A Raw Food Q & A with the Crew from Zen Zero
As my adventures in the necessary retooling of my diet evolves, I’ve been digging deeply into all kinds of eating options that have anecdotal evidence of helping overcome disease, fatigue and general malaise.
The one that keeps resurfacing for me is raw foods. But, honestly, the only thing I’ve seen in the past when I think about becoming a raw foodie is spending waaaaay too much time in the kitchen.
I am not a true lover of time spent preparing meals. My general rule is “If it takes more than 20 minutes and requires a specialized machine then I’m out.”
But, friends who have dealt with major depression, joint issues, infertility and even cancer have all said that a raw food diet gave them the energy and stamina they needed. So, it was time to talk to the experts about how to make this happen for myself.
The owners of Zen Zero in downtown Courtenay did a bit of a Q&A with me to get me on the right track, dispel a whack of raw food myths and help me understand how to do it right.
Just a note that Zen Zero is an Our Big Earth Community Builder, but they didn’t solicit or pay for this article.
Here they are:
Q: What are Living and Raw Foods?
A: Living and raw foods are uncooked plant foods such as fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, sprouts and seaweeds.
These foods are called living foods because they contain live enzymes and vital life force nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids and oxygen. Their nutritional properties are essential to the proper maintenance of human bodily functions and when you eat “live” foods you feel alive!
Q: Is this a “new” fad diet or something?
A: If anything, eating cooked food is the biggest fad diet ever created. Eating raw and living foods is eating the way nature intended, humans are the only beings on earth that cook their food.
Q: Is this just another vegetarian or vegan diet?
A: This is the ultimate vegetarian/vegan diet because it consists of only the best, most life giving foods ever.
Q: What is the difference between a raw/living foods diet and a vegetarian one?
A: Vegetarian diets still include cooked food as well as milk, cheese and eggs from animals.
Q: Is a 100% living and raw food diet best?
A: Absolutely, if you want to look and feel the best ever then 100% raw food is the way to go. That being said, for most people simply increasing the amount of raw food in their diets can do wonders. Adding a big salad or a green smoothie to your daily diet can have some amazing effects on your overall health and well being.
Q: Why would someone want to eat a raw and living foods diet?
A: The biggest reason to eat a raw food diet is for the way it makes you feel. Raw foods make you feel alive and full of positive, loving energy. There are also numerous health benefits to eating a raw food diet. We have personally experienced weight loss, freedom from years of clinically medicated depression and anxiety attacks, the complete cure of irritable bowel syndrome, overcoming alcoholism, regulation of menstrual cycle and alleviation of ovarian cysts, and the clearing of skin and eyes. Other people have used the raw diet to help heal them of everything ranging from high cholesterol, arthritis, and allergies to cancer and diabetes.
Q: What do raw/living foodists eat?
A:Raw foodists eat uncooked fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, sprouts and seaweeds which can be transformed into the most amazing dishes. It is possible to make raw versions of all your favorite foods including pizza, burritos, spaghetti, veggie burgers, crackers, cakes, pies and even chocolate.
Q: How can you tell if something is a raw/living food?
A: Any foods that are unprocessed and not heated above 115 degrees are usually raw foods. Processed foods, liked most prepackaged and canned foods have either been cooked or pasteurized, or have been altered with nasty chemicals like preservatives and coloring.
Q:What do raw and living foodists drink?
A:Water, fresh juices, smoothies and homemade nut milks (the nut milks you buy in the store are not raw). Some raw foodists still drink herbal teas while other prefer to only drink sun tea – which is tea made from fruit and fresh herbs left out in the sun to steep.
Q: Are certain raw foods better than others?
A: Leafy greens and sprouts are the best raw foods you can consume and the ones lacking in most people’s diets. Also the freshest food possible is best, so local organic produce is the way to go.
Q: Where do you get your protein?
A: The same place some of the biggest, strongest animals on earth like gorillas and elephants get their protein, from raw plant foods.
Q: What’s wrong with cooked foods?
A: In a nut shell, heat changes the makeup of food. Foods that have been heated have lost all of their life force, and their beneficial enzymes are destroyed. Once cooked, food can lose up to 85 percent of its nutritional value and it is essentially “dead.” Consuming the dead energy of dead foods make our bodies feel heavy and stagnant. While consuming foods that are alive make us feel alive. We are what we eat!
Q: So sushi is raw?
A: There are ways to make raw sushi with nut pates and veggies, but the sushi found in most restaurants and stores have cooked rice and other cooked foods in them.
Q: Will everything you eat on a raw food diet will be cold?
A: Absolutely not! Raw food can be prepared in dehydrators which are lower temperature ovens. The food can be served slightly warmed or at room temperature.
Q: Where can I learn more about Raw Food?
A:The internet is a wonderful resource for learning more about the wonderful benefits if the raw food diet. You will find thousands of testimonials and delicious recipes. As well, here is the Comox Valley we have Rose Vasille who is better known as “Raw Rose.” Not only does she have a wonderful cookbook, she also has a great website and she teaches raw food cooking classes. Also there is the Raw Realm over by the air park and of course, Zen Zero.
Category: EAT & DRINK, Food & Your Family
About the Author (Author Profile)
Robin is Our Big Earth’s Executive Editor. A journalist with more than 20 years under her belt, she’s worked for newspapers and magazines across North America. Vancouver Island became her home in 2006 when she and her husband ditched big-city life to raise their daughters close to familySubscribe
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Thanks for the info Robin! While I could never see us going completely raw (although it’s certainly something to aim for), I am incorporating more vegan/raw foods in our diet. Have you read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell? It’s another book demonstrating the advantages of a whole-food plant based diet.
Have a great day!
Very interesting, great post! I am currently trying to incorporate more raw foods into my diet, it was interesting to hear your view on the protein part, as sometimes I’m worried that I might not get enough protein into my diet.
Thanks for sharing,
I’m off to make a big green smoothie right now!
Jessica
Very interesting stuff!
As someone who has been through some major medical stuff, I would like to know if you can provide any links to trusted studies. I like personal opinion a lot (sometimes it can mean more than a “study”) but having been where I’ve been I also know that it’s important to find solid information.
When I was sick I had many people hand me various bits of info on all sorts of things I should do. In the end, I made my decisions when I had trusted, unbiased information.
Thanks Marussia for bringing this to the community and for sharing your personal successes so candidly.
Any links you can share?
The China study is a great read and it resonates with most skeptics because it is written by a full fledged doctor.
The protein thing is one of the biggest questions people have about the raw food diet. If you type “protein myth” into google you’ll find all sorts of information about the dangers of a diet too high in protein. Although I don’t personally believe that you have to eat meat and dairy to get enough protein I do think you have to be aware of what you are eating to make sure you’re getting enough. For example – you can’t just eat bread and potatoes and other white foods and think you’ll be okay. You really do need to eat fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds on a daily basis to ensure sufficient intake. My sister Kyla has grown and breastfed 2 healthy boys on the raw food diet so i know for a fact that there is more than enough protein without meat or dairy.
Here is the link to the China Study Book – well worth the read. We have a copy at Zen Zero in our personal library if you wanted to take a look Beth. http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html
Thanks, I will! Been thinking about it a lot today. perhaps it’s because SPRING is thankfully on the way (Veggies and spring… ahh.)