TIPS FOR WEEK ONE

As the January Reboot begins I thought now would be a good time to share this question that one of our December Rebooters posted at the beginning of his 30-Day Raw Food Transformation. It's a question that's valid for anyone considering a transition to a Raw Food lifestyle, whether you're doing it as part of the Reboot or on your own. Check out my response to get an idea of how to plan for the first week (or any week) of eating Raw.

Q: What are the tricks of maintaining this way of eating? I would like to plan out the week to come so I'm not eating just salads and smoothies. Thanks!

A: You've already hit on the key to a successful Reboot: it's all about planning! Do some web searches or get your hands on some Raw "cook" books and find some recipes you'll be comfortable preparing. Shop for all of the ingredients ahead of time. Double the recipes so you can have leftovers for lunch or have them for dinner a second night. Make sure you have some versatile ingredients on hand like tomatoes, avocados, bell peppers and zucchini. Make sure your nuts/seeds are soaked and set out to dry for the week.

Here's a recipe I'm planning to try this week: http://www.rawglow.com/recipe10.htm. It looks really easy. I'll probably use cashews instead of macadamia nuts because they're cheaper and easier to find Raw locally. Look for some simple "soup" recipes you can quickly prepare in the blender to take for lunch or have as an easy dinner. This is one I've been meaning to try: http://drpatelsdiet.com/2011/03/27/red-pepper-and-kale-soup-raw-vegan-gluten-free/. I'll add a recipe for nut meat to our Reboot Facebook Group this evening. It's pretty simple and you can have it in a lettuce wrap or use it to fill a bell pepper.

Browse http://rawon10.blogspot.com/, http://www.goneraw.com/, http://www.rawfoodrecipes.com/and look around Google for other Raw recipe sites. I keep a bookmark folder and add recipes whenever I see one that I want to try. I hadn't seen this recipe before, http://www.rawfoodrecipes.com/recipes/raw-veggie-fajitas.html, but it looks really straightforward and delicious. I'd probably skip the sour cream and cheddar sauce parts just to simplify. I'd maybe chop up a cup of tomatoes, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1/2 tsp garlic, 1/2 tsp jalapeno and add 1/4 tsp salt to make a simple salsa to go on top. Use it to fill a leaf of romaine and you've got a nice wrap.

Make a green smoothie or two and pack plenty of fresh fruits, veggies and nuts to take with you to work for snacks.

Salads don't have to be boring. Dressings are easy to make and with the abundance of Raw ingredients available, the sky's the limit. Add some sprouts and nuts to give it some texture and vary the fresh greens you use. Try using thicker elements for your dressings for a richer, heartier taste. Ta-Raw has several different hummus demonstrations on her website (Ta-Raw.com). Try it over greens for something different. Last night I made a mock egg salad and served it over spinach and arugula. It was so thick it wasn't like eating a salad at all. (I'll post that in our Facebook Group tonight too.)

Preparation is definitely the key to success with a Raw Food lifestyle. Other than stopping by Revive for meals, we don't have the option of winging it. The first week or so may be a little rough and may take some extra time, but you'll get it figured out.

Note: The Rebooter who asked the question followed this advice to the "T." He met his goals and ended up being one of our Reboot "Rockstars." He was a regular at our weekly Raw Food Workshops, prepared beautiful meals at home, and shared pictures, recipes and information along the way. We're proud to hear that he plans to continue consuming Raw Foods as a regular part of his post-Reboot diet.

A RAW FOODIST'S WISH LIST

I realize the Raw Food lifestyle is supposed to be all about simplicity, but there are still lots of fun toys out there that make preparing Raw Food easier and more fun. If you’re still searching for the perfect gift to give the Raw Foodie in your life, here’s a list of equipment we provide our Reboot Challengers that may make your holiday shopping a little easier.

Food Processor

The Food Processor makes chopping, slicing, shredding, grinding, and pureeing a breeze. We use it for slicing veggies for salads and mixing ingredients for hummus, dips and desserts. If you’re looking to add an appliance to your newly Raw kitchen we recommend starting here. The Food Processor is a versatile Raw Food tool and can generally be acquired for a reasonable price. We like the Cuisinart brand and recommend an 11 to 14 cup size. The Cuisinart Food Processors used at Revive came from Costco. Regardless of the brand you choose, make sure you select one with both an S-blade, which sits inside the bowl, as well as a grater/slicer that sits on top.

High-Speed Blender

The High-Speed Blender is another tool that gets a lot of use in the Raw kitchen. The Vita-mix gets the most attention and is the one used in most of the Raw Food demonstration videos you’ll find on YouTube. Blendtec is another popular brand. Both are expensive. The Vita-mix starts at around $375 but with two horsepower and variable controls, it blends like nobody’s business. Use it for smoothies, Raw soups, dressings, sauces and to grind nuts for nut butters and milks. Stick with your existing blender if you want, but when you’re ready to take things to the next level, shop around for a Vita-mix or other quality High-Speed Blender. You can order direct through the Vita-mix online store (https://secure.vitamix.com/) or through other online retailers. Occasionally Vita-mix demos and sells the blenders at Costco. Check here for local schedules: http://www.vitamix.com/household/shows/.

Dehydrator

At the advanced end of Raw Food equipment spectrum is the Dehydrator. The Dehydrator takes the place of the oven in the Raw kitchen using low temperatures and a fan to heat and dry food. It essentially removes water from food, but keeps the enzymes naturally present in Raw Foods intact. A dehydrator allows you to make cookies, crackers, crusts, chips and breads as well as dry fruits and vegetables for chews or for general preservation. It’s also great for drying nuts after soaking. Excalibur makes the Dehydrator of choice for most Raw Foodists. Like the High-Speed Blender, the Dehydrator is expensive. Excalibur’s entry-level four-tray unit starts at $230. But Excalibur Dehydrators are far superior to the traditional round dehydrators found at box stores and garage sales. In addition to a fan and thermostat that regulate and circulate heat evenly, the Excalibur dries food up to ten times faster. Excalibur sells through their company web store (http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/product.php) as well as through many online affiliates. While it’s certainly nice to have a dehydrator at the ready, it’s by no means a necessity. Many Raw Foodists get by without one.

Springform Pan

If you’re looking to make Raw desserts it’s very beneficial to get your hands on a Springform Pan. The Springform Pan allows you to build up layers of a dish before releasing the form and letting your creation stand on its own. These come in a variety of sizes and are easy to find. They’re available in the kitchen departments of most stores. Sur La Table has a nice selection starting around $8 and going up depending on size and material.

Masticating Juicer

Juicer

For juicers there are two main types: Centrifugal and Masticating. Centrifugal means moving or directed away from a center or axis. Masticating means to chew, grind or knead into a pulp.

The Centrifugal juicer is the juicer most often seen in stores and on TV. It spins at high speeds grinding fruits and vegetables placed in the chute into pulp. The spinning motion forces the juice away from the pulp and the juice collects in a bowl.

The Masticating juicer works like teeth to grind vegetables before literally squishing out the juice. Since a masticating juicer works at low speeds and with no spinning action, it tends to juice many vegetables more efficiently.

We recommend Masticating juicers because they are better at handling leafy greens such as Spinach, Kale and Chard. As Raw Foodists, there are also concerns over the heat generated by Centrifugal juicers. Heat isn’t an issue with Masticating juicers. Masticating juicers also have the benefit of being more efficient, producing more juice from fewer vegetables.

Popular brands of Masticating juicers are Champion, Omega and Green Star. Masticating juicers start around $230 and go up from there. Tower Health and Diet Foods at 1130 N. Fulton in Fresno is a great local source for juicers. Not only do they carry several models of new juicers, they also have a nice selection of reasonably priced used juicers.

Additional Equipment
The Raw Food Wish List could go on from here to include a multitude of other items such as Vegetable Spiralizers (for making vegetable pastas), Water Filters and Reverse Osmosis Water Systems (for soaking nuts and preparing foods) and Coffee Grinders (for grinding small nuts and seeds).

Many people eat and enjoy Raw Foods with nothing more than a good knife and other basic tools they already have at home. But if you're looking to spread some Raw holiday cheer, this list may help jumpstart your shopping and put a smile on the face of your Raw-inclined loved ones.

A POTLUCK OF PERSPECTIVES

A few days ago I read a blog post lamenting the lack of variety available in a Raw Food diet. I wish the author could have joined us Thursday night for our first Rawvive Reboot potluck. Past and present Rebooters got together to socialize and share their favorite Raw Food dishes. I was really struck by the range of food and flavors on the table. The menu included exotic salads, raw versions of traditional main dishes, and decadent desserts. Nothing was missing.

Nancy said her salad had “everything but the kitchen sink,” and with every bite I tasted something new. Gloria’s salad had hints of a Mediterranean influence. Seshep’s dish had a rich taste of curry and could easily have come right off the menu at a Thai restaurant.

Some of us brought Raw versions of traditional favorites. Marcia brought veggies and a wonderful Raw ranch for dipping. I brought veggie-packed Raw pizzas and the “meatloaf” with barbecue sauce I made for Thanksgiving.

And of course we had dessert! Diana’s truffle balls rivaled any box of chocolates, and Suzanne’s beautiful lemon cheesecake? To die for!

It occurred to me that there’s not only an abundance of variety available in a Raw Food diet, but the diet is also much more personalized. Without tradition or chain restaurants to influence our expectations, we’re left to chart our own course and develop menus that more intimately appeal to our individual tastes.

Based on my experience at the potluck, my advice to Raw Foodists experiencing a lack of variety in their diet is to get out more. Find other Raw Foodists in person or online and ask what they’re eating. Visit Raw Food restaurants or take a look at their menus online. And don’t be afraid to experiment. Just because you’re eating the same thing over and over again doesn’t mean all Raw Foodists are. By switching to a Raw Food diet you’re already breaking from precedent. Keep breaking until you find a menu variety that’s right for you. Ultimately, if you're not finding enough variety in your Raw Food diet, it's probably not the diet that deserves the blame.

RAW THANKSGIVING

Trying to explain a Raw Food Thanksgiving to someone who doesn’t fully grasp the idea of Raw Food can be challenging. A year ago I probably would have had a hard time visualizing it myself. “It’s all made from fresh and natural ingredients--nuts, seeds, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits and herbs.” I tried explaining it several times this week but it just didn’t seem to make sense. My mother worried I wasn’t going to get enough to eat. Friends thought I was being difficult. My elderly neighbor was just confused. But it made perfect sense to me. The image of all the ingredients coming together in my head was beautiful and delicious.

I tried to make it more relatable: “Instead of turkey we’re having meatloaf, but it’s made from almonds, sunflower seeds, and mushrooms. The stuffing will be made from walnuts, pumpkin seeds and fresh herbs from the Farmer’s Market. The mashed potatoes are actually whipped cauliflower. And the apple and pumpkin pies are just as they sound, only not cooked.” The nods of recognition and “oh, I see’s” came a little easier now. Still, I didn’t have anyone begging for an invite.

But as I labored over the various dishes on Thanksgiving morning I wished they were all there with me. I was sure if they could see and taste the food I was creating they would understand. It’s not that I’m gifted in the kitchen by any means, but if they were to experience the freshness and goodness of the locally sourced ingredients and the simplicity of nature’s greatest gifts along with the love I poured into each dish, I was sure they’d find the pleasure and beauty of a Raw Thanksgiving irresistible. Maybe next year I’ll be able to convince them all to join me. But for now, I’ll have to rely on these iPhone photos to tell the story.

"Meat Loaf" from Juliano's RAW, Mashed "Potatoes" and Savory Herb Stuffing from Matt Amsden's RAWvolution, Caramel Apple Pie from rawon10.blogspot.com, and Pumpkin Pie from Ta-Raw.com.

GIVING IN TO RAW FOOD

The first time I heard about the Raw Food lifestyle I knew my life was going to change. I realized before even tasting the food that I had discovered the optimal way of eating: fresh, organic, and nutrient-rich—what could be better?

I was at Fresno’s Revive Café, a local restaurant and market devoted entirely to all things Raw. I bit into their “Matt Burger” and I’m pretty sure my taste buds skipped a beat. My mind was opened and there was no turning back.

I returned to Revive as often as I could. I started scouring the web for any information I could find on Raw Food. The more I read, the more I was convinced that this was a change I needed to make. Eating Raw spoke directly to my ongoing concerns about vitamin deficiency and reliance on processed foods.

But adopting a Raw Food diet seemed like such a huge commitment. My mind was full of excuses. I was training for a marathon as well as a century cycling event and worried about maintaining energy levels. I’d been hitting the gym a lot and didn’t want a calorie or protein deficit to lead to muscle loss. What would I do when traveling or socializing with friends and family? As I’d tick through the schedule in my head looking for the perfect time to commit to going Raw new doubts would emerge.

The answer finally showed up in my Facebook feed. Kyal announced he was starting the Rawvive Reboot: 30 days of juicing and eating only Raw/vegan/organic foods. No exceptions! I watched excitedly as the first Rebooters committed and embarked on their Raw Food journey. As the second Reboot rolled around I went to the café for an orientation session. The reservations I had about working Raw Food into my life lingered, but by the end of the orientation I realized that there was never going to be a perfect time and that I’d never have the answers without making a commitment and experiencing it for myself.

An experience it was! The first week I ate almost exclusively at Revive. It felt a bit like cheating, but it kept me from craving non-raw foods. It also helped me realize the variety that was possible with Raw Food ingredients. I began paying more attention to the dishes I was ordering and started reverse-engineering them as I ate. I began collecting recipes from websites and blogs and accumulating a new stock of groceries. Finally, I began experimenting with Raw foods on my own. I took my microwave to the garage, overcame my aversion to the kitchen, and began creating delicious Raw meals at home. I fell in love with the process.

I quickly learned what would work for my body, my schedule and my life. The sacrifices and conflicts I had imagined before the Reboot turned out to be rewards in practice. I had more energy for my workouts, runs and rides. I maintained my muscle mass but lost 12 pounds I didn’t realize I had to lose. Out of town travel led to the discovery of great new (Raw Food) restaurants. I introduced family and friends to the food at Revive and prepared meals for them at home.

Eating Raw has touched every area of my life. I’ve lost weight, my blood pressure has dropped, and my skin is clearer. My mind is sharper, I’m more energetic and I sleep better at night. Even my social life has changed. I’ve met amazing people who share my concerns about food and the environment and a commitment to good health. As I told someone recently, “Raw Food attracts good people.”

By committing to the 30-day Rawvive Reboot I had no choice but to give myself over to my own Raw Food journey. At the end of the Reboot my questions were answered and my reservations gone. I no longer consider eating Raw a challenge, and I certainly don’t consider it a “diet.” It’s a part of my life and I haven’t eaten cooked food since.