Q&A

Questions I have been asked:

1. What constitutes RAW—does that mean that everything is not cooked?

Uncooked plant food (vegs, fruit, seeds, nuts, grains) have excellent vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.  The minute you cook it, you alter it molecularly, destroy all the enzymes and some of the vitamins and minerals.  The only way to eat better than raw plant food is to eat SPROUTED plant food.  Always try to soak your grains, seeds, and nuts, and eat sprouted food every day so as to provide enzymes so your body isn’t taxed to manufacture them—just soak them for a few hours, drain, and refrigerate.  The worst way to cook your food is microwaving.  The best is lightly steaming.

2. What vegetables cannot be eaten RAW?

I can’t think of any.  Eat raw vegetables with reckless abandon.  Raw sweet potatoes are yummy and are one of the few foods that have all seven amino acids (for building protein) that your body cannot manufacture (cucumbers are another).

3. How do I understand what a portion size is?

See nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day/portion-sizes/.  Keep in mind that the USDA doesn’t want to overwhelm people, so 5 a day isn’t ideal, just what the government considers “do-able” for the average person.  You might want to set your sights on 10 a day (look how small a serving size is)!  You simply cannot overdose on above-ground vegetables, especially greens.  You CAN overdose on fruits, so keep it to 2-3 a day (more only if you’re really feeling the need for sugar as you’re transitioning to whole foods).   According to the standard portion sizes, a quart of green smoothie is at least 6 servings of fruits/vegs.  That plus a salad for dinner, and you’re doing great.  Add my hot-pink smoothie for breakfast and you’re already at well over 60% raw!

4. How do I deal with gas produced by eating more veggies?

If vegetables are causing gas, you may want to consider a serious colon cleanse, as chronic gas is a sign of problems in the digestive tract.  I suggest the GreenSmoothieGirl Detox Program.  Beans, broccoli, and apples do cause gas for many people (soak your beans and rinse—that will help with that food).  Meanwhile, I recommend drinking a quart of green smoothie and only whole foods—over time, you will really cleanse your colon this way as well.  Eating fermented foods like homemade sauerkraut with your meal should also help significantly.

5. Is there any special water I should be drinking (Kangen? filtered?)

Everyone should have a water ionizer to drink alkaline water.  It’s a fantastic technology that will make a big difference in your health.  I’ve arranged a group buy for a fraction of what the multi-level-marketed product (Enagic/Kangen) sells for. Enagic used to sell its product for 1/3 what it sells for now—then it went to the MLM model and had to jack the prices to accommodate paying eight levels deep.

 (Edited Sept. 2014)

Posted in: Whole Food