I met Susan Schenck in September, while doing the RV tour and got to recently meet with her again a few days ago. I loves Susan’s quest for information about what will truly make us optimally well and slow the aging process. She has also been very dedicated to researching raw food information and sharing it with the world in her comprehensive book, Live Food Factor. It is one of my favorite resources to recommend because of the studies and research about raw food that are described in her book. You can check out more about the book here:

http://www.livefoodfactor.com/specialoffer/index.php?af=1048723

We discuss concerns about soy, as mentioned below. I thought it would be fun to give a couple of recipes from Susan’s book. She has 120 recipes in her book:

Nut milk
1 cup nuts (almonds or others)
6 cups water
Soak nuts overnight in water. Strain with nut milk bag. Makes about 6 servings.

Strawberry Shake
1 batch almond milk
2 qt basket organic strawberries
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave (or 1/2 tsp. stevia – Dr. Ariel’s addition)
2 T coconut oil
Blend in blender, Vita-Mix or Blend-Tec and enjoy!!!

In this clip, we touched a variety of topics that are covered in her book including enzymes, healthy gut bacteria and which foods are not “raw” though the package might state that they are raw. One of my favorite topics comes at the end of this clip, as we talked about some of the concerns about soy products. Cooked and processed soy products are not part of the raw food diet, obviously. But people do consume miso and nama shoyu (a kind of raw soy sauce) in the raw food world. Susan mentions that originally soy was a by-product of paint production, and the Dupont company was seeking a consumer base to sell this by-product. I have not researched this, so I do not know if it was true. If it is, she describes it as a kind of PR campaign that was used to convince people that the soy would be a great source of protein for vegetarians. And remember, toxic sludge is good for you, high fructose corn syrup dangers have not been refuted (by the company that produces it), and Cocao Krispies improve your child’s immune system (not kidding, a real campaign, I saw it myself on the cereal box at Albertson’s!).

Enjoy this clip. I will be adding more. And check out the Live Food Factor, a must have if you are trying to master live food nutrition!

I also wrote an article for Herbivore magazine about the controversy over soy a few years back. Here is a link to it:

http://doctorariel.blogspot.com/2008/04/wondering-about-soy.html

This an all time favorite with my family and friends. It is very easy to make, kids love it and its a great dessert to wow people with that aren’t familiar with raw food! Any nuts can be used for the crust. I prefer to use pecans. Be careful not to over process the crust as the nuts will release oils and it will become too greasy. Enjoy this torte topped with fresh fruit (strawberries or raspberries) or sprinkle shredded coconut on top. Keep it refrigerated until serving so that it is nice and chilled. If left out at room temperature for too long it will soften (still yummy but not as much like a pie, more like a pudding). Enjoy!

Crust:
2 cups pecans
½-1 1 cup pitted medjool dates (or enough so that when you squeeze the crust it holds together)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt

Pulse nuts in food processor until slightly crumbled. Add dates and pulse a few more times. Add coconut oil and sea salt. Pulse until uniform and crust holds together when you squeeze it between your fingers. Press into bottom of classic 10 inch tart pan.

Filling:
2 cups cashews (not soaked)
¾-1 cup cacao powder
1 ½ cups water
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup agave (or to taste if you like it sweeter, less for more bitter)
½ vanilla bean seeded
Pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour over crust and refrigerate until firm (1 hour in refrigerator, ½ hour in freezer)

For more great recipe ideas see Andrea’s Phytofoods blog at www.phytofoods.blogspot.com

*Recipe adapted from an idea by Chef Bruce Horowitz at www.thesunkitchen.com

I was in Los Angeles this weekend and spoke about the Women Go Raw project to a conscious mothering group called Tiger Mama. I showed the interviews that we did with women who had gone through pregnancy while eating a plant-based raw diet. Their labor was often shorter and less painful. You can see this in the interviews with Jinjee and Julie Pitcher.

On Saturday, I got to speak with the founder of Tiger Mama on the Santa Monica Promenade. Evita Ramparte is herself having her pregnancy while eating a plant-based raw food diet. She explains the benefits of this and why she believes in in so strongly. She has been eating a raw foods diet since 2004. She healed herself of ovarian cancer around that time though the process of cleansing and alkalinizing her body. Raw foods proved to be an important part of this process.

Terces Engelhart owns 5 raw cafes in the Bay area along with her husband Matthew. They had experiences owning restaurants in the past. Upon completing a 30 day experiment eating a 100% raw food diet, something shifted for them. They instantly decided that their new cafe would be a raw food cafe. This new venture, however, was never about food alone.

The concept for the cafe was based on a board game that Matthew and Terces created called the Abounding River. The game provides an opportunity to see what comes up in your life when you focus on various concepts and ideas. For example, if you focus on what you are thankful for in your life, you will experience a richer relationship with yourself and even find more to be grateful for. This idea put into practice became a great hit. They then applied it to the relationships with the restaurant employees!

Before each shift, the employee has a chance to say what is troubling them, what they are thinking about that could possibly interfere with their ability to be present. Instead of commenting on their issue, or trying to solve it, other employees and supervisors simply listen. This act of witnessing allows the person to express themselves, but also provides an opportunity for them to be free from their perceptions about their "issue." It is simply a perception about a problem that can make it good or bad, troubling or freeing, according to Terces.

Employees are then asked to name one thing what they are grateful for. Along with this, managers are encouraged to recognize and verbalize positive qualities in the staff. By naming them, this allows people to step further into these greater qualities which maybe are at a seedling level, but could grow given the right environment and nurturing.

During this interview, Terces says to me, "I could recognize your commitment to the planet. Now I don't have to know very much about you to recognize some of this commitment. When I name it, it allows you or anyone else to step more fully into it." That was very powerful, and I believe this is true. Many of Terces' ideas that have been put into practice at Cafe Gratitude are described more fully in her book Sacred Commerce.

I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Terces out on her family farm in Vacaville, California. This farm is all organic and now supplies about 35-40% of the produce utilized by the 5 Cafe Gratitude restaurants in the Bay area. The farm itself is quite impressive. There are trays of wheatgrass and sprouts in the greenhouse. There is an abundance of newly planted fruit trees including apples, plums, plucots, oranges, figs, and many many more. The farm itself is quite sustainable. The Engelharts share the land with several others who work on the farm. There is no official housing at this time. Everyone on the land lives in yurts. There is an outdoor kitchen, a sauna, and a fresh water pool. There are only composting toilets, and Matthew is able to use (yes, get this) human compost in a way that it is safely incorporated into soil compost. Though they are connected to the electrical grid at this time, they have plans to incorporate a significant amount of solar power on their land.

There is much more to the interview with Terces than this 10 minute clip. However, I think you will find this first part very compelling. She describes the philosophy of Cafe Gratitude, the community of employees, and how both raw food and the principles of witnessing and giving thanks all come together to make a business that is successful. This success is in the classic financial sense, but much more important to the Engelharts is the richness, healing and upliftment it has brought to the employees and customors of Cafe Gratitude.

Thank you so very much to Terces and the Englehart family for welcoming us into this special place. Thank you to Aya, Terces' personal assistant for helping us to schedule this important interview.

Please share your thoughts with us about the ideas of Sacred Commerce. Do raw foods and business based on kindness and caring about the health and well-being of customers and employees go together well? Let us know!

And of course...what are you grateful for today?

The Women Go Raw tour is in San Francisco. We discover Lisa Williams, an absolute gem and a new raw food chef. Lisa had been preparing vegan food for others for many years. However, she noticed that she gained weight on a cooked vegan diet and still had a multitude of health issues including low thyroid function.

One month ago, she went completely raw and has lost 15 pounds to date. Lisa’s story is very inspring. Also uplifting is the message she is spreading to others. She teaches at-risk youth about Green Smoothies. In her work, she introduces the elderly to raw granola and other treats.

I know to many of you it may seem odd to consume collards raw and in a wrap no less. But what will really shock you is that they are beyond lip smacking yum. This is really true when you use Andrea’s pate on the inside of the wrap. So…what is the nutritional value or benefit of the collard greens as well as the other ingredients?

Collard greens are so high in calcium! 1 cup of collard greens has as much calcium as one cup of milk.  They are also high in vitamin A, which is important for your immune system. Green vegetables and green powders (like spirulina and chlorella) are alkalinizing. What this means for you is that minerals are not leached from your body when your pH is alkaline.  This is good for maintaining bone density. When a person eats acidic foods, the minerals are leached from the body, including the bones in order to keep the pH balanced. This is a more likely cause of osteoporosis than not getting enough calcium. Collards, though, are high in calcium, they are alkalinizing and the have one more great vitamin for bone density.  That vitamin is vitamin K.  Studies have shown that vitamin K can increase bone density in osteoporotic people and can prevent fractures. Collard Greens are a Women Go Raw approved food for building healthy bones!

Enjoy these delicious wraps and thanks to Andrea Livingston for a wonderful demonstration of her recipe!

Greens:

8 leaves swiss chard, kale, or collard greens, thick stem removed, washed and spun
1 lemon, juiced
sea salt

Pate:

1 c sunflower seeds, soaked 2-4 hours, drained and rinsed well
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 limes, juiced
1 tbsp red onion, chopped
¾ c cilantro, chopped
½ tsp sea salt
pinch of cayenne or jalapeno pepper (optional)

Wrap:

1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 mango, thinly sliced
1 red pepper sliced
optional: sprouts, shredded carrots, chopped cilantro

Julie Pitcher ate a raw, vegan diet for over 2 years before she became pregnant. She made a powerful decision to experience her entire pregnancy and birth while continuing a raw, vegan diet. Her baby was a healthy weight, experienced healthy growth and is doing very well.  You can learn more about Julie at www.thegardenbaby.com

On Tuesday September 8th we drove to Ojai, California where we interviewed Angela Stokes.  Her husband Matt Monarch lived in Ojai for several years where he established a home base for his rawfoodworld.com warehouse (and it is quite a sight to see!). Angela and Matt return to Ojai for short periods when they are not traveling and/or lecturing. Many people are familiar with Angela’s profound story.  She lost 160 pounds on a raw food diet and has had success in keeping it off for 7 years.  Angela is inspiring in her honest sharing and personal story of physical transformation.  Enjoy this video and let us hear about your experience of “releasing” weight with raw foods.

We have been on tour for a week now and have collected over 10 interviews from some of the most incredible women I have met in my life. Today we add another of those women to the list! It was only after a day of changing schedules, possible cancelled interviews and some video snafus that we were able to clear the path and head out to meet with Jinjee Talifero.  She and her husband Storm shot and produced the documentary, Breakthrough. This incredible film is about their family’s experience and changes eating a raw, vegan diet. I was moved by this film the first time I saw it. As a naturopathic physician, there is still much skepticism about women consuming a raw vegan diet during pregnancy in the natural medicine world. My colleagues have also expressed caution about children consuming an all raw and vegan diet. Where will enough calcium come from? Iron? Will these children grow properly? Will they suffer from what is called “failure to thrive”?   We were able to discuss this openly with Jinjee and also hear the story of her introduction to raw foods, raw pregnancy, childbirth and more! Jinjee’s presence comes across as deeply grounded, powerful, gentle and very loving.  You can find out more about Jinjee and her family at www.thegardendiet.com.  Thank you Jinjee!

We were beyond delighted to interview Mimi Kirk on our very first day of taping interviews. Mimi recently won a nationwide contest for the Sexiest Vegetarian over 50! She is 71 years young and has been a vegetarian for many years. 1 1/2 years ago she made a change and began consuming a 100% raw food diet. She has inspired many people to make this change including her daughter and her partner!  Please enjoy this ebullient and paradigm shifting interview with Mimi. Let us know your thoughts….