Many Americans have probably forgotten that food actually has taste.
No, really — rich tastes that make you ooh and aah and realize what you’ve been missing. Food with intense textures, deep colors not achievable with Red Dye #40, foods that fill you up after eating a normal portion size.
“Raw foodists” enjoy food in its natural state, not cooked to an intensity high enough to zap out beneficial enzymes, not slathered in hydrogenated oils or poly-this-and that.
They just eat it raw.
But raw does not mean bland, not carrot sticks with a side of broccoli tops.
At a recent Saturday potluck at the home of Michele Burian-Quintiliano in Harbor Springs, several local raw foodists gathered with their favorite dishes to discuss the lifestyle.
During the conversation, guests nosh on thin, chewy onion bread with hemp and flax seed dip, chunky crab pate (minus the crab), stuffed mushroom caps with sundried tomatoes, spaghetti with “meatballs” made of a walnut mixture (which really taste like meatballs, with the same consistency, too), crispy macaroons with fresh coconut, soft apple pie, spicy chili with corn chips, sushi sans fish, and “macaroni and cheese” made with spiral-sliced squash and a cashew cream sauce.
As Burian-Quintiliano explains to her satiated guests, “When you are eating a basically raw diet, you feel full and more satisfied because your body is getting the sustenance it craves, a perfect balance of protein, fat and fiber. Also, fruits and vegetables have high water content, so you feel fuller and better hydrated.
“And raw food tastes real.”
All that, and a bag of (dehydrated kale) chips
“Raw foodism” is a movement that has been growing, as most U.S. trends do, from the west to the east coast. With Michigan in the middle, it’s a lifestyle many in the Midwest are now embracing, too.
Raw foodism promotes the consumption of un-cooked, un-processed and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet. If 60-100 percent of a person’s total food consumption is raw food, he/she is considered a raw foodist, according to Wikipedia. Some raw foodists don’t consume meat, eggs, fish or poultry; others do. All rely on fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds as the foundation.
Colleen Lordson, 64, of Burt Lake first set out on the raw food path about two years ago after her health began suffering. She began searching, with the help of a naturopath, for resources to feel better, eliminate fatigue and regain a sense a wellness. She found it in raw food.
“I proved to myself that I can do it. The body can heal itself if you give it the right things,” said Lordson, who today says her health is excellent, she feels vibrant and energetic and is enjoying the experience of creating new and unique raw dishes.
Her longtime friend Dolly Osborne, of Conway, observed the changes in Lordson and began following the raw food lifestyle as well. “I’m doing it to lose weight and keep healthy,” said Osborne, 68.
The two join other friends in this once-monthly potluck, where the first item served today is a green elixir, mixed and served by Burian-Quintiliano, 44. It is algae-green, and you feel healthier just looking at it. To sip it, the green drink (see recipe sidebar) is light and has a zest of lemon and it goes down quickly.
“Once you get your scene dialed in, you can do it,” said Burian-Quintiliano (who from now on will be called Michele, in honor of simplifying things). “By that I mean get lots of measuring cups, a dehydrator and a food processor.”
“And just start rethinking what you buy at the store.”
Jaime Jankowski, membership and marketing manager at the Grain Train, said the downtown Petoskey store can provide a number of supplies and food items that support a raw food lifestyle, including sprouting kits, organic and fresh produce.
She had experience with raw foodism herself during a period of time living in Sedona, the location of a national Raw Spirit Festival, with a roommate who embraced the lifestyle. Jankowski said her roommate would often laugh about her “chipmunk cheeks” from chewing the raw, wholesome ingredients.
“I did a lot of dessert, a lot of pureed nuts and dates and a good raw pecan pie,” said Jankowski. She particularly liked to make seed bars — sunflowers, hemp and poppy seeds, and raw honey — and pizza crust out of sprouted grains.
“I was a vegan for a while already,” she added, “so it was not a huge switch for me.”
In a nutshell
Back at the Harbor Springs raw foods potluck, Michele pulls out her “cheesy kale chips” — which have no cheese, but taste incredibly rich and mouth-watering. They are made with the aid of a dehydrator, a basic necessity for a raw food diet.
Much of the raw food way of eating involves different varieties of nuts and seeds turned into creamy concoctions in a food processor, for everything from the macaroni and cheese cashew cream sauce to the sushi, which uses grated pine nuts for the telltale texture.
The heavy reliance on nuts in recipes and as a protein source can add some cost to this way of eating. But as Michele notes, pay now or pay later: “If you’re going to put your empowering health care dollars into something, it should be in the food that you put in your mouth and the nutrients you put in your body.”
The locals also insist on supporting area farms such as Pond Hill in Harbor Springs and Blackbird Gardens in Petoskey to purchase the freshest available produce. Natural food cooperatives like the Grain Train are also key players in accommodating the raw food lifestyle, where some atypical spices and ingredients give the unique recipes their oomph.
Lordson advises those looking to get started in raw food preparation to take it simply.
“Don’t make it so complicated that you don’t want to do it anymore,” she said.
You are what you eat - (So are you a chemical?)
“We are a prepared society,” said Jackie Devereaux, who went raw about five months ago.
Additives and hormones in food, chemicals used to create tastes in place of natural ingredients and lost enzymes mean most Americans are not eating healthfully.
For that reason, detoxing is common after beginning a raw food diet, said Devereaux: “The most common thing is feeling tired while you’re de-toxing.”
Once a person switches to the raw food diet the fog lifts and, added Lordson, “you will lose weight, definitely.”
In a recent article posted online at CNN.com, an article highlighted the story of Angela Stokes (hometown not given), who had dropped from 300 pounds to 138 after adopting a raw food diet. Tired of battling infections and illness, and emotionally depressed as well, she discovered the raw food route and went “cold cucumber” and stopped eating meat, animal products and processed foods.
Stokes has since authored several books on the raw foodism lifestyle and has kept the weight off for more than four years. “It was like a light-bulb moment to be like, ‘this is what I was waiting for to reclaim my health,’” Stokes recalled.
The local raw foodists relate to such sentiments. Michele raves about kale the way many admire a fine wine; a big bowl of fresh leafy greens is complemented as if it should be framed and hung; and even Michele’s husband, Marcus, has found the raw food trend absorbing and beneficial. “I thought it would be carrot sticks and celery,” said Marcus.
He, too, has been pleasantly surprised by the flavors, options and results.
Everyone here is euphoric about their energy levels, need for less sleep and general overall healthfulness.
“I’ve never felt this good,” said Lordson, “in my life.”
What’s the deal with food enzymes
Many Raw Foodists talk about enzymes; it’s a foundation of why they don’t agree with cooking food above a certain temperature, roughly 115 degrees.
Michele explained, from her research on the topic, there are two types of enzymes: metabolic and digestive. All food has the perfect amount of digestive enzymes to allow it to breakdown and assimilate into our bodies, unless it is heated above 115 degrees.
When food is cooked, the body has to produce the enzymes that cooking destroys. Metabolic enzymes are finite.
“We are given a limited amount to last our lifetime,” she said. “Each time we eat raw, live plant-based food, with its own perfect mix of enzymes, our body keeps its precious supply to fuel our physical and emotional health.”
Conversely, “when we constantly rely on our metabolic supply, it becomes depleted and we are more susceptible to disease, illness, aging and premature death. When we eat raw food we have more energy, sleep better (and often less), think clearer, are more alert, have a stronger immune system and generally lose weight because our metabolic enzymes can do their job, which is to maintain optimum function.”
In September, Michele and two friends attended the Raw Spirit Festival in Sedona, mentioned earlier in the article by Jankowski; it was three days of lectures, food demos, music and support for the raw lifestyle.
“There were 5,000 people there. It was the fourth year and the first fest had 250 people,” Michele said. “There were so many stories of people healing from major health challenges and losing weight by moving toward and embracing the raw lifestyle. It really feels like people are ready to make better food choices and are beginning to understand the connection between food and health.”
The skinny on Raw Foodism
Common beliefs held by raw foodists include:
— Depending on the type of lifestyle preferred, raw food diets may include raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds (including sprouted whole grains such as gaba rice), eggs, fish (such as sashimi), meat (such as carpaccio), and non-pasteurized/non-homogenized dairy products (such as raw milk, raw cheese and raw yogurt).
— Raw foods contain digestive enzymes (such as amylases, proteases and lipases) which aid in digestion. Heating food above 104-120 degrees F degrades or destroys these enzymes. Eating food without enzymes makes digestion more difficult, which could lead to toxicity in the body and to obesity and chronic disease.
— Raw foods contain bacteria and other micro-organisms that affect the immune system and digestion by populating the digestive tract with gut flora. Many Raw-Foodists believe in the hygiene hypothesis, a concept which focuses on the health benefits of exposure to parasites and bacteria which builds natural resistance.
— Raw foods have higher nutrient values than foods which have been cooked. In addition, processed food and convenience food often contain excitotoxins (flavor enhancers) which can cause “excitotoxicity.” Foods with added chemicals, preservatives, additives, coloring agents/dyes of any kind are frowned upon.
— Wild foods are more nutritious than domesticated foods or industrially produced foods.
— Cooked foods contain harmful toxins which cause chronic disease and other problems.
Source: Wikipedia, Raw Foodism
Proceed with caution
Some foods can be potentially harmful and toxic if eaten raw. Use caution with:
— Buckwheat greens, which are toxic when raw, particularly if juiced or eaten in large quantities by fair-skinned individuals. The chemical component fagopyrin is known to cause severe photosensitivity and other dermatological complaints.
— Kidney beans, including sprouts, are toxic when raw, due to the chemical phytohaemagglutinin.
— Potatoes, a member of the nightshade family, can produce the toxic alkaloid solanine. The flesh of the potato just beneath the skins is usually green if solanine is present, but one may be present without the other. Solanine can be removed by peeling the potatoes.
— Alfalfa sprouts contain the toxin canavanine.
— Some types of raw cassava or cassava flour can be toxic.
— Raw eggs contain avidin, a vitamin B6 inhibitor, which can cause “egg white injury.”
— Apricot kernels contain amygdalin, which contains the toxin cyanide.
— Raw foods may contain harmful bacteria, fungi and mycotoxins or other parasites, which may cause foodborne illnesses.
— Raw meat, fish and shellfish pose serious health threats, as well as raw milk and raw eggs.
— Further, a raw vegan diet may be deficient in calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, zinc and protein, which are much easier to get in foods from animal sources.
— Care is required in planning a raw food diet for children.
Source: Wikipedia, “Raw Foodism”
If you’re looking to get started …
… a couple books and authors to consider:
“Raw Food Made Easy,” Jennifer Cornbleet
“The Complete Book of Raw Food,” Lori Baird and Julie Rodwell
“Green For Life” by Victoria Boutenko
Check out McLean & Eakin and Horizon Books in Petoskey for these and other titles.
