Fiber is essential for proper digestion and nutrient assimilation, and is seriously lacking in the Standard American Diet (SAD).  Animal products have little to no fiber and are harder to digest than plant foods, taking nearly three times longer to digest.  Fiber helps to move digested food through the digestive tract and keep the colon clean.  Not enough fiber in our diet can easily create toxic waste in our system making us more vulnerable to diseases, while excess waste in our system can increase our weight as much as 25 pounds.  Cooking fruits and vegetables will reduce and change the quality of the fiber, reducing its ability to ‘sweep’ the colon clean.  Blending fruits and vegetables into a fresh, revitalizing empowering drink will help break down the fiber in the plant, improving both the digestive process and nutritional assimilation.

All uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds come with their own digestive enzymes to assist the body in digesting protein, fats and carbohydrates.  For example, the avocado is rich in the enzyme Lipase, the fat dissolving enzyme.  These plant enzymes help to pre-digest the food in the early part of digestion thus improving the digestive process and bioavailability (the absorption and assimilation) of nutrients.  Cooking foods at high temperatures can dramatically reduce the quality and quantity of these enzymes. 

Plant foods are also rich in phytochemicals (including antioxidants) and healthy fats to support optimal health.  Antioxidants fight free radicals – free radicals are known to accelerate aging and contribute to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.  Phytochemicals found in whole plant foods number in the 100,000’s and;

Perform anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral activities;

Fight Macular Degeneration, cataracts and Alzheimer;

Have anti-inflammatory activities;

Help bone density (reduce risk of osteoporosis);

Help prevent and rid body of carcinogens (anti-cancerous activities);

Prevent blood clotting, lower cholesterol, strengthen blood vessel walls and fight heart disease;

And enhance Immune Function.

The process of heating foods can significantly reduce the phytochemical content of most foods.  To receive the enormous benefits of these health promoting nutrients eat your fruits and vegetables as Mother Nature grew them – whole, fresh, and uncooked.

Healthy fats are necessary for food absorption, healthy skin, lubricating our joints, protecting our internal tissues and organs, and to providing satiation (that feeling of ‘fullness’ which helps eliminate ‘over-eating’).  Healthy fats can be found in coconuts, olives, avocados, and raw nuts and seeds.  The unhealthy fats (i.e. saturated fats and trans-fats) are found only in animal products, never in fresh plant foods.  Eating healthy fats have an added benefit  -  the same ‘fat dissolving’ Lipase enzyme found in raw plant foods like avocados, nuts and seeds, will help to dissolve saturated fat from the body.

Take your diet and health a notch higher; feel like the ‘reset’ button was pressed and your body ignited with new energy.  Eat whole fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds in their natural raw/uncooked state and reap the benefits!  You’ll be amazed how your body responds to those added antioxidants, phytochemicals, enzymes, fiber and healthy fats!

Soup is so versatile – it can be thin (as in a Consommé or stock) to thick, like a gumbo; consumed cold or warm – heated to a warm temperature or ‘heated’ with warming spices (such as chili, red pepper, etc). Keep your soup smooth or serve it ‘chunky’ style. Soup can be served as a snack, a course, or the entre’ itself. Dress up your soup dish with garnishes (e.g. croutons, bread, crackers, veggies, or greens) or not. Soup is a great ‘take out’ meal as well, just pour it into a cup or a thermos and you’re ‘good to go’.

If you’re looking for a way to drop the calories, lose excess weight, and gain bounds of energy while still consuming a nutritiously dense meal, SOUP is your answer. Soup is classified as a ‘liquid’ food or ‘blended’ meal and is typically made with a variety of veggies. Easy to digest, soups can easily supply you with nutrients you may be missing. By not heating soup over 118 degrees, all the nutrients and enzymes remain intact. You get more ‘bang for your buck’ with every nutritious sip of soup! Also because of its high water content, soups prevent dehydration which is not only aging but can cause low energy among other things (e.g. dizziness, feeling hungry, blood sugar disorders, cramping, etc)

Soup is a GREAT way to keep you from ‘over-eating’, something we are all guilty of. Consuming soup before a meal will give you a full feeling due to its high water and fiber content and nutritional concentration (assuming the soup is vegetarian/vegan). Starting your biggest meal of the day with a cup of soup is a ‘sure fire’ way of lowering your calories while boosting your immune system. It also ‘fires up’ the digestive enzymes in your mouth allowing for easier digestion of the food to follow.

On the raw food diet, preparing soup is extremely easy. There are several ways to make it. You can blend all the ingredients in a high powered blender at once, or you can blend the ‘stock’ until warm then pour over veggies in a bowl; or you can prepare the ‘stock’ (using warm to hot water is the fastest and easiest way) then ‘top’ with garnish or veggies. Adding sprouted beans, peas, lentils, and grains makes for a more condensed, thicker soup.

Even being a raw food consumer, warming soup is easy. If you warm your soup in a pan on the stove keep a careful eye on it to see the soup doesn’t heat over 118 degrees – a thermometer is a handy tool or you can check the temperature with your clean finger to see it is not getting too hot. You can also warm your bowl of soup in the dehydrator 1-2 hours at 135 degrees (the safest method), or in a high speed blender. Yes, the Vita-Mix blender and those other high speed blenders can ‘boil’ water if left on for a length of time. I personally find it faster and easier to warm the soup on the stove while maintaining a watchful eye on the temperature, use a double boiler if you’re not confident you can remove the pot when the soup starts to warm.

If heating a soup that has an avocado in it, bring the soup up to the temperature you desire and then blend in the avocado last. Remember to make preparing warm soup easier, bring your veggies to room temperature helps simplify preparation and warming time.

Warming spices and seasonings will give you a ‘warm’ feeling when the temperature outside drops. Hot peppers, Cayenne pepper, ginger, wasabi, horseradish, black and white pepper, coriander, and turmeric are all considered warm, energy enhancing spices and/or seasonings that make great additions to your soup dish.

So lets not forget the power of SOUP and just how easy and versatile this dish is! Experience just how energizing, healing and delicious soup is.

Bon A Petite
Beth Wilke, Raw Food Chef

If you’re like me, you wake and bless the Almighty for being alive and feeling alive with new energy pushing you out of bed. If you’ve been eating the raw food diet, you discover you don’t require as much sleep as you did when you were eating the standard American diet. With fewer toxins to clean from your system and with a more efficient system your body enjoys a higher level of energy and well-being!

I’m fully awake now, but still feeling the chill of the fall season and crave a warm breakfast! Most people think that when you eat raw that you can’t eat anything heated, they’re quite surprised to discover they’re wrong. A food is still considered ‘raw’ if it isn’t heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit; all the nutrients and enzymes remain intact. Eating heated foods is highly desirable when the temperatures drop!

I’m craving warm apples, apple cobbler, apple pie, caramel apples, apples….apples…..apples! Apples are in season now and everywhere I look their bright colors beckon and memories of childhood favorite apple dishes surface. Did you know that there are over 7500 varieties of cooking and dessert apples? They range from very tart (crab apple) to deliciously sweet! You can eat them out of hand, prepared in a raw dish or a heated one. If you’re like me, you want lots of options particularly when you’re transitioning to a high raw food diet. As a Recipe Club Member I share my favorite apple recipes with you – recipes I know will satisfy and delight you for both how tasty they are and with how easy they are to prepare.

Learn more about this wonderful healthy fruit on my website: www.sensationalrawfooddiet.com.

The sun is peaking through the clouds now, and I’m off to get breakfast. I wonder, “Why would anyone wish to eat a boxed cereal with milk when there are warm sweet apples beaconing?”

Have a terrific day!

Bon A Petite
Beth Wilke

Dulse is just one of the numerous edible sea vegetables that is easy to come by and is packed with very rich nutrients, phytochemicals, chlorophyll, fiber and minerals (e.g. sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine and many other trace minerals).  Dulse, like all sea vegetation, is low in fat, and has a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids.  Omega 3 fatty acids help lower cholesterol and raise HDL levels.

Other benefits of Dulse and other sea vegetables include their ability to help prevent aging and chronic disease, solve mineral deficiencies, help detoxify your body (from heavy metals, environmental pollutants and carcinogens), help control growth of viruses, bacteria and Candida, balance the thyroid function and fight constipation.

One third cup of Dulse provides up to 30% of RDA for iron, which is four times the amount in a serving of spinach.  It is packed with approximately 22% protein – higher than chickpeas, almonds or sesame seeds.  One handful of dried Dulse provides more than 100% of the recommended daily intake of B6, iron and fluoride and 66% of the recommended daily intake of B12.

Add to salads, pate’s, and roll-ups Dulse (as most other sea vegetables) are an easy, cost-effective, way to add those much needed, often missed minerals to your diet.

Dulse is available in whole stringy leaves or powdered (as a condiment).  Dulse, reddish brown seaweed, does not need to be soaked as some seaweeds do; it can be eaten directly from the package.    It has a rich taste, a slightly chewy texture and is a little salty which easily provides an excellent substitute for regular salt and satisfies the person craving salty foods. 

Sea vegetables do not need to be refrigerated and can easily be stored in your cupboard or desk at work.

Start to develop a taste for these nutrient dense, alkaline, whole foods and see and feel the difference in your body!  Your skin, hair, nails and internal organs will THRIVE!

Bon A Petite’

Beth Wilke, Raw Food Chef

Question:

What is the best way to get calcium in a raw diet? I’m at risk of osteoporosis.

My answer…

CALCIUM:

Most people believe osteoporosis is caused by a lack of calcium and by increasing the intake of calcium (including direct supplementation) osteoporosis will be avoided.  This does little to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis or to counteract the effects of a predominantly acid forming diet and lifestyle. 

The actual cause of osteoporosis is typically due to excessive calcium loss from an overly acid bloodstream.  Animal proteins, tobacco inhalation, caffeine and drugs contribute to an acid bloodstream.  The body maintains a blood pH that is slightly alkaline and when the blood is too acidic, the body brings it back to a more alkaline state by leaching calcium (an alkaline mineral) from the bones and boron from muscle. Boron helps prevent calcium loss and is found in raw fruits and vegetables, milk has little, meat and eggs have none. 

Studies have shown a direct correlation between eating animal proteins (e.g. meat, eggs and dairy) and calcium loss.  Fruits and vegetables are alkaline foods which help maintain your blood at the correct pH.  Easy to assimilate calcium (and boron) is found in abundance in most leafy greens (e.g. romaine lettuce, spinach, dandelion greens etc), in seaweeds (e.g. Nori, Arame, Dulse) and in sesame seeds (1 oz. has 276 mg).   By eating large, green leafy salads with dressings made from Tahini (ground sesame seeds), you’ll get more than enough calcium (along with all the other elements your bones and muscles need) to satisfy the body’s need. 

Most raw fooders eat mostly fruit and vegetables and have no bone weakness.

Beth

Cow’s milk is meant to grow a 2.5 ton calf!  One of the elements in cow’s milk is casein, a major ingredient in one of the strongest wood glues on the market!  ………..and THIS is meant to make us ‘healthy’?!

The surface of the digestive tract that is designed to absorb the nutrients from the food we eat becomes covered with a mucoid plaque (film) that protects our blood from toxins that would make us severely sick if absorbed.  Our body tries to rid itself of these toxins through whatever outlet it can.  It uses the nose (allergies and sneezing), the lungs (asthma and other bronchial conditions), and the skin (rashes, outbreaks, soreness) as outlets for these toxins. 

Unfortunately this same film doesn’t allow us to absorb any nutrients.   Over the years the mucoid plaque gets thicker and harder and we become under-nourished.  Do you ever question why you feel more tired as you age, and why the need for more vitamin/mineral supplementation escalates?

By eliminating dairy, numerous health conditions (e.g. asthma, allergies, rashes etc.) clear up quickly and completely. 

If we stay on a raw food diet this plaque can dissolve completely and our assimilation of nutrients, minerals and amino acids increases substantially!

Some people do not want to eliminate dairy all together and for those people who fall in this category, exchanging cow’s dairy for raw goat dairy is a healthier choice as goat’s milk is easier to digest and doesn’t have the same make-up as cows dairy – the make-up that makes us toxic.  Unpasteurized, raw goat cheddar style cheese is an excellent exchange for normal cow’s milk cheddar cheese……and a HEALTHIER choice. 

Bon A Petite’

Beth

“Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.  Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.”

When purchasing ‘organic’ you are assured the farmers are using methods to protect our soil and to eliminate soil erosion through crop rotation, cover cropping (green manure), and using composted manure.  The plant food we consume is rich in nutrients and do not contain:

Conventional Pesticides – Pesticides were designed to kill living things; pesticides are toxins, toxins cause disease.  The average person consumes 10 different pesticides each day and many of these have been associated with serious health issues – EWG (Environmental Working Group).   Autism, cancer, and infertility (to name a few) have been linked to the pesticides and other chemicals found in/on our food.  Children, because of their low body weight and higher metabolism are more affected by these toxins.  Women too are more susceptible to these toxins.  Additionally, a U.S. Geological Survey found every stream and 90% of the wells sampled contained pesticides – it is estimated 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of sprayed herbicides enter our water system.  Eliminating pesticides where you can will have a huge impact on improving your health.

Synthetic Fertilizers – Per The Carbon Connection documentary, “Every pound of excess nitrogen applied to the soil by artificial fertilizer destroys 100 pounds of humus.”  (Humus is partially-decomposed organic matter; its own ecosystem, the ‘life force’ of soil.)  Synthetic Fertilizers gets into our waterways causing nutrient loading and oxygen depletion – harmful salts destroys beneficial earthworms and good microorganisms.  

SEWAGE SLUDGE  - A nasty mix of bacteria and virus-laden organic mater, toxic metals, synthetic organic chemicals and settled solids removed from domestic and industrial waste water (over 60,000 toxic substances and chemical compounds) usually spread over farm fields (renamed “biosolids”) as a means of disposal.

Genetically Modified - A method of ‘splicing chemical pesticides into food crops so they don’t need to be sprayed.’ They become a part of the food, and not able to be washed clean.  Six products known to be genetically modified (best to buy ‘organic’) are: corn and corn products, soy and soy products, rice, wheat, canola oil, and cottonseed oil.

Irradiation - The International Atomic Energy Agency developed a process to sterilize, pasteurize, and extend shelf life of food in the 1970’s; since it is not an additive but a process it is not regulated.  Irradiation causes formation of free radicals; it destroys vitamins, and is toxic.

By purchasing “organic” we are ensuring the life of the planet, the life of our children, and our own good health.

Recent studies have also shown that by eating ‘organic’ you consume up to 30% MORE vitamins and minerals then that of its conventional counterpart. 

Yes you pay a little more to buy organic but you are getting:

-     MORE Nutrients

-     Less Toxins

-     Reduced Health Risk

-     Better Health

-     Less Sick Time

-     Less Doctor Visits and Health Care Costs

-     Dollars saved on vitamins, supplements, and prescription drugs.

I also prefer to buy ‘locally’ whenever possible – less diesel fuel is needed to ‘ship’ food.  Its environmental impact is minimized.  The produce is fresher, tastier, and healthier. Buying locally helps to keep alive a thriving local agriculture; and it is a vote for a secure, local food supply.  Many local farmers practice excellent farming procedures but do not carry the ‘organic’ label due to the high cost and lengthy procedure to get certified.  Get to know your local farmer; they’re an excellent resource for good quality produce at lower costs. 

Before you bite into that apple, or red pepper, know what you’re bringing into your body.  It could kill you.

Bon A Petite’

Beth

It takes longer to digest starches, fats and proteins – if you consume fruit (a fast digesting food) while you’re still digesting the heavier fats, starches and proteins, the fruit will start to ferment (fruit uses different stomach acids to digest, and your internal body temperature is typically 98.6 degrees) causing gas, putrification, and toxins which is harmful to your body, to your health.

Properly combined raw foods will ease digestive processes and create the environment for perfect:

Absorption

Assimilation

Digestion

Elimination

The proper way to combine foods is clearly charted on the Food Combination Chart I provide you free to download from my website http://www.sensationalrawfooddiet.com/food-combining-chart.html

Post it on your refrigerator for easy reference.

It is always best to consume fruits on an empty stomach and/or by themselves PRIOR to eating fats, proteins, or starches.  If you wish to slow digestion or maintain a longer balance of energy level, mixing fruit with a fat will achieve this.  Example: a trail mix of dried fruit and nuts will leave you feeling satisfied and you’ll maintain your energy level longer.  Consuming some greens with the trail mix will improve its digestibility as greens have the enzymes to help break down the fat in the nuts.

An exception to this food combining guideline is when you’re blending or juicing drinks. 

The secret to incredible energy, beauty, health and fitness is through efficient digestion and a clean colon.  When you properly combine raw foods you get efficient digestion and a clean colon……..AND……all the benefits described above!

Most people do not know the proper way to combine foods or truly WHY they should be concerned about it.  I hope you found this information helpful.

There are more tips, suggestions, articles and information on my website along with great raw food recipes (see my Recipe Membership Program).

http://www.sensationalrawrecipes.com

My mission is to help you, through my own experience, exceed your own health goals – whether it is eating 100% raw or just eating better!  I hope you’ll join me…………

Bon A Petite’

Beth

I was in the checkout line at the local grocery store putting the last of my produce on the conveyer belt (already piled high with my array of fruits and vegetables) when I heard the cashier tell the customer before me what her total bill came to.  It was an incredulous amount!  I glanced at the food being bagged.  In only a few sacks the cashier had bagged several large portions of meat, numerous dairy items, pop, beer, and a wide array of snacks.  Assuming this woman was from a typical family, the groceries she purchased couldn’t last her more than a week, maybe less.  I also noted several large bottles of supplements and medicine. 

The customer left and as the cashier started ringing my groceries up I waited to finish emptying my basket until there was room on the belt.  Finished, I wheeled my cart to the end of the counter where I helped a store employee fill up the numerous cloth bags I had brought for that purpose.  The amount of produce I purchase requires durable, strong bags – lots of them. I eat a LOT of fruits and vegetables on my raw food diet!

The cashier looked at all my bags and said, “Wow, all that for so small a bill!” My total bill was less than half that of the customer ahead of me! My cart was full!

Eating the raw food diet is extremely economical – I’m not buying meat, dairy, manufactured foods (did I also mention the packaging, advertising, marketing, and processing costs rolled in to these foods?)

There is no need to purchase supplements as the raw food diet is an extremely healthy and nutrient-rich one that provides a vast array of vitamins, minerals, phtyo-nutrients, antioxidants, enzymes, and natural fiber.

While 1) eating healthy foods that support the body, improve overall health, and provide higher levels of immune, kidney, liver, and digestive function; and 2) NOT eating those foods associated with most major diseases – meat, dairy, processed foods, etc the need for medication is eliminated.  What does it say about our current standard American diet when bottles of supplements and medicine are as typical to your grocery list as is the food you eat? Associated doctor visit, health insurance, and lost work costs are also eliminated.  That means more money in your pocket! 

There’s little ‘overhead’ to market fresh whole foods………..they “sell” themselves.  They’re fragrant, beautiful in a rainbow of bright, vibrant colors and hues, and they come in all kinds of sizes, weights and interesting textures – their variety is endless.  Fresh fruits and vegetables also come in their own environmentally friendly “packages” in the way of skins and shells.  While at the same time you’re saving money you’re also leaving your ‘green imprint’ on this earth.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

When people tell me that it is expensive to do the raw food diet, the expense is usually incurred in trying to initially set up a raw food kitchen – new equipment, new whole natural ingredients and, of course, trying to do everything at one time – including preparing a multitude of dishes.

Unlike the traditional meal, a raw food meal is simple and uncomplicated.  The traditional dinner for example could be bread/butter, soup (maybe), salad (maybe as a side dish), meat, starch, cooked veggie and likely a dessert.  Is it any wonder our digestive tracts are all amuck?!  A raw food meal is simple.  It may consist of one dish – lots of it, or maybe two.  Because of its simplicity (and digestive ease), no additional money is spent in preparing all those other dishes – it is easier and cheaper to prepare a raw meal, and it is healthier!

We’re all feeling the pinch of today’s economy and tightening our budgets.  Eating a wide variety of fruits and veggies, and a LOT of it, will help take the burden off your body and out of your wallet.      

Bon A Petite

Beth Wilke, Raw Food Chef & Teacher

My life is all about simplicity – my favorite motto is ‘keep it simple.’  When somebody tells me that the raw food diet is difficult, something I’ve been eating for over ten years, it makes no sense to me.  It surely wouldn’t fit into MY lifestyle if it were!

I recently sat down to give this comment some serious in-depth consideration.   How could something so simple be complex?

I guess this way of eating can be difficult if:

      you were

-  trying to prepare a wide “variety” of recipes

-  preparing ‘gourmet’ type recipes

-  using elaborate preparation methods

-  lacked the tools to efficiently prepare the food

-  using hard-to-find ingredients

-  pushing yourself to 100% raw too quickly

This way of eating could be difficult for the person who is  used to purchasing large quantities of food and storing them indefinitely in the pantry – but gosh, food left on the shelf gets old!  I prefer to have food that is fresh, aromatic, and ‘bursting with flavor’ in my kitchen, on my table, and in my body!  If what I eat is not fresh, is preserved with chemicals, is not nutrient rich, and is not free of harmful substances, what’s the point?

I guess it could be difficult if you’ve been ‘conditioned’ to run out to one of the fast-food franchises for ‘fast food’ when hungry. If you haven’t tried something as simple as grabbing a handful of berries, a large apple or several bananas to ‘fill that void’ then I highly recommend you do so.  It’s not only faster, cheaper, lower in calories, higher in nutrients, but you can eat lots of it and still not come close to the calories found in fast food meals.  I like to eat, and though I eat a lot of food I remain slim, healthy, and full of energy! 

HOW EASY IS IT?

Most raw food recipes are prepared under 15 minutes (5 minutes if you’re a veteran of eating this kind of food), and use 5 ingredients or less.  With the use of just a couple of handy appliances such as a high-speed blender (the Vita-Mix for example) or a food processor your meals are typically cut, combined, mixed, and finished in one easy process.  If there’s a better example of ‘easy’ I haven’t discovered it yet.

Cleanup is even easier. With just a drop of liquid dish soap and a quick rinse under hot water your equipment is cleaned and ready to be used again!  How easy is that?  No baked on food residue, no oily/greasy mess to dispose of, and no cooked-on hard gunk to scrape off your dishes or pots/pans, no burned meals! 

Keeping raw food preparation uncomplicated makes this diet simple to do. Save the ‘gourmet’ dishes for special occasions or when you have the time, inclination, and need to make them.  In the meantime, save yourself:

-     Time

-     Money

-     Stress

-     Extra Work

-     Confusion

-     Waste

by keeping things “SIMPLE.”  

Let YOUR new motto be:  “KEEP…..IT….. SIMPLE”

Bon A Petite

Beth Wilke, Raw Food Chef & Teacher