Today when I was looking through some you tube videos, I stumbled upon these videos featuring raw food chef and author Paul Nison. I thought it was very interesting that after 15 years of being a raw vegan, Paul decided to incorporate raw dairy into his diet. I personally would never go from raw to eating dairy (I was always lactose intolerant), but I’m not 100% raw, so I would easily incorporate cooked vegan foods before I went to eating foods from the animal kingdom. The biggest point that struck home for me in watching this video is that so many people are caught up on being 100% raw and champion their diet like a religion. They are obsessed with being able to say that they are 100% raw and keep this up, even if it may not be the best thing for them personally. Paul confesses to the fact that he was shoving himself with dehydrated foods and nuts to overcompensate and stay raw in the winter. I mean really, you can’t have a little veggie broth??
I was 100% raw in the first year I started on this path, and got caught up in the feeling that I needed to stay that way even though I really wanted to get down with some miso soup or veggie broths in the winter. So, by my second year I decided to stop trying to force myself into 100% and go with the flow, while of course, eating as much raw as possible. My personal philosophy now is the more raw the better, (I stay in the 90% raw range and higher in the summer), but I will eat some things cooked like quinoa, steamed veggies, even brown rice in moderation (kills parasites), and light veggie broths from time to time. That said you will NEVER EVER see me getting down with processed foods or animal products.
If you are going to eat animal products, it would definitely be in your best interest to find the most organic source available. We all need to make sure that as we embark on our personal journeys to health, we don’t get caught up in sticking to something just for the sake of our egos and at the expense of our health. Paul makes another great point that regardless of our diet, we should all be monitoring our blood work and checking for possible nutrient deficiencies. At the end of the day, most of the food in this world is toxic because of the additives, chemicals, hormones etc., and organic raw fruits and veggies give us access to optimal nutrition and healing–especially when our bodies are already are in a disease state—even when we combine them with cooked foods. So please, get down with the veggie, but get down in a way that makes perfect sense to you and no one else. At the end of the day, I know that my diet has given me a way to stay ageless, acne-free, and have the energy I need to pursue my dreams, so this Raw Girl is staying on the raw vegan path. – XoXo Raw Girl
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFN3wLPoqZw&feature=related]
Heres an interview with Paul Nison many years before:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHCiU41jq-U&feature=related]