Frequently Asked Questions about
The Raw Food Diet and Lifestyle
Q&A with Miranda Martinez
1. What is Raw and Living Food?
2. Is this a "diet"?
3. Why do you eat raw?
4. How do you get your protein?
5. How do you get your calcium?
6. Do you take any supplements or vitamins?
7. Do you eat any dairy, cheese, eggs or pasta?
8. Are you completely 100% raw vegan?
9. Why are you completely raw vegan?
10. How much total weight have you lost?
11. What other health benefits have you received from going raw?
12. Do you work out?
13. Aren’t you always hungry?
14. Don’t you miss cooked food?
15. Is it hard to eat out?
16. How about coffee? Were you a coffee drinker before going raw?
17. How about alcohol?
18. Isn’t this diet expensive?
19. Don’t you miss eating meat?
20. Don’t you get bored?
21. Do you have to buy everything organic?
1. What is Raw and Living Food?
Raw and living foods are raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains. Raw and living foods also include other types of foods such as superfoods, seaweeds, cold pressed olive oil and seasonings. That’s it. I do not eat any animal products (no cheese or dairy products) or seafood, nothing cooked over 118 F degrees, no pasta, no table sugar or artificial sweeteners, no food that has been processed (pretty much most foods that come in a bottle, a can or a carton), no foods that have been homogenized or pasteurized, no foods with preservatives or chemicals added to them, no tobacco, no drugs (legal or illegal - LOL!), no coffee, no sodas, no conventional teas with caffeine and no alcohol. You may think it sounds boring or hard, but it really isn’t at all!
2. Is this a “diet”?
I refer to it as a diet, but it’s so much more than that. This is not something that I am doing for a short period of time or until I get rid of my excess weight. For me it is a lifestyle, a way of eating for the rest of my life because of the many health benefits I’ve received.
3. Why do you eat raw?
There are many reasons why I eat raw. A raw diet gives our body nutrients (enzymes, vitamins, minerals, etc) that cooking over 115 F degrees destroys. We need enzymes for every function in our bodies and, as we get older, our body’s enzyme production diminishes. Cooking makes it difficult for our bodies to digest, break down and assimilate the food; therefore, we store the undigested food as toxins. Your body works really hard to digest cooked foods and that’s why you get sleepy after a meal. Ever since I began eating raw foods, my energy levels have remained constant during the day. I don't need as much sleep as I used to and I feel light, lean and energized. I love the feeling!
4. How do you get your protein?
Eating protein does not build protein in your body . . . amino acids do. High percentages of amino acids are contained in green leafy vegetables, fruits, spirulina (a blue-green algae that is 60-65% protein), bee pollen (40% protein), and hemp seeds (65% protein). When you cook your meats, you destroy half the protein in them. Your body then has to digest the left over protein, which can take up to 100 hours. to digest it. The strongest animals in the world, such as elephants, horses, camels, and mules, only eat grass and fruit. Another example are Gorillas. Although they only eat fruits and vegetables, they have thirty times a man’s strength!
5. How do you get your calcium?
All green leafy vegetables, raw nuts, dulse (a red algae), dates and most fruit contain large amounts of calcium. Also, raw sesame seeds have a higher concentration of calcium than any other food.
6. Do you take any supplements or vitamins?
You get plenty of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, amino acids (building blocks of protein), antioxidants, enzymes and chlorophyll from eating raw fruits and vegetables. I do not take any synthetic vitamin supplements, but I do take an all natural "living" B vitamin complex and a Reishi mushroom supplement for a vegan source of Vitamin D. In addition, I include “superfood” and live supplements in my daily morning smoothie, salads or soups. Super foods are foods that are nutrient rich and are said to have dramatic healing qualities. Some super foods that I consume daily are raw cacao (included in my daily Chocolate Bliss drink), chia seeds, bee pollen, hemp seeds, coconut oil, guarana, goji berries, nutritional yeast, tocotrienols, Sun Fire Salt (a mix of four high quality salts), aloe vera, probiotics, spirulina and chlorella.
7. Do you eat any dairy, cheese, eggs or pasta?
I do not.
8. Are you completely 100% raw vegan?
I’ve been mostly raw vegan since July 2007 and I became 100% raw vegan in December 2007 for about 9 months. Since then, I've been high raw, with most days being 100%. I have done many variations in my diet to experiment on my own health, noticing how I'm feeling. Lately I've been incorporating some grass fed buffalo. You don’t have go 100% raw in order to experience great improvement. Every little bit helps . . . you can start with baby steps.
9. Why are you completely raw vegan?
I was told by David Favor of RadicalHealth.com that if I eliminated all cooked food and animal products from my diet AND continue to consume raw foods and super foods, I could reduce my hereditary high cholesterol with no drugs or vitamins. I decided to try it and it worked like a charm! I went from 164 to 111 in 2 months with no drugs or vitamins.
I've also had weight issues all of my life and, although I tried several ways to get a handle on them, I was unable to maintain control. This led to disappointment and frustration. When I started this journey, I realized that I needed to treat my old eating habits as an addiction. Because I’m a food addict (specially a sugar addict), it was originally easier for me to keep a 100% raw vegan diet. Food doesn’t control me anymore. And now, for the first time in my life, I feel and look my best. I've tried different variations on my diet and after almost 4 years in this journey, I feel my best by eating a high raw diet, with a bit of grass fed buffalo. Most of my diet is still raw & vegan.
10. How much total weight have you lost?
I’ve lost a total of 66 lbs since October 2006 -- 53 of those lbs from July 2007 through October 2008. This is the main reason that I am posting this page.
11. What other health benefits have you received from going raw?
I have increased energy and feel vibrant. I have rapidly reduced my hereditary high LDL cholesterol (from 164 to 111 in two months with no drugs) and reduced my spider veins. In addition, I no longer have cysts, knee pain, constipation issues, or food addictions.
12. Do you work out?
I fell in love with "hot yoga" a year ago. I try to go as much as possible. A hot yoga class takes you through a series of 30+ postures in a room at 98 F degrees, with 60% humidity. You should try it. It's the best!
13. Aren’t you always hungry?
Once I started eating raw, I discovered that I felt more nourished than before. The reason for this is that raw foods and super foods are more nutritionally dense than cooked foods; therefore I’m easily satisfied with a much smaller portion of food than what I used to eat. Also, when I do feel hungry, I do not feel the same level of hunger that I did before.
14. Don’t you miss cooked food?
I truly don’t miss cooked food. I don’t deny that cooked food smells delicious, but I can appreciate the smell without having to eat any of it. Since I’m treating it as an addiction, I don’t get tempted to eat cooked food and I don’t crave it. The health benefits and energy that I receive from eating raw far outweigh the temptation to eat cooked food.
15. Is it hard to eat out?
I don’t eat out much anymore. When I hang out with friends at a restaurant, but I usually eat beforehand so that I am not hungry. Socially, it can be frustrating for your friends if you ask too many questions of the servers before you order your food. For the most part, I find people in general don’t understand what eating raw means, so it’s best just to tell the servers exactly what you want. I may order a small salad and add avocados, if they have them. Look through the menu and to see if they have other fresh, raw ingredients that they put on other dishes and if you can add them to your salad. I’ve actually had really tasty salads that I’ve put together myself by going through the menu and ordering parts of different dishes. Sometimes I bring my own dressing and salt in my purse. Balsamic vinegar, olive oil and - of course - salt and pepper are usually available; however, for the most part, they are not of very good quality and don’t taste very good.
16. How about coffee? Were you a coffee drinker before going raw?
I was an occasional coffee drinker before raw. I mostly drank it during winter when I wanted something hot. For some reason, it never really worked if I needed something to ‘wake me up.’ So it wasn’t hard for me to give up. Drinking coffee, however, is bad for your health. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and has been linked to many diseases. Decaffeinated coffee is not that much better because of its chemical process. It takes one cup of coffee or tea 24 hours to pass through the kidneys and urinary tract.
17. How about alcohol?
Fortunately, I did not drink before going raw, so this wasn’t difficult. Alcohol is mostly sugar and places a heavy burden on the kidneys and liver. It also slows the metabolism.
18. Isn’t this diet expensive?
I don’t believe so. Since I am eating less and cut-down on dining out at restaurants, I’ve found that I’m actually spending about the same and most of the time even less than before. There are plenty of recipes that you can make with your standard kitchen equipment. Once you decide that you would like to continue eating raw foods, you can save up and buy your appliances at your own pace. For me, investing in the appliances really made a world of difference in preparing my gourmet raw dishes!
19. Don’t you miss eating meat?
Before going raw, I really thought I would . . . but I don't! I’ve gotten used to this way of eating and wouldn't even think about eating any differently now.
20. Don’t you get bored?
Not at all! There are so many quick and amazingly delicious recipes out there. I actually look forward to trying new things. Pretty much everything in the "cooked world" can be dupplicated in raw. Of course, it's not going to taste the same as cooked food. However, most people (if they're open) are usually amazed at the texture and flavor. The reaction I get usually is "if I can eat like this all the time, I could totally be raw."
21. Do you have to buy everything organic?
One of the best ways to avoid pesticides, herbicides and fungicides is to consume organic food. Sometimes, this is not possible due to availability, price, etc. Some foods contain more pesticides than others. So, if you need to, you can buy some conventional fruits and vegetables. The least contaminated fruits and vegetables are: sweet corn, avocado, cauliflower, asparagus, onions, peas, broccoli, pineapples, mangoes, bananas, kiwi and papayas.
The Raw Food Diet and Lifestyle
Q&A with Miranda Martinez
1. What is Raw and Living Food?
2. Is this a "diet"?
3. Why do you eat raw?
4. How do you get your protein?
5. How do you get your calcium?
6. Do you take any supplements or vitamins?
7. Do you eat any dairy, cheese, eggs or pasta?
8. Are you completely 100% raw vegan?
9. Why are you completely raw vegan?
10. How much total weight have you lost?
11. What other health benefits have you received from going raw?
12. Do you work out?
13. Aren’t you always hungry?
14. Don’t you miss cooked food?
15. Is it hard to eat out?
16. How about coffee? Were you a coffee drinker before going raw?
17. How about alcohol?
18. Isn’t this diet expensive?
19. Don’t you miss eating meat?
20. Don’t you get bored?
21. Do you have to buy everything organic?
1. What is Raw and Living Food?
Raw and living foods are raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains. Raw and living foods also include other types of foods such as superfoods, seaweeds, cold pressed olive oil and seasonings. That’s it. I do not eat any animal products (no cheese or dairy products) or seafood, nothing cooked over 118 F degrees, no pasta, no table sugar or artificial sweeteners, no food that has been processed (pretty much most foods that come in a bottle, a can or a carton), no foods that have been homogenized or pasteurized, no foods with preservatives or chemicals added to them, no tobacco, no drugs (legal or illegal - LOL!), no coffee, no sodas, no conventional teas with caffeine and no alcohol. You may think it sounds boring or hard, but it really isn’t at all!
2. Is this a “diet”?
I refer to it as a diet, but it’s so much more than that. This is not something that I am doing for a short period of time or until I get rid of my excess weight. For me it is a lifestyle, a way of eating for the rest of my life because of the many health benefits I’ve received.
3. Why do you eat raw?
There are many reasons why I eat raw. A raw diet gives our body nutrients (enzymes, vitamins, minerals, etc) that cooking over 115 F degrees destroys. We need enzymes for every function in our bodies and, as we get older, our body’s enzyme production diminishes. Cooking makes it difficult for our bodies to digest, break down and assimilate the food; therefore, we store the undigested food as toxins. Your body works really hard to digest cooked foods and that’s why you get sleepy after a meal. Ever since I began eating raw foods, my energy levels have remained constant during the day. I don't need as much sleep as I used to and I feel light, lean and energized. I love the feeling!
4. How do you get your protein?
Eating protein does not build protein in your body . . . amino acids do. High percentages of amino acids are contained in green leafy vegetables, fruits, spirulina (a blue-green algae that is 60-65% protein), bee pollen (40% protein), and hemp seeds (65% protein). When you cook your meats, you destroy half the protein in them. Your body then has to digest the left over protein, which can take up to 100 hours. to digest it. The strongest animals in the world, such as elephants, horses, camels, and mules, only eat grass and fruit. Another example are Gorillas. Although they only eat fruits and vegetables, they have thirty times a man’s strength!
5. How do you get your calcium?
All green leafy vegetables, raw nuts, dulse (a red algae), dates and most fruit contain large amounts of calcium. Also, raw sesame seeds have a higher concentration of calcium than any other food.
6. Do you take any supplements or vitamins?
You get plenty of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, amino acids (building blocks of protein), antioxidants, enzymes and chlorophyll from eating raw fruits and vegetables. I do not take any synthetic vitamin supplements, but I do take an all natural "living" B vitamin complex and a Reishi mushroom supplement for a vegan source of Vitamin D. In addition, I include “superfood” and live supplements in my daily morning smoothie, salads or soups. Super foods are foods that are nutrient rich and are said to have dramatic healing qualities. Some super foods that I consume daily are raw cacao (included in my daily Chocolate Bliss drink), chia seeds, bee pollen, hemp seeds, coconut oil, guarana, goji berries, nutritional yeast, tocotrienols, Sun Fire Salt (a mix of four high quality salts), aloe vera, probiotics, spirulina and chlorella.
7. Do you eat any dairy, cheese, eggs or pasta?
I do not.
8. Are you completely 100% raw vegan?
I’ve been mostly raw vegan since July 2007 and I became 100% raw vegan in December 2007 for about 9 months. Since then, I've been high raw, with most days being 100%. I have done many variations in my diet to experiment on my own health, noticing how I'm feeling. Lately I've been incorporating some grass fed buffalo. You don’t have go 100% raw in order to experience great improvement. Every little bit helps . . . you can start with baby steps.
9. Why are you completely raw vegan?
I was told by David Favor of RadicalHealth.com that if I eliminated all cooked food and animal products from my diet AND continue to consume raw foods and super foods, I could reduce my hereditary high cholesterol with no drugs or vitamins. I decided to try it and it worked like a charm! I went from 164 to 111 in 2 months with no drugs or vitamins.
I've also had weight issues all of my life and, although I tried several ways to get a handle on them, I was unable to maintain control. This led to disappointment and frustration. When I started this journey, I realized that I needed to treat my old eating habits as an addiction. Because I’m a food addict (specially a sugar addict), it was originally easier for me to keep a 100% raw vegan diet. Food doesn’t control me anymore. And now, for the first time in my life, I feel and look my best. I've tried different variations on my diet and after almost 4 years in this journey, I feel my best by eating a high raw diet, with a bit of grass fed buffalo. Most of my diet is still raw & vegan.
10. How much total weight have you lost?
I’ve lost a total of 66 lbs since October 2006 -- 53 of those lbs from July 2007 through October 2008. This is the main reason that I am posting this page.
11. What other health benefits have you received from going raw?
I have increased energy and feel vibrant. I have rapidly reduced my hereditary high LDL cholesterol (from 164 to 111 in two months with no drugs) and reduced my spider veins. In addition, I no longer have cysts, knee pain, constipation issues, or food addictions.
12. Do you work out?
I fell in love with "hot yoga" a year ago. I try to go as much as possible. A hot yoga class takes you through a series of 30+ postures in a room at 98 F degrees, with 60% humidity. You should try it. It's the best!
13. Aren’t you always hungry?
Once I started eating raw, I discovered that I felt more nourished than before. The reason for this is that raw foods and super foods are more nutritionally dense than cooked foods; therefore I’m easily satisfied with a much smaller portion of food than what I used to eat. Also, when I do feel hungry, I do not feel the same level of hunger that I did before.
14. Don’t you miss cooked food?
I truly don’t miss cooked food. I don’t deny that cooked food smells delicious, but I can appreciate the smell without having to eat any of it. Since I’m treating it as an addiction, I don’t get tempted to eat cooked food and I don’t crave it. The health benefits and energy that I receive from eating raw far outweigh the temptation to eat cooked food.
15. Is it hard to eat out?
I don’t eat out much anymore. When I hang out with friends at a restaurant, but I usually eat beforehand so that I am not hungry. Socially, it can be frustrating for your friends if you ask too many questions of the servers before you order your food. For the most part, I find people in general don’t understand what eating raw means, so it’s best just to tell the servers exactly what you want. I may order a small salad and add avocados, if they have them. Look through the menu and to see if they have other fresh, raw ingredients that they put on other dishes and if you can add them to your salad. I’ve actually had really tasty salads that I’ve put together myself by going through the menu and ordering parts of different dishes. Sometimes I bring my own dressing and salt in my purse. Balsamic vinegar, olive oil and - of course - salt and pepper are usually available; however, for the most part, they are not of very good quality and don’t taste very good.
16. How about coffee? Were you a coffee drinker before going raw?
I was an occasional coffee drinker before raw. I mostly drank it during winter when I wanted something hot. For some reason, it never really worked if I needed something to ‘wake me up.’ So it wasn’t hard for me to give up. Drinking coffee, however, is bad for your health. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and has been linked to many diseases. Decaffeinated coffee is not that much better because of its chemical process. It takes one cup of coffee or tea 24 hours to pass through the kidneys and urinary tract.
17. How about alcohol?
Fortunately, I did not drink before going raw, so this wasn’t difficult. Alcohol is mostly sugar and places a heavy burden on the kidneys and liver. It also slows the metabolism.
18. Isn’t this diet expensive?
I don’t believe so. Since I am eating less and cut-down on dining out at restaurants, I’ve found that I’m actually spending about the same and most of the time even less than before. There are plenty of recipes that you can make with your standard kitchen equipment. Once you decide that you would like to continue eating raw foods, you can save up and buy your appliances at your own pace. For me, investing in the appliances really made a world of difference in preparing my gourmet raw dishes!
19. Don’t you miss eating meat?
Before going raw, I really thought I would . . . but I don't! I’ve gotten used to this way of eating and wouldn't even think about eating any differently now.
20. Don’t you get bored?
Not at all! There are so many quick and amazingly delicious recipes out there. I actually look forward to trying new things. Pretty much everything in the "cooked world" can be dupplicated in raw. Of course, it's not going to taste the same as cooked food. However, most people (if they're open) are usually amazed at the texture and flavor. The reaction I get usually is "if I can eat like this all the time, I could totally be raw."
21. Do you have to buy everything organic?
One of the best ways to avoid pesticides, herbicides and fungicides is to consume organic food. Sometimes, this is not possible due to availability, price, etc. Some foods contain more pesticides than others. So, if you need to, you can buy some conventional fruits and vegetables. The least contaminated fruits and vegetables are: sweet corn, avocado, cauliflower, asparagus, onions, peas, broccoli, pineapples, mangoes, bananas, kiwi and papayas.
