Cheers, to raw food

shared by Dina Raevsky, EcoDeaf reader...

Cooked Food is Dead...

Raw food is alive...

Raw food heals...

Cooked food makes you sick...

These words bombarded my retinas and registered in my brain as I read the Raw Food newsletter sent out to a group of us Marylanders by a long time raw foodist, May Wille. Thus, began my journey into Raw Food, starting with a purchase of a raw food book, a book about the benefits of raw food against degenerative diseases, and finally Alissa Cohen's book, which I swear by.

Although a fan of organic food (heck, I was raised in Israel - all fruits and veggies are organic there), and a user of solar water heater in my youth, watching my daddy turn the switch on to activate the heating mechanism, raw food did not come into my life until last fall, specifically this month of last year 2006.

Twas was the first year I bought my own home in historic downtown Frederick, enabling me to garden,

Twas the first time I no longer was simply a daughter, but now caring one to my dad, whose illness necessiated him living with me,

Twas was the first year, I really paid attention to my dad's eating habits due to his diabetic tendencies, cognetive heart failure and such,

Twas the first year I met May Wille through her daughter-in-law and sampled a delicious Date Torte cake decorated with Kiwi and strawberry (raw, of course),

May offered to show me some recipes, and I fell in love with them. I saw my energy increasing, my skin glowing, and even though I lost some additional pounds (unintended, I assure you), I still feel and look great. My dad stopped having dates with the hospitals, and now sticks to doctors for check ups. He looks great, even though heart failure is not curable.

Frederick is blessed with CSA farms, which provide organic vegetables and fruits to farmer's markets (plentiful here), organic food stores (plentiful here), and this...simply...added...to...the...allure.

I make raw food daily - for instance, I made irrestitible carob fudge balls today, which are a necessity for a teacher like me, running out of energy, after standing and walking among my dahling students. It prevents me from slamming down on them Hershey bars located in Academic Support Center located in the room above me, due to lack of calcium, burnt out in my whimsical moments of energy bursts. Also, I have sweet tooth for chocolate, and only chocolate. Fudge balls ensure that my sweet tooth sticks to these yummy, enriching raw balls of carob, almond butter, and dates (feel free to buzz me for recipe if needed, otherwise just buy the book by Alissa Cohen).

Raw food does not necessarily mean that you have to metamorphize into cows, goats, or other herbivores, munching on salad greens; but with the usage with food processor, knives, blender, dehydrator, and your precious god-given hands, you can create anything from salads to carrot burgers, and not to forget, delicious deserts to die for.

Often I face questions by athletes about needing more protein. I am a runner and require a lot of food intake too. Raw food gives me all the nutrients I need and yet, I do not get tired after eating it. This is totally the opposite of eating cooked food and feeling tired afterwards. Nuts ensure that I maintain my energy, rather than eating meat and chicken. So instead of saying, "Polly wants a cracker!" I stick to "Polly wants nuts!"

I also like to go out, and face the dilemma of watching cooked food being served to my friends' tables and observe my dear buddies chew with glee. What I do is eat beforehand at home sweet home, then order a salad for appetizer. Nonetheless, I came to find that I prefer my own food over a restaurant's. To reduce the eating out syndrome, I simply invite friends to my home to enjoy my home made meals and to spread the power of raw food to people who go, "hmm... good!" between bites. Nonetheless, I am guilty of still loving sushi and ahem... if I do go to a sushi place, I just have to have these chopped up rolls of seaweed, tuna, salmon, and eel, however, stick to the raw ones, not the cooked ones. Cooked eel, eew!

The state of Maryland is blessed to have individuals like Clark, Wille, Gore (nope, not Al Gore), and others that spread the word of raw food eating within our deaf community. We have a monthly potluck/presentation/gathering at various locations in Maryland, especially in Frederick. The one coming up is in Bethesda. For further information, feel free to contact me.

And, to these who know me, yes, I plan to cycle 46 miles, with a great cycling and running pal, to Bethesda this Sunday for the gathering, then enjoy the sumptious meals, presentations, and joyful banter, while nursing my poor legs before riding back to Frederick in a friend's vehicle.

To raw food,

Cheers,

Dina

(check out her bio for contact information)