Raw Food

Raw Food for Health, Beauty and Love

A raw food diet is a brilliant way to safely and easily detox, loose weight, clear up your skin, gain masses of energy and feel great.

I am absolutely passionate about raw food and have been eating a mainly raw diet on and off since 2007. Although I was originally introduced to raw food by my aunty in Sweden in the early 80's. I remember celebrating Christmas in her house and there was all these strange raw vegetable dishes she had made. I must admit I didn't like it so much at that time although I have always been aware that is a very healthy way of eating and THE way of eating if you are not well. Ever since I remember I have bee interested in healthy food and the way it can make you feel better. I suffered from acne when I was younger for many many years and I tried every single health fad diet to try and cure it. My reintroduction to raw food had a massive impact on me and lets be honest; raw food has come a long way since the 80's. In the 80s it was mostly grated vegetables made into various beautiful shapes and patterns. No it is way more creative.

In my kitchen there is always something going on. Soaking, Sprouting, Fermenting, Blending, Juicing, and Dehydrating. Although I have had many years of being 100% raw and feeling great, I now enjoy a both cooked and raw plant based diet. It is tricky to stay raw full time but you don't have to either to be super healthy. Even though I don't eat a mainly raw diet anymore I am still as passionate to prepare raw foods and I love eating it. I am the raw food chef on the Restore Retreat that is happening in Gloucestershire 3 times a year. This is a retreat for women focusing on natural health, nutritional education, yoga, healing and raw food.

Raw food is still an amazing way of eating to cleanse and to heal from chronic disease.

What is Raw food ?

Raw Food is the term for Food that has not been heated to higher temperature than 42 degrees. By not heating our food all of the nutrients including vitamins, minerals and enzymes are kept undistorted and undestroyed. A person eating a raw food diet is called a raw foodie. A raw foodie would say that Enzymes are the life force of a their food. Enzymes help us break down the food and take up all the nutrients. This means that not only are there more nutrients in raw food, it is also easier for us to digest the food, and easier to assimilate it and absorb all the nutrients.

Raw food diet is a diet consisting of fruit, vegetables, berries, seeds, nuts, sea vegetables, herbs, superfoods, fermented vegetables, sprouted beans and lentils, sprouted grains, coldpressed oils and fats. Some raw foodies also eat raw animal products like raw milk, yoghurt, kefir and cheese. A raw foodie eats a diet of at least 70-80% raw. Raw food is also about making food as nutritious as possible so soaking, sprouting and fermenting is done daily. This will increase protein content of the food, increase other nutrients, get rid of enzyme inhibitors (so easier to digest). The food also become a living food. The life force and the vibration of the food increases.

When we eat cooked food there is an allergic reaction happening in our blood called digestive leucocytosis. Leucocytosis is an autoimmune reaction that happens in our body when we eat food.The white blood cell count increases to above normal. This has been a known fact for many years. I the 1930's a Swiss scientist called Dr Kouchakoff measured the leucocytosis and compared cooked food versus raw food and did some very interesting discoveries: Indeed he saw that when we eat cooked food we have an allergic reaction to the food we eat and this in turn means stress on our body. Also the more processed the food is the more of an allergic reaction or leucocytosis we have. However when we eat our food raw, he discovered, we do not have this reaction. And if we combine raw food (at least 50%) with the cooked food we eat we have much less of this autoimmune reaction.

The raw food diet is a highly alkalizing diet. There are plenty of information about alkaline foods on the internet that you can read about but in a nutshell; to have an alkalizing diet means that your kidneys will not have to work so hard to alkalise and body tissues will have a good pH balance and therefor be able to take up nutrients well at the same time as it can get rid of toxins efficiently. With an acidic diet (lots of cooked and processed food including meat, wheat, dairy, sugar etc.) your body will not be able to do this efficiently. An acidic diet will not support your body as well as an alkaline diet. Acidic tissues will be more susceptible to disease. Having an alkaline diet is one of the major health benefits of a raw food diet.

Health Benefits of a Raw Food Diet

The health benefits of a raw food diet are endless. Here are to name a few:

Highly Alkalizing diet with all its benefits
Great for effortless weight loss
Anti aging benefits - you will both feel and look younger on a raw food diet. Loads of vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants, minerals, and phytonutrients make this the number 1 diet for longevity. The diet is is incredibly popular with Hollywood stars as well as other celebrities that need to look their best at all time. To name a few: Demi Moore, Madonna, Venus Williams, Woody Harrelson, Robin Williams, Natalie Portman, Alicia Silverstone, Uma thurman, and our beloved Sting and David Bowie
Good for your heart. Minimal bad fats, minimal trans-fats
Enzymes are kept in the food and therefor we can digest, assimilate and absorb nutrients better
More nutrients in the food
More energy, endurance and stamina - One of the reason to this is that it is easier for our digestive system to deal with this diet. This means less work for the digestive system wich in turn means more energy over for other things
Less tiredness and lethargy
Clearer Mind - This is one of my favorite "side effects" of a raw food diet
Better emotional health - beat depression with the raw food diet
Need less sleep - many people on a raw food diet will tell you that they need less sleep since embarking on this way of eating.
Healthy skin- Your skin will love a raw food diet and will look much clearer and brighter. Spots and eczema will get better, and so will puffy eyes. Even wrinkles have been known to disappear on a raw food diet.
Healthy shiny hair - Is something you will have on a raw food diet. Even good for grey hair some people say
Your Digestive system will do excellent on this diet - To start with it might not feel that way but give it a couple of weeks and you will definitely notice it will get better. In the beginning the digestive system will get confused by all the fiber and need to work harder than it is used to. Take it easy if you have a problems with this. Gentle introduction is the way so that your digestive system can keep up. And if you have any major digestive problems I suggest you see a nutritional therapist before you embark on a raw food diet.
Immune system boost - You will find you have less colds and flues on a raw food diet.
Reduction of diabetes - There are incredible health benefits on diabetes with a raw food diet. If you have diabetes please talk to your GP before you embark on a raw food diet.
Reduction of Cancer - There are numerous stories about people healing from cancer on a raw food diet.
Better hormonal health
Less inflammation - Raw food diet is a very anti inflammatory diet
Less allergies
And the best of all. Not only are we doing our own health good on a raw food diet. We also do the world good. This is a highly sustainable diet. And possibly the diet for everyone to explore if we are going to be able to live well on and in tune with our planet in the future.

If you too would like to benefit from everything above then give it a try. You only need to add 51% raw to your diet to feel the benefits and its easy. This is something that the whole family can try out.

For me Raw food has been a revelation. When I eat it I feel fabulous.

It's not about eating a 100% raw diet. It is about having a well balanced diet so that you can be as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

Everyone can add more raw food to their diet. If you have a fruit salad or a smoothie for breakfast. A hearty salad with some sprouts, nuts and seeds as well as some sauerkraut for lunch and a green juice with your dinner, then you are eating a high raw diet. This might not be for everyone but to include 51% of your food raw should be easy for most. And if you need any more information about this I would be delighted to help you.

Raw food is not so much about taking foods away. It is more about adding foods that most people do not eat enough of. Remember Kauchakoff discovery. If you have at least 51% of your food raw you will not have the stressful allergic reaction Leukocytosis. Just this little change will have a major impact on your health.

Raw Food Workshops and Courses

I run both short workshops and longer courses in Raw food and nutrition. I see people one to one for coaching. I am also a raw food chef and I am available for all sorts of raw food catering. I do everything from holistic retreats to intimate dinner parties. Bigger catering events will also be considered.

Click here for more information about our Raw Food Workshops

Raw Food Catering

I am a raw food chef and do all kinds of catering. From small lunches and events to larger groups, retreats and party's. Please contact me if you would like some more information or if you would like to hire me for catering.

the Raw Food Pop Up Restaurant

We are running our first pop up restaurant in London, Kentish Town, at Arancini Brothers Factory Café, on the 24th of April. Click here for our eventbrite.co.uk website for more information and to book your place.