IN THIS ISSUE

1. Current News and Insights (40 Day Raw Challenge, RawGuru's Tahini Goji Cracker, Hike-a-thon, Chat live w/ Bryan Au, Junk Food Giggles, Random Joke, Cooked Food Terms, Raw food Poetry, Fruit of the Month, Free Raw Food journal!)

2. Valentines Day Special Sales! Save money on the raw food dvd, vitamix blender, solostar juicer and the living b complex supplement!

3. NEW Interviews with Karen Knowler and Pascal Debra

4. Gourmet and Simple Recipes (Grapefruit Fennel Salad, Pad Thai, Winter Cabbage Wraps, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Strawberry Pops!)

5. Informative Articles (The Raw Truth, Raw Movement, Thoughts for food: Good raw deals, Being Green, Eating Green: Are you what you eat?, He Must Be a Dream to Cook For, In the Raw)

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1. Current News and Insights

- 40 DAY RAW CHALLENGE! - by Stephanie Keys - In an effort to strive to be healthier and happier I learned about the RAW food diet! After experiencing the great results I have become a believer in this way of life. I have had a hard time staying with the plan and have realized that I am not alone. Like me so many people know this is a great way to heal there bodies and live a healthier life but struggle with staying on the plan because ... well there are so many reasons but now here's your chance to take the challenge. Studies show that you can create a new habit in 21 days but you often need another 18-19 days for it to become a complete part of your life that's why 40 days!

We can provide you with a 40 day plan including daily diet suggestions and pre preparation guidelines, a place to journal, even coaching and encouragement. Click here for more info!

-Support the Raw Food Hike-a-thon: A 3000-mile fundraising hike along the spectacular Continental Divide On a 100% Raw Food Diet!
Check out the new website www.rawhike.com for more info!

- Chat LIVE with live food chef and author Bryan Au! Bryan is an expert raw organic chef and has just released the ground breaking recipe book "Raw in Ten Minutes" Bryan's recipes literally take less than 10 minutes to prepare and serve. They are fun, fast, easy, simple, and delicious! Don't miss this great opportunity to ask everything you want about raw food recipes and more!

>> Feb. 18th at 9:00pm EST. only at www.rawfoodchat.com. For more info please visit www.rawfoodchat.com.

- Junk Food Giggles
Why did the man stare at the can of orange juice?
Because it said 'concentrate.'

-Random Joke of the Month
One day there was these three tomatoes walking down the street, a mama tomato, a daddy tomato and a baby tomato. The baby tomato was walking too slow, so the daddy tomato went back, stepped on him and said ketchup!

-Cooking Terms Redefined:
Calorie - Basic measure of the amount of rationalization offered by the average individual prior to taking a second helping of a particular food.
Frying Pan - Standard instrument of destruction for eggs, pancakes, and various vegetable matter. Remains may be removed from surface with diluted solution of sulfuric acid.
Microwave Oven - Space-age kitchen appliance that uses the principle of radar to locate and immediately destroy any food placed within the cooking compartment.
Oven - Compact home incinerator used for disposing of bulky pieces of meat and poultry.
Porridge - Thick oatmeal rarely found on American tables since children were granted the right to sue their parents. The name is an amalgamation of the words "Putrid," "Horrid," and "Sludge."
Recipe - A series of step-by-step instructions for preparing ingredients you forgot to buy, in utensils you don't own, to make a dish the dog won't eat.

-Raw Food Poetry by De Vie

you are the enzyme
a spark of playfulness
the laughter of the birds
a manzanita berry.

enzyme you are a movement
the movement of seed to sprout
a kind of river of life
change, change, change.

enzyme you are more lion than camel
more awake than sleeping
from mouth to ground
a circle that you dictate.

…de Vie lives in Arizona and does card reading, healing,
teaching, art, and music. Her work is also available over
the phone … email for details. She can be reached at
<de_vie@post.harvard.edu>. Her full birth-given name is
Fleur de Vie Weinstock, which means “flower of life growing
next to a grape vine.” She looks forward to hearing from
you.

-Fruit of the month: StRAWberry
The Name Strawberry was derived from the berries that are "strewn" about on the plants, and "strewn berry" eventually became "Strawberry".They are from the Rosaceae family, and are of the Fragaria genus. They are not berries or fruit at all, but enlarged ends of the plant's stamen. Strawberry seeds are on the outer skin, instead of in the inner berry, There are about 200 seeds per berry. The berries are non-fat and low in calories, rich in vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, fiber, and vitamin B6. Over history the strawberries have been used in medicines. They have been used for sunburn, discolored teeth, digestion, and gout. As far back as the 13th century,the Strawberry was used as ananaphrodisiac.

Read more about the strawberry here here!

-Start your Free raw food journal here !

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2. Valentine's Day Special Sales - Only at the RawGuru Store

-Raw Vegetarian Food Holiday Special DVD! - Learn how to make 12 delicious raw food recipes! From almond milk to fruit cake! Get your copy today! Now only $30.00! Click here to order!

-Vitamix 4500 Blender - Only $325.00 plus free shipping! Order Now! Sale ends Nov. 21st.

-Solo Star Juicer I- Only $179.99 plus free shipping! Order now! Sale ends Nov. 21st.

-Living Vitamin B Complex - Be stress free! Get rid of dark circles under eyes. The best living b-12 supplement on the planet! Save $3.00 by entering "love" in the coupon code box. Order now!

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3 . New Interviews

-Click here to read an interview with Karen Knowler from the Fresh Network.

-Click here to read an interview with Pascal Debra.

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4. Gourmet & Simple Recipes by Alex Malinsky

Grapefruit Fennel Salad

3 ruby-red grapefruit
1/4 tsp. whole fennel seeds
1 tsp. honey
1 tbs. olive oil
1 small red onion
1 small fennel bulb
8 ounces baby spinach or watercress

How to: Using a paring knife, remove peel, pith, and outer membranes from 2 grapefruit. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds; set aside. Squeeze juice from remaining grapefruit, and set aside. Grind fennel seeds until very fine. Place ground seeds in a bowl; add 1/4 cup grapefruit juice and honey. Season with salt. Whisk to combine, slowly adding olive oil. Set dressing aside. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice onion into thin rounds; place in a bowl. Pour remaining grapefruit juice over onions; toss.
Cut fennel in half lengthwise; remove core. Using mandoline, slice fennel. Drain onions; place in a large bowl. Add fennel, spinach, and grapefruit rounds. Toss with dressing. Enjoy!

Pad Thai

1 tsp. ginger
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 lemon (juice only)
1 clove garlic
5 black olives
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 handful portabello mushrooms (optional)
4 zucchinis
2 cucumbers

How to: Blend the ginger, olive oil, coriander seeds, lemon juice, olives, and garlic until well liquefied. Turn the zucchinis and cucumbers into fine angel hair spaghetti with a Saladacco or Spiral Slicer and toss the resulting 'noodles' with the sauce. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro, tomato and mushroom slices.

Winter cabbage wraps with garlic-ginger dip by Karen Knowler

You’ll need:
White cabbage leaves
Avocado
Tomatoes
Black pitted olives
Coriander (Cilantro)
Onion

Open the cabbage leaf and make a thick column of avocado slices down the middle, leaving a fair amount of space either side. Pile on slices of fresh tomato, pieces of black pitted olives and top with a generous amount of fresh coriander. Onion is optional.

To make the dip you’ll need:
Olive oil
Water
Lemon juice
Lime juice
Coriander (Cilantro)
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Tamari or Nama Shoyu to taste

Pour a small amount (about 3 tablespoons) of olive oil into a small bowl. Add the juice of half a lemon, and, if you have one, the juice of a lime. Add about 20 stalks of finely chopped fresh coriander, a small piece of ginger finely chopped, and half a bulb of garlic, finely chopped. Add water to make the mixture less oily, but obviously do not water it down too much, or the taste will be spoiled. Use this dip to give an oriental twist to the cabbage wraps.

Ice Cream Sandwiches by Alex Malinsky
Perfect for Valentines Day!

Ice Cream

1 cup coconut water
1 ½ cups almond or cashew milk
1 cup chopped young coconut meat
2 tbs. coconut oil
3/4 cup chopped soaked dates
Seeds from ¼ sun dried vanilla bean
2 pinches of salt

How to: Blend everything till smooth. Get half the batter and stir in 2-3 tbs. of cacao powder into it. Pour batter in ice cube trays and freeze until frozen. Using a Champion juicer with the blank attachment, feed the juicer the frozen ice cream cubes. Watch how it transforms into soft serve ice cream! Transfer the ice cream into a plastic container and store in the freezer until ready to make ice cream sandwiches.

Cacao Flat Cookies

1 cup soaked sunflower seeds (ground fine)
1/2 cup golden flax seeds (ground fine)
1 apple (chopped)
2 tbs. raw cacao powder or mesquite pod meal
10 or more soaked dates
1 pinch sea salt
Water

How to: Process everything in a food processor till fine. Add water if needed. Transfer the batter onto teflex sheets. Spread a 1/4 inch layer of the mixture on each sheet and dehydrate for 6 hrs. at 115 degrees F. Use a round cookie cutter to make the cookies. Place the cookies on the mesh sheets and dehydrate till crisp.

Assembly: Using a spatula put a scoop of ice cream on each cookie and cover with the second cookie. Put in the freezer to harden up before serving. Enjoy!

Strawberry Pops
Makes 8

3 cups strawberries, trimmed
1/2 cup honey or date water
2 tbs. lemon juice

How to: In a food processor, combine strawberries, honey or date water, lemon juice and 1/3 cup water. Pulse until puréed, with some chunks of berries remaining. Pour half of the mixture into a bowl. Process remaining mixture until smooth. Stir into bowl. Pour into 3-ounce molds or plastic cups. Insert sticks or wooden spoons. Freeze until solid, about 8 hours.

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5. Articles of the Month!

The RAW Truth! by Alex Malinsky

I would like to inform you about certain "raw" products that are not really/truly raw. If you eat some or most of the following products, don't worry about it. Cut back on them or don't eat them at all. I am here to state the raw truth! Are you ready?!

Cashews - As we all know "raw" cashews that you buy from the health food stores are cooked. The factories must use heat to get rid of the brown skin and fluid from the nut. The cashews labeled "raw" are labeled as such to distinguish them from roasted/toasted cashews.
>If you don't have or can't afford cashews try to substitute pine nuts or mac nuts or coconut meat. Buy truly raw cashews from reliable online sources.

Brazil Nuts - From Gene Cohen :"Thousands of pounds of Brazil Nuts are placed in a large steel drum and heated from below. As the Brazil Nuts bake - the moisture comes off each nut and the shells become brittle. After the nuts have dried a bit and become a bit smaller in the shell - the nuts are individually cracked and sorted. The cracking is done on long tables. Each person gets about 100 pounds of in-shell nuts a day in a bin next to where they work and each nut is loaded into a manual shotgun shell loader. The loader is simply a permanent bottom plate with a handle on the top that moves the top cylinder up and down by hand. As you pull down, the nut is broken in the vise-like device. When the handle is pulled down, the nut cracks and the shells drop to the floor and the nuts are sorted by size and whole vs broken grades.

Olive Oil and other Oils - Because there is no standard for "first cold pressed oils" in North America, it is easy for some manufacturers to literally "pull the wool over the consumer's eyes" by blending or cutting good quality oils with inferior ones and claiming that the oil is "cold pressed". As always: "buyer beware". Guidelines for buying good healthy oils: 1. Always "first cold pressed" from a reliable producer, not a refinery. 2. Certified organic if possible. 3. Always in dark ( green, brown or blue ) glass bottles. Never in clear glass bottles. 4. Oils should taste delicious: fresh, clean, rich. Trust your taste.
>I like to buy most of my oils from the FLORA company. (available in the refrigerated section of most health food stores)

Nut and Seed Butters - Something so tasty has to be cooked! I have contacted many "raw" nut companies and they said that during the grinding process it can (most likely it does) heat up the nuts to 130-140 degrees F. Yes, there are some conscious raw companies out there that really do it raw but why spend $18.00-$20.00 on a 1 lb. jar of almond butter when you can buy 1 lb of almonds for $6-$8 and make your own nut butter.
> If you are going to buy raw nut and seed butter buy from the Rejuvenative Company.

Carob Powder - Sorry to say but most carob powders, even the really raw kind is cooked. It may not be toasted or roasted but it is cooked. A few carob companies have told me that the carob pods have to be heated to dry the pods in order to powder them. Any moisture in the pods will affect the grinding process. The pods are first dry and wet cleaned and then kibbled (coarsely ground) to separate the seeds from the pulp. In the drying process the pods are heated to about 300 degrees F. for about 20-30 minutes to really dry them out.
> I suggest the use of mesquite pod meal instead of carob because mesquite is sun dried and then powdered.

Agave Nectar - One of my favorite "raw" sweeteners is cooked unfortunately. Dark agave and regular agave nectars are processed and evaporated by heat. The first process begins by milling and crushing the agave plant core. Then the raw raw juices are poured into tanks. In order for the juices to be broken into high fructose the juices are cooked to 140 degrees F for 36 hours. To extract the water and concentrate the agave nectar the juices are spilled into vacuum evaporators at a maximum temp. of 149 degrees F. until the desired consistency and color.
> Substitute soaked dried fruits, honey or stevia in place of agave nectar.

Cacao Beans and Nibs - Raw Cacao beans and pieces are not truly raw. In order for the cacao to become like chocolate the cacao pods are first piled up to ‘sweat’ or ferment for 3-4 days, then the seeds are removed and dried. During the fermentation process the heat in the middle of the pile can reach up to 140 degrees F. The drying process is not always sun dried. If the weather is not perfect to dry the beans, they are transferred into large tumble dryers where they can be dried at temperatures above 130 degrees F.
> Substitute mesquite pod meal in place of cacao. If you really want to impress your guests then a little cacao won't hurt.

Dried Fruits and Dates - A lot of the organic dried fruits that are sold in the bulk bin section of health food stores are coated in corn oil or safflower oil to make them shiner and to prevent clumping. Raisins are the number one coated dried fruit. Medjool and other dates are steamed so they can have a greater water content and be bigger in size. This also improves taste and texture. The ingredient label will not show that the dried fruits were coated.
> Order dried fruit online. Try to buy sun dried whenever possible.

There are many other products out there on the market that are not truly raw like certain type of olives, dried herbs, and raw bars. Many raw companies out there are misleading the consumer. Please listen to your body when eating certain superfoods, nuts, seeds, and anything that comes in a jar or a squeeze bottle.

I hope the above information didn't scare anyone going on the raw diet. The truth about the above products had to be told. "Truth is such a rare thing, it is delightful to tell it." -Emily Dickinson


Raw Movement by Anna Hays

The raw lifestyle is about living life consciously. Stripping back the layers of defense and coping mechanisms and letting the true _expression of Self shine through. The Raw human being, fearlessly living, moving, dancing.

Being raw is also about becoming aware of the body, our vehicle for life on Earth. Eating organic live foods brings awareness to the body. No longer will the body’s expressions be muted by thick cooked residues. The sensation of Feeling becomes clearer, comfort becomes a natural state of being.
I have found in my life that the more “raw” I become as a person the more I feel that expressing myself is an absolute must. Movement, dance and yoga have become an intricate piece of my everyday life.

Dance removes me from the head. It places me IN my body and forces me to feel exactly what is going on in every given moment. Once I am Aware of how it feels to be living in my body, it is harder to ignore her needs.

Something happens during dance or yoga where the sense of time or reality is lost and I just become the movement, the breathe. It is a very liberating experience when the mind is not involved, when the clutter is silenced and the mind is peaceful for once. _Expression through movement brings me to this place of freedom.

Dance is also the perfect accompaniment to a raw vegan lifestyle. Moving, turning, twisting and flexing the muscles helps them release toxins. Simultaneously the lymph system is activated and can carry those toxins out of the body, out of your life and away from you. It is a symbiotic relationship between proper diet and dance and movement. Each one helps the other become more effective in creating bountiful health, balance and well-being.

There are as many types of dance and yoga as there are varietes of raw fruits and vegetables, which means there will be something for everyone. Find what works best for you, what fits best with who you are and who you want to be. I’ve found that dance and yoga accentuates the qualities in myself that I prize the most, those that I want to see become more uninhibited throughout my life. Gracefulness, flexibility, ease of movement, freedom to feel exactly what it is I feel, non-judgmental, non-attachment, excitement and passion, constantly moving forward despite all of life’s challenges.

Life can become a dance. Gentle and sweetness or passionate fury, it is the constant ease of Movement that carries us to higher ground through the turbulence. Next time you feel happy, sad, disappointed, or ecstatic, experiment by embodying those emotions in a dance. Relate to the body in a completely different way without fear or judgment.

Dance and yoga have saved my life, and I am eternally grateful.

Thoughts for food: Good raw deals
Column By GEORGE BOHMFALK

A few years ago, as I was rinsing and snapping the ends off asparagus, prepping it for cooking, I wondered how fibrous the discarded stumps might be, right where they broke off. I took a bite, and found the first half-inch or so to be very tender, and very tasty as well. It had never occurred to me to eat raw asparagus. I assumed there must be an important reason not to, or more people would. But it really tasted good and didn't seem to hurt me.

Ten years ago, most of us wouldn't have considered eating raw broccoli, zucchini, or cauliflower. Nowadays, they are regulars on party buffets, along with more familiar carrot sticks and a sour cream dip.

So what is OK to eat raw, and what isn't? The more I looked into this, my notions of raw and cooked became less clear. And trying to determine what is all right to eat raw seems closer to politics and religion, where the choices are highly individual.

Click here to read the rest of this article.

Being Green, Eating Green: Are you what you eat?
by Heather Steel
Vancouver Island Vegetarian Association

There are many reasons for choosing to eat a plant-based diet and people will adopt a veg*n diet to varying degrees depending on their motivating reason or reasons. The previous edition of the Veggie Platter looked at the link between vegetarianism and peace. This edition focuses on how our food choices affect the environment.

Does being an environmentalist require giving up an omnivorous lifestyle? There are many meat-eating environmentalists who do wonderful work to help protect the environment – David Suzuki (who eats fish and dairy) jumps to mind here. Should they be condemned for not doing their part in eating a plant-based diet? At a recent public forum in Victoria on the moratorium on off-shore oil drilling, several leading environmentalist speakers drove to the hearings. Should they be condemned for not doing their part in reducing fossil fuel consumption? At that same forum, a vegan friend of mine and avid cyclist, who had spoken out against lifting the moratorium, was asked by a representative of a natural gas company how he managed to get his kayak to the west coast of the island for his kayak trip. Should he be condemned for not having biked his kayak over to the west coast?

Click here to read the rest of this article.

He Must Be a Dream to Cook For
By JENNIFER BLEYER

HOSE who suspect a growing homogeneity in the once-eccentric East Village may find comfort in Dr. David Jubb, a New Age health guru who runs Jubb's Longevity on East 12th Street and claims to be a breatharian, taking light and air as his primary nourishment.

On a recent afternoon, a few workers could be found bustling around the storefront, preparing items like the dehydrated zucchini fries and Amazon smoothies that conform to Dr. Jubb's touted Lifefood diet, a refined version of the popular raw food diet. The shelves were stocked with supplements and nectars. A local woman gravely asked Dr. Jubb's opinion of tomatoes.

"It's taken years of evolution to get to this place," Dr. Jubb said of his extremist opinions about the role of food in life. "I recommend someone first become a Lifefoodarian. Then move toward liquidarian, then to breatharian. Since 1995, I've basically practiced a very austere form of 'going without.' "

Then he headed across the street to his apartment, a single room with a rug, a desk, many plants and gurgling electric water fountains.

Click here to finish reading this article.

In the Raw : Memphian promotes eating uncooked foods for health and beauty.
by Bianca Phillips

Tanya Zavasta and her family moved here from Russia for two reasons: to fulfill their American dream and to have Zavasta's leg surgically repaired. Due to a severe hip problem, one leg was shorter than the other. After she learned she would need extensive surgery to correct the problem, she began eating a diet of raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds in hopes that it would help her recover faster.

Little did she know her diet would not only improve her health, it would dramatically modify her appearance. In a "before" picture at age 35, Zavasta has puffy cheeks, no visible cheekbones, and the beginnings of a double chin. Now, at age 47, she looks like she's gone back in time with defined cheekbones and a clear, wrinkle-free complexion. She says she feels like she's in her 20s.

Eventually, Zavasta put her experiences on the benefits of raw eating into a book called Your Right to Be Beautiful. Another book, Beautiful on Raw: Uncooked Creations, is due out in April.

A raw-food diet has been shown to reduce the risk of some cancers and degenerative diseases such as arthritis. Proponents of the diet also claim they have increased energy, and -- due to the fact that they eat a minuscule amount of fat and carbs -- substantial weight loss.

Click here to finish reading this article.

Click here to read a great health interview!
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Have a Happy Valentines Day! Much love to everyone!

Until next time!
Have the best day ever!
Alex

PS: Any comments or suggestions are welcome!
If you would like to advertise your website or company on this newsletter email alex@rawguru.com

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Disclaimer: Alex nor the staff at RawGuru, Inc. are medically trained physicians and do not diagnose, prescribe for or treat any disease, nor do they dispense medical advice. My mission is to empower you with information so you can apply it according to your own free choice.
RawGuru Inc. is not affiliated with any physician or health practitioner.

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