Top 10 RAW Superfoods

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Permalink Reply by Roger Rawsberry on November 9, 2009 at 7:07pm

Wheatgrassjuice is pure Goddessstuff, Starblast,Golddustexplosiv. Aint notting thats gets me hyah...

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Permalink Reply by Rawgreengoddess on November 9, 2009 at 7:12pm

isnt it magikal and mysteriously transcendant?i agree :)

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Permalink Reply by John on November 9, 2009 at 9:45pm

Phew, lots of info being shared...

This is just my opinion. You can research things and experiment with the different foods and find out what works best for you.

As far as Brazil nuts, yes, they are great for you, raw.
Especially if you soak them a few hours first.
And yes, I blend them with water (or coconut water), and then add things like vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon, pinch of salt (and/or dulse or kelp), raw sesame seeds, and/or a little spirulina, and/or a little mesquite powder, and a frozen banana, Sometimes I toss some berries in. Blend like hell.
As far as what I mentioned with eating too many of them too often...
the selenium in them can be a bit much, and lead to brittle hair and nails... if you eat too many too often. From what I'v read - not more than ten or 12 per week. But, read up and you may come to a different conclusion.

Yes, as far as citrus, just peel and eat. I eat the seeds. All that fiber is good, and contains antioxidants and biophotons. I think people who only consume citrus juice, and not the fruit, are missing things... and giving themselves big dosses of sugar/calories.

Germinating seeds (such as quinoa, chia, and buckwheat) ... greatly increases the nutrients. Germinating them turns on the nutrition factories, increasing enzymes, greatly increasing amino acids, increasing biophotons, increasintg the EFAs, etc.

Difference between germinated seeds (keeping moist/rinsed only until a small root appears) and sprouted seeds (until the first leaves start to form).

As I said, I always hear people say "sprouted buckwheat" when they actually mean "germinated buckwheat"

Germinated buckwheat is good (soaking a few hours, then rinsing two or three times a day for one or two days until the little root appears)
But sprouted buckwheat (growing the germinated buckwheat more until the first leaves appear) can contain a substance that increases your sensitivity to sunlight.

Take germinated buckwhat, toss in a bowl with cut up apple (or banana or berries), some vanilla, and a little cinnamon = breakfast. Rich in amino acids, enzymes, etc.

Maple syrup, yes, is boiled. It is the sap of a tree. Basically a sweet water that sweats out of cuts in the tree, collected in buckets, then boiled in "sugar shacks" in the woods. I've done this when I lived in Vermont (I love Vermont). The temps outside have to be in a certain range, then the sap starts to run. The different grades of maple syrup have to do with how long it was boiled. The darker syrups were boiled longer, and are more concentrated. Some people say you should buy only a certain grade, as if that is going to really make a damn bit of difference. It's still boiled. People who've collected syrup and spent hours boiling it laugh at that claim that a certain grade is more raw. It is all boiled. I can name the person who seems to be doing a really good job at spreading this claim of a certain grade being more raw. I think he is being silly/misguided.

But many otherwise raw foodists will use maple syrup. I think it is a better choice then some other choices they can make. I laugh at Kerrie up at Living Light who says she has dreams of bathing in maple syrup.

The good thing about maple syrup is that collecting it doesn't require ruining forests, clearcutting, or really farming. It is basically collected from maple forests all over the Vermont/New England area, parts of Canada, etc.

Maple syrup has manganese, potassium, and zinc. It has antioxidants called phenols, including quercetin and epicatechin, which are good for heart and blood health.

As far as saying that maple syrup is more raw than agave is a stretch. One is from a tree that grows in the cold region, the other is from a plant that grows in the desert, where it can get 150 degrees, and more.

As far as my choice, I'd rather use maple syrup. But, it isn't like I never have agave - I mostly avoid it (but, it is in some things I eat when I eat out at raw cafes). And I rarely have maple syrup. Some people say maple syrup is lower on the glycemic scale. I think that is true. But I'm not sure.

I'm not really fanatical about this, because I really don't use either or much. I'd rather sweeten stuff with dates or raisins - such as making carob truffles.

Agave to me is just another sugar. And it isn't some wonder plant. Some people freak out when they hear that it is processed at between 130 and 180 degrees. Well, the plant can survive desert heat, which can get over 140 degrees, and the plant still lives, which means that it has some pretty hardy enzymes. There are companies that sell their agave with the claim that it is the only truly raw agave on the market. It's easy to do your own research and decide what is best for you. I don't think it is good to be eating gobs of agave, or putting tons of it in your recipes. I went through my agave phase, listening to the hyped-up nonsense the sales people say about it. If you are using a ton of agave, you are probably not making the best choice. It's still sugar that can overload your liver and end up as fat/blubber. Eating a desert once-in-a while that has agave in it isn't anything you should worry about. But, that's just my opinion.

Yacon root syrup can either be dehydrated, or treated with heat. It's from the Andean yacon plant. It has potassium and antioxidants. I like it because it isn't so dag sweet. It sort of reminds me of maple syrup. But, I don't' use it much either. I think I've only ever bought two or three jars of the stuff.

Raw chefs are always wanting me to try their foods, so, I get all sorts of raw foods handed my way. Some people have sent me stuff... foods, T-shirts, things they've made, gifts, etc... in the mail in appreciation for my book, etc. That is sweet.

But, as far as superfoods, yes, I think anything you grow yourself is a superfood, and especially if you grow it organically, and more so if it is in soil you helped to create by composting your kitchen scraps.

I tell people not to listen to all the salespeople trying to sell you so-called superfoods. Just because some salesperson is telling you it is good for you, that it is an amazing superfood, it does not mean that it is. And it doesn't matter who they are, including people who are looked up to. "Superfoods" is just a sales term. Food is food. Nutrients are nutrients.

Mostly, jut eat raw fruit and raw greens. Everything else is variety, including for getting a variety of nutrients and taste sensations. I think food should be enjoyable. So, don't freak out if there is some agave in something, or maple syrup. It's not like you're eating Burger King or fried hamhocks slathered in ranch dressing.

"Food has it over sex for variety. Hedonistically, gustatory possibilities are much broader than copulatory ones." - Joseph Epstein

A salad I made last week that rocked from friends visiting from out-of-town:

Kale - two bunches - finely chopped
Tomato - two Roma - sliced to bits
Walnuts - several - fractured
Green olives - 8 - diced
Red onion - 1/4 of one - diced
Red bell pepper - 1/4 of one - diced
Apple - two - diced (Black Arkansas apples = good stuff)
Raisins - seeded - toss some in
Nutritional yeast - toss some in
Millet seeds - toss some in
Flax seeds - toss some in
Hemp seeds - fractured - toss some in
DRESSING: honey, mustard, lemon, vinegar, hemp oil, salt, thyme, dill, cayenne, spirulina

Toss and stir that all together. Consume.

John
http://www.sunfoodliving.com

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Permalink Reply by Rawgreengoddess on November 9, 2009 at 9:47pm

you know your stuff me McCabe...im impressed this salad looks mighty...

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Permalink Reply by Paddy on November 10, 2009 at 1:49pm

Thanks for taking the time to reply John :)

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