I’m craving warm apples, apple cobbler, apple pie, caramel apples, apples….apples…..apples!

This morning I jumped out of bed, only to jump back in again when I realized just how chilly it was! Burrrrr! How quickly the temperatures start to drop in October! A glimpse out the window only added to my feeling of ‘being cold’ as a cluster of dark clouds dotted the grey sky. There was no getting around it though, I had to get up. I was going to conquer the world today, or at least, my part of the world.

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

RAW FOOD DIET – WHY ELIMINATE DAIRY

Dairy is one of the most mucus forming food we can consume – mucus is the body’s way to protect itself from unwanted toxins. 

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

DISPELLING THE MYTH – THE RAW FOOD DIET IS EXPENSIVE

DISPELLING THE MYTH – THE RAW FOOD DIET IS EXPENSIVE

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

DISPELLING THE MYTH THAT RAW FOOD IS COMPLICATED

DISPELLING THE MYTH THAT RAW FOOD IS COMPLICATED

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

DISPELLING THE MYTH – THE RAW FOOD DIET IS EXPENSIVE

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

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