Ibo Gencay Interview by Alex Malinsky

Question #1:

A) What are some rawfood staples in your current diet?

I love fresh papaya, it is soo light on the stomach. I also like homemade fresh grain muesli, which is a combination of soaked and/or sprouted grains mixed with fresh fruits, such as papaya, mango, or shredded apple. And I am also a fan of spinach..

B) Are you 100% raw?

No, I am not.
My diet changes between 70-80% raw. I almost everyday eat some form of cooked food, but this cooked food portion is whole cooked foods. There are a few days a month where I am 100% raw and that’s when I fast on orange juice or other juices to cleanse out and uplift my spirit. Personally I think it is very admirable of people to eat 100% raw foods. But I also think that cooked whole foods can still have an important positive effect on people, more psychologically though, but also physiologically I believe. This approach to diet (eating mostly raw food and still eating some cooked foods) I call “FOOD FOR THE HUMAN BEING AND NOT THE BODY™”.
Let me explain this a little bit. Many people are awakening to the truth and healing effects of eating raw foods. And many of those people still have cravings and desire for “healthy” cooked foods, including myself. It is important I believe (and I follow here the example of Germany’s most renowned health food doctor, Dr. Bruker) that people continue to eat cooked foods, but whole cooked foods, IF THEY STILL HAVE THE DESIRE AND CRAVINGS. Giving up much cherished cooked foods can be very stressful, on the body and the psychy.
Most of the diet however should be raw. This is very important for health and well being. Those who feel ready to eat almost or all raw, I think it is fine.

If someone eats mostly raw food and about 20-30-40% whole healthy cooked foods, that person has a lower risk of developing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart problems ( depending on what kind of diet was eaten before)

Those diseases didn’t exist before 1900, although people were not raw foodists. 1900 marks about the time when processed foods, including white flour and white sugar, invaded our households. IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN A FREE 15 MINUTE HEALTH CONSULTATION (performed after the standards of Dr. Bruker. They can call THE RAW BAKERY and ask for Ibo anytime Mo-Fr 9-6 EST.
And the last point I want to make is that I want to give a definition of RAW FOODIST: I define a RAW FOODIST as someone who eats mostly raw, more than 60% percent of his/her diet.

C) How did you start?

I started eating more raw foods when I read the books of Dr. Bruker, Germany’s most renowned health food doctor. That was about 10 years ago. Dr. Bruker, who himself was 90% raw for most of his life with some butter and cream in his diet ( he died two years ago at age 92 with all of his original teeth), teaches a diet of mostly raw foods and whole cooked foods. He healed thousands of people from severe diseases. What I like about him is his humanity and tolerance towards people. He knew people still like cooked foods, so he taught which cooked foods to eat, so as not to get heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, or obesity.
This is what I like and want to continue also.

Question #2: Can you describe to us what true hunger is? And how does one deal with overeating/bingeing on raw foods especially dry fruits and fats?

True hunger is a feeling and sensation, your body let’s you know that the cells need fuel. It is a positive experience in an environment where you have easy access to foods, but of course not when you live in parts of Africa or Asia, where people can’t get and buy food.
About the overeating/bingeing. I have seen long time 100% raw foodists buy 15-20 cheese “raw food” nut crackers and eating them fastly, just to get a taste of something savory or cooked. I have seen this in a health food store in Manhattan. Those 15-20 pieces cost that person $ 30-40. The raw food diet is an ideal diet, but “the god/goddess of perfect health” will not condemn us to eternity if we eat some cooked whole foods. WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME OF TRANSITION, where cooked foods are still a big part.

Question #3: How did you start THE RAW BAKERY and how did you come up with the name?

I started making raw desserts when I met Jeremy Saffron in a raw cooking class in Manhattan. I loved the idea of making very healthy desserts. When I wanted to start a raw food business I wanted a very simple name for it.

Question #4: What are some of your best products and are they handmade?

I think my cakes are extraordinaire. Health food stores in Manhattan sold them and customers called me and said they are the best, so different than any other raw cakes they have ever eaten. I am very proud of the SNAKKER Bar and COCO JOY Bar. THE RAW BAKERY is the first raw food company that uses raw peanuts and also makes the first filled bars. All hand made. We like to make things that are fun to eat and are tasty.

Question #5: How do you come up with a recipe?

That’s not an easy question. And it is not easy at all to make something tasty and something that people will actually buy. Recipes never stay the same, they develop and it can take weeks and months and years until one is satisfied. Sometimes you are lucky and a recipe is ready right from the beginning.

Question #6 Can you share with us a favorite recipe or dish?

As I said earlier salads are great. And I hope everyone will eat more salad. So here is one of my favorite salad recipes.

Popeye’s Spinach Salad
1 bunch of large leafy dark green spinach, washed and cut into mouth size pieces (or else)
3 plum tomatos, cut into thin slices
2 TB minced onion
2 small cucumbers, shredded or diced
2 TB fresh lemon juice
2 TB olive oil, Bariani Olive Oil
celtic sea salt to taste
pinch of black pepper.

Try to eat this all by yourself. I do that regularly. And feel the power of Popeye.

Question #7: Do you do any catering for raw birthdays, weddings, etc.

Yes, we do make cakes and wedding cakes, we also ship wedding cakes nationwide. We just shipped a coconut chocolate wedding cake to New Orleans. People loved it.

Question #8: List some reasons why most people are not 100% raw.

I guess you mean the people that haven’t heard about the raw diet and who live the standard American diet?! Transition is the word. Right now there is a big health movement going on. People are gradually switching to whole organic cooked foods. After that people will switch to the raw diet. But it all takes time. When Yoga came to America only a few people practiced it. Then a few more schools opened. And look today so many people practice some kind of yoga. The medical society has even recognized the benefits of yoga. In a few decades raw food is what yoga is today and even more.

Question #9: Where do you see the raw food movement heading?

People will eat more and more raw food in the future, more and more people will increase the amount of raw foods in their diet. I hope that medical studies will be made soon to establish the raw food healing sciences.

Question #10: Can you please tell us about some of your current projects you’re working on and/or developing?

Well I just finished making the COCO JOY Bar, which is the “raw sister” of ALMOND JOY. It tastes sood good and the ingredients are very unique, it is made with handopened cashews. 2 little handrolled filled bars with white raw coconut cream. There is soo much good food that I would like to do. We’ll see.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Not really, thank you Alex. You are a true raw health guru.