W H A T   I S   R A W   F O O D ?

Raw food is ALIVE, with most of its phytonutrients, hormones, oxygen (also a nutrient), still in tact, and it helps keep your body alkaline.  Cooked food is dead.  No need for a science degree to get that.  Raw food, and superfoods, feed your body polysaccharides that deliver both carbohydrates and super nutrition that support every organ and extend your life.

You don't have to understand all of the biochemistry from the outset .. and if that sounds like you, read on.  You just need somewhere to begin and your knowledge will grow, and your eating practices will refine themselves as you become more familiar with your body's reactions to various foods. You'll learn how to source foods that you know are powerful medicinally, and it will be an effortless transition to super-health as your cravings and addictions eventually get crowded out.  When you've experienced the impact of organic, unadulterated raw food, you'll quickly realise that you need less volume of food due to the nutrient density of raw!  You can no longer rely on just fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts .. as we're living in an age of toxicity where so much is chemically sprayed or subject to the exposure of the jetstream, and that, combined with the fact that soils are so depleted, makes it necessary to look at superfoods that have been carefully sourced and extracted to supplement and complement fresh foods.

The greater percentage of nutrients packed into smaller amounts of antioxidant-rich food work to fight inflammation, which is the root cause of all disease.  The raw food diet is predominantly plant based .. removing meats and dairy .. most animal products (for me, with the exception of bee products) and minimising grains.  I only eat small amounts of the alkaline, unprocessed grains .. quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, oats mainly.  In addition to that are the oils, nuts and seeds (note the chart, ref RAW 101, explaining the length of time they need to be pre-soaked .. important).  It's not at all a sparse selection .. you can emulate any recipe with the raw approach and you'll see it's also more exciting to the senses.

It's been argued that fresh organic fruits and vegetables, superfoods, superherbs, high quality fresh, raw nuts and seeds, etc are expensive, and their preparation is time-consuming.  The quick answer to the expense of it is that yes, on the surface of it, it's more expensive, but when you're eating high-grade nutrients and giving your body what it needs, you'll find you're eating less quantity because you're satiated with nutrients and your body is not triggered to want to eat more, and you're saving on health management expenses, as you're never sick.  With regard to lengthy preparation time, it may take some organisation and efficiency to get the hang of new methods of food preparation, but you're not waiting for food to cook .. which in the end probably makes the process of eating raw and eating cooked more neck-and-neck.

You will also discover the connection between looking after yourself with RAW, and how that directly and powerfully contributes to the welfare of the EARTH.