Okay, it’s question day once again — and we’ve received some great ones lately. Before I begin, just let me reiterate once more that Wendi and I can’t give medical advice here. We’re motivational, inspirational raw food / natural health writers and educators (considerably knowledgeable and experienced ones, I might humbly add!); not doctors. So, whenever we give “advice” (or, whenever our writing appears as such), what we really mean is, “Well, if that were me, this is what I would do.” And, the rest is in the disclaimer that runs on all of our pages. 

Not only do we not give medical advice because we’re not doctors (as if that wasn’t enough of a reason!), but we also know that each person is different and, as such, all symptoms and conditions are unique to each person’s individual situation. If person A and person B are both experiencing high blood pressure, it could easily be two different things causing that — and the treatments or approaches could differ tremendously. What might fix person A might kill person B! (Sorry person B. No hard feelings.)

With that covered, let’s get into the mailbag!  I’d like to start with one that Wendi received. I don’t have it in front of me at the moment, but can paraphrase it:

“I think I have diabetes, and suspect that following a raw diet might make me well. However, once I’m back to being well, when can I go back to eating healthy again?”

I love this question! This is at once a funny / ironic, slightly misguided, and yet also highly interesting. To begin, diabetes is nothing to mess around with. You’ll definitely want to know for sure, and seeing an appropriate health care practitioner is always the way to go. On top of that, I would highly recommend looking into the work of Dr. Gabriel Cousens. He’s written incredibly enlightened books on diabetes! I also think you’ll find some helpful links on Pure Jeevan’s diabetes info page. Our personal take on diabetes is that it’s largely beatable via an appropriate raw foods protocol.

But, let’s take away the word “diabetes” and just look at that question again, more broadly. Paraphrasing, it says, “I’m sick and think raw might heal me. When I’m healed, can I go back to eating healthy?” Two main observations from that:

• Disconnect.  First, there seems to be a disconnect here between diet and health. I can’t tell you how common this disconnect is.  True, diet is not the only factor informing one’s health. But it’s a major one — the major one, in my opinion. So, for the vast majority of people, it’s what you’re eating that’s causing almost any disease you’re experiencing! As such, the supposition that you can return to ”healthy” eating is wrong because what you were eating before probably never was healthy for you. So, I’ll assume that by “going back to a healthy diet” you really mean “continue on with some kind of healthy diet that is not necessarily raw” (reading into your words a bit and inferring that you’re not too crazy about the prospect of living a raw lifestyle). And this leads me to point number two:
    
• Lifestyle vs. protocol.  So, the question really is:  Is raw food a permanent lifestyle for ensuring long-term health, or is it also a protocol for restoring health, after which one can eat cooked foods again? Well, again, there are a lot of assumptions at play here. But, essentially, I think it depends on the person. For some, I believe you’ll have to stay largely (maybe even exclusively) raw to enjoy peak health. I suspect that of myself, in fact. (And you probably heard Mimi Kirk’s views on that notion yesterday.) For others, raw does seem to work as a temporary healing protocol. I suspect, for example, that actor Woody Harrelson approaches it this way (to use but one well-known example). I don’t know the stats on diabetics, but I’ve heard many stories of people who have healed on raw foods and then returned to cooked — only to re-experience whatever ailments brought them to raw in the first place.

The bottom line:  My advice is to address your current concerns first. Focus on becoming well; don’t worry about what you may or may not eat later on, after you’ve healed. While it’s great to think of yourself in the future as healed, just know that you’ll know the answer to your question at that time.

*     *     *

We had more questions to field today, but don’t want to go too long here. So, we’ll return soon to continue with reader questions.

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Yesterday we talked about attending raw food meetups / potlucks. Today we’ll focus on…

*Hosting* Raw Foods Meetups

There are two main ways to host a raw foods meetup. The first would be through the meetup.com web site. If there is no raw foods meetup in your area, you’re going to need to launch one. (See the Meetup web site for details.) If there is a group, you’ll need to sign up and get to know the moderator, as you’ll need to announce your meetup through that person. 

 The second way is to simply host your own raw foods potluck without using meetup.com. Obviously, you can do that by simply inviting some friends and acquaintances. In either case, below are some tips for hosting the “best raw foods potluck ever.”

• Try to be clear in your announcement about how much food you expect each person, group, or family to bring. In general, it makes sense to me to recommend that each person, group, or family should bring at least a little more than they’re probably going to consume. Mathematically and socially, it seems to just work out well this way.
   
• As the host, though, I think it’s fair to say that you’re usually offering more food volume-wise than your guests. So, our recommendation is to err on the side of providing too much rather than too little if you’re the host. Consider, for example, putting together a huge salad or other entree, a snack or side-dish, and maybe even a dessert.



• Speaking of snacking… Raw foodies aren’t any different from cooked folks when it comes to nibbling on appetizers. For larger potlucks, there’s usually a window of time during which people arrive, and also a bit of a lag before everyone finally migrates to the buffet. So, as a host, it’s probably a best practice to put out some raw goodies for before the meal. (I’m realizing now, as I write this, that we don’t always do this!) But, you know, maybe just some carrot and celery sticks would do the trick.
   
• Another good consideration for the host is to realize that almost everyone will likely bring solid foods to your party. (It’s kind of tough to lug pitchers of juice around.) So, at a minimum, you’ll want to think about what you’re going to offer people to drink (and make sure you have enough cups!). We usually put out pitchers of water, and also often have a tea kettle going. From time to time, we’ve been known to fire up the Vita-Mix as well during potlucks. (I don’t think we’ve ever actually juiced at a potluck, although we’ve certainly attended a few at which the hosts offered fresh juice.)
   
• As we mentioned yesterday, a lot of people interested in raw foods follow fairly strict dietary practices.  So, it might be a good idea (especially forlargeer meetups) to request that attendees write down their ingredients on cards or pieces of paper. This way, everyone will know what they’re eating. Admittedly, we’ve not always followed this suggestion, but I do think it’s a good idea.
   
• If you own raw food books, leave some out for people to look at.  Among the many interesting qualities of raw food meetups is the fact that not everyone knows each other. So, the presence of these books can be good conversation starters. (Actually, they’re pretty good conversation starters even when everyone does know each other.)

Naturally, other standard party tips also apply:

• Make sure you’ve communicated the date, time, and place
• Make sure you’ve offered directions
• Make sure you’ve communicated to your guests where they should park
• Make sure you have enough cups, plates, silverware, napkins, etc.
• Tidy up beforehand
• Get creative:  Put thought into making it extra fun!

Two closing questions:  (1) Anyone have further suggestions for hosting  raw food meetups and making them the best-ever? (2) On the fun side, what are some great experiences or ideas you’ve had? Bonfires, drum circles, camp-outs, picnics… please share some great ideas!

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We’ve spent some time on this blog talking about how much fun you can have via the meetup.com web site. If you search that site, you can probably find raw food meetups near you!  But, a few readers have asked us some follow-ups, such as What should I bring? and What should I do if I’d like to host a raw foods meetup?

*Attending* Raw Foods Meetups

Okay, so you signed up for a raw foods meetup group, waited patiently for the next event to come round, and now it’s time!  But, wait… this is your first such outing. What should you bring?

Well, one of the really great aspects of raw food meetups is that they’re really not very rules-oriented. There’s no right or wrong kind of raw food to bring. I mean, sure, it would be an awkward faux pas to bring a few bags of Dorito’s. But, as long as whatever you’re bringing is in fact raw, you should be okay. Here are a few suggested guidelines (again, these are only suggestions, not rules per se):

• You don’t have to make anything elaborate. Sure, many people do — and that’s great! But, let’s not lose sight of the fact that a big bag of apples or something comparably similar is generally looked upon as absolutely wonderful by raw foodies. Fruit salads and regular lettuce/veggie salads are two more very simple, very welcome dishes! Also remember that your contribution doesn’t necessarily have to be a main dish. You might also bring a side dish (e.g., raw chips and a dip), a smoothie, a raw dessert recipe, a pitcher of fresh juice, a bag of nuts – anything raw!  Personally, we do usually like to make something a little more involved prep-wise. But, this isn’t meant to reflect the way that we eat every day; it’s more of just one way in which we choose to honor the celebration aspect of these gatherings. But, again, simple is just as welcome as gourmet.



• Some have asked us: How much food should I bring?  Well, that depends on the meetup. Sometimes, the organizers will send suggestions. Other times, you’re on your own. I would imagine that common courtesy would dictate that you bring at least as much food as you would eat — and probably a little more. But, it’s usually best (in my opinion) to get a feel for the number of people attending, and then make /buy / bring enough food so that everyone there can have at least a taste of your creation.
     
• It’s probably optimal to stick with a vegan dish, as your creation will likely enjoy a wider audience. But, quite commonly, we do see “beegan” dishes (i.e., those using honey and/or other bee products — such as the absolutely delicious chocolate mousse pie served by our friend Tracey last week at our friend Joe’s birthday party). At many raw potlucks, people bring along little recipe cards to place next to their dish so that others can see what’s inside. I think this is a nice touch.    (We should probably do this and encourage those labels a bit more than we actually do, as they are helpful. Also helpful, if you do cards, is to label what ingredients are organic, as eating organic vs/ “conventional” is actually a pretty important issue for many health-conscious individuals.) At others, I’ve often participated in little impromptu sessions of standing around the food and each person taking a turn describing what’s inside.
     
• Personally, I’ve never attended a raw potluck to which attendees brought wine, raw diary products, or raw meat products (all of which are consumed by some raw foodists). But, that’s not to say it doesn’t happen. I guess my raw ”potlucking” experience is just limited to Pittsburgh. But, again, we do see dishes containing bee products quite commonly, and we do also tend to drink tea in these parts (which some raw foodies do not drink).
   
• If you’re at a loss as to what dish to make, start surfing the Internet.  Want to hear an awesome story?  About a year ago, we held a meetup in our home (one of many, many we’ve hosted), and were talking to our then-new friend Mark. We asked, “Where’d you get the recipe for your dish?”  He replied, “Oh, I found this amazing raw foods recipe resource online called the All Raw Directory!”  He didn’t know that Pure Jeevan had created that site (which, again, is really super as a starting point for raw meetups — thanks in great part to our friend Modern Jane, who is the moderator for the raw recipes section)!
   
• Most of all, just bring your smile. Really, that’s what it’s all about, anyway.

Tomorrow’s Topic:  *Hosting* Raw Foods Meetups

>>> We’ll pick this conversation up again tomorrow with some tips on hosting raw meetups!

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After making a ‘batch’ of green smoothies, what is generally considered an appropriate serving size?

Thanks for the question, Gary!  I don’t think I can give an across-the-board answer to fit everyone, since we’re all so wonderfully different. The answer would have to take into consideration various factors, such as:

• the caloric requirements of the smoothie drinker (which itself is a function of how active that person is, how much that person weighs, that person’s health goals, etc.);
• the size of the person’s stomach;
• the specific smoothie recipe we’re talking about;
• what else that person is consuming in a given day, and how those other calories dovetail with the smoothie.

Smoothies (green ones, or even just fruit ones) can range wildly in caloric content, depending on the ingredients used. For example, let’s take a look at my own dinner from last night. I happen to have had a super-tasty green smoothie, heavy on the fruit, which is actually a favorite meal for me!  Here’s what it contained:

Two oranges (122 calories)
Kale, 2 cups, chopped (67 calories)
Strawberries, 1.5 cups, frozen (125 calories)
Medjool dates, 3, pitted (200 calories)
Grapes, 1/2 cup (55 calories)
Cacao nibs, 1/2 ounce, raw (65 calories)
Lemon wedge (2 calories)
Banana (half), (50 calories)
Vitamineral Green powder (45 calories)
Spirulina, 1/2 tablespoon (10 calories)
Ginger root, < 1 in. slice (2 calories)
One vanilla bean (not sure on the calories)
About 1 tsp. Vitamin C powder (not sure on the calories)
Gogi berries, 1 Tbsp. (22 calories)
Water, about 1/2 cup (0 calories)
Total calories: ~ 765+!

Wow, I didn’t realize that smoothie was approaching the 1,000 calorie barrier. No wonder it fills me up so much!  As you can see, those Medjool dates really ramp up the calories quickly. If I took them out and replaced them with another lower-calorie fruit or something, I could substantially reduce the caloric content of this smoothie!

Plus, there are certainly people who perfer a “greener” (less fruity) green smoothie. So, you might try incorporating some cucumber (which would probably mean taking out some things like the dates and the cacao, which I can’t see going well with cuke).

And, by the way, let me also take this opportunity to say that the recipe above really IS a super-tasty smoothie. I’ve been working on it for some time now (months), very patiently — tweaking little things here and there in true mad-scientist fashion. The beauty, as Frank Lloyd Wright said, is in the details (all of which I have not divulged, such as my preference for running the cacao nibs in a coffee grinder first — before ever pouring them into the Vitamix container! — and maybe a few secrets I’m not yet ready to air here yet!).

But, let me at least let you know that the combination of that ginger square and the vanilla bean is nothing short of divine. There’s a playful interaction created there by those two particulars that’s too wonderful to keep to myself. That’s why I will eventually call this the “Samadhi Smoothie,” as it calls to mind:

a non-dualistic state of consciousness in which the consciousness of the experiencing subject becomes one with the experienced object (see here).

I’m really getting personal here, I realize. But, I do get that excited about this smoothie! (I’m a little fanatical sometimes…) I imagine within a year or two, I’ll have it perfected. (Stop by sometime… I’ll make us one to share!)

Anyway, a smoothie like that usually produces about 28-30 ounces. I know this because I have yet another kind of weird smoothie quirk that I’ll divulge here (hinted at in the graphic atop this piece):  I always love to drink my smoothie from an old Bubbies Sauerkraut jar. I have no idea why, really… I guess the jar just makes a fun glass for me. It’s just the perfect size, you know?!

That jar is 25 ounces, and there’s usually a good 3-4 more ounces in the Vitamix. For ME, that portion is a really nice meal. I’m usually good to go, and totally energized, after drinking one. So, that’s kind of a long-winded, very subjective answer. But, for a guy like me, a 25+ ounce smoothie is a good single-serving portion.

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As promised, here’s another question I’d like to openly address here instead of via Wendi’s email system. This one also comes up from time to time, and I told this person to watch out for my two cents on this issue. So, here it is. The reader asks:

… During your transtioning to a raw food diet & the loss of so much weight, what if any exercising were you doing along the way?

Okay, well first let me point out that this is a different question than the one I posed in the title of this article and in the banner graphic, above. But, the two are related. Let me tackle the reader’s question first:

When Wendi first went raw, she was not actively exercising. I do believe that, from time to time, she was exercising along with some exercise videos. But, I don’t believe it was to the level of what you’d call regular workouts.  (I’ll let her address her specific history of exercise in another blog post when she returns.)  However, only when she went raw did her weight start to noticeably decrease.

On the other hand, during this time (before I went raw), I was running like a madman. This is back when I was on heart meds (having peaked out at 235+ pounds and with a BP and pulse rate that had me on track as a cardiac arrest patient any day), and desperately trying to get back into shape. Only, guess what?  I wasn’t losing the weight. Three miles per day, and very little weight loss!

Now, let’s not interpret that the wrong way. I’m not saying that exercise is bad, or unnecessary. In fact, I think it’s critical in the long-term. However, what Wendi and I had in common was a basic state of non-health. Now, for many people, doing some exercise or making some basic dietary improvements could indeed lead you back to that sought-after, healthy equilibrium. For us, it did not. Her veganism was roughly as effective as my own die-hard athleticism; they both tanked.

They both tanked for the same reason, though; our bodies were not genetically predisposed to being able to function properly on suboptimal nutrition. In other words, we needed to be raw in order to be healthy. I suspect that quite a lot of our readers are in the same boat. How many of you find yourself overweight or struggling with some chronic illness, even when it seems like you’re eating either the same kinds of things others are, or maybe even better foods than others around you?  I bet it’s a LOT of people!

When you think of it, what are the chances that anyone alive could actually discover this amazing piece of information (that by simply eating a diet high in uncooked, living foods, your health could be restored)?  Even though it’s now obvious — humans being the only species that cooks its food, and the only species as universally sick as we are! — we still could never put two and two together until Wendi cracked the code, as it were, back in 2006.  It’s so painfully obvious to us now, though, that we’re dedicating our lives to spreading the word about it. So, consider yourself amazingly fortunate to know the big secret!

So, even though humans have relatively similar dietary needs and relatively similar needs for physical exercise, my subjective theory is that, while you are sick (meaning morbidly overweight or facing a chronic health challenge), exercise may not be as critical as diet.

This is a 180-degree shift in opinion from what I maintained before going raw. My former mantra was, ”exercise is key”!  I thought that, if I was fat, it simply meant that I wasn’t running enough. This is a common view, perpetuated by high-profile “fitness” stories of athletes fueled by 12,000 ”pizza and pasta” calories per day. The message is: “What you eat doesn’t really matter that much; what matters is your effort. A calorie from a potato chip is the same as a calorie from a carrot.” Well, that’s total BS!

Okay, so if my short-term answer is:  “No, you need to focus on healing, not so much on running 10Ks,” then what is my long-term answer?  Well, I think it’s critical to long-term health. I think a sick body can heal on raw foods, and then become a healthy body. And I think that healthy body naturally wants to move and run around and dance. So, in a way, mother nature has taken care of this issue herself. It’s built into our genes; we just can’t feel it when we’re sick (and that’s built into our genes, too, because when we’re sick, we need to rest and to heal).

So, the ultimate question, I suppose, is not “Must we exercise?” It’s “How can we get ourselves into a place where we want to exercise?” And the answer to that is: Eat living foods. If you do that, you’ll regain your health, and you’ll naturally become vibrantly active!

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Hi everyone!  Sorry for the late post tonight. I had a busy day, and even met with a new realtor to help me sell The Luck House! (Wish us luck on that front — but I have a super-great feeling that this new realtor is 10x more professional and knowledgeable than the previous one.)

Today I thought I’d give you a peek into Wendi’s rather fascinating Inbox. While she’s away, she asked me to monitor her Pure Jeevan mail box and field as many of the questions as possible.  It’s been … interesting!   I never realized the volume of email that she receives! It’s almost a full-time job to keep on top of it (which I haven’t been able to do as well as I’d hoped – although I now have it down to just a  hundred or so unanswered ones, so that’s progress!). 

Anyway, I thought I’d feature one here today (about oil), and then another tomorrow (about exercise and raw food weight loss). (Well, I’ll edit / paraphrase them and keep them anonymous.)

Much of her email is actually feedback and/or raw food questions. One reader recently took issue with our use of oil in a number of recipes in our Raw Recipes eBook. (If you don’t have that, you can get it free, here.) The reader writes:

Please read “Healing and Preventing Heart Disease” by Caldwell Esselstyn or the “China Study” by T. Colin Campbell and you’ll see why no clarified oils like olive oils are recommended. They dissolve the endotheliel lining of the arteries and then the white blood cells have to sacrifice their lives going after them and eating them up … and then they engorge and turn (morph) into foam cells and then into cancer cells. …

For anyone interested in starting a raw foods or, I suspect, any kind of health-related blog, one of the things you’re going to find out PDQ is that there are always going to be dissenting letters such as this one. Some are nicer in tone (as this one was), others can be belligerent. When they do get hostile (I’m thinking of a rather amusing one that angrily insisted that anything prepared in a Vitamix was no better than fast food), you do have to wonder what’s really driving them. But, you know, you can’t let it get to you. We’re all doing the best we can — and in the natural health arena, I have to believe that most people are, in their own unique way, probably trying to be helpful on some level. (Sometimes I can’t help noting a marked lack of tact in the world, though!)

But, I would like to at least answer that oil question publicly, as a number of people have actually inquired about our stance on the subject. So, here was my (pretty much verbatim) reply, which I hope will clarify at least my own position on it:

Thanks for responding. We’re familiar w/ the amazing China Study, of course. I’ll have to ask Wendi if she’s read Esselstyn’s book. While we’re aware that many people avoid oil at all costs, we’re also faced with the undeniable reality that, while using organic cold-pressed oil in moderation over the past many years of being raw vegans, we’ve both experienced remarkable improvements in heart health (and can back that up with solid blood work numbers). Now, was that improvement directly related to the olive oil? Would it have been even more remarkable without the oil? … Tough to say. I think you’ll find, overall, that our own recommendations vis-a-vis oils fall within what most would call “moderation” — and it’s *always* within the context of a 100% raw vegan diet (*never* cooked, which may be an important distinction in the overall controversy over oil use). Additionally, I suspect there could be a “big picture” argument that could possibly be made in support of oil. I’m not saying I’ve formulated this argument to date, but my thinking is two things: (1) even if oil use has a negative correlation with arterial health, that alone may not be the ultimate causation (e.g., it could relate to, say, cooked oil versus raw — or some other unknown factor), and (2) the negative effects may be offset in other ways by positive ones (similar to, say, how alkaloids in greens are toxic in large, concentrated doses, yet nontoxic in small ones). So, we’re not yet convinced that an all-out recommendation for 100% avoidance is something we’re convinced of. That’s not to say we’re closed-minded about it, because we’re definitely interested in continual learning! So, we’ll definitely look into this further in the future, and thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. 

Warm regards,
-Jim

So, there you have at least my own two cents on that issue. To recap, I personally advocate:

1. Moderation. I really do mean that. To me, it makes sense to err on the lighter side when it comes to oil. But, that’s also a personal preference, as I’ve witnessed others become heart-healthy while consuming much more oil than I ever do (This would be Wendi. She ate a lot of oils and fats during her transition period and her first year of being 100% raw, and regained her health.) That said, anyone who’s read this blog for long may have noted my ongoing experimentation with low-fat raw veganism (very similar to 80-10-10). It really is something I aspire to, and a regimen on which I personally tend to feel better. Lately, for example, if you can look past that enormous bag of amazing raw pistachios I impulse-bought from Natural Zing, I’ve been once again living on a very low fat raw vegan regimen. (Forgive me that… I have NO control around raw pistachios!) I don’t believe low-fat raw veganism is a universally perfect existence, though, as some people just can’t eat that way, for numerous valid reasons.

2. Raw / Cold-pressed. Obviously, on a raw foods web site, we want you to select the best raw, uncooked oil. That means selecting cold-pressed oils. Some cold-pressed oils may still not be raw, so you should research your preferred brand or check with the manufacturer where uncertain.

3. Organic.  We strongly advocate the use of organic foods in all instances. I can’t think of a single item that we actively advise if it’s conventionally grown or Franken-foodified (GMO). However, we also realize that certain items simply are not available organically, or may be cost-prohibitive that way. We strive for 100% organics on a day-to-day basis. However, if you must eat conventional, we advise keeping your intake to only those items of produce that are low on the pesticide risk lists. (Here’s a link to two lists available from the All Raw Directory.) Additionally, if you have the option, I would go further and recommend buying oils that come in glass bottles instead of plastic or tin.

Finally, I think it’s also good to keep these sorts of issues in perspective. When raw foodies argue about whether oils are advisable or whether Vitamixes affect the nutrition content of foods or whether someone is advocating too much fruit or whether or not you should eat salt, we’re really kind of ignoring the fact that all of us are already blessed to be more nutritionally enlightened than literally billions of others in the world who exist on some of the worst dietary practices imaginable — practices that are unsustainable for both themselves and for the world. In my opinion, it’s more important for us to focus on restoring health to others and to the planet than it is to squabble over oil and salt and fructose.

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Last night I dreamed of meandering through an unfamiliar cityscape, following some lonely sidewalk next to a river at night, feeling particularly sad and miserable beneath dim yellow street lights. I wore a black suit, carried a highball glass, and was absolutely drunk!

Having crossed the river, I soon realized (even in my dream-drunken state) that I’d been wandering aimlessly. Feeling rather pathetic, I decided to walk back across the river and sober up in a casino that I knew was there. Drunk and depressed, I figured I’d just sit in front of a slot machine for a few hours. 

There was more to it — the highlight being my arrest after scaling a drawbridge — but the most interesting thing to me about this dream was my inebriation; I really felt drunk — and, not in a pleasant way, either! (Fortunately for me, a dream of being drunk was not followed by a real-world hangover.)

Isn’t it amazing how the body can store not only memories, but also entire states of consciousness?! Upon waking, I got to thinking: Why in the world would I dream of being drunk?  I wasn’t sure. But, then I remembered what triggered this…

This weekend, we threw a raw potluck Halloween party (and it was a super time!).  While prepping for the party, I cleaned off our front porch in order to make it look like a gypsy tent. Doing this, I found a grocery bag full of beer and champagne. It had been sitting there for more than a year, ever since I decided one day that I didn’t want to drink alcohol any longer.

I suppose you could say that this is another positive change that following a raw foods lifestyle brought about in me. Prior to really making that 100% commitment (even during my “high raw” years), I did drink occasionally — usually when guests who liked to drink visited. 

Mostly, over the past 4 years or so, I was an “occasional social” drinker, probably averaging a beer or two every 3-4 months. Prior to those years, I was largely the same, although I admittedly over-indulged many times as well — usually on special occasions. (And then there were “the college years” which, as many people can relate to, constituted a whole painfully irresponsible category unto themselves as far as alcohol consumption went.)

But it’s interesting to me that, after having had no alcohol whatsoever for more than a year, I found that old booze. I thought, “Why in the world am I even keeping this old crap on our porch?!”  (I’d planned to give it to a neighbor, but never did.) So, I went to toss it out. And I think this is the action that spurred that dream. You see, we recycle our cans and bottles, so I decided to open each one and pour it out before throwing the empties into our recycle bin.

The champagne bottle was fun. I shook it up really good and then popped the cork. My daughter got a kick out of seeing it fly.  Then I went over to a side spot in the yard and emptied all of the beer cans. They were old and shaken up, so each one exploded and foamed all over the place. I smelled like a brewery for a few minutes, but hosed everything off before getting back to work on prepping for the party.

I think that short exposure of smelling it and having all of that old beer froth over my hands stirred up something deep within, and caused that miserable dream. Fortunately, though, it reminded me that I should probably do a blog post about alcohol because, from time to time, people write in and ask about it.  “Do you drink it? Is it raw?”

*Do* We Drink It? *Is* It Raw?

And so finally we come to the “meat” of the post. Let me answer the second question first:  It depends on the alcohol. For most things (beers, distilled spirits, etc.), the answer is no. Wine, on the other hand, is generally considered raw, similar to any other fermented food like kimchi, miso, pickles, etc. However, with wine, the final product contains alcohol, which does have some toxic effects on the body.

In doing a bit of research, I came across a neat paper by University of Wisconsin-Madison Chemistry Professor Bassam Z. Shakhashiri on Ethanol (featured as his “Chemical of the Week” last February).  Prof. Shakhashiri writes:

Ethanol is toxic, and the body begins to dispose of it immediately upon its consumption. Over 90% of it is processed by the liver. In the liver, the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme converts ethanol into acetaldehyde, which is itself toxic.

He goes on to describe how alcohol affects the brain by what I perceive as a systematic removal of sorts: It begins by removing inhibitions (which we perceive as pleasant, and largely a reason that people drink in the first place). (One might argue that, when you’ve lived a raw lifestyle for some time, you automatically come more into alignment with your true self, which may rather naturally leads to the automatic disappearance of some of the inhibitions you may have felt in the past. Also, as you’re not pushing emotions down with food and or drink, you’re more used to dealing with things in real time, as your real self. In other words, you may no longer “need” a drink!) Anyway… Alcohol then continues this “taking-away” path, next removing thinking and cognitive skills, then motor skills, then speech faculties, and finally either lung or heart functionality (of course, very few push it that far in one session, although certainly many millions do overindulge regularly, which has its own set of bodily effects over time).

In the interest of objectivity, I want to note that I researched acetyldehyde a bit further, curious about its toxicity. It seemed odd to me that a toxic chemical was actually produced by the human body, even if it did come from the processing of ethanol. It turns out that there are actually quite a number of natural sources of this toxin. Here’s a quote from an Australian governmental publication on the matter:

Acetaldehyde has a widespread natural occurrence. Acetaldehyde occurs in nature as an intermediate product in the respiration of higher plants and can be found in ripening fruit such as apples. Also, acetaldehyde is an intermediate product of fermentation of alcohol and in metabolism of sugars in the body. It may form in wine and other alcoholic beverages after exposure to air. It naturally occurs as a result of forest fires, volcanoes, animal wastes, and insects. It is a volatile component of cotton leaves and blossoms. Acetaldehyde occurs in oak and tobacco leaves and is a natural component of apples, broccoli, coffee, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, mushrooms, onions, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapples, raspberries, and strawberries. It has been detected in the essential oils of alfalfa, rosemary, balm, clary sage, daffodil, bitter orange, camphor, angelica, fennel, mustard, and peppermint.

Whether there is a difference between the acetaldehyde produced by your liver as a result of processing alcohol and the acetaldehyde occurring within an apple or a bunch of broccoli (in terms of either amounts you’re exposed to and/or the toxicity of such), I cannot say with certainty. (But, it’s an interesting question.)  I suspect that the amounts found in naturally occurring sources are considerably smaller than what is produced by the human liver after a good bender. After all, acetaldehyde is commonly cited as the particular chemical responsible for hangovers, and I’ve never had a hangover from eating, blending, or even juicing apples, peaches, pears, etc.

It also does not surprise me to have such toxic substances present in natural whole foods, as many foods are known to have distinct alkaloids and other chemical compounds that can be toxic in large concentrations –such as the arsenic in parsley and other veggies, the oxalic acid in spinach / rhubarb / chard / beet greens / etc., the cyanide within apple seeds, the lactucarium in certain lettuces, etc. I was just reading something by Victoria Boutenko the other day stating an evolutionary theory related to these alkaloids (e.g., that they’re possibly there to help ensure that the plant is not over-harvested — eaten to the point of extinction – by the animal kingdom).  But, hey, who knows for sure why they’re there?

Either way, though, no one’s running around claiming specifically that the chemical ethanol, the precursor to acetyldehyde in your liver, is a health tonic. So, if you avoid it, there’s no negative effect whatsoever, in my opinion.

Of course, some might retort: There might be no negative effect, but what about missing out on any positive effects from drinking? Usually, this argument is accompanied by citing Mediterannean countries where wine consumption and longevity seemingly go hand in hand. But, again, who knows whether it’s the alcohol in all of that red wine, or perhaps simply the grapes themselves?

Do You Drink It?

Short Answer: No.  I know a lot of raw foodies drink wine from time to time, and many of those undoubtedly still have “the glow.”  So, I don’t think it’s anywhere near as harmful (in my view) as, say, meat or dairy.  However, I’m simply not going to get preachy here because, in truth, I don’t think it’s a very big deal whether you drink wine (or anything else) or not. Plus, given my own history (and especially considering those infamous college days), it would seem fairly hypocritical of me to condemn the practice.

I think it’s all just a big journey, and we each have to travel our own path. So, no matter where you are, simply do what you do with conscious intention and you’ll enjoy yourself.  (And that goes for everything, including any food you may eat, cooked or raw.) For me, when it comes to choosing not to drink… I simply enjoy the mental clarity and I enjoy the peace and the experience of fully present emotional awareness. So, I wouldn’t want to cloud that at all. That’s my reason.

(Self-editing kicking in:  If that’s so true, Jim, then why do you eat copious amounts of cacao sometimes? LOL… guilty as charged. But at least I admit it!)

I do absolutely love knowing and interacting with similary minded people, and am rather fanatical in the pursuit of optimal health. But, if someone else drinks, it doesn’t bother me.  It’s just something we all need to decide for ourselves, just like anything else in life.  As Woody Allen might quip: “Whatever Works.”

I do currently still work with a lot of people who drink and have noticed that, after the initial razzing that you get when you’re the only one that doesn’t drink, most people don’t care too much. They already think I’m insane for not eating meat, and for eating raw foods, so it probably doesn’t surprise them to see me with a nice tall glass of water with a lemon slice.

Finally, I wanted to note one other consideration for those who do choose to drink wine. Consider organic and biodynamic wines! These varieties may cost a bit more, but the lack of pesticides and sulfites is at least minimizing your toxicity exposure.

What about you? Do you drink alcohol?

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Q: How Long Do Smoothies Last?

I responded to a similar question a while ago in an online forum. This issue comes up a lot, acually, so I figured I’d provide our response here on the blog rather than simply through an email reply.  Here’s that response, reworked a bit for our blog:

Optimally, I suppose we’d all just eat things whole, most of the time, instead of blending/juicing …
But, we do blend/juice things for various reasons.

Optimally, we should drink smoothies as quickly as possible. …
But, many, many people store smoothies in containers for later and feel no worse for it. (In other words, their health does not decline from doing this.)

Technically, there may be some negligible scientific basis for decreased nutrition in stored smoothies …
But I’ve met few people that are hard-core about it.

Likely, your smoothie could be slightly less nutritious than a freshly prepared one. …
But surely it’s better than anything else you could have (e.g., pasteurized bottled smoothies or sugar-containing smoothies sold at some restaurants).

So, my *opinion* is: It’s a non-issue. Go ahead and enjoy your smoothie now or later throughout the day. Obviously, storing it in a hot car or in direct sunshine isn’t advisable. But, under normal circumstances, a smoothie will hold up fine for quite a while, especially if stored in a refrigerator or cooler. Also, as we mentioned in a video recently, a good trick is to incorporate some frozen fruits to help keep your smoothie cool. This could mean blending in a frozen banana or adding some frozen blueberries to act as ice cubes.

___________________
Wendi points out that, if you continually are storing smoothies, you may not be placing enough emphaiss on your health. Your health should be more important than the time you save in preparing the smoothie ahead of time. You may want to consider restructuring your time or eating fresh fruit instead of a stored smoothie on an ongoing basis. If anyone has further tips about keeping smoothies fresh throughout the day, please share in the comments section!

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Q. I recently read the following on Dr. Micahel Eades’ (dr. protein power) blog & would appreciate your opinion:

Have you any comments on the RAW FOOD movement and particularly Dr. Cousens claim of a “cure?”

Dr. Eades’ response:
I don’t know anything about Dr. Cousens. I do know that people in the raw food movement seem to believe the raw foods deliver ‘natural’ enzymes unaltered by cooking to the GI tract to help it do its work. Problem is these ‘natural’ enzymes are made of protein and are denatured (the same alteration process as cooking does with heat) as soon as they hit the stomach acid. The fact that proteins can’t make it through the stomach without being completely altered is why diabetics can’t take insulin pills and have to get their insulin via injection. Insulin is a protein, just as enzymes are, and it can’t make it through the stomach without being denatured.

Thanks so much! I love your blog & have learned so much from you over the past 4 months of being raw.

K.M.

A. Thanks for your email, K.M. When I was first learning about raw foods many years ago, all of the literature said that enzymes were the reason to eat raw foods. Most claimed (and still claim) that by not heating foods, enzymes were intact and therefore the human body didn’t have to use as many of its own enzymes to break down the foods. It made a lot of sense. The living enzymes were helping my body and I was reaping the benefits of better digestion and increased energy.

A few years ago, however, I started to read opposing thoughts on the enzyme “fact.” Some were now claiming that the enzymes in living foods never make it past the stomach to do any good in the body, just as Dr. Eades is claiming in your quote, above.

What?! I was confused. How come just about everyone was saying that enzymes were the reason for raw foodists’ health if that wasn’t really the case? Could the backbone of reasoning behind consuming a raw food diet be collapsing? I did a lot of research on it, wanting to find out the truth. As with most health information, there is enough information against something as there is for it. It was frustrating. I wanted to know the truth!

Then I found peace about the whole issue, and here’s why: on a raw food diet my body has healed (and continues to heal) from all kinds of health problems. No other way of eating ever healed my body like this. Nothing, absolutely NOTHING—not even doctor-prescribed medications—gave me health. Not until I began eating a living, raw food diet did my body begin to heal!

Was it the enzymes in the raw foods that allowed my body to heal? I have no idea—and it no longer matters to me! We can observe, study, and experiment as much as we want in order to find and understand every possible bit of knowledge about the body and health. When it comes right down to it, however, as much as we learn it’s near impossible to ever fully understand everything completely. Some things are obviously true, however, no matter how much we understand the hows and whys of those things. 

The truth about a raw food diet is as plain as can be: Those consuming a living, raw food diet regain health and vitality. It’s not a fluke—it’s happening all over the world. People are regaining health and youthfulness by consuming raw foods. We may not now, or ever, fully understand why raw foods are allowing our bodies to heal and thrive—but, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s happening. People’s bodies are healing on a raw food diet!

It’s one of our goals here at Pure Jeevan to collect inspiring stories of raw food healing through our My Raw Story series. When there is so much evidence of healing and health, regardless of the scientific facts of how and why it’s happening, the truth will be so obvious it won’t matter why it’s happening. 

So, that’s my opinion on the raw food enzyme controversy. Take a look at the My Raw Story series to see proof that the raw food diet does, indeed, aid the body in healing from all kinds of illnesses! If you, or anyone else, has experienced success on a raw food diet, please check out our My Raw Story Guidelines to consider sharing your story with others here on our blog!

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Jim here… Here’s a short video from last Saturday when we were out distributing literature about reversing diabetes naturally and the raw foods lifestyle. In it, we interview a local man, R.T., who had stopped to talk with us, went on his way, and then returned again to where we were standing a few moments later rather astounded.

You see, he’d seen a “before / after” flyer showing Wendi’s “pre-raw” pic next to her “raw” pic and couldn’t believe the two pics were of the same woman!  Many people who have significant weight to lose (or, like R.T., know someone who does) wonder whether losing so much weight will result in saggy skin. He was so amazed at the transformation, he decided to come back and ask. So, here’s the raw answer to that question…

[For those looking a bit of a longer answer to this common question from Wendi, she discussed it rather recently on the blog, here.]

As an interesting aside to that story, I just wanted to say that, just after initially speaking with R.T. inside the food co-op, Wendi and I were having an interesting conversation. We’d been introducing ourselves to people all day by simply asking, “Do you know anyone who has diabetes or a weight problem?”  Quite often, the answer was “yes,” and that would usually start a productive conversation.

A number of people simply stated “no” and kept on walking. Of those (and, I’m honestly not being judgmental here), quite a few had weight problems themselves. The experience of doing this in grocery stores gave us the opportunity to glance into one shopping cart after another. It’s no surprise that, even at the “health food” stores at which we were based all day, a majority of people were walking out with plenty of unhealthy items. (Let’s face it: An organic pop tart is still a pop tart.)

But, when R.T. initially talked with us, I sensed something different about him. The man had that undeniable vibrant glow I’ve come to recognize in certain people. And then I saw it… In his hand, he was holding a large cup of fresh squeezed juice — some deep purple beet-based concoction from the juice bar there. I’d said to Wendi, “Wow, he’s the most healthy individual I’ve seen all day long, and look what he’s drinking… juice!” I think there’s a powerful message there!

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Q. I am trying to go raw and juicing for only two days now and I am soooo hungry and I really don’t quite understand what to eat. I went out and bought a bunch of raw vegetables but I am lost on exactly how to prepare the meals and I’m so tired of being fat. Can you direct me to a simple start of book or can you give me some simple recipes or what you did to get started on your first month? Thank you.

Signed,
Frustrated and Fat in Virginia

A. Dear LOVELY BEING,

I refuse to call you frustrated and fat, as you signed your email. You are a lovely being who happens to be in a body that isn’t as healthy as she’d like it to be. You are so much more than what you look like or how you feel. I am sending lots of HUGS to you.

Please know that going hungry is something that should NEVER happen on a raw food diet, even if you are juicing. If you are hungry, please feed your body as much raw foods as it desires. In the beginning, I found that it was important to eat, eat, eat–my body was starving for nutrition, even though I was obese at the time.

For my first few months I concentrated on eliminating some things (wheat, dairy, sugar, soy, rice–I already didn’t eat meat), but I also concentrated on adding in lots of yummy raw foods (especially raw food desserts).

If you are buying veggies and fruits and thinking you don’t know what to do with them, it’s probably a good idea to find some raw recipes that look tasty to you. Did you receive my free recipe eBook? That will help you with some recipes that will be quite tasty and easy to prepare. I also have a lot of free recipes here on our blog (look in the right column and click on “recipes”). There are so many wonderful raw food recipes available either by purchasing raw food preparation books, finding some through your local library, using the free recipe eBook I give to everyone, finding recipes here on this site, as well as looking for raw food recipes on the Internet (you can search the recipes section of the All Raw Directory, as well as through Web search engines).

Q. I’ve been eating raw foods, but I’m still not losing weight. Help!! [I receive this question, in various forms, a couple times a week.]

A. Please know that it sometimes takes longer than we like to release the weight. It didn’t happen right away for me, either. It’s important to know that even though our bodies may not be releasing weight as we’d like them to be doing, they are still working on healing other things that aren’t obvious to us.

My weight loss was very gradual, while others have released a lot in the beginning. It’s really unique for each one of us, depending on our bodies (physical, emotional, etc.), what we are currently eating, and how different our new way of eating is from our old way. Please be loving and patient with yourself. Eat more and more raw foods and your body WILL heal!

Many people tell me they don’t feel satisfied when they are switching to a raw food diet, or that they are hungry all the time. When someone isn’t satisfied, it could be from all different causes (emotional, mental, physical, spiritual). It’s important to become introspective and try to figure out what’s going on with you and your body.

If someone is truly hungry, then I’d guess they aren’t eating enough calories. Please note that I’m not a doctor and can’t advise anyone. I’m just sharing what I’ve experienced and observed. I never ate enough calories, even though I was obese. My body was literally starving to death (hard to believe for anyone who saw how large I was).

I know it doesn’t sound like fun, but tracking your calories for a few days can let you know if you are getting adequate calories for your body. I wrote a post last year about easy-to-use calorie counters. I have found, more often than not, that most overweight individuals are NOT eating ENOUGH! If you think you’re eating a lot, or unsure, a few days of tracking your food intake can be very informative.

Another thing to consider with hunger and feeling satisfied: Your body is always trying to give you signals for what it needs. If you are feeling like you are still hungry or unsatisfied after eating, your body may be saying it’s not receiving certain nutrients that it needs. One thing I always suggest is that individuals walk up and down the grocery store produce area, seeing what looks attractive to you. You may be surprised at what your body is actually asking for! For me, recently, it has been cauliflower.

Q. Can you guys share what to keep in the Frig. I had no idea you should keep hemp seeds and nut butters in the frig……oops. Thank you

A. Yes, I often take the knowledge I have for granted. I’ve been living an alternative lifestyle for many years and have acquired a lot of tips and tricks that are now just a part of my daily life. I forget that there are things I can share to help others.

For what to keep in the fridge, it’s important to keep nuts, seeds, nut butters, and oils in the refrigerator. If you don’t, they can quickly oxidize (which eventually makes them rancid and they mess with your body, giving you a greater risk of cancer). If you are going to use those items up rather quickly, leaving them out won’t be too harmful (but I keep them refrigerated if there is enough room in the fridge). Some things should always be refrigerated, however, like flax (seeds, powder, and oil) because of how quickly it oxidizes.

If you are still using flour and rice, whole wheat flour and brown rice should be refrigerated, as well, for the same reasons as stated above.

Q. One very random q, I’m not sure if you have the time or inclination to advise me on this kind of thing, but I have a turnip, 3 leeks, 2 zucchini and an eggplant that I need to use for dinner!  I am just sure that there is a great meal in there… but I am just staring at them and not getting it. Thanks either way

A. Here’s what I would have done with what you have:

1) Thinly slice (on a mandoline, preferably) the turnip and eggplant into very thin rounds.

2) Puree the zucchini with some lemon, spices, garlic, and salt (and some nuts or seeds, if you have any).

3) If the puree is very watery, drain some of the liquid from it.

4) Marinade the turnip and eggplant rounds in some olive oil, salt, and lemon. When they are soft/pliable, rinse them.

5) Finely chop the leek and stir into the puree.

6) Create a rawvioli-type meal by using the turnip and eggplant slices as “pasta” and the puree as the filling.

7) Drizzle with olive oil and some finely chopped leek, serve and enjoy!

How’s that? Personally, I’ve never eaten raw eggplant. From what I’ve heard it’s important to let it marinade and then rinse it, or else it could be quite bitter.

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