"When you think of food in its most healthy and beneficial state, as something green for the body, mind and environment, you may likely think of fresh and natural raw foods.

"The raw food diet appears at first to be just another crazy and intense food diet, but for many it has proved beneficial and has thus transformed into a lifestyle."

Read the whole article.

Needless to day, I grew up with the notion that "soup" meant something warm or hot. These days, I have soups nearly every day when I’m not traveling, and they’re neither warm nor hot! They’re raw and room temperature. My friend Jill calls my soups, "salad to blender to bowl."

Here’s a recipe with some alternatives. We prepare some variation of the soup rather regularly because we love sprouted peas. When the children were little, we found that they loved to watch the peas quickly sprout a little tail. We learned lots of ways to use the peas they sprouted!

Sprouted Pea Soup: 4 Servings
Ingredients 2 cups sprouted peas 1 cup snow peas or sugar peas 1 medium avocado 1 small-medium apple 1 ½ cups best available water ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper Celtic Sea salt to taste (or use any highly mineralized salt)
Directions Prepare apple and avocado by removing non-edible parts. Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until it reaches the desired consistency. See a variety of suggestions below.

Sprouted Peas. We sprout these ourselves; however, some health food stores are now carrying peas that have been sprouted. I’ve pictured sprouted peas above, as distinct from pea sprouts (below), which are long with a leaf at the end. We purchase our peas for sprouting at a variety of places (see the left navigation bar in the "Sprouting Seeds" section for suggestions). Our special favorite is the San Francisco Mix at Sprout People. We use the peas when they’ve sprouted about 2-4 days.

Snow or Sugar Peas. To be honest, we usually make the recipe with sprouted peas. However, snow peas or peas right out of the pod are a nice addition. We have also added pea sprouts, as shown above, as another texture.

Avocado. Nicely ripened avocado makes this soup creamy and green, adding healthy fat and subtle flavor. When we’re ready to make the soup but without a properly ripened avocado, we use raw, soaked nuts. They also require proper timing, as almonds need to be soaked about 24 hours and cashews or walnuts need to be soaked 6-8 hours. Allow 3-4 nuts per serving.

Apple. We’ve prepared this soup without the apple and it’s just as tasty. The apple adds wonderful nutrients, crunch, and crispiness. "An apple a day …." If you haven’t had your apple that day, be sure to add one to this soup.

Water. Opinions abound about the "right" water to consume. I try to stay away from the controversy; besides, some people cannot get the water that raw food purists consider to be the best. So, you choose what you believe is the best available water.

Cayenne Pepper. We use ground cayenne pepper often. If that’s not to your taste, you’ll still find this a wonderful dish if you omit it. Because peas have a more neutral flavor than many vegetables, experiment with your own favorite herbs or spices.

Celtic Sea Salt. Be certain not to spoil this wonderful raw soup with "regular" table salt. What you want here is a highly mineralized salt, of which there are many to choose from. Sea vegetables are another alternative, about ¼ to ½ teaspoon. Another alternative is celery. When we add celery to this soup, we place the water and celery in the blender first to break down the fibers. Then we add all the additional ingredients because they need much less blending.

Texture. Varied textures create different taste sensations. This soup, as many raw soups, can be successful as chunky, smooth, or pureed. We usually prefer a chunky soup, as that reminds us to chew. Chewing is an important part of the digestive process. Here are some considerations for experimenting:

• Blend these ingredients into a puree. If you do that, be certain to save out some of the sprouted peas or pea sprouts for garnish.
• Create a nice texture this way: blend the ingredients briefly, remove most of the soup to a bowl, puree the remaining, and add the puree to the briefly blended soup. This thickens the soup, but without any artificial ingredients.

Temperature. At our house, we eat most of our foods at room temperature. If you like a different temperature, consider:

• For a warm soup, heat the water (be careful to keep it below 118° if you want a truly raw soup) or place the soup in the dehydrator or on a warming tray enough to warm it. Some people, especially in colder climates, prefer warm foods.
• If you like it chilled, start with refrigerated ingredients, then place the soup in the refrigerator for a brief period.

Whatever you eat, eat with a smile on your face and love in your heart.

Lucuma Powder from Fruit

Quoting from David Wolf’s SunFood.com web site, "Lucuma is an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals -- including remarkable concentrations of beta-carotene, Vitamin B3 (niacin), and iron. Lucuma has a full-bodied subtly sweet flavor and has long been a culinary favorite of Peruvians and superfood enthusiasts worldwide."

Quoting from the NaturalZing.com web site, "Its unique and fragrant flavor resembles maple syrup. Lucuma is low in acid, low in sugar and contains an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals. It is especially abundant in beta-carotene, niacin and iron with significant amounts of calcium and phosphorus."

Lucuma Ice Cream from Powder

Quoting my daughter, Sarah, "I make some variation on lucuma ice cream every week. It’s easy, delicious, and always ready for unexpected guests."

We make Lucuma Ice Cream so often that we don’t use a recipe. And, yes, it’s a little different each time because we vary the ingredients and experiment. Always, though, we use raw ingredients; and with very few exceptions, we use certified organic ingredients.

However, it’s not fair to you for me to say, add a little of this and a little of that. So, I’ve written the recipe below, using the SunFood.com web site, which is itself a variation on the classic recipe, as a general guide for quantities. Below the written information, I’ve included a video with a different recipe.

Lucuma Ice Cream: 6-8 Servings
Ingredients 1 ½ cups really raw cashews, soaked ½ cup coconut cream, coconut meat, or raw coconut butter ½ cup organic lucuma powder ¼ to ½ cup sweetener* 1 whole vanilla bean 1 ½ Tbs psyllium hulls Approximately ½ cup best water available ¼ cup maca powder Celtic Sea salt to taste (or use any highly mineralized salt)
Directions Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend to a nice batter. Put in a container that likes to be in the freezer, and freeze until it’s the perfect consistency. An ice cream maker is not required, but you can certainly use one. Be sure to read additional notes below.

Cashews. Start with "really raw" or "raw, cool processed" cashews. They will be hard and dormant. Soak for 4-8 hours in the best available water. This softens them and makes them alive rather than dormant, which means you have the proper enzymes available in the nuts to digest them properly. Drain water and rinse the cashews.

Coconut. We’ve tried the coconut in all forms. If you’re purchasing it in a glass jar, look for raw, organic cream or butter if you want some of the coconut meat in it. If you’re purchasing fresh coconut, I recommend the Thai young coconuts if available; brown coconuts also make a great addition to this ice cream. You can use the liquid inside the whole coconut in place of the water in the recipe.

Lucuma Powder. Lucuma Powder is now more readily available in health food stores. Online, you can get it at SunFood.com and NaturalZing.com. This is, of course, the primary ingredient for which the ice cream is named. There’s really no suggested substitute.

* Sweeteners. Sweeteners are a large controversy in the raw food community and other health-conscious individuals. Sweeteners are yucon syrup, dates, honey, and stevia. I’ve tried all these, noticing that the different choices add flavors or textures to the ice cream. I no longer recommend agave nectar.

Vanilla. For the vanilla, the whole bean is the most wonderful tasting. We finely chop it before adding it to the mixture. Raw vanilla powder works fine, as does organic vanilla extract.

Psyllium husks make the ice cream slightly gelatinous and scoopable.

Water. Everyone has an opinion of the "best available" water. It has to be as you define it. Instead of water, use almond or cashew milk or coconut water.

Maca. A daily substance in our house, maca is also from Peru. Maca is a healthy complex carbohydrate, loaded with minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and fiber. I’ll write an article about this extraordinary superfood in the near future. There are many varieties of maca.

Variations. After you’ve experienced this ice cream following the general guidelines of the recipe, experiment with other ingredients that you like. Be creative. If you stay with the raw, organic ingredients, even the mistakes will be yummy.

Video from Ani Phyo’s Raw Food Kitchen
Lucuma Ice Kream

I thought it might be fun for you to see a video of someone preparing this Ice Cream, so I found the following video. Ani includes the recipe she’s using. You’ll notice by the very loud noise when she adds the cashews to the blender that she has not soaked the cashews. I do strongly recommend that you allow the time for the soaking process.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bNRLR7pWo0

Happy Eating. Please let me know any of your experiences and/or variations.

This is a question asked by a reader. If you want to ask me a question so that I can respond in a blog article, click on the image above. You can also find a link in the top navigation bar.

Question from Belinda
How can I help my pregnant sister, Ellen, to deal with her mother-in-law who is criticizing her for being on a raw food diet?

Additional Comments from Belinda
Ellen’s mother-in-law (Gen) is so negative toward my sister when my sister really needs support in this difficult pregnancy. She keeps telling my sister that she’s not getting enough nutrients, nor is it possible on a raw diet. Gen is very fat, but all our family members are naturally thin. Gen keeps saying that sunflower sprouts are not enough as if that’s the only thing Ellen eats, but she eats lots of greens and superfoods.

Joy’s Response to Belinda

You raise two very important subjects: (1) eating raw to get all the nutrients necessary and (2) dealing with disagreeing others in ways that are empowering for all involved. I can respond to these two areas and give you some ideas. Keep in mind that I’m not trained to offer advice on pregnancy, and encourage Ellen to seek the advice of a health care professional.

It’s interesting to listen to the criticism that people who eat cooked foods express to those who are eating whole, real, natural foods. Keep in mind that this criticism is based on their familiarity or comfort, and is usually well-intentioned.

The fascinating dynamic, of course, is that eating foods raw is the most natural way — the way that humans ate for thousands of years. While I personally love the modern times, I recognize that many practices in these modern times have denatured foods.

Gen is absolutely right that sunflower sprouts are not enough! There are many other foods needed. I’m so glad that you and Ellen know about superfoods. I’ve listened to many, many of David Wolf’s lectures and read his books and articles. He’s worked with many athletes, who are extremely strong and vibrant. I met Gabriel Cousens 30 years ago and considered him to be one of the most vital persons I had met.

I think the research both these raw food leaders have done is awesome. You might search for suggestions on books or other resources specifically for pregnant women. Here’s one:

Chapter 30 of Gabriel Counsens’ book Conscious Eating is entitled "Nutrition for Pregnancy." I recommend that chapter; I recommend the whole book!

I was looking for some quotations that might be helpful when you speak to either Ellen or Gen. In my searching, I found a web site that I think beautifully captures some basic ideas, in small sound bites, including a passage from Genesis. Check out http://aliveandraw.com/foodfaqs.html And if these don’t quite resonate with you, Ellen, or Gen, perhaps you can think of some others.

Another suggestion is to find every way you can to agree with Gen; when you disagree, then you’re in an argument and usually no one is listening very much to the other.

So when Gen says (this is just an example to illustrate my point) "You can’t live on sunflower sprouts." You can answer, "You’re right about that, Gen. We love sunflower sprouts, and we also eat a lot of other foods." And, of course, there are many other follow up sentences after you’ve said she is correct.

There’s a time to educate and a time to be silent. Ellen will have to balance her food choices with keeping peace with her husband’s family. There are no easy answers to this. It’s life. I hope some of these ideas help.

To do this properly requires planning, as you need to soak the raw almonds for 24 hours. You’ll find multiple sources for raw, organic almonds on the left navigation bar.

Raw Almond Milk: 2 Servings
Ingredients 1/2 cup whole, raw, organic almonds ( no shells) 1 1/2 cups purified water (best water available) Sweetener, see choices below (optional) 1/4 tsp vanilla or dash of cinnamon (optional)
Equipment blender nut milk bag Directions 1. Soak the almonds in 2 cups water for 24 hours; rinse well, discard soak water. 2. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 3. Strain through a nut milk bag. You can use a nylon bag designed for this purpose, a hemp bag designed for sprouting, or a double layer of cheese cloth. 4. The liquid is the milk. The pulp has plenty of nutrition and uses.

Soaking the Almonds. Raw organic almonds are incredible food. The reason they have long shelf life is that they have a natural growth inhibitor on the outside. That is toxic — not deadly, but not pleasant, especially for sensitive individuals. The 24 hour soaking removes this. I usually change the soak water several times, just to remove the toxins. The almonds are now ready, or they can be left, drained but still wet, for several hours unrefrigerated or several days refrigerated.

Blending the Almonds. You can do this recipe in any blender, but you’ll have finer pulp in a high-speed blender.

Straining the Pulp. If you just want to experiment with making the Almond Milk, I suggest you use cheese cloth, as that is so easily accessible, even if potentially messier. I find the help sprouting bag is acceptable, but I don’t suggest you purchase one of this purpose. If you’re going to purchase anything, I recommend the nylon bag. Please note: a little more than "straining" is required. You must actually squeeze the bag or cheese cloth to get the most out of the blended almonds and water.

Flavoring the Milk. Almond Milk is wonderful straight without any sweetening or flavoring. To my taste, almonds are already sweet. Stevia and dates are often used as sweeteners for raw foodists. Cinnamon added to almond milk is awesome, with or without additional sweetener. Add hemp nut seed to it and you will be in ecstasy.

Using the Milk. That’s easy, drink it! I’ve created some yummy desserts using the almond milk as a base.

Chocolate Almond Milk. To the above, add raw cacao; you may need to adjust the sweetener. I also often add carob, which is a regular ingredient in my recipes.

Using the Pulp. If you love Almond Milk, you’ll want to be creative about using the pulp that’s left over. I’ve discovered or invented quite a number of uses for the pulp. Use the pulp in raw (or non raw) cookies or bread, Raw Food Energy Soup or any other soup, smoothies, or dehydrate it for later use. Dehydrated almond pulp adds an interesting texture to any of the recipes you might add fresh almond pulp.

Enjoy!
After a few times, you won’t need a recipe.

Health is My Passion, Not a Religion

Most raw food enthusiasts are passionate about helping others. I’m definitely passionate both about the lifestyle and about helping others. Occasionally my passion is interpreted as dogmatic or judgmental about others’ choices.

However, I sincerely honor the choices that others make. In fact, this blog is specifically about making choices, making choices joyfully. I hope that I can add some insights and information to help you to make the choices that are right for you and to make those with the proper mental attitude.

I love helping others, yet only when they take the first step. I’m not here to argue for the lifestyle I’ve chosen. I’m especially not here to argue against the lifestyle you’ve chosen, even if it’s very different from mine.

Knowledge, Mindset, Focus

I’ve found that the most important ingredients in beginning and maintaining a mostly raw food lifestyle are knowledge and a positive mental attitude. I prefer the term "living foods," but that has not caught on as much as "raw foods."

When I first moved to raw food eating as a result of a compromised health condition (my preferred phrase over "illness") about 10 years ago, I became very focused on learning as many parts of the living food cuisine as possible. I already knew the value of such a lifestyle and had experimented previously; I already knew a lot about nutrition.

My quest for knowledge helped me to have a focus that was "for" something rather than "against" something. I saturated myself with information. I found the hope and the beauty in everything I saw.

I read books, took classes, watched videos and DVD’s. My new knowledge led me in creating a raw-food kitchen, purchasing equipment, and sharing information with others. The more I educated myself and experimented, the more aware I became that I would not turn back. My original plan was to eat 80% raw, living, vegan foods, but as I was acquiring knowledge, I committed to 100%.

That 100% commitment continued for a full 6 months. I returned to full health in about three months and continued to get stronger. I now maintain a 75-95% raw food lifestyle when calculated over a week. The most difficult part of maintaining 100% commitment for me is social. Most of my friends and family are considered by American standards to be conscious of making healthy choices, but they have not adopted a raw food cuisine.

My Eating Lifestyle

The most satisfying foods that help me to maintain my mostly raw lifestyle are considered "super foods." These tend to be nutrient-dense foods which I find filling and fulfilling in very small amounts.

The super foods I eat daily are cacao, maca, hemp nut seed, flax, olives, goji berries. In addition, I grow sprouts and eat mineral-rich green vegetables. Nuts are also very satisfying. I usually eat 4-6 times a day, very lightly. I only eat when I’m hungry.

I believe the key for me is a moderate amount of a wide variety of living, organic, plant foods that taste good. With that as a basis, the occasional cooked or non-organic or animal food I consume has no negative effect. And, no, I do not eat highly processed foods.

I alternate easy, easy meals with gourmet meals. When I discovered Ann Wigmore’s Energy Soup, I made the soup in five minutes because I had all the ingredients in my kitchen. For months, I made that soup at least once a day, adding a few different ingredients to the basic recipe so that the soup never tastes the same twice. Now, I usually make Energy Soup at least three times a week. Here’s the recipe for this Energy Soup.

I choose to eat mostly raw, organic, vegan food because quite simply, I feel better. I’m strong, and still I continue to grow stronger and healthier. I believe that eating plant foods that are alive and raw is one of the best means to a life that gets better and better. That’s quite profound in a culture that’s oriented toward decline with age and belief in long deaths. I intend to be healthy to the end and leave quickly.

I expect to write about a variety of approaches to natural health. Of course, "natural" means different things to different people, which is something that I’ll explore.

What does it mean to you? You can respond to that question as a comment.

Based on questions I’ve asked of potential readers and my own primary interests, I’ve decided to begin this blog with posts mainly about raw foods. I believe that will provide the best foundation for related topics. My first post after this one will be My Raw Food Story.

When focusing on health, specific foods or other substances or practices can be important. However, I believe the consciousness with which you make a choice is even more powerful than the final decision itself. When you make a choice in desperation, you’re more likely to experience desperate results. Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting into a slightly better state of consciousness or improved mental attitude before you decide so that more satisfying results occur.

So this blog is also about making choices. It’s not my style to tell people what to do. I’ll make suggestions and trust you will take responsibility to make your own choice.

I have a special interest in raw, living foods. I believe they are extremely helpful in keeping people healthy and can also reverse adverse health conditions. Of course, the results of a lifetime of unhealthy choices need time to reverse themselves, so be gentle with your body and yourself.

If you have an adverse health condition, I’ll try to provide some information, insights, and products to help you to get your life back on track. However, I am health-oriented, not illness-oriented. I can suggest, encourage, and lead you to resources that promote health and well being. I cannot, however, diagnose or treat, as I am not a licensed practitioner.

I wish you health. May all your choices about health be as joyful as possible.

Joyfully,

B. Joy Preston