The rejuvenation issue!

Get Fresh!
For people passionate about pure food, health and living life to the full

The way we
used to eat
The healthiest
sweeteners
10 years
younger AUTUMN
2008

in 10 days UK £3.95
US $7.95

Eat less, live longer

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Indian takeaway, raw style ❥ Kitchen essentials ❥ A week on juice
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2
Get Fresh! Autumn 2008

Contents
Main Features
Rejuvenation special
20 Tonya Zavasta: Why I love being 50
24 Eat less, live longer
30
34
Active aging’s promised jewels
10 years younger in 10 days 20
38 Interview with Viktoras Kulvinskas
46 The way we used to eat
50 Why does a hamburger cost less than an apple?

In This Issue
14 Raw Spirit Festival in pictures
16 Can fruit make you fat?
18 Ask Alissa! Choosing the right kitchen equipment
44 Say goodbye to night-time binges
54 Clean on the inside?
56 Colonics – the key to healthy detoxing
58 A week on juice
62 Challenging your raw beliefs
68 Can’t gain weight on raw?
82 A Day In The Life Of Kris Carr 38
Food
70 Russell James with an Indian meal for two
75 Cherie Soria’s ‘Secrets of a raw culinary artist’
78 Three ways with figs, by Brigitte Mars

Regulars
4 Editor’s letter 10 Book reviews
5 Meet our contributors
6 What’s new?
12 Events
66 Consulting room 70
 Welcome
My grandmother turned 90 this August but she has the skin of someone much
younger. Despite her advanced years, she is not completely grey either: her hair
retains more than a smattering of her original brown colour. It is remarkable
considering that few reach this age, let alone look so well on it.
So what is my grandmother’s secret? Well I like to think that good genes play
a role, since I inherited them. But I believe the main reason is that she has always
eaten healthily and – just as important – lightly. Moderation is something that
previous generations were very good at, but that is much harder for those of us
born in the age of cheap food and supersized portions.
I’m very excited to introduce our rejuvenation issue, packed full of articles on
achieving the benefits we associate with youth – chiefly: being healthier, feeling
better and looking younger. This is not about pretending to be an age you are not,
but simply about being the best you can be whichever age you are.
Much of what we associate with aging – including lack of energy, declining
strength, “middle-aged” spread, arthritis and Alzheimer’s – is either solely or
primarily caused by certain lifestyle choices. And a great many of those choices
have to do with what we put in our bodies day after day.
This kind of aging only looks normal because so many people are making the
same choices. But make no mistake – there are “aging” symptoms people in their
40s commonly suffer that are perfectly avoidable even to those in their 80s as long
as they are living a healthy lifestyle.
Our beauty writer Tonya Zavasta turned 50 this year and it would be hard to
find a more radiant, glowing and youthful-looking advertisement for this lifestyle.
Starting on page 20 she shares her secrets. We are also excited to bring you an
exclusive interview with leading living foods expert Viktoras Kulvinskas, who
reveals that he feels better in his seventieth year than he did in his twenties.
Finally, on the subject of grandmothers again, in an article entitled “The Way
We Used To Eat,” new contributor Charlie Wilson takes a look at the valuable
lessons we can learn from previous generations when it comes to eating healthily
and living naturally.
To your rejuvenation and vibrant good health!

Sarah Best
Editor

4
 Meet our
contributors Autumn 2008
Published by

For her first appearance in Get Fresh! magazine,

Charlie Wilson writes about how we have lost touch with real
food and says her mission is to change the way people think about
what they put on their plates. An accomplished chef, Charlie first thefreshnetwork
trained in traditional French cuisine, later graduating to vegetarian,
vegan and then raw. Originally from England, she now lives in a “small,
Director Cary Kikis
but perfect” apartment in Key West, Florida where she is about to open
a whole foods restaurant. Editor Sarah Best

Design MarcusMacaulay.co.uk
❥ How old are you and how old do you feel?
Printer Warners
I have 34 years of knowledge and life experience behind me, and I have more energy, drive and
Cover istockphoto.com/druvo
thirst for life than ever before!
❥ What is the best thing about raw rejuvenation?
The opening of the mind.  I have travelled around the world but eating raw food opened doors to
places within that I had never travelled to before. Contact details
❥ If you were elected US president, what is the first thing you would change? Get Fresh! magazine, The Fresh Network,
The agricultural system. The future of food needs to be focused on ecological farming methods and Unit 4, Aylsham Business Estate, Aylsham,
the support of small-scale farmers worldwide to avert the current food crisis. Norfolk NR11 6SZ

Editorial enquiries
sarah@fresh-network.com
Pete Vincent is the CEO of Raw Humour and calls himself the
“main discoverer of Vitamin L12, the laughter Vitamin”. Pete, who lives Advertising enquiries
in Exmouth, Devon, has worked in the raw and living foods field for +44 (0)845 833 7017
over seven years and is a trained live blood miscroscopist. When he first info@fresh-network.com
went raw he encountered a common problem, especially among men
– excessive weight loss. In this issue he shares his experience and offers This magazine is printed on
environmentally friendly paper produced
insightful advice for those encountering this problem. from a sustainable source.

❥ How old are you and how old do you feel?

SUBSCRIBE
I recently turned 40 but I feel like I am 10. CALL +44 (0)845 833 7017
SEE PAGE 9 FOR DETAILS OF
OUR SPECIAL OFFERS AND GIFTS.
❥ What is the best thing about raw rejuvenation?
I haven’t had to consider botox yet

❥ If you were elected US president, what is the first thing you would change? 
I would change the SAD (Standard American Diet) diet for
the ACE (Accepting Conscious Eater) diet.
Thomas Lodi, MD appears in the Consulting Room slot in Get
Fresh! answering readers’ health and nutrition questions. He combines
extensive training and experience in both orthodox and holistic
medicine. Thomas lives with his 15-year-old son, 13-year-old daughter,
six dogs, a cat and lots of chickens in Mesa, Arizona, where he also has
a clinic called An Oasis of Healing.
❥ How old are you and how old do you feel?
I am 57 and feel like the “me” that I have always been since childhood.
No aches and pains, no depression, plenty of energy…
❥ What is the best thing about raw rejuvenation?
It is the only path to health – very narrow but very wonderful. Health feels like love.
❥ If you were elected US president, what is the first thing you would change? 
I would eliminate vaccinations for humans and animals and make it
illegal to kill animals or eat their carcasses.
The Get Fresh! Philosophy
Get Fresh! is the international voice of the raw
food movement, featuring viewpoints, teaching
and philosophies from some of the most
prominent natural health authorities in the world,
and real life stories and interviews with those
living a raw and living foods lifestyle. Its aim is to
educate, motivate and inspire, while retaining a
rational and realistic worldview.
The Get Fresh! philosophy, while focusing on
diet, acknowledges that true health is about much
more than food. It encourages each reader to seek,
learn and discover what works best for them as
an individual, on all levels – mind, body, spirit
and emotions. If you’re interested in including
more raw foods in your diet, having more energy,
living more consciously, or are already living the
lifestyle, Get Fresh! is for you!
Disclaimer
All recommendations featured in Get Fresh!
magazine are for information purposes only
and not intended to replace appropriate care
from a qualified practitioner.

5
 WHAT’S NEW?

Gourmet olive snack

Regarded as one of the world’s most perfect foods, olives are packed with essential minerals,
amino acids, fatty acids and antioxidants. Now you can enjoy them in the form of a gourmet
vegetarian jerky from new US-based company Dragonfly Superfoods. Their Olive Flats come in
two flavours: Straight Up is a pure and natural Kalamata olive jerky while spicy sister Grecian Red
comes with a lemon-pepper twist.
Both are 100% certified organic, and contain just Kalamata olives, flax seed and dark agave
syrup (and, in the case of Grecian Red, spices). Dehydrated at low temperatures to preserve
essential nutrients and enzymes, Olive Flats come in easily portable compostable corn packaging.
Eat them as they are, as a substitute for bread or crackers, or as a tasty additions to salads.
Available from DragonflySuperfoods.com.

Going nuts
The US is leaps and bounds ahead of the UK when it comes to the choice of packaged raw food
products on offer, and nut butters are no exception. Few UK health shops have caught on to the
fact that nut butters are not really a health food if they are cooked. Remember, even if it doesn’t
specify that on the label, unless it clearly announces that it is raw, it isn’t. If you do find a nut
butter that is raw on the shelf of your local whole foods store, chances are it’s from Carley’s, the
UK’s leading manufacturer of nut and seed spreads.
The Fresh Network has
recently started selling
its fantastic range of raw
products, and has also
teamed up with Carley’s to
produce a gorgeous raw,
organic almond butter
(£5.35 for 250g, £8.95
for 450g and £14.45 for a
Grezzo to go
super-sized 750g). Two issues ago we announced the opening
Other raw (and of Alissa Cohen’s Boston restaurant, Grezzo.
organic) products from We’re delighted to report that Grezzo is
Carley’s include Brazil nut butter, pecan butter, rainforest nut butter (a mix of Brazils, cashews now shipping its fantastic ice creams and
and macadmias), hempseed and linseed butter, pumpkin seed butter, premium mixed seed butter, cheeses across the US. Needless to say, all
premium mixed seed butter with barley grass, apricot kernel butter, light tahini and dark tahini. are organic, dairy free or soy free.
All of the above are now available from The Fresh Network’s online store, and they are a real Grezzo’s ice creams are made with a
bargain at between £2.99 and £3.89 for a 250g jar, and between £4.65 and £7.65 for a 450g jar. base of young Thai coconut meat and
Also new to The Fresh Network’s range: Carley’s raw organic pesto and rocket pesto, both £3.69 are sweetened with organic raw agave,
for 160g. Order from Fresh-Network.com or call +44 845 833 7017. making them a world away from the
regular version. At $15 a pint, flavours
include Mocha Brownie, Vanilla Chip,
Wild Strawberry, Dark Chocolate, Mexican
Chocolate, Whole Clove, Pumpkin Patch,
Black Raspberry, Cape Cod Cranberry,
Lavender Blue and Carob Candy Walnut. 
Raw rhassoul Grezzo’s house-cultured cheese is
triple-whipped, creamy and spreadable.

radiance Choose from Herb and Garlic Macadamia,

Black Olive Macadamia, Cilantro Habanero
Macadamia, Curry Cashew and Miso
This new face pack from Raw Gaia contains Cashew. Cheese doesn’t get any healthier
organic rhassoul clay, a natural beautifier that than this – even the herbs are fresh,
has been used by women for hundreds of years. supplied daily to the restaurant by expert
100% pure, sun-dried and organic, and sourced growers. Enjoy it as it comes, spread it
from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, rhassoul on crackers and veggies, or use it in your
is a light brown clay with wonderful exfoliating, favourite recipes. Grezzo’s cheese, at $23
cleansing and detoxifying properties. per pint, is made to order and then frozen
Studies have shown that rhassoul clay helps overnight before shipping to extend shelf
to: improve skin texture, reduce dryness and life. Find out more at Grezzorestaurant.
flakiness, improve skin elasticity and firmness, and remove dead skin layers, leaving the skin com/togo or call 1-857-352-7288 to order.
smooth and glowing. It has a remarkable ability to draw out excess oils and impurities from deep
within the skin, and is also highly nourishing for the skin, due to its high mineral content.
£7.50 for 70g, it is available from Raw Gaia at rawgaia.com, on 01273 311 476, and through
selected retailers in the UK and around the world.

6
 WHAT’S NEW?

Superfood protein powder Quotes of

the quarter
First there were the cooked protein powders. Next came the raw
protein powders. And now we have the first ever raw protein
powder made with a base of enzymatically active sprouts. Since
sprouts offer more easily absorbable vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll,
phytonutrients and enzymes than any other food, Sproutein delivers
a great deal more than just protein. “I’m about as far from
It is made with a base of sunflower sprouts, amaranth sprouts, “Desperate Housewives” as one
millet sprouts, flaxseed sprouts, kale sprouts, quinoa sprouts, mung can get. I work twelve hours or
bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts, all carefully freeze-fried and
powdered. It also contains hempseed protein, goji berry powder,
more a day and, since last year,
black maca root powder, yacon root powder and lucuma powder, my husband works for me. He
making it very easy on the palate. proudly calls himself a house-
Tasty, filling and full of high-octane nutrition, it’s the perfect husband. I keep him busy, and
snack or meal replacement, Sproutein is produced by Florida-based
Sprout Living. This great company also offers a number of freeze-
he’s happy, not desperate.”
dried sprout powders, and ships freshly-grown sprouts across the Tonya Zavasta on being compared to the
US. For more information see SproutLiving.com. actress Marcia Cross. See feature on page 20.

“Our so-called “compulsion”

is creating younger, healthier,

Herbal help
Nutritionist, herbalist and Get Fresh! columnist Dale more virile bodies, longevity and
Pinnock has launched a brilliant range of herbal remedies
under his Natural Solutions Clinic brand. The six unique
increased quality of life. If that’s
liquid blends were formulated to address the most a disease I want to have some of
frequently seen conditions. They are: that disease!”
For liver support and detox – Milk Thistle and Shizandra Viktoras Kulvinskas challenges the over-use
For stress and insomnia – Skullcap and Wild Lettuce of the term “othorexia”. See interview on
For depression – Rose, Borage and Cardamom page 38.
For urinary tract infections – Buchu and Uva Ursi
For bloating, indigestion and IBS – Fennel and Peppermint “Many people celebrate their
For immune support – Echinacea and Osha large, dark expulsions during
Available from NaturalSolutionsClinic.com, a retreat with me, or at home
the blends are £12.95 each. using their herbal formulas,
without recognizing that the
bulk of the material leaving

Get watching! them was just the psyllium that

went in yesterday!”
Dao Earl explores a little-known paradox
Food Matters regarding colon cleansing. See feature on
“Let thy food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be thy food.” page 54.
This famous quote from the founding father of modern medicine is echoed
in this new documentary which lifts the lid on the trillion dollar worldwide
“I finally did a juice fast. Yes…a
‘sickness industry’ and offers scientifically-sound solutions for healing disease
naturally. The message is simple: Take control of your health before someone juice fast, juice feast, juice fiesta,
else does. call it whatever you want. The
With nutritionally-depleted foods, chemical additives and pharmaceutical point is, just juice.”
drugs being the standard diet of today, it’s no wonder that disease statistics
Sarma Melngailis remembers her week on
continue on their upwards trend. This movie offers solutions from world leaders
retreat. See feature on page 58.
in nutrition and natural healing including Philip Day, Charlotte Gerson, Andrew Saul, David Wolfe
and Victor Zeines. foodmatters.tv
“My paper journal is my mind
Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days dump. It helps me fine tune
Last year Gabriel Cousens, MD released a book entitled There is a Cure for my direction and connects me
Diabetes. In this movie he proves it. He puts six Americans with the disease on with my inner best friend. She
a living foods diet at his Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, Arizona.
The subjects are hurled far from their comfort zones when they have to live
is groovy! We curl up in my
without meat, wheat, dairy, sugar and indeed all cooked food for the duration. tropical-print Lay-Z-boy and chat
The documentary, which features appearances by Morgan Spurlock, Woody over a large cup of ionized water
Harrelson, Anthony Robbins, Rev. Michael Beckwith, Fred Bisci, and Joel Furman, with lemon.”
catalogues the physical, mental and emotional breakthroughs brought about by
Kris Carr talks us through her day on page 82.
this radical lifestyle change. simplyrawmovie.com
 WHAT’S NEW?
Manna from heaven
We’re excited to report that a new raw cafe has opened its
doors in Brighton. Manna offers a selection of juices, smoothies,
kombucha and herbal teas and a deli counter guaranteed to have
any raw food fan salivating within seconds.  March 13-15 in Los Angeles (more details on page 12). If
On the day we visited, food choices included nori wraps (we
tried one with sprouts, avocado and spirulina - amazingly good),
some innovative (and impeccable) salads, live “sandwiches”, cakes,
cookies and ice cream (Booja Booja’s fabulous Vanilla M’Gorilla and
Hunky Punky Chocolate were the choices of the day).
Also on offer: “gem water” (as in Gematria-activated). Manna
uses this purified, structured and energaetically-optimized water in
all its teas, food preparation and washing up.
The cafe features a small store in the front selling goods related
to the raw lifestyle, and a surprisingly spacious and well-appointed
seating area in the back. Those who want to enjoy Gem water at
home can make use of the low-cost refill service on offer.
The owners of Manna - Kyle Vialli and Andreas Demetriou of
pioneering Brighton-based company Galaxy of Vitality - have a lot
more than live food up their sleeves, with a busy program of talks
and workshops and an upstairs holistic clinic.
The BalancedYou Health Centre offers a range of natural
therapies including energy healing, massage, reflexology,
aromatherapy, nutritional consultations, cleansing and
detoxification advice and life coaching.
Manna is located a five-minute drive or cab ride from the centre
of Brighton, on a side street just off the Lewes Road (A270). If
you’re in Brighton for the day, it is well worth the detour.
Manna, 24 Coombe Road, Brighton BN2 4EA. Tel: 01273
690540. Currently open from 10:30-18:30 Monday to Saturday.
GalaxyOfVitality.com/Manna
8
Raw bites
In the last issue we reported on the new raw menu
at Highgate organic eatery Dragonfly Wholefoods. News this
issue is that you can now sample Dragonfly’s delicacies at
the Thursday organic market on London’s Portobello Road.
Currently on offer is a mixed living salad plate, and a range of
raw deli products including onion bread, flax crackers, walnut
and thyme cutlets, sun burgers, essene bread, raw relishes, raw
chocolates and raw cakes. Dragonfly has also set up shop at
the Alexandra Palace Sunday market. For more information see
DragonflyWholefoods.co.uk.
RawFoodDirectory.com is the world’s
first fully searchable online raw food directory. It is the
brainchild of popular Get Fresh! columnist and former Fresh
Network director Karen Knowler. With listings from the obvious
(raw food) to the more obscure (raw accountant, anyone?),
this international directory has all bases covered, and Knowler’s
intention is to make it the most comprehensive “one stop
shop” for raw food resources that has ever existed. “My dream
has always been to bring raw food to the mainstream and
this project plays a huge role in that,” she says. “This website
will bring together the best of what raw food has to offer,
worldwide, making it attractive to newbies and long termers
alike and making it super-quick and easy to find what you’re
looking for in the ever-expanding world of raw food. I certainly
wish I had had access to it when I got started. ” Visit the site to
find out more, to submit an article or to place an advert.
The Green Lifestyle Film Festival is now
receiving submissions for the 2009 event to be held from
you would like to submit your movie for consideration, go
to rawlifestylefilmfestival.com for guidelines. Please send
UK submissions to Jeni Cook, c/o The Fresh Network, Unit
4, Aylsham Business Estate, Aylsham, Norfolk NR11 6SZ.
Submissions are being accepted until Wednesday December 31.
UK raw food writer and speaker Holly Paige is
collating accounts of people’s experiences of bringing up children
on raw food for a book which is, she says, “For all raw parents
who want to have a chance to share their experiences, and for
all those who want to learn from the experiences of others.” She
is interested to hear from people who have fed their children
high-raw diets as well as 100% raw. “The accounts can include
whatever people want to share but I would ask that they focus
on their own personal experiences and tell us their real names,”
says Holly. Details Holly is especially interested in include specific
diet, including any supplements, what benefits you noticed, any
challenges, how you dealt with those challenges and any changes
you made as time went on.To submit your account, or to find out
more, contact holly@rawcuisine.co.uk.
Fancy a stint in Spain? Ecoforest is a non-profit
vegan permaculture project in the south of the country set up to
provide education about living and working in natural, sustainable
and healthy ways. It is looking for new members and investors,
including those who can help with its running and/or promotion.
Also welcome: anyone who would like to run retreats or courses at
this Andalucian paradise. See ecoforest.org for more information
or call 02392 611607.
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 BOOK REVIEWS
A Living Miracle
By Pat Reeves
Pathfinder Paperbacks, £11.99
Pat Reeves was diagnosed with “terminal” bone cancer 30 years ago.
Today she is a busy practitioner of nutritional and functional medicine,
she counts marathons and triathlons among her hobbies, and she has
won national and international powerlifting competitions. And…she still
has cancer, yet she is in vibrant health and it is mostly in remission.
How did she achieve this? Through a tireless search for the very best
natural methods for fighting cancer at its cellular level and now, for the
first time, she shares her years of painstaking research. This book makes
a great reference source for those who simply want to do all they can
to stay healthy, but for those who have cancer or are supporting a loved
one through it, it is a must-have guide.
At 224 pages, it contains: a detailed analysis of what causes cancer
and how it develops; a wealth of information on the different treatments
available and the criteria to use when selecting; a mini guide to the living
foods diet that the author has followed with such great success, which
includes some of her favourite recipes; and invaluable information about
the importance of mental and emotional balance, and how to achieve it.
Evie’s Kitchen
By Shazzie
Rawcreation, £16.99
Evie’s Kitchen is part recipe book and part “A-Z of natural parenting”.
First, the recipes. There’s everything here, ensuring even the fussiest eater
will find favourites: breakfasts, smoothies, juices, mains, sides, salads,
dressings, dips, snacks, soups and sweeties – all vegan and all raw.
Yet the author, one of the UK’s best-known raw food promoters,
believes that raising a healthy raw vegan child is more complicated than
many raw authorities suggest, and only possible if you have sufficient
nutritional know-how, and also supplement your child’s diet.
As she writes, “The differences between an adult’s raw diet and a
child’s raw diet aren’t great, but they are important. Children grow at
a rapid rate whereas adults just need to renew and repair.” Impeccably
researched, the book contains the most comprehensive guide ever
published to raising a child on a raw vegan diet, including a section
entitled “The ones to watch” (those being vitamins D, B12, K, DHA, EPA,
iron, choline and calcium).
Evie’s Kitchen combines hard science with a candid and engaging
account of the joys and challenges of pregnancy, childbirth,
breastfeeding, sleepless nights and single motherhood. It is also a great
introduction to natural parenting, covering everything from co-sleeping
to conscious communication.
10
Rawsome Flex
By Tonya Zavasta
E-book, $23.95
This little gem of a book is a compact yet comprehensive guide to a
little-known rejuvenation secret. We all know that we need exercise if
we want to keep our bodies looking youthful and toned, but for some
reason we are not told the same about our faces. Facial exercises not
only strengthen and tone muscles, giving more volume and tauter skin,
but they also improve circulation, which revitalizes the skin by drawing
toxins to the surface.
The author studied every book ever published in English or Russian
on facial exercises, and experimented with every single exercise to see if
it did what it was supposed to do, and whether she could improve on it.
The Rawsome Flex system combines the strengths of every program she
studied, along with her own innovations. The programme consists of
30 exercises, explained and illustrated in the book, and it takes just 20
minutes to perform each day. The author has also included beauty tips
and inspirational information to help keep you on track. The promise:
by the end of the 21-day plan outlined in the book, you will be noticing
positive differences in your reflection.
The Raw Food Formula For Health
By Paul Nison
Healthy Living Publications, $12.95
At age 20, Paul Nison was diagnosed with a deadly affliction:
inflammatory bowel disease (also know as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative
colitis). His search for a cure began with medical doctors, but they didn’t
have the answers he needed. After trying almost every so-called cure
to overcome his pain and suffering, Paul discovered the raw diet and
lifestyle and he is now one of the leading authors and speakers on the
subject.
In this, his sixth book, he shares his journey to vibrant wellness and
goes back to basics and outlines the seven stages of disease. He then
provides an overview of everything we need to be healthy, from raw
nutrition, to food combining, to detoxing, to the dangers of over-eating.
This easy-to-digest 120-page guide includes a four-step programme
to: eliminate the cause of your health problems, heal the damage you’ve
done to your body, find the diet and lifestyle that suits you, and access
the emotional and spiritual tools you need for success. It also features
36 easy-to-prepare raw recipes, special diets for cleansing, transition and
maintenance, and a three-week meal plan.
On page 44 of this issue: Paul Nison on the reasons to ditch that
night-time snacking and TV watching habit
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EVENTS
Learn, be inspired, shop, eat, have fun with like-minded people.
All details are correct at time of going to press but may be subject to change so please
check direct with the organizers. Please note that all of these events carry an admission
charge – however this can vary according to age, circumstances and time of booking, so
again we recommend checking with the organizers.
Saturday 8 November
RawforLife Saturday Social
Reading, Berkshire
For just £25, try 12 delicious raw food dishes in the
company of like-minded lovely people and enjoy the talk
‘Yes, You Can Stay Raw During Winter.’
For more information see rawforlife.co.uk
 
Saturday 29 November
Yoga Raw Food Workshop: ‘Banish Those Winter
Blues’ with Jamie Abrams & Jenny Calcoen-Birnberg
Middlesex (Greater London)
A day of delectable raw vegan food and refreshing yoga. The
workshop also includes an interactive class on healthy winter
eating to shun those winter blues, plus recipes, tips, tools and
other goodies. 10am – 4pm, £75. For more information, see
RawYogaTeacher.com or GeminiWellnessCoaching.com.
Alternatively, you can contact Jenny on 020 8090 3006
Sunday 30 November
Animal Aid’s Christmas Without Cruelty Fayre
Kensington Town Hall, London
Great shopping opportunities, delicious vegan food, and a variety
of educational talks, entertainment and children’s activities.
10am-5pm. For more information see animalaid.org.uk
Monday 1 December
Raw Rejuvenation: An evening with Drs Brian and
Anna Maria Clement
Central London
After the huge popularity of the March lecture featuring Drs
Brian and Anna Maria Clement of the Hippocrates Health
Institute in Florida, The Fresh Network is delighted to be hosting
them again. Advance booking only, tickets now on sale and
numbers strictly limited. For more information see Fresh-
Network.com or call +44 845 833 7017.
Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 December
Raw Food Class Training with Karen Knowler
and Russell James
Near Cambridge, UK
Learn how to create, plan, market and run your own raw food
class or workshop to your own design for pleasure and profit! For
more information see rawfoodclasstraining.com
Sunday 25 January 2009
Energy 4 life Coach Training – Three Month Intensive
London
Change your life and coach others to change theirs.
Learn the latest developments in energy-based conscious living.
12
Training includes: Energy Foods, Energy Exercise,
Energy Psychology and Energy Balance. To request a brochure
contact: shola@energy-4life.com or call +44 (0) 845 130 1918.
For more information see energy-4life.com
Saturday February 14 to Sunday February 15 2009
UK Centre for Living Foods House Party 
Ludlow, Shropshire
Includes a fabulous party food class, plus individual advice
and classes to help you to glowing health. See classified
advertisement on page 80 for more information and details of
other events, or visit LivingFoods.co.uk
Friday 13 March to Sunday 15 March 2009
Green Lifestyle Film Festival
Los Angeles
Previously called the Raw Lifestyle Film Festival, this annual
event showcases the work of film-makers who are asking tough
questions about how we live. It explores how we eat, how we
build our homes, how we transport ourselves, how we birth and
raise our young, and what it all means for our health and that of
the planet. For more information see serenityspaces.org
Friday June 5 to Sunday June 7 2009
The Fourth Annual Raw Spirit Festival
Santa Barbara, California
The world’s largest raw vegan gathering, this year’s event
featured the biggest and best selection of vendors at any raw
food festival ever, and lectures by many of the world’s leading
authorities on raw foods and holistic health (see photos overleaf).
Highlights of next year’s event will include top speakers, world-
class music, food demos, a raw restaurant food court and a
children’s programme. See rawspirit.com for more details.
Friday August 21 to Sunday August 23 2009
The Fifth Annual Vibrant Living Expo
Fort Bragg, California
Will feature presentations from top experts in the world of raw
nutrition and cuisine, a selection of pre- and post-Expo classes
and workshops, exhibitor booths offering a variety of raw vegan
delicacies and products for conscious living and much more. For
more information visit RawFoodChef.com or call +1 707-964-
2420.
To enquire about advertising your class,
workshop, festival or other event in a future
issue of Get Fresh!, contact sarah@fresh-
network.com
 Raw Spirit Festival 2008 in pictures.
Thousands of raw food fans, vendors, speakers and chefs flocked
to Sedona, Arizona this September for three days of great
information, great shopping, great food and great company. To
read our full review of the event go to fresh-network.typepad.
com. For details of next year’s event see page 12.
Photos by Jeni Cook (top four) and Jeff Eichen (bottom six).

14
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 Can fruit make
you fat?
T
he headline above is taken from
the Daily Mail newspaper. The
sub-heading read, “Natural
sugar in fruit is ‘fuelling the
nation’s obesity epidemic.’”
If you only read the main headline and
the subheading (as many people do), you
would be under the impression that some
scientific study had been conducted which
proved fruit was the cause of obesity.
However, as with most headlines of this
nature, I felt a little further investigation
was required to uncover the truth.
It transpires that the study in question
was sponsored by none other than PepsiCo.
And when I hear of a powerful sugar-
using “soft” drinks firm sponsoring a study
to see if the sugar in fruit made people
fatter than the sugar found in their own
products, I get just a little suspicious.
The Daily Mail reported that: “Scientists at
the University of California put 33 overweight
adults on a diet comprising 30 per cent fat,
55 per cent complex carbohydrates such as
bread and rice, and 15 per cent protein for a
fortnight. For a further ten weeks they were
moved to a diet in which a quarter of their
energy came from either fructose or glucose.
“Both groups put on the same amount
of weight – 1.5kg or 3.3 pounds. However,
volunteers on the fruit sugar diet put on
more intra-abdominal fat, which wraps
around their internal organs and causes
pot bellies.” (There are many in the medical
profession who believe ‘intra-abdominal
fat’ is the most harmful and is more
linked to heart disease and diabetes.)
It is interesting to note that the fruit sugar
in the ‘scientific study’ didn’t come from
fruit at all; it came from pure fructose, the
same type which gets into many junk foods. I
would actually agree that high fructose corn
syrup, as an example, is potentially more
harmful than white refined sugar. However,
this doesn’t mean that the small amounts of
natural fructose found in fruit will do anyone
any harm, and nor will it make them fat.
16
Jason Vale gets on his soap box about
pseudoscience and lazy journalism.
I would love to see the same experiment done
with fruit and not a high concentrate of pure
fructose. I can guarantee the results would
be massively different. Which is why, perhaps,
it wasn’t a surprise when a spokesperson for
PepsiCo said, “This is a very interesting and
important study. But it does not reflect a real-
world situation nor is it applicable to PepsiCo
since pure fructose is not an ingredient in
any of our food and beverage products.”
The fruit sugar in the
‘scientific study’ didn’t
come from fruit at all; it
came from pure fructose,
the same type which gets
into many junk foods.
This is true, but many of their drinks and
foods do contain enormous amounts of
other sugar. It is interesting to observe at
the very end of the article, a long way from
the headline, the words, ”Experts point out
that this does not mean we should stop
eating fruit. Fresh fruit contains relatively
low levels of fructose – and the risks are
outweighed by the health benefits.”
Indeed. I have seen many, many
obese people and worked with
thousands from all over the world and
I have never met one whose problem
was caused by a fruit addiction!
The F Word
This wasn’t the only piece of fruit-related
journalism that got my back up. An episode
of Gordon Ramsay’s ‘The F Word’ made me
want to throw many things at my TV. If I
thought somehow the items of furniture
would somehow magically go through
the TV and get to their intended target,
I would have. The intended target was
none other than Janet “I have no idea
what I am talking about” Street-Porter.
Janet decided to go on the streets of
Britain, bag of smoothies in hand and of
course rather a large arse. In case you think
I am being rude, I am talking about the
large arse in her hands, not in her trousers.
Confused? So was I when I started watching.
However, confusion soon turned to utter
disbelief. The weighty rubber behind she
had in her hands was to illustrate that this
is the amount of weight a person would
gain if they had just one smoothie a day.
Yes, one smoothie a day will apparently
make you gain shedloads of weight in one
year. What possible evidence she had to
back this up neither I, nor any rational-
thinking person, could ever know. Many
people said, “But I thought smoothies were
good”, to which Janet would reply, ”No
they aren’t and you will get fat if you drink
them.” Now, as someone who was fat
when I was eating sugar-loaded crap and
am now slim by having at least one large
smoothie a day and plenty of fresh juice,
I know she is talking complete claptrap.
I think she read the above Daily Mail
headline, or the like, heard ‘fructose was
bad’, heard smoothies contain fructose and
so decided to go out and tell the world. The
lesson for all of us is always to read beyond
the headline and be assured fresh raw foods
are not only not fattening, but because
they contain genuine nutrition, you eat less
and so lose weight if you need to. Until the
next issue, may the juice be with you.
Jason Vale
also known as The
Juice Master, is a
best-selling author and
one of the UK’s most
sought-after speak-
ers on the subjects of
health and nutrition.
For more info see
JuiceMaster.com.

Dear Alissa, in a food processor. It’s almost essential,
because it makes the difference between
taking ten minutes to prepare a meal or two
“I have recently started experimenting with
hours. You’ll need one for all the grinding,
a raw diet and I’m feeling great. However,
chopping, blending, mixing and shredding
I’m a student and I don’t have much money
of nuts and veggies required for making
so I’m wondering which equipment you
recipes. Almost all of the 300 recipes in my
think is necessary for the beginner? At the
book, Living on Live Food, have been made
moment I only have a cheap blender. I drink
using an inexpensive food processor that
raw juice daily which I buy at my local
sells for under $40. You needn’t spend
natural foods store but that is working out
a lot of money on a food processor. Just
pretty expensive. I’ve been reading about
make sure it has a large enough cup size.
juicers, high-speed blenders, food processors,
This diet is mostly about freedom! While
spiralizers, dehydrators, ice cream makers and
it’s true that the easier you make this diet,
all the wonderful kitchen aids the raw food
the better, it’s also important to educate
enthusiast can use. I have a little money to
yourself on the fun and filling dishes you
spend on this, I just can’t afford all of them, so
can prepare. Too many people – people
I was wondering, which do you think I should
who have heard about this diet from other
invest in now and which can I do without?”
sources – have told me they thought it
was “boring,” and “unsatisfying”.
Kevin None of my clients ever say that! Not after
they work with me and learn how to prepare
Dear Kevin, food and balance out their diets. I want you to
have the same successful experience they’ve
This is a fantastic question and one that I had. Even if you eat very simply – mostly
get asked frequently. Do not let a lack of any fruits and salads – the day will come when
of these items stop you! When I first started you wake up really hungry, or you’ll have a
eating raw, all I had was a simple food sudden desire for something more at night,
processor and an inexpensive blender. Don’t or you’ll simply want something different
put off the diet until you’ve assembled all the to eat. At that point, if you haven’t learned
gadgets. You don’t need all of them. how to make a few raw dishes you may begin
Most kitchens already contain the basic to think that you can’t continue on the diet;
necessities for a raw and living diet: knives, that there isn’t enough variety in it for you.
vegetable peelers, bowls, pie plates, strainers, Therefore, I strongly urge you to learn how
etc. Although it’s great to have certain pieces to make a few different meals. Consider it an
of equipment and there are some special tools “insurance policy” towards the protection
and apparatus that can absolutely make it of your new healthy diet. Having a food
a lot easier to prepare raw foods, you don’t processor will make all the difference in the
need to start off with all of them at once. world. You will be able to whip up delicious
The trick is to identify what the most gourmet raw food within minutes as opposed
important aspect of this diet is for you. to not having a food processor and spending
You are at an advantage, as you have hours chopping, dicing and blending.
already started eating raw. It sounds as On some days, you won’t be hungry. On
though you already know that fresh juice other days, you’ll need more food. Listen
is important to you. That’s brilliant! to your body! Be prepared to give it what it
When people want to start eating a raw needs. Stock your refrigerator with healthy
and living food diet, I tell them to invest foods and have the ingredients available
18
Alissa Cohen is an internationally
recognized writer, speaker and
consultant on raw and living food.
Alissa’s fans include hundreds
who have maintained successful
weight losses, healed themselves
of a myriad of diseases and swear
by her simple and fun approach to
fantastic health. Alissa is author
of the bestselling Living On Live
Food book and DVD set and is a
regular on American TV. For more
information visit AlissaCohen.com
to whip up a dessert or something filling
if needed, to satisfy a craving. Having
a good supply of raw foods, along with
a food processor, is where I start most
people. This usually keeps the majority
of people who are starting a raw food
diet happy for a long, long time.
Now let’s get back to your daily juice. It is
wonderful that you have already incorporated
having a juice every day. Many people start
off buying a juicer first. The reason I do not
suggest a juicer over a food processor is
because many people who are just starting
to change from an unhealthy diet to a
healthy diet need more substance. If you
can afford both of these items, a juicer and a
food processor, than I would say that is the
perfect start! These are definitely the first
two pieces of equipment I would suggest.
But, I have seen, far too often, people
investing in an expensive juicer and no other
equipment only to feel deprived within days
or weeks because they are not able to make
raw food meals and more filling foods. They
begin to think that a raw food diet is hard to
do because they try to make delicious dishes
by hand and it ends up taking them hours
instead of minutes with a food processor.
As important as being able to juice high
vitamin and mineral greens and fruits is, I
like people to have a good experience when
first going raw. I want them to experience
how easy, fun and filling this diet is.
Juicing can be a bit overwhelming and
not so much fun for some people at the
beginning when they are confronted by
some of the high-end juicers that are now
available. If, however, this is important
to you; if you like to juice; if you feel great
from it and if this is more important to you
than preparing meals, then I would say this
should be your first piece of equipment.
There are many different brands of
juicers on the market, ranging in price
from about $30 to $600. I would suggest a
Green Star, Samson or Omega twin-gear
juicer as these juicers do not get hot enough
while juicing to heat the juice. They can
be pricey but they are well worth it. They
extract more juice then a cheaper version
juicer, therefore saving money on the
amount of produce that is needed to juice.
A blender would be your next best bet.
The basic blender you already have will
do for many recipes and smoothies. Many
of my clients love the Vita-Mix. It’s an
expensive, heavy-duty, high-powered
blender. It’s great for making smoothies,
dips, and soups: they’ll
come out very smooth and creamy. It
can also grind nuts and seeds to a fine
powder, which you cannot do in the food
processor. This is a very fast and powerful
machine that whips recipes together very
quickly and gives foods a texture not easily
accomplished with other appliances.
Some people swear by this as the only piece
of equipment they need. Again, it depends
on your goals and preferences. If you live on
smoothies, blended greens, soups and simple
recipes this could be it for you. You just need
to be careful when using a Vita-Mix that
you don’t leave it running too long.
It is used to make cooked soups
and cooked products also and
after a couple of minutes it begins
to heat and then boil your food.
So it’s difficult to make desserts
such as nut heavy dishes in these
as there will not be enough liquid
and it will therefore cook your food
before it gets blended properly.
Although these blenders are
expensive at $300-$400, they
last a very long time! I know
people who have had their original
stainless steel ones for over 20
years. They are definitely worth the
investment and once you use one it’s
hard to go back to a basic blender.
Next is the dehydrator. Your
dehydrator will be your “raw food
oven.” I use mine often to make all
kinds of delicious meals. You can use
your dehydrator to give foods a thicker,
firmer consistency and can have fun
experimenting with nut burgers,
lasagne, pizza, cookies and breads.
When left in your dehydrator longer,
foods can take on a crispy, dry texture,
like real crackers. Though certainly
not a necessity, a dehydrator will
allow you to prepare a much wider
variety of items that will have the
“taste” of having been cooked.
This can be important, especially
when you’re first starting out.
Important: make sure
your dehydrator features a
temperature control to enable
you to maintain temperatures
below 112 degrees, thereby
preserving the enzymes. Most
models without temperature
controls have thermostats
starting at 140 degrees or
higher. These will destroy
all the life-giving properties
you are trying to maintain.
There are other pieces of
equipment that you mentioned, like
the spiralizer. I personally love this little
gadget. It’s very inexpensive and it’s so worth
the price just to be able to make fine, angel-
hair-type strands which can be used for
beets, yams, zucchini, and other vegetables.
There are two settings. One lets you make
very fine strands, while the other setting
is for paper thin slices. I also love mine for
making potato chips and ravioli shells. You
can make beautiful salads with it as well.
A coffee grinder is great for grinding
small seeds, like flax and sunflower,
that can be difficult to grind in a food
processor. Not a necessity, but it’s nice
to have and can cost less than $10.
Of course an ice cream maker is wonderful
if you are an ice cream lover but certainly
not a necessity. You can make delicious
simple ice cream in your food processor
or juicer with just frozen fruit. There are
a lot of raw ice cream recipes now which
involve blending nuts, coconut water and
other items such as cacao and agave in a
Vita-Mix. Once you acquire a smoothie-like
consistency, you pour that into an ice cream
maker (like you would with a dairy-based
mix for conventional ice cream) and you
end up with a delicious raw ice cream that
is truly remarkable in texture and taste.
So as you can see, some of these tools
are very helpful in going and staying raw.
You can certainly eat raw food without
any of these items, but the first few pieces
of equipment can make eating raw foods
simple, easy and fun. Once you start a
raw food diet and get a feel for what your
specific tastes and wants are, you will
have a better feel for what you need.
Do you love smoothies and blended items?
Do you need to have more gourmet meals
prepared for yourself or your family? Do
you crave crunchy food? Do you love fresh
fruit and vegetable juice? All of this will
dictate what the most important pieces of
equipment are for your specific needs.
I suggest starting out with the highest
quality raw and living food available to
you. You may find you don’t need too much
equipment in helping this food taste its best!
Sometimes it’s surprising to people how great
raw and living food in its natural state can
be. We want to alter it, change it and create
something new and exciting when a fresh,
ripe, juicy mango can be better than any
elaborate meal we can concoct ourselves.
It is fun to have options but also
just remember to keep it simple! If
you have a lot of money to spend on
fun and exciting gadgets and helpful
appliances that’s fantastic. But this diet
also fits perfectly into anyone’s lifestyle,
including those who are on a budget.
Best,
Alissa
19
 “Many women who’ve “gone
raw” have told me they stopped
using make-up because it made
them look older!”
 F rankly it’s embarrassing sometimes. On my 50th
Raw and
beautiful
at 50
Our raw beauty columnist Tonya
Zavasta celebrated her 50th
birthday earlier this year. Here she
explains how raw foods combined
with a simple beauty regime are
the secret behind her youthful,
glowing complexion.
birthday, a reader sent me this email: “You have the
most amazing skin. I don’t know whether you watch
Desperate Housewives, but one character, Bree, has skin like
yours – poreless and porcelain-looking. Bree is in her late
forties, and I know she must be doing something and I don’t
think it’s raw food! I don’t believe it’s all in the genes. So I
thought you guys might be doing something similar...”
I’m about as far from “Desperate Housewives” as one can get. I
work twelve hours or more a day and, since last year, my husband
works for me. He proudly calls himself a house-husband. I keep
him busy, and he’s happy, not desperate. I’ve never watched a
complete episode of the show, but I would have to be living on
an island not to know what Bree, i.e. Marcia Cross, looks like.
I might have dismissed the comparison as an exaggerated
compliment. But just hours later, as I left my Bikram yoga
class, a lady told me, “I love to look at your face. You remind
me of Degas’ paintings.” I was only vaguely familiar with
the works of this famous impressionist, so at that moment
I just felt grateful she didn’t say I reminded her of a Picasso.
I googled Edgar Degas out of curiosity. He liked to paint
dancers and horses. Looking at his work, I decided the lady
was complimenting my complexion (and sincerely hoped
I was not reminding her of one of his horse paintings).
This praise perplexed me. It could not be happening.
Not to me…and not at fifty… Thirteen years ago, I was
facing reconstructive hip surgeries so I could walk without
excruciating pain. I remember thinking: I’m only 37 and
I’m dragging like an old woman already. Such a long life
of misery lay ahead that I wished I were eighty, so my life
would be over sooner. I hated the way I looked and felt.
At day’s end came yet another email, this one from my 27
year-old son, Nick: “I think it would be a good idea to include a
new banner on your website: ‘Tonya celebrates turning 50 years
young this month!’ I just think 50 is a big milestone and you
could make a big impact on people since you look so young and
healthy at that age. Anyway, just an idea. Happy Birthday again!”
Maybe your children dish out compliments regularly.
Not mine. Nick, Jr. is my most demanding critic. In fact,
just eleven years ago, when I gave up my PhD studies in
mathematics, I was a complete loser in his teenage eyes. And
he wasn’t bashful about pointing it out. I was thrilled to have
such an enthusiastic compliment from my pragmatic son.
What a lovely 50th birthday! Eleven years of raw foods have
changed everything for me. My health. Looks. Success. Back-
to-back compliments on my 50th! I must be doing something
right, I thought, and I owe it to other women to respond.
Women, whether they are housewives or professionals, are all
desperate to achieve beautiful complexions. And men, truth
be known, aren’t far behind – have you seen the statistics on
the increases in cosmetic surgeries being done on men?
I looked up Marcia Cross’s site and found stunning
images of the 46 year-old. One caption read: Marcia
Cross reveals how she maintains her porcelain complexion,
shielding herself from the sun with an umbrella on her way to
the Los Angeles set of Desperate Housewives on Thursday.
Besides the fact that Marcia doesn’t eat raw, there’s
another thing I do differently. You’ll not see me under 
21

“I definitely
don’t mind
fifty. I’m
having the
time of my
life.”
a parasol. I welcome the sun. I try to spend at least 20
minutes in the sun every day during summer time.
After 40, we tend to stop longing for certain things. I gave up
wishing I were blonde. We vertically challenged folk sooner or
later abandon our aspirations to be tall and leggy like runway
models. No point now wishing for those high cheekbones. But
we all do – and we should – want to enjoy that “baby” glow.
Who doesn’t long for the bright, radiant glow of youth?
Now, before we go any further, let me point out: There is
such a thing as a genetic predisposition for clear skin. Some
people are born lucky. But this article is not about luck. It’s
about something every one of us can achieve. In my case, I
earned it through raw foods and an everyday beauty regimen.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It’s there –
acres and acres of it, plain to be seen. A splotchy, lifeless,
sallow complexion tells your age like nothing else. A
person’s age is estimated by skin tone and radiance.
Nothing says old quicker than a lack of radiance.
What actually is this “glow” or “radiance” that we often
use to describe good skin? To answer this question we need a
refresher course on physics. Hated it in school? No worries!
This time it will be fun. Would you have studied it harder at
school if the teacher had told you it would help your looks?
See…my knowledge of physics has come in handy, after all.
What we call “glow” really does deserve the name. It has a
lot to do with how light is reflected. If your skin doesn’t reflect
light optimally, you look older. Reflection off smooth surfaces
such as mirrors or calm water is what we call specular reflection
– literally: glass-like. No wonder we call a great complexion
“spectacular.” Light from a single incoming direction is reflected
in a single outgoing direction and it’s reflected at exactly the
same angle. The younger and healthier your complexion, the
smoother your skin, the more it behaves like a mirror. As a result,
the surface of good skin wears a shiny or glossy appearance.
Reflection off of rough surfaces – clothing, paper, or
wrinkles on aging skin – creates a diffuse reflection. Light
striking a rougher surface is scattered in all directions.
When this kind of reflection occurs, skin takes on a dull
cast. Wrinkles react like shattered mirror pieces that do
not reflect as much light because of their uneven edges.
One familiar example of the distinction between specular
and diffuse reflection is glossy and matte paints used in painting
interiors. Cosmetic companies are labouring to produce make-
up or foundation “glossy paint” that will give this glowing
22
effect. But we face one impossible problem. Your skin is not
a wall you can just top off with a glossy finish – it is a living
organ. Try to imagine a wall in your house, breathing, flexing
and absorbing the paint you’ve rolled on it. How long would
such a “glow” last? Anyone whose house foundation has shifted
and cracked the paint on the walls understands this concept.
When your skin is healthy and vibrant, it suggests an
internal flame smouldering inside you, and the world is drawn
to that light. Young skin has a luminous rosy or pinkish glow
– the result of light both at its surface and in the sub-layers
beneath absorbing colour from pigments such as melanin and
haemoglobin. Light appears to be coming from a point behind
the skin. This effect will be completely destroyed by make-
up. That is the reason behind one peculiarity in the raw foods
community: many women who’ve “gone raw” have told me they
stopped using make-up because it made them look older!
The most desperate beauty question posted on the internet
is: Does anyone know a real skin supplement that makes your
skin glow? Bad news: Supplements of omega oils, vitamins
A, E and C, and even that old advice about faithfully drinking
eight glasses of water daily, are not going to bring any dramatic
results. Consider – if they did, would glowing skin be so rare?
Think about hydrating dried prunes. They will never look shiny
and fresh-picked, no matter how much water you give them.
The good news: living raw foods will restore that fresh look.
A raw foods regimen not only replenishes the much-
needed moisture, but also helps eliminate toxins, achieving
skin balance and decontaminating skin tissue – all of which
helps to retain the smoothness that creates “glow.”
Radiance is the quality of being bright, of sending out rays of
light. For your skin to glow, no matter what its base colour, it must
be bright. Only the superior elimination and circulation that the
raw foods lifestyle provides will create this effect on the outside.
To reflect light truly well, any surface must be polished.
Regular exfoliation removes skin-dulling dead cells, ensuring
better light reflection. Physics to the rescue again… Exfoliation
is the result, necessarily, of friction. No friction, no exfoliation.
Now, I do not advocate gouging or scraping – we’re removing
old skin cells, not shovelling a Milwaukee winter sidewalk. You
need a measure of friction, and a measure of gentle forgiveness.
I recommend face brushing for this reason. A good brush with
natural bristles offers just enough friction to do the job, and
not a bit more. And once you’re accustomed to the revitalizing
effect brushing provides, you’ll miss it when you skip it.
Somewhere along the line, I have reached the half century
mark. Some might call it old. Not me! I definitely don’t mind
fifty. I’m having the time of my life. And I’m delighted to know
I look like I’m having a good time. Marcia Cross might have
luck. Me? I took a harder road, arming myself with raw foods
research, and the kind of knowledge that comes from trial, error
and experience. It works. Combining a thoughtfully-crafted raw
foods regimen and surprisingly simple beauty techniques can
give you the same joy for as many birthdays as you’d like. ■
Tonya Zavasta
is the author of Quantum Eating: The Ultimate Elixir of Youth,
Your Right to Be Beautiful and Beautiful On Raw. For more
information see BeautifulOnRaw.com
23
24
Eat less, live longer
Despite many attempts by modern medicine to develop a drug or intervention
that will turn back the clock, one method shows more promise than all the rest
put together. It’s not a magic pill you can swallow nor a treatment you can be
given; it is the disciplined practice of calorie restriction with optimum nutrition.
Sarah Best investigates.
E
very morning Lara Williams sits down to a breakfast of
cottage cheese on rye bread. A multivitamin tablet chased
down with a 150ml glass of pomegranate juice (out of
a bottle) completes the first meal of the day. Lunch is
usually a chicken breast with half a cup of brown rice or
pasta and a carefully-chosen selection of grilled vegetables. Dinner
is fish with different vegetables (this time steamed or boiled) and
a side salad. Occasionally she rings the changes with a stir-fry of
greens and beansprouts on soba noodles. Either way, dessert will be
no-fat yogurt with strawberries.
Her daily total will come out at a carefully calculated 1,400
calories. A woman of her height should eat at least 2,000. Lara,
who is 43, is around 15% under her ideal weight but she is not
anorexic. Nor is she on this regime for the weight loss; that has
been a mere side effect. She is one of a growing group of hard-core
health enthusiasts following a “Calorie Restriction with Optimum
Nutrition” (CRON) diet.
There is a considerable body of scientific evidence suggesting
that reducing calorie intake by 20-50% below the recommended
amount, while meeting nutritional needs, is the best thing we
can do if rejuvenation and longevity are our goals. Many things,
including stem cell therapy, human growth hormone, nutritional
supplements and a variety of drugs, are claimed to be “anti-aging”.
But there is no reliable scientific evidence that anything besides
calorie restriction is capable of retarding biological aging nor
extending maximum lifespan.
So from that point of view Lara and others on similar regimes
are definitely onto something. But the “optimal nutrition” part
of the equation is just as important as the calorie restriction
component. Anorexics, prisoners of war and others who subsist on
fewer calories than their bodies require over prolonged periods do
not live longer; they perish sooner.
The average CRON diet is certainly streets ahead of the standard
diet: empty calories are low to non-existent, junk food doesn’t
figure and red meat is a rarity. But if you want to meet all of your
nutritional needs in the fewest calories possible, rule number one
is to eat your food raw. Why? Because cooking makes 50-70%
of protein in food non-bioavailable, it interferes with the body’s
absorption of minerals, it denatures essential fats, and destroys
70%-90% of water-soluble vitamins and phytonutrients and 100%
of enzymes.
Given these figures, it is hard to understand why those on
calorie restricted “optimum nutrition” diets would be switching
their ovens on at all. But browse the many “CRON diet” journals
posted online and you’ll discover a strange paradox. Much is made
of the importance of “nutrient-dense” calories and meals. Yet you’ll
struggle to find a mention of anything unfired being consumed,
let alone a food diary which has raw foods as the foundation of the
meals being painstakingly documented.
Take breakfast as an example. A big green juice loaded with
nutrient-packed sprouts, or a bowl of mixed raw berries, or
an infinite number of variations on the raw smoothie – any of
these would be a much better choice than the combinations of
wheat, dairy and pasteurized fruit juice favoured by most CRON
enthusiasts.
It’s clear the world of calorie restriction could benefit from
learning about raw nutrition, but the reverse is also true. Many raw
fooders experience less than optimal health and energy because
they consistently overeat. So what, exactly, is the evidence that
restricting calories makes us younger, healthier and longer-lived?
It all began with a 1934 Cornell University research study.
Clive McCay and Mary Crowell were researching the effects of
calorie restriction on rats, and found that when the animals were
fed all the necessary nutrients but the calories in their diets were
drastically cut, they lived substantially longer. Similar results
have been observed in all species tested, and that now includes
everything from insects to apes. Meeting nutritional needs on 20-
50% fewer calories will extend lifespan.
Study after study has shown it is not only the mean lifespan that
increases but also the maximum lifespan: i.e., some of the study
animals lived longer than previously thought to be possible for the
species in question. Another interesting phenomenon observed by
some researchers: calorie-restricted animals who were still bearing
offspring even when all the regularly fed animals in the study had
grown old and died.
In all species studied, the most astonishing results are obtained
if calorie restriction begins in infancy; however, if you are a parent,
don’t try it on your offspring as it is also shown to stunt growth.
Still, life-span increases of up to 20 per cent have been observed in
mice that began restricted diets as adults.
Since this science is relatively new, and humans live so long,
there are no human studies proving conclusively that calorie
restriction will have the same effect on humans. But the results
from many short-term studies are in and they are conclusive: 
If you want to meet all of your
nutritional needs in the fewest
calories possible, rule number
one is to eat your food raw.
25
 calorie restriction reduces all of the biomarkers for aging and
lowers the risk of chronic diseases.
One noteworthy human study is the famous Biosphere II
experiment. During the two years between September 1991
and September 1993 eight scientists lived inside this enclosed
ecosystem, which allowed no contact whatsoever with the outside
world. The group had to do everything needed for survival,
including growing all their own food. One of the eight, the
resident physician, was none other than UCLA gerontologist Roy
Walford, who had been studying the effects of calorie restriction on
longevity, and following such a diet himself.
When it was not possible to grow as much food as anticipated
within the Biosphere, Walford convinced his fellow inhabitants to
adopt a calorie-restricted diet. The results were astounding. Blood
pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride levels all fell by
at least 20 percent to extremely healthy levels. The team members
also exhibited enhanced immunity and an increased capacity to
fight off illnesses.
In a human study by John O. Holloszy, a professor of medicine
at Washington University in St. Louis, 18 people who had been
practicing calorie restriction for three to fifteen years showed
dramatically reduced risk of developing diabetes or clogged arteries.
The study subjects, with an average age of 50, had the blood pressure
readings of 10-year-olds. Commenting on the study Holloszy said,
“It’s very clear that calorie restriction has a powerful, protective
effect against diseases associated with aging. We don’t know how
long each individual actually will end up living, but they certainly
have a much longer life expectancy than average because they’re
most likely not going to die from a heart attack, stroke or diabetes.”
A six-month study of 48 people who reduced calories by 25 per
cent or more was published in The Journal of the American Medical
Association. Among the main findings was that calorie restriction
led to decreases in insulin levels and body temperature. Both are
considered signs of longevity, since an earlier study found both
traits in long-lived people. Another observed benefit was a decline
in DNA damage.
How does calorie restriction
turn back the clock?
Every aspect of the aging process appears to be slowed by calorie
restriction. But to understand why, we have to understand what
causes aging. Since there is still much disagreement about this
among the medical community, unsurprisingly a unified consensus
about exactly how calorie restriction counteracts it has yet to be
reached.
Modern aging theories can be divided into two main categories:
wear and tear aging theories and programmed aging theories.
These theories are not mutually exclusive; in fact the latest research
suggests that aging is caused by a complex mix of internal and
external factors, and that both theories are partially correct. And
the best news is that animal studies suggest that calorie-restricted
diets have the potential to offset both kinds of aging. A final fascinating effect of calorie restriction is on the bodily
Programmed aging theories stem from the idea that certain
changes associated with aging are programmed by a gene-
controlled “biological clock” – the same clock that programmes
other life stages such as cell differentiation in the embryo and
sexual maturation at adolescence. In a University of Wisconsin
study on rodents, gerontologist Richard Weindruch and geneticist
Tomas Prolla found that 70 per cent of the major changes in gene
expression associated with aging were totally or partially prevented
by calorie restriction.
26
Many raw fooders experience
less than optimal health
and energy because they
consistently overeat.
A University of California professor, Dr Stephen Spindler, spent
years studying the effect of calorie restriction on 11,000 age-related
genes in animals. Using microchip technology he proved that the
expression of many of these genes was actually reversed, and that
gene expression changed rapidly to a pattern associated with lower
mortality and better health. Those findings were reported in 2001
and currently researchers are using the latest analytical methods to
determine what’s happening at the genetic levels in human calorie
restrictors.
Wear and tear theories are based on the view that aging is
caused by damage done to our body cells and systems over time,
until eventually we “wear out” completely. Sub-theories include
the waste accumulation theory, the faulty reconstruction theory,
the mitochondrial damage theory and the molecular cross-linkage
theory.
But the most widely accepted wear and tear theory, and the
one that encompasses all of the others, is the free radical theory
of aging. According to this theory, aging occurs when free
radicals damage the structures of living cells by a process known
as oxidation. Free radicals are so reactive they can attach to and
damage molecules that usually don’t take part in reactions,
including cellular DNA.
The damage continues to accumulate until it eventually
manifests itself as some form of degenerative disease. Over 80
degenerative diseases are now known to be linked to free radical-
induced oxidative stress and all are manifestations of the same
underlying process. Much of the damage is preventable if we avoid
potent free radical generators such as pesticides and herbicides, car
exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke, alcohol and various beverages and
processed foods.
But normal metabolism causes free radical production, so it
is not possible to make your body into a free radical free zone.
However, one of the biggest generators of avoidable free radicals
is overeating. While antioxidants have been much touted for their
ability to mop up these destructive molecules, calorie-restricted
diets do something much better: they ensure there are much fewer
of them circulating in the first place.
This in turn will benefit all systems of the body. For example,
reduced oxidative damage to the immune system means greater
resistance to disease. Animals on calorie-restricted diets do not
show the age-related drop in immune system strength seen in their
counterparts on regular diets. Research has also shown that calorie
restriction may prevent changes in the brain caused by aging, for
the same reason.
process of autophagy, which literally means “self-eating”. One way
in which the body copes with the waste by-products of cellular life,
such as oxidized fats and cross-linked proteins, is by breaking them
down and then recycling them. But as the body ages, this process
can become less efficient, leading to cells becoming overloaded
with garbage.
This can interfere with the proper functioning of the cells and is
thought to become a vicious cycle: slower autophagy = more rapid
accumulation of junk = further damage to the functioning of the 
Calorie restriction with
optimum nutrition – the raw way
1
1. The best way to get started on the road to longevity is to ascertain
the right number of calories for your build and activity level, and
meet your nutritional needs with that number of calories, and no
more. Do just this and you will be doing better for your health and
longevity than almost everyone around you, fellow raw food fans
included.
2
2. It is a good idea to supplement with a high-quality multivitamin
every day, if you’re not already doing this. This is a good
insurance policy against any deficiencies. But remember:
science has only begun identifying all of the nutrients and
co-factors essential for optimum health, so no amount of pill-
popping can ever replace whole, fresh, ripe, raw plant foods.
3
3. In the early days at least, you are going to need help calculating
the calories and nutrient content of your food. Experiment with
the free online diet analysis tools, nutridiary.com and fitday.
com. Or better still, find a suitably qualified practitioner who
can guide you through this whole process.
4
4. Don’t even think of reducing your calorie intake until you have
completed the steps above, or you risk malnutrition. With all the
groundwork done, you can stop here and you’ll still experience
superior health and boost your chances of living longer.
5
5. If you decide to go to the next level, it is a good idea to get blood
tests done before you start to check your level of health and
identify any existing deficiencies, and to have the tests re-done
every six months or so to monitor progress.
6
6. When you start cutting calories, make sure you take it slowly and
keep any weight loss gradual. Animal experiments into calorie
restriction have shown that sudden weight loss can actually
shorten lifespan. Our fat stores house many toxins, so you want
them releasing into your bloodstream at a manageable rate.
7 require the production of different digestive juices. If you end
7. Thanks to your body’s metabolism slowing down your weight
loss will eventually stop, and you’ll stabilize at a lower weight.
Next, some guidelines about what to eat (and what not to eat) to
get there.
Consume in abundance…
For real optimum nutrition, 80% of your food intake
will be made up of these foods on this list.
• Sprouts of all kinds
• Leafy greens
• Fresh, ripe, organic fruits – especially berries
• Sea vegetables
• Smoothies, juices and energy soups made from the above
• Lightly cooked vegetables and home-made vegetable soups
and stews (not raw, but green light on these as long as you
consume the other foods on this list in greater quantity!)
Go easy on…
These are all great foods to include, but a
little goes a long way.
• Oils
• Avocadoes
• Nuts and seeds
• Agave and other raw sweeteners
• Brown rice, quinoa, millet
• Baked sweet potatoes
Say goodbye to…
These are the number one baddies to
banish from your diet.
• White flour, white sugar, white rice and all other refined
(aka empty) carbs
• Processed foods of all kinds
• Fried foods
• Meat – especially processed
• Pasteurized dairy
• Coffee, alcohol and carbonated beverages
A word about food combining
Most people on calorie-restricted diets seem unaware of another
important distinction: the health benefits of combining food
properly. This is an article in itself, but in short, different foods
up with a cocktail of these juices, they cancel each other out
and digestion grinds to a halt. This greatly increases the energy
the body needs to expend in processing what you eat, and also
leads to the creation of many toxic by-products. Neither of these
will help you in your quest to look and feel younger and to live
longer, so it’s worth learning a few simple principles of food
combining.
• Eat fruit on its own, at least half an hour before
consuming your next meal, and never as dessert.
• The exception to this rule is that fruits mix well with
green leaves, so the two foods can be mixed in salads,
smoothies and juices.
• Don’t mix concentrated proteins with concentrated carbs.
Have one or the other at each meal, with a salad and/or
vegetables.
• Try not to drink at mealtimes, as this dilutes digestive
juices. It is best to finish drinking half an hour before a
mealtime, and not to start again until at least an hour
after.
27
 cell, including autophagy itself = even slower autophagy – and
so on. This has been termed the waste accumulation, or garbage
catastrophe, theory of aging.
It has been found that the toxic build-up that results when
autophagy can’t keep up with garbage disposal is especially
pronounced in those with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other
neurodegenerative disorders. For example, in Alzheimer’s there
is a build-up of plaques in the brain, and obese people are known
to be at a higher risk for developing the disease. Restricting the
diets of mice has been shown to reduce the build-up of these
plaques. Calorie-restricted diets work to avoid an internal “garbage
catastrophe” in two ways: first of all, you are taking in fewer
substances which can cause cellular damage which interferes
with the normal functioning of the body’s waste disposal system.
Secondly, there is simply less garbage to process.
Unsurprisingly, human and animal studies consistently show
that the longer the period spent on the diet, the greater the effects.
But it is never too late to start. For example, Dr Spindler and his
colleagues showed that calorie restriction acts rapidly, even in old
mice, to extend remaining lifespan by 42% and to substantially
reduce tumours as a cause of death.
Calorie restriction meets raw nutrition
If you think you’d have to resign yourself to feeling hungry for
the rest of your life in order to benefit from this body of scientific
knowledge, think again. The frugal fare of the calorie restricted
is not for everyone, but this is not a choice between existing on
subsistence rations and laughing all the way into your second
century, or eating the standard diet and reaping the standard
results. It is a continuum.
To put this in perspective, the average person alive today in the
western world eats substantially more calories than they need but
is malnourished, because what they eat falls far short of meeting
the nutrient intakes required for optimum health. Every step you
can make towards meeting your nutritional needs in fewer calories
is a step in the right direction. On the previous page is our guide to
getting started and finding your place on the “CRONtinuum”.
As word about the effects of calorie restriction spreads, and
the scientific evidence mounts, more and more health seekers of
all ages are shunning the “all you can eat” mentality and making
mealtimes an exercise in mathematics. But we will have to wait a
long time before there is inspiration in the form of large numbers of
humans on this programme celebrating their 120th birthdays.
Roy Walford, the UCLA gerontologist and Biosphere II’s calorie
restriction pioneer adhered strictly to the lifestyle for several
decades and in his book, The Anti-Aging Plan, talked of living to
120-140 as a reasonable expectation for anyone doing the same.
Sadly he died at 79, of complications from Lou Gehrig’s disease. So
it is worth remembering that this practice, compelling though the
scientific evidence is, comes with no guarantees. But on balance,
Walford stayed healthy and lived longer than most after a diagnosis
of this disease, no doubt thanks to his healthy diet.
And perhaps the most important thing to bear in mind is that no
studies have yet been done into calorie restriction combined with
optimum raw nutrition. For all its apparent complexity, the reason
calorie restriction works can be summed up in very simple terms:
it is about giving your body what it needs and very little of anything
else. This means that it has all the nutrients and co-factors
necessary to maintain health, and as little as possible of the toxic
wastes and by-products that destroy health. This is the very same
reason the raw diet works so well – and it works even better if we
can curb our tendencies towards overeating.
28
How not to eat
“My judiciously chosen cereal (a mixture of Cheerios, Grape-
Nuts, Fiber One, Bran Buds & some multi-grain flakes) is low
in fat and high in fiber, ensuring good traffic in my colon
(reduced cancer-risk). I adopted several coping techniques to
deal with hunger and to eliminate overeating of high-calorie
foods. Broccoli tops covered with melted ultra (1%) cheese
and a glass of skim milk makes a surprisingly filling breakfast.”
A leading life extension expert shares calorie-restriction
strategies on his blog.
The longevity pill?
In laboratories around the world scientists are toiling away
attempting to come up with a drug that mimics the effects
of calorie restriction. Since few people would contemplate a
calorie-restricted regime, yet there would be few who would
not take the pill that delivers its amazing benefits, it’s not
surprising that drug companies are tripping over each other in
the race to get there first.
But we predict this is one scientific quest that is doomed to
failure. Calorie restriction works because of what you are not
putting into your body; it is about the metabolic stress you’re
not putting it under, the waste products that are therefore not
being generated, the damage your cells are not suffering as a
result. The pill that allows you to eat the SAD way and enjoy
the benefits of the “eat less, live longer” lifestyle? It’s just not
going to happen…
The results achieved in human calorie restriction studies are
especially astonishing when you consider that the average subject
was consuming a diet very like Lara’s, whom we met at the start of
this article. Basically, various combinations of meat, fish and dairy
with refined carbohydrates and cooked vegetables, and little raw
food. Always health-conscious, Lara discovered calorie restriction
five years ago when a routine medical examination revealed her
blood pressure and cholesterol to be elevated. Both readings
were in the normal range by the time of her six-month follow-up
appointment. Today, she has more energy than ever before and is
constantly being told she looks years younger.
If such remarkable results are being achieved from those
practicing CRON the cooked way, it is safe to assume that someone
eating a raw or predominantly raw diet could achieve even better
results – or the same results on a less rigorous regime. For example,
free radical damage is one of the leading causes of the changes we
call “aging”. Clearly, if you eat 400 calories worth of pasta with
chicken – typical “CRON” fare –you’re going to have many more
of those crazy, electron-deprived scavengers zipping around your
body than if you’d consumed 400 calories worth of raw spinach and
avocado salad.
Only time will tell what results may be possible by combining
a low-calorie regime with the purest, most nutrient-rich raw and
living plant foods. But logic suggests that if there is a diet for health,
rejuvenation and longevity, this is it. ■
Some Of Our Guests Come To Heal.
Some Come To Learn..

...Others Come Simply

To Relax.
Whatever reason brings you here, we are sure that once you arrive, you will find a special place to relax and
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29
 Active aging’s

30
promised jewels
Dr Brian Clement gives his best advice for
Menu The Body The Mind
turning back the clock and enjoying superior
physical and mental health at any age.
DARKNESS

T
oday we are not going quietly. For the first time in recorded
history the population is striving to maintain youthfulness Meat, dairy, Inactivity Negativity
and thriving like they never have before. Most often the baked goods, Negativity Fear
baby boom generation is suspected to be the impetus
behind this. My understanding of this shift in mentality is a cooked “food”, Injuries Hostility
heightened sense of Self born out of an inherent instinct to fulfill synthetic “food” llness Restriction
our lives at maximum levels. Long life is not a matter of genetics; it
is propelled by one’s own self image. Those making contributions
ECLIPSE
and living a life of passion have a reason to live. Those caught in a
cycle of self loathing are destined to desire demise. Lacto-ovo Limited activity Frustration
Recently in Monte Carlo, leading European anti-aging
vegetarian “food”, Recovery and Timidity
physicians gathered. After three exciting days of exhibits and
renewal
conferences on the latest, greatest methods and technology non-bio-organic Anger
available to conquer aging, the closing statements made by the Healing
President of the host organization were, “The one distinguishing
scientific phenomenon adding years to your life is the consumption SHADOW
of living foods consumed in conservative quantities”.
Lacto-vegetarian Flexibility and Scepticism
Several years ago, I concluded a three and a half year research,
and bio-organic fare increased strength
development and writing project which manifested into my book Sarcasm
Longevity: Enjoying life without limits. Among the most interesting
discoveries were 27 international scientific publications reporting CLOUDS
research on the subject. Conclusively each had found, forging Mostly bio-organic Full initiation Clever
their own path, that food consumption and its amount was the one of aerobic and
governing factor that determines who would live longer and who living food; Trusting
resistance exercise
would suffer less disease. Although there has never been a human fresh juices Functional
clinical study specifically looking at raw vegan food consumption,
all of the important work done to date leads one to know that the LIGHT
nutritional value of these charged foods would further contribute to
long life. Predominantly bio- Flexibility Confidence
organic living food;
Overconsumption of any food, including raw/living food, will Resilience Creativity
shorten a life and increase disease potential. Here at the institute, wheatgrass juice,
Athleticism Courage
we are on the front lines observing how the vitality within this
sprout juice
dynamic nutrition rescues people back from the grips of demise. It Endurance Calm
only makes perfect sense that this powerful cuisine would prolong
the life of those committed consumers. Throughout history, we have BRILLIANCE
many raw foodists who have led the way: as examples, Dr. Norman
Walker, Cheri Dipur, Elma Nisson and Ann Wigmore. The next Pure bio-organic Full aerobic and Activity
living-food diet, resistance exercise
generation, of which we are all a part with our elevated knowledge Acuity
including
and deeper understanding via the role of diagnostic science, will maximum strength
break through the veil of the last generation. When one is imbibing Insight
power-juices and flexibility
fresh raw juice, immediately consumed after extraction, it quite Knowledge
and algae daily complete health and
often can replace a chewable selection. When one ingests super
optimal rest Comprehension
nutritious foods, they require less. weekly fasting
Your mind has more to do with how many years you will survive

31

than any other single factor. Positive people in a passionate pursuit
tend to live far longer than people entrapped in a negative cycle. In
my Longevity book, I spend much time labouring the importance
of brain health and mindful progression. On page 57, I speak of the
many cycles I’ve observed in the current human condition and I
reflect them in a chart on the previous page.
As you see, food plays a massive role in quality and length of life,
yet body and mind are equal partners in the phenomenon we call
longevity.
Over the last several decades, I have established a wide gathering
of foods, whole food supplementation and herbs that build the
brain, the birthplace of mind and consciousness. It is this very
consciousness that broadens our horizons and permits us to see
ourselves in our mature years as productive, contributory members
of the worldwide human community.
Here they are:
Alpha-Lipoic acid (ALA) Discovered by the Italians as a powerful
antioxidant that helps to protect the brain and body from free radical
damage (the cause of all premature aging and disease), this nutrient
strengthens and multiplies neurons (brain cells).
Bilberry This herb helps to preserve vision and prevent eye disease. It
also improves circulation and strengthens the tissue of the cardiovascular
system.
Cabbage sprouts Combat digestive and eliminatory disorders and help
to maximize nutrient absorption. They also contribute to strengthening
bone density and preventing many forms of cancer.
Daikon radish This Asian radish is a blood purifier, rich in minerals,
helping the liver to cleanse blood cells. This reduced taxation on the liver
anatomically promotes long life.
Elderberry seeds Strengthen and multiply brain neurons, heightening
efficiency, clarity and energy.
Fennel-seed sprouts Strengthen the oesophagus, combat digestive
concerns (including ulcers), promote sperm and ovarian secretion and
strengthen both male and female sexual hormones.
GABA This amino acid activates human growth hormones, helping
to prevent premature aging. It is also used to pacify light to moderate
depression as well as anxiety.
Horsetail (Silica) This dynamic herb builds bones, enhances skin and
promotes hair growth and health.
Indian hemp Rich in omega 3 and 6, when sprouted, it passes through
the blood-brain barrier enhancing thought, memory and consciousness.
Jerusalem artichoke This root vegetable member of the sunflower
family provides a wide cross section of minerals and blood-balancing
nutrients, helping to reduce blood sugars and providing ample minerals
essential to both body and brain.
Kohlrabi This member of the cabbage family with its high sulphur
content is anti cancer, pro bone strength and helpful in digestive
disorders.
32
Laminaria Asian kelp strengthens glandular function, helps to balance
hormones and squelches the biggest culprit in premature aging: hormonal
imbalance.
Milk thistle This function regulator is essential for long life.
Onion sprouts With their exceptionally high sulphur content, these
sprouts help to prevent cysts, fibroids, cancer, osteoporosis and some
forms of arthritis, as well as digestive and eliminatory problems. The
British Journal of Medicine reported that onions are 25% more effective
than pharmaceutical medicines in strengthening bone and tooth density.
Pea green sprouts With their high enzyme count they help to diminish
microbes, mutagens and pathogens. Meanwhile, abundant complete
protein builds muscle and cell structure.
Quinoa sprouts This seed’s mineral and protein content make it a fine
body builder and disease-preventing food.
Rutabaga greens Help to maintain respiratory and sinus function.
String beans Rich in many minerals and help to protect the nerves. Also
multiply the white blood cells and strengthen overall immunity.
Turmeric Its active ingredient, curcuminoid, is one of the most powerful
known to man at the beginning of the 21st century. Its span of remarkable
qualities make it valuable for those suffering arthritis, cancer, memory
loss, dementia, diabetes, erectile dysfunction and loss of libido, among
other things.
Uva ursa sprouts Act as an astringent, cleaning unwanted debris and
mucus from the body. Also help to relieve bladder and kidney congestion
and enhance prostate relief.
Valerian root This mild sleep aid helps people receive the necessary rest
to accomplish greater physical and emotional health.
Watermelon seed sprouts These succulent complete protein plants
build tissue, strengthen the eyes with their lutein content, and also help to
combat kidney, bladder and lung concerns.
Yellow squash Improves vision and helps to regulate menstruation.
Zingiver officinale (Jamaican ginger root) Helps to combat
ovarian cancer, rhinoviruses (colds, flu), and acts as a natural thermostat
regulator, also improving circulation and cardiovascular health.
So in summary, attitude, aliment and astonishing activity will
assure one of greater life span and gorgeous moments. It is for each
of us to cherish life at such a refined degree that we can’t wait for the
next morsel. In my position, where I have the gift of spending time
every day with people at a crossroads, determining whether or not
it is worth the effort to fight on or just give up, wisdom is gleaned. It
is one’s birthright to establish a life that is both abundant and long.
It is within our capacity to achieve such a goal. Allow pure food to
fuel you, but most important, allow clear and determined thought to
guide you. ■
Dr. Brian Clement
has directed Hippocrates Health Institute
for 30 years. His recent book, Longevity:
Enjoying long life without limits, extensively
portrays his and the institute’s research
on how to achieve and sustain health and
vigour throughout life. Dr. Clement will
return to Europe on a lecture tour the first
week of December, 2008. See page 12 for details of his London
lecture hosted by The Fresh Network.
33
 10 years younger
in 10 days
Roe Gallo outlines a health plan that
will leave you feeling revivified and
rejuvenated in just over a week.
D
o you look in the mirror and see a body you
don’t recognize? Do you wake up with aches in
muscles and bones you didn’t know you had?
Are you just too tired by the end of the day to do
anything but plop down on the couch? And are you beginning
to believe that there isn’t anything you can do about it?
What makes you look and feel old?
I asked this question to many people in different
age groups ranging from late 20’s to late 80’s and
the answers were, surprisingly, very similar:
• People were concerned about their
weight making them look older.
• They felt the stress in their lives showed through.
• They complained about poor skin tone, sagging muscles
and aches and pains that they had never had before.
• They felt a lack of energy and a lack of
enthusiasm. They felt dull all over.
I have great news. You can change all that, and in only 10 days
see a different you. Yes, it’s true! You will look and feel younger.
Your skin will look firmer, your body thinner, your jawline will
sharpen, your eyes will brighten and you’ll begin to get rid of
drooping eyelids, puffiness and dark circles. Your muscles will
start to firm and strengthen and your energy will soar. The key
to looking and feeling younger is taking great care of yourself
from the inside out. You may not have complete control of things
that happen in your life, but you do have control of how you are
34
going to deal with them and how you take care of yourself.
Try this brief, focused program. What have you got to lose?
Fat, flab and lack of energy is what. Ten days is nothing. You
can do this! I’ll show you how your body can transform in a
short period of time if you give it what it needs, and stop giving
it the things that are keeping you looking and feeling old.
Let’s get started
For the next 10 days you will make simple changes that take off
years. You will exercise, eat only enhancing foods, (fresh, raw
fruits and green salads), and really pay attention to what you are
thinking. I’ll give you tips that will help make this programme as
easy as possible. Are you ready to go for it? Isn’t it worth 10 years?
You are not alone in this. You are doing the program with
Shaila, a 28-year-old counsellor and your personal guinea pig.
Check out her before and after pictures (overleaf) and her brief
account of the highs and lows during her 10 day programme.
DAILY PROGRAMME
Preparing for your day
Wake up early! Make your morning relaxed and make time
to prepare for a great day. By the third day of the programme
you will have more energy and wake up more easily, but
for the first few days, get to bed early. When you wake up,
think about your day and how great it is to be alive. I usually
think about one of my core beliefs when I wake up: “Every
day day above ground is a great day!” Wake up happy!

If you are with a partner, a smile, a kiss, a “good
morning” and an “I love you” (and anything else you
have time for) is a great way to start another day of being
together. Let him/her know how happy you are that
you are together. If you have children, a smile, a kiss a
“good morning,” an “I love you” and possibly a tickle
is a wonderful way to get their day off to a great start.
As you get out of bed, stretch your entire body for
about five minutes. Shower and get ready for your day.
While showering, think of the things and people you are
grateful for and how fabulous your day will be. Visualize
the end of the day and how happy you’ll feel. Pick out
something wonderful to wear; something that makes you
feel happy and look great. Pay attention to the fashion and
grooming tips on the right. Dress to impress yourself.
Breakfast
• 16oz. of freshly-squeezed orange juice
•
(squeeze it and drink it immediately)
1-3 pieces of fresh fruit, depending on how hungry you are.
• Yes, this is it. Now get out of the house – this is enough
food! You are getting plenty of nutrients. Fresh fruit is
high-water, high-energy food and will get you going.
Preparing for work
• If you drive or walk to work, listen to a fun or uplifting book
or music and if you don’t have a radio or an ipod, sing. If you
work at home take at least 15 minutes preparing for your
day in the same way.
• Think about what you love about your work and why you
are doing what you do. If you don’t love your work, think
about what you have learned from what you do (come on, I
know you learned something!) that you can apply to the job
you would love to do.
• Positive thoughts only! Plan your day. List your goals for the
day and prioritize them. See yourself at the end of your work
day with your list complete and feeling great.
Some time during the day
Read something current and interesting and talk about
it with a friend, family member or colleague.
Several times during the day
Exercise your eyes. Here’s a simple, but powerful, one:
Look at something close, focus, then immediately look at
something at least 10 feet away, focus. Do this 10 times.
Work your eyes and they will keep working for you.
The 10 simple
secrets that dissolve
away the years
1. Clean it up How you care for your body on the inside
will show up on the outside. Just 10 days on fresh, raw
organic fruits and vegetables is all it takes to jumpstart
your body’s own recovery system. Adding more
enhancing foods will make your healthier inside shine
through.
2. Visualize a great day Start your day with a positive
attitude and a smile. The tips in the daily programme will
help you cut down on the stress that makes us all look
and feel older.
3. Sleep on it Make sure to get your rest. Lack of rest adds
years to your appearance. On the 10-day programme you
will get a full night’s sleep every night. You’ll feel great
and you’ll notice your hair, skin and body looking better
for it too.
4. Do something special and fun Make dinner plans,
go dancing, see a movie, or go for a picnic or a family
bike ride. Break that comfortable pattern. Staying active,
involved and interesting gives you a youthful energy
that shows.
5. Indulge in an in-SPA-rational visit A relaxing
facial can make a big difference in keeping that fresh
young glow. A visit to a local spa is part of your 10-day
plan. Take the opportunity for eyebrow shaping and
unwanted hair removal while you’re there!
6. The skinny If your skin looks old, so do you. Skin care
should be about keeping your skin clean and feeding it
with nutrients through your diet. So if gorgeous skin is
your goal, be sure to get plenty of essential fatty acids
and vitamins A, C, D, E and K.
7. Making it up as you go A little bit of mascara goes a
long way to make your eyes look brighter. Add a bit of
colour and shine to your lips and a little drama to your
eyes by lining them (but go easy as eyeliners can be
harsh). My favourite brands are Dr. Hauschka for mascara
and Jane Iredale for eye pencils and lips.
8. Dress the part Clothing styles and colour can add
unwanted years to your look. Have a free consultation
with a personal shopper to get ideas for your body type
and colouring. And remember – you can always update
your look with smart accessories.
9. Move it, move it Get your energy levels back to an
all-time high with simple exercises to keep the spring in
your step. You don’t need to be a gym rat; just make sure
you move your body every day. Over the next 10 days
you’ll see and feel the difference.
10. Smile When you are happy you will look and feel so
much younger.
35
 Shalia’s journey
I am 28 years old but I feel and look much
older. Over the course of the last five years
I have noticed a rapid shift in my body
inside and out that I am not happy with.
I went from a fresh, vibrant, slim 23 year
old to a dull and pudgy 28 year old. Most
people subscribe to the myth that what I
am experiencing is just normal aging but
I know the cause is lifestyle and therefore
in my control. For example, I work in a job
that keeps me sedentary where 5 years ago
I was an active college student. My job is
not to blame – I am! There are many ways
in which I can infuse activity into my life.
So here I am, about to see what 10 days
of raw foods and healthy activity will do
for me! Do I expect to look 18 after I am
done or even 25 for that matter? No, but
my hope is that I will start to resemble
the 28 year old that I know I can be.

Day 1
Highlight Feeling positive and excited
about trying something new for 10 days!
Lowlight Not quite sure if I am satisfied
with my assigned foods. My body feels
satiated but my brain still wants to order
a pizza! I’ll resist the urge for now.
Day 2
Highlight Only 9 days to go! Feeling
proud that I made one whole day
with fresh fruits and salads.
Lowlight I am feeling tired and a little
weak, and will probably go to bed early.
Day 3
Highlight I noticed more energy
and heightened endurance during
my workout this morning. Where I
usually tap out at 45 minutes of cardio
I was able to go an hour easy.
some friends and felt bummed about not
being able to pull things from the boat. I
asked the waitress if they had any salads
or fresh fruit and sure enough she brought
me a cucumber salad, orange slices and
watermelon cubes. I was more than
satisfied, and joined in with the party.
Day 5
Highlight Feeling great about being half
way through and starting to notice my skin
clearing up and my clothes fitting better.
Lowlight Realizing that while 10 days
will show me some positive results
I am still a long way away from the
person I ultimately want to become.
Day 6
Highlight Was able to raise all my
workout levels with ease and made it
until 2p.m. without even thinking about
food (I had 32oz of OJ in the morning).
much energy. My husband complimented
me on my sunnier disposition; usually
I am a bit of a grouch in the morning.
Lowlight I had lunch with a friend
and she lectured me on how unhealthy
my “diet” was and that I needed
protein. She was far from the picture
of youth and health so I dismissed
her criticism as a bit of jealousy.
Day 8
Highlight My taste buds and cravings
are changing. I used to smell cooked
things and think about how much I
would enjoy that dish when my 10 days
are up, but now I can associate it with
how bad I felt before I started this.
Lowlight None!
Day 9:
Highlight All my clothes fit better!

Lowlight It’s 4th of July and there are
temptations everywhere. Luckily I thought
to fill up on fresh OJ right before I went
to my party and once I arrived they had a
fabulous green salad that did the trick.
Day 4
Highlight My appetite has noticeably
shrunk and I am starting to learn that
my body’s cue for when I am hungry is
different from when I just see something
appealing and want to indulge.
Lowlight Went to a sushi restaurant with
Lowlight I cheated! I was shopping for
my groceries when I was lured to a sample
table giving away bite-sized samples of
pizza. It was only a bite, but I was so angry
with myself. Roe reminded me how far I
had come, and that before I would have
had a whole slice not just a bite. I can’t see
this as a failure, just a bump in the road
on my way to seeing positive results.
Day 7
Highlight Woke up naturally today
for the first time. I couldn’t have slept
in even if I wanted to because I had so
Lowlight It’s not time to get
a new wardrobe…….yet!
Day 10:
Highlight I looked at my after picture
and was amazed! It may not be much -
only 5 pounds - but I can see my jawline
better, my skin looks improved, my
hair feels better and I am visibly more
confident. I am so happy with the results
and feel inspired to keep going!
Lowlight Realizing the work has
only begun and I have to keep going.

36
Breaks and snack
1-2 pieces of fresh fruit. There
are different ways to take a
break, but make sure that you
take at least two every day. A
break should be pleasurable and
relaxing. Maybe a quick email or call
to someone you love just to tell them
you love them. Or listen to music, read
a chapter of a great book or just take a few
minutes to centre yourself and quiet your mind.
Or perhaps you would prefer something active like taking a walk.
Work
Work with passion. If you don’t have passion for your
work have passion for how you do your work and start
planning to transition into work you have passion for!
Lunch and dinner
Choose either an all fruit meal or a salad. If you choose fruit,
have two to three pieces and if you are still hungry after that wait
an hour and have more. For a salad choose organic greens with
one or two of the following: raw and organic avocado, tomato,
carrots, zucchini, or some other raw fruit or veggie. Example:
avocado and mango over a bed of rocket (arugula) is a delicious
salad. I usually like my salads without dressing but you could
use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and/or a drizzle of olive oil
Eat simply
It is best to eat as simply as possible: preferably one type of
fruit at a time or a salad of leafy greens with one or two other
ingredients. Eating a mish-mash of food combinations,
even if they are raw, will give you indigestion and will hinder
the assimilation of necessary nutrients from your food.
Exercise
Make sure that you allow at least 30 minutes of aerobic
exercise. Walk (briskly), dance, run, bike, take a spin class,
or work out with Billy Blanks (I love his “Boot Camp”
workout). No matter how busy you are, you have time for
this. Have walking meetings and take the stairs. Lunch could
be a few pieces of fruit and a brisk walk or a spin class.
Don’t forget your weight-bearing exercises. If you can’t or
don’t want to go to a gym, use your body as a gym. Do push-
ups, pull-ups, crunches and yoga. You can also do isometrics
(isolating muscle contraction without the use of weights) in
your car, at your desk, waiting in line – basically anywhere.
There’s always time to work your muscles. No excuses!
Play time
Remember to allow for play. Hang out with people that you
love and enjoy. Do things that are fun. Laugh. Down time
from work, even work you enjoy, gives you more energy
to do an even better job. During this 10-day program
make sure to get out at least twice for play time.
You time
This is time just for you. Give yourself (or
treat yourself to) a facial, a manicure and/
or a pedicure. Get a massage. Meditate. Take a
long, hot bath with candlelight. Read a romance
novel. Whatever makes you feel happy. You don’t
need a lot of money to make yourself feel special,
but doing it makes you feel like a million dollars. On
the 10-day program, I recommend a good exfoliating
and hydrating facial. You’ll feel rejuvenated and you’ll
love how good your skin will look. I also suggest you make
an appointment with either a personal shopper or make-up
consultant. Tell them you want a new, fresh and younger looking
you, and ask them to make a couple of recommendations.
Rest and sleep
It is so important to get adequate rest. A good night’s sleep can
definitely make you look and feel years younger. Before you go to
sleep, take time to rest from the day. Think or talk about all the
good things that happened throughout your day and what you
are grateful for. If you have a partner, kiss, make love, cuddle
and talk about positive and loving things. Go to sleep happy.
A word about detoxing
When you stop eating non-nutritious substances, your body
starts to detox; to “clean house” on a cellular level. When you
stop ingesting stimulants, such as coffee, tea, or chocolate, your
body takes the stored caffeine and theobromine out of the cells,
throwing them back into the bloodstream for elimination. This
chemical imbalance usually results in a headache. So when you
begin a new, healthier dietary regimen, it is common to feel
worse before you start feeling better. This may happen to you on
this 10-day programme. This is not a fast, so the symptoms will
not be too bad. It is quite common to feel headachey and tired
by the second or third day, but to feel great by the fourth day!
Go for it! This program is not designed to change your
behaviour permanently - you will need more than 10 days to do
that – but it’s a great beginning; a great jump start! It’s a small
commitment of your time so that you can see and feel significant
results quickly. Go to my website for more ideas and sign up for
the free web version of the “10 years in 10 days” programme. ■
That great body is inside you; don’t miss the
opportunity to let it out!
Roe Gallo, PhD
is an author, motivational speaker
and life coach. She lectures and writes
on health, nutrition, fitness, sex and
personal power. She is the author of
Perfect Body and Overcoming the Myths of
Aging. She also offers health coaching
for individuals, and for companies
wishing to revitalize their workforce with
healthier diet, exercise and attitude. For
more information see roegallo.com.
37
 The father of
living foods
Viktoras Kulvinskas tells Sarah Best about his journey from sickness
to health, his battle with bulimia, the programme that healed him, and
why he feels better now than he did in his 20s
Your story is an astonishing example of the power of raw foods to
transform a life. Please speak a little about your early years.
I was born in pre World War Two Lithuania and grew up on a very
primitive farm. There was no electricity and we grew most of our
own food. Two foods we really relied on were cooked grains and
dairy and the combination of those two foods laid the foundation
for a tremendous amount of physical weakness. I also had a great
deal of childhood trauma. I became very inwards and I didn’t speak
until the age of 16. I lived the life of a mystic, observing everything
and experiencing psychic insights and euphoria. My grandmother
also had this ability.
During my teenage years, we emigrated to the US and I
immersed myself in the dietary habits of the day. By the age of 17
I was acidified, I had migraine headaches, very advanced arthritis
and tremendous psychological difficulties. I was insomniac so
started to experiment with relaxation as an alternative to sleep. I
used deep levels of meditation as a way of quieting the mind. This
led to radical changes in my concentration and ability and I won all
kinds of awards in maths and physics.
I graduated in theoretical mathematics and worked in the
computer field for five years. I worked on high-profile contracts
with the Apollo Mission, the M.I.T, The Smithsonian Institute and
Harvard. But I have a type-A personality and by the age of 29 I was
forced to retire due to physical disability. My symptoms included
the loss of sensation in one leg, severe backache, hair dropping out,
wrinkles all over my face and other signs of rapid aging.
How did you go from that to the world of living foods?
Medical doctors wanted to give me nasal surgery but I achieved
great relief from my problem by stopping dairy products. I started
to realize I could get a lot further by changing my diet than by
listening to doctors. I consulted with Norman Walker and other
naturopathic practitioners, including Bernard Jensen. I had a black
iris when I started and Dr Jensen said I was a walking zombie,
and thank God I found my way to this path. Then I met Dr Ann
Wigmore and started working for her.
How did that come about?
She created a position for me where I could work the hours I
wanted. That was usually around 16-20 hours a day and it was all
volunteer work. I learned carpentry and gardening and I also did
a lot of writing. I put together Ann’s first book Be Your Own Doctor
and went out on the road with it. At this time I also took a vow of
chastity for seven years because I wanted to commit not to another
human specifically but to humanity as a whole and I didn’t want to
be distracted from that.
In 1958, Ann and I started the Hippocrates Health Institute,
founded on the true principles of the Hippocratic oath: Do no harm.
Use the least invasive treatments. Focus on rest, diet and exercise.
Use chemicals as a last resort. Later, we began using a new breed
of chemicals called nutraceuticals: whole food concentrates and
superfoods. Today, no other spa has the facilities or educational
environment of the Hippocrates Institute, and we’re getting great
results.
The benefits of the living foods lifestyle are hard to dispute, but
it’s not always plain sailing. In your book Survival In The 21st
Century, you talked about the eating disorder you suffered for
many years after going raw. Could you speak about that now?
When I started detoxing on raw food I was a basket case. All that
emotion was coming to the surface. With every thought that you
have, the hypothalamus creates protein complexes that reflect
the thought. Negativity has such a paralysing influence. It’s just
as polluting as eating meat or being in a polluted environment. I
felt much better when I ate undesirable cooked foods since they
stopped the cleanse. But I’d feel so sick afterwards that I would
throw up.
For 10 years I was close to death from bulimia. But I never
became severely enzymatically depleted, which is a common
problem among bulimics, because I had the knowledge and the
good sense to take enzyme supplements. Blue-green algae turned
me around within a month. It integrates the two hemispheres of the
brain and contains a substance called PEA which affects how you
feel about yourself and gets rid of addictions. 
39
 You have said some interesting things about orthorexia, which is
defined as an unhealthy obsession with being healthy…
There is this notion that anyone that’s intensely involved
in perfecting themselves must be sick. So the best athletes,
ballerinas and Hollywood stars are all sick. Yet fast food eaters
are the most rigid of all about their diet. Show them an apple or
a salad and they’ll say, “Get that away from me”. They won’t eat
anything spontaneously. You’ll see more raw fooders willing to eat
opportunistically, to dive into a pizza or a veggie burger, than fast
food eaters slipping into raw food eating.
Our so-called “compulsion” is creating younger, healthier,
more virile bodies, longevity and increased quality of life. If that’s
a disease I want to have some of that disease! I’m the prophet child
of orthorexia! There’s also this perception that raw food is not fun
but people who are healthy on raw foods are having the most fun of
anybody.

How important is it to be 100% raw?

At the last Raw and Living Foods Summit, in 2007, at which over a
dozen nations were represented, we agreed that 100% raw seems
to be very important for the duration of any healing or cleansing/
detoxification programme. Outside of that, you can thrive on a
plant-based diet that contains at least 80% raw foods and up to
20% vegan whole foods – by which we don’t mean whole wheat
pasta; you’d eat the whole grain that the pasta was made out of,
plus legumes, vegetables and so on.

Many people around the world were shocked and saddened when
your wife Youkta passed away last year. She was and is seen by
many as a shining example of the living foods lifestyle and I know
many are anxious to know what caused this tragedy.
Like me, Youkta came out of a very dysfunctional family with severe
childhood abuse. We were both suicidal as children. I had stronger
When I started detoxing
genetic material so it had less of an effect on me. Youkta had a much
more sensitive system than I.
on raw food I was a basket
As a young woman she tried different programmes, including
macrobiotics. Then she read my book, Love Your Body. When she
case. All that emotion was
got into the living foods lifestyle she had been in a coma with liver
damage. She used to only have a bowel movement once every two
coming to the surface.
weeks and for several years after getting into raw foods she had to do She is sorely missed. That must have been an unimaginably difficult
enemas twice a day, morning and evening, until it kicked into action. time for you both.
She was very dedicated. That took a lot of time out of her day. She was joyful and happy until the end. She administered darshan
She was subjected to a tremendous amount of stress during her to doctors and nurses. They came to see her because she uplifted
last couple of years, including the death of close friends and also them. She was like a love ball. She died in a heroic fashion, still
animals that were close to her. When a pet who’d been Youkta’s continuing to give love. She had students everywhere and she gave a
constant companion for 18 years died that had a massive effect lot of gifts during this incarnation. She was a woman of great drive
on her immune system and her desire to live. There is a time for and energy and she helped a lot of people. She accomplished an
everyone to go. Sooner or later we all say I’m done with this and I’ve unbelievable amount considering her limitations.
done what I wanted to. None of us live long; even if we live to 70 or
80 or 100 that’s not long. It has been said that we live in a time of great polarity. We have
She had issues in her gastro-intestinal tract and eventually it access to the healthiest food ever, and also the unhealthiest. We
gave out. There was not enough warning. If she had found it earlier, have more businesses than ever producing ethical, health-enhancing
she would probably still be here now. But she was living a day at products but at the same time the multi-national drugs companies
a time and she didn’t want to deal with it. If you feel discomfort, and agribusiness conglomerates are also expanding their reach.
don’t put it off. Get it looked at. Use the medical community for Could you speak to this?
diagnosis. Holistic practitioners are not very good at diagnosis but The raw food movement is exploding. There’s a raw food spa
you can find out what’s wrong with you first and then go there. in every country right now, and raw restaurants are appearing
When she finally went to the doctor she was told she only had a everywhere. At the same time fast food is exploding and disease
day or two to live unless she had surgery. But they weren’t able to statistics are exploding. It’s breaking up families and breaking up
make any promises that that would do anything so she decided not relationships because individuals are becoming polarized into more
to. She ended up living for two months and we were able to make dead or more alive.
the transition and have all her close friends come. Raw food has a very high volume of saturation right now. We’re

40
looking at penetrating the mainstream. Dr Oz went on the Oprah
show and said a body that is alkaline will never have disease and
that everyone should have a serving of fresh, raw greens every day.
The Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine has over
3,000 medical doctors as members, taking the position that not
only is a vegan diet adequate, but anything contrary to it is contrary
to good health.
In 2000, the Journal of the American Medical Association
reported that the average alternative practitioner was earning more
than the average family care physician. It’s a grass roots revolution
– the “wellness revolution”. It’s the next trillion-dollar market.
Thinking in terms of investment, this is the next Apple, IBM or
Yahoo stock. Everyone needs what is being offered here. Close to
80% of Americans are sick with “incurable” diseases the medical
profession can’t do anything about. The three leading causes
of death are cardiovascular disease, cancer and doctors. 1 and 2
respond to enzymatic intervention.
Let’s talk about enzymes, a very important part of your life’s work…
The raw food movement’s gift to the medical community is
enzymes. I’ve taught and still teach enzymatic theory and therapy
all over the world, often training medical staff. This flagship
nutrient of the raw food movement is broken down first when
exposed to heat, and all disease lies in faulty enzymes or lack of
enzymes.
Dr Max Wolf has been treating cardiovascular disease with
enzymes and achieving a 95% success rate. Doctors using enzyme
therapies are getting close to an 80% success rate in turning around
cancer. Pancreatic cancer is the most serious form of cancer. People
are usually told they have between six weeks and three months to
live. But even pancreatic cancer has been cured using enzymes.
There is also a very interesting research project going on in
California right now: 550 bodybuilders are on a raw food diet
with enzyme supplementation. Many coaches are putting athletes
on enzymes and finding they train harder, longer and get fewer
injuries.
The Physicians’ Desk Reference lists eight kinds of enzymes.
The most prescribed product in Germany is enzymes. It is available
on prescription there and it is a drug without side effects. The only
contraindications are if you’re haemophiliac, if you are taking
immuno-suppressant drugs or have a stomach ulcer, in which case
sprinkle it on your food.
The power of enzymes is very easy to demonstrate in any
kitchen. You don’t need a laboratory, but if you are interested in the
science you can visit enzymeuniversity.com. Take a bowl of cooked
oatmeal. You won’t be able to pour it but sprinkle enzymes over it
and soon you will. It will also taste sweeter because they break the
starch down into sugars.
You have said some alarming things about infectious disease as a
major threat to humanity, and yet another reason to adopt a raw
and living foods lifestyle.
In the US, 100,000 people a year die of influenza and other
infectious diseases. It’s all about the level of sanitation inside the
body. There were 1 billion people on the planet when I was born 70
years ago; now we’re heading towards 7 billion. All futurists say
we’re due for a massive plague that will wipe out 2-4 billion people.
Green foods and fermented foods are the keys to building your
immunity against infections.
In 1918, 50 million people died due to an epidemic of infectious
influenza. Now we are much more compromised, so if you want to
be around in 2012 you will become a vegan, you will exercise and
you will eat fermented foods. If you are filthy and rotting inside
because of corpses you’ve consumed, that’s a good indication
you’re on your way out. I used to love McDonald’s and the fact I
could get three meals a day there for less than $1 each. It was a
blessing that I collapsed when I did. Thank God I did! I feel better
now than I did in my 20s.
So in your opinion, can everyone thrive on a vegan diet?
If you have the will to go through the detox you can thrive on a
vegan diet. Mental disease is a toxic condition. Negative stuff is
what’s causing cravings for comfort foods that make you feel more
comfortable because they suppress emotional complexes. Just like
an alcoholic or a smoker.
There are no incurable diseases, only incurable personalities.
But the Moscow Psychiatric Institute treated all forms of psychiatric
disease through fasting for 30 days, adequate exercise, relaxation and
a vegan diet. There was very little recurrence of disease as long as they
followed the vegan diet and continued fasting for two weeks a year.
Our physiology, physiognomy and anatomy are that of a plant
eater. Apes, the animals most similar to us, eat a 90% green diet.
Many years ago I appeared on TV with a medical doctor who was
saying we need meat. After going up against me in that debate
he said he’d never appear on TV with a vegetarian again! I had
spent years in the Harvard Medical Library finding the evidence to
substantiate everything I was saying.
What do you eat on a daily basis?
I base my diet around enzyme-rich and alkaline greens and sprouts.
I get up between 3am and 4am when at home in Montezuma. I
often start the day with a workout. I’ll have green tea, or water
with lemon and cayenne and a bit of sea salt. After my workout
I’ll have a green juice and/or wheatgrass juice. I grow wheatgrass
hydroponically with sea water, which has all known minerals and
is the ultimate fertilizer. If readers email me I will send them the
protocol for making sauerkraut and growing wheatgrass.
I have cereal made of sprouted grains – wheat, buckwheat, oats
and quinoa are my four favourites. I add soaked sesame, sunflower
and pumpkin seeds and mix it with one cup of water and a carrot
and blend it to a cream. I have that with a little sea salt, some cold
pressed olive oil, a flax cracker, some dulse and a sweet onion.
Sprouted grains are very tantric. They increase the libido. 
41

This is a nutritional
revolution. People are
getting younger at
older ages.
Later, I have an avocado soup with greens. Sometimes I’ll have a
fruit meal – maybe papaya, plantain or pineapple. Always ripened
fruits, low in acidity. The body can handle about 20% acidic foods
and all fermented foods are also acidic. The least acidic fermented
food is sauerkraut.
If I’m on a bodybuilding programme I’ll have more sprouted
grains, seeds and nuts, so that throughout the day I will have 400-
600 calories every 2-3 hours, 2-3 cups each time.
Cacao has caused much controversy in the raw movement,
alternately being called the superfood of superfoods, and a drug-
like toxin that is the most damaging raw food we can consume.
What is your personal take on it?
Cacao is a food of entertainment. It contains high levels of
antioxidants and other valuable nutraceutical components.
But if you’re sick it’s not something that’s part of any healing
programme. It’s not just that it contains methylxanthines; it is also
very irritating to the system. And it is almost always eaten with a
large amount of sweetener. If you’re not sick you can use it as part
of your comfort/recreational eating and it’s perfectly fine to be
using it that way. But it’s certainly not an essential as far as being
healthy.
This is our rejuvenation issue. What comes to mind for you when you
think of raw rejuvenation?
I remember when 60 was considered old. Now I see young 60
year old ladies romancing 25 year old men. I’ve seen young ladies
in their 70s having relationships with guys in their 30s. This is a
nutritional revolution. People are getting younger at older ages.
My grandmother had Alzheimer’s but I gave her five supplements,
including cayenne capsules for her circulation, and within four
weeks she was out of bed with full mental capacity taking care of a
family of five.
With the benefit of all of your experience and expertise, what are
the top pieces of advice would you give our readers for leading a
healthy, happy life?
You’re on the right path – just keep on doing it, and pray for the
right answers. We all of us know everything we need to know to be
healthy. We need to listen to the body. Suffering and pain are our
greatest teachers.
42
New to raw?
Viktoras’s seven
secrets of success
1. At the entry level everyone is severely depleted of
enzymes and many have difficulty digesting raw food,
so everyone needs to take an enzyme supplement.
2. Start eating more and more raw foods. Try to have one
meal a day that is all raw and then try to have one day a
week that is all raw.
3. Big things that help are: eat only when hungry, eat
smaller meals, and chew your food thoroughly. How
much food is the right amount? If blended up it should
never equal more than three cups in size. More than that
causes spoiling of food in your system.
4. Most people need to drink at least an ounce of water
per pound of body weight. This gives the body a chance
to have good chemistry and expel waste.
5. Start sprouting.
6. Make fermented food; it nurtures friendly bacteria,
and is loaded with enzymes and B-complex vitamins.
Fermented foods provide protection against pathogenic
micro-organisms and microbes – you’ll become
invulnerable to infectious diseases. Cultures that are
long-lived always include at least one form of fermented
food on a daily basis.
7. Do it gradually and support yourself with supplements
and it’s very easy. Take blue-green algae and enzymes
and a mild herbal laxative at bedtime because the
digestive tract is very sluggish. There’s nothing you can’t
do if you do all this.
Forgive yourself for all failures. At the Hippocrates Institute, we
see people all the time who come on the programme then slip back
into their old ways for a couple of months and start losing vitality so
they come back again. Don’t judge yourself. Just remember this is
the right direction, the direction of the future. Change is not easy.
Because of social conditioning we do bad things and we become
addicted to these.
Jesus said to love others and love yourself and I would add
love your body. Touch your body, know where all the meridian
points are, practice zone therapy and acupressure. Support all the
education going on in your neighbourhood and read good books.
Spend time with people who are uplifting. People who bring you
down or are into self abuse are people you can help as a coach if you
feel moved to, but don’t hang out with them as a friend. Nurture
yourself with live foods, small meals, exercise, supplements, blue-
green algae, and plenty of joy and laughter. ■
For more information see Viktoras.org.
Photographs of Viktoras Kulvinskas by
Jennifer Girard and Jeni Cook respectively.
43
 Breaking the night-
time eating habit
For optimal health have your last
meal of the day earlier and say
goodbye to evening snacking,
says Paul Nison.
44
W
e all know that as we age it is common to also
expand. Nothing takes our youthfulness and energy
quicker than gaining too much weight. But being
overweight, once considered odd, has become the
norm. We can’t be healthy and youthful and overweight. The
amazing discovery I made was that one of the best things we can
do for our health is to stop the habit of eating at night, or at least
cut back and eat less as the day goes on.
W ithout changing any food in your diet, just try making this
simple adjustment and experience for yourself the great results. You
will lose weight, sleep more soundly, and have better digestion and
more energy.

I’m not selling any magic potion here nor putting you under any
spell; just trying to help you break what may be your most harmful
addiction. You see, it’s not just the foods we consume, but when
and how often we consume them that holds the key to achieving
our goals. Cutting out that night-time eating is not something that
can be easily done in a short time, but it’s a great goal to strive for.
I remember as I was growing up, I would look at people
around me and watch what they were doing. The more people I
saw that were doing something, the more I thought it was okay
and “normal.” It has taken me many years to move away from
this thinking. I now use my personal experiences as a guide as to
whether something is or isn’t good for me. But most of humanity
is still stuck thinking, “Well everyone else is doing it so it must be
okay.” Living in this way provides the perfect excuse not to take
responsibility for our actions, nor for the results. But we do not
have to be followers. We can be leaders.
The most popular habit we have as a society is eating too much
and too often. And the most prevalent food addiction of all is
also one of the least talked-about: eating late at night. Night-time
eating has become one of the most underrated causes of obesity.
People are working later at their jobs and getting home later in the
evening, so they are eating meals later. New York City was once the
city that never sleeps; now many cities in the world never sleep and
people never stop eating.
Who is responsible for this? Technology is making our life so
simple, right? Wrong! It is making us lazy and keeping us more
occupied than ever before. Cell phones, BlackBerries, computers;
people just don’t have time to think. They react and follow what
everyone else is doing. And they don’t find the time to eat during
the day so they get out of balance and overeat late at night.
Breaking this pattern should be simple, but the addiction to it
is worse than I ever imagined. In suggesting that people introduce
some simple changes, I have heard every excuse in the book, from
work schedules to restaurant hours to wanting to fit in socially. I
soon realized that getting people to stop eating at night would be
a lot harder than getting them to include more raw foods in their
diet! It reminds me of when I once told someone who suffered
from diabetes that if he wanted to get off insulin, there were a few
foods he’d need to avoid. This man told me he would rather take
insulin than have to live without being able to enjoy those foods.
Because so many people are now eating late at night, doctors
created a new disorder. They call it “Night-time Eating Syndrome”
(NES). Now they have given people an excuse to enjoy that
late-night snack. According to reports, scientists believe 1.5%
of the general population might be sufferers. According to my
observations, I would say it is more like 95%!
Dr. Albert Stunkard, professor of psychiatry at the University of
Pennsylvania, who first spotted the symptoms in 1955, said the
condition was not merely a habit but a real clinical illness marked
by changes in hormone levels. Naturally overeating at night is going
to affect hormone levels, but the interesting thing to me was the
date these symptoms were first identified: right at the time when
television became a popular household item.
I have made many connections over the years between television
and overeating – especially overeating unhealthy foods. TV addicts
are not usually to be found raiding the fruit and vegetable drawer.
They almost invariably choose snacks high in refined carbohydrates
– foods like cookies, cakes, chips, pizza and popcorn. On a side
note, these foods are now made with more addictive chemicals and
excess sugar than ever before.
TV is very stimulating, and watching it right before going to
sleep seems to affect the quality of sleep a person receives. People
who suffer from the late-night eating syndrome are prone to stress
and poor sleep and may wake three to four times a night to get
Eliminating those
night-time binges
• Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a
pauper. There is great wisdom in this old saying. Eat the
bulk of your food earlier in the day and make dinner a
fruit meal or light salad, or even a smoothie or juice.
• If you decide to experiment with the “no-dinner diet”,
start by making your last meal of the day lighter, then
bring it forward. So if you usually eat at 9pm, eat at 8pm.
When you’re comfortable with this, move it to 7pm, and
so on.
• If you can stop eating each day before 6pm, you will find
it much easier to shed any excess weight, and you’ll also
notice a massive improvement in your energy. You’ll sleep
better, your overall health will improve and you will look
and feel younger.
• Either stop watching television completely, or limit
yourself to one hour a night. Plan in advance what you
will watch, and when it is over, switch off and get up!
• Break the link between TV viewing and mindless snacking
by adopting a “no eating” rule when you are watching TV.
something to eat. They often fall asleep with the television on and
the remote in one hand and food in the other, waking periodically
to take a bite.
Night-eaters are known to take in fewer calories than other
people during the day and often skip breakfast. They consume
most of their foods between the hours of 8pm and the following
morning. While they do not always gorge themselves, they may
consume on average 500 calories a day more than normal eaters.
Obviously this would lead to weight gain, lack of sleep and many
other issues, including depression.
Now doctors are saying NES may run in families. For years, I’ve
been telling people that obesity, lung disease and other issues all
run in the family. But this is about behaviour more than genetics: if
they all have the same eating pattern, they will all suffer from the
same disease.
So the answer is simple: just eat less at night and the problem
will take care of itself. Instead of explaining this, doctors tell people
they have a serious disorder and give them drugs to deal with it.
It’s no wonder these people can’t sleep! They are on drugs and
stressed out, and what do we do when we can’t sleep and we are
depressed? We usually sit in front of the TV and eat!
If you are like most people who suffer from this issue, there is
no reason to worry. The first place to overcome an addiction is to
admit you have a problem. Once you do that, you are on your way
to curing the issue. It’s time to change our addictions into habits
and break them. Become a leader! ■
Paul Nison
is an internationally recognized writer,
speaker and raw food chef. His latest
book, The Raw Food Formula For Health,
is reviewed on page 10 of this issue. This
article is based on the concept from his
upcoming book, The No Dinner Diet. For
more information see PaulNison.com
45
The way
we used
to eat
Why we can learn a thing
or two from our grandmothers
when it comes to diet.
By Charlie Wilson.
I
t was a lovely, warm, sunny afternoon in early spring and I
was sitting in the garden of my parents’ house on a recent
trip back to England. My grandmother was sitting next to
me, my great aunt to her left, my brother and sister-in-law
were opposite me and my little two-year-old nephew was running
around the yard chewing on a brightly-coloured packaged snack.
My parents were busy in the kitchen preparing tea and coffee.
As I regretfully watched my nephew enjoying his “treat”,
it struck me that there were four generations present that day
and how absurd it must be for my 85-year-old grandmother
and 90-year-old great aunt to even imagine eating such a
treat when they were two years old. So I began asking them
about the food they ate when they were growing up and as I
listened intently, this article was beginning to unfold.
Somewhere over the past four generations we have forgotten how
to eat. We have lost the ability to taste real food; in fact most people
have forgotten what real food is. I asked a child the other day if he
knew where the beef came from that was in his burger. His answer
was the supermarket. We have simply lost the connection to our food.
Food has become a substance that has to taste good to fill an empty
void and rarely is a second thought given to how and where it was
grown, how it was manufactured or what it is doing to our body.
In my grandmother’s generation, almost all food was naturally
organic. They didn’t spray large amounts of pesticides on the crops,
cows were not injected with growth hormones, chickens were not
given antibiotics, and animals were left to graze and roam outdoors.
Food was grown and eaten locally; you didn’t eat apples from Chile
back then. Most people actually grew some of their own vegetables
and all the meat and milk came from local farms. In fact the majority
of fresh food never travelled further than two or three miles.
Meals were made from scratch and eaten in moderation. Lunch
seemed to be the biggest meal of the day, meat was more of a
condiment, snacking was not the norm and dieting was never heard
of. My grandmother summed it up perfectly when she said, “We were
brought up with the philosophy that you eat to live, not live to eat.”
So what changed? Why now, only four generations later,
are we having to pay a premium to eat “organic” food? Why
have we become a world obsessed with food and eating;
a world where cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity
have become the norm? A world where many grandmothers
are in better health than their grandchildren?
The end of the Second World War brought with it a lot
of social and industrial changes. Demand for faster, more
convenient food grew rapidly which then led to the large-
scale commercialization of farming. To keep up with the
demand, farmers introduced single-crop systems as opposed
to the traditional rotating of crops. This meant the farmers
could concentrate on just one crop and mass produce it.
However, this was only possible with use of chemical agents to
increase yields and annihilate pests. The soil was no longer being
replenished by the rotation of different crops and pests that once
had difficulty establishing a foothold, as they only thrive on one type
of plant, were now able to flourish. Using us as the guinea pigs for
any harmful side effects, farmers now sprayed billions of pounds of
synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilizers on their crops annually.
To make it worse, the government subsidized many of these crops so
small genuine farmers went out of business and today the food supply
is controlled by a relatively small number of very large corporations.
In animal agriculture, cows, pigs and chickens are now confined
to cages in massive indoor facilities, most never seeing the light
of day. To ward off the disease created by these dirty, unsanitary
conditions they are fed antibiotics and to increase growth or milk
production they are fed hormones. Once slaughtered this meat
that used to be ground and packaged by the local butcher who
knew exactly where it came from now gets mixed with meat from
dozens of other factory farms in huge central processing facilities.
Advancements in transportation meant produce could now be
flown all over the world and suddenly we are eating apples from New
Zealand and tomatoes from Mexico. Though food trade has been
around for hundreds of years, it was previously kept to specialty
products that couldn’t be grown locally, like tea from India, coffee
from Ecuador and spices from Morocco. Now, even in the height of
summer when there could be an abundance of local tomatoes, most
tomatoes available in a store will have travelled hundreds of miles.
And because food is travelling so far it needs to be preserved for
longer, so yet again it’s sprayed with another layer of chemicals.
In my grandmother’s
generation, almost
all food was
naturally organic.
As the food industry grew and profits began to soar, the quest
to produce food more quickly and more cheaply created major
advancements in food production technology that caused greater
harm to the environment and our health than ever before. It cost
more to manufacture ingredients that offered superior health
so, looking to make the most profit, companies tended to use the
cheapest ingredients without consideration for the possible effects on
our bodies. These included such things as high fructose corn syrup,
sugar, salt, hydrogenated oils, artificial flavourings and colourings
and bulking agents. “Food” became nothing more than calories and
chemicals wrapped in a pretty package. Most of us became addicted
to this, and now it’s proving to be detrimental to our health.
As the company’s pockets grew to supersize, so did the food
portions, our waistlines and our disease rates. No longer satisfied
with regular-sized portions we now began to eat double what
we did before. In the past 20 years coke bottles have gone from
8oz to 20oz, bagels from 3 inch diameter to 5 or 6 inch, coffee
from a small cup to a “grande” topped with whipped cream.
Junk food – which is, of course, best not eaten at all – has
never been consumed in the quantities it is today. It is quite
normal for one person to consume an entire family-sized pack
of popcorn or tortilla chips as a snack. A meal may be a whole
pizza washed down with a litre of soda and “rounded off” with a
slice of cheesecake: portion sizes in each case being so large that
this spread would quite easily have served a whole family not so
long ago. The problem with all this food – apart from the fact it is
loaded with salt, sugar and harmful fats – is that it contains zero
vital nutrients so leaves us malnourished and starving for more. 
47
 The rapid growth in the organic and health sector
of the food industry proves people are searching
for something that will make them feel well
In addition, all these chemical substances and food-like
ingredients cause unnecessary stress as our bodies work overtime
to eliminate the toxins. After many years a resistance is developed
in the form of ill health and disease. As the accumulated damage
spans such a long time, and health problems may not arise
until later in life, most people will not trace these problems
back to the food they have been consuming all these years.
To combat our increasing ill health the drug companies jumped
on the bandwagon and started creating drugs to fight any and all
kind of illness imaginable. There are pills for headaches, pills for
heartburn, pills for allergies, pills for weight loss, pills to make
you sleep. You name it, you can probably find a pill for it. Thanks
to our ill health and our desire to feel well, the pharmaceutical
industry became a multi-trillion-dollar business. Now over 51%
of the US is living on over-the-counter drugs to try and fight the
damage created by other toxic substances they have consumed.
If my grandmother was sick she was confined to bed on a liquid
diet; she never took any pills. My mother was given antibiotics for
a serious infection otherwise it was bed rest and starvation. Me,
I reached for the Advil as soon as I had a headache, which was
usually most afternoons. Any infection more serious than a little
cold and it was off to the doctor for an antibiotic prescription.
My nephew has already been on antibiotics three times and
that was before he even reached the age of six months.
It’s no wonder we are living amongst an epidemic of disease.
Just look at some of the US statistics. Currently, more than 64%
of the adult population is overweight or obese. By 2010 over
50% of our children will be overweight. One in three people
will develop cancer, now the second leading cause of death in
the US. Number one? Heart disease. Meanwhile, 18.2 million
Americans have diabetes, and nearly a third of those people are
unaware that they have it. We have surely reached a crisis point.
But it’s not all bad! Let’s think about this realistically. The bulk
of all this has happened very rapidly, in a very short space of time.
We are talking about 60 years or so. This leads me to believe that it
won’t take much time to rectify some of the damage we have done
to the health of our bodies. It will just take conscious effort from
everyone as some of the hardest things to counteract are the habits
that have been ingrained in us since childhood. The rapid growth
in the organic and health sector of the food industry proves people
are searching for something that will make them feel well, that
will give them energy, and that will make them feel good again.
People are beginning to realize that something is not right.
Much of the problem lies with misinformation. Most people
48
have a TV and watch it on a regular basis. Television is full of
commercials and programs advertising all sorts of products
containing toxic ingredients. We are constantly bombarded
with information about the latest health claim: one minute you
can eat this, the next you can’t, one minute you need more of
this, the next less. Food writer Michael Pollan calls it the age
of “nutritionism” and for the consumer it’s overwhelming
Our bodies have the innate ability to heal themselves and with
the right nourishment and mental attitude many diseases can be
reversed and certainly prevented. Our bodies are also remarkable
machines. They carry us around through our daily activities for the
whole of our lives. When pain occurs, or something stops functioning
correctly, it’s our body’s way of telling us something’s not right.
The trouble in today’s society is that every day we are continuously
filling our bodies with more and more of the wrong fuel, and
every day our bodies have to work overtime trying to process and
eliminate these poisons so that eventually our body gives out and
disease is formed. Or if we are lucky enough to avoid disease our
bodies are just so exhausted old age creeps up on us more quickly
than planned. By simply changing our choices we can begin to
undo the harm we have done. It’s really as simple as that.
And, as so often happens in life, perhaps we needed to go
through this disconcerting period to bring us to our senses and
reach an even higher level of health and awareness. We certainly
know more about health and nutrition than we did before, and
we have access to a whole array of health-enhancing produce
and ingredients that have never been available before, giving us
new options for eating real food in interesting and tasty ways.
One of the best health lessons I heard came from
grandmother and real food advocate Joan Gussow. At 80 years
old, Gussow is a living example of what it means to eat local,
organic, seasonal food that is predominantly home grown,
home prepared and eaten in moderation. Her lesson when it
comes to food is simply to, “Trust nature not science”. ■
Charlie Wilson
Charlie Wilson is a whole foods chef
and the owner of the Help Yourself!
restaurant in Key West, Florida. For more
information see charliewilsonsraw.com.
Setting the Standard for Excellence in Raw Culinary Arts
 How is it that something with an
inordinate draw on fossil fuel can
cost the consumer so little?
Why does a hamburger
Brendan Brazier on the
subsidies that are keeping the
population and the planet sick.
A
s I write this article, in summer 2008, the oil price has
just hit a new record high of $147 per barrel. Never before
in history has fossil fuel cost so much. Of course, gasoline
cost is among the first to rise in reaction to the escalated
price of crude oil, yet that’s only the beginning.
With oil at an all-time high, the end consumer will pay more
for everything. Since absolutely everything takes energy to produce,
products that require the burning of copious amounts of fossil fuel
will cost considerably more.
Or at least they should.
So why are we still seeing hamburgers on sale at fast food
restaurants for under $1? When a locally-grown organic apple that
uses a fraction of the energy to produce costs the same, or more?
How is it that something with an inordinate draw on fossil fuel
can cost the consumer so little? The short answer: government
subsidies.
In the US, these happen through legislation known as the
Farm Bill – the government’s chief food policy tool. While it was
introduced with the best of intentions, the Farm Bill has veered off
course and no longer benefits the people as a whole.
It was originally brought about with the aim of achieving food
security and helping struggling famers make enough money to
stay in business. However, the subsidies became misdirected.
They began chiefly flowing to the meat and dairy industry. Had
the government not stepped in and bailed out this exceptionally
inefficient industry with subsidies, meat and dairy would be
cost-prohibitive to almost all consumers. Instead it turned these
products into cheap commodities, causing consumption to
skyrocket – and with it pollution and disease.
Such is the fossil fuel usage involved that almost no one would be
able or willing to pay the true price of these products. Experts have
estimated, for example, that a hamburger in a fast food restaurant
50
would cost anything from $12 to $30 if the true costs were reflected
in the price. However, with subsidies structured as they are, the
meat and dairy industry continues to consume resources at an ever-
increasing rate.
What some may find most disturbing is that we, the tax
payers, are footing the bill for this inefficient industry which is so
destructive to both human and environmental wellbeing. The most
health and earth-friendly diet is one comprised of primary-source
nutrition, minimally processed. Primary-source nutrition means
eating solely plant-based foods, without adding the wasteful extra
step of feeding plants to animals and then eating the animal.
By doing this, a considerable amount of energy is conserved –
about 30 per cent in fact. 30 per cent is huge. When energy gains
measured in the one and two percent rage are termed “significant,”
30 per cent is absolutely massive. Imagine if North America reduced
its energy usage by 30 per cent? If every North American were to
eat a diet that was based on primary nutrition that is exactly what
would happen.
As we know, meat and dairy consumption have also been linked
to numerous degenerative diseases. Health costs due to poor diets
have been estimated to be $250 billion per year in the US alone, and
the US National Institute Of Health has predicted that obesity will
lower Americans’ life expectancy by up to five years over the next
few decades. From obesity, to type-two diabetes, to osteoporosis, to
cancer, to the number-one killer in North America, cardiovascular
disease, nearly 100 percent of these cases can be prevented and
reversed by eating a whole food, plant-based diet. The so-called
“diseases of affluence” are one problem that we can eat ourselves
out of.
Brendan Brazier
Sarah Bestis aon whyironman meat and
professional triathlete, author
dairy are anything but cheap,
of the best-selling book The Thrive Diet,
and the creator of the award-winning Vega
no matter Forwhat the price tag
range of whole-food nutritional products.
more information, see BrendanBrazier.
may say. the Vega range are available in the UK and
com and ThriveDiet.com. The book and
Europe from fresh-network.com.
 Almost three-quarters of US
government agricultural aid goes,
either directly or indirectly, to the
meat and dairy industries
cost less than an apple?
Sarah Best on why meat and
dairy are anything but cheap,
no matter what the price tag
may say.
A
ccording to recent estimates almost three-quarters of
US government agricultural aid goes, either directly or
indirectly, to the meat and dairy industries. Vegetable
and fruit growers, meanwhile, muddle by with an almost
non-existent 0.37 per cent.
In other words, the financial assistance flowing to businesses
producing foods that are bad for health and bad for the
environment is 200 times that received by businesses producing the
foods that are best for health and the environment.
Confused? You should be.
But the US government is far from alone in demonstrating a
profound disconnect between its health and environmental policies
and its agricultural policies. This is a phenomenon that exists
throughout the western world.
We are told that agricultural subsidies are necessary to guarantee
a fair income for farmers and ensure food security. But if these
subsidies were really “for the greater good”, they would be focused
squarely on rewarding farmers growing healthy foods using
sustainable methods – thereby (a) encouraging more farmers to
grow these foods and (b) ensuring these foods are affordable for
everyone.
So why is it that the present system does just the opposite?
Two of the most heavily subsidized crops in the US are corn and
soybeans. In both cases, the majority of the harvest is turned into
animal feed, enabling meat and dairy to flood the market as cheap
commodities. Most of the remainder is processed into junk food
mainstays such as high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated
soybean oil.
You don’t have to do much investigation to uncover the fact that
our governments are supporting the production of the very foods
that are responsible for the biggest problems of our time – poor
health, pollution and poverty. What is going on? Who is this actually
benefitting?
In what will surely be looked back on as one of the biggest
scandals of our time, a system that was originally introduced for
the good of the many is now good for only an elite few: those with a
financial interest in “Big Agribusiness”.
Subsidies began in times of hardship – during the Depression in
the United States and after World War Two in Europe. Today they
are a wasteful and destructive anachronism. Western countries
are drowning in food surpluses. At epidemic proportions are the
diseases caused by an excess of cheap food, not by a lack of it.
Yet the world’s wealthiest nations continue to give more than
$300 billion of subsidies to their farmers every year. And in the past
few decades, the biggest food producers have steadily gained the
lion’s share, with an increasingly unsustainable price paid by small-
scale farmers, third-world countries and the environment.
Why? Because of Big Agribusiness’s influence over government
policy. These powerful interests do not only have millions to spend
on propaganda campaigns to ensure that the average person thinks
these products are essential to health. They also have seemingly
bottomless budgets when it comes to lobbying activities designed to
ensure the handouts continue to flow.
And flow they do. Did you know that each European cow attracts
the equivalent of $2.50 a day in subsidies – more money than half
the world’s population has to live on? As Jessica Williams pointed
out in the book 5o Facts That Should Change The World, “What makes
this even more remarkable is that the EU’s cows aren’t the most
heavily subsidized in the world. That prize goes to Japanese cows,
which receive $7.50 every day.”
The unfair advantage enjoyed by livestock farmers includes not
only direct payments, but a host of other benefits such as heavily
subsidized land, grain and water. For example, it costs the US
taxpayer $1 billion a year to keep animal feed growers supplied 
51
“ “Meat-industry subsidies emerge
from what one would think was an
impossible dilemma: how to remake
what has always been a luxury good
– with its high production costs – and
turn it into one that is universally
consumed. It simply cannot be done
without an extremely efficient
PR engine that sees to it that this
industry’s costs are externalized onto
society as a whole. The heavy burden
is transferred back to several victims
that are unable to fight back: the
animals, the environment and the
taxpayers.”
Pamela Rice, 101 Reasons
Why I’m A Vegetarian.

“More people die because of the way

they eat than by tobacco use, accidents
or any other lifestyle or environmental
factor. We know that the incidence of
obesity and diabetes is skyrocketing
and that Americans’ health is slipping
away, and we know what to blame:
diet. So shouldn’t the government be
leading us to better nutrition?”
T.Colin Campbell, The China Study.
“Current agricultural and public health
policy is not coordinated. We heavily
subsidize the growth of foods (e.g.,
corn, soy) that in their processed
forms (e.g., high fructose corn syrup,
hydrogenated corn and soybean
oils, grain-fed cattle) are known
contributors to obesity and associated
chronic diseases, including cancer.”
The 2006-2007 Annual Report of the President’s
Cancer Panel.
Our governments are
supporting the production
of the very foods that are
responsible for the biggest
problems of our time
with irrigation water, so livestock producers can enjoy the kind
of bargains usually only seen in the January sales all year round.
All this, and more, has led to the coining of the phrase “welfare
ranching”.
The privileges don’t stop there, but extend to exemption from
the environmental legislation other industries have to comply with
by law. As Pamela Rice writes in her book 101 Reasons Why I’m A
Vegetarian, “There is no way to put a dollar figure on it all. How
could you put a dollar figure on the exemptions [the livestock]
industry enjoys from the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act?”
The west’s agricultural subsidies create massive surpluses of
both grain and animal products. You’ve probably heard of the EU’s
fabled “grain mountain”, “beef mountain”, “butter mountain” and
“milk lake”. But did you know these gluts are often dumped in the
third-world at rock bottom prices?
Farmers in developing countries can’t compete, so are unable to
operate in their own markets, let alone export their produce. Some
campaigners argue that there would be no hunger or food scarcity in
the world if the affluent west did not artificially cut the prices of its
agricultural products.
Poverty is one world problem the current system of agricultural
subsidies has to answer for. Pollution is another. Leaving aside the
subsidized land, water and grain that factory farming relies on,
if it simply had to pay its own clean-up costs it would cease to be
economically viable.
But while most industries have been required to adapt their

“Compared with a bunch of carrots, a

package of Twinkies, to take one iconic
processed food-like substance as an
example, is a highly complicated, high-
tech piece of manufacture, involving
no fewer than 39 ingredients, many
themselves elaborately manufactured,
as well as the packaging and a
hefty marketing budget. So how
can the supermarket possibly sell a
pair of these synthetic cream-filled
pseudocakes for less than a bunch of
roots? For the answer, you need look
no farther than the farm bill.”
Michael Pollan, New York Times.
Cheap as chips?
Several years ago, obesity researcher Adam Drewnowski
discovered that a dollar buys 1,200 calories of cookies or
potato chips and 875 calories of soda, but only 250 calories
of carrots and 170 calories of orange juice.
In many supermarkets you can buy a whole chicken for
less than the cost of a bag of organic kale. Subsidies have
turned the unhealthiest and least ethically produced foods
into the cheapest foods, and therefore the ones that get
consumed the most.
The purchaser may appear to get the mother of all bargains
at the cash register, but that doesn’t mean that they – and
we – are not paying dearly for these foods in other ways.

52
 ”
ways in response to concern for the environment, agribusiness gets
special treatment. For example, livestock farmers are curiously “In the US we can buy a hamburger
exempt from measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. for 79 cents. The same hamburger
And despite a 2006 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization meat would cost over $12 if it were
of the United Nations which found that livestock production is not for the American taxpayers
responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions (dwarfing subsidizing the grain, the irrigation
transportation’s 13 per cent contribution), agriculture remains a water, the electricity, the grazing on
blind spot in most governments’ climate protection policies. public lands. How many people – even
in America – would go and spend that
But a Germany-based organization called Foodwatch is
amount of money on meat? We can’t
determined to see all this change. It is calling for a radical
afford roads, or schools, or health
restructuring of agricultural subsidies and the introduction of care, and yet we are paying $11.21 for
emissions taxes and environmental duties for livestock farmers. every $12 of something that is helping
These costs would be passed on to the consumer in the shape of kill one out of every two Americans
vastly increased prices for meat and milk products. today.”
And in September of this year the UK-based Food Climate Howard Lyman, cattle-rancher-turned-vegan,
Research Network urged that rationing people to one litre of milk and author of Mad Cowboy.
a week and 500g (1.1lb) of meat is necessary to avoid runaway
climate change. Current average consumption in the UK is “Modern agriculture will have to
change radically if the international
considerably higher at 4.2 litres of milk and 1.6kg (3.5lb) of meat.
community wants to cope with
The recommendation follows a four-year study by the group of the
growing populations and climate
impact of food on climate change thought to be the most thorough change, while avoiding social
of its kind. fragmentation and irreversible
The only question remaining at this stage of the game is whether deterioration of the environment.”
government action to achieve a massive drop in the consumption Salvatore Arico, UNESCO biodiversity expert.
of animal products will be taken in time to prevent the major
environmental catastrophe the planet is heading for, or only after. “The European Union spends enough
And it wouldn’t take a fallback to wartime-style rationing to money each year on farmers to pay
achieve the necessary drop in meat and dairy consumption; just for a round the world trip for all
a restructuring of the subsidies that have turned these foods into 21m European cows. Thanks to the
generosity of Europe’s taxpayers, the
cheap commodities.
cows could touch down in London,
Anyone who thinks this would be a bad idea can take heart from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore,
the example of Poland. The Polish government stopped propping Hanoi, Siem Reap, Brisbane,
up the country’s meat industry in 1995. The result? An almost Raratonga, Los Angeles and San
immediate 25 per cent drop in the incidence of cardiovascular Francisco and still have enough left
disease. Scientists who studied the phenomenon declared it over for £400 spending money each.”
“without precedent in peacetime”. ■ Charlotte Denny and Andrew Clark,
The Guardian.
US government’s subsidies for food production, 1995-2005.
Source: Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine
“RESOLVED, that our American
Vegetables, Fruits 0.37%
Nuts and Legumes 1.91% Medical Association support efforts (1)
Sugar, Oil, Starch, to reduce health disparities by basing
food assistance programs on the
Alcohol 10.69%
Grains 13.23% health needs of their constituents, (2)
to provide vegetables, fruits, legumes,
grains, vegetarian foods, and healthful
nondairy beverages in school lunches
and food assistance programs, and
(3) to ensure that federal subsidies
encourage the consumption of
Meat, Dairy 73.80%
products low in fat and cholesterol.”
The American Medical Association in a
resolution passed by the AMA House of
Delegates in 2007.

53
 Clean on the inside?
Dao Earl investigates a little-understood paradox and explains why colon
cleansing is an important part of your health regime, despite irrefutable
medical evidence to the contrary.
I
f you have an interest in optimum nutrition and holistic health,
chances are you have experimented with colon cleansing, or
at least come across the concept of it. You have also probably
heard the rumour that, unless you follow an ideal diet and
detox regularly, your colon will be coated with a layer of sticky,
dark matter sometimes referred to as “mucoid plaque”.
The idea is that with each ‘less than ideal’ meal, a layer of extra
mucus is secreted to protect the bowel wall against the ferocious
effects of fermenting bacteria. Instead of being swept away by the
next meal of fibrous green matter, each subsequent layer of mucus
gets overlaid by another, and then another – so the popular wisdom
goes – until the inside of your colon is covered, coated and impacted.
Because the colon spends much time drawing out water from
the mix, this material become like tyre rubber. Once truly aged and
hard, this grim coating inhibits the uptake of nutrients, slows the
passage of material through the bowel, and houses the detrimental
bacteria that give off endless waves of toxic materials, stressing the
immune system, and giving rise to candida, IBS, and so on.
This explanation so graphically illustrates the symptoms of a
congesting diet and failing immune system that it is still the basic
argument behind many of the colon cleansing products available
today, and informs much naturopathic lore with regard to food,
fasting and detox.
It was around a century ago that geniuses like Dr. Bernard
Jensen and Victor Irons designed a process of putting fibre
back into the bowel in a big way, to dramatically reverse this
degeneration of the bowel. With great success, they used a
combination of powerful digestive enzymes to soften the unwanted
material, and indigestible fibre to sweep the contents out.
Variations on this theme, along with a juice fast and colonics, are
still generally accepted as the fastest and best means of relieving
the condition, along with its many symptoms of ill health. And the
resulting expelled matter attests to the condition and its resolution.
However, with colonoscopy, which was unavailable to those
proposing the above principles, we can now see that the old matter
at the root of this theory does not actually exist inside the bowel!
So many now veer in the opposite direction, claiming that if the
hardened mucus does not exist, then the process of colon cleansing
is pointless and useless. But let’s keep this in context. The failing
of this explanation should not overshadow the many thousands of
people who have found benefit from the practices. So surely we
must arrive at an evolved understanding, which incorporates the
new information from colonoscopies with the undeniably amazing
results people have achieved through colon cleansing.
Having helped hundreds of colons relieve their troublesome
burdens, and being one of the first (it seems) to admit this minor
hiccup in our founding premise of colon care, I was determined to
get to the bottom of this (pun intended).
I spoke to numerous people in the profession who (in my
opinion) “should” know why we see no physical trace of such
materials in these semi-invasive medical procedures. My searching
for an answer revealed something much worse than a conundrum.
It seems that there is a basic denial of the question on both sides.
54
The medical profession has always denied the existence of such
materials because their modern diagnostic techniques do not reveal
it (but then, they were denying it before these techniques were
developed). They give little heed to the fact that there is something
troubling the bowel long before a patient presents a ‘drug-worthy’
symptom to them.
Meanwhile, the alternative therapists know there is something
wrong with the bowel that affects the whole body, and that it is
also reversible. But many are so stuck on Jensen’s old model that
they don’t question why the alleged material does not feature in
colonoscopy footage.
Either way, the metres of ropey, stinking mess continue to pour
from my clients, and all I can offer them is my own hypothesis.
With the creative and enquiring minds of a couple of maverick
colonic hydrotherapists, plus my own experiences over the years,
it is possible to cobble together a likely explanation. But it is
supposition until proven in any way.
“We must arrive at an evolved
understanding, which incorporates
the new information from
colonoscopies with the undeniably
amazing results people have
achieved through cleansing.”
We know that food that has had its inherent enzyme content
destroyed through cooking, and is then combined in such a way
that inhibits the body’s own digestive secretions, will tend to
ferment rather than digest. As this benefits detrimental bacteria
(more on this in later articles), much toxic waste is produced as they
proliferate.
As this toxic load is a regular event, the bowel wall becomes
saturated and collects what material it cannot cleanse itself of, as
all organs do: In the kidneys and gall bladder this saturation would
become stones; acids in the muscle and fat reserves; calcific spurs
on bones; tar clusters in lungs; and even the brain is subject to the
accumulation of certain metals and toxins.
So, the real situation, it seems, is that there is a heavy toxic
load on the bowel, but it is held in between and inside the cells of
the bowel wall rather than as a coating on the wall. Because the
muscle structures of the bowel wall are very susceptible to tension,
and this inhibiting of blood flow aids the toxic build-up, bowel
muscles are more prone to this than other muscles. So, a system
of colon cleansing must incorporate some components to urge the
cells to release their toxic baggage, and then other components to
sweep it away.
Jensen’s system uses digestive enzymes, which may well provoke
the bowel through mild irritation. Many herbal and “natural”
medicines are poisons employed to provoke a response. Some
systems use herbs to do the provoking, while others use oxygen
processes. To remove these irritants, the bowel sheds extra
lubricating mucus, and throws off toxins too in this process. The
psyllium husks (ancient India seed husks used by Jensen) then
absorb the toxic mucus and carry it from the bowel.
So, many people celebrate their large, dark expulsions during a
retreat with me, or at home using their herbal formulas, without
recognizing that the bulk of the material leaving them was just
the psyllium that went in yesterday! Its darkness is the stuff to be
celebrating the release of, not the vehicle in which it sits.
However, for those who got nothing from their previous colonic,
there is comfort in the knowledge that if they are continuing to put
the psyllium in, then even if their next colonic still produces nothing,
the one following that will be an avalanche worthy of photos!
So, under this new paradigm, it is the combined factors of
eating only irritants (sorry if that is an unsavoury term, but let’s be
real here), and bulk for a week, that ensures that all of the material
leaving the bowel is loaded with toxic junk. There was no digestive
(absorbing) work to be performed in these ‘meals’ and so all
available energy goes in the direction of detoxification (expelling).
If one is eating normally, and there is no provocation to promote
additional detox, then surely the material released in a colonic
session is just stuff that would come out anyway, regardless of how
well-meaning and professional the therapist.
Lastly, whenever the colon is washed in this unnatural way,
we lose much of the bacterial content. As most people’s bacterial
balance is in favour of detrimental bacteria in the first place (thus
the need for colonics), this is no bad thing. However, cleansing
the colon really means ridding it of the by-products of detrimental
bacteria, and there is a danger that the bacterial vacuum left
behind will just get filled with more detrimental bacteria, and leave
you exactly where you were.
So, replace the good guys in serious abundance. The diligent
use of both prebiotics and probiotics for around a month after a
cleanse cannot be stressed highly enough. This is undoubtedly the
single most important thing you can do as a follow up.
As a final note on that I would say that the probiotic we all
know, acidophilus, is not actually that useful for successful digestive
processes. It is simply the easiest and cheapest to produce. Look for
a probiotic that has a wide variety of strains. And on the prebiotic
front, getting a simple F.O.S. supplement will work wonders for
feeding those inhabiting armies of yours. Fructo-Oligo-Saccharides
are the sugars that your body effectively spoon-feeds into the
bowel to boost the bacteria it likes.
Of course we would be getting a constant top-up of these
things from the jungle diet we evolved on. But as we now live and
eat so far from the source, we have lost many of the key factors
in our health. Replacing a few of the more important ones – even
with products sometimes – can make a real difference. ■

Dao Earl
runs week-long detox retreats in Devon,
UK. His daily nutritional talks are usually
the high-point of each person’s week,
and form part of the holistic approach
achieved by his team and their expertise in
awareness meditation, homeopathy, mas-
sage, food intolerance testing, yoga, and
the relaxing beauty of 5 star rural Devon.

55
 The missing link
Colonics are the single most important tool you can use to enhance the
results of your raw lifestyle, says Matt Monarch
Y
ou probably know that water
fasting is the ultimate in
cleansing, but do you know why
it is so cleansing? It’s because
you are leaving everything out
of your diet except water. A raw lifestyle
detoxifies the body because all food is
omitted except raw food. In this light, a raw
lifestyle can be considered a life-long fast.
Thanks to years and years of poor
eating…no, scratch that...thanks to
generations and generations of poor
eating, we have evolved into walking trash
cans. When you choose a raw or high raw
lifestyle, your cells start to drain this waste.
This cleansing and detoxification process
doesn’t take two to three months or a few
years to complete. It will continue until the
day we die.
So make no mistake: if you adopt
a cleansing diet you are going to be
detoxifying environmental toxins, toxins
from stress (adrenaline), defunct cells
and other by-products, food residues and
accumulated gaseous waste from your cells
for the rest of your life.
Why? Because when you choose such a
diet, you stop taking into your body those
“foods” that are the most damaging and
obstructive to it. Your cells, which until now
have been getting gradually packed with
more and more waste, finally get a chance
to “exhale”. They begin to release all that
accumulated, toxic matter into your system.
When we adhere to a raw food lifestyle,
the body cleanses a lot more than we might
think. I am of the strong opinion that if
you eat a raw diet without periodic colon
cleansing, then you are setting yourself
up for failure. Even if you are having good
bowel movements, three times a day,
56
not all the waste is coming out! Colonic
hydrotherapy helps us to clean our system
of this accumulated waste and move
onwards into more vibrant health.
A very high percentage of people who
attempt to “go raw” do not stay on this
path. At some point, they run into issues.
When these issues arise, they may tinker
around with their diet, adding certain
things (more greens, vegetable juices,
enzymes or other supplements) and cutting
down on others (usually fats and/or sugars).
However as time goes by, regardless of
the changes they make, at some point
they end up with issues again, unless they
are helping the body to remove the waste
products that this lifestyle causes the cells
to offload.
“I am of the strong
opinion that if you eat a
raw diet without periodic
colon cleansing, then
you are setting yourself
up for failure.”
Without additional cleansing, toxins are
stirred up faster than they are eliminated,
resulting in continual cravings and loss
of energy. Often, the raw eater who
refuses colonics is unconsciously forced
to compromise their diet in order to slow
down detoxification.
In conjunction with a raw diet, colon
hydrotherapy is the most powerful tool that
anyone can utilize for detoxification. In fact
it is a miracle! Rashes, psoriasis and other
skin blemishes clear up, breathing becomes
easier and deeper, body odour leaves,
infections disappear, the brain functions
better, and you are catapulted onto what I
call the “super-sonic jet plane” pathway to
health.
If a 100% raw food lifestyle and periodic
colon cleansing are continued, you will
rapidly seem to become younger, you
will become more beautiful your skin will
become silky smooth and it will shine and
glow. All foul odour will leave your body,
and you will experience greatly heightened
spiritual receptivity.
Ironically, someone who eats a very
cleansing diet should do colon hydrotherapy
more often than someone who does not,
due to the fact that such a diet means the
cells are constantly throwing off a higher
volume of waste matter which needs to be
helped out of the body. In my experience,
for optimal health it is necessary to do
a minimum of one colonic every month.
The people getting the best results on raw
diets are those who understand the “life-
long fast” concept and adopt the regular
practice of colonic hydrotherapy. ■
Matt Monarch
is author of the books Raw Spirit and
Raw Success and a popular speaker on
the subject of raw food, cleansing, and
optimal health. For more information
see RawSpirit.org.
 COMING NEXT QUARTER

The seven non-dietary

rules of superior health
The truth about eating disorders

Exclusive interviews
Daniel Vitalis
Karen Knowler
Storm and Jinjee Talifero

Male infertility
The causes, the solutions

Christmas party food

Guide to converting your
favourite cooked recipes to raw

ON SALE FROM DECEMBER 15

 The no-food diet
Sarma Melngailis leaves Manhattan behind
and heads to rural upstate New York for a
week of rest, relaxation and raw juice.
S
ome people call themselves experts or even gurus on
nutrition, raw foods, weight loss, enlightenment,
or all of those. They write and/or speak publicly
about conclusions they’ve arrived at through years
of experience and diligent research. I, on the other
hand, don’t claim to have conclusively figured out much, nor do
I have time for hours of detailed investigation. I just try things
for myself and write about it while I’m sorting it all out. Like
a guinea pig with a notepad, tossing out random hypotheses.
The latest trial? I finally did a juice fast. Yes…a juice fast,
juice feast, juice fiesta, call it whatever you want. The point is,
just juice. I’ve spent more than five years living on mostly raw
foods and immersed in the world of raw foods, and I’d never
done a juice fast, nor any kind of fast. But late one Sunday night
I was sitting on my couch reading a recent issue of Get Fresh!
and trying to think of what to write for my next installment. I
came across a feature on Sura Detox in Devon. With photos of
lovely-looking stone cottages in the sunny and green English
countryside, the piece described a week-long cleansing juice
fast getaway. It included mention of the retreat’s heated indoor
pool, pine sauna, and on-staff masseurs. It also reported
that guests experienced an average weight loss of ten pounds
along with the clearing of emotional blockages, and that they
“tend to sleep more than they’ve ever slept in their lives.”
As soon as I read this, I started to cry. I had pounds to
lose, blockages to clear up, and most of all, a serious rest and
relaxation deficiency to repair! I wanted to go there, now. I
immediately went to the website and sent them an email.
Then I looked up flights to England. Ouch. The expense
of flying overseas, plus the fact that their next availability
was not for a couple of months, made me designate
this as Plan B, and I turned to figuring out a Plan A.
After only a few minutes of searching online, I found a
place that sounded comparable. It was called Gentle Earth
58
Retreats and was in Ithaca, New York, only a four hour
drive from Manhattan. There was a seven-day programme
starting in just over a week. Perfect! According to the
photos online, it looked like a sweet and comfortable place
and was run by a pretty woman named Katherine.
As per my usual pre-travel style, I stayed up all night long
before I was to leave on a 5:30a.m. bus. I had a lot to prepare
for. I imagined that I would be having loads of free time during
which I could finally finish writing my book. It was more than
nine months overdue and I was feeling pregnant with a book
that I desperately wanted to give birth to. I had to organize
and haul with me all kinds of research notes, my entire 380-
page printed manuscript draft, and more. I packed a lot.
Arriving at the NYC bus terminal at 5 o’clock in the morning,
I quickly understood why everyone had been questioning
my choice of transportation: “You’re taking the bus??” I had
actually never taken a bus in my life, and didn’t understand
what the big deal was. I don’t recommend going to the NYC
bus terminal at 5 o’clock in the morning. Especially if you’re a
girl in a summer dress – made extra vulnerable by having far
too many heavy bags strapped on, like an overloaded donkey. A
security guard examined my ticket and finally mumbled, “Gate
12” and directed me all the way to the other side of the terminal.
I hauled myself and my bags through creepy underground
areas where I didn’t see a single other person. Finally at Gate
12, I plopped everything down and pulled out a fresh green
juice from my bag. It was sweet and bright tasting – a mix of
cucumber, chard, cilantro, lime and pineapple. In this dirty and
disturbing environment, it was like I’d opened a bottle from
which rays of sunshine and chirping happy birds poured forth.
Meanwhile, I looked around for some kind of confirmation
that I was in the right place, but found nothing. An old janitor
who I recognized having seen on the other side of the terminal
came walking by. He smiled at me and asked what I was
doing all alone all the way over on this side of the terminal.
I showed him my ticket and he said, “Oh, your bus leaves
from gate 62! That’s back where you came from!” Oh how
wonderful, that’s just perfect. I had trekked through the scary
terminal dungeons for no reason and now I was running late.
I strapped myself up like a mule again and started the trek
back, trying to race-walk steadily enough so as not to strangle
myself with the bag straps criss-crossed around my neck
and across my torso. I barely made it to the right bus on
time, and the driver sternly reprimanded me while I tried
to throw my bags in before he slammed the luggage doors
shut. He had one of those big, protruding man-bellies that
looks like it may pop at any moment. No wonder he was
grumpy. I was a bit concerned about his role as our chauffeur
in this giant metal box that would soon be speeding down
a highway surrounded by other speeding metal boxes.
As we pulled out of the station, the driver barked into the
speaker about the duration of the ride, the rules about cell
phone usage, the bathroom on board (yeah right), and the
weather forecast. It was oppressively hot and humid with dark
clouds, drizzling rain and an overall air of major dreariness.
A short-haired, old, and stout woman-that-looked-more-
like-a-man a few rows behind me ignored his discouragement
of cell phone use and began loudly shouting into hers in
Russian. Thank you, Universe, for iPods! I started listening
to an audio book and I was so sleepy that somehow I dozed
off listening to the odd and very loud cacophony of voices.

I had pounds to lose,

blockages to clear up,
and most of all, a serious
rest and relaxation
deficiency to repair.
Then something remarkable happened. I woke to see we were
no longer in Manhattan. There were trees everywhere and
loads of lush and freshly rained upon greenery all around.
The sun was shining through the clouds, and the bright blue
sky and everything else out there looked magical. I looked
over at my once surly seat companion and she looked back
at me with a lovely smile, as if a completely new person. And
there were no sounds from the robot lady. Everyone was quiet.
In fact everyone looked peaceful, and everything suddenly
felt peaceful. It occurred to me I might be dreaming, in a
Dorothy-in-Oz kind of way, which was a bit unnerving.
The driver announced we were making a fifteen minute
stop. We pulled off the highway into a Burger King. He advised
us to use the bathroom quickly and to order our food “to
go” since we would be leaving again shortly. I was among
the very few passengers that did not buy any food. Instead I
pulled out another green juice, now slightly warm but still so
good. While sipping it slowly, I became morbidly fascinated
watching everyone eat Burger King’s “French Toast Stix”
and French fries at 7 o’clock in the morning. It made me

59
 look forward to my week of fresh organic juices even more.
Then I noticed the driver outside. My concern over his
being our driver only grew as I watched him through the
window sitting at a picnic table consuming a Burger King
“Croissan’wich” with alarming speed. What if he has a heart
attack while driving? Or slips into a food coma? What about
his large cup of coffee? Is there a point to having both? Perhaps
they kind of cancel each other out? One sedates and the
other stimulates? And what must French people think of the
overuse of their country’s nationality and signature breakfast
pastry in our culture’s fast food fare? These questions and
more filled my mind as we set off for the rest of the trip.
Arriving in Ithaca was a welcome relief. I couldn’t remember
the last time I’d seen corn fields and grazing cows. Talking
to Katherine on the journey from the station was easy and
comforting and before I knew it we had arrived. Pulling into
the driveway, it all felt idyllic—like I was staying at a friend’s
country home. In fact, it was her home, which made it that
much more comfortable. Over the course of the day, I met
the eight other guests. None were of a raw food or vegan
persuasion, and all had very different backgrounds, but
they were good company and really nice to get to know.
Aside from the totally optional daily group discussion
and yoga class, there was no schedule. Juices were made
fresh every two hours, plus a glass of tangy rejuvelac in the
afternoon and frozen fruit sorbet in the evening. We made
our own tea in the kitchen, where Katherine’s two lovely
children washed vegetables and juiced pretty much all day
long. Besides the lack of structure and formality, what I
loved about all of this was the feeling of being cared for.
A juice fast under these comforting conditions feels easy,
and like a relief. I felt very lucky to be there. Katherine was
extremely knowledgeable, warm and engagingly helpful.
She didn’t lecture about what we could or couldn’t do, or
should and shouldn’t do. Everything was just offered.
Daily coffee enemas were part of the suggested daily
cleansing. The coffee is meant to help stimulate the liver and
speed up detoxification. While Katherine explained to the
bewildered (and now slightly anxious-looking) group how
to assemble the bag with the tubing, as well as the proper
insertion method, I was tempted to yawn aloud and brag
that I’d already been through this ho-hum drill before.
The truth is, I had only done it once, and five years earlier.
It was during my early days on raw food when I would pretty
much do anything anyone suggested. I was in a relationship
with my then collaborator in business and we
were both totally new to raw food and
full of eager enthusiasm – so
much so that per someone’s
recommendation we bought
“his and hers” enema bags.
We brewed the coffee, sat
on the floor together to
60
assemble the bags, and then retreated to our own bathrooms
where we called each other from our cell phones to sort
out the rest of the confusion along the way. I remembered
having found the whole process very strange, and we’d
never repeated it after that one time. Still, I figured,
it’s been five years now, why not give it another go?
The following day we were given big jars of freshly brewed
organic coffee. It smelled good, and I wondered out loud
if anyone ever took it back to their rooms and drank it.
Katherine’s reply surprised me. “Sure, you can drink it if you
want to!” I instead expected she’d say, “Oh no, you can’t do
that!” After thinking about it for a while, I realized that if she
had said the latter, I may have ended up having a rebellious
sip or two once alone in my room, in the spirit of asserting to
myself the fact that I can do whatever I want. But since she’d
just pointed that out, I didn’t need to prove it. What a relief!
My second try at the coffee enema ended much like my
first. It felt more awkward and disturbing than cleansing or
refreshing. While the logic supporting it seemed sensible
enough, I concluded that the coffee enema was indeed
not for me. I still wanted to drink it, not force it into the
other end. During the rest of my stay, I never picked up
my daily “coffee” again, and I was never asked about it.
Once more, this sort of freedom was much appreciated.
But by my third day I
sat in my room sensing
that there was a wildly
deprived crazed junkie
inside of me that wanted
to chew on the bed frame.
Overall, it was an entirely comfortable and peaceful
environment. I had forgotten what crickets at night sound
like. I felt so relaxed and noticeably not hungry. Of course,
it also helped that, aside from a few melons and bananas
here and there (that I couldn’t help eyeballing), there
wasn’t anything tempting to eat lying around. This vacation
from food was also a relief in many ways. Physically, I felt
really good and like my body didn’t even want or need any
solid food. I was feeling highly nourished on the juice.
But by my third day I sat in my room sensing that there was
a wildly deprived crazed junkie inside of me that wanted to
chew on the bed frame. Despite the total absence of physical
hunger, I just really wanted to eat and I had the strong sense
that this particular urge would not be satisfied and relieved
by a reasonable small quantity of food (since I wasn’t really
hungry anyway). No, I wanted to stuff myself. I was having
visions of a giant bathtub (literally) full of my favourite salad
and chowing down on the whole thing. At least my visions
were of healthy food. I concluded therefore that it had to do
with the actual filling of something, but I wasn’t sure what.
Eating numbs the emotions because when your body
is eating you can’t actually feel anything else. A wise lady
once told me that there is nothing but love and fear: if it’s
not love, then anything else (anger, depression, etc) is just
a manifestation of fear. I wasn’t sure what I was afraid of,
though I could imagine on some level that facing reality
without the insulation of food in one’s belly could be scary.
By the time day five rolled around, I was still waiting for
the clarity to set in. Where was it? I’d heard it strikes around
day four. Your mind opens up and massive productivity
ensues. I needed this so I could finish my book, finish this
article, finish all my emails, and outline grand plans. I
wanted to be a machine of creative efficiency! Instead, I
only felt the overwhelming desire to sleep even more. And
I couldn’t even fall asleep, so all I could do was lie down
and do… nothing. I felt too lazy to even sit up and write.
Couldn’t someone please design the reclining keyboard/
monitor set-up that I have envisioned so many times in my
mind, which would allow me to work while lying down?
Instead I watched a DVD called “You Can Heal Yourself.” Yay!
I was going to be healed! As the film recommended, I spent
time staring into the mirror trying to say “I love you” without
feeling awkward. I was definitely going to need practice at this.
It probably comes as no surprise that I was crying quite
a bit throughout the week. Yes, having no solid food to eat
could be reason enough to shed tears, but of course that
wasn’t it. I felt an awkward and uncomfortable sense of…
sobriety. Like I wanted to reach for a blanket to hide under,
but there was no blanket (figuratively). I wondered if this was
remotely akin to what a heroin addict feels while in rehab.
It seems very natural that people (and animals) just
want to be free, and that when we’re ordered around or
constrained, it generally induces anxiety and resentment.
So where is the happy medium? At thirty-six years old,
I should be able to calmly self-regulate what I put in my
mouth, right? My brain and my heart had long known that
a juice fast would be good for me and I couldn’t wait for
how it would feel. But any time I had imposed on myself a
sentence of juice-only at home, I didn’t even last a full day.
There is a tendency for some people (myself apparently
one of them) to form addictions and attachments to food (and
I’m talking food of the solid, chewable variety). Recognizing
this is easier when you put yourself in an environment where
there is no food but meanwhile there is ample fresh, organic
juice to keep you from going hungry, as well as all sorts
of other comforts and nothing to be stressed out about.
My crazy urges to eat did pass, such that by the end
of the week I was even thinking that I could just live this
way forever. It feels too good and I really liked the extra
glow. And I was no longer craving solid foods. In fact,
solid foods felt very unappealing because I was feeling
so great and didn’t want to lose that clean lightness.
I also realized I don’t want to eat mindlessly any longer,
while distracted and anxious with work or something
else. I want to focus on my food, appreciate it, and enjoy
it without that anxious awareness of a compulsive factor:
either trying to control my eating, or slipping into being
controlled by it. These are some of the old habits that
don’t die easy, even on raw foods. I knew I could feel so
much better without them, and I was convinced that I’d
return to New York and stay on liquids for some time,
and then only ease into my favourite green shakes.
At thirty-six years old, I
should be able to calmly
self-regulate what I put in
my mouth, right?
Safely back home, sitting in the garden at Pure Food and Wine,
my plan of staying on just juice didn’t last too long. I drank
plenty of juice, but there were also new dishes on the menu to
try, like the Golden Chanterelle Mushroom and Yuzu Ceviche
with Heirloom Cherry Tomato Salsa and Avocado Pineapple
Purée. Or the Summer Truffle and Parsnip Ravioli with
Horseradish Vanilla Cream, Baby White Asparagus, and Pickled
Radish. Tasting these was nice, but I didn’t have any urge to
have more than just a few mouthfuls. With that I eased my way
back into solid food, and what a nice way to ease back it was.
I thought about the ride back to Manhattan from Ithaca (it
was the same driver again, by the way). This time the stopover
was an Arby’s next to a Mini-Mart. I’d once more been
fascinated by all the consumption of fries and fried onion rings
for breakfast with soda and milkshakes. I watched one man
walk back to the bus with a big bag of fried potato crisps and
a 2-litre bottle of orange soda. How is it that everyone gets so
easily used to this way of feeding themselves? Even if they’re
feeling okay, do they know that it’s possible to feel much better?
Whatever issues I still have to sort out, this trip only
reaffirmed my determination to do what I can to help
change the world. Or at least to help change the selection
of what is available for breakfast along the highways.
Sarma Melngailis
is the co-founder, owner and executive chef of
premier New York raw restaurant Pure Food and
Wine. She is also co-author of Raw Food, Real
World and founder and CEO of One Lucky Duck,
which operates an online boutique offering selected
products for the raw and organic lifestyle. For more
information see PureFoodAndWine.com and
OneLuckyDuck.com.
61
Challenging
your raw beliefs
If you want to change your diet, first change your mind says Karen
Knowler. In the third and final part of her series on identifying
whether your beliefs around food are helping or hindering you, Karen
presents an actual coaching call she did with a client who wanted to go
raw, but needed a helping hand to do so.
I
n the last issue I shared some powerful coaching questions,
specifically created for those who struggle to go or stay raw.
Since then I have received a lot of positive feedback, with
many experiencing epiphanies and insights they hadn’t been
conscious of before. Congratulations! It’s so freeing and
exciting to get over a previously invisible roadblock and I hope you
will keep those questions and refer to them often! I have been in an all-raw phase; they wanted to “treat me” to
In this issue we continue with coaching client Susan (name
changed), who kindly gave me permission to print extracts
from a coaching call I had with her after she answered these
same questions. (Her answers to the questions were published
in the last issue.) Just to remind you, Susan was 31 when I
coached her and had been trying to go raw for five years.
When she finally felt enough was enough and wanted to get
to the bottom of why she couldn’t stay raw for more than a
few months she came to me. This dialogue begins at the point
where we started getting into the actual coaching session:
Karen So Susan, thank you for completing the questionnaire
I sent you. It certainly was very interesting reading. Did you
have any “aha” moments as you worked through it?
Susan Yes, quite a few actually. There were definitely
some themes in there around both cooked and raw foods,
many of which I hadn’t consciously realized before.
Karen Which ones stood out to you
about cooked food specifically?
Susan Definitely the comfort thing and the wanting to
be “normal” and accepted, especially by my family.
Karen And what about the raw food themes?
Susan Well it’s very clear on paper that it makes complete
sense to me. Deep down in my heart I know it’s what I
want; it’s just the other stuff that’s holding me back.
Karen Before we start, I want to talk about the final question,
question 22. Your answer to the question, “If you had to
give three words to sum yourself up if you went fully raw and
your most beautiful vision came true, what would they be?”
was: “Vibrant, sexy, strong.” Please could you share more
about each of those words and why you chose them?
Susan Sure. Well, vibrant for me is all about living life to the
full and having tons of energy and passion for life. I am fairly
vibrant already, but I know that on raw the volume is turned
way up! As for sexy, well I guess part of me has a fear that many
men might find raw food a turn off. Certainly I have dated a
few men who have seen it as a bit of a pain in restaurants when
something a bit more exotic and all I wanted was the salad, so
I think that to them eating raw isn’t very sexy. My thinking is
that with a raw body I would be more attractive and hopefully
that might compensate somehow. Does that make sense?
Karen Yes, absolutely. I would ask you to ask yourself
now, “How does cooked food make me sexy?”
Susan Oh, now you’ve got me! I guess it’s just
about fitting in, maybe sharing a meal and that
bonding thing, which I suppose can be sexy.
Karen Do you actually feel sexy with cooked food in your belly?
Susan Nope – quite the opposite. OK, I think I’m sold! Thanks!
Karen Quick work! Well you can dig a bit deeper
with that question later if you like, to make sure
you really got it. So, tell me about strong...
Susan Strong means a couple of things to me. First of all, literally
speaking I know that when I exercise on raw foods I do feel
stronger, more compact and agile, all those kinds of things. With a
cooked body the “fit experience” just isn’t the same. On another
level, strong to me means emotionally being tough enough to deal
with life and to go after what I want, not what others want for me
or think would be best. I just want to be my own person really.
Karen Great. So let’s look at that for a second. Where do
you think you’re not your own person at the moment?
Susan Well, you can probably tell from my form and some
of what I’ve said already that what others think of me does
have an impact. I definitely let others’ opinions of me carry
a lot of sway, much more than is probably healthy.
Karen I would agree your answers so far definitely would
suggest this. However, this is pretty common. I know it affected
me a huge amount in my earlier years. I was constantly making
compromises. That said, in hindsight I realized that sometimes I
63
 used other people as an excuse to make
compromises. Sometimes when I wanted
to eat cooked food, it was just easier to
blame other people! Do you think there
might be any of that going on with you?
Susan Hmmm, yes, probably! I mean,
I do like cooked food, it’s just I know
I feel so much better on raw food. I
guess it is pretty easy to blame other
people when they’re not very supportive.
That’s a good point – ugh – you’ve got
me! Thanks. I have to own that one.
Karen Absolutely and it’s good to be that
honest, and important too because then
you are in that strong position you aspire
to. We have to take responsibility for our
actions even when we’re not proud of
them. Only then can we change them. So
let me ask you, if you were the only person
on the planet and could eat whatever
you wanted without any judgement from
yourself or from others, what would it be?
Susan Raw food.
Karen Are you 100% sure? I want
you to really “go there” and feel
what’s really the truth for you there.
Susan Yes, it’s still raw. It’s very
liberating! I’m pleasantly surprised!
Karen I’d love to hear more about
what you see and feel. Where do
you see yourself, what are you eating
exactly? How does it make you feel?
Susan I see myself living in a little
cottage in the country – it’s a place I have
thought of many times before although
I have no clue where it is. I love it here,
it’s so quiet and peaceful and I get to do
whatever I want. My food is actually very
simple but very imaginative. My salads
are amazing – there are flowers in there
and everything! Everything tastes so good
because I am so conscious about what
it is I am eating and I only eat when I’m
really hungry. My life is very exciting, the
food just complements it. Even though
the food is very simple I am getting so
much pleasure from it. I think some raw
cakes feature in there on occasion, but
generally it’s super clean salads, juices
and smoothies, lots of fruit and greens,
and I feel amazing! I like it here!!
Karen Would you like what you
see to become your reality?
Susan Gosh, well, yes... But it seems a
bit of a step from where I am right now.
Karen Well, in some ways it is and in
many ways it’s not. It’s important to
recognize that most of your experience
of life is about perception and choices
that you make based on that perception.
To date you have been perceiving many
64
unsupportive things about going raw and
the people around you and they have
been holding you back. Underneath the
dross of all the thoughts, worries and
day-to-day life experiences there is a
pure message trying to get through to
you, one that has been there for many
years now. Does that seem fair to say?
Susan Yes absolutely. But how do I get
from here to that place I just saw?
Karen It starts with a decision. You need
to decide that that’s what you want for
yourself. It’s already in your heart but your
head has been overruling it with a whole
plethora of stories and fears. The conviction
needs to be full and complete, from every
aspect of yourself. Your body clearly feels
best on raw, your heart wants it, but your
head is not convinced – it has a lot to say
on the subject as we know. And your soul…
As much as I’d
love to say “just
eat salad” it really
does extend way
beyond that
let’s talk about your soul for a moment.
First of all, do you have an understanding
or idea about what your soul or spirit is?
Susan Yes, I think so. Is it that part of
us that is more spiritual and that is our
highest self, who we really are, maybe?
Karen That’s not too far off. Most people
have varying ideas about what a soul is
or isn’t, but my understanding is that it’s
the part of us that is eternal, the part that
lives on after we “die”, that is the truth
of who we are and goes way beyond our
personality. Our personality is the part that
we show to the world, it’s who we often
come to believe we are, the identity we
take on to function in the world; the bit
that gets us through. It is the part that
strangers see, the part that can embody
our soul if we choose for it to do so,
but for most people it is who they think
they are, created from a combination
of experiences, beliefs, behaviours and
so forth, rather than the actual truth.
Susan Wow. That’s interesting.
Karen Do you have an idea where
we might be going with this?
Susan Um, are you saying that I need to
bring more of my soul into my personality?
Karen Kind of. What I am inviting you to
consider is that to date, like most if not
all of us are prone to do, you have been
operating from a limited perspective of
who you are, and have made decisions
and choices based on more “earthly”
perceptions. For example, while you may
see yourself as Susan Jones, I see you as
way more than that. I see your potential
rather than your current reality. From the
moment we are born we are taught to
identify with our name and the family we
are born into, so unless we are very aware
and awake we run the risk of living our life
from this limited “boxed up” perspective
believing this is who we are and playing
to that. My job is to help you excavate
deeply enough so we can get to the real
truth. From that place the real, long-lasting
work can be done and it will act as your
rock and foundation moving forward.
Susan If you don’t mind me asking, is
that what you had to do to go raw?
Karen Yes, I had to do a lot of deep
inner work. There are some cases of
people who have gone raw overnight
and stayed there, but these people are
definitely the exception rather than the
rule. Some people can simply make the
decision and they’re done. All I can say
is that they must have a super powerful
mind or a will of iron! For me it took five
years to stick with raw. I had a lot of inner
work to do, which is why I now coach,
because I don’t want other people to yo-yo
and feel as lost and confused as I did!
Susan Wow. That’s interesting.
So what do I need to do?
Karen I think the first step is to take
a big step back from your life and ask
yourself, “What do I really want?”,
and I’m not talking about food here.
Susan Do you mean like my whole life?
Karen Yes. Do you have any dreams
or goals you want to go after?
Susan I have a few but I haven’t
done anything about them.
Karen Can you share one with me?
Susan Sure, well the first is to buy a home
just like the one I described to you earlier.
I’ve moved around a lot in my life and
have tended to live mostly in cities or big
towns. It’s not really where I want to be.
Karen Right. Well it’s no coincidence
that that’s the first place you went
when I asked you that question earlier!
That is your soul’s chosen place to be.
Are you prepared to go after that?
Susan Goodness, well, I’d definitely
love to... Ooh, you’ve got me thinking
now! I’m feeling very odd!
Karen As you probably have realized
by now, going raw is about way more
than eating raw food. It’s about stripping
away all that isn’t real and leaving pure
authenticity. It means showing up as the
true you, doing things which genuinely
make you happy and stepping into however
love, truth and integrity show up for you.
Susan Wow, that’s big! Okay,
so are you saying that in order
to go raw I have to do this?
Karen Yes, for most people this is what
needs to occur for deep and lasting change.
Susan Well no wonder I have
been struggling! (laughs)
Karen You and many thousands of
others Susan. It is no small deal as you can
see. As much as I’d love to say “just eat
salad” it really does extend way beyond
that and that’s why we absolutely have
to start with the truth of who you really
are, what you really want and the highest
and brightest vision that you hold for
yourself and your life, otherwise you will
fall off the wagon over and over, as the
vibration of raw food is too high to sustain
in your present life circumstances. Things
have to change. Does that make sense?
Susan Well as surprised as I am to say
this, yes it really does. It has actually made
things incredibly clear. I’ve been trying to
live someone else’s life. I can’t believe it.
This is....well, a revelation! I’m in shock.
Karen Don’t worry – that’s normal!
The thing is, without this essential
understanding it’s like building on
sand. It is one of the least talked-about
aspects of going and staying raw and
yet it’s totally foundational, at least for
the staying raw part. It doesn’t happen
overnight; it’s a continual journey of
unravelling and exploration. But when
you know what you’re dealing with then
you can check in with yourself each time
you get the urge to do something that
doesn’t feel good and ask, “Where am
I making this decision from?” I’d like
you to write that question down please
because you’ll find it incredibly useful.
Susan Okay, yes I think I can see that.
Karen I know you have a lot to be thinking
about, but I suggest we spend the last
ten minutes or so looking again at your
answers to question number one, as this
is one of the most important for you. This
is the question, “When I think of cooked
food I think...” Taking a fresh look at your
answers now, what’s coming up for you?
Susan Well I can see right away that
they’re mostly about other people.
It’s about people-pleasing I think.
That, combined with comfort.
Karen Good, that’s what I’m seeing too.
So my question to you is: Who do you
need to be moving forward so that you
can honour your desire to eat raw?
Susan Stronger I guess. More myself.
Strong in my decision, unwavering.
Karen Good. Now I’d like you to really
feel into your body here and have the
whole of you united in answering that
question. So what I’d like you to do is
become the you that only eats raw food
and that lives in that country cottage
and lives the life of her dreams and
answer the question from that place.
Susan Oooh, this is different... From this
place it is a no-brainer. It’s just something
I do, it’s no big deal, people actually
love me for it, they admire me and think
I am so much better for it – happier,
more joyful, healthier, an inspiration.
Gosh, where did all that come from?
Karen From your raw self!
Congratulations! So what’s going
on for you right now?
Susan Well, I actually have tears in
my eyes. This is the place I’ve been
avoiding for years and now I’m
here and it feels scary as hell.
Karen Do you know why
you’re feeling this way?
Susan Because it’s what I really want
but I have never held myself to this
standard before, and I know if I say
yes, then everything changes.
Karen You’re right, it does. The question
is: Are you ready? Now bear in mind that
sometimes people reach this place many
times before they can answer yes to this
question, so don’t feel pressurised. It’s like
trying to force giving birth! It will hurt if
you push too hard or too soon! So just be
honest. Just ask yourself from the most
loving, gentle and compassionate place
that you can, “Am I ready?” I’ll give you
some time to think about that. Close your
eyes and feel deep into yourself and ask
the question to that deep, sacred space.
Susan Oh my goodness.
Karen What’s happening?
Susan I am ready and what I
heard was, “You’ve always been
ready”. I think I’m going to cry.
Karen What does that mean to you?
Susan It means that all the reasons
I gave have been excuses. I mean,
they felt real, but they’ve all been
excuses. So what do I do?
Karen Well, I can say for sure that you’re
going to need a lot of support at this time.
It’s like the caterpillar preparing to enter
the chrysalis. A lot of changes are going
to occur now and it might feel scary a lot
of the time as you let go of old stuff that
hasn’t been serving you. Congratulations
on being brave enough and open enough
to go there; to be in that place of
vulnerability and surrender. Most people are
scared stiff of going to that place, hence
the reason addiction is so prevalent in our
society. The good news is that although
there is so much further to go it only
gets better, providing you approach it in
a compassionate, heart-led manner. It is
really something of a hero’s journey. When
you say “yes” to raw you say yes to life
and that can and often does mean huge
change, depending on how far you have
strayed from your true, most soulful path.
Susan I’m still in shock. It’s so
clear to me now why I couldn’t go
raw before. I just never would have
guessed this. I’m so grateful that you
shared this with me. Thank you.
Karen You’re welcome, but really, to not
do so would not have helped you long
term. We could have talked about salads
and smoothies and fancy recipes, but
that would have acted like a band aid. I
know this isn’t always what people want
to hear, but as far as I’m concerned it is
the truth and your journey will be all the
more exciting, colourful and vibrant for
it. I believe we are all meant to live our
dreams. For anyone to stay raw, I believe
that you have to go to the soul level, and
this is a place that we’ll be going to in
all of our coaching sessions, at least for
the short term. Does that sound good?
Susan Yes it sounds great! I can see
I’ve got a lot of learning to do, but I
so want to try. I didn’t realize there
was so much to going raw, but as I
said, it does make complete sense, so
I’m on aboard for the ride and looking
forward to seeing where it takes me.
Karen
Knowler
Karen Knowler is
The Raw Food Coach.
Visit her web site for
masses of free raw
food recipes, video
demos, life-changing
coaching articles and information and
the world’s only Raw Coach Training at
TheRawFoodCoach.com or call
+44 (0) 1223 860688 for more details.
65

Thomas Lodi, MD practices
integrative oncology and
homeopathic medicine in
Arizona. After completing his
formal training 22 years ago,
he worked in conventional
medicine for 10 years before
returning to his holistic roots
in search of more effective
and less toxic treatments.
He continued his training
by qualifying in a range of
holistic modalities including
homeopathy, nutrition,
oxidative medicine, chelation
therapy and orthomolecular
medicine. In addition to the
holistic modalities he offers his
patients, the foundation of his
practice is detoxification and
teaching people how and what
to eat. For more information
see AnOasisOfHealing.com
or call (001) 480 834 5414.
Dale Pinnock is a degree-
trained medical herbalist
and nutritionist. He runs a
private clinical practice and
health consultancy called
Natural Solutions. He regularly
features in national press and
on radio discussing nutrition,
natural healing modalities, raw
foods, and herbal medicine.
Dale has been following a
70% living foods diet for the
past 12 years, and has been
researching natural health
and nutrition for the past 14
years. For more information see
DalePinnock.com.
66
Consulting
Room
Q Is it possible to get enough B
vitamins on the raw diet? There
are differing opinions on this, with
some saying it is not at all difficult as long
as you eat a variety of foods, while others
claim you need to supplement. What is
your position, which raw foods are the
best sources of B vitamins, and if you
recommend supplementation, what should
I be looking out for when selecting a good
B-complex supplement?
A
Absolutely!! The B vitamins are
abundant throughout nature, and are
available in almost every major food
group in varying amounts. It is a common
misconception that the removal of animal
foods from our diet will suddenly leave us
depleted and emaciated. Nothing could be
further from the truth.
In the plant kingdom we have some
wonderful food sources of B vitamins, and
these are often of a far higher quality than the
heavy animal-derived foods that many people
in the nutrition world insist we need to eat for
our B’s. Below is by absolutely no means an
exhaustive list, but simply my favourites, and
the ones that I rely on more than any others.
Greens Virtually all green foods are rich
sources of many of the B vitamins. B1
(thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6
(pyridoxine), and biotin (alternately referred
to as B7 and H) are all found in high amounts
in greens such as kale, cavello nero, spinach
and broccoli. Eating and juicing these every
day will provide you with highly bio-available
(i.e. easily absorbed by the body) B vitamins.
And, when eaten raw, these foods will
actually provide you with more than if you
were to eat them cooked. Why? Because the
B vitamins are water-soluble nutrients and are
highly sensitive to extremes of temperature,
so cooking would very quickly leach them out.
The only exception to this rule would be light
stir-frying.
Nuts and seeds Aside from being mineral
powerhouses, nuts and seeds can be valuable
sources of the B vitamins. My preferred source
here would be pumpkin seeds, as these have
the highest concentration that I have come
across, plus can you think of anything more
divine than a smooth luscious pumpkin seed
butter, with lime juice, Bragg’s liquid aminos
and garlic, swamped all over your kale salad?
Sprouted grains If you are happy
consuming grains, then I’d go for it if you
want to up your B vitamin intake. Grains like
brown rice and quinoa are bursting to the hilt
with all the B vitamins, bar B12. And being
sprouted and highly enzymatically active, their
bio-availability is incredibly high! Plus, when
you sprout grains and kick-start their enzyme
activity, many of the common intolerance
issues are taken out of the equation, so I feel
its definitely worth considering.
Now, the real issue for anyone following
a vegan diet, be it raw or otherwise, is
vitamin B12. This nutrient tends to be found
predominantly in animal foods. There are
plants out there that have been shown to
contain B12 – such as spirulina and various
sea vegetables – but evidence to date suggests
that we can’t actually remove it from its
complex chemical bonds within the plant.
B12 is the only water-soluble nutrient
that our body can store. It is held in a pool
in the liver, ready for use as and when it is
needed. This pool lasts anything up to six
years. However, once it is depleted, things
can begin to go awry very quickly. Anaemia-
like symptoms can set in rapidly, and it can
leave us feeling completely washed out and
susceptible to opportunistic infections. (See
last issue, Summer 2008, for a detailed look
at the dangers of B12 deficiency and how to
avoid them.)
Lastly, I’d recommend a B-complex
supplement in all circumstances, because the
physiological impact of becoming deficient
is too unpleasant not to! I’d recommend
using a high-quality food-state supplement,
or reaching for a brand such as Solgar, which
provides an exceptional-quality, vegan form of
this nutrient. One daily with food will suffice.
DP
Q Is there such a thing as healthy salt? I’m confused
because there seem to be conflicting views on
this. Some say that the only healthy form of salt
is the “organic” sodium found in vegetables like celery.
Others claim that Himalayan crystal salt and Celtic sea
salt are not only much better than table salt, but even
necessary for optimal health. What is your view?
A
All vegetarian animals in the wild seek out and find salt
to lick. Anyone who has ever been around horses knows
how important salt is to their wellbeing. Carnivores get
their salt needs met by drinking blood.
We humans, too, need salt. But salt consumption is also
causing much disease and even death. That is because regular
table salt no longer has anything in common with the original
crystal salt, the form our body needs. Table salt is mainly sodium
chloride and not salt. Major salt-producing companies dry the
salt in huge kilns with temperatures reaching 1200 degrees
Fahrenheit, which changes the salt’s chemical structure, which in
turn adversely affects the human body.
The body recognizes table salt as an aggressive cellular poison
and wants to excrete it as quickly as possible. But studies have
shown that the average American takes in two to three times
more table salt than their kidneys are capable of excreting. For
every ounce of sodium chloride that cannot be eliminated, the
body uses 23 times the volume of its own water to neutralize
the salt. The result of consuming common table salt is the
formation of oedema, or excess fluid in the body tissue, which is
also a cause of cellulite.
Rather than just sodium and chloride, seawater has 84
chemical elements – all of the minerals and trace minerals found
in the human body. Both Celtic and Himalayan salts contain all
of these elements. The best salt sources for humans are these
natural crystal salts, and green vegetable juices.
Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as “organic sodium”.
Sodium is a metal, not an organic compound. However, it can be
made more bio-available when part of a plant due to chelation
to organic molecules, so I presume this is what people are
referring to when they talk of “organic sodium”.
The reasons we need salt are complex and there isn’t space
to provide a full discussion here. An excellent book to consult,
should you wish to find out more, is Water & Salt: The Essence
of Life by Barbara Hendel and Peter Ferreira. TL
Q For several years I have been eating a diet
centred on fruits, vegetables and small amounts
of nuts and seeds. Having come from a history
of M.E. and other serious medical problems, at nearly 60
I feel better than ever eating this way and people tell
me I look better than ever. My problem is that I have
become very sensitive to eating cooked foods – just a
few bites can bring on headaches, constipation and
depression. I have to have major dental work soon and
my dentist says that it won’t be possible without a strong
anasethetic. But as my system is so pure and it reacts
to cooked foods so badly, I am concerned about how
this may affect me. Should I ask my dentist to give me a
much smaller dose than usual, or, better still, is there a
natural method of pain relief you’d recommend? Or do
I need to start introducing other foods into my diet so
that the anaesthetic is not such a shock to my system? I’d
appreciate any advice you can give.
A
If you have been on a very clean eating plan for a several
years, you will find that you are more sensitive to many
influences. As our lifestyle becomes more conducive
to a state of vibrant health, our body often becomes far less
forgiving of our misdemeanors, be those lifestyle extremes or
dietary digressions.
However, I’m not 100% convinced that this is true in your
case, and I don’t really want to jump on that bandwagon that
would have you believe that the tiniest of traces of cooked food
will send your body into toxic shock, because quite frankly that
is total hype and misinformation. As you have come from a
history of M.E, for a considerable period of time, many of your
body systems have been completely fatigued and struggling
to carry out many of their straightforward daily metabolic
functions. Now, as we all know by now, raw foods deliver
energy and goodness without demanding a large amount of
energy expenditure in order to digest, absorb, and metabolize
the food.
“I don’t really want to jump on
the bandwagon that would have
you believe that the tiniest of
traces of cooked food will send
your body into toxic shock.”
Chances are, you are still very much in a state of recovery.
Chronic fatigue does not suddenly come on overnight; it is
the end result of a host of continual negative influences overly
taxing many systems. On the same note, it is not a condition
that heals overnight. So, whilst you may be feeling notably
better consuming foods that require little digestive output, your
body may not quite be at the stage where it can happily work
on dense, complex, cooked foods, that require a much higher
metabolic and energetic output in order to be digested.
In terms of anaesthetics, without knowing if it is a general
or local anaesthetic, my advice here will be really rather
generalized, and due to the safety issues applies only to local
anaesthetics. I tend to steer people in the direction of liver
support. The liver is one of the hardest-hit organs when an
anaesthetic is administered, as it is the one that has to break it
down and excrete it from the body.
I’d recommend taking a good, high-strength milk thistle
extract. This will support you in two ways really. Firstly, and most
importantly, it helps to protect the liver from environmental
damage, be this alcohol abuse, medications, environmental
pollutants, whatever. So it can help to minimize the negative
impact this chemical drug will have upon this vital organ.
Secondly, milk thistle gently supports the natural biochemical
pathways involved in liver detoxification.
The second herb I’d recommend taking, a day or so after the
dental work, is St. Johns wort. Now, this has nothing to do with
its antidepressant properties, but its ability to strongly increase
the activity of phase two detoxification pathways in the liver. To
cut a long story short, this will speed up the rate at which the
drug is cleared from the body. Hope this helps. DP
67
 Guide to
gaining weight
– the healthy way
If a raw diet has slimmed you down so
much you look in danger of wasting away,
take heart. Pete Vincent has been there
and he has sage advice.
68
T
he whole question of weight often gets reduced to talking
about how people look. In this article I want approach
the subject a bit differently and get people thinking about
it on a deeper level. After all, weight is merely a symptom
of problems happening on the inside.
While over half of adults in developed countries
are dangerously obese, some are grappling with the opposite
problem: they are stuck to the south of their healthy weight rather
than to the north. I can sympathize with this because I was always
slim and it took me 13 years in the RAF to eat and drink myself
up from 11 stone to over 15 stone. This, of course, didn’t do my
health any good so I knew I had to make some lifestyle changes.
I was a 32-year-old, 6ft 4, 15½ stone firefighter when I began my
pursuit of 100% rawness.
My health improved and my energy levels and stamina went
up and up. Within a year I had not only lost all the weight I’d
gained, but I was a lot thinner than I had ever been and everyone
around me was convinced that I was sick. This is a very common
issue among those who go raw.
However, one important factor to bear in mind is that with
obesity having reached epidemic proportions in the western
world and with almost everyone suffering from a serious protein
and/or fat overdose, we have forgotten what “normal” looks
 My top tips for gaining healthy
weight – i.e. muscle
• Make a good resistance workout a part of your schedule
every other day. Work all major muscle groups and do
3 x 8 repetitions of each exercise, in each case at the
weight that makes the last two reps challenging, but just
possible.
• For maximum muscle gain, the weight your muscles
bear during your workouts has to progress upward on a
continual basis. If it remains the same there is no reason
for new muscle to grow.
• Remember that your days off are as important as your
weight training days, as muscle growth does not happen
while exercising; it happens during the rest period
afterwards. Muscle fibres are broken down during
resistance training, and re-build while you rest. Every time
this process occurs, they re-build stronger. The golden rule
here is simple: never work the same muscle group two
days running.
• Include more protein-rich sprouted foods in your diet,
including sprouted grains, nuts and seeds, and consider
starting on a top-quality raw protein supplement.
• Take a good digestive enzyme supplement with every
meal. This will help your body break down the food you
are eating and absorb the nutrients in it.
• Include fermented foods in your diet every day. They’re
loaded with enzymes, probiotics and other factors
which enhance nutrient uptake. If you can’t get hold of
a daily source of fermented foods, add a good probiotic
supplement to your regime.
like. So if you think a raw diet has made you underweight or “too
thin”, first ask yourself whether this is really true, or whether
you are just conforming to society’s conditioning about what is
normal?
This tends to be much more of an issue for men than for
women. We live in a society where it is not easy for a woman on
a raw diet to get to a size where she’ll be seen as “too thin”, but
very easy for a man to. The “ideal” male physique, we are led to
believe, is stocky. Bulked up. Solid. That is all well and good if
that volume comes from muscle. But in most cases it does not. It
comes from fat. Take the excess fat off the average man and you’d
be left with the kind of physique normally only seen on prisoner
of war camp inmates.
Surplus fat is never a good thing, so if a raw diet has caused
yours to melt away, that is cause for celebration not gloom.
Gaining healthy weight is about adding muscle, not fat, and to
do that your body needs to be digesting and absorbing nutrients
properly. Get this right and it will enhance your internal health as
much as it will your external appearance.
When I first went raw, I didn’t know any of this. I turned
to raw food diet books and websites for answers, and was
unanimously assured that after the initial detox period everything
would be okay and my body would begin to rebuild, after which
I would return to my healthy weight. When that didn’t happen,
the only recourse was to load up on the densest raw foods – nuts,
seeds and dried fruits – in the hope this would lead to the desired
weight gain. It did not.
As a man, there is such a stigma attached to being “too thin”
that it is one of the leading reasons men who try a raw vegan diet
give up and go back to the standard diet. I can identify with this.
The night before I appeared on the LK Today show (in autumn
2002) to extol the benefits of the raw diet, I looked at the skeletal
image staring back at me from the hotel room mirror and next
thing I knew I was in the local fast food joint devouring a chicken
burger. As if this infusion of “proper” protein would somehow
have me looking ripped and robust for the TV appearance the
next morning.
Personally, I only reached a weight I was happy with when I
introduced some old familiar cooked food back into my diet on
a regular basis. It’s not the fault of the raw food – of that much I
am certain. After all, no body has a “cooked food deficiency” but,
due to many years of incorrect nutrition, many bodies do have
deep-rooted imbalances which means they can’t be expected to
immediately switch back into perfect functioning just because
they’ve been fed a 100% natural (and initially very alien) diet for a
few days, weeks or months.
Remember, this is not about the raw food itself; it is about
what happens to that food once you’ve swallowed it. I, for
one, know that after 30-plus years on a diet of mostly cooked,
processed foods my digestion left a lot to be desired.
So if you are struggling to gain weight on a raw diet, then
enzymes and probiotic supplementation together with adequate
weight-bearing exercise and protein intake may turn things
around for you. But there are so many complex variables at play
here that this approach won’t work for everyone.
If these strategies for gaining healthy weight do not work
for you, then a high-raw rather than an all-raw diet may be the
best way forward. Very often the desire to be “100% raw” takes
precedence over the desire to achieve better health. Beware of
slipping into this mentality and be sure to keep your mind on the
real goal or your body’s attempts to tell you that things aren’t
working can get ignored.
Pete Vincent
Pete Vincent is creator of RawHumour.com,
the site that focuses on two vital ingredients
that work synergistically with each other: raw
food and humour. You can contact Pete by
emailing pete@RawHumour.com.
69
 Indian Meal
For Two
Russell James with a raw feast from the East.
A cosy evening in with a DVD and a curry is part of many people’s lives before they go raw, and there’s no reason why that
should change after. The difference is that this is going to take a bit more planning than nipping out to the takeaway.
But be assured, a little bit of planning goes a long way with this, so it doesn’t need to be really daunting. You actually don’t
even need to make the whole meal; the samosas are really great finger food, can be made in advance, and will provide a real
treat if you should decide to stay in and watch that film.
As a special treat for you, as a Get Fresh! reader, I’ve made these recipes available as a free download, so you can print them
out. Just visit therawchef.com/indianmeal.

70
Mushroom Curry with Parsnip Rice and Spiced Mango Chutney
Marinated vegetables
• 3 cups portabello mushrooms
• 1½ cups aubergine, peeled & diced small
• 1 cup peas
• ½ cup broccoli, cut from the stem into 1cm
mini-florets
• 6 medium tomatoes, diced small
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
1
1. In a large bowl mix the mushrooms,
aubergine, peas, broccoli and tomatoes in
lemon juice, olive oil, curry powder, and salt.
2
2. Spread onto a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate
for 2 - 3 hours at 105 degrees F.
Curry sauce
• 1 red pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon lemon
• ½ tablespoon tamarind pulp*
• 1cm cube of fresh ginger
• ½ cup fresh coriander
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (try to get curry
powder without salt in it)
• ½ cup fresh coconut from a brown coconut
• ¼ cup water
• Salt to taste, depending on whether your
curry powder had salt in it. Start with ¼
teaspoon.
* Tamarind paste can be made by soaking
tamarind in water until it goes soft (the seedless
type you can buy in a packet is fine for this) and
straining through a sieve. If you don’t have any
tamarind available, simply leave out.
1 Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender
1.
until smooth and creamy. You may need to
add more water.
2 Mix the softened, dehydrated vegetables with
2.
the sauce and return to the dehydrator in a
large covered bowl to warm before serving.
Parsnip rice
• 2 cups peeled fresh parsnips
• 3 tablespoons macadamia nuts
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 pinches salt
• 1 tablespoon white miso
Pulse in the food processor until rice-like. Set
aside.
Spiced mango chutney
• 1 medium mango
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• ½ teaspoon cumin
1 Chop and dice one mango and set aside.
1.
2 Blend all remaining ingredients in a high-
2.
speed blender.
3 Combine the blended mixture with the diced
3.
mango.
Russell James
has been hailed as “the UK’s leading raw
chef” by The Times, and offers raw food
catering for events small and large, as well
as raw food classes in West Sussex. Get
your free raw recipes at TheRawChef.com
71
 Vegetable Samosas with Cucumber & Mint Raita
Samosa wrappers Samosa filling
• 5 cups peeled courgette (zucchini) • 1 cup courgette (zucchini), peeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil • 3 tablespoons water
• 3 teaspoons lime juice • 1 cup sunflower seeds
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder • 1 teaspoon dark miso
• 2 teaspoons garam masala • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt • 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• ¼ cup flax meal* • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
1
1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
until smooth.
• 1 teaspoon agave
2
2. Add flax meal and blend again until smooth.
• 8 sun-dried tomato halves
3
3. Pour mixture onto a dehydrator sheet and
spread evenly into a square. You can choose • ½ teaspoon salt
the size; for the ones in the photo the mixture
was spread 26cm x 26cm square. * If allergic to cashews, you can substitute for pine
nuts, almonds or macadamias. If you want to stay away
4
4. Dehydrate for 8 hours at 105 degrees, or until
from nuts completely, use soaked sunflower seeds.
able to peel of the sheet.
5
5. Once the dehydrator sheets are removed,
return to the dehydrator for 30 minutes, until
both sides are dry to the touch but still pliable.

* Flax meal is flax seed that has been ground in a

coffee grinder or similar, to produce a fine flour.

72
 Folding the samosas
1
1. Grind all ingredients in a food processor,
leaving some texture to the mixture.
2
2. Add the following ingredients and pulse in.
Pulsing is done by switching the on/off switch
several times in short bursts, to chop the
ingredients, leaving plenty of texture. Some
food processors actually have a pulse button.
1 2
• ½ cup tightly-packed spinach, chopped small
• 2 sliced spring onions (green onions)
• ¼ cup diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
• ½ cup peas 3 4

Step 1 Cut the wrappers Steps 8, 9 & 10 Start

into strips approximately 7cm
by 25cm, and fold over the
corner of one end.
Steps 2, 3 & 4 Fold the
pointed end created by the
first fold as in step 4.
Step 5 You will now be
able to open the wrapper up
into a cone.
Step 6 Fill with the
mixture.
Step 7 Tuck the corner in
so it doesn’t stick out.
folding the remaining part
of the wrapper around so it
forms that familiar triangle 5 6
shape.
Steps 11 & 12 Wet the
remaining corner of the
wrapper and fold into place
to seal the samosa.
The samosas can be eaten as 7 8
they are or can be returned
to the dehydrator for as long
as you like. I like to do this as
they will be warm and ready
to eat in a few hours.

9 10
Cucumber and mint raita
• ¼ cup cashew nuts
• 1 cup cucumber
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup mint
11 12
• ½ clove garlic
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• pinch cayenne

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender.

13 14

73
 Cherry & Mango Filling
• ½ cup cashews
Ice-Cream Cup • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Base • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup cashews • pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon agave • 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 teaspoon agave
• pinch salt • ½ cup cherries*, stones removed
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice • ½ cup mango, flesh only
• 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut
*You can substitute cherries for any other fruit, such as
1
1. Grind all ingredients in a food processor. pineapple or bananas, depending on what you like and
what’s available.
2
2. Press into 2 small individual cup or cake moulds of your
choice that have been lined with plastic wrap.
3 Dehydrate for approximately 3 hours until the shells are
3. 1 Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until
1.
strong enough to hold together without the case, and smooth. You may want to have some chunks of mango
then remove from the case to dry for a further 6 hours or or cherry stirred in at the end so you get little bursts of
overnight. flavour.
2 Pour into an ice-cream maker, or freeze in a tub then
2.
pass through a juicer with the homogenizing attachment
on.
3 Fill the shells with the ice-cream and garnish with slices
3.
of mango.

74
 of a raw culinary artist
Secrets
Cherie Soria with sweeteners that celebrate health, and make
raw food taste more amazing than cooked.
I
n past issues, we have explored three important topics
relating to culinary arts: flavour balancing, texture, and the
use of binders. We must understand all of these in order to
create foods that are pleasing to the palate. In this issue, we
discuss sweeteners – a subject that affects not only culinary
art, but also our health.
As raw food chefs, we have a desire (and responsibility)
to create foods that support good health. This is the primary
reason most of us avoid using processed white sugar. However,
many of the concentrated sweeteners are nearly as detrimental
to our health as common white sugar, and we are kidding
ourselves if we think we can eat all we want of foods like agave,
just because they are raw and low on the glycaemic index. The
quantity of the sweeteners we use is as important as the ones
we choose.
At Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, we teach students how
to choose sweeteners based on their characteristics – colour,
texture, and flavour – in combination with the other ingredients
used, the desired outcome, and their health effects. The two
topics are not typically combined; usually we read about health
separately from culinary art. However, responsible culinary
artisans must keep in mind how sugars affect both health and
the specific recipe. We encourage you to select the sweet treat,
the sweetener, and the serving size based upon the healthiest
choice.
This article discusses the glycaemic index and its health
implications and also recommends specific sweeteners for
particular culinary art applications. Let’s learn how we can
support good health and make raw foods that taste better than
cooked!
The Glycaemic Index
The glycaemic index (GI) is a way of classifying foods according
to how they affect your blood sugar. The GI reflects how quickly
the carbohydrate in a food enters your bloodstream, how much
it raises your blood glucose, and how long your blood glucose
remains elevated. Foods with a high GI often trigger a dramatic
upward spike in your blood sugar, which tends to be followed
by a drop in blood sugar. Foods with a low GI tend to gently and
gradually supply the carbohydrate needed to fuel your brain and
body; these foods cause only a small rise.
Processing, such as grinding whole grains into flour, typically
raises GI. Foods rich in fibre rank lower on the GI. Many other
factors, such as acidity, density and ripeness, also affect GI.
Lemon juice added to recipes reduces GI; light, fluffy breads
score higher on the GI than heavy breads; and dried fruit has a
higher GI than fresh fruit.
The GI of fructose and high-fructose foods, such as agave
syrup, is considerably lower than that of other sugars. One
would naturally assume that this makes fructose and high-
fructose syrup the preferred sweeteners. However, it’s important
to look beyond the glycaemic index, especially when a food
component has been refined (separated from a whole food)
and concentrated, as in a syrup. Fructose is metabolized very
differently from glucose. Unlike glucose, fructose does not
stimulate insulin secretion or enhance leptin production. Because
insulin and leptin help to regulate appetite, excessive isolated
fructose intake may contribute to increased calorie intake and
weight gain.
When we eat fructose as a natural sugar in a whole, ripe
fruit, the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourish us, and
the fibre modulates blood-sugar response. However, consuming
large quantities of concentrated fructose (such as in soda and
other processed foods) creates predictably negative health
consequences, including weight gain.
In addition to fructose-based sweeteners, other simple sugars
extracted from plant foods generally contain few nutrients and
rank high on the glycaemic index. They digest quickly and can
cause blood sugar to rise and then fall dramatically. These types
of sweeteners should be limited to celebration foods. Eat refined
simple carbohydrates in moderation, or on occasion (or in
accordance with the advice of your health practitioner).
The bottom line? Unrefined fruits (the first two items in
the table overleaf) are the hands-down healthiest choice for
sweetening our foods. 
At Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, we use this handy chart
to show at a glance the differences in sweeteners used by many
raw food chefs. Also overleaf is a recipe for a raw Apple Baklava
that is sweetened with a mixture of whole fruits and agave
nectar.
75
 Product Description
Fresh dates Three main categories: soft, semi-
dry, and dry. Dates contain relatively
little water and do not become much
more concentrated upon drying.
Characteristics/Uses
Very sweet, bright taste; mild enough in flavour
to be camouflaged by other ingredients. When
soaked and blended, they thicken puddings, pie
fillings, and sauces. When unsoaked and processed
with nuts and/or dried coconut, they act as binding
agents for pie crusts, cakes, and cookies.
Health Notes
High on the GI. Contain varying amounts
of glucose, fructose and sucrose,
depending on the freshness and variety of
the dates.

Dried fruits Dry your own fresh fruits at low Use to thicken and bind desserts. Most have a GI varies. Like fresh fruit, dried
(apples, temperatures outside in the sun or stronger, more distinct flavour than fresh and fruits contain significant amounts of
apricots, in a dehydrator, to preserve enzymes should be selected according to the flavour vitamins, dietary fibre, minerals, and
bananas, and other nutrients. desired in the dessert. Dried mission figs phytonutrients, as well as concentrated
cherries, figs, complement chocolate nicely. Raisins give depth fructose. Conventional dried fruit may
mangos, to mock graham cracker crusts. Soaked dried contain sulfur dioxide, so buy organic.
pineapples, fruit may also be blended with the same fruit in
prunes, fresh form to create a thick mousse (mangoes and
raisins, etc.) pineapples are delicious prepared this way).

Agave Thick, natural syrup made from the Choose light agave nectar for a mild flavour and 90 per cent fructose; lower GI than cane
nectar or juice of the agave cactus. colour, and dark agave syrup for a molasses-like sugar, maple syrup or honey. About half a
syrup taste, when colour is not an issue, or when dark cup replaces 1 cup of sugar.
colour is desirable. Use when thickness is not
an issue (frozen desserts, soft creams, blended
beverages, and the like)

Evaporated Flash dried, whole cane juice in
cane juice granulated form. Rapadura brand is
the highest-quality product on the
market.
The colour and flavour is similar to brown sugar, but
deeper, with more molasses. It can replace white
or brown sugar in desserts, and is delicious in mock
graham cracker crusts and fruit crisp toppings or
anytime a brown sugar flavour is desired.
Not as high on the GI as white sugar,
but still relatively high, it is 96 per cent
sucrose and 4 per cent minerals. Although
not raw, it is a natural food.

Maca The powder or syrup of a root-like Maca has a slightly sweet, malt-like taste. It can Rich in calcium and potassium, maca
powder and vegetable shaped like a radish, which be used to thicken smoothies and shakes, or to is reported to be a natural hormone
maca syrup grows high in the Andes mountains replace flour in cakes and cookies. Use about 2 balancer and to increase energy, libido
in South America. teaspoons per 1 cup recipe volume. and stamina.

Maple Maple syrup is made from the boiled Not raw, it has a unique and distinctive flavour High on the GI, it’s 65 per cent sucrose,
syrup, maple sap of the maple tree. It takes about and is used by many raw food chefs as an 35 per cent water, and it contains minute
butter, five gallons of sap to make a pint of alternative to refined sugar. amounts of minerals. Use only organic
maple sugar syrup. Maple butter and maple sugar pure maple syrup, since anything less
are more highly concentrated than could be genetically modified corn syrup
the syrup. with as little as 3 per cent maple syrup.

Mesquite Made from pods from the mesquite Mildly sweet, caramel-like flavour. Use to thicken Lower on the GI than most other
meal tree. shakes and smoothies. Also use to replace flour in sweeteners, mesquite meal helps regulate
cakes, cookies, and pie crusts. other carbohydrates and helps curb the
appetite.

Molasses Slightly sweet, intensely flavoured
and syrup or sugar that remains after
muscovado processing of beet sugar. First-press
sugar molasses are light in colour and
flavour. Repeated boiling results in
dark blackstrap molasses.
Both products add a deep underlying flavour and Blackstrap molasses and muscovado
are popular in cookies, especially ginger and spice sugar are 65 per cent sucrose, ranking
cookies. them high on the GI. They do contain
measurable amounts of iron, calcium,
magnesium, and potassium, making them
more nutritious than most sweeteners.

Raw honey Unprocessed, unfiltered syrup that Strong flavour can overpower other flavours. You High on the GI and not recommended for
contains pollen and enzymes. It is can substitute dark agave syrup in most recipes. infants and small children, it is sweeter,
essentially stolen from bees, so it is higher in calories, and raises blood-sugar
not a vegan product. levels more quickly than white sugar.

Stevia Derived from the leaf of the stevia
plant. It has a naturally sweet taste,
and comes in powder or liquid form.
200 times sweeter than sugar, with a strong Has a GI of 0, has no calories, and does
licorice-like taste, stevia should be used in very not elevate blood-sugar levels.
small amounts. Use alone or combined with
other sweeteners to decrease the total amount
of sweetener.

Yacon syrup Made from a delicious edible tuber The root, before being processed into syrup, Low on the GI, it is used as an alternative
grown in South America, yacon is has a mild, sweet flavour with a moist, crunchy glucose-free sweetener with few calories.
sweet and low in calories. texture slightly reminiscent of fresh-picked apple,
pineapple, and watermelon.
Apple Baklava
Serves 16
Sweet Syrup
• 1 cup golden agave syrup
• 1 cup golden raisins or chopped white figs
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom
Fruit and Nut Layers
• 8 apples, peeled, and thinly sliced on a mandolin or
the (number 2) slicing attachment of a food processor.
• 4 cups soaked, dehydrated walnuts, minced
• 1/2 cup currants
1. To make the Sweet Syrup, put the agave, raisins, lemon
juice, cinnamon, clove and cardamom together in a
blender and blend to form a smooth paste.
2. Separate the sliced apples into four equal parts, and set
aside a quarter of the most attractive slices to use for
the top layer. Evenly place one portion (a quarter of the
apples) in a square springform pan and press gently.
Brush one quarter of the syrup over the top of the apples
and sprinkle one quarter of the walnuts and one third
of the currants evenly over the top, gently pressing each
layer into place.
3. Repeat step 2 three more times, until all the apples, the
syrup, the walnuts and the currants are utilized. The final
layer should be walnuts, spread evenly over a layer of the
most attractive, artistically placed apple slices, covered
with glaze. Press the final layer down, gently.
4. Refrigerate the dessert for at least two hours prior to
serving.
5. Cut the baklava into small squares or triangles. Store
covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Cherie Soria
is the founder and director of Living Light
Culinary Arts Institute, the author of Angel
Foods: Healthy Recipes for Heavenly Bodies, and
coauthor of The Raw Revolution Diet: Feast,
Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Feel Younger! She has
trained many of the world’s top raw food chefs
and instructors, and is often referred to as
the “mother” of gourmet raw vegan cuisine.
Visit RawFoodChef.com or write to info@
RawFoodChef.com.
77
The fig
Brigitte Mars explores
the original forbidden fruit

“The fig tree hath put

forth her green figs, and
the vines in flower yield
their sweet fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair
one, and come.”
Song of Solomon, 2:13.
T Butterscotch Sauce
he fig is one of the most eagerly-awaited highlights of the
autumn harvest. This succulent delight, which brings to
Makes about 1 cup
mind ancient times and southern climes, is said to have
been Cleopatra’s favourite fruit. Its soft, delicate skin
Serve over raw ice cream or fruit.
gives way to reveal an aromatic flesh bejeweled with hundreds of • ½ cup dates, soaked 20 minutes
tiny seeds. • ¼ cup figs, soaked 1 hour
Originally from Asia, and now cultivated across the Middle East • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
and Mediterranean, the fig is a member of the mulberry family. It
is one of the most ancient fruits on earth, and also one of the most Combine the dates and figs in a blender and purée, adding
alkalizing and mineral-dense. It ranks among the top food sources enough of the soaking water to form a smooth mixture.
of calcium and also contains abundant copper, iron, magnesium,
phosphorous and potassium. Besides this, it is rich in vitamin B6,
folic acid, protein and fibre. We’re Jammin’
Being as restorative and energizing as it is succulent and Makes about 3 cups
sublime, the fig is considered an aphrodisiac food and a supreme Jam on flax crackers with almond butter, anyone?
sexual tonic. It comes from well-hung trees, and the fertile seeds • 1 cup dried figs, soaked overnight
it’s packed with nourish both libido and fertility. Another of the • ½ cup dried apricots, soaked overnight
signatures of fig trees is that they can live as long as 100 years and • 1 inch of fresh ginger root
grow to 100 feet in height, though when cultivated they are usually
kept to a more manageable 16 feet. Remove the fruit from the soaking water and place in a
Figs are excellent for athletes and those who want to gain blender; reserve the soaking water. Add a bit of the water,
weight. They also help deter cravings for sugar, alcohol and
pulse until well mixed, and keep adding water until the
drugs by stabilizing blood sugar levels. Figs have a high content
mixture achieves a jam-like consistency. Store in the
of mucin, a soothing laxative. They are also known to neutralize
toxins, making them an ideal food to eat while cleansing. They refrigerator, where the jam will keep for about 2 weeks.
have a special affinity for the stomach, spleen, pancreas and large
intestines. Poppy Fig Pastry
The list goes on… Figs are anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic (the Makes 8 servings
seeds help drive out some kinds of intestinal worms). They have You could enjoy this for a special
been successfully used in the treatment of anaemia, asthma, blood
brunch as well as for dessert.
pressure imbalances, catarrh, colitis, exhaustion, gangrene, gout,
pleurisy, rheumatism, sore throat, tuberculosis and ulcers. Figs Crust
are also esteemed for their ability to improve eyesight. • 2 cups walnuts, soaked overnight, then dehydrated
The milky white juice in unripe figs contains a proteolytic until crunchy (about 12 hours)
enzyme known as ficin, and can be applied topically twice daily • ¼ cup raisins
to remove warts. Fresh fig poultice has been applied to boils and • 1 teaspoon orange peel
injuries, and also to toothaches, to reduce inflammation until • ½ teaspoon Celtic salt
dental help is available.
There are several botanical classes of fig, and several hundred Filling
commercial varieties giving rise to a wide range of flavour, size
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
and colour – the latter spanning the spectrum from black, to
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom pods, with husks removed
purple, to green, to gold, to white. Whichever variety you are
shopping for, look for plump, tender fruits that are free of bruises • 1 cup poppy seeds
and not mushy. • 1 cup dried figs
Fresh figs are delicate and perishable and are best consumed
within a couple of days of purchase. Avoid washing them until Combine the walnuts, raisins, orange peel, and salt in a
ready to eat. If they are not yet ripe, keep at room temperature food processor and purée. Press the mixture into a pie pan.
and out of direct sunlight. Remove the tough stems before eating. Combine the figs, poppy seeds, cinnamon and cardamom in
Enjoy figs as a snack or for dessert. A sublime treat eaten as they a food processor and purée. Fill the crust with the mixture.
come, they need no adornment. But for an interesting variation
try them stuffed with raw almond butter, or try one of the recipes
opposite. Brigitte Mars
If buying dried figs, be sure to (a) avoid those treated with the is a nutritional consultant and a professional
preservative potassium sorbate, and (b) brush your teeth after member of the American Herbalist Guild.
eating them, as they cling to the teeth and can contribute to decay. She has been working with natural medicine
for more than 30 years and is author of the
Soak dried figs overnight in water for a breakfast compote, and books Rawsome!, Beauty by Nature, The Desktop
use them as a natural sweetener for cookies, pies and puddings. Guide to Herbal Medicine and Healing Herbal
Dried figs also make an ideal travel food and a great snack, Teas, among others. For more information see
especially during the cold winter months. BrigitteMars.com

79
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81
 A Day In The Life Of...
Kris Carr
Kris Carr is an award winning author, filmmaker, and inspirational
speaker. Her documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer premiered on TLC
and Discovery Health in 2007 and her book Crazy Sexy Cancer
Tips has been translated into six languages since its release last
autumn. Kris has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning
America, The CBS Evening News and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Her new book, Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor, is in stores now.

6
:00 am. As soon as my peepers pop
open it’s a full tilt circus! Brush my
chicklets, use my neti pot, and head
to our yoga room for a drive-by
meditation. I’m a type-A personality with
whirlwind tendencies. If I don’t wrangle
and ride my dragon, I’m cooked. Thank
Goddess for kitchen timers! I set mine for 20
minutes. This way I don’t go crazy wondering
when the zazen will end. I lived at a Zen
Monastery in New Mexico the summer I was
diagnosed. It was there that I began to build
a daily practice that starts with stillness.
When the kitchen timer “bings,” I write.
I’m addicted to writing. I consider myself a
word chef. As long as I keep myself balanced,
the muse flows easily. First thing in the
morning I never use my laptop; day-break
is techno detox time. My paper journal is
my mind dump. It helps me fine tune my
direction and connects me with my inner
best friend. She is groovy! We curl up in
my tropical-print Lay-Z-boy and chat over
a large cup of ionized water with lemon.
After we’ve caught up and the universe has
its marching orders, I down a shot of E-3
Live and take my supplements (including
high dosages of therapeutic enzymes).
7:00 am. Power walk (running makes
me look like a klutzy baby elk) or yoga.
The Jivamukti method saturates me with
inspiration. I first began practicing with David
and Sharon (the founders) in the mid 90’s.
Their philosophy helped me build my healing
plan post-diagnosis. Pray, move, practice
non-violence, still the mind, and go back to
nature with a vegan lifestyle – it just makes
so much sense. Add raw foods and green
juices to the mix, and voilà! I call it the flood
and flush method. Flood your body with light
and flush out the darkness. A few years ago
I completed the Health Educator program
at the Hippocrates Institute in Florida.
That’s when all the pieces came together. My
healing plan is like a cosy chair. The diet is
the seat that holds me up. The mind, body,
spirit, and the committed daily practice are
the legs. If one component is off, I topple.
8:30 am. Tango with my dry brush
and then hit the shower. Our home is a
chemical-free zone, so I only use organic
skin care and cleaning products.
8:45 am. Organic green veggie juice – no
fruit. We make enough for the day with our
Greenstar. Breakfast is 16-32 ounces of
liquid sunshine. Though my diet is simple,
it’s far from boring. I juice like a madwoman
and eat two meals per day, mostly raw:
vegetables, nuts, seaweeds, superfoods and
sprouted grains, with little or no fruit.
My healing plan is like a
cosy chair. The diet is the
seat that holds me up. The
mind, body, spirit and the
committed daily practice
are the legs. If one
component is off, I topple.
9 am. Blog! I get an incredible amount
of energy from our Crazy Sexy community.
It means so much to know that you’re not
alone living a healthy lifestyle. I keep up
with my online friends even when I’m
on the road teaching wellness retreats
or giving speeches about the importance
of complementary medicine.
10:30 am. Off to work! My husband
Brian and I own a company, Crazy Sexy
Wellness (featuring holistic services,
products, support and other goodies,
including a non-profit arm). We have
two offices, one in New York City, one in
Woodstock. In hippieville, our office is close
to home, so we bike as much as possible.
Good for us, good for sexy mama earth.
11:00. Crazy Sexy staff meeting. Then
we check in on our social network,
Mycrazysexylife.com to make sure that
people aren’t doing cottage cheese and scotch
fasts and that folks are supporting each
other in the glow. I love our virtual family!
1 pm. Symphonic salad (lots of colour – like
music)! I prefer to make my own food and
thankfully we have a little kitchen in our office.
Afternoon: Write articles (today I’m
clacking out one for Brazilian Vogue), design,
create, dream. I just started the outline for
my third book. It’s my biggie and I’m wildly
excited. It’s the diet and lifestyle book I’ve
been designing and following for years. For my
third book I have an amazing A-list of women
in my posse, ready to share their tips, vision
and personal health plans. Teaming up with
powerhouse goddesses gives me a natural high
(better than cacao). Since becoming a full-
time healing junkie on Valentine’s Day, 2003
(the day I was diagnosed) I haven’t stopped
educating myself and aligning with the best
researchers in the field. I’m determined to
bring revolutionary health information to the
mainstream – especially to the factory farm
chomping, Hummer types. They need it the
most! Once we get on the same page about
our global health crisis all else will follow.
The peace we seek begins on our plates. I say,
“Vote with your fork, heal with your spoon”!
4 pm. Green drink (loaded with
sprouts) and a breath of fresh air.
Even if it’s just for five minutes I truck
outside to blow kisses to the sun.
7pm. Try to leave the office at a reasonable
hour. Brian and I love mindful eating during
the sacred magic hour. We live deep in the
woods surrounded by a cathedral of pine trees.
They miss us when we’re gone too long. We
often hear them whisper a lot when we return.
Dinner includes some cooked food, but only
really low-residue things like quinoa, millet,
sweet potatoes, soups and steamed veggies.
9 pm. Read or surf, but not in the
bedroom. It’s important to leave work and
problems away from the pillow. This means
no laptops or late night reading in bed. I
really see the difference in my sleep quality.
Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is what
I need for health, clarity and creativity.
11 pm. Lights out and snooze
time with the angels….
For more information visit crazysexylife.com.

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