Other Plant-Based Diets
A Growing Trend
- Searching for alternatives to the Standard American Diet, a growing number of people are experimenting with dietary practices that offer more substantial health benefits. A particular diet currently making its mark on the mainstream consciousness is one primarily comprised of nutrient-rich, raw foods. Served at fashionable restaurants nationwide and promoted by celebrities like Alicia Silverstone, Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore, raw foods, some claim, are the most ideal for human consumption.
What Is A Raw Foods Diet?
- Providing
a single definition for the raw diet can be a difficult task. Depending
on the personal commitment and goals of each individual subsisting on
raw foods, definitions of the diet can differ in both subtle and pronounced
ways. In general, a raw foods diet revolves around uncooked fruit and
vegetables, as well as nuts and seeds. The San Francisco Living Foods
Enthusiasts group (S.F. LiFE) defines raw foods as those with their
enzymes in the activated state, such as ripe apples, fresh carrots and
leafy vegetables. Raw foods include all living foods plus those foods
whose enzymes are in a dormant stage, such as dried seeds, nuts, beans,
and grains, which when activated by water, can come to life and germinate
and grow into sprouts. (1)
- Regardless of how each raw foodist defines the diet, most seem to agree that no food should be processed, cooked or heated. Additionally, many believe that the plant-based foods they consume should be high-quality organics.
Why Practice A Raw Foods Diet?
- While it can be very difficult to defy the cooked food tradition and base one's meals upon raw fruits and vegetables, many people persevere in order to enjoy the potential benefits the diet can offer. Each raw enthusiast has her/his own reasons for "going raw;" however, most choose to return to what they call a more "natural" way of eating in the hope of achieving maximum health for the Earth and all its inhabitants.
- Even though humans have consumed cooked foods for thousands of years, many raw foodists believe that living ones are more biologically appropriate for our species. In fact, raw enthusiasts claim that our physiological requirements were established long before we began cooking our food. Many believe cooking alters the molecular structure of most foods, depletes much of their nutritional value (including vitamins, minerals and enzymes) and renders them harder to digest. On the other hand, they argue, raw foods are more effectively utilized by the body and provide humans with all the nutrients they require. (2)
- According to Stephen Walsh, Ph.D., "there are too few long-term raw food vegans for direct evaluation of the success of raw vegan diets versus other diets." Nonetheless, raw foodists swear by the diet's ability to promote weight loss, as well as increased energy and improved health. (3) In "Ten Advantages of Eating Raw," Susan Jorg asserts that among other health benefits, "eating a diet of raw foods can [also] reverse or stop the advance of many chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer." When we cook food, Jorg explains, cancer-causing free radicals are created. For many raw foodists, less cooked food equals less exposure to toxins that endanger one's health. Further, since raw foods help one maintain a healthier body, those who consume them are also better protected from ailments such as the common cold and the flu. (4)
- Others who embrace the diet have done so based on the principle that it is a more environmentally friendly way of eating. In fact, Walsh points out in "Healthy Choices on Raw Vegan Diets" that "raw food has particular environmental advantages in that it often comes from trees (avoiding soil loss from tilling) and requires little packaging and no cooking. These characteristics benefit the health of the planet and all who share it." (5) In fact, if more people practiced a raw foods diet, many enthusiasts claim, sustainable organic produce farms would grow in number and help save a lot of valuable resources currently used by the food industry. Additionally, we would be promoting production practices that respect and give back to the planet rather than take away from it (6).
Works Cited
(1)
San Francisco Living Foods Enthusiasts. 8 June 2005. <http://www.living-
foods.com/slife/>.
(2) "Basic
Raw Food FAQ." RawSchool.com. 2004. 7 June 2005.
<http://www.rawschool.com/basics.htm>.
(3,5) Walsh, Stephen. "Healthy Choices on Raw Vegan Diets." Vegan Society. 2003. 7 June 2005. <http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/raw_food.php>.
(4,6) Jorg, Susan. "Ten Advantages of Eating Raw." RawGuru.com. 2005. 8 June 2005. <http://www.rawguru.com/eatraw.html>.
Gourmet Raw Recipes
- A strictly raw foods diet may not be for everyone. However, if you are looking to include more fresh fruits and veggies in your diet or for an opportunity to try out some new and refreshing meal ideas, try the following gourmet vegan raw foods recipes courtesy of Quintessence Restaurant in New York City.
Broccoli Roullad
For Broccoli Filling
Combine in your food processor using the "S" blade:
1 head broccoli flower
1 c raw organic pine nuts
c soaked raw organic sunflower seeds
½ c filtered or spring water
juice of ½ lemon
1 t ground organic black pepper
1 t organic nutmeg
2 t fresh organic rosemary needles
2 medium cloves of garlic
2 t Celtic sea salt
Blend thoroughly
to a slightly grainy mousse.
Using a quality mandoline, make lengthwise paper-thin slices of zucchini.
Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of broccoli filling on a zucchini slice. Slice
roll and set aside until you are ready to serve them.
Tomato Herb Sauce Topping
Combine in your blender:
1 medium sized tomato
½ c soaked organic sun-dried tomatoes
½ c filtered or spring water
1 T each minced organic sage, rosemary, basil and oregano and/or thyme
1 medium clove garlic
1 T minced ginger
1 t sea salt (add more if needed)
2 T olive oil
Blend thoroughly.
To serve: On a small appetizer plate, put two rolls on a bed of arugula
or spinach leaves. Gently spoon tomato sauce over the center of the rolls.
Sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and a few chunks of chopped tomato.
Capers or more pine nuts can also be nice for garnish.
Moroccan Tomato Ginger Soup
Blend thoroughly in a hi-power blender:
3 tomatoes
¼ c soaked sun-dried tomatoes
2 T minced ginger
½ c tahini
1 t cardamom
1 t cumin
1 t caraway
2 cloves garlic
¼ c chopped basil
¼ c chopped parsley
½ cold pressed olive oil
1 t salt
4 c filtered or spring water
Serve with a spiral of raw organic tahini on the top.
Pineapple Plum Torte
Crust:
1 c organic raw almonds, soaked for at least 6 hours then dried
1 c organic coconut flakes
1 c dried apricots or dates
1 T vanilla extract
1 t nutmeg
½ t cardamom
1 t sea salt
Combine ingredients
in your food processor using the "S" blade. Blend until mixture
starts to clump and becomes sticky enough to hold a shape when squeezed
in your fist.
Press the crust into a 9-inch torte release mold, packing it into a dense
base for your toppings. When pressed enough, you will see the oils come
to the surface and make a shiny top. Now you can remove the rim of the
mold and you are ready for your toppings.
First, you will need a plum cream made by blending. This is best achieved
using a powerful blender like the Vita-Mix (available from Raw Express).
Filling:
2 ripe organic purple plums
1/4 c fresh organic lemon juice
1/4 c raw agave nectar
1 t sea salt
Combine in your blender. Blend thoroughly then add 1cup raw cashew or young coconut meat, or a combination of the two. Blend until creamy; add water if necessary, but be careful not to make it too loose or it will not hold on your torte. If you do not have a Vita-Mix blender, you may want to soak your cashews first to make them soft. Spread your plum cream over the torte base then surround the outside with wedges of juicy ripe plum. Top the rest with chopped fresh pineapple.
About
Quintessence
With locations
in the Upper West Side and East Village of New York City, Quintessence,
a 100 percent vegan, raw and organic restaurant, offers a dining experience
that you won't soon forget. Self-described as a "gourmet dining retreat
that relaxes and rejuvenates beyond belief," Quintessence food "is
comprised of some of the most rare and exotic ingredients found on earth,
and combined to form the elegant, innovative dishes that have been celebrated
as some of the very best found in New York City."
Selected
Links
Want to further explore the world of raw foods? Visit the following links
to learn more about raw foods diets; purchase a wide variety of products,
books and videos; read articles and studies; sign up for classes; and
access more interesting links, recipes and restaurant directories.
EatRaw
www.eatraw.comLive Food Cuisine
www.livefoodcuisine.comLiving Light Culinary Arts Institute
www.RawFoodChef.comLiving Nutrition
www.livingnutrition.comLiving and Raw Foods
www.living-foods.comNature's First Law
www.rawfood.comRawganique.com
www.rawganique.comThe Raw Gourmet
www.rawgourmet.comRawGuru
www.rawguru.comRaw New England Community
www.rawnewenglandcommunity.comRawSchool.com
www.rawschool.comRaw Whole Foods Online
www.naturesfoodshop.comRhio's Raw Energy
www.rawinfo.comSimplyRaw
www.simplyraw.ca
**Please note: All websites listed in this section are offered to provide supplemental information only and do not necessarily represents the viewpoints of Farm Sanctuary or its staff. Sites are not maintained or monitored by Farm Sanctuary.
What is a Macrobiotic Diet?
- According to practitioners, macrobiotics involves eating practices that are in tune with the human body as well as the natural environment. More than a mere diet, they say, macrobiotics is an entire lifestyle devoted to achieving health and well-being through the healing properties of food. (1)
- Ideally composed of large amounts of whole cereals and vegetables from the land and sea, the macrobiotic diet includes little, if any, seeds and nuts, oil and spices, sea salt, and desserts. With the exception of some practitioners who choose to consume small amounts of fish, the model macrobiotic diet is 100 percent vegetarian. (2)
Origins
- The word "macrobiotic" was first coined in 1796 by German scholar Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland. (3) However, most people are more familiar with the dietary theory as it developed almost a century later in Japan. (4)
- The great sages of India, Israel, China, and Japan believed food provided more than mere nourishment for the body. Their views influenced Sagen Ishizuka, a Japanese physician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who combined his knowledge of traditional Asian diets and Western medicine to establish a dietary practice that would promote health, happiness and healing. (5)
- Wary of Europe's increasing hold over his country, Ishizuka advocated for a return to a more traditional diet. With an emphasis on whole and health-promoting plant foods, his ideal diet included few, if any, animal products. (6)
- Ishizuko
established five principles that not only aided him in curing the ailments
of countless patients, but also helped shape our modern conception of
macrobiotics. These principles are:
- Foods
are the foundation of health and happiness.
- Sodium
and potassium are the primary antagonistic and complimentary elements
in food.
- Grain
is properly the staple food of man.
- Food
should be unrefined, whole, and natural.
- Food
should be grown locally and eaten in season. (7)
- Foods
are the foundation of health and happiness.
- After Ishizuko, Japanese philosopher George Oshawa advanced and helped popularize macrobiotic philosophy throughout the 20th century. Often credited for introducing Europeans to the dietary methodology, Oshawa authored more than 300 books and other widely circulated publications on the subject before his death in 1966. (8)
- By the 1960s, Oshawa's followers succeeded in bringing macrobiotic practice to North America, where it continues to proliferate today. (9)
Philosophy
- Practitioners of the macrobiotic diet are guided by the philosophy of yin and yang in addition to choosing foods that are in season, locally and organically grown, whole and unprocessed, and prepared according to more natural and traditional cooking techniques (i.e., steaming, boiling, oven baking, raw, etc.). (10)
- Rooted in Eastern tradition, the yin and yang principle "holds that all objects or phenomena in the universe can be understood as limitless pairs of opposites," according to Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods. Examples of such pairs include light (yang) and dark (yin), heat (yang) and cold (yin), and masculine (yang) and feminine (yin). (11)
- Macrobiotic dieters avoid foods on either end of the yin or yang spectrum. Extremely yin foods include coffee, sugar, soft dairy products, and honey. Extremely yang foods include meat, eggs, salt, and firm dairy products. (12)
- According to those who practice a macrobiotic diet, eating foods that have a balance of yin and yang not only promote health, but also bring practitioners in balance with the world around them.
Works Cited
(1-3; 9-10; 12) "Macrobiotic Diet." Wikipedia. 21 Sept. 06. 24 Sept. 06. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrobiotics>.
(4-8) Aihara, Herman. "The History of Macrobiotics." The Macrobiotic Guide. 25 Sept. 06. <http://www.macrobiotics.co.uk/history.htm>.
(11) Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Tradition and Modern Nutrition. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2002.
Selected Links
Want to further explore the world of macrobiotics? Visit the following links to: learn more about the diet; purchase a wide variety of products, books and videos; read articles and studies; sign up for classes; and access more interesting links, recipes and directories.
Cybermacro- Online Macrobiotic Community
www.cybermacro.comGeorge Oshawa Macrobiotic Foundation
http://gomf.macrobiotic.net/Kushi Institute
http://www.kushiinstitute.org/The Macrobiotic Guide
www.macrobiotics.co.ukMacrobiotics America
www.macroamerica.comStrengthening Health Institute
www.strengthenhealth.orgWorld Macrobiotics Online
www.worldmacro.org
**Please note: All websites listed in this section are offered to provide supplemental information only and do not necessarily represents the viewpoints of Farm Sanctuary or its staff. Sites are not maintained or monitored by Farm Sanctuary.
