If you happen to follow any other blogs in the raw food movement, you may have noticed that there is a bit of a split happening between strict raw veganism and non-vegan raw foodists.

Is there a movement away from Raw Veganism?

(Click here to watch the embedded video about raw food.)

It’s a very interesting phenomena, and I think it’s one that really needs to be addressed. Gena Hamshaw from Choosing Raw wrote about her commitment to being vegan and how she was vegan before going raw. I respect her position and determination, and love the piece she wrote about her stance on the issue.

On the other hand you have people like Anthony The Raw Model and Daniel Vitalis who are into the more primal way of eating, including animal products. They are also to be respected for openly discussing their own trials.

Where I Stand on the Issue

As you know my approach to raw foods has never been one of all-or-nothing. Because of that, I don’t see this split in the raw food movement as being such a monumental shift.

The truth is that I think a 100% vegan raw food diet is great if you really need to cleanse or purify your body. Most of us do at some point, if the food industry is anything to go by.

However, I don’t think it’s perfect for everyone in the long term. I think that different people have different body types, live in different climates, and have access to different quality foods.

I am very much in tune with the animal rights movements and treading lightly on our planet.

However I don’t think that adhering to 100% raw veganism is the only way to champion those causes. If you think about it, you can be a good steward of the earth even if you do consume animal products.

Raw Veganism For Health Reasons

Chances are you came to the raw food movement to improve your health, and I think that it is a great starting point to changing unhealthy habits.

I also think that it is your responsibility to do your research and eat the way that makes you feel your best, and if that means taking supplements or eating something that is not raw and/or vegan then I say go for it.

The raw vegan diet is very idealistic, but the truth is that most of us don’t live in an idealistic society.

I admit it, I am an idealist and I wish that it could be as simple as surviving only on raw vegan foods.

With books like The Vegetarian Myth coming out and more research and discussions about how environmentally friendly a vegan diet can be, I think it’s necessary to take a step back.

Raw Veganism and Animal Rights

I know of monks in China who are completely vegetarian. Still, there are other monks who choose to eat animals because they say that eating only vegetables does not limit the amount of harm done to other life forms like bugs, worms, etc.

Of course the real problem is not so much the fact that some people choose to eat animal products at all. But rather the way animal products are sourced unethically.

We are growing animals in factories. These dark conditions are certainly no way to raise animals, let alone animals to be eaten.

So here’s my take away point

You are an individual and you are allowed to research, experiment, and see for yourself what works best for you and your body type.

If that includes raw dairy products, a little bit of meat or fish, or some ethically sourced eggs then I say go for it.

Some of the most nature-respecting native peoples were hunters who ate animal products. They never abused the earth and they made the most of their position as shepherds of the planet.

It’s our time to do the same.

If you’re going to take care of yourself, you need to care of the planet as well.

That means eating organic, grass fed, ethically sourced animal products if you choose to do so.

That also means including lots of raw fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.

Finally, breathe deep…

Just because there is division in the raw food movement, doesn’t mean that eating fruits and vegetables raw is less effective or less important for your health.

I believe it’s important to get everything out in the open and to really dig deep.

January

In January I was on a trip in China and Korea, with my boyfriend Robin. The idea for The Raw Foods Witch web site was still marinating in my mind. I was blogging as The Billionaire Woman.

February

The Raw Food Switch web site was created. Note that the site was actually called Raw Food Switch and not Raw Foods Witch. That little witchy switch took place later on.

In February I shared the story of how I went from junk foodist to raw foodist, and how I stopped taking birth control pills.

March

I filmed a video about Eating Raw Food in the Winter. I also shared some of my first few simple raw food recipes like my quick video on how to make beet juice.

April

In April I started a series on the benefits of eating raw food. Some of the articles were about using raw food for weight loss, and how more college students are turning to raw food to increase their performance.

May

In May my boyfriend Robin showed you how to make a Chinese inspired Raw Ragu recipe to trump all salads. I also shared my views about eating 100% raw vs. eating a high raw diet.

I maintain that it’s not necessary to eat 100% raw to enjoy the benefits of raw food.

June

In June I shared the 9 ways that raw food changed my life. Then I uploaded a video of my garden, and a video of my speech about the beautiful tropical fruit called durian.

Then I wrote a cheeky article that hypothesized that it is easier to become raw than to become vegan.

June was also the month that Raw Food Switch became the Raw Foods Witch. :)

July

In July I went back to basics and explained what is the raw food diet.

In one of my most popular articles to date, I shared the 13 Witchy Ways Green Smoothies Make You Feel Good in 13 Minutes or Less. Yum, yum.

I also weighed in on the debate over organic food, and shared in the advantages and disadvantages of organic food.

August

August saw the harvest from the garden and so I explained what a raw food dehydrator is. I also shared 21 Ways to Sneak More Vegetables Into Your Day, because we all know that eating more veggies is good for us but putting it into practice isn’t always so easy.

I also answered 2 of the most commonly asked questions: Is it better to blend or to juice? And whether a certain symptom is just detox or not, in my article on Raw Food Detox: The Myth, The Madness… The Magick?!.

September

In September I opened up more and shared the story behind why I started eating raw food and what has happened since then.

I posted my video on how to grow sprouts, with some written guidelines as well. Then I shared some of my insights on food cravings, why we have them, and what to do about them.

October

October was a busy month for The Raw Foods Witch. First, I wrote about the difference between healthy food and unhealthy food.

Then I released my shiny “28 Desserts You Can Eat Every Day” ebook. Grab yourself a copy if you haven’t already.

October was also the month I posted my Raw Pumpkin Pie recipe with a quick video to show you how to make it.

November

In November I undertook the master cleanse. I talked about a lot of detoxing techniques like the salt water flush, dry skin brushing, and how much water to drink per day.

I shared the results from my master cleanse. Then I posted happy photos and talked about eating out at restaurants while staying raw.

December

December was all about celebrating the season. I posted the raw food gift guide to help people shop for the raw foodies in their circle.

I explained the benefits of goji berries, and gave away my secret to buying them for a good price.

December seemed like a good time to answer another question I get asked a lot: what is a raw food coach?

And finally, I posted a super fun raw christmas recipe – the raw snowman!

What’s in Store for 2010?

I hope you had a great 2009, and are looking forward to a fantastic 2010. I’m wishing you nothing but the best in health, joy, and prosperity.

Love,

Photo by Mike Baird

Time Sensitive Announcement

This is just a quick reminder that today is the last day to score some cheap one-on-one raw coaching with me. If you’ve been on the fence about working with me to go raw or eliminate cravings, then this is your time!

• Get Your 1 Hour Magick Power Session at $48 instead of $74.
• Or Buy 4 Hours of Inspired Raw Coaching for $192 instead of $296.

I don’t see myself hosting another moving sale like this again (I’ve got a 1 year lease, naturally) so strike while the iron is hot. Or raw, or whatever.

Sale ends TONIGHT at 9pm EST.

Guest Post Goodies

Since I’m moving this week-end I wanted to leave you with lots of posts to read. Here are a number of the guest posts I’ve written in the last month or two.

• Living Goddess, Living Food at Goddess Guidebook: Read about my journey, or what I call my raw food faerytale, on becoming a Goddess. Leonie really inspires me every day through her blog, so it was an honor to write my story for her and other beautiful Goddesses.
• Jungle of Food Choices at Jungle of Life: In this post I discuss the parallel between the wild jungle and our own modern jungle of food choices. This post generated a great discussion and I encourage you to read through the comments. Lance is a great supporter and I’m so grateful to have presented my ideas with Jungle of Lifers.
• Loving your Life Means Loving your Food at Lyved: This post is all about finding the love of food in a healthy sustainable way, even if that means eating “healthy food”. I really enjoyed writing about ways to make healthy foods fun and enjoyable, and mentioning my ever magickal green smoothies.
• Save Money & Boost Energy at Work at Work Happy Now: When Karl asked me to write a guest post on the benefits of eating raw at work, it turned out to be a great exercise in making the most of your day by making sound food choices. I loved writing this post and I’m so grateful to Karl for letting me share some of my experiences with eating raw at work.
• Late Summer Peach Cobbler Recipe at Eco-Chick: I consider myself to be an eco-chick and I love Starre’s blog motto: “Mother Earth is a Woman.” I knew people would enjoy a glimpse into the world of raw food, and since peaches are in season here in Canada this recipe came at the right time. Let me know how you like it!

Inspiring Reads

Here are a bunch of great recent articles from around the blogosphere. Enjoy these on your long week-end and let me know if any of these really resonated with you.

• Raw Punks by Candy at Avocado Meet Zucchini: I love this post about the techniques for getting kids to eat raw. The photos are great candid glimpses into the life of young raw punks in training. Go Candy!
• Paper Towel Alternatives by Carla at Green and Chic: I love the concept and I’m so glad Carla posted about these great paper towel alternatives. Disposables aren’t necessary, and this is such a cool product.
• “Is it okay to eat ___?” by Gena at Choosing Raw: This is a question I get often too, and I’m really glad Gena decided to tackle it. She really digs down to the root of our questions about what is okay to eat.
• Together, we are Unlimited by Kyeli at Freak Revolution: This is an awesome article that really relates to the Raw Foods Witch theme of being different… a witch in a mundane world. Now I just need to watch the Wicked musical.
• Two Magick Words: Start Again by Kate at Crazy Sexy Life: If you’ve been feeling the blah’s lately then this article is here to give you permission to start again. I often find that when the student is ready, the teacher shows up.

How will you Enjoy your Long Week-end?

I’ll be moving to Toronto this week-end, how will you be spending it? Let us know in the comments, and I’ll see you all next week!

Photo by Louise Docker

One of the things I learned early on in life is that an attitude of gratitude goes a long way. Sometimes it helps to say thank you to nothing in particular, and other times it helps to highlight the people that make your life better.

These are some of the delightful people I’ve been blessed to work and interact with, while bringing more raw food magick into their lives. They’re all outstanding, so check them out. :)

Emily of Hello!Self: Emily was inspired by the first free Raw Food teleclass I gave. It was so humbling to see Emily undertake a raw food trial shortly after the class too! Emily is a Life Coaching for Positive Living, you can follow Emily on twitter @HelloSelf.

Rohan of Rohan Mitchell: Rohan is a Software Engineer (not unlike myself!) living in Australia (unlike me) who shares his passion for personal development and freelancing. Rohan is into veganism, and my latest love Dance of Shiva. He mentioned giving green smoothies a try, so follow him on twitter @RohanM.

Kyeli of Freak Revolution: Kyeli is like my long lost faeriedust sprinkling sister, who also loves Buffy The Vampire Slayer. She is currently doing a rejuvenating self-care retreat while going raw, so send her lots of love and support, read her microfiction and comment, or follow her on twitter @Kyeli. You can do it Kyeli! :)

Sean of RebootSelf: Sean is an inspiration to anyone who wants to change. He has quit alcohol, smoking, and coffee. Now he’s retooling his eating plan and has started a raw food trial. Let him know what a fantastic job he’s doing and follow him on twitter @RebootSelf.

Andrea of Holistic Show: Andrea is the host of Holistic FM and she exudes a passion for helping parents make great choices. She’s a green smoothie mommy and we share a lot of common ideals. Follow her on twitter @HolisticMom.

Sigve of Sigve Alsvik: Sigve is a long time raw foodie from Norway who is a passionate multimedia musician. He’s got a great creative flair and is a wonderful person to connect with on twitter @SigveA.

Nathalie of One Peaceful World: We share the same name, and we happen to have a lot more in common than I originally thought. ;) Nathalie is a recovered lawyer into human rights, health, and living in a peaceful world. We need more lawyers like her, so follow her on twitter @NathalieMe.

Carla of Green & Chic: Carla and I met through personal development blogs, and as it turns out we both like things that are green and chic. I just wanted to commend Carla for her dedication to her health as an MS survivor, and for the incredible transformation that she’s undergone. Follow her on twitter @CarlaRose.

Now I’m passing the gratitude flowers onto you, who would you like to say thank you to? You can do so in the comments publicly, or just send an email to someone you appreciate!

Sending lots of raw magick juice your way!

With more and more talk about the benefits of a high raw diet, I think it’s important to stress the idea of transitioning to raw.

I don’t think everyone can go 100% raw overnight on their own.

Raw as an Investment For Your Health

For most of us, food is a nuisance. (I used to think this a lot before I went raw!) It’s a drain on our bank accounts, our schedules, and our energy.

Sometimes we eat out of necessity, opting for the quickest option that we can chow down on so that we can get back to the real important stuff.

Other times food can be a way to medicate ourselves. We might eat when we’re bored, feeling emotional, avoiding problems that need to be solved or work that needs to be done, and so on.

Let’s take a different perspective of the food that we eat. What if the food that we ate was solely seen as the fuel for our bodies and minds? Just like you wouldn’t put random household ingredients into your car’s gas tank, you should invest in the correct fuel for your car.

In this case the food you eat is an investment for your body, for the long-term.

Photo by John Watson

Raw Food Diet Definitions

In the spirit of accepting that every one of us is at a different place along our journey, let’s look at the different options that you have for incorporating more raw foods into your diet.

• 100% Raw: People who go 100% raw overnight, tend to experience great benefits soon after they go raw. Sometimes however, being 100% raw is too strict and these people can flop back and forth between 100% raw, high raw, and going back to their original eating habits. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, as long as you aren’t taking yourself too seriously, or are afraid of reverting back to your not-so-good eating habits.
• High Raw: The definition of high raw is between 80%-99% Raw raw foods. What this means is that people who are high raw intend to eat raw all of the time, but that there are certain circumstances that are beyond their control. For example, they might eat a condiment or a sauce that isn’t raw, or even go for some cooked vegan options if they are stuck. People who are high raw have the advantage of being lenient with themselves, and not beating themselves up for not adhering to their standards.
• Raw Until Dinner: One of the simplest ways to add more raw foods into your diet, is to go raw until dinner. The idea is that you eat raw meals for breakfast, and lunch, and your snacks are raw. Then dinner is up to you, you can choose to eat the foods that you always eat, but you’ll notice that soon enough you’ll be attracted to eating more healthful foods even in the evening.
• Transitioning To Raw: If you just learned about raw foods, and you want to take the slow and steady road to eating more raw foods, transitioning is the way to go. When you’re transitioning, you choose exactly which meals and what it is you’re going to eat for each day, and try to fit in as many raw fruits and vegetables as you can. One of the ways of doing this is to drink a big green smoothie either in the morning, or as a snack in the afternoon. I personally transitioned to raw foods for over a year, before actually choosing to take the high raw path.

Bear In Mind

Everyone is different, and we all have different experiences with food from our past. It’s important to take into account that just because your mind has decided to eat more healthful fruits and vegetables, doesn’t mean that your body is in agreement yet.

Sometimes we have resistance when it comes to changing our eating habits. It helps to have a buddy who can keep you accountable. Having a whole group to support you is even better!

There’s no raw food police, and you don’t need to destroy yourself esteem trying to go 100% raw overnight.

After first learning the concept of raw and living foods, one of two things happen to people. Either they want to go 100% raw today, or they decide that they just want to introduce more raw foods into their diet.

Photo by Thomas Hawk

A lot of health experts argue for and against all kinds of different foods: between eggs, soy, protein, and fish we have enough contradicting information to fill a New York City studio to the ceiling with paperwork.

One thing health experts never argue about, is that including more fruits and vegetables into your diet is a good thing.

Nice to Have Requests

I’m going to use the analogy of software “requirements” and “nice to have” features, because if you’re reading this I know that you know how to use a computer.

The requirements for your email client are that it be able to deliver and receive email, and that it not crash on you. A nice to have feature would be that it can filter your email into different folders and detect spam.

Eating 100% raw is a “nice to have”. None of us wants spam to get through the filter (okay, some people might be looking to grow certain parts of their body – but I digress), so we aim to eliminate spam with our email software.

Some people might wish to be able to just go raw overnight, eliminate all of the unhealthy foods they’re currently eating, and just live blissfully in the land of health foods forever.

Of course it’s not that easy to just go 100% raw overnight. So we keep this idea of being 100% raw as a “nice to have” goal for ourselves. Just like software developers have a hard time to build systems that catch all spam and filter it properly.

Must-Have Requirements

At the other end of the spectrum, everyone has a must-have requirement of eating more fruits and vegetables. In most countries governments recommend that we eat 5-10 fruits and vegetables per day.

Compare your daily intake of fruits and vegetables and see if you meet these recommendations. Didn’t think so. Well, I’m sorry to say but before software developers can release their email programs, they have to make sure that the software can send and receive emails without crashing.

The same goes for you, you need to include more fruits and vegetables into your diet. That’s a must-have requirement! Of course, no one is going to yell at you if you don’t, and I recommend you to be gentle on yourself if you fall short.

Simply becoming aware that you need to include more fruits and vegetables into your diet is the first step in the right direction.

How Close To “You 2.0″ Are You?

Just like software developers, you’re never done. Once a software release is complete, developers need to maintain the product, and get to work on the next version.

Usually requests that didn’t make it into the first version are included in the next version of a software application. If you’re not ready to go all raw, you can leave that to your next version.

How close are you to releasing your current habits and embracing the new you? It’s up to you, and as long as you’ve got an estimate and schedule for your lifestyle changes, you’ll be well on your way to increased health and vitality!

Location and Atmosphere

Live Organic Food Bar, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is a restaurant that caters to raw vegans. It also includes some non-raw items, but if you’re raw and living in or visiting Toronto, their raw menu will more than satisfy you!

The Live restaurant is located near The University of Toronto, which is very convenient for all raw University students.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant is warm, welcoming, and clean. I visited on a Friday night and it got packed. There was an infectious laughter full of energy in Live’s large open space.

The Food

I need to preface my opinion of the food by saying that I’ve been to many Raw Food restaurants all over North America. Still, I understand that not all restaurants are trying to be gourmet like Pure Food and Wine of New York City does.

Now onto the good stuff: I had the raw tacos, and my friend had a big bowl salad. We each had a juice, I had the Green Kick and she had a Faerie dust.

The tacos were bursting with flavor, and everything was super fresh. I really couldn’t give their tacos a better rating, they are better than any taco (raw or not) I’ve made at home, and that’s saying something!

The Green Kick juice was also great, fresh, and energizing.

My friend and I were both extremely satisfied, so much so that we weren’t tempted by the raw desserts.

Now, as my boyfriend would say, “That’s something!” because I live for raw desserts. As I’ve mentioned before, I was the chocolate and candy girl. So we took pictures of the desserts, and I plan to go back to try them sometime.

Prices

The restaurant prices were very fair. As far as raw food restaurants go, Live’s prices were about average. I’ve not seen many inexpensive raw vegan restaurants, and Live prices were lower than restaurants in the United States. Not to mention that the food is made from Organic produce, which isn’t always that cheap.

Raw Food Switch Restaurant Review Rating

Overall I give Live Raw Food Bar Restaurant in Toronto a 4 out of 5 rating. I’d love to go back there and sample more of their menu, especially the desserts! I definitely recommend it to other raw foodies or those who are curious about eating raw.

4/5 Leaf Rating

Go To Live Organic Food Bar and Taste For Yourself

264 Dupont st.

(North East corner of Dupont and Spadina)

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

M5R 1V7

Phone 416-515-2002 Or visit their web site!

Photo by Darwin Bell

In keeping with my mission to help people understand raw and living foods better, I’ve decided to start a weekly series here on Raw Food Switch.

I plan on writing about the benefits of eating a predominantly raw vegan diet every week. Each article will focus on a different set of benefits, or benefits for certain groups.

Be sure to subscribe not to miss any of the upcoming Raw Food Benefits Explained posts, they will provide you with motivation to include more raw food into your diet!

This week I’m going to highlight some of the Raw Food Benefits for college students, since I’ve been there myself. These are just some of the benefits, please post any benefits you’ve experienced in the comments!

1. Raw Food Provides Energy To Study

Or to pull all-nighters, as the case may be.

I discovered raw and living foods about 2 years into my 5 year University degree. As soon as I started to include more raw foods in my diet, I realized how much more energy I could have.

When you’re a college student, you are constantly on the go: you’re either doing assignments, working on group projects, or studying for midterms and finals.

The more energy you have to keep going, the better you will do.

Let’s face it, a lot of people in college drink far too much coffee and energy drinks to artificially boost their energy. Not being dependent on these harmful, addictive substances can save money, and prevent long term side effects.

2. You Get A Flexible Food Schedule

Being able to blend a meal within a few minutes really saved me a lot of time.

I was able to make a green smoothie for breakfast, or whenever I didn’t have time to make something more involved.

I knew I was getting the nutrition I needed because I was adding lots of green leafy vegetables, and supplements. These smoothies gave me the energy I needed, and took less than 10 minutes to make.

You can also schedule your food preparation for the whole week in advance. You can make a few simple recipes on Sunday that are ready to go for most of the week.

For example, I used to make an herb salad with sunflower seeds on Sundays after my grocery shopping. I could bring some of it with me for lunch for a few days, hassle-free.

3. Mental Clarity

Photo by Jonathan Pobre

When you’re giving your body the fuel it needs to concentrate, it’s much easier to learn and apply what you learn. I went raw gradually, and my grades improved along with my transition.

Whereas I was an average to below-average student in my first two years, I quickly increased my grades to above average. I graduated from University with Distinction, and I can honestly say that my diet is partly responsible.

Waking up to go to early classes wasn’t a problem for me anymore. A green smoothie in the morning was enough to keep me satisfied until lunch. For lunch I ate a raw meal and never felt groggy or tired for my afternoon classes.

This really helped me to focus during classes and absorb the information I was being taught.

4. Improved Immune System & Overall Health

Every winter college students tend to get sick, and fall behind. Since most University students get by on very little sleep, lots of caffeine, and pizza, it’s no wonder that colds spread easily.

No one wants to be sick during midterms, finals, or big projects. Although eating a predominantly raw food diet isn’t a guarantee against colds, it does help to keep your immune system humming.

It’s much easier to do well in your classes when you’re healthy. You aren’t going to miss class because of a passing flu, and you can devote your energy to your studies instead of fighting off viruses!

More Raw Food Benefits…

This post is part of the Raw Food Benefits Series.

• Raw Food For College Students
• Raw Food For Weight Loss
• Raw Food For Weight Gain
• Raw Food For The Elderly
• Raw Food For Mothers

In this post I’m going to explore how contagious raw food can be. Not necessarily as easily “catchable” as the common cold, but it’s definitely catching on.

Here are some of the random occurrences of meeting people who were into raw foods.

Photo by Amy Vuong

The Checkout Girl

The other day I went to the grocery store to stock up on Larabars for myself and my dad. (The fact that my relatively small town carries Larabars is enough of an indication that raw foods are becoming more mainstream, but I disgress.)

We decided to take one of each different kind of Larabar, just to keep things fun.

When we got to the cash register, the sales clerk scanned the Larabars and then stopped to talk to us. She said she loved the Cashew Cookies bar, and that she had just tried the pistachio variety recently.

I told her that cashew cookie was one of my favorites too. She was surprised to see them on sale, since they were $.30 cheaper than the last time she bought one.

I told her that the prices had gone down, permanently. She was surprised and excited.

I don’t know about you, but when a chocolate bar gets cheaper, that usually means it’s because the product isn’t selling well or something. That’s not the case for Larabars though.

The smiling sales clerk was very excited, and said she would stock up on Larabars now.

She continued to check out the rest of the food that we were buying, which consisted mainly of green and leafy veggies. She seemed to have a bounce in her step, and she was very enthusiastic about how many Larabars we were buying.

I was happy that to find out that someone other than me buys Larabars! The higher the turnover, the more indication that raw food is taking the world by storm!

Photo by Celeste RC

The Librarian

A few days later, while I was at the library stocking up on books, I ran into a librarian who I have known for years.

She asked me what I was up to these days, and I mentioned that I was starting a website about raw food to help people go raw.

“Raw food?” She asked.

“Yeah, it’s all about uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds,” I replied.

“Oh I know all about raw foods! I ate raw for many many years. I read books by Victoria Boutenko and her children,” She said with a big smile.

Now I wasn’t surprised, because this woman had been a vegetarian ever since I could remember. Of course being vegetarian in these parts of Canada is considered a little bit weird, so image how far out vegan or raw foodists might be.

In any case we discussed quite a few ideas and even a few simple recipes together. She told me that the only reason she stopped eating raw, is because everybody else around her was not eating raw.

She enthusiastically mentioned that she had the most energy while she was eating raw.

I thanked her for the books and for the nice chat, and I skipped all the way home like a happy bunny.

These are just some of my feel-good “raw food going mainstream” examples from the last week.

** Have you ever experienced any fun raw food moments that made you think “Yes, raw food can and will go mainstream!”? If so share below in the comments!