Ever wonder how you would feel on a Raw or ‘more’ raw plant based diet?
We’ve tried it and can share the Ins and Outs of giving your body what it needs
This week we shared lunch with Brian “The Raw Guy” at one of our favorite vegan cafes: Indigo Age. We discussed Brian’s journey to vegetarian (for 2 years) and then his transition to veganism.
Brian has been a mostly raw vegan for over 10 years. How did this transition to giving up animal products and cooked food start? He was on a political tour of a slaughter-house (kill room) in Saskatchewan where he saw the gruesome treatment of a cow being prepared for market and ‘bled’. The sad thing is that in the United States alone, approximately 8 billion animals are killed and eaten by humans each year. The fact is no mater how humane we might believe it is, there is no nice way to kill an animal. If there was, what method would you choose for yourself, if you were in the animal’s place? That’s what compassion is all about; treating others the way you would like to be treated.
So, Why Raw? The major advantage to eating raw foods is that they contain live enzymes which make it easier for you to assimilate the nutrients from your food. It also keeps vitamins and minerals alive if they haven’t been killed at high temperatures. Plus Raw foods are naturally delicious.
Do you remember when you were a kid and your parents told you; “Oh the cow, pig, chicken, (insert the name of the animal they want you to eat, here) doesn’t feel any pain when they’re being killed”. Well, that was a big – fat – lie. Animals can see, hear, smell and feel incredible emotional fear, and physical pain. They can also be extremely compassionate and nurturing just like us. Think about how your cat senses when you aren’t feeling well and stays by your side. After Brian’s up front and personal experience, he immediately stopped eating meat. It was out of compassion. If we expect others to have compassion for us, shouldn’t we have compassion for others.
Soon after going vegan, Brian received the cookbook: Raw Food Real World by Mathew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis. i also have that book and highly recommend it. Brian started out on his venture as an organic farmer in the Lower Mainland in B.C. and is now a successful Vegan Entrepreneur who makes his products with Love. These are all organic and include 6 different flavors of kale chips, raw seed crackers, delicious spreadable cheeses, flax crackers, macaroons (cacao, matcha and almond) as well as gourmet Cacao avocado pudding. These are all great foods to any raw vegan could add to their diet
A typical raw day could go something like this:
Breakfast: green smoothie or smoothie bowl topped with sliced fruit and sprouted raw cereal, chia seeds and hemp seeds for protein and omega 3’s (no fish oil needed).
Snack: celery sticks and almond butter or some vichyssoise with a bag of kale chips
Lunch: Pad Thai bowl using zucchini as noodles
Dinner: Mixed green salad with shredded beets and carrots, add some sprouted mung beans and cover with tahini dressing
Dessert: Raw key lime pie
If you’re interested in following a more raw diet, let us custom design you a cholesterol lowering, delicious meal plan with substitutions for your favorite dairy or animal based foods.