Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Kamea Modeling Organic Bamboo From Bamboosa

by Kristen in green living, Green Mommy, kamea, organic

I’m all about doing as much as we can with respect to organic, eco-friendly clothing for my family. Although my closet is a work in progress (too much to overhaul all at once), Kamea only wears organic (or at the very least, clothing made from eco-friendly, non-toxic, and sustainable materials).

My 90-Day Clean Raw Food Mission – Kristen Suzanne’s Raw Reboot™ – Update #4

by Kristen in Kristen Suzanne, Kristen's Raw, organic, raw food

Whew! It’s been one of those “mama in demand” types of week. Kamea is teething so we’re getting oodles of snuzzling time, where I reflect on my vision, goals, intentions, and bliss out. I gotta say that I’m reeeeeally loving life and the growth I’m experiencing, the learning, adapting, and becoming the best Total Ethereal Goddessness I can be.

Because of my schedule lately, I haven’t been able to get to my computer to work as much, so I wasn’t able to post the review of my new dehydrator, The Sedona by TriBest. I will work on it this week (fingers crossed). I also have book reviews coming, my post on enemas (and my first colonic is Thursday!), Irish moss (how to prepare it, why use it, and how to use it), beauty rituals (face, body, and teeth), and soooo much more to share. Oh, and I’m working on my January email newsletter (sign up here). So stay tuned for all of these goodies!

Sunday’s Food Journal – Vanilla Chai Frozen Shake Recipe

by Kristen in food journal, organic, sun warrior rice protein

Here is Sunday’s Food Journal. Scrumptiously delicious and satisfying. It’s organic, vegan, with lots of raw foods.

Honeydew Melon Slushie – Kamea and I enjoyed this together. It was so refreshing, sweet, and easy on the digestion having it first thing in the morning. Who need coffee when you can have something nutrient packed and fun like this?! Simply blend together melon and ice.

Boku bar – Before I headed to the gym I grabbed one of these to eat. I felt like I needed more oompf for my workout than just the Honeydew Melon Slushie.

TLT Sandwich – One of my favorite treats is going to Dr. Weil’s Tru Food restaurant and having his TLT sandwich. TLT stands for “tempeh, lettuce, and tomato.” We didn’t get there this week, so I decided to experiment and make a Kristen Suzanne version. It was fab! The contents: Toasted ezekial bread from Whole Foods, tempe that I dry toasted in a skillet with a little hot sauce, tamari, and mirin, (raw) Garlic Cheese spread, thick slices of tomato, sliced cucumber, a pile of green leaf lettuce. So, as you can see, there is quite a bit of raw in this sandwich with the Garlic Cheese spread, tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce – making this a great raw vegan transition type meal.

Vanilla Chai Frozen Shake – HELLO! This was fantabulistic! It’s a MUST MAKE. Sun Warrior sent me some of their vanilla protein powder to try (I heard they improved it since I last had it). The shake recipe is below. Read More »

How Raw Are Raw Almonds Really? My Raw Almond Saga

by Kristen in almond milk, almonds, organic, raw food

As you may know, it’s hard to find raw almonds these days due to the pasteurization requirements that are now in effect.

So, you can imagine my delight when I found raw almonds available from Blue Mountain Organics. According to the company’s website, the almonds are from Italy and they’re whole, raw, and organic. Completely unpasteurized. I bought a lot of them because the website offers quantity discounts. I was very happy with these almonds. The flavor is intensely almond-y. Apparently it’s due to a higher concentration of almond oil. Whatever the reason… I love them.

I blogged about these amazing almonds and the delicious homemade raw organic almond milk I make from them weekly. I mentioned in the post that I have a weird addiction to taking the skins off the almonds (although I never have time to so I usually don’t do it).

A while later, I received an email from a reader who questioned the “rawness” of the almonds because I was able to take the skins off. Apparently, there are a couple of bloggers who have written about a raw almond “test” where if the skins are able to come off easily, they are not truly raw.

“Crap.” – I thought to myself. Hmmm… what the heck… here I thought I was drinking raw almond milk and it turns out that I might not be. Read More »

Indian Mango Soup (Raw Vegan Recipe)

by Kristen in cardamom, easy raw vegan recipe, ginger, himalayan crystal salt, indian mango soup, Kristen Suzanne, mango, organic, Spinach, vita mix blender

This soup is divine! We love it so much that I’m making a second batch to have with our dinner tonight. It’s super creamy, lightly sweet, and packed full of nutrition (tons –> vitamin C, iron, fiber, folate, vitamin B6, copper, vitamin K, potassium, and much more). It’s a definite keeper! You gotta make this one. And… don’t you just love recipes that only take you a few minutes to make?

Indian Mango Soup
Recipe by Kristen Suzanne of KristensRaw.com
Yield 3 1/2 cups

1 1/4 cups filtered water
2 cups fresh mango, chopped
2 cups spinach, gently packed
1/2 avocado (pitted, peeled)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
pinch Himalayan crystal salt

Blend everything until divinely creamy. Enjoy!!!

3 Problems Smoothies Solve! –> Plus: Jeweled Caribbean-ish Smoothie (Raw, Vegan Recipe)

by Kristen in fruit, goji berries, Green smoothie, hemp protein, jeweled caribbean-ish smoothie, nutrition, organic, young Thai coconut

Hhmmm YUMMMY! I made another neat, unique, and awesome smoothie. It’s filled with mostly Caribbean flavors (how fun is that!). It was easy. It was delicious. And, I’m on fire with energy because of the nutrition it’s fueling into my cells. Uumm… I loved the color of it, too. It was pretty with lovely speckles of the colors red, green, and brown (I’m such a girl!). BUT! Before I dive into sharing this scrumptious recipe with you… let me share a few words on why smoothies and shakes friggin’ rock the house of diet and healthy eating goodness!

As you can see from the many smoothie and shake recipes I share on my blog, I’m obviously a raving fan of them. That’s mainly because…

Smoothies and shakes solve a few big problems that people encounter

when dieting or trying to eat healthier:

Lack of time

Lack of nutrition

Lack of diversity / excitement

No more excuses though! Smoothies to the rescue!

Lack of time in your life? No problem!
A fabulous, high energy, and mega nutritious and delicious smoothie (or shake) can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes. (That can include clean up time!) And, you can make enough to enjoy it as a whole meal or make extra to save for a later meal or snack. Smoothies offer a 5-minute meal. Awesome!

Lack of nutrition in your life? No problem!
Fresh smoothies and shakes can be filled with the healthiest nutrition on the planet (all plant-powered, of course!)… from nutrient dense organic ingredients to alkalizing greens to high energy fruits to superhero superfoods to body building proteins. Plus – smoothies are blended which means your giving your body something that is easy to digest. That’s a great thing! Smoothies offer phenomenal nutrition and energy. Whoo hoo!

Bored with dieting or healthy eating? Lacking diversity? No problem!
The variations you can make with smoothies and shakes are literally endless. The flavor combos based on your cravings while you’re shopping, or simply what you have on hand in your kitchen, can vary with every single smoothie – making it an entirely different flavor explosion in your mouth with each creation. That’s exciting! Take the recipe I’m going to share with you below, for example. I thought up the flavors while falling asleep based on what I had in my cupboard and refrigerator. I knew I wanted to use my pineapple and bananas before they went bad… I had a bottle of raw coconut water thawing… I wanted alkalizing greens in it and I had romaine lettuce on hand… I’ve been on a ginger kick lately… goji berries are reputed for supporting healthy eyes… I love the pure raw vanilla powder I’ve been playing with (I bought it Whole Foods Market)… etc… and voila – I enjoyed an awesome smoothie full of unique and fun flavors! Smoothies offer massive variety so it’s impossible to get bored. Booyah!

Jeweled Caribbean-ish Smoothie
Recipe by Kristen Suzanne of KristensRaw.com
Yield 1 quart

1 cup young Thai coconut water
2 bananas, peeled
2 cups pineapple, diced (I include the core)
2 handfuls romaine lettuce
2 heaping tablespoons hemp protein powder
2 tablespoons goji berries
knob of ginger
1/4 teaspoon pure raw vanilla powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Blend all of the ingredients and enjoy!

Green Juice For The Day With My Hurom

by Kristen in celery, cucumbers, green juice, hurom, organic, tomatoes

Green juice is the stuff of life! I love the way that each and every sip makes me feel alive and gives me that extra oompf for the day. Just think about how much awesome nutrition you’re giving your body with fresh organic green juice – vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and good ol’ magic love. Hhmmmm… that’s the stuff of life!

I love making a big batch of green juice for the day – which can be done with the Hurom, in my opinion, because it’s a slow juicer. This means that it oxidizes at a slower rate than it would with a juicer like the Breville (don’t get me wrong though, I like my Breville… but that’s for juice you make and drink within 15 minutes of making it for the most nutrition). With the Hurom, I can make 2 quarts of juice (or more) so I can drink some and store some for the day. My juice here had loads of fresh-n-simple organic ingredients: cucumbers, celery, and grape tomatoes. That’s it –> SOOOO good.

If you haven’t yet, you might like to check out my video here, where I discuss the different aspects of the Hurom, Breville, and Green Star juicers.

High Raw Food Intake – Pregnancy Food Journal – Thursday

by Kristen in cherry chocolate bomb shake, food journal, garden of life, organic, pineapple, sun warrior rice protein

Wednesday I wasn’t feeling my best, so today I wanted to eat extra clean and a little on the lighter side. I’ve been craving a lot of fruits (especially red fruits, although today’s food in particular isn’t high in red because I already gobbled up the strawberries, raspberries, etc earlier this week).

Protein Shake – 1 scoop Sun Warrior Sprouted Brown Rice Protein Powder & 1 scoop Garden of Life RAW Protein Powder

Teeccino

Organic pineapple – a whole pineapple – I ate most of it in the morning, the rest in the green smoothie below

Organic apple

Protein bar from GoMacro (Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip) – I really like these. They’re available at Whole Foods, but I get mine online from Amazon.com by the box so it’s cheaper per bar.

Organic Green Smoothie – small head of romaine lettuce, pineapple, orange

Organic apple

Organic red bell pepper – sometimes I just eat these like an apple

Organic carrots

1/2 cup homemade organic raw sauerkraut

Cherry Chocolate Bomb Shake!

My day has a nice amount of protein, but I might need more calories. I’ll see how I feel tonight and eat more if needed.

High Raw, All Vegan Food Intake – Pregnancy Food Journal – Wednesday

by Kristen in Bora Bora, brown juice, chocolate spiced hemp shake, food intake, green pudding, guacamole, organic, pregnancy, sunshine burger, young Thai coconut

I’m 21 weeks along now in my pregnancy, and I’m so crazy super happy. Every day I wake up filled with so much joy at the thought of sharing my whole day with the growing life inside me… waiting for those fun kicks and jabs I get from him or her, and smiling all day long.

Nutrition is something I get really excited about; I’ve always had a passion for it and as such I’ve been researching it for about 15 years. Now that I’m pregnant, I take it even more seriously and I get really excited about all the foods I’m feeding both myself and my baby. It’s a pretty proud feeling to know that I’m consuming the healthiest foods in the world. To tell you the truth, I’m grateful that my body is craving these foods and has since day one of being pregnant except for about 10-14 days when I didn’t want anything unless it was bland. But, even during my weeks of intense all-day-morning sickness, I still craved fresh salads and juicy fruits most of the time. Don’t get me wrong… I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there are times a donut sounds REALLY friggin’ tasty (not the norm for sure, but it has happened a couple times), but I’m not about to give in to something like that. Every bite of food is a chance to make my body and baby stronger and healthier… or not. I choose stronger and healthier.

Here is today’s High Raw, All Vegan food intake:

3 cups Organic Brown Juice

It was brown, instead of green, so let’s call it that. And, it was soooo yummy. I was actually surprised that it tasted as lovely as it did. I made it with my Hurom juicer and strained out any little bits of pulp using a nut milk bag to make it extra smooth. My brown juice was made from delicious, locally grown organic beets, beet greens, and oranges (the oranges were from my mom’s tree), plus organic cucumbers I bought at Whole Foods.

1/2 cup Organic Green Pudding

I made this a few days ago and have been having it for breakfast every morning since. It had chia seeds, shredded coconut, greens, and fruit. It was fun, vibrant, filling, and yummy.

Huge Organic Salad

I used organic, locally grown (from our awesome certified organic CSA) red leaf lettuce and carrots along with an organic cucumber and apple from Whole Foods. I added organic olives to my husband’s plate. The dressing is watered down Cayenne Tahini Dressing from my Salads and Dressings book.

3 cups Chocolate Spiced Hemp Shake

Exercise is important while pregnant to help build endurance for labor and to help maintain a healthy weight. The kind of exercise can vary depending on the woman and her prior routine. I’m opting for lots of walking during my pregnancy (about 2 miles 5-6 days a week). In fact, my midwife says walking is the best exercise for pregnancy and labor preparation. Today, I went on a fast paced, 2 mile walk with my dog which pumped me up a bit – fresh air, blood circulating, and good tunes on my iPod. When I came home, I was famished and made a satisfying protein shake to feed my hungry cells. It was scrumptious!

Chocolate Spiced Hemp Shake

Yield 3 cups

By Kristen Suzanne of KristensRaw.com

1 cup water

1 cup ice

3 small bananas

1/4 cup hemp protein powder

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

2 tablespoons raw chocolate powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Blend it up and enjoy this delectable shake. :)

2 cups Young Thai Coconut Water

I looooove fresh coconut water – it’s beautifully refreshing and delightfully tasty. Unfortunately, the coconut water I had tonight was not organic. In fact, there is controversy over whether young Thai coconuts are very healthy based on the processing they undergo to help them stay fresh during their transport. As a result, I will do one of two things. I either don’t consume them very often (I buy them at Whole Foods Market when I do), or I’ll buy a case of them online, where they’re both organic and minimally processed because they’re shipped quickly after harvesting. I haven’t done the latter of the two yet, but I plan on placing an order soon and separating the meat and water and then freezing them. My desire is to have it available during my homebirth to replenish electrolytes and keep me hydrated. (Read about my I’m having a homebirth here.)

Organic Sunshine Burger, Guacamole, Salad

My husband had a meeting tonight so I was on my own for dinner. I decided to have a date with one of my favorite documentaries, Food Matters, and enjoy a healthy dinner. Food Matters should be in everyone’s home library so it can be viewed on a regular basis – we like to watch it every month or two. Dinner consisted of 2 Sunshine Burger patties (available in the freezer section of Whole Foods Market). These burgers are wonderful. Even thought they’re cooked, I think they’re one of the healthiest veg burgers on the market: all organic, non-soy, non-dairy, non-gluten, minimal ingredients, and packed with nice flavor (more details on their website here). One of my favorite ways to have their burgers is with my Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce on it, but I didn’t have any of that, so I whipped up a little batch of mini-guacamole (avocado, lime juice, Himalayan crystal salt) and topped the burgers with that. Next to it, I enjoyed another organic, locally grown salad with red bell pepper, carrots, and cucumber dressed with lemon juice, raw olive oil, Himalayan crystal salt, and black pepper.

1 cup organic Peaceful Mama Tea from Earth Mama * Angel Baby

Yay! I have been given the green light from my midwife to have organic tea blends including red raspberry leaf (I loved drinking organic red raspberry leaf tea from Traditional Medicinals and Mountain Rose Herbs while I was trying to conceive to help strengthen my uterus, so I couldn’t wait until my midwife said it was safe to drink it again). I was sent a sample box of Earth Mama * Angel Baby Organics tea. The Peaceful Mama flavor is pretty good, although a little light in flavor. I really enjoyed their Morning Wellness Tea because I’m a big fan of spearmint. It smelled so good that I would spend about 5 minutes smelling the tea bag before I put it into the hot waterl.

There is a good chance that I’ll want to snack on something else later in the evening and if I do, I think the organic mango and pineapple in my refrigerator are going to call my name. Tropical salad – yeehaw! I think I’ll wear my shell necklace that I brought home from our wedding in Bora Bora to complete the experience. ;)

What To Do When You Don’t Have A Lot Of Raw Choices Around (family gatherings, restaurants, and travel)

by Kristen in entertaining, family, gatherings, organic, raw lifestyle, travel, vegan

The following was left in the comments section of my blog a while back:

I’d love to read a post about what you do when you don’t have a lot of raw choices around, such as at family gatherings, restaurants, etc. Also, does your husband or other family members eat raw as well?

That’s an excellent question and I’m glad it was brought up. I’ve been living the Raw (and/or High Raw) lifestyle for a while now, so it seems so easy and second nature to me. But, it wasn’t always like that. Before I get into ways to deal with situations and gatherings where there aren’t raw options, I’ll address the second part of the question first.

My husband was not vegan when I met him, but he was a vegetarian many years ago. However, when we met, he was on a steady diet of whey protein shakes and Taco Bell chicken burritos. While dating, I never pushed my vegan beliefs on him. The only restriction was that I didn’t and wouldn’t have animal products (or animal by-products) in my house, and I certainly wouldn’t cook them. He was totally cool with that. That meant that the times he ended up getting meat were times we went to restaurants. Over the months, he asked me hard and thoughtful questions, and I jumped at the chance to answer them. I knew he had a somewhat healthy mindset in spite of his Taco Bell runs (he was into restricting calories a bit to stay in shape, he wanted high protein for muscle growth, he didn’t eat a bunch of sugar and stuff, and he worked out almost daily), so he was open to healthy living options (so long as he didn’t have to forsake his muscle-y body). I told him that he should read The China Study for mind-blowing information about animal protein vs plant protein. He agreed and when he was done with it, a light went on for him. But, it wasn’t until we went to the Living Light Vibrant EXPO during our first year of dating (about 8 months into our relationship) that he decided he was done with animal products and by-products. He was ready to be vegan and to eat as much Raw as I wanted. He’s been that way ever since. He’s a huge advocate of the vegan lifestyle now and loves that our days are filled with so much Raw food.

Regarding my other family… well I have one other big supporter and that’s my mom. When I first went vegan about 6-7 years ago, she started testing the vegan waters herself. Then, as I got into Raw, she followed suit. She loves the lifestyle. My step-dad, who still eats an omnivore diet, loves when I prepare Raw vegan food and he happily gobbles it up. The rest of my family (who mostly lives out of state) are all omnivores, with a heaviness toward meat. The same goes for my husband’s family (some of whom live here in AZ near us).

All that brings me to the other part of the question above: What do I do when I don’t have a lot of Raw choices for family gatherings, restaurants, travel, etc.? The bottom line is that being prepared is the key. It’s the magic element. If you’re serious about the lifestyle, it’s so easy… you just have to take some time to be prepared. Being prepared means that I have food on hand, which I gladly take to family gatherings. I either have organic Raw foods stored in our freezer or I make something before we leave.

We’ve trained our family well. By now, everyone knows that when we’re invited to a function, we’ll bring our own food. Or, we’ll eat beforehand and simply bring some snacks. We love it. While our family eats plates filled with monotone colored foods that lack life, love, and nutrients, we fill our plates with vibrant, rainbow colored foods. It’s quite stark, the difference in our plates of food versus theirs. And, frankly, I love that. It’s like bragging, “Hey look how beautiful, fresh, and healthy my food is!” Of course, we always get asked questions and many people like to try a bite. I see these situations as big opportunities to show others how delicious Raw vegan food can be. I’ve brought everything from Raw pizza to lasagna (pictured) to hummus and dips with vegetable crudites to salads to desserts to green smoothies, when we’re going to family gatherings. Don’t you just want to dive into that Raw lasagna? Om-nom-nom!

I’ve found that most people want to eat healthy (at least they do some of the time), they just recognize that they lack the discipline, or the knowledge, to do it. Therefore, when they’re given the opportunity to have a tasty, healthy meal that is brought to them (meaning they didn’t have to prepare it, and that I’m providing it), they’re usually excited… even if it’s not something they’d normally eat. They usually welcome the chance to have the healthiest food in the world, which is what we Raw foodies make. Just because it’s not something they normally eat, they still like giving their bodies something healthy when the opportunity arises. Sometimes, they’re just curious.

Going to restaurants is a little different because it’s hard to bring food into a food establishment (they’ll sometimes claim it’s for health code regulations, but the real reason is financial, because they never complain when somebody brings juice for a baby, etc). Still, I’ve done it. For example, if we’re going to a Mexican restaurant, I’ll bring along flax crackers and red bell pepper strips, carrots, celery, etc to dip in their salsa and guacamole. If it’s another type of restaurant where I can get a huge salad, I do that, and sometimes I even get two.

There was a family birthday we attended a few months back held at a bar (greasy food, alcohol, etc.) and since I knew ahead of time where we were going, I made a quart of green smoothie and I carried it in my purse. I do this all the time. If the wait staff ever gives me crap about it, I say “I’m on a special diet from my doctor and I can’t eat anything grown with pesticides.” (This has never failed to shut them up… I think the medical aspect scares them in this litigious society.) Naturally, I don’t flaunt my food or drinks, and I generally can avoid confrontation. If it was ever a real problem, I’d leave the food in a cooler in the car, and just go out there a couple of times to snack, if I were that hungry. Again, it’s the training of family and friends that matter. They used to think it’s weird, now they think it’s just how we are, and it has become “normal” to them that we live our lives this way.

Travel merits a whole post unto itself, but I’ll address a few things here. When I travel, obviously, it’s harder to pack stuff to take to family gatherings or restaurants because I can’t bring my freezer filled with Raw treats or my refrigerator filled with my fresh Raw foods, with me on the plane. As a result, when we’re traveling and going to family gatherings, I sometimes eat ahead of time and then nibble on salad when we arrive at the restaurant. Other times, I go to Whole Foods to buy some packaged Raw foods (or bring foods with me in my suitcase that travel well like flax crackers, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, bars, raw cookies, etc), and I bring those to snack on at people’s houses (or have them in my purse when at restaurants).

Other times, if I’m staying at a hotel with a refrigerator or at my brother’s house in Michigan, for example, I’ll have Raw food meals delivered (see my recent post about doing this while we were in NY). This way, I can take food to family gatherings, or I simply have Raw food available if there aren’t any good restaurants around us. Sometimes, I’ll have organic produce delivered from a place like Boxed Greens. If I have a kitchen available, I can make my own stuff with the best ingredients. Or, if there is a Whole Foods, I’ll go shopping and buy some fresh stuff there. If my hotel room doesn’t have a refrigerator, I buy foods that keep well on counter tops like bananas, apples, etc. And, for things like the organic cherries and Norwalk juice in the photo, I keep those in the ice container with ice and water.

For our last lengthy trip, to NY, I brought along my Blendtec blender (it’s lighter than my Vita-Mix). I just packed it in my suitcase. It took up a little bit of room so my sweet husband packed my tennis shoes and makeup bag in his suitcase. We had a refrigerator in the apartment we rented, so I basically used the kitchen there just like I would at home. I made green smoothies, guacamole, green energy soup, and nut milk. I also bought things at whole foods like Raw granola for morning cereal (who am I kidding, I eat that stuff morning or night – love it!). We’ve come to appreciate the cost savings that can be had by staying someplace more expensive, but with a kitchen, meaning we eat out less and save money on meals. Even if the costs/savings cancel out, we’re still eating healthier food this way.

I also have this travel blender which is perfect for shorter trips. I love taking this when we’re going to be gone for a week or less. Last year, we went snowboarding in Flagstaff, AZ for a couple of days. When we arrived, we went to the health food store to get fresh organic produce. We also brought a cooler because I needed to keep the fresh produce chilled. I used the ice machine at the hotel and giant Ziploc bags to keep ice in the cooler. I also like to bring a couple of glass mason jars for us to use (and a knife for chopping). It all worked out very well.

Basically, what it boils down to, is that I really don’t give a hoot what others think. When I first started the Raw vegan lifestyle, I let everyone know, either by email or phone, that… “I’m doing the Raw vegan thing. I’m into healthy eating and I’ll be bringing my own food to functions.” I told them the good news is that they don’t have to feed me anymore so that’s more food for them. My health is my responsibility, not theirs, so how can I expect them to take care of me. It’s up to me to take care of myself. It hasn’t always been a breeze though… we’ve taken our fair share of dumb comments from our families. Heck, my dad still doesn’t get it, it seems. Just when I think he might be coming around, he says something like, “Well, you know, your morning sickness might not be so bad if you ate some meat.” And, to that, I usually say something smart ass back. I think my lifestyle just makes him nervous… I’m doing something right for myself and it causes him to question his own practices. Plus, um… he’s a gourmet chef who owns a restaurant in the Midwest that offers things like bacon wrapped steak (because regular steak was too healthy I guess, LOL). I’m guessing he’ll be the last person to go veg, but the cool thing is that he admitted to me recently that more of his customers are asking for veg options. Whoo hoo! (For more tips on the Raw Diet, Social Situations, and Peer Groups, read here.) Fortunately, other family members have gotten used to our lifestyle over time. The “comments” have died off for the most part. They’ve seen us live this way for a while now, and they even have respect for our discipline. Joke’s on them though… it doesn’t take much discipline because it’s fun and delicious!

And, truth be told… our lifestyle speaks for itself. We’re not only the vegans in the family, we’re also the ones in good shape physically… hmmm, coincidence? If anybody wants to get in my face about our diet, all I need to say is “it makes it easy to stay in good shape” and watch how fast they do one of two things: either 1) back down immediately, or 2) get interested and start asking questions out of genuine curiosity.

I’ll add one more thing about social situations and reacting to omnivores who don’t get it or dare to complain about our lifestyle. The following is a Washington Post article that I really enjoyed. Here is part of it:

I gave a talk in South Texas recently on the environmental virtues of a vegetarian diet. As you might imagine, the reception was chilly. In fact, the only applause came during the Q&A period when a member of the audience said that my lecture made him want to go out and eat even more meat. “Plus,” he added, “what I eat is my business — it’s personal.”

I’ve been writing about food and agriculture for more than a decade. Until that evening, however, I’d never actively thought about this most basic culinary question: Is eating personal?

We know more than we’ve ever known about the innards of the global food system. We understand that food can both nourish and kill. We know that its production can both destroy and enhance our environment. We know that farming touches every aspect of our lives — the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil we need.

So it’s hard to avoid concluding that eating cannot be personal. What I eat influences you. What you eat influences me. Our diets are deeply, intimately and necessarily political.

This realization changes everything for those who avoid meat. As a vegetarian I’ve always felt the perverse need to apologize for my dietary choice. It inconveniences people. It smacks of self-righteousness. It makes us pariahs at dinner parties. But the more I learn about the negative impact of meat production, the more I feel that it’s the consumers of meat who should be making apologies. Read the rest of this great article here.

One last note… for those times that you just don’t have food prepared or you’re out of town and didn’t bring anything or you just don’t have the money to have Raw food flown in for yourself or you just don’t feel like dealing with people’s comments… I say that it’s very much OK to ease up on the Raw food and eat some cooked vegan. Be sure to keep it vegan though! One of the perks about living the High Raw All Vegan lifestyle is that there is a little wiggle room in there for social occasions.