Many ask me how you learn about a raw food diet, how to be successful, how to lose weight and what you can expect.

Read more...

Do you know whether the almonds you buy are raw or not?

The label may say 'raw' but because of a new mandate by the Almond Board of California, which oversees almost 100% of the almonds grown and eaten in the United States, will falsely label almonds that have been pasteurized as 'raw'.

The reason for this mandate seems to stem from 2 outbreaks of salmonella in almonds in 2001 and 2004. From my sources, these incidents didn't involve organic almonds. Why mandate all almonds, both conventional and organic? There have been dozens of salmonella or other outbreaks in other meats and vegetables, should we pasteurize and cook all meats and vegetables as well? Is this overkill?

It's widely accepted that foods heated over 108 degrees are not considered raw. Pasteurization heats foods in temperatures that range from 150-280 degrees for varying time periods. The purpose is to kill micro organisms, but unfortunately it's not a selective killer. It also kills the enzymes and nutrients in the food which are then considered 'dead'.

It's a scientific fact that foods heated over 108 degrees lose their nutrient quality and the amount of nutrients available are significantly diminished. Studies also show that these heated foods also transform and mutate and cause distress to the human body, in particular blood cells. Some studies also show carcinogenic effects of heated foods.

In as early as 1930, research was done in Switzerland showing what processed and cooked food did to the leukocytes, the white blood cells in humans. Prior to this research it was noted that upon eating there would be an immediate increase of the white blood cells which was called "digestive leukocytosis." Digestive leukocytosis means that there is a rise in the number of white blood cells after eating.

It was not know why the cells would increase after eating and this increase usually meant that the person had been exposed to a harmful substance such as toxic chemicals, a trauma or infection.

Then at the Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Dr. Paul Kouchakoff found that eating unaltered, raw food or food heated at low temperatures did not cause a reaction in the blood. Kouchakoff also found that if the food was processed or heated beyond a certain temperature it caused a rise in the number of white blood cells. He found that foods that had been refined, homogenized, pasteurized, or preserved causes the greatest increase in white blood cells.

Of course, there's the issue of truth in labeling.

If a food is pasteurized, it certainly isn't raw. The definition of raw (from the Random House dictionary) is:

1. uncooked, as articles of food: a raw carrot.

2. not having undergone processes of preparing, dressing, finishing, refining, or manufacture: raw cotton.

Mislabeling is not only wrong, but can be criminal. Consumers ought to have an informed choice, to know how the food was altered, or not altered. This seems to go against any 'truth in labeling' movement and deceives the public.

The mandate is planned to take effect in the fall of this year (2007). Enjoy your raw and living almonds now, after the fall they may not be available. To contact the Almond Board of California and share your views, visit their web site at:

http://www.almondboard.com/utilities/FORMContactUs.cfm

or call them at: (209) 549-8262

Also, the Weston Price Foundation has put together a great background and list of people to contact.

To your BEST health!

Mark

Send this to a friend or loved one and help spread the word of this abuse of our freedom to choose. Click the link below.

One of the things many talk about when transitioning to a raw food diet is 'how do I travel when eating raw?'.

Some look at it as a challenge, some as an obstacle, some as the natural thing to do.

Read more...

Well, after almost 14 years of being vegan I realized that in the past few years, I've eaten mostly raw, and have continued to feel better as time passed.

Reflecting on this, well, I just had to stir things up a bit and decided to go 100% vegan/raw :). The transition has been exciting even though I've been almost there for some time, other than the few cooked/heated foods occassionally.

I've noticed some disctinct changes... although I've been vegan for so many years, I'm still going through some detox. One of the many wonderful experiences has been the increase in taste awareness and the literal "explosion" of flavors I experience. It's quite amazing. The variety of whole, raw food meals is amazing and I look forward to trying something new every day.

Continued increase in energy, needing less sleep, mental awareness, vitality, weight loss, feeling light and vibrant are just a few of the many benefits I've been experiencing.

I've found food preparation not only easier, but faster (hey, it was already fast as a vegan!) especially since no cooking is needed. Clean up is brief... I've also dropped the use of my dishwasher to less than once a week.

There have been a few adjustments and I'm sure I'll continue making them along the way.

Here are some resources I've found helpful through the transition to 100% vegan/raw:

• RawFood.com - the store for supplies, as well as the forum and resources
• theGardenDiet and The Anti-Aging Diet - Storm, Jinjee and their family are a real inspiration
• VegSource.com - especially Dr. Graham's forum on Raw Food and Sports Nutrition
• AlissaCohen.com - Alissa has some great resources on the raw lifestyle, health benefits and recipes.
• Raw Secrets - Frederic Patenaude's take on going raw, and how to avoid the mistakes most make in transitioning. His views are slightly different than the mainstream raw movement and make sense. They are a great contribution to anyone looking for advice on going raw.

More as my journey continues. Please share your questions, thoughts and comments!

Peace, joy and health,

Mark
http://vegandiet.blogspot.com

Would you like to make a difference for our environment and save money on your transportation as well?

Consider this - fuel your car with vegetable oil!

Sound impossible? I was surprised to learn that you can convert almost any diesel car, truck, SUV or RV to run on used (or pure) vegetable oil (which you can most likely get for free from local restaurants since they have to pay to have it disposed) for under $1,000.

Very interesting concept. The benefits claimed are:

• reduced emissions
• lower driving costs
• no difference in auto performance/power
• lower dependence on foreign fuel
• better for the environment
• your exhaust smells like french fries (that's what they say!)

Read more about Grease Cars.

All the best for your health (and driving)!

Mark
http://vegandiet.blogspot.com

Essential fatty acids are an important part of a well balanced diet, especially if you're trying to lose weight. What is surprising is that many people don't know fat is essential to maintaining normal weight as well as many other health benefits. Our country has fallen in love with "low fat"... and in part, it's making many people fat. If your body senses a lack of fat intake, it starts storing it... and surprise, surprise, you stay fat!

Fish is routinely recommended by many as a great source of EFA's although there's one small problem.

"...nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury."
FDA / EPA What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish

"Children under age 5, nursing mothers and women who are pregnant or trying to conceive should avoid fish with the highest mercury levels -- tile fish, swordfish, king mackerel and shark. They should also limit their fish intake to no more than 12 ounces a week of fish and shellfish that contain low levels of mercury, foods such as shrimp, salmon, pollock, canned light tuna and catfish.

Albacore tuna is higher in mercury than canned light tuna, so consumption of albacore tuna should be limited to nor more than six ounces a week, the experts write.

Eating a variety of fish may reduce the potential negative effects of environmental pollutants. Try to avoid farm-raised fish, which tend to have more fat and calories and slightly less protein than wild fish. Farm-fed fish may also contain higher levels of contaminants due to toxins in their feed, according to the experts."
HealthDay

Why is mercury bad? Well, for many reasons, and the report above, directly from the FDA plays down the effects on everyone except for young children, and pregnant and nursing women. Unfortunately it's a little more serious than that:

"Canadian scientists studying the toxic effects of mercury have made a major breakthrough, showing for the first time how the metal that gave rise to the expression 'mad as a hatter' actually debilitates and destroys parts of nerve cells.

The finding, announced yesterday, is likely to raise further controversy over exposure to mercury in dental fillings and food, and provide new clues to the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Three scientists at the University of Calgary exposed the brain cells of snails to small amounts of mercury and found the damage caused by the silvery-grey metal was similar to that seen in brains of humans suffering from Alzheimer's.

The protein in snail brain cells is identical to that in the nerves of human and other higher animals.

One of the co-authors of the paper, Dr. Fritz Lorscheider of the university's faculty of medicine, said the research highlights the need to reduce public exposure to mercury. The experiments used mercury levels that are typically found in people who have a large number of amalgam fillings.

"What it really means is that we . . . need to be far more concerned about sources of mercury exposure,' Dr. Lorscheider said.

A paper outlining the findings is being published as the cover story in the April issue of the British journal NeuroReport.

Almost everyone in North America is exposed to trace amounts of mercury. Fillings emit mercury vapour when people chew. Mercury concentrations have been rising in many seafoods, as fish absorb metal dispersed by coal-burning power plants and mining.

Until now, scientists have known that mercury is a potent nerve poison, causing tremors, loss of memory, insomnia, depression and personality changes, but they did not understand how."
Scientists unlock mystery of mercury's harmful effects

I don't know about you, but would you knowingly eat a poison that could cause tremors, loss of memory, depression and countless other effects. Would you feed it to your children? Especially if you had options? Since you can get EFA's from many other sources, why risk your health and the health of your children? Is it worth it?

To me, another reason for the vegan diet... for your health and your life.

Peace.

Probably a no-brainer, but further evidence that eating more fruits and vegetables reduce your chances of gaining weight and obesity. I've never seen a study that contradicts this, and also have never seen a study that proves eating more meat, dairy or fish and less vegetables reduces your chances of gaining weight.

To enhance your experience and get more benefits from your fruits and vegetables, look for organic as much as possible and eat as much of it raw and fresh, or at the most, lightly steamed. Once a vegetable is warmed over 120 degrees it starts losing enzymes, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. The longer you cook, the more the loss. Enzymes are essential for proper digestion and you want the nutrients as well. So eating overcooked, soggy vegetables do very little good for you, nutritionally speaking. Best choice is raw, second best is very lightly steamed (just a minute or two). Good eating!

National Library of Medicine: "Changes in intake of fruits and vegetables in relation to risk of obesity and weight gain among middle-aged women."

"RESULTS: During the 12-y follow-up, participants tended to gain weight with aging, but those with the largest increase in fruit and vegetable intake had a 24% of lower risk of becoming obese... For major weight gain (> or =25 kg), women with the largest increase in intake of fruits and vegetables had a 28% lower risk compared to those in the other extreme group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that increasing intake of fruits and vegetables may reduce long-term risk of obesity and weight gain among middle-aged women."