Fwd: The Raw Gourmet Newsletter April 6, 2007

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Greetings, FYI:Nomi Shannon <nomi wrote:"Nomi Shannon" <nomiThu, 5 Apr 2007 21:10:46 -0400The Raw Gourmet Newsletter April 6, 2007 The Raw Gourmet NewsToday's article is a repeat of an article that I first sent out tomy newsletter list in April of 2002. It is the most controversialarticle I believe that I have ever written, and it is also the most well-received based on the many complimentary emails I havebeen sent about it. I sent it out again about two years ago I think. I am sending it out today with some updated comments. I am not at all sure why it keeps popping into my mind right before Easter and Passover. So for all you new readers who have never seen this article before, and for my long-term newsletter

friends I hope that you enjoy my Be Aware article, and I hope that you have awonderful holiday.After the article there are some recipes for spring and for thisseasons holidays, and don't forget if you want some spectacular holiday recipes, my eBook Raw Food Celebrations, co-written by myself and Sheryl Duruz of Australia is available, you will see alink to it on the home page of my site, and the url for it is below.Next time: I will be sending an informative and important articleabout the only supplement that I have ever endorsed. I wrote about it way back in 2002, and I still think it is a wonderful product, you won't want to miss the information in my nextnewsletter.Be Aware Of:1. Be Aware of what I call "three week wonders"Definition of a three week wonder: someone who has taken a threeweek class in raw food (or anything) and is now dispensing information, classes, written a book

etc based on those three weeks. So much misinformation is being passed around by these wellmeaning but inexperienced people who pass themselves off as experts with limited knowledge and little if any real life experience. For example, a few weeks ago I heard an explanation of why we soak nuts and seeds. It seems according to this "teacher" that the part you soak off is what keeps animals from eating them. (Real reason: with soaking you arewashing off the growth inhibitors that keep the nut or seed from sprouting out of season if a few drops of rain fall on it-soaking and sprouting also change the nut or seed to a more digestible foodas the fats are being broken down into fatty acids, the proteins into amino acids.)Another less amusing example is a three week wonder becoming so enthusiastic about the wonderful results achieved from going raw (this may have been a bit more than three weeks, but not much experience,

just a lot of enthusiasm); that theycreated educational materials and programs that many people purchased only to -after a few years-totally reverse their stand on raw food, now claiming that raw food is harmful. What is wrong withthis picture? First of all, they went into "business" with just a tiny amount of experience.They did not expand the variety of foods they ate, but ate the same things day after day, when theybegan to feel ill from lack of variety, perhaps developing deficiencies, rather than take a good look at what they were eating, they blamed "raw food". No food can make you healthy. Not carrotjuice. Not green juice. Not wheat grass. Not algae. What contributes to your good health is giving your body the chance to cleanse and heal itself. Raw Food can no sooner "make you sick"than fresh air can. One needs to exercise some common sense. You always need a large variety of foods to be healthy. Think of

the rainbow and eat foods of each color. Don't forget protein,don't forget fat. Don't forget carbohydrates. Don't listen to any one person about anything,including me.A recent "three week wonder story (this article was originallywritten in 2002, this is just added in 2007) are: a new raw food recipe book just came out. In it, two of the ingredients used are frozen corn and frozen artichokes. Now there is nothing inherentlywrong with either of these items, it is just that most if not all vegetables are blanched prior to freezing them so the color and flavor will "set". (Read: kill the enzymes with heat so theywon't cause the food to deteriorate while frozen, manifested by loss of color, texture and taste.) The problem with using frozen corn and frozen artichokes in a book that claims to be allraw, is that unless it is clearly stated that these are NOT RAW food items, the reader, eager for knowledge, will "learn" or

"assume" that these are raw items, because it is a Raw Book. I callthis misinformation and unfortunately this is happening so often now that few new raw fooders are properly informed.Do I think thatfrozen corn and frozen artichokes shouldn't have been used in this book? Not at all. I just think the author needed to clearly state in each recipe that this is not a raw item so that the reader can make an intelligent decision.Whenever you hear a story (being widely passed around on theinternet) about sick vegan babies, sick infants of vegan moms, deficiencies on a raw diet,parents arrested because they only feed their children raw food, etc. Ask yourself: What exactlywere they eating? That part of the story never gets told. Just because someone claims to be raw doesn't mean that they are doing it correctly, we all need protein, carbohydrates and fats.Feeding a baby nothing but raw lettuce and water (this

happened a few years back if you will recall) is abuse and an act of insanity. There is no defense for it. So, my advise is before you run around collecting money and defense attorneys for this raw family or that raw family who has "gotten into trouble with the law" that you first ascertain what exactly were they eating? For answers to your questions and responsible teaching, there aremany people who have been all raw or high raw for well over ten years, these are thetypes of people who have the wisdom and experience to help others. I have been all raw or high raw for twenty years. Have there been variations in the percentage of raw food that I eat?Yes, of course. My first year, as mentioned in my book, The Raw Gourmet I was 50% raw. The next 4-5 years I was extreme 100% raw, since then I have been anywhere from 75 - 80% raw up to100% raw. Another way to state this is that I am 100% raw some of the time and a

high percentage of raw all of the time. There are other "three week wonders" who have propelled themselvesinto thriving raw food related businesses and, while they do a lot of good, in their limited knowledge and experience also perpetuate misinformation that could turn out to be harmful.For example one raw food proponent indicates that daily enemas are part of their ongoing daily routine. Enemas are useful, perhaps even lifesaving, while on the cleanse phase of araw food program and for serious long-term programs such as the Gerson Therapy, which is closely monitored. But it is never a good idea to use enemas as part of a daily routine once thecleanse phase is over. Lack of education and experience is starting to manifest itself all over the raw food movement. The very leaders you are looking up to perhaps belong to this category.Know where you information is coming from and don't put all your faith in

just one source. My last example today of a "three week wonder" (I am beingselective, there are many more examples of misinformation coming from supposed 'experts' in the field.) is a recentself-published food preparation book that tells the reader todehydrate at 98 degrees. This is erroneous and potentially harmful advice. Dehydrating at too low a temperature leaves the food open to developing mold. If you use common sense, you will realizethat food does not become the temperature an oven is set at. Roasting a turkey (this is an example to illustrate my meaning only, hold off on the critical emails to me please) at 350 degreesnever results in the turkey being 350 degrees. Likewise the dehydrator. You want to dehydrate at the highest temperature possible while keeping the food itself below 115 or 110 degrees.When I dehydrate flax seed crackers, which are cold and very weat first, I start the machine at 120 or

125, and as the crackers become dryer and I can feel that they are getting warm tothe touch (don't forget how hot a 103 degree jacuzzi feels), then I turn it down. Dehydrators work differently in different climates. You can expect your food to be done sooner in dry hotArizona than you can in cool damp England. Please do not make the mistake of creating moldy food just because some "expert" who wrote a book tells you to set your dehydrator at 98. 2. Be Aware of meaningless"certification"On a related theme, I am noticing every Tom Dick and Harry of rawfood information (and misinformation) is now getting into the concept of offering "certification". Well, who is certifying you? What are their credentials? One such "certification" is addingup to close to $6,000.00 (for about three weeks). For that kind of money you can take the 9-week program at Hippocrates Health Institute which has been around for a long

time and has agood history and track record. Certification from someone who has a recognizable name and has beenaround for some time; with something that says something about their area of expertise such as a book, or someone who has been teaching for a long time might be worth your while,but don't waste your time and money on a "three week wonder".3. Be Aware of people who tell you what to do.There is no one pill, no one herb, no one diet, supplement, or foodthat is right for all people. When you are being told that everyone needs this mineral or that herb or cream or liquid then suspect the person is either on an ego trip or looking to makemoney for themselves, or both. We are each so unique. If there were one right way for us all life would be so simple, wouldn't it?If there were one right way to eat then I would be a very rich ladyindeed. Do not ask your neighbor or me what they eat hoping

to emulate and be just like them. What works for your neighbor or me may not work for you. Do not turn an expert intoyour personal guru, instead be your own guru, by experimenting over time with different approaches to see what works for you.(Note: The next newsletter is going to be about some supplementsthat I think are the best on the market, but you must be the final judge on how your body reacts to anything anyone recommends.)4. Be Aware, you need to do your own research.Sorry, I know this makes things harder for you. But you are aunique person. You have strengths and weaknesses, and they are different than your neighbor, your sister, your cousin or your raw food guru. I am talking about physically here, but itis true about all aspects of YOU. There is really no expert that can tell you about you. Wouldn't itbe so easy to just follow one way that you hear about from one person? If that

worked, there would be far fewer "gurus" out there.You need to understand what it takes to keep you the healthyvibrant person you want to be. Of course generalities like exercise, clean air, clean food, right livelihood and relationship all factor into what makes you you. But the fact is, you need to experiment,research, read, learn, try until you find the right combination that works for you. For example, this week a friend made a smoothie out of nut milk,nuts, bananas, plus three other kinds of fruit. That would be digestive and caloric disaster for me. Currently my smoothies are made out of lots of greens with some fruit juice and 2 otherfruits. We are very different from one another and what works for one does not work for the next person.Stop looking for "the answer" from outside of yourself, it is afutile quest. Stop thinking that this one person, or book (or pill) is the one right answer for

you. Do not be lazy about looking after your own health. No one can care as much about you, or know as muchabout you as you do!!5. Be Aware that some people treat Raw Foodism as a religion. Avoidthem.I hope that you understand this without a big long explanation.6. Be Aware that there is more to life than the food you eat.I hope you understand this without another big long explanation.7. Beware of Extremism. All or nothing at all isn't necessarily a healthy or logicalapproach. If someone tells you that eating 95% of your food raw isn't good enough, or that you are literally poisoning yourself if you eat some cooked food those are rather extreme attitudes. It is my observation that those who take these philosophies to heart often feel like failures if they can't be "perfect" and so slide back completely to a SAD diet.I personally would rather see a person consume 50% raw food for

therest of their life than be 100% raw for three weeks. Don't allow extreme attitudes or the all-or-nothing-approach to make you feel like you can't cut it, that you are a failure or less-thanin your raw food attempts. Any amount of raw food that you eat daily is better than none at all.Perhaps you could shoot for never any less than 50% daily. Don't allow yourself to feel a senseof failure if you do not follow some ideology perfectly. The greatest cause of depression is striving for perfection and feeling bad when it is not attained. Please re-read item #5.Please do not think that what I am saying is that it is ok(healthy) to eat a lot of cooked food and or junk. What I am saying is striving for 'perfection' can create a lot of unhappiness and feelings of failure which almost always results in giving up on the goal so that you don't have to feel those bad feelings. When someone is telling you that 95% isn't

good enough, they are telling you that unless you are absolutely perfect you are not doing it right. This message often boomerangs and results in many people giving up on raw food entirely. Do your best!! Choose Happiness!! Do not judge yourself (or others).If you maintain your happy outlook, treat your food as justthat-your food, not your religion, you will find that sticking to your goals is much easier. If you can't be all raw, all the time, you can still be high raw most of the time, all raw some of the time and happy with it all of the time. 8. Be Aware of some StrangersBe aware of people you don't know who want you to pay them largesums of money to teach you how to live a raw food lifestyle, cleanse and heal, fast, or set up a raw food restaurant, home or health retreat. Call three or four well-known people, suchas myself, to be sure that this unknown person has a good reputation.

Increasingly more and more people are coming into raw food as leaders, please re-read item #1 about "three weekwonders". The raw food community is a small one. Check the credentials andmost of all the reputation and history of anyone you are thinking of working with, or of allowing to live in your home that you don't know well. Ask for references. Demand them.9. Be Aware that there are people with eating disordersBe aware that there are people with eating disorders (anorexia andbulemia) who use raw foodism to mask their problems. Being a raw fooder is not going to cure an eating disorder. Anorexics and bulemics have serious psychological and physicalhealth issues that need to be addressed by trained personnel. A recent example (2007). A young woman came to visit me, who hasbeen raw for about a year. She was very thin, too thin. She brought some photographs with her and proceeded to show me

pictures of herself, as she put it, early on in her raw food program when she was eating only fruit which she said "made her very sick'. It was a social setting so I didn't say to her what was on my mind when she showed me those pictures. In them she looked as though she was about 2 weeks away from death she was so severely emaciated and illlooking. Had we been alone, I would have said to her in my characteristic blunt way: Do not delude yourself into thinking eating raw food made you so ill, those are photos of aseverely ill anorexic and or bulimic person. This girl was playing games with herself and her family, but it was very easy to see the truth as an outsider: she was using the concept of being araw fooder as an excuse for her very serious illness.10. Be Aware That in everyday life, preaching to others is unwelcome and anineffective way to introduce the concept of raw foodism to anyone. Wait to

be asked. Create ways that invite people to ask. Example (2007): I know a person who actually walks up to strangersin the grocery store and verbally attacks them about what is in their grocery cart! I mean really! Is that anyway to make friends and influence people? Holiday Recipes(For some wonderful holiday recipes and party and entertainingideas, check out the eBook Raw Food Celebrations by Nomi Shannon and Sheryl Duruz. See link below or go to http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?N2rlFdtfmajNvILBM562.g and click on RawFoodCelebrations link. Please note:an eBook arrives by email only it is not available as a hard copy book.)Lemon CupsI chose this recipe for its attractiveness and simplicity. Kids love this.4 lemon halves (after juicing)2 cups finely grated carrots1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (the yellow part only of the

lemonvery finely grated)1 teaspoon olive oil or flax oilOptional: stevia or maple syrupGrate carrots; toss in remaining ingredients (except the lemonhalves of course). Fill the lemon halves with the carrot mixture, to overflowing. See the picture on page 69 in my book for serving ideas.Spring SaladHere are two variations for salad with the same dressing for both.Salad 1: Endive, basil strips and strawberriesSalad 2. Alternate pink grapefruit sections with slices of avocado.Jeanne's Berry Dressing4 hulled strawberries8-10 raspberries2 teaspoons honey or 1 tablespoon maple syrup1 tablespoon olive oil or flax seed oil1 tablespoon lemon zest1 fresh basil leaf Optional sea salt to tasteBlend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Pour over salad andserve. Serves 1-2.Julienne of Carrot , Zucchini and Red PepperAlthough you can julienne by hand, using a

mandoline will result in a more attractive dish.2 carrots, julienne1 zucchini, julienne1 red pepper, julienneOrange Tahini Dressing A delightful light dressing that only takes a few minutes to make. Its simplicity invites variation. Try adding 1 teaspoon chopped ginger and 1-2 teaspoons tamari. Or, add 2 teaspoons poppy seeds and 1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder.2 tablespoons tahini1/2 cup fresh orange juicepinch sea salt1 teaspoon grated ginger1/4 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon dulse flakes1/8 teaspoon curry powderIn bowl, add orange juice gradually to tahini, stirring after each addition. Add salt. Dressing tastes fine as is, or add spices to taste. Yields approximately 1/2 cup.Nomi Shannon, author of best selling all raw book, The Raw Gourmetcurrently lives in Wilmington North Carolina. She loves taking Rocky the Dog to the beach for a walk on a hot day, or for a

run in the woods near her home. Besides her book,The Raw Gourmet,Nomi also has a set of three DVD's where she demonstrates many raw food recipes. You can view clips from each of her DVD's athttp://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?2xFkEXZb69UgSjcLQJy0rQNomi also has written two booklets: The Little Book of Raw Soups and Raw But Not Naked, The Little Book of Salad Dressings, and an eBook-Raw Food Celebrations (go to: http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?2ihAqJ7FtLcFGfynuZA.nw). For kitchen equipment, Nomi sells everything one needs for a rawfood lifestyle from simple kitchen gadgets like the saladacco spiral slicer, mandoline plus and Toss & Chop, to larger items like the K-tec HP3 blender, juicers and the Excaliburdehydrator. View all of these items at http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?N2rlFdtfmajNvILBM562.g along with free articles, free recipes,and a free newsletter archive. Please go to

http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?N2rlFdtfmajNvILBM562.g to order or call forinformation about juicers and blenders, or call to inquire about wholesale purchasing. Nomi is available from 12-5 EST at 888-316-4611, or you can email her at nomiHave a wonderful Passover and Easter Holiday. My prayers are forpeace throughout the world and in all of our heart's too. Yours in Good HealthNomi ShannonThe Raw GourmetThe Raw GourmetPO Box 10396Wilmington NC 28404To or change r options visit:http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?jBzMzLTMrEwcrEycTA==

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