2010 was a big year for me as I taught, prepared and became more educated about RAW food. I discovered I absolutely love playing with fresh ingredients and I tend to be heavy handed with spices. Even though I’m not a dessert girl, I love all RAW desserts and they don’ t last very long at my house. I had lots of mentors on my journey last year and I want to give a special thanks to Cheri Soria, the owner of The Living Light Culinary School. It was the experiences and education I had at her school which changed the direction of my life!! After playing with my food, teaching others to play with their food and all the books and online articles, blogs and chat rooms I’ve been in- here’s my list of 10 things I learned:
1. Food identified as healthy can be deceiving. The agave nectar scandal of 2010 will be long remembered. Agave nectar came on the scene about 7 years ago as this natural, raw sweetener which had a low glycemic value and still sweetened just like honey and sugar. It was embraced by many raw foodists and is in 1000′s of published recipes. Thanks to advocates like Dr. Mercola, we discovered that once “big business” gets involved, the standards for making a pure product is compromised and the consumer is deceived. I had just purchased a double pack of Agave Nectar from Costco the week the truth about agave nectar was exposed. It turns out, the most popular and highly distributed brand of agave nectar in America was actually processed much like high fructose corn syrup. RAW it was not! Since then, Whole foods and Good Earth have both upgraded their brands of agave to actually earn the right to say they are RAW on the label. It was a good lesson for all health conscious consumers – do a little research about a new ingredient before you jump on the bandwagon!
2. Dehydrating anything with onions should be done in the garage! It’s hard to get your husband and kids to try anything that has stunk up the house so bad, that they won’t invite their friends over because of how bad your house smells.
3. Freeze fruit while it’s in season. I underestimated my families love of frozen fruit and how much we use them in smoothies. We were out of all the strawberries, blueberries and peaches by the first week of October. Now I’m paying $4 a small bag for organic frozen berries!
4. Do not juice carrot greens! I had been misinformed about them. They are a rich source of compounds that once absorbed into the body can react with sunlight to produce a sever sunburn or rash. Dandelion greens, beet greens, cilantro and mint are all delicious in my juices and I have learned to be more adventurous. I’ve learned to use a variety of greens as my body will respond better to the buffet of nutrients I make available. And, I don’t waste as much.
5. I can eat as much fruit as I want. Dr. Rick Dina who is the instructor of the RAW food nutrition education series at The Living Light Culinary School explained that fruit can be enjoyed with passion and does not mess with your metabolism. I had been lead to believe by other nutritionist that fruit was something to limit because it messed with your blood sugar and would slow down your metabolism – thus putting weight on. He debunked that notion with science and I am forever grateful! I can have two apples, or half a cantaloupe, or three kiwis for my snack! Love it!
6. Cleansing is an absolute must if you are serious about your health! I did 10 cleansing weeks during the year of 2010. What I discovered was that they are a great “interrupt” to get your body back on track. Even though I eat a healthy, mostly raw diet there are 100′s of toxins that enter my body that I can’t control. Like the air I breathe and the toxins in my water that don’t get taken out from my filtration system. I am also a woman who color’s her hair and wears make-up. Even the best, natural makeup has toxins. So, a cleanse will assist your body in “cleaning up” your insides. My weight has fluctuated within 2 pounds during the entire year. I attribute that, and my crazy energy to my scheduled cleanses!
7. Sprouting lentils and quinoa is easy and they are wonderful in so many dishes!! Both require to be soaked overnight in purified water. Rinse the next morning and put into a sprouter. Rinse twice a day for a few days and when they have a little tail – they are done!! Magnificent! A terrific source of protein and life-force!!
8. Many raw food chefs who create cookbooks use too much salt and sweetener in their recipes. I’ve discovered I can literally cut the amounts in half and still have a tasty, wonderful dish.
9. I use to be a fanatic about the amount of protein I would get from my food. When I worked with a trainer and body builder, I was told to consume 80 grams of protein a day. After my certification in RAW food nutrition course, I discovered that my real number was more like 30-40. And, I could get plenty of protein from leafy greens, seeds, avocado’s and nuts. I never count protein anymore. I just rely on my daily variety of food.
10. I purchased my Vita Mix in April of this year – what was I waiting for!?! I had gotten every other RAW food appliance before I bought the Vita Mix and it should have been the first. A standard blender just cannot do the job of making creamy dressings, decadent desserts and luscious smoothies. When I advise clients on what to invest in first – it’s always the Vita Mix! You can purchase your Vita-Mix right through my resource page – love it!
