Health – Raw is Not New

Eating raw food is not a new idea or a new fad. It is an old idea which has again resurfaced to redirect people to a better way of life by replenishing their diets with raw along with cooked. It really is a forgotten art. Let’s look at a little bit of history.

As early as World War I, leaders in the field of nutrition were unearthing the dangers of processed and packaged foods as well as the powers of raw foods. During that time, a German food scientist named Werner Kollath conducted a test of a processed food diet on lab animals. On the outside, these animals looked relatively healthy, but as they grew older, they developed a number of health complications. Further, it was found upon performing an autopsy after their death that their insides were filled with disease. At the time, there weren’t any available vitamins to give sickly animals for them to regain their health. What Kollath found instead was that a diet filled with leafy greens, vegetables and cereal germs – all enzyme-rich raw foods – helped them return to their normal levels of health, explained Dr. Donaldson.”

“Enzyme-rich raw foods helped them regain their health.”

“Later, physician Max Bircher-Benner found the answer in living foods through his own illness. He eventually opened a clinic in Zurich, Switzerland, that helped heal a number of individuals with whole, raw food – one of the first of its kind. Dr. Max Gerson was another physician who experienced his own ailments, primarily migraines. After trying several different diets, he found that the living food diet, derived from that of monkeys, worked to alleviate their severe headaches. He then found that these raw foods could help a number of other diseases, including cancer.

“Another man who accidently discovered the power of a raw food diet was Norman Walker, who found the answer in juicing: Fresh carrot juice and a living diet helped Norman overcome his nervous breakdown. Meanwhile, a woman named Ann Wigmore took what she learned from her grandmother’s natural treatments during WWI and began eating grass and flowers when she developed gangrene. She was soon healed. In her mission to find the best grasses for health, Wigmore would go on to promote cereal grass and wheat grass.”

Excerpts from: www.myhdiet.com/healthnews/health-news/key-takeaways-from-the-raw-food-webinar

There are many other writers who also agree that including more raw foods for nourishment and health into our diet would be a great idea. Many already know that eating processed and cooked foods for most of their diet is not the best for their health. It is not strengthening to the immune system because most of the vitamins and minerals have been cooked to death and being devoid of nutrition are no longer of use to the body. Processed foods purchased in stores truly have been processed to death.

The main object of healthy eating is to keep our bodies in tip-top shape for the Lord’s service. So why not build up your immune system and do your part to restore and prolong your health. In this way you will give glory to God by the choices you make in what you eat.

Onward Christian Soldiers!

Recipe – Delicious Raw Cereal

Ingredients

1 cup regular oats

1 cup water

½ cup raisins or other dried fruit

1 tasty grated apple (with peelings)

¼ cup raw almonds, slivered

3 Tbsp. honey

Process

Mix all together, adding water last. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Stir in the morning and eat! Berries, bananas, or other fruit in season can be added for extra flavor before eating. Enjoy!

Recipe – Raspberry-Vanilla “Ice Cream” Sandwiches

Recipe
Raspberry–Vanilla “Ice Cream” Sandwiches
2 cups cashews 2 pinches salt
2 cups water 2 ½ Tbsp. melted coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup 1 ½ tsp. ground cardamom
1 ½ Tbsp. vanilla extract 2 cups raspberries, lightly mashed
Seeds of one vanilla bean
Brownie Crust
2 cups almonds 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Medjool dates 2/3 cup walnuts
1 ½ cups raisins 2 pinches salt
½ cup carob powder 1 ½ tsp. water
Prepare the “ice cream”: In a high speed blender, blend the cashews, water, maple syrup, vanilla extract and scraped insides of the vanilla bean until completely smooth. Add the salt and coconut oil and blend to incorporate. Chill the liquid in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours. Process the chilled, thick cream in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Prepare the brownies: Grind the almonds into flour in a food processor. Add the dates and raisins. Process until they are completely broken down. Add the remaining ingredients and process to combine. Press half of the dough into an 8–inch–square pan. Set aside remaining dough and refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble the sandwiches: Once the “ice cream” is done churning (the consistency will be like soft-serve ice cream), mix in the cardamom. Then, gently mix in the raspberries, taking care not to overmix or the berries’ color will bleed. Spread the “ice cream” evenly over the brownie, working quickly to prevent melting. Immediately transfer to the freezer until frozen, at least 6 hours. Once frozen, firmly press the other half of the brownie dough on top. Cut into 1 ½ x 2 ½-inch bars. Store in freezer until ready to enjoy. Makes 15 servings.

 

Food – Rah Rah – Raw Desserts!

Your foray into the tasty genre of raw desserts may begin as a fluke, as one lady learned as she was preparing to host a dinner. The morning of this event, her oven and stove malfunctioned.

While she was able to prepare dinner on the grill, dessert posed a problem. Instead of making a peach-blueberry crumble, she decided to marinate peaches in fresh orange juice and serve them with a sprinkle of sweetened nuts and a dollop of cashew crème, made by blending cashews with maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt in her Vita-mix blending machine.

From this experience she learned that raw desserts, often defined as food prepared with whole-food ingredients in their natural state (nothing is heated above 118°F, to preserve nutritional value), can be just as delicious and elegant as traditional desserts—and they can be a lot better health-wise.

“When it comes to ingredients in the raw desserts repertoire, nuts take center stage. Typically ground in a food processor to create crusts for cookies, cakes and bars, they are also blended to form a base for ice creams, puddings and creams, giving them that smooth, buttery consistency often found in dairy-based desserts.

“Other mainstay ingredients are coconut oil, coconut butter (a creamy paste made from dried, ground coconut meat) and nut butters. For sweetness, unrefined favorites include fresh fruit purées, raisins, Medjool dates, coconut nectar, coconut sugar, stevia and maple syrup. The boiled sap of maple trees, while technically not “raw,” is often used because it is minimally processed; contains manganese, zinc and other minerals; and has a distinct, irreplaceable flavor.

“Any style of dessert, whether raw or cooked, wouldn’t be complete without chocolate. Whole-food forms of chocolate include cacao nibs, cacao butter and cacao powder.” Carob chips or carob powder may be used in raw recipes as a chocolate substitute.

“The technique of making raw desserts is fairly easy. Ingredients quickly come together in a food processor or high–speed blender, and are then set aside in the fridge or freezer.” Since nothing is baked, it is the great flavor of the natural ingredients that makes these healthful treats taste delicious. The Costco Connection, August 2015, E-Commerce & Publishing, Costco Wholesale Corporation, Seattle, Washington.

Recipe
Raspberry–Vanilla “Ice Cream” Sandwiches
2 cups cashews 2 pinches salt
2 cups water 2 ½ Tbsp. melted coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup 1 ½ tsp. ground cardamom
1 ½ Tbsp. vanilla extract 2 cups raspberries, lightly mashed
Seeds of one vanilla bean
Brownie Crust
2 cups almonds 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Medjool dates 2/3 cup walnuts
1 ½ cups raisins 2 pinches salt
½ cup carob powder 1 ½ tsp. water
Prepare the “ice cream”: In a high speed blender, blend the cashews, water, maple syrup, vanilla extract and scraped insides of the vanilla bean until completely smooth. Add the salt and coconut oil and blend to incorporate. Chill the liquid in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours. Process the chilled, thick cream in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Prepare the brownies: Grind the almonds into flour in a food processor. Add the dates and raisins. Process until they are completely broken down. Add the remaining ingredients and process to combine. Press half of the dough into an 8–inch–square pan. Set aside remaining dough and refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble the sandwiches: Once the “ice cream” is done churning (the consistency will be like soft-serve ice cream), mix in the cardamom. Then, gently mix in the raspberries, taking care not to overmix or the berries’ color will bleed. Spread the “ice cream” evenly over the brownie, working quickly to prevent melting. Immediately transfer to the freezer until frozen, at least 6 hours. Once frozen, firmly press the other half of the brownie dough on top. Cut into 1 ½ x 2 ½-inch bars. Store in freezer until ready to enjoy. Makes 15 servings.