Raw Rag™

Somehow I don't think this writer likes raw foodists much

Jay Rayner, writing in Guardian's The Observer, makes some good points (e.g., a few of the raw-food gurus are "self-satisfied and smug," even condescending and at least one is downright arrogant) but the reason I read his whole column was becuse his railing and ranting is very funny. From "Why raw food fanatics make my blood boil":

I'm a big fan of evolution. Among the fantastic things it has gifted me – the ability to walk without dragging my knuckles, central heating, Sky Plus – my favourite is the silver cupboard with the knobs on that I keep in the kitchen. It's called an oven, and the mere fact I own one is proof that I am no longer a hairy-bummed ape, who nests in trees and pulls flies out of his mate's hair and eats them (unless she's been really sweet to me and asks nicely).

We are humans, ergo, we cook. ...

Which brings me to the raw foodies, those swivel-eyed enemies of all that is edible who swear that the route to human salvation lies in taking an evolutionary step backwards and not cooking. God, but I hate them. I hate their self-satisfied, smug mien. I hate their dippy thinking and their delusional, anti-science worldview. Hunting the web for quackery is a little like trying to get wet by jumping in a river: unavoidable. Still, a few minutes scanning the rubbish spouted by raw foodies can be useful, if only to give you an extra jaw work-out from the grinding of teeth.

They will tell you there is a nut, the eating of which, will instantly cut your risk of developing cancer by 50%. This is bollocks. They will tell you a raw food diet will increase your energy levels, when it will do the opposite. They will tell you it will make your skin glow, your asthma subside, and bring world peace. I wish I could tell you I made the last one up but I didn't.

Click to read the rest.

The diet argy-bargies: Raw, natural, vegan, vegetarian, locavore, omnivore? What is a person to eat?

The phrase argy-bargy is very descriptive, not to mention fun to say. It means a lively discussion or dispute, and is exactly what the diet gurus are having. The more I follow these disputes, the more they provide me with laughter, partially because they are so predictable and ego-charged.

What is tiresome is that many of these food spokespeople will not allow differing opinions to co-exist. It is a fight to the black-and-white death; shades of grey are not allowed. Doesn't the controversy cause them indigestion?

I continue to research what is best to put in my mouth, and then continue to believe that nutrition is not one-size-fits-all. What is best for me may not be what is best for you. We each must do the work, experiment, to discover what is our optimum individual diet, and not necessarily eat as dictated by some book or personality.

Most of us would probably be happiest and healthiest hanging out in our own, personal shades of grey.

For me:

• Meat is fine sometimes, as long as the animal has grazed on grass and has not been munching lots of corn or ingesting antibiotics
• Sugar is to be avoided (mostly)
• Processed foods are not really food and thus are not good to eat
• Raw is very good, actually excellent, but not to be eaten exclusively, and, most important, its consumption should not be turned into an unforgiving and finger-pointing cause or religion
• Dairy is fine occasionally, as long as the animals from which it comes fit the first criterion in this list
• Eggs can be part of a healthy diet, as long as the chickens were not raised in cages, and were fed a nutritious diet.

The above are my dietary lifestyle conclusions for now. They are mine, and do not need to be yours, of course.

Yes, I started out 100% raw, and over the months could find no evidence

The biggest advantage of raw food for me? Maybe the dancing?

Yes, today is the 10th day of real-deal raw. A bit of a change from that first day! Do I like this lifestyle? "Like" is too mild. Bring on the next 10 days.

Although I've lost weight (not really much of a goal) and do not seem to have cravings for meat and other cooked or processed foods, the biggest shift seems to be an enormous increase in exuberance and playfulness.

This morning, as I work, I hear this music in the background:

• Louis Armstrong's All Time Greatest Hits (Is it any surprise that my favorite song on that album is "What a Wonderful World"?)
• Crash Test Dummies' The Ghosts That Haunt Me (one of my most-liked is "Superman's Song")
• Legend: The Best of Bob Marley (Click to listen to "Three Little Birds," my album front-runner)
• Anthony Arizaga's Impossible Dream

Every so often I feel the urge to get up and dance—and then I do!

If you read my blog idealawg, you may recall I am an avid supporter and researcher of play; for me, this raw food cuisine takes play to new heights. And what about exuberance? I am going to research that topic between working and dancing. I'll let you know what I learn.

Are you grieving dead food?

As Caryn Reddick reminds us, even when we make a positive change, we nevertheless may grieve the old life. Even a change in our diet or lifestyle can trigger at least a small level of grieving. From Loss in sheep's clothing (Mind Mediation):

Loss is loss is loss.

Of course, some loss, like death or major illness or the end of a relationship, is in its own league. This is big, bad loss.
However, if you decide to quit your job, or get engaged, or earn a promotion, there is still loss… it is just wrapped in sheep’s clothing.

Everyone expects you to be happy, but the reality is that you must grieve the loss of the “old” you before you can celebrate the “new” you. Otherwise, you may find that you can’t enjoy the great new life you have created – or that you feel like an impostor in your new life.

When you change your life for the better, don’t be surprised if you still experience symptoms of grief, such as:

• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Muscle tightness
• Feelings of guilt
• Fear of the future
• Out-of-character emotional responses
• Moodiness
• Inability to rest or pronounced fatigue
• Numbness

Transitioning to a raw or living food diet can result in feelings of loss for the old way of eating. This is a time to be very mindful, very self-aware, so you can distinguish between the physical detox and any symptoms of grief. The grieving can remind you to take time to gracefully say goodbye.

The first day's not so good so far

Welcome, everyone. Inspired by watching over 3 hours of Alissa Cohen teaching two people how to prepare what appeared to be delicious raw food dishes, I decided today was the day to embark on the raw food lifestyle.

Great start. I had to force myself to finish my breakfast! I created it in the VitaMix and threw in the following before making a smoothie: A whole pink grapefruit, one date, two heaping tablespoons each of Macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds, two ice cubes, 1/4 cup of water, and one tablespoon of shelled hemp seeds. 

This concoction was so bitter (maybe more dates would have helped?) that I had to drink slowly and think of other things. Thinking of other things, distracting myself, is not consistent with one of my goals for this new regime: Mindful eating and really attending to each bite (or sip). Tomorrow's breakfast will be more worthy of mindfulness, I pray.

Lunch was a bit better: Big bowl of shredded cabbage (from a bag of already-prepared cabbage for slaw), a sliced tomato, a sliced avocado, a slice of sweet onion diced fine, and a couple of tablespoons of sunflower seeds, all dressed with some cold-pressed olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Much too bland for my tastes. In fact, this lunch was downright boring. I have much learning to do, it seems.

In the interest of learning, I am now going to continue reading The Living Foods Lifestyle. And maybe take a nap while waiting for that raw food buzz to kick in. The first day is too soon for the rise in energy, I guess, because I am sleepy. Maybe the boredom is causing the fatigue?

Note: Please feel free to post your favorite raw food recipes in this blog's comments section. I would appreciate them, and any other good ideas and advice for this lifestyle.