1. What is a raw food
lifestyle? The three main groups in a raw
food diet are fruit, vegetables and natural fats, like avocado, nuts and seeds.
The lifestyle consists of eating plant food as close to its natural state as
possible, like a vegetable roll for lunch and raw vegetables with nut paté and
tomato sauce for dinner, all prepared by hand or in a blender.
2. Do I have to be 100% raw to
be healthy?
Having a raw lifestyle usually
means you eat about 75 -100% raw food in your daily diet. Most raw food people
eat some warm food, especially during the wintertime; a soup or some warm rice
for lunch and dinner is especially comforting. As long as the majority of your
diet is raw, you will be fine.
3. I am a vegan who eats cooked
food. Why do you prefer eating most of your vegetables raw?
Raw vegetables still have their
life-force energy and nutrients intact. Nutrients are easily depleted during
cooking.
4. Do I get enough protein on a
plant-based diet?
Yes, plant food provides all
the essential amino acids that you need, which make up protein.
5. Where do I get my protein
from?
Protein can be found in
vegetables, grains, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, algae
and sprouts. Some rich sources are hemp and spirulina.
6. What is Living food?
Living food is plant food that
still is alive. If you plant a living food in the soil it will grow, for
example, like sunflower seeds and sunflower greens. Sprouts and young plants
contain even more nutrients and life-force energy than any other vegetables.
7. Could you tell me what enzymes
do?
The body produces enzymes to
break down the food we eat to small particles, which can be absorbed. A theory also suggests that raw food like fruit, vegetables, nuts
and seeds, contain enzymes that improve digestion.
8. Why do you recommend organic
food?
Organic fruit and vegetables
are grown in natural soil without pesticides. They are nutritious and pure with
all their nutrients and life-force intact.
9. I am a vegan. Do you
recommend any supplement?
Yes, my recommendation is a
daily supplement of B12 and a multivitamin-mineral. Plus an omega-3 supplement
and some green powder if your intake of dark leafy greens, flax and chia seeds
are too low. To read more, click here.
10. I love eating raw food,
except for dark leafy greens. What do I do?
Just make a smoothie with 60%
fruit and 40% greens, then you get a fresh and sweet taste. You can also make
smoothies with green powder and fruits. After a while, people tend to get used
to the green taste and begin to like it - and decrease the amount of fruit in
their smoothie and juices.
11. I am not used to eating raw
vegetables. How do I start?
The best way is to start
carefully with some smoothies, soups and small salads. Then, after a week or
two, increase the plant food on your plate to lunch and dinner. Julienning the
vegetables or tossing them in a marinade will also ease the digestion, like
chewing them well before swallowing.
12. I am thin, do you think I will
get enough fat on a plant-based diet?
Yes, you will :-) I also had
the same concern when I increased my amount of raw food and was joyfully surprised about how easily
it went. Avocado, nuts and seeds are among the best fat sources of all. By making
avocado cream and patés of nuts and seeds, drinking almond milk and enjoy some
nut cheese, you will easily maintain your weight.
13. I would like to loose some
weight. Will I do it on a raw diet?
We all have a biological
weight that our bodies want us to have. In magical ways, a raw lifestyle often
brings people closer to their natural weight. If you are overweight you will
lose weight and if you are underweight you will gain weight, usually without
thinking about it. Raw foods will also keep your weight stable when your diet
is in balance.
14. Do you have some
suggestions about tasteful snacks?
Every time you leave the house
during the day, be sure to bring with you a lunch box or some snacks in your
bag, like nuts, dried fruit, energy bars or some fresh fruit or carrots, even
if you are only supposed to be outside for a short while. Usually, time flies
when we get outdoors and suddenly we get hungry and need food quickly.
15. I am living in the North
with snow and minus degrees during the winter. How do I keep myself warm?
You can make soups and gently
warm them on the oven, drink warm teas, or make warm foods like lasagne, pies
and pizza in the dehydrator. Add to curling up on the sofa with a delicious cup
of warm cacao and some cookies :-)
16. I have heard about 105
degrees, could you tell me what it means?
According to some studies, food
can be warmed up to 105 degrees F (41degrees Celsius) in a dehydrator without
losing their vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
17. Do I have to buy a
dehydrator to have a raw lifestyle?
No, you can healthfully live
without. In fact, in some ways, it is healthier to eat the plant food as they
are. The dehydrator removes the water in the food and makes it dry and less
digestible. To make a warm soup, just warm it gently on the oven for a few
minutes using the finger test - just gently dip your finger in the soup and
make sure it is comfortable. If your finger is uncomfortable, than it is too
hot for the enzymes to live.
18. Do dehydrators make any
noise?
Yes, it has a fan. So it is not
so attractive to have it in the kitchen, except for when you’re making cookies
with cinnamon and the wonderful smell fills the room.
19. What is fermented food?
There are many fermented foods
like cultured vegetables, coconut yogurt, rejuvilac and kombucha that is said
to contain healthy bacteria, which influence on the well-being of the digestive
tract.
20. What are the benefits of
living a raw lifestyle?
Pure, raw vegetables, whole grains, fruit,
nuts and seeds, nourish your body and supports optimal health. By eating plant
food, you also get in touch with your inner beauty and happiness. In addition
to all the delicious vegetables and fresh fruit, a lifestyle of eating plant
food brings you many wonderful and unexpected gifts :-)
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