extend beyond the commonly known “rickets” disease in children. Low levels of Vitamin D can contribute to bone pain, fattummies, Fibromyalgia, muscle weakness, PMS, poor calcium absorption,lowered immune response, hormonal imbalances and higher incidence of

cancer.

As a sun lover, I don’t normally take D supplements in the summer, but withsmoky skies from the terrible 2008 wildfires in California, I sensed I coulduse a little boost. In searching for vegan sources (besides the sun), youwant to look for D2 rather than D3, which contains animal ingredients.VegLife and Country Life are two vegan brands often found in stores. Keepin mind that too much Vitamin D is toxic, so please don’t exceedrecommended dosage unless directed by your health care provider and/or a

grossly deficient blood or saliva test.

Iron : If you drink green smoothies and eat green soups and salads madefrom a variety of dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, romaine, arugula,chicory, nettles and dandelion leaves, you can definitely get enough iron ona raw vegan diet. Although plant based iron tends to be less well absorbed


http://vegfamily.com/dietician-marty/daily-vitamin-supplements.htm

http://tinyurl.com/VegLifeVitaminD

http://tinyurl.com/CountryLifeVitaminD


http://vegfamily.com/dietician-marty/daily-vitamin-supplements.htm

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than animal sourced iron (2-10% vs. 25-35%), the presence of vitamin Cboosts non-heme (plant) absorption rates. This is good news for rawfoodists, whose diets usually contain higher than average amounts of C andother heat-sensitive nutrients. Many “cooked” vegans and vegetarians lose

substantial iron as it binds with tannins found in tea and colas or phytatesfound in grains—both of which raw diets tend to minimize. Raw cacaoprovides the highest plant source of iron, making iron deficiency even lesscommon among raw foodists.

Of course, you can follow a raw diet that doesn’t include many (or any) of these ingredients, in which case, iron can become an issue. If you have eversuffered from anemia, then an occasional finger-prick blood test might bewise to assess your levels.

Note: B-12 and anemia can go hand in hand, because B-12 influences theproduction of healthy red blood cells, which transport iron. If you havesymptoms of anemia (fatigue, pale skin, etc.), then you might check B-12levels, too.

Silica : As the second most abundant mineral on earth, silica seems likesomething in which we would never grow deficient. Indeed, humans areborn with plenty of silica, which enhances our use of iron, calcium,

potassium, magnesium, and boron. As we age, calcium gradually replacessilica, because humans often find it easier to absorb. The average adulthuman needs about 20 grams of silica per day for maintenance; however,we typically excrete 10-40 mg of silica each day in our hair, nails andthrough urination. Thus, most humans—not just raw foodists—suffer adecrease in silica as we age.

Although we hear so much about calcium deficiency causing osteoporosis,lack of silica more often forms the root cause of bone and tooth

disintegration. (Studies show that diseases thought to be caused by lowcalcium levels do not respond simply to calcium supplementation. Theyneed other minerals, including silica, in order for the calcium to take effect.)

Silica plays important roles in all connective tissue, including tendons,ligaments, cartilage, and vascular linings, as well as skin, hair and nailhealth. Some studies indicate that it helps protect against heart attacks and







emphysema. In Eating for Beauty , David Wolfe considers silica a primebeauty mineral and marker of youth.

Despite its abundance on earth, silica does not appear in many everydayfoods, and even then only in certain parts. Relatively common food sourcesinclude: alfalfa, radish, nettles, romaine lettuce, and the skins of tomatoes,bell peppers and cucumbers. If you do not regularly consume these silica-rich foods, you might also consider supplementation with horsetail, oatstraw,hemp leaves, or Flora’s Premium Vegetal Silica (usually available in healthfood stores).

Omega-3 Fatty Acids : If your raw diet includes freshly ground and/or

sprouted flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, soaked walnuts and AFA’s(wild blue green algae), you may not have a problem. Some dark leafygreens like purslane also include Omega-3’s.

I only mention this as a possible deficiency because raw foodists can live fora while on iceberg lettuce, oranges and dates—none of which offer the fatsour brains and bodies need to gather through our diet. Additionally, many of us suffered from large imbalances prior to turning raw, so it can take sometime and effort to rebalance a standard diet that favored Omega-6 overOmega-3.

Some people, including children, have difficulty synthesizing DHA fromOmega-3’s. DHA is the primary component of brain tissue, so raw childrenespecially may need supplementation, as might people with brain injuries orstrokes. Fish provide the most common source of DHA, but they receivetheirs by eating algae. Therefore, vegan DHA supplements are algae-based.If you have concerns about Omega-3 or DHA deficiency, please consult yournutritionist or naturopath for additional testing and guidelines.

Protein : Since society hammers into us from an early age that we must eatanimal products in order to survive, many more people fear proteindeficiency than actually suffer from it. That said, raw foodists who eatmostly fruit can run low on protein, as can people recovering from injuries,chemotherapy or long-term illnesses. Symptoms of this deficiency caninclude hair loss, thin skin, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, muscle weakness,


http://www.vegfamily.com/book-reviews/eating-for-beauty.htm


http://www.vegfamily.com/book-reviews/eating-for-beauty.htm





slow wound healing, and brain fog. Such symptoms can also indicate anynumber of other problems, so please monitor yourself carefully, see aholistic nutritionist, or have a blood test if you have additional concerns.

According to the 80-10-10 program, humans can thrive with only 10% of their calories from protein. The World Health Organization says we needonly 5%. Some fruitarians advocate as little as 2%! Greens and grassesprovide the building blocks of protein for some of nature’s largest andstrongest animals, so it makes sense that humans can get sufficient proteinby including these items in their raw diet. AFA’s and other food-grade algaelikewise provide highly absorbable proteins.

Personally, I function best with higher protein. Ever since my 1998 headinjury, I’ve noticed that I grow fatigued, less creative, and mildly irritable if

my protein levels drop for several days in a row. Consequently, I keep lowtemperature processed Sun Warrior™ and/or Raw Power™ (hemp) proteinsupplements on hand in case I eat fewer nuts, seeds and sprouts. A scoop ortwo added to smoothies or “Superfood Candy” usually gets me right back ontrack. I can actually feel my body and brain exhale a sigh of relief!

I know other raw foodists who never supplement protein and seem to exist just fine on green smoothies and blended green soups. I make these aswell, but I know from experience that a little extra protein keeps me sharperand more energetic.

It makes sense that bodybuilders might have higher need for protein thanpeople who do little exercise. I’ve also noticed that the moreintuitive/spiritual work I do, the more I crave denser foods and proteinpowder. They help to ground me while “traveling off in the ethers.” If youdo creative or intuitive work and have had trouble on a raw diet, you mightlook into getting extra protein. For me, it made the difference from stayinga weak 100% or a healthy 60% raw to going comfortably up to 90-100%raw.

Some people suggest that many of the so-called symptoms of proteindeficiency actually arise from a lack of organic sulfur, which we can getthrough MSM powder. Indeed, sulfur acts as a building block of healthy,strong skin, hair and nails, so perhaps there’s some truth to this theory. (Ioccasionally use MSM, but I still crave extra protein at certain times. Bloodwork always shows my protein stats in optimal range, which has encouraged


http://www.tinyurl.com/SunWarrior

http://tinyurl.com/RawPower


http://www.tinyurl.com/SunWarrior

http://tinyurl.com/RawPower





Lazy Raw Foodist’s Tip : If you want to streamline, and you’re notconcerned with maintaining a strictly 100% raw vegan diet, you can alsolook for a multivitamin that contains many of the above nutrients. If you gothat route, I suggest looking for a vegan suitable product, as these usually

include higher levels of those ingredients like B-12, Vitamin D and zinc.

(In August 2008, Garden of Life® brand released an entire line of rawmultivitamins. As of this writing, they are not yet widely available, but youcan find them here . I have not yet tried these products, since they’re still innewly released state, but how wonderful that the raw movement has begunto demand more mainstream market response!)

Depending on your diet, health, and latitude, you might still want tosupplement with sublingual B-12 and D, and take angstrom minerals for the

rest. The liquid nature of angstrom minerals helps the body to absorb themmore easily and allows for synergistic effects among the minerals.

Potential Excesses :

Vitamin A/Beta-Carotene : Though relatively uncommon on a standardAmerican or UK diet, Vitamin A overdose can be easily achieved on a rawfood diet. Consider how many raw staples contain high levels of beta-carotene, which the liver can convert into Vitamin A:

• Goji berries

• Spirulina

• Carrots and carrot juice

• Wheatgrass juice

• AFA (wild blue green algae like E3Live™ or Crystal Manna™)

• Mango

• Red bell pepper


http://tinyurl.com/RawVitamins



http://tinyurl.com/AngstromMinerals


http://tinyurl.com/RawVitamins



http://tinyurl.com/AngstromMinerals





• Dulse

• Butternut squash

• Kale

• Spinach

• Collards

Poor immunity, skin disorders, asthma, osteoarthritis, poor night vision andother issues may indicate a possible Vitamin A deficiency, so you can alsouse the above list as a means of adding more beta-carotene to your diet, if necessary.

Until recently, I did not find people having many issues with Vitamin Atoxicity through diet alone (except myself!). Apparently, as a toddler, Iwent through a period in which would only eat orange foods—mangos,carrots, peaches: anything that looked remotely orange. One day, my momtook me to the doctor because she feared I had jaundice. The doctor tookone look at me and said, “This child’s orange , not yellow! What are feedingher?” Sure enough, I had turned orange from too many carrots andmangos. The experience made for some funny Christmas pictures. Dressed

in my little Santa suit, I still had a bright orange nose! When my mom gotme to eat other colored foods, I turned back into a normal kid. (OK, notquite—but at least my skin color looked normal again!)

Given the availability and increased popularity of very high sources of beta-carotene like goji berries, spirulina, wheatgrass and AFA’s, it’s something towatch. Signs of overdose include: hair loss and extremely dry, brittleand/or itchy skin. If your palms turn orange and you haven’t been usinghenna, consider this a sure sign of excess beta-carotene. Your skindiscoloration will go away as you back off high sources of the nutrient, butyou will need to watch your intake for a while until your liver clears out theexcess.

Caffeine : You might not think of caffeine as a potential excess in the rawdiet, but some transitional foods like Kombucha and raw cacao actually do







• All fruit juices

• Bananas

• Agave nectar, honey or dates (use Stevia, xylitol or yacon syrup instead)

• Dried fruit (especially dried dates, raisins, apple, and pineapple)

• Traditionally farmed fruit (especially oranges, apples, and mango)

• Rapadura (sugarcane juice)

These items do have nutrients associated with them; however, you caneasily get too much of a good thing. When we remove the fiber through

juicing or water through dehydrating, we isolate potent sugars that can feedCandida , tooth decay and other opportunistic parasites. The vitamins insweet fruits and vegetables counteract some of the negative effects of a highsugar diet, but long-term, it can take a toll.

I learned something interesting from Victoria Boutenko, who claims thatfoods grown in calcium-rich soil are sweeter than those grown in calcium-depleted soil. If you find yourself craving sweets, you might really becraving calcium or some other mineral associated with the sweet food youwant (for example, magnesium from chocolate). Getting in touch with thetrue source of sweet cravings will help you to balance the appropriate level

of carbohydrates for your body.For more information on a low-glycemic raw diet, you might like the recipesin Gabriel Cousens’ Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine , as well as CherieSoria’s The Raw Revolution Diet .

Lazy Raw Foodist’s Note : I have provided this list of potential deficienciesand excesses as a starting point for your own research and experimentation.As mentioned, I am not a licensed medical provider or dietician, and I do notintend to diagnose anyone or provide medical advice. I just notice whatsorts of things repeatedly arise along clients’ and friends’ raw journeys.Knowing what kind of questions to ask yourself or your provider can saveyou time and effort in optimizing your own diet and lifestyle.


http://tinyurl.com/RainbowGreenLiveFoodCuisine

http://tinyurl.com/TheRawRevolutionDiet


http://tinyurl.com/RainbowGreenLiveFoodCuisine

http://tinyurl.com/TheRawRevolutionDiet





Food Poisoning

Mention your raw diet to an omnivorous spouse or parent, and you willeventually hear some comment about food poisoning. You might receiveemails about the latest salmonella or e. coli outbreak and take theseconcerns as a personal attack before hitting “Delete.” Perhaps you roll youreyes when someone asks if you should really leave your homemadesauerkraut unrefrigerated for more than an hour. Maybe you groan whenyour mother visits and worries about your soaking nuts and sprout jars.

Yes, most raw fooders have strong immune systems that seem to handlefood borne illness better than the average population; however , we are not

completely immune to parasites, bacteria and fungus! Because I havepersonally known people who became very ill with e. coli and salmonella —some of them raw foodists—I thought I should include a little information onsafe food handling, as well as herbs and spices that act as naturalpreservatives. I worked as a waitress throughout college and for a year of

“paid cognitive therapy” after my brain injury. Here are some food handlingtips I have learned over the years:

• If you see mold growth, throw away that whole piece of food. Moldstretches “fingers” throughout food, so it’s not enough just to cut off amoldy end. Even if you do not see additional spores or discoloration, thatfungus has more than likely penetrated the entire item.

• Florescent colors are neither normal nor healthy! If your sauerkraut,kefir, coconut or other item looks iridescently bright pink, blue, purple orgreen, do yourself a favor and throw it out. Those exceptionally flamboyantand unusual colors are a warning, not an invitation.

• If you sprout, change water regularly . Follow instructions for when torinse each type of sprout, thereby minimizing mold and optimizing sproutgrowth.

• Wash produce thoroughly . You can even use food grade hydrogenperoxide (available in some health food stores) to eliminate bacteria and







mold on produce—especially important if you suffer from Candida , parasites,or compromised immune function.

• Wash your hands and sanitize food prep areas . According to theYavapai County Health Department in Arizona, food handlers should washtheir hands for the length of time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” tuneor the ABC song. Any less time means you may not have killed all thegerms. Many commercial kitchens use bleach for sanitation, and obviouslymost raw foodists want to avoid the chlorine. No problem: vinegar workswell, too. Just make sure you change towels regularly to minimize bacterialgrowth. Hemp products work well because they resist mold and otherpathogens.

Because raw vegans do not handle animal products, it seems like a chance

to relax sanitary standards, but keep in mind that heat no longer kills anyparasites or germs in your food. If you want to thrive on a raw diet, thensome fast wiping with vinegar will keep you (and anyone who eats yourfood) safer. Far more food poisoning occurs when visiting others than eatingout in restaurants. You have likely developed a tolerance to the bacteria inyour own home; however, friends and potluck attendees may have normalsensitivities to little beasties breeding on your counter, towels and food prepequipment.

If you want to dispel myths of the “dangers of raw foods,” then make surethe food you eat and offer others comes from clean hands and a sanitarykitchen.

• Protect food “in the danger zone” with herbs and spices . If youever go through a safe food handling course, you will learn to avoid thedanger zone of 40 – 140 degrees Fahrenheit (4 – 60 degrees Celsius). Foodtimes at that temperature should be minimized, and safe food handlingusually involves thermometers to ensure proper chilling or constant heatingduring buffets.

Look at that temperature range again, and remember that raw foodists keeptemperatures below 118, 115, 112 or 105 degrees—depending on theenzyme preservation theory in use. Then consider that raw socializingoccurs mainly at potlucks, where food can sit out for several hours, notcounting preparation and transit time to the event.







Fortunately, some flavorings double as natural food preservatives. Herbslike oregano and thyme contain antibacterial, antifungal and antiviralingredients that Mediterranean cooks originally used to extend their food’sshelf life. Garlic also creates some antibacterial action, as do onion and

allspice. Cinnamon, tarragon, cumin and lemongrass likewise pack anantibacterial wallop. Peppermint and lavender also offer protection indesserts. Some people believe chili or jalapeno peppers offer protection;however, the recent salmonella outbreak from raw peppers seems tosuggest otherwise.

For more information on antibacterial flavorings, you might enjoy this article from Cornell University.

• Dehydrate at 145 degrees for the first two hours . Dr. Gabriel

Cousens makes an important distinction between air temperature and foodtemperature. When talking about enzyme preservation, the food, ratherthan the air, needs to remain below the magic cut-off point (118, 115, 112,or 105 degrees, depending on your own research). He recommends dryingat the higher temperature for the first two hours because it speeds theoverall dehydrating process, thus minimizing time for fermentation andgrowth of harmful bacteria.

• On hot days, keep foods as whole as possible . If you must leavesomething sitting at room temperature for an extended period of time, try tokeep it in its natural state until ready to eat. Bring a whole avocado, ratherthan cutting it up ahead of time; eat cherry tomatoes instead of choppedlarger ones; bring whole carrots and celery.

• When in doubt, trust your intuition . If something seems “off” butlooks fine, trust your gut. More than one person has suffered intensestomach pain after consuming something they “had a funny feeling abouteating.” I’ve done it myself, and it’s never worth it!

On the other hand, just prior to the 2006 spinach scare, I was on an organicspinach kick. Every time I went to the grocery store, I picked up severalpackages. The day before the e. coli announcement, I went to Wild Oats,picked up a bag of spinach and put it back, thinking, “Nope, time to take abreak on spinach.” Later that week, at least one local client suffered severee. coli from eating spinach when her intuition told her otherwise. Myhusband sends me food poisoning alerts, and invariably, the suspected item


http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/98/3.5.98/spices.html


http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/98/3.5.98/spices.html





Detox Basics:

What You Need to Know

One common pitfall occurs when an omnivore begins to replace meat anddairy with healthier options and feels SICK! Sometimes the feelings passquickly; however, a heavy meat-eater or tofu-eater may experience nausea,skin rashes and/or headaches for quite some time. Particularly if you areunsure of your commitment to go raw, you might think something like, "If this diet's so healthy, then why do I feel so sick? I was healthier eatingcooked food."

Why would adding fiber and extra vegetables to your diet make you feel so

crummy?

The answer is "detoxification"—the process whereby the body replaces toxicsubstances with higher-quality nutrients. The body's degree of toxicity andthe speed of the dietary switch determine how many toxins hit thebloodstream before being re-processed and eliminated through sweat, urineand feces. Some raw foodists believe that they no longer need to drinkwater, because fresh fruits and vegetables contain a lot of natural liquid.True, but raw cuisine also contains a lot more fiber than most cooked foods,and any increase in fiber demands an increase in drinking water. If anaspiring raw foodist does not drink enough water, then s/he not only slowsdown the elimination process through sweat and urine; dehydration mayalso cause fiber to back up in the colon.

Additionally, animal products contain hormones and chemicals that triggeraddictions. Suddenly depriving the body of the jolt of adrenaline theseprovide often results in fatigue or intense cravings. Think of nicotine fits,recovering alcoholics' tremors, and the physical pain heroin addicts feelwhile trying to quit. All are symptoms of withdrawal and can accompany anyeffort to break addictions.

Understanding the principles behind detoxification usually makes thesymptoms more tolerable. If the toxin or withdrawal explanations sound toographic, then try making an analogy with exercise. Like the diet change,exercise is "supposed to be good for us." But starting up an exerciseprogram after a period of inactivity normally leaves people with sore musclesfor a while. As the program continues, the body grows accustomed to theactivity and eventually begins to crave it. As the body adapts itself to a







healthier diet, it will eventually crave healthier food. Rest, water, andemphasizing the temporary nature of symptoms will help ease the process.

Common signs and symptoms of detoxification include:

• Fatigue

• Brain fog

• Sore muscles and/or joints

• Bad breath and/or body odor

• Fever and/or chills• Recurrence of old injury or illness symptoms

• Acne and/or skin rashes

• Cooked food cravings

• Difficulty sleeping

• Mood swings, emotional outbursts, frustration, and/or anger

• Rapid weight loss, difficulty maintaining weight

• Hair loss

Raw foodists have a tendency to explain away any physical symptoms withthe statement, “It’s only detox.” While Natural Hygiene presents a goodargument for disease as a purging of toxins, sometimes people do get sickon a raw food diet. Stress, old emotions, life path questions, geneticsand/or environmental toxins occasionally attack more quickly than ourbodies can process to the next level of cleanliness. In this case, cancer orother diseases can and sometimes do result.

Use your judgment. If you just majorly upgraded your diet and lifestyle,some detox makes sense. Keep in mind that detoxification comes and goesin waves, usually following a period of feeling exceptionally good. Once you







work through a detox period, you will likely feel better than you have inyears— provided it’s really detox you’re going through . If any of the abovesymptoms persists or intensifies for longer than a few days to a week,please seek medical attention—preferably from a naturopath or raw-friendlyhealth care provider who understands the process of dietary cleansing.Many major health crises begin as tiny nudges. Caught early, they makelittle impact on our lives. Allowed to fester and grow, they become muchbigger concerns.

A raw food diet initiates rapid cellular cleansing, which does cause detoxsymptoms for anyone who has lived on this planet for any length of time. If you feel concerned, though, please trust your intuition and seek somecompetent advice—even if only to allay your fears. As a Medical Intuitive, Ioften notice that people’s symptoms improve just by ruling out the scariestpossibilities. By contrast, I have seen health dramatically and rapidly

decline when people tried to ignore their fear, thus allowing it to work ontheir bodies in totally subconscious and self-destructive ways.

Part of a raw food diet includes tuning in more closely to the complex danceof body and soul. The process of detoxification certainly provides lots of practice! The next chapter offers insight into some of the more pro-activeways of encouraging detoxification and inner cleansing. For now, I’ll justshare my favorite ways to deal with untimely detox—the kind that arriveswhen you really don’t have the energy or desire to deal with it! Short of eating cooked food, what can a Lazy Raw Foodist do?

• Sweat . Layer yourself up, exercise, hop on your rebounder, go to asauna, and/or snuggle under extra blankets. You can purge a lot of toxinsthrough your pores. Then take a cool shower to wash them all away.

• Take a bath . I especially like Dr. Singha’s Mustard Bath , becausemustard opens the pores even more, encouraging faster release of toxins.Once those toxins leave your body, you feel better! Plus, the open poresallow healing salts, alkalizing compounds and essential oils to nourish anoverloaded system. You can find Dr. Singha’s Mustard Bath or otherproducts like Dead Sea Salts, Epsom Salt or various detox blends in the

Shower & Bath section of local health food stores, or online. Follow with acool shower. You might need to take baths more often during detox times,so you can revel in a perfect excuse to lounge around and do nothing!

• Enjoy a cleansing massage . Essential oils and lymphatic drainage canespecially help move the detox process along; however, any movement of body tissues (followed by drinking lots of water) will relieve some symptoms.


http://www.ihealthtree.com/dr-singha-s-mustard-bath.html


http://www.ihealthtree.com/dr-singha-s-mustard-bath.html





• Get a body wrap . For people who want someone else to take the toxinsaway, seaweed, mud, red wine or other naturally extracting body wraps canprovide an easy, relaxing solution.

• Take ornithine at night . Ornithine is an amino acid that helps the bodydeal with ammonia. When our bodies kill parasites, they often releaseammonia, which becomes toxic to the brain and keeps us awake at night.Taking ornithine tablets can help minimize the damage and still give youyour zzz’s.







• You can avoid “juicer’s elbow” by blending veggies and greens in your Vit-Mix and then pushing everything through a nut milk bag. Of course, youmay then get “juicer’s fingers,” but those don’t hurt. You just get stainednails from pressing out the natural pigments of your produce.

• Some initial hunger is normal, but if you find yourself actually starving,losing consciousness, or having changes in heartbeat, please consult a fast-knowledgeable medical guide or break your fast. Even if you have not goneas long as you originally intended, any break in digestion can have healingeffects—unless you push your body beyond its capabilities. Inappropriatefasting can do more harm than good.

Juice Feasting

One recent development on the cleansing front is something called “JuiceFeasting.” This phenomenon has sparked many a blog and onlinecommunity, and March 1, 2008 marked the start-date of a worldwidecommunity Juice Feast.

In early 2008, I interviewed Sedona resident Chele A. Eades , a healthylifestyle coach and raw foods chef who has been teaching others the benefitsof juicing for over 20 years. She works with a number of local naturopaths tosupport their clients in healing and detoxification. Chele explains thedifference between fasting and feasting:

“Juice Feasting means consuming fresh raw vegetable and fruit juicesfor 92 days, to cleanse the body of old toxins. This is termed a ‘Feast’ rather than ‘Fast’ because one gets ALL the calories one wouldnormally get in a day (i.e. 1500 for an average woman) – from at least4 litres/1 gallon of fresh juice, daily (green vegetable juices, fruit

juices and coconut water all included).

“There are 92 elements the body needs to function optimally (that areknown); therefore the program timing is based on that concept. By

consuming only liquids, which are absorbed directly into our system,we give the body a huge energy break from digesting foods. It canthen use that saved energy to clean out old matter, especially fromthe small intestine. The average person holds 5-10lbs of toxic oldmatter in their intestines, and Feasting is an ideal way to release it,giving the body a phenomenal chance to rejuvenate and restore. Oftenwhen people fast they take in very small amounts of liquid/calories,the metabolism slows, their energy slumps, and they may feel quite









Other Herbal Cleanses

Due to its purity, Ejuva remains the cleanse of choice for many raw foodists;however, the fasting and cost of Ejuva (sometimes $200-700 whenfacilitated), encourage many clients to ask me for other recommendations. Igenerally direct clients to three places and suggest they choose the programthat resonates best for them:

• Dr. Natura’s Colonix is not raw, but it does get rid of parasites and oldintestinal crud. I have taken this cleanse myself with, um, dramatic results.Without getting graphic, let’s just say that I know this stuff works well. A lotof my clients have taken it for two to three months and noticed major lifts inmood, weight loss, more creativity, and a greater sense of clarity and peace.

I like this product because it does not require fasting or even a raw fooddiet, and people find it gentle enough for everyday use. Many of my clientstravel for work, and they cannot afford “the runs” or other issues associatedwith colon cleansing.

I also like that Colonix provides a strong defense against parasites. Mostpeople don’t realize that when we have parasites (and pretty much everyonedoes!), these little beasties have their own agendas and energy. Sometimesirrational fears, anger, aggression or other “personality traits” are really

“parasite traits.” For example, I have found that pin worms resonate withanxiety (especially about finances). Round worms resonate with negativity,anger and aggression, while Candida resonates with “victim,” especially thekind of victim who feels walked on by everyone else. I often recognizeCandida overgrowth just by the corresponding “poor me” mentality.Removing such unwanted guests can bring back our natural, joyful state.Other people notice relief from skin conditions, back aches and/or chronicillness.

• Dr. Hulda Clark’s Liver Flush is intense, but not as intense as mostpeople fear! I’ve done it twice as directed by Dr. Clark, with excellentresults both times. The second time I used hemp oil instead of olive oil, and

it actually tasted great with the grapefruit juice. Instead of gagging, I felt alittle sad when I had reached the end of my glass.

Some people approach this cleanse with a week of fasting only on apple juice. I have never followed this alternative step, and I still expelled plentyof pea green bile stones. I find that many people react badly to the apple

juice—developing Candida overgrowth, blood sugar issues, and/or severeintestinal cramping. Although I do cleanse periodically, I’m really a Lazy


http://www.drnatura.com/


http://www.drnatura.com/





Cleanser as well, and I don’t like to risk residual problems. As a result, I just followed Dr. Clark’s instructions as posted here , including herrecommendation to destroy parasites ahead of time. I have never “zapped,” but I did take walnut hull, wormwood and cloves for two weeks before eachliver flush. Dr. Natura’s Colonix also contains these ingredients.

Dr. Clark wrote The Cure for All Cancers: Including Over 100 Case Histories ,which provides fascinating, disturbing and potentially liberating informationfor anyone who chooses to read it. Although I can make no personal claims,I do know at least one person who cured his advanced kidney cancer byfollowing her protocol and making lifestyle changes. As you might imagine,the book’s title and claims have given Dr. Clark a place in “quack watch” andother websites looking to discredit so-called miracle cures. As always,please follow your own intuition and experience. I’m just playing tour guide.

• Renew Life offers cleansing packages that you can buy in the health foodstore or online. They have many different programs and packages frombeginning to advanced, colon to full body. Although I have not experiencedparticularly dramatic results with these products, I find them handy becauseyou can pick them up whenever inspiration strikes at Whole Foods. You cangenerally go about your regular day while taking the various pills, and if younotice detox symptoms like headaches or nausea, you can easily back downyour dose. For this reason, I find the Renew Life products excellent starteroptions for people new to cleansing and detoxification. You probably won’thave any “’Oh my, God, I can’t believe that came out of me!’ moments,” which, for some people, is a huge relief.

Colon Hydrotherapy (aka Colonics)

Colon hydrotherapy involves flushing out the colon and intestines with warmwater. Generally people purchase an initial series of six to ten one-hour orhour-and-a-half sessions, designed to loosen and release years of accumulation. The therapist will then recommend the regularity of sessionsbased upon diet, lifestyle, goals and ease of release. Some people consider

colonics highly controversial and not just because of having something stuckup their bums for an hour. Anti-colonics folks believe the water dilutesnaturally occurring and beneficial bacteria, leaving the person morevulnerable to parasites and digestive imbalances.

Other people swear that regular colonics have cured acne, irritable bowelsyndrome, Candida overgrowth, depression, and/or allowed them tomaintain a 100% raw diet. Matt Monarch is probably the most vocal raw


http://www.drclark.net/en/cleanses_clean-ups/liver_cleanses.php

http://tinyurl.com/HludaClarkCureAllCancer

http://renewlife.ca/


http://www.drclark.net/en/cleanses_clean-ups/liver_cleanses.php

http://tinyurl.com/HludaClarkCureAllCancer

http://renewlife.ca/





foodist proponent of colonics as a key to long-term “raw success,” but Iknow several clients who have gone for weekly or monthly colonics foryears, feeling it keeps them fresh, glowing and rejuvenated.

As with other types of cleansing, no one can make this decision for you. If you feel like you want to purge a whole lot in a hurry, or detox symptomslike bad breath, body odor or acne have persisted beyond other cleansingattempts—or, if you just really want someone else to do the work for you—then colon hydrotherapy might sound intriguing. If people have an interestin this type of treatment, I always suggest they call a local colonhydrotherapist to assess their comfort level and resonance with the provider.The right relationship seems especially important in this type of therapy,because you’ll be lying on a table in a gown for at least an hour while theyfill you up and flush you out. For a list of certified colon hydrotherapyfacilities, please click here .

Rejuvelac is a fermented drink made from water and sprouted wheat, rye,or other large grains. I include it in this chapter because many peopleconsider this drink something only “hard core” or extreme raw foodists take.Like wheatgrass juice (another “hard core” shot), rejuvelac became popularthrough the work of Dr. Ann Wigmore, who advocated it as a means of replenishing good bacteria in the gut. Though acquired, the taste definitelydepends on the type of grains used, fermenting temperature and age of therejuvelac. It really does grow on you, though: I love this stuff!

As a Lazy Raw Foodist, I have never made my own rejuvelac, and someexperts advise you actually just take acidophilus supplements, sincerejuvelac cultures are difficult to control . Various health food stores carry little 8oz. bottles of rejuvelac, which you can sample to see if you want to makeyour own. Here are two different recipes:http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/recipes/rejuvelac.ph p and http://www.sproutpeople.com/cookery/rejuvelac.htm l. Probiotics (whether through raw yogurts, kefir, rejuvelac orsupplements) are an easy, proactive step for people with no desire to fast,flush or herbal cleanse.

Please note: In sharing these experiences of clients and myself, I in no wayintend to diagnose, treat or claim to cure you with Dr. Natura, Ejuva,colonics or any other means. I include these details only to provide you withmore information in making your own conscious choices.


http://www.colonic.net/

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/clement1.html

http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/recipes/rejuvelac.ph

http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/recipes/rejuvelac.php

http://www.sproutpeople.com/cookery/rejuvelac.htm


http://www.sproutpeople.com/cookery/rejuvelac.html


http://www.colonic.net/

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/clement1.html

http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/recipes/rejuvelac.ph

http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/recipes/rejuvelac.php



http://www.sproutpeople.com/cookery/rejuvelac.html





“But I Worked through that Years Ago!”

Dealing with Emotional Backlash

Raw food diets cleanse at the cellular level. Most people understand thatcells contain buried physical toxins, but our bodies also hold memories of emotional trauma, disappointments, betrayals and broken hearts. When we

“stuff our feelings,” they actually get lodged in physical cells. As live foodsencourage cellular release of toxins, these old emotions resurface beforeleaving permanently—even if we think we healed them long ago. Lifebecomes intense for awhile, but you do have options. I won’t prescribe oneall-inclusive antidote, but I will share observations from my own journey andhelping others on their raw food path.

The Grief Eater

When grief or loss overwhelms us, we instinctively choose fight or flight--both forms of denial. According to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, denial marks thefirst stage of a five-part process, followed by anger, bargaining, depressionand acceptance. If all recovery requires a progression through at least two of these stages, then how can we move through them faster? So many of mycoaching clients remain stuck because of current reactions to very old grief.They don't want to dissect their experiences; they want to move past them.Now.

A meditation using the syllables "sat yam" (rhymes with "but" "hum") offersa powerful way to do just that. I first discovered this ancient technique onYogiraj Alan Finger's wonderful CD, "Life Enhancing Meditations," in which heleads listeners through a seated process. I found it effective in movingthrough my own emotions and began to share the method with clientswhose reactions to grief continued to get the better of them. To my delight,they started practicing the meditation for a few minutes each day, and their

anger and attachments began to fade. I've recommended it so many timesover the years--and with such good results--that I decided to share themeditation here.

If you think of the old saying, "When life gives you lemons, makelemonade," this meditation gives you another option. It functions like agarbage disposal for old emotions that no longer serve us. What happenswhen we throw lemons in a garbage disposal? All the old, nasty smelling







junk that sits in the sink and makes it stink, suddenly smells fresh. Thelemon completely disappears, leaving only a fresh, invigorating scent andfree-flowing water.

To begin the process, get as comfortable as you can without falling asleep.(Yogiraj Alan Finger recommends sitting upright; however, I encourageclients to use this meditation in the moment, whenever a new betrayal, lossor irritation threatens to turn into lasting grief or anger.) So, get ascomfortable as you can and preferably close your eyes. Gradually bringyourself into your heart. If you can't get out of your head, imagine a ladderdescending from your brain to your heart, and step down each rung witheach breath, until you can step into your heart center.

Once in your heart, concentrate on your breath, imagining it flowing directlyin and out of your heart center (at the center of your chest, not actually your

physical heart!). Breathe like this for a minute or so.

On your next inhalation, inhale through your heart center and imagineyou're dragging all your old grief, anger, loss, betrayal and attachments inwith the breath. If you have a lot of emotions, you might imagine themwrapped in cloth that you drag in with the breath. You might also think of them as barnacles attaches to silk. Use whatever image comes to mind mosteasily. Inhale deeply, dragging all this old junk up to the crown (top) of yourhead, silently saying to yourself, "sat" (rhymes with "but").

Once you reach the end of your inhale at the crown of your head, exhalethrough your crown and imagine all that old stuff releasing out the top of your head. As you exhale, silently say to yourself, the sound, "yam" (rhymeswith "hum"), imagining the sound carrying away all your grief and emotions.(I like to imagine huge wings opening up to the sound "yam" and takingflight with all the things I no longer need.)

Return to your heart and repeat: inhale, dragging all the remaining emotionsinto your heart with the sound "sat," dragging all that stuff up to yourcrown, and then releasing through the top of your head with an exhalationand the sound "yam." Inhale, release, repeat.

(You need not worry about "polluting" the world with all these "negative"emotions, because when something releases through your crown, itundergoes a spiritual transmutation and simply becomes uncharged energy.)

Continue to repeat the sat yam inhalation/exhalation process until you feellight in your heart and have difficulty finding enough "stuff" to drag in withyour inhale. Once you've reached a good stopping point, enjoy this lighter,







cleaner space of your heart and know that you can return here any time byinviting the grief into your heart, transforming it through breath and sound,and releasing it through the crown of the head.

This meditation works, in part, because it reconnects the head and theheart, reversing traditional sounds associated with their chakras. "Sat,"meaning "truth" or "true identity," usually corresponds to the seventhchakra, while "yam" represents the sound of the fourth (or heart) chakra. Byreversing these sounds, this meditation encourages consciousness in theheart and a connection between "hridaya" (gateway to the highest level of reality) and our point of union with the Divine. Head and heart become anintegrated whole.

Because this meditation involves a bit of multi-tasking (concurrent breath,sound, visualization), people often wonder if they can practice isolated parts

of it. "Can't I just breathe deeply? What if I forget the sounds?" My own andothers' experiences find the whole greater than the sum of its parts in thiscase. Deep breathing will help anyone deal with stress, but without themantra and visuals, deep breathing does not act as a grief eater. Deepbreaths will relax you, but they will not cause "lemons" to disappear, leavingonly a fresh, clean, invigorating scent. If you have trouble memorizing theinstructions, record part of this article for yourself, or buy Yogiraj AlanFinger's "Life Enhancing Meditations." With regular practice, you'll find itbecomes natural and easy.

One client uses this technique so much that she's turned it into a verb! "Soand so really got on my nerves today, so I satyam'ed for five minutes whilehe was talking to me. I can see I'll have to satyam some more because I canfeel a little sadness clawing at my heart strings." She uses the meditationproactively, as a means to avoid latching onto negative emotions. Whetherused for removing old grief or to prevent future attachments, sat yam offersa powerful way to keep moving forward. By embracing grief--literally invitingit into our hearts--we allow the energy of unconditional compassion to healour wounds. Instead of dodging the emotions, we love them. As the sayinggoes, "If you love something, set it free." Love your grief, so that you CANset it free!

Alternate Options: The Temporary Numb-Out and Conscious Eating

When a raw food lifestyle affords greater insights and intuition, most peopleconsider this a gift. There are, however, some times when people reallydon’t want quite so much Awareness. Family reunions, weddings, divorces,







major life changes … any of these can trigger panic or grief that sometimesfeels better with a bit of static. White noise on the brain: just enoughinterference to mellow that inner broadcast of emotions.

I’m not a psychiatrist, so please take everything I say here with a HimalayanSalt crystal! From a Medical Intuitive perspective, though, we’re all addicts.As humans, we all struggle with addictive tendencies that mask “negative” aspects of ourselves. In reality, these shadow traits pop up for us toembrace them, integrate them and move on, but sometimes that doesn’tfeel so easy. Humans privately judge themselves so harshly that whenoutside relationships or events seem to validate that judgment, it can hurt.Sometimes a lot!

Even if we’re working to release those old expectations and nasty innercritics, at times the feelings or incongruities throw a tantrum, punching andpinching all the sore spots. Each person has his or her own pain threshold—on the physical level as well as in the heart and mind. We can choose toopen our hearts and follow our bliss, but sometimes if we don’t wander off the path, we risk halting our entire raw food journey.

When you know what you need emotionally, you can hopefully deal directlywith those feelings, but let’s imagine that’s not an option at the moment.For whatever reason, you simply cannot or will not work through your issueright now: you’ve satyam’d, bounced on your rebounder, listened to 80’smusic, and you’re still achingly depressed or angry.

Even if you know you’ll get a cooked food hangover the next morning, attimes, you might consciously choose to numb yourself with corn chips,pasta, or other cooked comfort food. People use alcohol or drugs for thesame reason, and sometimes a little numbness works for people. No, I don’tadvocate recreational drugs or abuse of the body! I just know thatunderstanding this dynamic helps some people remain mostly raw for thelong haul, instead of quitting prematurely “because things seem way toohard.”

Why does this matter to a Lazy Raw Foodist? Well, a slight detour to muncha few tortilla chips takes far less time and effort to redirect than a six monthcooked food binge that happened because you insisted on pushing yourself too fast or too far beyond your limits!

I have a naturally high metabolism, but I also know that I’m too lazy to getfat. When I look at the phenomenal effort and discipline required to lose200, 100, even 20 pounds, an extra flight of stairs or a walk around the lake









this afternoon sounds easy. As they say, “An ounce of prevention is worth apound of cure.” In the case of the temporary numb-out, if you recognizeyour desire for distraction, and you know you’ll binge when things go too far,then sometimes a tiny, controlled diversion can save you from having tobuild a whole new road.

When we think of Hippocrates’ words, “Let your food be your medicine andyour medicine be your food,” we usually think of fresh, raw foods as themedicine, and most of the time that’s true. In some cases, though, theintensity of mental, emotional or spiritual anguish can make less clarifyingfoods a compassionate alternative. As you become more conscious of food’seffects on each of your various levels, you can actually refine your use of it.

Enter another Lazy Raw Foodist paradox: conscious eating initially takesmore effort, but it saves you effort in the long run. If you eat consciously—

noticing how you feel while consuming different foods—then you will giftyourself Awareness when you most need it.

Sensing which feeling you do want and associating that feeling with anappropriate food lessens the total amount of food you will need to rebalanceyour emotions. Just a small portion of exactly the right ingredient can takethe edge off suffering—saving you from a binge, shameful feelings and/orphysical consequences of that binge.

Another boon of conscious eating: with attention and intention, you canoften find raw foods that work, thus saving you uncontrollable forays intocooked.

For example, you might notice that when you meditate a lot or live onmostly fruit, you feel “airy” or “floaty.” Grounding becomes an issue, andafter awhile, you might crave meat. The moment you begin to feel thatnudge for grounding, you can tweak your still-raw diet. Ask yourself, whatdo I feel I need? In this case, you want some weight: heaviness, a littlemore solidity. Will ground beef do it? Yes, it likely will, but if you monitoryour feeling before it becomes a full-on craving, then some nuts or heavy,gourmet raw treats can provide your desired effect.

No set rules exist here, because each person responds differently to differentstimuli. Nevertheless, some general tips seem to work for most people:







Feeling Emotional Craving Effective Foods

Airy, flighty grounding, solidity miso, nuts & roots

Aggressive gentle support greens, avocado, coconut H20

Frazzled, burned out nurtured, calmed raw protein, celery, sea veggies

Sad brightness, joy fresh veggie juice, raw cacao, figs

Too “in-tune” quiet, deep sleep gourmet raw entrée + dessert

Eating consciously also lets you observe how trace ingredients affect you.For example, some people become extremely sensitive to raw garlic andonions, even if they tolerated them well while eating cooked food.

Certain religions avoid garlic and onions due to a stimulating effect thatdisquiets the mind. On the other hand, some people L-O-V-E garlic, and themore the better. Conscious eating lets you discern if your taste buds sayyes, but your body says no.

I personally like the taste of gourmet raw foods, some of which containgarlic and onions; however, I find that I don’t sleep well for three or fournights after consuming these ingredients. I also feel agitated, perhaps fromthe lack of sleep. Even if my tummy feels fine, with observation, I havelearned how to monitor my mood through food. I avoid overly pungentspices unless I consciously choose to accept the consequences.

Recognizing your optimal diet doesn’t mean you can never stray. It just helps to know how certain foods affect your moods, so that you canmaintain your equilibrium or quickly rebalance emotions. For moreinformation on this topic, I recommend Conscious Eating by Gabriel

Cousens, as well as the non-raw book, The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobioticsby Jessica Porter. She’ll make you laugh while teaching you the ins and outsof yin and yang.







Skeletons in the Closet:

Bingeing and Purging

Eating disorders, obsession with food, and perfectionism do not always endwith a nutrition degree or a 100% raw vegan diet. Yes, removing toxins andprocessed foods helps—sometimes tremendously—but the pressure to lookhealthy, thin and beautiful can continue beyond education or dietary shifts.Often, it actually increases. As a Medical Intuitive and Life Coach, I’veencountered many nutritionists and raw fooders who feel ashamed andembarrassed of their ongoing issues with food. As health advocates, they’re

“not supposed to have these problems anymore!” “Why can’t they practicewhat they preach?” “Why the self-sabotage?” Secret cooked food binges,bulimia (overeating followed by regurgitation or excessive exercise),dangerously long fasts and detoxification attempts, uncontrollable cravings…

This dark side of radiant health can plunge people into a sea of shame anddepression—which, of course, they’re also not supposed to feel. “What if myclients or readers find out?” they worry. “You’re human,” I say. “And it’smore common than you think.” So common and under-reported, in fact, thatI knew I needed to include this chapter.

Fortunately, our bodies never betray us. They work on behalf of our souls—trying to grab our attention when nothing else has. As with any healthconcern, once we decode and accept the message, we can let the symptomsgo. Most psychologists recognize these patients’ tendency towardperfectionism. Therapy attempts to negate self-judgment. This helps tosome degree, but most “recovered” anorexics or bulimics privately confessthat the disorder returns whenever they feel out of control. Best casescenario, they can manage the stress and not return to old behavior patterns—but the thoughts remain.

Telling someone to “drop the perfectionism” doesn’t provide a cure. In fact,it prevents the cure! Because, truth be told, these people know they can dobetter. They know they can live bigger, brighter, more influential lives—perhaps more than anyone around them imagines. The quest for perfect

body or perfect health reflects a deeper urge to perfect the Self. Successfultreatment of eating disorders needs to honor this inner drive—and create asafe space to explore unusual gifts and talents. In a society that feels morecomfortable with mediocrity, it often seems easier to transfer the soul’smission to the body.

Thus, the anorexic who holds within her a fully compassionate, radiant,healing presence feels less conspicuous as a walking skeleton. The bulimic







2) Start a meditation practice .

You can buy a CD like Yogiraj Alan Finger’s Life Enhancing Meditations orDeepak Chopra’s SoulofHealing Meditation CD. Both offer excellent guidancein forgiving yourself and others, allowing you to open a bigger, moreinfluential you.

You can also try a kundalini yoga meditation called Sa Ta Na Ma. The words “sa ta na ma” translate roughly to birth, life, death, rebirth, and are thus apowerful transformative mantra. When chanting Sa Ta Na Ma, sit on thefloor with your legs crossed and press your elbows to your ribs, so that yourarms each form 90 degree angles at your sides.

Press the fingertips to the pads on your palms and stick your thumb s up likea hitchhiker. Inhale deeply and then exhale all your air, sucking your navel

towards your back. Holding the belly empty, chant silently within yourself four rounds of “Sa Ta Na Ma.” Inhale deeply and repeat this process at leastsix times, up to eleven minutes. The combination of completely emptyingand then filling the lungs and belly, combined with the meaning, make this asuper technique for people with eating disorders.

3) Whenever you feel “too big” physically, explore your spiritualgifts .

If you don’t consciously know what these are, ask for guidance. They willreveal themselves! You can also take a 60 question inventory here:

http://www.elca.org/evangelism/assessments/spiritgifts.html

(If you’re not Christian, modify the questions for your personal belief system.) People often feel “huge” not because of actual girth but becausethey have so much unused “stuff” inside of them.

4) When you feel the urge to purge, release in other ways .

Honor pent-up energy, words and talents that seek expression. Write, paint,draw, volunteer. Share something beautiful!










5) When you want to starve yourself, “feed” the world .

Look at people around you starving for emotional or spiritual nourishment.Offer random acts of kindness as support. Clean house and donate oldclothes. Give until you feel balanced to receive again.

6) If you feel ashamed for your “issues,” remember where you’reheaded .

Shame will dissolve as you embrace your deeper purpose and share thatbeauty with the world. We change the world and our lives one small step ata time. Each day, concentrate on one small step—a journal entry,conversation, or application essay. An outfit of older clothes put together in

unexpected ways. A walk in nature. A letter to the editor.

7) If your stomach bothers you, focus on your heart center .

If you have trouble getting into your heart, imagine green, gold, or pink lightmoving in and out of you with your breath. Follow your breath and feel apulsating warmth in the center of your chest. Let that warmth envelop youand radiate from you like warm, honey, emanating sweetness. Your heart’s

just one step above your tummy, but that one step lifts you out of ego andinto communion.

Why do I mention eating disorders in The Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide ?

Because a Lazy Raw Foodist doesn’t have time for these distractions! If youcatch yourself falling into old (or new) patterns of anorexia, bingeing orbulimia, please seek some outside support, but don’t disregard your innerresources. You likely have a larger role in life than you imagined, and that

can feel intimidating.Relax! No one gets a spiritual calling without a corresponding offer of spiritual support. Pay attention to your feelings, but keep moving on your

journey.







Vulnerability

What happens when you “… lose the weight you used to need to throw around”?

--Pink Floyd, “Animals”

Fat protects us. It insulates us both emotionally and physically—creating astorage bin for toxic thoughts and chemicals. Fat keeps dangeroussubstances away from vital organs, and it also keeps uncomfortableemotions (positive or negative) away from our hearts. Trouble is thismethod encourages us to accumulate extra pudge and barriers.

When we start eating clean, organic, raw food, our bodies recognize higher

quality nutrients and begin to clean house—replacing ratty old cells withfresh, new life. In the detoxification section, I discussed how this processcan feel icky in the interim. Old toxins and emotions suddenly hit thebloodstream like trash bags of musty old clothes cluttering a floodedbasement. Initially, when we try to clean house, things can look and feelworse than they did before we started. If we stick to the cleansing process,though, eventually our body will feel lighter, newer and more open—just likeour home after a good spring cleaning and remodel.

So, just make it through the detox, and then everything’s perfect, right?

Well, sort of . Think of what happens when you redecorate your home.Maybe you install new carpeting, and suddenly, it’s a “no shoes household.” You don’t want to get dirt on that fresh new carpet. If you have a roomful of white carpet with one muddy footprint, guess what draws your focus? And that new couch? Forget eating on it. Eat your dinner at the table! Eventhough your old couch needed a slipcover—in fact, because your old couchneeded a slipcover—you’re more apt to notice spilled dressing on your newupholstery. If you want to keep your new blinds white, you’ll have to (gasp)

dust them regularly, lest they grow dingy.In short, you might love your remodeled home, but it also requires morecare and upkeep. Mistakes show themselves more glaringly against apristine canvas. The same thing happens to your body. As you upgradeyour diet and lifestyle to organic, fresh, raw foods and non-toxic products,your body begins to expect higher quality. It becomes more sensitive, and







less tolerant of everyday chemicals, pesticides and artificial ingredients.Things like cigarette smoke, formaldehyde, air pollution or chlorine bleachcan cause major reactions.

A body with lots of padding or at least substantial amounts of mucus hassome way to buffer the onslaught of foreign substances, but raw dietsrelease these buffers, leaving us more vulnerable to a toxic environment.Matt Monarch goes into the physical aspects of this with nice illustrations inhis book, Raw Success, but essentially, on a raw food diet, our cells become

“tighter.” Pollutants no longer get caught in mucus or fat: they immediatelyaffect the cells.

Think of alcohol, for example. People gradually increase their tolerance untilit may take four, five, even ten drinks for them to feel drunk. Yet someone

who rarely drinks and has not eaten may feel totally tipsy after half a glassof wine. They “have no tolerance.” Without a gradual build-up, people notused to toxic substances will experience stronger reactions to them.

A similar process occurs emotionally. Without the hazy filter of fat,chemicals and genetically engineered building blocks for cells, uncomfortabletruths become more difficult to hide. If a marriage has always lackedcompassion, that fact will become clearer while eating live, organic food. If certain people in your life manipulate you with subtly negative comments,you’ll notice those more and find yourself less tolerant. If your job requiresyou to ignore your conscience you’ll find it more difficult to do so whileeating a raw diet. Not impossible: humans have perfected the possibilitiesof denial and avoidance! But you will find the incongruities more noticeable,more glaring and more demanding of attention the longer you stay raw.

Ultimately, some people choose to back their raw intake down to apercentage that allows certain old patterns to remain. That’s entirely yourchoice. Others decide to embrace their newfound clarity because the dreamof a new way of living looks so promising and joyful. They view the strong

reactions to old patterns as intense reminders to stay on a more committedpath to excellence and growth.

Whatever you decide, you always have options. It just helps to realize thatincreasing your raw intake and decreasing toxins will eventually lead you toexpect higher standards in all areas of your life. If you want to return to oldpatterns after a lengthy hiatus, don’t feel surprised when you experience a







“Help, I’m Suddenly Psychic”

Heightened Awareness and Grounding Issues

Jill Bolte Taylor's popular TED video, best-selling book, and her interview onOprah really started people talking. Suddenly, the silent experiences of millions of stroke and brain injury survivors have entered mainstreamconsciousness! As a TBI (traumatic brain injury) survivor and Intuitive LifeCoach, I receive so many questions from people wondering if biochemistryand trauma awaken spirituality in everyone, or just them. While I certainlycannot speak for everyone, I do recognize higher than average interest inspiritual growth and intuitive awareness in people whose brains have short-circuited. It also happens a lot among raw fooders.

The process both excites and terrifies, so here are a few hints for handlingthe Awakening:

1) Know that you are not alone .

Yes, it might feel like no one in the world has had this experience, butpeople have had mystical encounters for millennia. Some, like Hildegaardvon Bingen or Fyodor Dostoyevski, are now thought to have suffered fromsevere migraines and/or epilepsy. Many Medical Intuitives such as CarmenBell and Tiffany Snow trace their gifts to a near death experience.

My own Medical Intuition dramatically increased after a moderateconcussion, and it sky-rocketed with I went raw. I work with many parentsraising high raw/vegan kids, and they frequently comment on their children’sAwareness. Shazzie calls her little Evie, “scarily psychic.”

Does a biochemical component negate such experiences? Far from it!Scientists have recently studied long-term meditators, locating areas in the

brain that show greater or lesser activity than in "normal" brains. Yoga offersa four-to-eight-thousand-year-old tradition of balancing biochemistry inorder to relax the body, quiet the mind, and awaken more profound SpiritualConsciousness. If you suddenly sense the veil has parted, you might need tolook around for people who share similar experiences, but rest assured:they're out there!









2) Stay Open .

When a neurological condition or the absence of cooked food suddenly openspathways you never knew existed, you might feel tempted to "turn thingsoff." Indeed, many people contact me because they don't know how tohandle the onslaught of psychic awareness. "How do I tune stuff out?" theyask. "I don't wanna know these things!"

If you lived life from a rational perspective and suddenly see into the future,communicate telepathically, or know your neighbor has cancer before shetells you, this information initially seems like way too much to handle. But Ilearned something ironic about both sight and insight when a brain injurydestroyed my visual system; if you feel overloaded, embrace moreinformation instead of shutting yourself down.

Here's why this works: physiologically, our eyes are designed to scan thehorizon for food and/or predators. Although most of us now spend morehours on the computer than hunting or gathering, our visual system remainsquite similar to that of our ancestors, for whom any information equaledvaluable information. If a saber-toothed tiger crouched to their left, or abuffalo wandered in the distance, they needed to know! A loss of peripheralvision meant a loss of overall awareness, which could spell death. Hence, anarrowed visual field still leads to fight or flight response.

In today's world, we can easily develop tunnel vision. If you spend eighthours on a computer and then go home and watch TV for a few hours orrelax by reading a book (without looking in the distance or practicing eyeexercises) you have effectively narrowed your visual field. As the sayinggoes, "use it or lose it." Consistently ignoring our peripheral vision can resultin degradation, so that we become less and less aware of our physicalenvironment. Anxiety, irritability and fear quickly follow-and no wonder! Ourbodies are hard wired to fear a lack of visual input!

80-90% percent of the information we absorb comes through the visualsystem. The health of our visual system directly affects our thoughts,emotions and ability to "see the forest through the trees." As humans, we

also have a Third Eye or intuitive center, which resides in the space betweenour eyebrows. According to yogis and long-term meditators, focusingawareness on this area heightens intuition. This Visioning Center remainsclosely connected to our visual center, because so much of memory,imagination, and insight rely on visual cues.







If you suddenly find your visioning or insight center (your Third Eye)overloaded with information, trying to shut out guidance will only increaseyour anxiety, just like going blind as a hunter-gatherer would have madeyour heart race.

Humans instinctively fear darkness. If you sense too much intuitiveawareness, turning your inner light up will help much more than trying toturn it off.

3) Learn to develop calm Awareness.

OK, so you're not supposed to censor information, but it still seems like toomuch: how do you find a balance?

Try centering yourself, either alone or with a guided meditation. Repeating amantra or listening to chants like those sung by Deva Premal or Krishna Dascan help your mind relax without zoning out. Ideally, you want somethingthat pulls you into your heart instead of playing hide and seek with thoughts.

Concentrate on your Heart Chakra (at the center of your chest) and imaginewarm, golden, pink or green light pulsating in a slow, radiant beat. Asimpressions fly into your head, bring them into your heart to feel and hear aresponse tempered with loving-kindness.

In the Christian tradition, Jesus says, "Perfect love casts out fear," and youknow what? It actually does! Experiment and you will find that saturatingyourself with unconditional compassion instantly banishes worry.

Consider that the words "scared" and "sacred" contain all the samecomponents, just slightly rearranged. We do not need to remove things inorder to make them holy. We need only shift perspective. On her AwakenedHeart Meditation CD, teacher Sally Kempton observes that in Sanskrit, theword for the Heart Chakra, hridaya, is also the word for "the highestgateway to reality." Let your heart balance your head's information overload.

4) Have fun!

Your attitude towards these newfound gifts determines much of yourexperience. Approach intuitive hits with fear, and life becomes a series of







dire predictions and forebodings. On the other hand, recognizing nudgesfrom the universe can save you a lot of time, energy and heartache.

Many people find that heightened intuition coincides with increased manifestation ability . If you've heard about “The Law of Attraction" then youalready know that your thoughts influence your reality. Why not have funcreating more of the life that you desire? Practice intending abundant, joyfuldays. Ask for synchronicities. Align your intentions with the highest good of all and watch beauty unfold before you.

They say God is in the details, but they also say that God has a wonderfulsense of humor. When you start getting Spirit's punch lines, you get togiggle with the universe. Life becomes a comedy, and in theater, comedyalways means a happy ending. Lighten up!

5) Ask for guidance .

Just because you suddenly access more information doesn't mean you're onyour own. Life offers endless opportunities to learn and discern. If you feelunsure of the guidance, then ask for clarity. If something stretches thebounds of rationality, you can request signs tailor-made to activate yourfaith.

The Biblical story of Gideon reminds us that we can pray for interactivelessons. God told Gideon to save the Israelites by leading them into battleagainst their foes. Gideon felt inclined to believe God, but because others'lives were at stake, he asked for a sign. Specifically, he requested that if theIsraelites were supposed to go into battle, then the wool he placed on theground would be wet while the ground remained dry. The next morning hefound the wool wet and the ground dry, so he felt God had answered hisrequest.

Still, he wanted to feel certain, and so he asked for another sign. This time,he asked for wet ground and dry wool. The next morning, he found dry wool

on wet ground, and he knew he could confidently lead the Israelites againsttheir foes. Just as Gideon intuited, the Israelites won.

You can ask for any sign you like, but don't be surprised when eventsrespond. Eventually, you will gain experience and more easily sense whichnudges come from intuition and which are disguised projections of the ego.If you catch yourself clinging to an intuition and trying to manipulate it,







consider it a sign to reread the suggestions in this article, beginning with #1 “Know that You are Not Alone.”

Ego breeds fear, competition, anger, attachment, obsession and anxiety. Bycontrast, fruits of Spirit include: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Awakening your intuition takes courage, but you will also learn to love yourlife. Additionally, you will save time and energy by going with the flowinstead of fighting against it.







Stagnation:

Bad for the Body, Bad for the Soul

Feeling “stuck” never feels good. In our bodies we call it constipation, andsay, “Death begins in the colon.” Indeed, fermentation of sugars andputrefaction of proteins have been linked to most major human healthproblems. People often become raw foodists in order to improve digestion—without realizing how much pressure this shift will put on other slow-movingor blocked areas of life.

In Intuitive Life Path Assessments , clients also ask me to evaluate theirsoul’s goals and journey thus far. People usually contact me because theyfeel “stuck” in a relationship, a job, or overall in a life that no longer excitesthem. As a Medical Intuitive, I’ve become acutely aware of theinterconnectedness of body, mind, emotions and spirit. Compared tophysical constipation, soul stagnation can feel equally uncomfortable and awhole lot scarier. When physical constipation releases, we know where tolet that sh*t go, but how do we “dispose” of key elements of our lives thatno longer serve us? Once we remove our blockage, where does the newflow go?

As raw foodists cleanse their bodies, a similar process takes place on thesoul level. Just as a stagnant body encourages a stagnant mind, a flowingbody urges fluidity on other levels. When people resist changes in theirlives, the soul starts to back up, and the associated discomfort becomeseven more noticeable in the absence of physical constipation. Consciously ornot, many people reject a raw food diet because life suddenly demands toomany changes. The human system seeks balance, which means body andsoul want to progress hand in hand: a cleaner diet both intensifies andupgrades overall energy. Dampening the energy requires “dirtying” the diet.

I see this effect in a variety of areas. Take yoga, for example. The practicehas become so Westernized that people often feel unprepared for emotionaland spiritual pressures that arise from stretching the body. But ancientyogis designed the “asanas” (postures) to massage and stimulate organsand glands for cleansing and hormonal effects conducive to meditation. Theoriginal purpose of yoga was to calm the body and mind enough to embrace









God Consciousness. Whether taught as a spiritual practice or just as precisephysical poses, yoga invites a corresponding Awakening of the soul. Peoplewho do not wish to move faster on their soul’s journey have a difficult timesustaining a yoga practice because body and soul want to awaken together .

If one refuses to move, the other will knock and kick and scream, and thensadly return to its former state.

For the same reason, many people return to cooked food when life nudgesthem to move beyond stuck areas. Despite intense physical messages—bothpositive and negative—resistance in the soul can overrule the body’s desireto heal and upgrade. Some people find themselves feeling worse thanbefore because they can now make a real comparison. Depression and thesense of “leading a boring life” often result. Meanwhile that creative urge soclosely tied to spiritual awakening starts looking for other outlets. If notgiven expression in outer life, repressed creativity can manifest things likecancer, auto-immune diseases, and/or freak “accidents.” Then the bodyreceives another chance to get our attention, and the process begins again.

Perhaps the biggest resistance people feel comes from a fear of fullyrecognizing inner and outer beauty. When others begin to comment on ourradiant skin, high energy, lightness and smile, it often unearths feelings of inadequacy or embarrassment. A soul that came here to accomplishglorious things begins to shine through, and with that visibility comes

expectation. Suddenly, old patterns no longer fit. “ Why not’s ?” becomesincreasingly difficult to answer. Unless we reinforce physical, mental andemotional levees, a flood of spiritual blessings threatens to wash our oldlives clean. Rebirth and renewal will become the necessary present—not

just future possibilities.

When the soul and body agree to embrace all the wonderful opportunitiesand love coming their way, things move very fast! I have seen people makequantum leaps by integrating the body’s desires with the soul’s dream.Intuitively, that’s why I believed a raw food diet would bring me freedom.My soul felt afraid of visibility. I loved writing and offering intuitive insights,but I wanted to write under a pen name and intuit under a rock. As long asI looked less than radiant, I sensed that I could hide my gifts. In clearingthrough physical sludge, I knew I would have nowhere left to hide. At thetime, I felt OK loving my body, but I didn’t feel so confident about my soul.As a precaution, I had always kept my soul locked up behind less than







glowing skin. In honoring my body, I knew I would unshackle my soul. Myface and my energy became brighter, and people noticed. Hiding myspiritual gifts felt as unnatural as plastering my face with chemicalfoundation. My skin and my soul began to breathe more easily than ever

before.

But the soul can also lead the way. Some people reading this may alreadyhave careers in accord with their life’s purpose, but suddenly the bodydemands attention. I have worked with a number of intuitive healers andartists whose bodies needed urgent upgrades in order to “hang” with theirlevel of spiritual work. Most people mistakenly believe that spiritual workwill protect them from all manner of physical ills, but it actually intensifiesthe risks. As more and more life force energy tries to run through the body,the extra voltage can short circuit and create “fires” in stagnant areas. Notevery artist or psychic needs to follow a raw food diet, but in the soul’s questfor more and more inspiration, the body will begin to suffer without its owncleansing and dietary upgrades.

So why does all this metaphysical stuff matter to a Lazy Raw Foodist?

It matters because a raw food diet can seem difficult to balance. Somepeople follow all the physical advice to the letter and still have problems.They read dozens of books, search online, and still can’t seem to makethings work. In my raw food coaching, I have often noticed that the issuelies somewhere else! Once people recognize that their body has sloweddown in order for the soul to catch up, the diet clicks effortlessly into place.You can save yourself hours, weeks—even years—of struggle by attending tobody and soul as one deeply devoted couple. When each knows the othercan come along, they will both enjoy a faster, richer journey.







“I Love My Attitude Problem”

Remember, You’re a Walking Ambassador

For the most part, people do not usually consider their diet a religion,although diet often reflects religious beliefs. (Think of vegetarian Hindusand Buddhists, Kosher Jews, and Islamic Zabihah.) Some research suggeststhat Jesus began his life with the Essenes—an ascetic Jewish sect that onlyate raw foods—and even today, groups like Hallelujah Acres and the Tree of Life openly address connections between eating and religious life. GabrielCousens even wrote a fascinating book called Spiritual Nutrition .

Many people experience dramatic Awakenings while following a raw fooddiet. If we are what we eat, then it makes sense that living foods wouldchange our lives in deep and powerful ways. A raw food diet and lifestylehave helped thousands of people find miraculous cures to terminal illnesses,recover from morbid obesity, and beat suicidal depression. For others, thechange in diet initiated razor sharp mental clarity and enhanced intuition.

In other words, people have had something akin to a “born againexperience.” Before and after shots sprinkle the internet like discardedcrutches at Chimayo —inspiring the converted and beckoning to masses who

could heal “if only they had more faith in food.” Yep, we’ve got some Raw Food Fundamentalists!

Does everyone act this way? Certainly not, but most people on a very highor 100% raw diet go through a period in which raw food seems like theanswer to every prayer they’ve ever sent. Just like the ex-smoker whosuddenly lectures all his former smoke-break buddies and complains of theirdisgusting cigarette odor (or the AA newbie who wants to talk about taking amoral inventory all the time), new raw converts (and some old ones) can get

carried away in their enthusiasm. In their hearts, they usually mean well.They want to share this joy and transformation with everyone around—especially the sick, poor, depressed or struggling. And the ones who think they don’t need raw foods? Oh, watch out! They might be in for some fireand brimstone—provided nothing heats above 112 degrees!


http://tinyurl.com/Chimayo


http://tinyurl.com/Chimayo





Shortly after I made a switch to 100% raw eating, we moved to a smalltown in Northern Arizona where I believe I was the only vegan, let alone rawvegan. It felt isolating and annoying to eat out and have people tell Stephenright in front of me that I would die an early death. Waitresses mocked my

iceberg lettuce and avocado, while letting slip their own health problems likediabetes or high cholesterol. By contrast, I enjoyed phenomenally goodhealth despite having been knocked flat by a 1998 brain injury.

In the beginning, I did get a bit defensive, because I felt personallyattacked. I remained certain enough of my choices that I continued eatingraw food, but I lacked the easy confidence of someone who knows andlovingly honors herself. Because I felt embarrassed by my pickiness, I stillreacted to others’ questions as persecution—even if the questions sprangfrom genuine curiosity. I launched into lectures instead of letting my quirky,fun side show. As a result, those waitresses thought I led a deprived andwoeful existence. That’s what I initially “taught” them about raw food.

At the time, I hadn’t made a commitment to full-time coaching or intuitivework, so I hid out as a waitress at the best gig in town: Chili’s! Can youbelieve it? All day long, I watched people scarf down cheeseburgers andsteaks, racks of barbecued ribs, and creamy ranch, bacon and egg-ladenmega salads.

Each shift entitled us to a free meal, but I could eat absolutely nothing onthe menu. I had to go through a special order process to receive a plainromaine, tomato and guacamole salad. Half the time I needed to return itbecause the cooks had “done me a favor” by adding cheese. While otherpeople nibbled on French fries and chugged chocolate milkshakes mid-shift, Icarried almonds and a banana in my apron. People thought I was anorexic,and I routinely heard, “Oh, Laura? No, she never eats. That’s how shestays so thin.” No matter what I said, people refused to believe I couldsurvive on vegan fare—especially uncooked vegan fare.

I learned a lot from that experience, though! My tips depended on mystaying very pleasant and non-judgmental of the guests. Because of myMedical Intuitive gifts, I have always attracted a lot of seriously ill people.Chili’s was no exception. People would sit in my section, order a full rack of ribs, fried onion appetizer, French fries, frozen margarita and dessert, thentell me about their heart condition, weight loss struggles or potassium







imbalance. They wanted help, but they weren’t asking for a raw foodlecture!

I would listen, smile, send lots of love through my heart, and occasionallysomeone would ask me how I ate. Was this an opportunity to bang themover the head with their licked clean rib bones and convict them of dietarywar crimes? Some people might think so, but I found other ways!

Remember how I said that in Fall 2004 it suddenly seemed as thougheverywhere I looked revealed some sort of raw food “sign,” but in retrospectthose signs had been nudging me for years? Then one day, I read GabrielCousens’ Conscious Eating and something switched. Some dormant rawseeds began to sprout. When I finally did embrace raw food, I did so

joyfully and naturally, because those seeds had been allowed to soak, sprout

and grow in their own perfect time.

I began to garden. No, I didn’t dig in the dirt! (I’ve always been lazy aboutmy food prep!) But I did begin to view myself as planting seeds . I did notneed to convert every person I met or knew. I could simply let raw seedsdrop here and there, just like trees spread themselves in the natural world.

As soon as I backed off my perceived need to tell everyone about raw foods,something strange happened. I suddenly acquired my first raw coachingclients! People from my husband’s life coaching business asked if they could

talk to me for dietary support. My 82-year-old neighbor requested freshsmoothies and “raw talk” every afternoon. Friends and acquaintances askedhow to embark on their own raw journeys.

And my co-workers at Chili’s ? I decided to make them some vegan treats.Not raw quite yet—one step at a time—but I became known for Friday’scakes and brownies. A cook even commissioned me to bake a vegan blackforest cake for her mother’s birthday. Had we stayed there, I would havegradually worked in raw desserts, but I left knowing I had at least planted a

few seeds.Stephen and I decided to move to Lake Tahoe, and at my going away party,several people made a point of telling me that they had started to eat moresalads. A few others had researched veganism and raw foods on theinternet. They didn’t call me anorexic anymore. Instead, they begannoticing which restaurants in town would allow special orders of cheese-free







salads and steamed vegetables. Did anyone eventually go raw? I couldn’tsay, but I do know they opened their hearts and ears to me because Iopened mine to them.

Whatever you feel about the modern day Christian Church or the humanityor divinity of Christ, you have to marvel at the way word spread! Anitinerant homeless guy carried a message that completely changed theworld. Nowadays, many people consider Christianity a fundamentalist or

judgmental religion, but in Jesus’ time, there was no Christianity. He starteda grass roots movement with a message of “good news.” He told peoplethey could be free, but he didn’t judge them for their self-imprisonment. Heate with tax-collectors and prostitutes—people his religious upbringing calledevil or unclean. He hung out on boats with blue collar fishermen. He partiedhard at weddings. … And he earned a reputation for healing the sick bysaying, “Your sins are forgiven.”

We’re just looking at Jesus the marketer here: Jesus the gardener whocommented that faith “ is like a mustard seed that someone took and plantedin his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested inits branches." “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say tothis mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will beimpossible for you." In sharing his worldview, Jesus recognized the power of tiny seeds.

We can learn from this model while living in a non-raw world. Sure, we havethe Peter’s, Paul’s and Mary’s of the raw movement, but we can also spreadour message in tiny, agreeable ways. Maybe we eat with people who don’teat like we do—and maybe we wait for them to ask before we launch intoany testimonials. If they never ask but we’ve remained compassionate, funand upbeat, then we can still trust we’ve scattered seeds.

In Sergei and Valya Boutenko’s book, Fresh , Sergei relays a story aboutgoing snowboarding with a buddy who ate cooked food. Sergei never

mentioned his diet to his friend, but the friend noticed that Sergei alwaysmaintained or increased his energy after a lunch of fruit, whereas thefriend’s energy lagged. To Sergei’s surprise, one day his friend told himgleefully how he had switched his lunches to raw food in order to stay juicedon the slopes! They then had an engaging conversation about living foods.







Bless “Cooked” Partners of Raw Foodies

Support for Spouses, Dates and Live-In Mates

With the growing number of "mixed" vegan or raw vegan marriages andrelationships, discussions of how to convert or tolerate a non-raw spouseheat up websites, coaching sessions and email exchanges. It seems peopleintuitively realize that a shift in diet manifests itself throughout the rest of life: that in some sense, we really are what we eat. For this reason,suggesting a loved one change his or her diet nearly always provokes somekind of reaction. Superimpose issues of morality on that "gut reflex," andyou have the makings of a minefield.

As someone who’s been high or 100% raw vegan since 2004, I know a rawfoodie can coexist very nicely with a cooked spouse. Whenever I go to rawpotlucks, people initially act like they feel so sorry for me because I don’thave a “raw partner” and because Stephen chooses not to go to thepotlucks. Such comments always baffle me because my marriageencompasses so much more than what we eat! It’s like, yeah, on all thesuperficial levels, Stephen and I might seem like complete opposites, but onmagical, spiritual and creative levels? Total match made in heaven!

We have each walked with the other to the brink of “permanent” disabilityand come back stronger . We’ve moved over twenty times in seven statestogether. He’s encouraged my writing, and I’ve supported his photography.We frequently dream the same dreams at the same time. Cooked vs. raw will change that?

It has felt much easier having joyful meal exchanges since Stephen has seenthe positive results for me with 100% raw. I seriously need three hoursmore sleep per night on cooked food, but for Stephen, raw is just not anoption. It bothers his teeth and makes him detox way too fast from his

remaining Lyme disease. Plus, he just doesn’t like the textures of anygourmet raw foods.

Once I came to terms with the fact that I went 100% raw for those threeextra hours per day so that I could do my writing, it really stopped beingabout the food itself. Stephen could totally get on board with me having







time to write my novel, and I could stop feeling any tiny sadness at notbeing able to share my specific meal with my spouse.

Nothing paralyzes an intimate relationship like feeling judged. Rather thanconvincing a somewhat willing partner, disdain more often provokesdefensiveness and anger. Instead of curious, your loved one becomesdefiant or resentful. In either case, the chances of lasting dietary changediminish.

As a coach, I hear from raw foodists who wish their spouses would just “convert already,” and I hear from cooked spouses wishing their raw “monsters” would just “chill out.” As a raw foodist, one of the most irritatingthings you can say to someone else is, “You’ll be raw someday.” Maybe theywill; maybe they won’t, but no one likes having someone make decisions for

them. Imposed decisions almost always sound condescending, even whenwe mean well.

I have also come to realize that diets aren’t permanent. People shift to thestrangest and most unexpected things, so it’s really hard to predict who’ll dowhat, when or which percentage. I always suggest that spouses just keepdoing what works for each of them. Their health and vitality are the mostimportant things, whether they get those by eating 6 avocados and a jar of almond butter, Seitan Marsala with red wine sauce, or an occasional freerange buffalo burger.

As an Animal Communicator , I obviously feel very pro-animal, but I’m alsopro-people and realize some of them are trying their hardest for where theyare right now. I had to eat meat during a good portion of my brain injuryrecovery or I felt dizzy and like I would float away. At the time, I felthorribly guilty, but it was what I needed then in order to get well. By fullyrecovering, writing, and doing my business, I’ve since helped thousands of people begin or optimize their raw and/or vegan journeys. Who or what canreally “keep score”?

Personally, I would like to throw out all the vs. and have everyone just getalong! Dietary choices are so personal, and they really depend to a largedegree on biology, current health concerns, and so many surprisinglyethereal things. Let’s just pick the most compassionate things we canhandle at any given time and live and let live! Based on my coaching andpersonal experience, I’ve included some tips below:









For Cooked Spouses or Partners :

If your loved one has recently turned to raw food, get prepared for a bit of awild ride. Bless the hearts of all spouses of raw foodies or people goingthrough a juice fast because some of those old patterns really do rear theirugly heads before they pass on out!

If you don’t know much about emotional detoxification, you might take a lotof these things personally. Anger, sadness, fear, anxiety, and persecutioncomplexes: old cellular memories become real again before they make theirgrand exit. When someone processes through old anger, they will oftenreenact that anger with the people closest to them. They might snap at you

for no reason, pick fights, or lash out with harsh words, only to apologizeafter a good bowel movement. (No, I’m not kidding here!)

Since judgment, guilt and shame remain deep issues for most people, youcan expect such qualities to explode during times of major cleansing. Whensomeone processes self-judgment, s/he will often become overly critical of people who choose a different path. As your partner internally examines hisor her own imperfections, you can rest assured that s/he will magnify yoursas well. Suddenly, “Cooked food ‘disgusts’ or ‘offends’” them, and you’re leftfeeling like chopped liver. Make that cooked , chopped liver.

So what can you do to make this easier?

1) First of all, stop taking everything so personally . A good portionof the emotional roller coaster really does have to do with your partneror spouse’s inner processing.

2) Take stock of your own emotions, patterns and/or rigidity , andmake changes if you see the need. Typically, one spouse’s journeyalso initiates the other’s exploration, so it may be time for you to shift

as well. You might not switch to a raw diet, but you can use this timeof upheaval to create more of the life you want.

3) Bring yourself into your heart and speak to your loved one with… love . Realize and acknowledge your own fears so that you can tellthe difference between reactionary thinking on your part and genuineconcern. If your spouse becomes verbally abusive, you do not need to







tolerate that in the name of detox. You can share, sincerely, howmuch it hurts when you feel judged. You can also share how muchyou want your spouse to feel joyful and energetic and that you lovethem no matter how they choose to eat.

4) Look for ways to support the raw foodist in your midst . Thisdiet catalyzes changes in many areas, and oftentimes newbies feelisolated and persecuted, whether real or only perceived. Offer tomake a smoothie or truly raw salad; buy your loved one a raw recipebook or food processor; order some prepared raw vegan treats online.

5) This last tip works especially well if you and your loved one alreadyshare a deep soul connection: encourage friendships with otherraw foodists . Until they grow comfortable with their diet and

lifestyle, new raw foodists often believe “the wheatgrass is greener onthe other side.” They may fantasize about the perfect rawrelationship. Once they meet other raw foodists, though, they willeventually realize there’s more to life than food. A shared diet doesnot a marriage or friendship make! In order to enjoy true intimacy,people need to have more in common than sprouted almonds.

For Raw Spouses or Partners:

So … how do you coexist and nurture a relationship with a cooked lovedone? The way we ideally support loved ones in any period of change: withcompassion, presence, understanding, and vulnerability.

1) If you really need to stay away from cooked food preparations lest youfeel tempted, then honestly share your reasons with your lovedone . Using bravado or “joking” that cooked food disgusts you will onlymake your loved one feel defensive.

2) Initiate ways of eating together, even if you eat different foods .Many loved ones will feel rejected when you reject their diet. If youalso forgo dining together, then you will increase the hurt andinsecurity. Even if you just eat a larger version of everyone else’sappetizer salad, try to find ways to minimize the differences betweeneach other. For example, if your spouse eats spaghetti for dinner, youmight make a raw zucchini pasta for yourself. If your loved one wants







chocolate cake for dessert, have some raw cacao or Date Nut Torte onhand for you.

3) If you have children, remember to express your love to them ,

both verbally and through signs of affection. Children will ofteninternalize judgment and rejection, even if it’s just you workingthrough your old crap (literally).

4) Give your loved ones a reason to love your raw food diet. Letthem see you happy, following your bliss, losing weight—whateverallows you to radiate love and gratitude. Joy is much easier to swallowthan judgment, and it will also increase interest in and acceptance of your new path.

5) Consider finding a counselor or coach to help you processemotional detox, spiritual awakening and other changes in your life.Sometimes loved ones remain too close to guide you through majorshifts. Books and articles can help, but recognize if and when may youneed more support. Even though you’re an individual with unique giftsand experiences, some common issues and opportunities do arise onmost raw paths. Have mercy on your loved ones, and accept theresources around you!

6) Find at least one other passion besides raw food and activelyengage in that as well. Doing so will relieve some of the focus on yourdiet as the source of change, while allowing you to spread your wingsof inspiration. Your loved one might not admire your dietary choices,but s/he will likely admire you following a dream and sharing yourexcitement.

7) Take a moment each day to appreciate your loved one as a soulwith dreams, hopes, memories, gifts and goals of its own. Allowyourself to notice the splendor trapped inside that human form, and

realize we’re all much more than what we eat, how we look, or how wedefine our lives. When you recognize the beauty of all life, rememberto include your loved ones, too!







Finding Raw Friends

Potlucks, Blogs, and Synchronicity

One of the greatest resources for raw foodists who spend significant timeonline is the blog and website, www.welikeitraw.com , and its associatedonline community, www.giveittomeraw.com . WLIR and GI2MR have tons of articles, members and online forum topics. If you feel isolated as a rawfoodist, spend some time on these sites to get connected. They’ve evenstarted a new opt-in map feature that allows you to find other members inyour town or nearby communities.

For in-person support, try to find a raw potluck near you. It’s one of thegreatest ways to meet new people, experience gourmet recipes, and learntips from longer term raw foodists. The online Raw Food Network offers alist of known potlucks by state . If you run a potluck and don’t see it listed,please let them know, so they can add yours to their list.

Can’t find a raw food potluck near you? Consider starting your own and thenasking different people to facilitate each month. Many people experimentingwith raw foods have actually captured the interests of some friends, familymembers and/or coworkers. You might need to prepare some of the more

gourmet items during the first couple meetings, but encourage people tobring unintimidating things like salads or fresh fruit.

This may seem like a lot of work, but it could become a good timeinvestment. Once people taste the magic of fresh, live foods prepared withlove, their enthusiasm and courage will grow. They may even want toprepare extras of their own food to trade or sell to you.

For ideas of how to advertise your event, see how other leaders describetheir potlucks. You can post fliers at health food stores, chiropractors

offices, and vegetarian restaurants, as well as online. Many communitieshave come into being because people like you wished they knew others withsimilar interests. You don’t need expert skills—just a love of raw foods anda desire to connect.

The Raw Food Network also lists websites that feature raw personal ads (fordating and friendship): http://www.rawfoodnetwork.com/personals.html .



http://www.giveittomeraw.com/

http://www.rawfoodnetwork.com/potlucks.html

http://www.rawbc.org/raw_potluck.html

http://www.rawfoodnetwork.com/personals.html



http://www.giveittomeraw.com/

http://www.rawfoodnetwork.com/potlucks.html

http://www.rawbc.org/raw_potluck.html

http://www.rawfoodnetwork.com/personals.html





In fact, this is a great website to keep in mind for anything fromemployment to support groups.

Synchronous Meetings

I meet raw foodists in the most surprising ways! Once you spend time withsome other raw folks you will notice similarities—a certain vibration, radiantskin, high energy … a joyful heart … . If you let yourself shine as a rawfoodist, then you don’t need to look too hard for others. They will find you!

The more you feel comfortable with your diet, the more you can devotesome of that energy and enthusiasm to other things that you hold dear. Insearching for raw friends, remember to keep your eyes and ears open forother new folks on the horizon. As your vibration changes, you will begin toattract different types of people. These may not always be other rawfoodists. They might just be fun and beautiful souls who make your heartsmile.







How to Locate Raw-Friendly Health Care Providers

And Why It Makes Sense to Do So

When people embark on a raw food lifestyle, they tend to experience anincredible resurgence of health. Because many have just returned fromlengthy, sometimes “terminal” diagnoses, people commonly respond bytossing the idea of traditional medicine out the window. I certainlyunderstand this attitude and did the same thing myself after a six-plus yearrecovery from traumatic brain injury. By the time I regained my health andvitality, the last thing I wanted to do was research or interview doctors!

As a Life Coach and Medical Intuitive, though, I have the advantage of manypeople’s experiences, and I actually do recommend some preliminarysearching for raw-friendly health care providers. Despite the phenomenalenergy and healing testimonials, occasionally raw foodists do have accidentsor get sick. Yes, sometimes symptoms are really symptoms and not “justdetox!” Ideally, your health care provider can help you discern thedifference—through blood work, hormone testing, and/or other methods.

If something unexpected happens, it’s comforting to know your provider willhonor your dietary and lifestyle preferences as much as circumstances

permit. The purity of your diet and lifestyle leave you more vulnerable toprescription drug side effects or toxicity. A doctor who understands yourorganic, all-naturally fed body will know to look for different treatments foryou than for someone who regularly consumes prescriptions and follows thestandard Western diet. In an emergency situation, such insight becomeseven more important since you may not be able to speak up for yourself.

By way of example: right now, I have a client whose vegetarian husbandsuffered a serious brain injury, which has required extensive hospitalizationand rehabilitative care. Although the wife requested vegetarian food forhim, she recently learned that the facility had been feeding him hamburgersand just saying they were veggie burgers. He’s so injured that he doesn’tknow the difference, but his wife knows he will feel horrible once he realizesthat his entirely vegetarian adult life now includes hamburgers and chickenpatties.







She hired a nutritionist, but the facility does not consider advice from adietician as “medically necessary.” If this man had had at least a primarycare provider who understood the value of his vegetarian diet, then thatdoctor could have prescribed the diet as mandatory. For now, it’s still

“optional” and “not medically based.” Obviously, that’s an extremeexample, but when the worst happens, you have enough to worry aboutwithout having to defend your diet!

Similarly, if you have vegan or raw vegan children, you will want to find amedical provider who respects your choices and knows the differencebetween “real” or “imagined” deficiencies associated with a raw diet. Thingslike Vitamin D, DHA, sufficient caloric intake, tooth decay, choline, and B-12are real concerns. Please do not treat your children as experiments, becomelazy about their health, or assume you need to go it all alone. Childprotective services have become real presences in some well-meaningfamilies’ lives, and at such times, it helps to have a knowledgeableprofessional in your corner. I also suggest all parents wanting to raise rawvegan children read Shazzie’s latest article on this important topic. Whiledogma should never trump health, children in particular rely upon theirparents to make wise and supportive choices for them.

A medical provider need not agree with all of your philosophy; traditionallytrained providers often can diagnose well, and then you can research and

decide on your best treatment options. Having someone with differentsources of information, who also respects your research and experiences,will place you in a much stronger and efficient position. I know these stepssound like work, but having been through my own major medical crisis,along with that of a spouse and many clients who call me in the midst of medical surprises, I will say that it saves time and effort (and sometimeslives) to put out feelers now instead of trying to find someone during anemergency.

If, through your networking at raw potlucks or other events, you stillcannot find a raw or at least vegetarian friendly provider, I can offeryou a few suggestions :

1) Get a copy of The China Study , and keep it handy for loaning toproviders. Doctors often accept scientific studies much easier than


http://www.shazzie.com/raw/articles/raw_vegan_children.shtml

http://www.thechinastudy.com/


http://www.shazzie.com/raw/articles/raw_vegan_children.shtml

http://www.thechinastudy.com/





patient’s descriptions of those studies. If you want to get a bit moreradical, you can also purchase the DVD Food Matters and add it toyour lending library. Instead of fighting and trying to convince themyourself, you can let other experts educate your provider(s).

2) Ask your current provider to perform some blood tests on you—or get an “Executive Blood Panel” from someone else and share theresults with your doctor. It’s a good idea to nip any problems in thebud. Plus, if your optimal results continue to support your dietarychoices, then your current provider may gradually become a raw-friendly provider.

3) Ask nutritionists, acupuncturists, CranioSacral therapistsand/or chiropractors which primary care providers refer to

them .

4) Post your request for raw-friendly providers in online forumsfor your geographical area. Alternative doctors often function “underthe radar,” relying on word of mouth referrals from patients ratherthan advertising. This helps keep insurance companies off their backs!

5) Check your facts before “towing the party line.” When it comesto health, truth matters more than ideology. You might find helpfulthis list with linked resources. If you want to have doctors ornaturopaths risk supporting you, they will feel more inclined to do so if they sense the depth of your own research. Healthcare providers havereputations to uphold. Many are willing to learn new things to helptheir patients; however, they will not accept something as true justbecause some “raw guru” touts it. Nor should you!

These commitments don’t need to occupy tons of time: just set your intention, take small steps, and pay attention to the answers that come your way.

Find a dentist before you need one.

Even if you feel your health will remain perfect as a raw foodist, your teethmight not, so consider finding a good holistic dentist before you need a rootcanal! When a cavity reaches the point of unbearable pain, you don’t


http://www.foodmatters.tv/own-the-dvd.html

http://www.rawfoodideas.com/101-Things-You-Need-To-Know-About-Raw-Food.html


http://www.foodmatters.tv/own-the-dvd.html

http://www.rawfoodideas.com/101-Things-You-Need-To-Know-About-Raw-Food.html





necessarily have the time or desire to interview several dentists, beggingthem to squeeze you in as a new patient on short notice. You’ll have morelikelihood of finding someone who uses non-toxic materials if curiosity ratherthan desperation drives your search.

For your raw pets :

www.k9snaturally.com offers a state-by-state listing of raw-friendlyveterinarians. Someday we’ll find this same sort of listing for humans!


http://www.k9snaturally.com/


http://www.k9snaturally.com/





Attracting the Resources You Want or Need

Some Secrets of “The Secret”

What happens when you lose a bunch of dead-weight thoughts and fat byfilling yourself with live food? You become more alive, more receptive andever more vibrant. As Yoda says, “The Force is strong in this one,” and astronger life force means you’ve amplified your influence. For this reason,raw fooders need to pay particular attention to their thoughts, feelings andintentions.

Everyone creates or at least influences perceived reality, but when you clearaway a lot of sludge, your fears, desires and expectations materialize fasterand more intensely. This can work either way: your dreams manifest very,very quickly, or all hell breaks loose. If you’re a Lazy Raw Foodist like me,then you prefer to bypass nightmares. The following information will saveyou time and aggravation.

In my line of work, I have no lack of clients and students seeking tomanifest more abundance in their lives. Better finances, better health, betterrelationships. Everyone wants something, and the universe encouragespeople to ask and receive. From The Prayer of Jabez to Abraham-Hicks to

Absolutely Effortless Prosperity to The Science of Getting Rich to Abundancethrough Reiki to The Secret (both book and movie), abundance certainlyexists in the realm of abundance teachings!

The week Oprah featured The Secret on her show, no less than eight of mycoaching clients wanted to discuss prosperity consciousness. Anytimesomething secret goes mainstream, misunderstandings can occur. I basedthis chapter on the most common frustrations and questions that my clientsand students have shared.

1) Accept your dream.

People recite the idea that we need to "know what we want and get ourfeelings behind that desire," but I find that people sometimes get so caughtup in the dreams or goals expressed in The Secret that they begin to judgetheir own. I asked a medical intuitive client what she most wanted from life,and she replied with an enthusiastic voice and huge smile that if she could







do anything she wanted, she would quit her job, sell her expensive houseand go "live with all the hippies near Burning Man—maybe rent a smalltrailer and write a book." Within the next breath, her face and attitudecompletely shifted: "But I know this is wrong because I've read The Secret . Ineed to focus on all the money I can be making, not thinking I want to livelike a hippie, or I'll wind up in a trailer."

Intrigued by this tremendous shift in energy, I replied, "You mean the traileryou want to live in? How's your money now?"

"Oh, I get paid ridiculously well for what I do."

"Are you happy?"

"No, I'd like to chuck it all and just live simply with all the artists and

hippies. That's who I am ." She confessed this with a huge smile and energyflowing freely from her heart chakra, followed by a sharp contaction: "ButI'm afraid of what would happen if I gave up my house and job."

I've had similar conversations with so many others, and what strikes memost is that people try to change their dream. Your dream is your dream! If your dream does not match the societal idea of abundance, examine thatdream. See areas in which you actually sell yourself short, but also recognizeareas in which you judge the dream itself. Abundance does not always meanmore money: sometimes abundance means you have only what you needfinancially while you get to live your dream. Often, the money comesanyway, but only by first living your dream.

So, if you dream of living as a raw foodist who acquires tocotrienals and rawcacao powder by the vat, terrific! Enjoy yourself when these treats roll in—sometimes free of charge. If, by contrast, you dream of growing all yourown food and living simply off the land, then don’t apologize for “beingweird.” Grow excited with your growing garden.

If you dream—as I do—of living in raw paradise, where other people preparegourmet food and share your pleasure in eating it, then, for heaven’s sake,

don’t feel self-conscious when, on one cross-country move, you happen toland within walking distance of two raw-friendly restaurants! Or when, onanother cross-country move, you wind up 25 yards from your county’s rawfood potluck and a neighbor who loves taking you to farmer’s markets andfeeding you leftovers from her raw food classes.







Rejoice! Feel grateful, not embarrassed! Your dream is your dream. It canchange, or it can stay the same, but as long as you have a dream, thenhonor, cherish and accept it as your own.

2) Utilize all your resources.

Because The Secret can seem like magick, people tend to focus so much onintention that they forget to look at the resources in hand and coming theirway. In anticipating some kind of energetic shift of finances or health, theyoverlook that all of life is energy!

This means the answer to your intention may arrive disguised in a series of seemingly simple and unrelated steps to fulfillment. It might mean your

answer cloaks itself in synchronicities, meeting the "right" investor, teacher,or financial guide at just the "right" time but not seeing how it all fitstogether yet or even that these meetings relate to your intention. Energyacts immediately on your universe, but that does not mean you willrecognize the actions immediately.

Because the universe will approach you through your lens of reality, it willutilize resources and tools you already have—just in different ways. Payattention! The Law of Attraction is not about prosperity in a vacuum. It'sabout co-creating your life in a way that nurtures your soul's growth.

Even though we can create from "nothing," most people have a difficult timebelieving that concept, and so effective manifestation usually begins in therealm of what we know. The word "know" connotes things learned throughexperience. As we allow our experience to shift, then we can know indifferent ways, but in the beginning the universe gets our attention in wayswe're able to receive.

3) Stay present in your spiritual or creative practice.

I tend to attract clients and students interested in metaphysical and spiritualideas. Many of them meditate, are spiritual artists, or practice yoga or taichi. These are all powerful connections to creative (read "manifestation")energy. The universe constantly creates, so any time we create, visualize orfeel energy flowing through our chakras, we become more in tune with theuniverse. In these moments, our influence grows even more powerful. Andyet, I find people don't bring their dreams into their spiritual practice. The







practice seems sacred—another word for separate—and therefore like itshould remain untainted by desire.

(This attitude usually stems from my first reminder: "Accept your dream." If you judge your dream as not worthy of a meditative, yogic or creativeprocess, then you miss out on the tremendous energy those practicesafford.)

One client had a devoted chanting practice and desperately wanted tochange her finances, but when I asked if she'd ever brought an intention of prosperity to her chanting practice, she confessed she'd never evenconsidered that idea. The next week, she chanted with intention, and thingsbegan to shift. They did not completely turn around, but a job suddenlyopened for her husband, even though he'd been looking for work formonths. You are a powerful creator and manifestor--particularly when you

feel most "in the flow." Embrace this time with the universe and let yourhopes and dreams ride the waves of your creative energy.

4) Remember to focus on service .

Yes, it's about intention, but the universe also wants to nourish and expanditself. Your dreams, hopes and goals will receive extra oomph if a needexists for what you have to share. Again, The Law of Attraction is not aboutprosperity in a vacuum. True abundance occurs when we recognize howintimately we interconnect with everyone and everything in the universe. Werealize we have access to everything when we realize that as part of a largerwhole, in some sense we already are everything. Look at your gifts, thosethings you can offer to the world. How might these gifts express themselvesin a way that inspires or nurtures others? How might your dream really bethe deepest longing of the universe?

5) Have fun!

Remember that you're hoping to manifest your dreams into reality. If youdon't enjoy the process, then what's the point? It's your life right now asmuch as it will be your life when manifestation occurs. Joy sends yourenergy out and up. Laughter is the best medicine. In the Biblical and Hebrewtraditions, even God rested on the seventh day after he created the entireworld! Take time to rejuvenate and play. Your energy will be the stronger forit.







For your convenience, here’s a special Recipe Table of Contents:

Notes from the Lazy Raw Foodist …………………………………………………………… 134

Time Saving Kitchen Tips …………………………………………………………………………135

“MILKS” AND SMOOTHIES ……………………………………………………………………… 1

Love in the Dessert Smoothie by Anthony Anderson …………………………… 137

Perfect Purslane Smoothie ……………………………………………………………………… 138

Cacao-A-Go-Go Smoothie ……………………………………………………………………… 139

Strawberry Vanilla Hemp Shake by Heidi & JS Ohlander ……………………… 140

The Ultimate Lazy Tip by Sarma Melngailis …………………………………………… 141Easy Chai Almond Milk by Meredith Baird ……………………………………………… 142

How to Make Traditional Nut or Seed Milks …………………………………………… 143

Green Machine Supreme ………………………………………………………………………… 144

Apple Lime Smoothie by Heidi & JS Ohlander …………………………………………145

RAW SOUPS ……………………………………………………………………………………………

Perfect Green Soup by Meredith Baird …………………………………………………… 147

Cream of Zucchini Soup by Jennifer Cornbleet ……………………………………… 148

Anything Goes Butternut Squash Soup ………………………………………………… 149

Monster Slime by Shazzie ……………………………………………………………………… 150

SALADS AND DRESSINGS ……………………………………………………………………… 1

Marinated Asian Kale Salad by Cecilia Benjumea ………………………………… 152

Rainbow Salad by John Kohler ……………………………………………………………… 153

Greek Wow Sauce by Purely Raw …………………………………………………………… 154

Easy Cheezy Tahini Dressing by Cecilia Benjumea …………………………………155

Orange Macadamia Dressing by John Kohler ………………………………………… 156







A Non-Cacao Cookie Variation by Angela Elliott …………………………………… 182

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Like Mom Never Made 'Em……………………………… 183

Superfood “Candy” ……………………………………………………………………………………18

Shoelaces by Shazzie ……………………………………………………………………………… 185

Flourless Chocolate Cake by Jennifer Cornbleet …………………………………… 186

Carob Coconut Orange Bars (variation Matt Amsden’s recipe) …………… 187

SUPER LAZY BONUS SECTION …………………………………………………………………18







Notes from The Lazy Raw Foodist:

Even if you keep the rest of The Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide on your computeras an e-book, you might find it easier to print this section. Some of today’stop raw chefs and activists submitted their favorite “lazy” recipes. If you likewhat you taste here, be sure to check out their cookbooks and websites!

Please note: Although some of these recipes require no equipment and offerseveral variations, most require a blender or food processor. You don’t needto buy a Vita-Mix to make these things, but a reasonably fast and sturdyblender will exponentially speed your food prep. Hand chopping ingredientsrequires no special equipment, but it often takes more time and createsmore mess than simply blending or using a food processor.

I also decided to include a few dehydrator recipes. You don’t have to makethem, so please don’t feel offended to find them in The Lazy Raw Foodist’sGuide ! In selecting recipes, I considered all of your potential time and effortand wanted to offer at least a few preselected recipes to save you fromsearching should inspiration strike.

Oftentimes, dehydrator prep earns unfair labels of “difficult” or “timeconsuming.” Yes, it can take 12-24 hours to dehydrate breads and cookies,but once you create your base, the dehydrator does the rest of the work foryou while you’re off doing other things!

You can even set a timer and forget about your creations until ready todevour them. In my book, that still qualifies as “lazy” food prep.







Time Saving Tips:

• You can buy pre-ground almond powder and powdered flax seeds. Whilenot always considered the healthiest option, these work really well in apinch. That said, flax seeds are super-easy to grind yourself. Just put themin a coffee grinder and press—within seconds you’ll have fresh flax powderthat has maintained its nutritional oomph!

• Many dehydrated items like cookies taste just fine moist, so you can oftenskip that step.

• Organic frozen fruits and peeled frozen bananas make for extra fastsmoothies. Fresh is best, but sometimes speed wins!

• Some juicers like the Jack La Lanne Power Juicer Elite will make nut milksfor you without the hassle of a sprout bag.

• You can collect almond or veggie pulp from a juicer in a clean, left-overplastic produce bag (if appropriate for that model), and then use the pulp asfiller for dessert, or to make raw crackers. This also works by pouringblended items into a sprout bag and squeezing the liquid into a bowl. Youcan make nut and seed cheese with the pulp, or use it for crackers or a basefor desserts like Carrot Cake Pudding.







“Milks” and Smoothies







A lovely recipe from Anthony Anderson of www.rawmodel.com :

Love in the Desert Smoothie

Equipment : Blender

Ingredients :

• 1 large aloe vera leaf, filleted.

• 2 prickly pear cactus fruits

• 1 Tablespoon of agave

Directions :

Blend until smooth...super delicious and all from the desert.


http://www.rawmodel.com/







Perfect Purslane Smoothie

Purslane is a wild edible, but you can sometimes find it at Farmer’s Markets. I’dsay grow your own, but this is a Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide, so, really, just lookoutside or ask for a source at your nearest Health Food Store! Here’s a link formore information: http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Purslane.html .

The purslane gives this smoothie just a hint of lemony goodness, which goes sonicely with the sweet of the fruits. You can substitute lambs quarters or spinach +a tiny slice of lemon (with peel) if you can’t find purslane, but see if someone canhelp you find it. This green is wild, lending those hearty and exuberant qualities toyour day. It’s also especially high in Omega-3’s. Those healthy fats and the extraprotein will keep your brain working for hours!

Ingredients :

• ½ bunch purslane (about 2 inches of stem volume in your hand)

• 3 peaches or nectarines, pitted

• ½ bag (5 oz) frozen blueberries

• 1-2 heaping tablespoons NutriBiotic or Sun Warrior brand Vanilla Flavor RiceProtein Powder (they’re cold-processed)

• ½ tsp maca root powder• 1 tsp mesquite

• 1-2 cups water or coconut water

Directions :

Blend well.

Drink immediately.Variation :

For an extra kick:

Pour ½ of your smoothie into a bowl with ¼ cup goji berries, ¼ cup cacao nibs,and/or some really raw cashews. Enjoy your morning “milk and granola”!


http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Purslane.html

http://tinyurl.com/6l45cq


http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Purslane.html

http://tinyurl.com/6l45cq





Cacao-A-Go-Go Smoothie or Breakfast Pudding

This is a quintessential Lazy Raw Foodist recipe—not so much a recipe as a chanceto blend some liquid energy into your day. In a pinch, I use frozen spinach in this,up to 1/2 of a typical 10 oz. bag. (Because spinach has lots of pesticides on it,make sure you buy organic.) In the presence of cacao powder, you really cannottaste the spinach. Optional pomegranate seeds provide essential fatty acids and asurprising crunch! Optional goji berries have protein and energy.

Equipment : Blender

Ingredients :

• Spinach –up to 5 oz. (preferably frozen if you won’t have time to chill smoothie)

• 2 bananas (fresh or frozen; frozen if using fresh spinach)

• 1-4 TBSP raw cacao powder (Go easy if you’re not used to cacao, or sub carob)

• Up to 1 TBSP powdered maca root (Caution: too much maca will make yoursmoothie taste like radish or spicy watercress—in other words, pretty disgustingwith bananas and chocolate. Go easy on the maca!)

• 1-2 cups water or coconut water (Coconut water tastes best! You can use it pre-bottled if needed, which is not raw, but it’s still chock full of electrolytes to give youextra energy.)

• 1-2 TBSP Coconut flesh or oil (If using a fresh coconut, just use the water andflesh from that. If using bottled coconut water and virgin coconut oil, make sureyou add the coconut oil last, after you’ve already blended the frozen ingredients.Otherwise, it will freeze into a gloppy chunk.)

Directions :

Blend everything thoroughly, adding a hint of vanilla or agave nectar if desired.Drink.

Variation :

Pour it over a bowl of goji berries and pomegranate seeds. It’s beautiful andcrunchy-tangy with the little red glowing orbs and berries! You can often find rawpomegranate seeds prepackaged at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find themprepackaged, skip ‘em. Lazy Raw Foodists don’t spend time plucking seeds forbreakfast puddings!







Recipe by Meredith Baird of www.lovenudefood.com

Easy Chai Almond Milk

(Makes 2 cups of milk)

Equipment : Blender

Ingredients :

• 2 -2 1/2 Tablespoons raw almond butter

• 2 cups water

• 2 Tablespoon honey

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon ginger

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions :

Blend all ingredients thoroughly.

Serve warm by itself or in addition to your favorite tea.


http://www.lovenudefood.com/







How to Make Traditional Nut or Seed Milks

Although I rarely make my own nut milks in the traditional way, it’s actually quite

simple:

Directions :

• Soak 1 – 2 cups of your favorite nuts or seeds 6-12 hours, then drain.

• Blend in Vita-Mix or other high speed blender with enough water to create desiredthickness.

• You can blend in a couple dates, packet of Stevia, honey or agave and vanilla totaste, or just make the milk with nuts/seeds and water.

• Get a big bowl and a sprout bag. Pour liquid into sprout bag and drain into bowl.Squeeze out the liquid, then pour it into a container: homemade nut milk!

Variations :

• Save your pulp! You can use it for some of the cookie and cracker recipes in thisbook, or add herbs to make your own nut/seed cheese.

• You can also combine carrot and almond pulp with a little agave/honey, soakedraisins, ginger and cinnamon for a super-easy Carrot Cake Pudding.

Lazy Raw Foodist’s note: For sprout bags and nut milk demonstrations, Irecommend www.rawglow.com .









Green Machine Supreme

• ½ bunch kale (more if you’re already used to green smoothies)

• 1-2 cups water, coconut water* or almond milk,* depending on desired thickness

• ½-1 avocado, depending how heavy you want it

• 2-3 bananas (frozen tastes best in this recipe)

• ½ -2 TBSP Spirulina powder (optional, but quite tasty)

• 1-2 TBSP raw carob (optional, but very tasty)

• ½ tsp. each of maca and mesquite (optional)

• Splash of vanilla extract (optional)

• Splash of agave nectar (optional)

• 1 heaping TBSP NutriBiotic or Sun Warrior Brand Rice Protein Powder (optional)

Blend and drink. (When I make this, I tend to use all of the optional ingredients.)

*Even prepackaged (non-raw) coconut water will give it a creamy taste and giveyou a nice lift from electrolytes; however, I do not recommend prepackaged almond milk for this recipe, since it is cooked and tends to have lots of sweeteners.If you’re looking for energy and/or weight loss, and don’t have homemade almond milk from raw almonds, opt for fresh or packaged coconut water or just plain H20.

Because kale is a hearty green, a Vita-Mix works best for this. If you don’t have avery high-speed blender, make sure you de-stem the kale before blending and blend the bananas and water first.


http://tinyurl.com/SunWarrior.com


http://tinyurl.com/SunWarrior.com





Another recipe from Heidi and JS Ohlander of www.RawFoodRightNow.com !

Apple Lime Smoothie (aka Green Slime Smoothie!)By Heidi Ohlander

Serves 1-2

A note from Heidi: This next recipe is one of my favorites. It was featured in one of RFRN's most popular posts from earlier this year when Dr. Oz was on Oprah talkingabout "Green Drinks". I don't normally like apple based smoothies, but I love thisone. It reminds me of an old Hi-C flavor called "Ecto Cooler" with Slimer fromGhostbusters on the box. Sweet, and tangy!

Depending on who you are making it for, this smoothie has two names. For primand proper people, this is an Apple Lime Smoothie. But for fun loving people out there, this is a Green Slime Smoothie!

Ingredients :

• 5 medium bananas• 2 apples - harelson, honeycrisp, granny smith or similar tart/sweet apple (coredand peeled)• 1-2 leaves of lacinato (dino) kale• 1 cup of spinach• juice of 2 medium limes• 1/4 cup water• ice cubes to taste (optional)

Directions :

Place all ingredients in blender except ice cubes. Blend at high speed until well

mixed. While the blender is still running, add ice cubes if desired. Pour into glasses.

Makes 2 generous servings (enough to last you through half of your day, or more!)


http://www.rawfoodrightnow.com/







Raw Soups








Perfect Green Soup

Equipment : Blender

Ingredients :

• 4 C spinach

• 1 Avocado

• Juice of half a lemon

• 1 small Cucumber

• ½ Tbsp fresh grated ginger

• 1tsp miso

• Pinch of salt

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

• ½ C Cilantro

• ½ C Parsley

• (1-2C) Water as needed to get desired consistency

Directions :

Thoroughly blend all of the ingredients adding the avocado last. (If you add theavocado too early it will get a mousse texture.)

Note :

All of the measurements of this soup are approximate. I love adding ingredientsaccording to what I have on hand. It’s a fun base to mix up and add whatever freshherbs and veggies you have on hand.

This is the easiest most nutritious lunch to have on hand, and a blended soup willeasily last 3-4 days in the fridge.









Reprinted from "Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People" by Jennifer Cornbleet, anationally recognized raw food chef, author, and instructor. For more information orto order, visit www.learnrawfood.com .

Cream of Zucchini Soup

Makes 2 servings

Equipment : Blender

Ingredients :

♦ 1 zucchini, chopped (about 1 cup)♦ 1/2 cup water, plus 1/4 cup water to

thin, if necessary♦ 1 celery stalk, chopped♦ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice♦ 1 teaspoon mellow white miso♦ 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic (1 clove)

♦ 1/4 teaspoon salt♦ Dash cayenne♦ 1/2 ripe avocado, chopped♦ 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil♦ 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill weed,

or 1/2 teaspoon dried.

Directions :

Place the zucchini, 1/2 cup water, celery, lemon juice, miso, garlic, salt, andcayenne in a blender and process until smooth. Add the avocado and olive oil andblend again until smooth. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water to thin, if necessary,and blend briefly. Add the dill weed and blend briefly, just to mix. Serveimmediately. For a chilled soup, refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Toserve warm, heat gently on the stove for a few minutes. Do not overheat.

This soup can be served chilled, at room temperature, or warm.

NOTES:


http://www.learnrawfood.com/







This kid-friendly recipe comes from Shazzie’s latest book, Evie’s Kitchen . It’s easyto prepare for adults and children. If you haven’t discovered Shazzie’s websitesyet, you’re in for a treat: www.shazzie.com and www.detoxyourworld.com

Monster Slime (soup)

Serves 2

This is a bright green cold meal which makes children inquisitive and excited aboutwhat they’re about to encounter. It’s very filling, so the portions aren’t big. Keepsfor two days when refrigerated in a sealed container.

Equipment : Blender

Ingredients :

• 500ml fresh coconut water [approximately 2 and 1/8 cups]*• 20g young coconut jelly (optional)• ½ avocado• 5g spirulina powder [approximately 1 ¾ teaspoons]*• ½ teaspoon of lemon peel

Directions :

Stone and skin the avocado. Add everything to a high-speed blender and blend untilsmooth and creamy. Serve with flax crackers or salad.

*Conversions are provided for your convenience by The Lazy Raw Foodist. Any errors are mine, not Shazzie's.



http://www.detoxyourworld.com/








Salads and Dressings







Recipe by Cecilia Benjumea from www.rawglow.com

Marinated Asian Kale Salad

2-4 Servings

Equipment : A food processor makes this faster, but you can chop without it.

Ingredients :

• 1 large bunch lacinto kale thinly sliced (or other kale, collards, or Swiss chard)

• Juice from 1 lime (about 6 tablespoons lime juice)

• 1 TBSP Flax Seed Oil or Raw Sesame Seed Oil

• 1 TBSP cold pressed olive oil

• 2 TBSP chickpea miso (or pink salt to taste)

• 1 TBSP freshly grated ginger

• 2 TBSP finely chopped green onion (about 2 green onions green part only)

• 1 cup finely chopped bell pepper (about 1/2 large bell pepper)

• 1/2 cup seaweed (optional) (torn dulse, silky sea palm, kombu, etc.)

• 1 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds (optional)

Directions :

Make sure the greens are thinly sliced. You can even shred the kale in your foodprocessor with the slicing disk on.

Put the shredded kale in a large bowl and mash in with a fork the oil, chickpeamiso, shredded ginger, and lime juice. Make sure the miso and oil is well blended.You can even massage the kale with your hands to make sure the kale is wellcoated.

Serve now or let the kale marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hr. It can evensit overnight. The longer it marinates the more tender the kale will be. When youare ready to serve, add in the bell peppers, seaweed, cucumber, green onion, andsesame seeds. Enjoy!

This will last in the refrigerator for about 3 days.









Recipe by Cecilia Benjumea from http://www.rawglow.com

Easy Cheezy Tahini Dressing

1 serving

You don't even need a blender to make this dressing!

Equipment : None

Ingredients :

• 2 Tablespoon raw tahini

• 2 Tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 and 1/2 teaspoon chickpea miso

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves (can substitute dry if fresh arenot available)

• 5 Tablespoons water to thin.

Directions :

Put all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until well blended. It’sespecially good over cucumbers and parsley.









Recipe by John Kohler from http://www.living-foods.com

Orange Macadamia Nut Dressing

With only two ingredients, this is definitely a super-lazy recipe. You can even buyunpasteurized orange juice already made!

Equipment : Blender

Ingredients :

• 1 cup macadamia nuts (Can use pine nuts or almonds as well)

• 1 cup orange or tangerine juice

Directions :

Blend in the blender until smooth. It’s especially good over Spinach and RomaineLettuce.


http://www.living-foods.com/


http://www.living-foods.com/





A simple no-equipment-needed salad dressing from Heidi and JS Ohlander atwww.RawFoodRightNow.com

Sweet Cider Dressing

Makes 2-3 servings or one giant salad

Equipment : None

Ingredients :

• 3 Tablespoons flax seed oil

• 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon Raw Honey, or to taste

Directions :

In a small bowl, pour the apple cider vinegar and the raw honey. Using a whisk,slowly drizzle the flax seed oil into the bowl. Whisk until creamy and completelyemulsified.

Pour over fresh greens of your choice and toss until dressing covers the greens.Serve immediately.

This recipe can be doubled and last for most of the week.

Shelf life in refrigerator: 3-4 days









Easy Main Meals and Fillings








Hummus

Equipment : Blender

Ingredients :

• 1 and 1/2 C peeled and chopped zucchini

• 1/2 C raw tahini

• ¼ C lemon juice

• ½ clove garlic

• 1 ½ Tbsp quality olive oil

• 2 tsp salt

Directions :

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Great as a dip or spread.

Variation :

To make an easy dressing, thin out with ½ cup water and add 2 TBSP more tahini.

Add more of the other spices if necessary for a more potent dressing.









Alissa Cohen graciously offered this recipe from her classic, Living on Live Food,available at www.alissacohen.com .

Mock Salmon Pâté

A delicious pink pâté with a hint of salmon flavor! I eat this all the time on top of alarge salad with a vinaigrette dressing. It’s such an easy pâté to prepare and oh sodelicious!

Equipment : Food processor

Ingredients :

• 2 cups walnuts• 2 stalks celery

• 1 large red bell pepper

• 1 large scallion

• ½ -1 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Serving suggestions: This can be served on a plate as is, over a salad, rolled up ina green leaf, or spread on crackers.

www.AlissaCohen.com

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http://www.rawteacher.com/





Recipe by UK-based Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach

Karen’s Favourite Nori Rolls

This nori roll recipe is a sure-fire winner and a recipe that I can live on for days onend. To find a recipe that suits you, use your favourite raw ingredients as fillingsand continue to experiment with new textures and flavours. Makes 2 rolls.

Equipment : None

Ingredients:

• 2 nori sheets• 1 large avocado• 2 fresh tomatoes• 1 small onion• 10 black olives, pitted OR 6 sundried tomatoes in oil• Handful of coriander, rocket (arugula) or watercress

Directions

1. Lay the nori sheet out flat on a plate or cutting board and place strips of avocadoalong the near edge about an inch in from the outside of the sheet.

2. Next, lay on top of the avocado some strips of tomato followed by strips of onionthen topped with halved olives or the sundried tomatoes.

3. Finally top it all off with your chosen greens.

4. Roll up, either by hand or using a sushi mat, cut into small bit-sized pieces orleave as is and enjoy!

RAW COACH TOP TIPS:• This recipe is just for starters. You can make infinite different nori roll fillings –

just make sure that you have one “heavy” filling such as avocado, a paté orsimilar, and some wet and juicy ones like tomato, cucumber or bell pepper.

• If making a nori roll that seems too full or has too many “wet” ingredients in it,

use one large lettuce leaf to top the lot and then roll your nori – this protects thenori from becoming too wet and falling apart.

• Raw nori is purpley-black in colour and toasted is dark green. (i.e. The oppositeof what you would expect. You will need to check with the manufacturer for surehowever).


http://www.therawfoodcoach.com/


http://www.therawfoodcoach.com/





Angela Elliott of www.celestialrawgoddess.com and author of Alive in Five submitteda bunch of original recipes. Bon Appetit!

The first recipe is perfect for kids!!

Scroobious Tacos with Ninja Sauce

Equipment: blender and food processor

Scroobious Tacos

Ingredients :• 10 large romaine lettuce leaves

• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped• 2 Haas avocados, diced• Raw olives, pitted and diced• Presto pesto• Marinated onions• Pepper medley salsa• Ninja Sauce• Celtic salt and black pepper to taste

Directions :Spread a little of everything on to a romaine leaf, then drizzle with Ninja sauce.This is great finger food and a wonderfully creative way to get kids to eat raw food.It tastes awesome and a fight always breaks out over who will get the last one.

Ninja Sauce

Ingredients :• 2 1/2 tsp. Mellow red miso• Juice of one lemon• 2 small bulbs of garlic• 1 tsp. Tahini• Black pepper to taste

Directions :Blend and drizzle over Scroobious Tacos.


http://www.celestialrawgoddess.com/







Chef Cherie Soria of Living Light Culinary Institute at www.rawfoodchef.com contributed this popular recipe from her new book, The Raw Revolution Diet .

Mexican-Style Seasoned Cabbage

Yield: 1 1/2 cups/370 mL (3 servings)

This is one of the most popular dishes at the Living Light Café and Cuisine To Goand a favorite of our students. It was created to mimic Mexican seasoned rice, andit really does taste like the Spanish rice dishes served in Mexican restaurants. It’spacked with nutrition, and since it tastes great, people come back for more.

Nutrition NoteThanks to the cabbage, this dish is high in vitamins C and K and the amino acidglutamine. Peas are a good source of protein and zinc.

Ingredients :

• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) shredded cabbage (about 1/4 head)

• 1/2–1 cup (125–250 mL) fresh or frozen peas (see notes)

• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) Sun-Dried Tomato Powder *

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt

• 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) Mexican chili powder

• 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) onion powder

• 1/2 clove garlic, crushed

• 1/2 ripe tomato, diced

*Lazy Raw Foodist’s note: you can grind sundried tomatoes in a coffee grinder.









(Mexican-Style Seasoned Cabbage , continued)

1. Place the cabbage in a food processor fitted with the S blade and pulse until it

reaches the texture of rice.

2. Transfer to a large bowl and add the peas, green onion, Sun-Dried TomatoPowder, oil, salt, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic, and tomato and tossgently.

3. If you would like to warm the mixture, transfer it to a large glass baking dish andplace it in a dehydrator set at 125 degrees F/50 degrees C for 30 minutes to 2hours, or in a warmed oven (preheated to warm and turned off) for 30 minutesprior to serving.

4. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Frozen peas are not raw—they’ve been blanched for a few minutes. They stillcontain valuable nutrients as well as good flavor and color, but if you want a 100%raw recipe and have no fresh peas, they may be omitted.

• This dish is also tasty without being warmed. Try serving it wrapped in a largecollard leaf or large leaf of romaine lettuce.

Reprinted with permission granted by Cherie Soria, 2008.







Recipe submitted by Cecilia Benjumea of http://www.rawglow.com

Cucumber Noodles with Sweet and Sour Sauce

2-4 Servings

This is a lazy recipe because the sweet and sour sauce is mainly chopped bellpepper and mango blended in a blender!

Equipment : Blender

Ingredients :

• 2 large mangos diced (or 4 small Manila mangos)

• 2 large bell peppers chopped

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

• 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled

• 2 English cucumbers spiralized on thin setting with a Spiralo or Spiral Slicer

Garnish :

• 2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onion

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves chopped

• 1/2 cup pea sprouts (or mung bean sprouts)

• 1 bell pepper julienned

• 1/2 cup snow peas (optional)

• 1/2 cup pineapple chopped (optional)

Directions :To make the sauce add the diced mangos first and then the bell peppers, cayenne,and ginger in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour over spiralized Englishcucumber noodles.

Garnish with, chives, cilantro, sprouts, bell pepper, snow peas, and pineapple.Enjoy!









This recipe comes from the folks at www.purelyraw.com , a gourmet raw fooddelivery service in the UK. Yum!

Cheese with Spring Onion

Equipment : Food processor.

Preliminary prep : Soak Sunflower Seeds for 6 hours, drain and refrigerate.

Ingredients :

• 2 cups of Sunflower Seeds (soaked as specified above)

• 1 cup of Pine Nuts

• 1/2 tablespoon Salt

• Juice from 2 Lemons

• 1/3 cup raw Olive Oil

• 1 bunch of Green Onion, all except roots (diced)

Directions :

1) In your Food Processor, process seeds, nuts and salt until fine ground. Addthe lemon juice and the olive oil. Process again to make smooth. Scrape fromsides if needed. Mixture should begin to "roll" as it moves around processor.

2) Add water only to keep the mixture moving and rolling if needed. Processuntil stiff, smooth, and very thick.

3) Add the green onion and process briefly to mix in and slightly break down theGreen Onion.

4) Allow to stand 30 minutes, then enjoy! - Note: If you taste it early the lemontaste should stand out. The lemon taste will die down after it sits a bit.









Another recipe from Shazzie’s new book, Evie’s Kitchen. Even though this onetakes a bit more work than some, I love Shazzie’s recipes because they alwayshave a sense of humor—an essential ingredient for Lazy Raw Foodists! For morelike this, please check out: www.shazzie.com and www.detoxyourworld.com .

Big Potatno Cake

Makes 8 portions

Exactly. It has no potatoes in it but kind of tastes like it has, so it’s potatno. No onecan actually believe what’s in it when I feed them it, because it tastes so muchbetter than the ingredients lead you to believe it could.

Equipment : Food processor + hand blender

Ingredients :

• 400g parsnips [14 oz., approximately 4 small or 3 medium parsnips]*• 200g cauliflower [ 7 oz., approximately ½ of a medium head]*• 50g of cashew nuts (soaked for at least 30 minutes) [2 oz.]*• 175ml olive oil [3/4 cup]*• 6 dates• Pinch of unrefined sea salt

Directions :

Soak the cashew nuts in water for 30 minutes, drain and rinse. Top and tail theparsnips, and cut them into chunks. Cut the cauliflower into chunks. Add all theingredients to your food processor and process until everything has been reducedto crumbs.

Transfer this mixture to a jug and using your hand blender, blend to a smoothpaste. Put the mixture in a loose-bottomed cake tin and smooth it down.Refrigerate for at least an hour before use. When ready to eat, remove it from thetin by placing it on a plate upside down and pushing the bottom through. Cut asyou would a cake and serve with your favourite salads.

Keeps for three days when refrigerated in a sealed container.

* Conversions made by The Lazy Raw Foodist for your convenience. Any errors aremine, not Shazzie's!











Breads and Crackers







Lazy Raw Foodist’s Note: This recipe takes a bit more effort than most of the other ones in this book, but it forms the base of many gourmet delivered treats fromwww.purelyraw.com . When you want that crispy bread-like experience, you canmake a batch of this and store it in airtight containers so you can quickly satisfy your future cravings. I decided to include a few complex recipes in case inspiration

strikes and you don’t feel like cruising the internet for recipes!

Carrot Onion Bread

Equipment : Food processor and dehydrator

Ingredients :

• 800 grams of Carrots (1.5 lbs)• 800 grams of peeled & quartered Spanish Onions (1.5 lbs)

• 3/4 cup Flax Seeds (soaked)• 1/2 tablespoon Salt• 1/3 cup Olive Oil• Water

Directions :

1) Soak Flax seeds in a pint glass of water for 30 minutes before using.

2) While they're soaking continue recipe by processing the Onions (quartered)in your Food Processor (FP) with the finest (smallest) slicing blade. (not thechopping/normal 'S' blade). Should make long thin strips/slices of onions.(julienne) Set aside in large bowl.

3) Change your FP blade to the finest grating blade you have and process theCarrots. Add to the bowl with the sliced Onions.

4) If soak time has passed. Put soaked Flax Seeds and the soak Water into yourBlender. Refill the pint glass with water and add to blender. Blend for just abit, it will become a thick cream with many whole flax seeds and bits of allsizes.

5) Pour Flax cream blend into bowl with Onions and Carrots. Add the Olive Oil

and the Salt. Stir very well with large spoon. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.While waiting cover 3 Excalibur dehydrator trays with cling film or use teflexsheets.

6) Divide your mixture evenly between the 3 trays and spread out evenly oneach use less than a ½ inch thick. Place into Dehydrator and run until driedwell on top. Flip onto normal uncovered trays and continue to dehydrate untilalmost crispy.









Multi-Tasking Crackers

If I plan to do time-consuming things like juicing, making nut milk or dehydrating,it helps to synchronize my efforts!

Equipment : Dehydrator + juicer and/or blender (we’re combining efforts here!)

Ingredients :

• Pulp from making nut milk and/or vegetable juice (Cruciferous veggies do NOTwork well for this purpose as they start to break down quickly and STINK beforeyour crackers dry. I like combos of greens like kale and parsley, plus beets, carrots,celery and fennel for both juice and cracker pulp.)

• Flax powder (Brown or golden, preferably freshly ground in a coffee grinder. Youwant about approximately 1/3 or up to an equal amount as your pulp, dependingon cracker’s desired richness, as well as the degree of moisture left in your pulp.)

• Water to moisten the flax and help it bind.

• Herbs de Provence or other seasoning

• Sea Salt (optional)

Directions :

Stir everything together until sticky.

If the flax is powdery, add a little more water. If dough becomes runny, add a littlemore flax. If dough crumbles, you need more flax and water.

Spread thin with a spatula over teflex sheets or parchment paper on yourdehydrator trays.

Dehydrate until very crisp for crackers or slightly bendy for bread.

I follow Gabriel Cousens’ advice to dehydrate for the first two hours at 145 degrees,since it’s food—not air—temperature that matters. Once the water evaporates, thefood temperature starts to rise, so then you need to back down the temperature to105. He recommends this technique in order to minimize bacterial or mold growth.I recommend it because I’m an impatient and Lazy Raw Foodist! When I wantbread or crackers, I want them sooner rather than later.







Sweet Snacks and Desserts







Recipes by Meredith Baird of www.lovenudefood.com

Strawberries and Balsamic with Cashew Crème Fraiche

(Serves 4-8 people)

Ingredients :

• 2 cup Strawberries quartered

• 2-4 Tablespoon high quality balsamic vinegar

• 2 Tablespoon Agave nectar or maple syrup

• 3 teaspoon fresh thyme

Directions :

Drizzle the strawberries with balsamic vinegar and sweetener and more or lessaccording to your taste. Add the thyme. Mix, and allow to marinate for 30 minutesor longer.

Crème Fraiche

Ingredients : (requires a blender)

• 1 cup cashews

• approximately ½ cups water

• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon miso

• Pinch of sea salt

Directions :

Soak the cashews in water for 1-2 hours. Drain. In a high-speed blender blendremaining ingredients until smooth adding the water slowly. The consistency shouldbe like sour cream.

Serve the marinated strawberries with a dollop of crème fraiche on top. Garnishwith a sprig of fresh thyme.

Perfect as a light dessert in the summer or an interesting side for breakfast andbrunch.

*Crème fraiche is a great substitute anywhere you would use sour crème. I love toserve it with Hiziki seaweed and flax crackers as a faux caviar dish.









This recipe comes from world travelling Anthony Anderson atwww.rawmodel.com .

Apple-Butter-Boats

Equipment : None

Ingredients :

• Apple

• Nut butter

• Cinnamon

Directions :

Cut an apple in half (from the side, not down the middle) and with a spoon, carveout a nice bowl shape...taking out the seeds and the core.

Fill this hole up with your favorite nut or seed butter, and top it off with a dash of cinnamon.

SO quick, so delicious, and great for traveling.









This recipe also comes from Anthony Anderson at www.rawmodel.com .

Mango Strawberry Pudding

Equipment : Blender

Ingredients :

• 1 mango• 1 avocado• 3 strawberries

Directions :Blend all in food processor or blender until smooth. Add more avocado if too thin.

Lazy Raw Foodist Variation: You can make a bright and delicious Strawberry Pudding with just 1 cup strawberries, avocado and a hint of sweetener (agave,

xylitol, honey, etc. to taste.) I like to top mine with cacao nibs for a little crunch,but it’s also a delicious, simple treat with just the berries and avocado.









From Alissa Cohen’s Living on Live Food , available at www.alissacohen.com

Date Nut Torte

Fudgy, creamy and sweet!

I bring this with me when I’m visiting someone I’d like to introduce to raw food.People can’t believe it’s raw! And it’s one of the quickest and easiest desserts tomake.

Equipment: Food processor

Base of Torte:

• 2 cups raisins

• 2 cups walnuts

Frosting:

• 1 cup dates, pitted and soaked

• 1/2 lemon, juiced

For Base:

1. In a food processor, combine raisins and walnuts and blend until well blendedand moist. (This will take a few minutes and you may see it forming a ball. Justmake sure the raisins come out looking like a fudgey mixture and are not stillgrainy)

2. Remove from processor and mold onto a plate in a round circle about 1 and 1/2inches thick.

For Frosting:1. In a food processor, combine dates and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.

2. Spread the frosting on top of the torte

Note : I like this served at room temperature as the frosting and torte are stillsticky, but if you want a firmer texture that will be easier to slice, refrigerate it for afew hours.









From the lovely Angela Elliott of www.celestialrawgoddess.com

Decadent Hazelnut Chocolate Cherry Cookies

I like these cookies so much, I have a hard time waiting for them to dehydrate andmost of the time, just eat the cookie dough! These cookies are divine either way!

Equipment : Food processor (plus a blender/sprout bag to make nutmilk)

Ingredients :

• 2 cups hazelnut mush left over from making nut milk

• ¾ cup cherries

• ½ cup pitted soft dates

• 4 Tablespoons raw agave

• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavor

• Dash of Celtic salt

• ½ cup raw cacao nibs • ½ teaspoon raw carob

Directions :

Press the hazelnut pulp to remove all the liquid from it.

Process all the above ingredients in a food processor.

Make about 48 balls, then flatten each ball and place on a teflex sheet.

Dehydrate at 104 degrees for 24 hours.

Flip and remove teflex sheet and dehydrate for 2 hours.


http://www.thecelestialgoddess.com/


http://www.thecelestialgoddess.com/





A Non-Cacao Cookie Variation by Angela Elliott

Angela’s note: Again, these are divine either way—dehydrated or as cookie dough!

Equipment : Food processor (plus a blender/sprout bag to make earlier nutmilk)

Ingredients :

• 2 cups hazelnut mush leftover from making nutmilk • ¾ cup dried organic bing cherries

• ½ cup soft dates

• 4 Tablespoons raw agave

• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavor

• Dash Celtic salt

• Handful of non-soaked almonds and hazelnuts powdered in a coffee grinder

Directions :

Place all the above ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Make about 48 balls, then flatten each ball and place on a teflex sheet.

Dehydrate at 104 degrees for 24 hours.

Flip and remove teflex sheet and dehydrate for 2 hours.









Oatmeal Raisin Cookies like Mom Never Made ‘Em

Makes about 16 cookies

I whipped these together the night before a San Francisco potluck. No, they’re nota health food because I didn’t sprout and dehydrate the almonds and oat groats,but for a single cookie serving at a potluck, no one minded. In fact, quite a fewfolks begged for the recipe. Well, here it is!

Equipment : coffee grinder and food processor

Ingredients :

• Approximately 1 cup oat groats, ground fine in a coffee grinder or Vita-Mix

• Approximately 1 cup almonds, dry, ground in food processor or buy pre-ground• 1 to 1 ¼ cup dried apricots, soaked (save soak water)• cinnamon to taste (I used about 1 TBSP, but add slowly to your liking)• handful or more of raisins

Directions :

Put the ground oat groats and ground almonds in food processor and mix themtogether. Add ½ your intended amount of cinnamon and mix again.

Begin dropping apricots in processor, while it’s still running. Add soak water inincrements until a sticky dough begins to form. Taste test for cinnamon and theneed for any extra apricots. When it’s the consistency of “normal” oatmeal cookiedough, scoop out 16 cookie size amounts onto a teflex lined dehydrator tray. Pressraisins into each little ball and press fairly flat, ¼- ½ inch thick.

Dehydrate for 2 hours until firm enough to flip. The easiest way I’ve found is totake a second tray and lay it face down on top of the cookies. Then flip and peel off the teflex. Reinsert tray into dehydrator and continue for another 8-12 hours.

Because this was for a potluck and people get nervous about temperature, I startedat 112 degrees and backed it down to 105 after the first two hours.

These look and taste just like cooked oatmeal raisin cookies! I like them firm butnot too crispy.







Reprinted from Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People by Jennifer Cornbleet, anationally recognized raw food chef, author, and instructor. For more information orto order, please visit www.learnrawfood.com .

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Makes one 9-inch cake; 8 servings

Equipment : Food processor

Ingredients :

♦ 3 cups walnuts♦ 1/4 teaspoon sea salt♦ 20 pitted medjool dates♦ 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

or raw chocolate powder

♦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional♦ 4 teaspoons water♦ 1 cup fresh raspberries for garnish

Directions :

Place the walnuts and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process

until finely ground. Add the dates, cocoa powder, and vanilla and process until themixture begins to stick together. Add the water and process briefly.

Transfer to a serving plate and form into a 9-inch round cake. Chill for 2 hours.Decorate the cake and plate with fresh raspberries or top before serving. Coveredwith plastic wrap, Flourless Chocolate Cake will keep for three days in therefrigerator or two weeks in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before serving.

This decadent dessert will delight chocolate lovers.









This recipe is a variation of one by Matt Amsden of www.rawvolution.com . For hisoriginal Chocolate Coconut Haystack recipe, please check out his cookbook,RAWvolution , and/or national food delivery service in the U.S. I made this carobvariation of his haystacks for an intuitive class in Sedona and served them as frozensquares with fresh oranges on top. Everyone went wild! The original is delicious,

but due to a copyright technicality, I can only include the variation.

Carob Coconut Orange Bars

Makes about 8 bars, depending how (or if) you cut them

Equipment : None

Ingredients :

• 1/4 cup raw carob powder (not roasted)

• 1 ½ cups raw shredded coconut (Go Coconut! brand comes raw & pre-shredded)

• 1/3 cup coconut oil

• 1/4 cup agave nectar

• 1 – 2 fresh oranges, seeded, peeled and chopped

Directions :

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the carob powder and shredded coconut, and mix

well. Add the coconut oil and the agave nectar and mix well.2. Spread flat in a shallow dish, about ½ inch thick.

3. Freeze for at least thirty minutes before serving.

4. Slice, top with freshly chopped oranges, and enjoy.



http://tinyurl.com/RAWvolution



http://tinyurl.com/RAWvolution





The Super Lazy Bonus Section







• If you live in the UK, you can treat yourself to the bountiful creations of www.PurelyRaw.com . I can’t wait to try this service if and when Stephen andI make it across the pond!

• www.purerawcafe.com is a Texas based raw food company that also shipsnationally. I haven’t personally tried these folks, but the menu always looksyummy.

• Sprout Raw Food serves the greater Atlanta area with fresh raw foodsdelivered to your door. They also ship desserts and dehydrated itemsnationally via UPS: http://www.sproutrawfood.org/Delivery.htm .

• For other tips on maintaining a raw food diet as a jet-setter, you mightenjoy Anthony Anderson’s blog. True, he tends many of his own plants (notexactly lazy); however, as a model, he also travels all over the world,managing to find amazing treats wherever he goes: www.rawmodel.com .



http://www.purerawcafe.com/

http://www.sproutrawfood.org/Delivery.htm




http://www.purerawcafe.com/

http://www.sproutrawfood.org/Delivery.htm






Personal Chef Services :

Sometimes having a raw restaurant down the street or in a neighboringtown just isn’t enough! Maybe you don’t even want to leave your house!

And grocery shopping? Psshawww … really lazy (or busy) raw foodists don’talways have time for that. Enter the personal chef … Not all of the following links are to exclusively raw chefs, but clients and Ihave found a budding interest in raw foods even among “ordinary” chefs—especially ones familiar with vegan cuisine. It never hurts to ask.

(Well, I should clarify that. I received my only hate email ever after postingmy request for a personal raw vegan chef when we left the raw paradise of Sedona. Apparently, my post made some ex-vegetarian reader very, veryangry! How dare I ask for such a thing and offer to trade or pay for prepared food and services? How dare I want to write a novel instead of slaving over a dehydrator all day? I was “possibly, no definitely, the most self-centered,egotistical person” they “had ever encountered!” The three paragraph tiradeended with this person telling me to “Chop your own damn carrots and getover yourself. Better yet, become a breatharian. Ha!”) Some people will have reactions if you request personal raw food catering,but you know what? That’s their issue. If you want to follow this lifestyleand are willing to pay (or trade) someone else to do your grocery shoppingand food preparation, someone out there will do it—even if you have to buy

them a few raw cookbooks to get them started. Who knows, the food theylearn to prepare for you might even help them recover from health issues ortransform their lives. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want or need:

http://www.pchefnet.com/

http://www.chefsearch.ca/

http://www.personalchefsearch.com/

Although this worldwide map links to Alissa Cohen’s certified raw foodteachers , some of those teachers offer chef services on the side. You canexplain that you would like the food without the instruction and see how itgoes: http://www.rawteacher.com/teachers.html

Also check for listings at your local health food stores, online atwww.giveittomeraw.com , as well as at potlucks. Raw foodists have a reallynice tendency to pick up on others’ requests and intentions.





http://www.rawteacher.com/teachers.html













Mail Order Raw Food Treats :

The raw food movement has grown hand in hand with the worldwide web.

Raw foodists love to blog, join forums, or post in online bulletin boards. Notsurprisingly, you can buy all kinds of raw food items online, even if you livein the least raw-friendly place imaginable. Here are a few of my favoritesites:

• For out of this world macaroons, crackers, granola and body care products,check out Sarma Melngailis’ online store: www.oneluckyduck.com

• You can find Lydia’s Organics in a lot of the mainstream natural foodsstores. Her crackers and granola have “earthier” tastes and textures thanSarma’s, but they taste good with raw soups or green smoothies.

http://www.oneluckyduck.com/

http://www.lydiasorganics.com/

http://www.oneluckyduck.com/

http://www.lydiasorganics.com/

103204187 Laura Bruno the Lazy Raw Foodists Guide

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