Today we catch up with health educator and raw food enthusiast, Ruthann Russo, PhD, MPH. Dr Russo has recently written a fantastic guide to the raw food lifestyle titled, The Raw Food Diet Myth.
Topics Covered:
How Dr Russo's health care career started
Her daughter's experience with epilepsy
Dr Russo's Experience with raw food
How raw food effected her level of mindfulness
The differences and similarities in the raw movement and how that led to writing the book
Working with and challenging the health care system
The growing trend of nutrition friendly physicians
Tips to advance raw food awareness in health care and school systems
GI2MR is representing tonight in Los Angeles with a spontaneous meetup. All are welcome.
What: GI2MR LA Meetup Where:Au Lac, 16563 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 When: September 16th, 2008 at 7pm Who:Philip, Kristi, Jennifer, Pink Lady and you!
RSVP Here and join Dhrumil, Philip, Anthony, Vinit and many more!
GI2MR Washington DC Meetup
Join us for a mid-day meetup at DC's newest raw food hangout. DJ, owner of Java Green, will be sure to have some special items on the menu for the GI2MR crew.
Date: Saturday September 27th from 3pm to 6pm
Location: Java Green Eco Cafe, 1020 19th Street N.W, Washington D.C. 20036
RSVP Here to join Dhrumil, Philip, Shannon, Rawbin, DJ and many more!
Enjoying your raw food journey and breaking free of the "need to get somewhere"
Anthony at Raw Spirit If you're planning on being at the Raw Spirit Festival make sure you hit up Anthony's session. He goes on right before Philip in the Discover Dome on Friday.
Anthony Anderson on "Making Your Raw Journey Fun"
Friday September 12th, 2008
2:00pm in the Discovery Dome
Note: Hey everyone, Dhrumil here. Sometimes I curse when I get excited - especially when I'm talking to a close buddy. Anthony is a close friend and yes, I do get excited in this interview. Just so you're warned, I think I cursed 1 or 2 times in this podcast. 1) sorry if you're bothered by that and 2) that's how I roll. If you disapprove of my language don't worry about emailing me. In fact I'm so spiritual that I'll be able to feel your vibrations of disapproval via the field!
About 1 month ago we asked WLIR readers if they had any questions for restaurant owner + chef + entrepreneur and guest blogger, Sarma Melngailis. Today, on her 36th birthday, we excited to bring you Sarma's answers.
But, before we do that, we'd like to take a moment to say: Happy Birthday Sarma! Thank you for everything you'd done for the raw food community. Your work is an inspiration and your friendship is always appreciated. Here's to changing the game!
Much Love from Anthony, Shannon, Philip and Dhrumil.
Ask Sarma
Andie asks: "What's your favorite/least favorite parts to your job? is it overall enjoyable or do you ever get really stressed out? plus, what's your favorite snack?"
Sarma: My favorite parts to my job? First, it feels weird to even call it a “job.” It’s just me, it’s what I do, it’s what I am, and I wouldn’t do anything else. But that’s exactly one of the best parts… having all the certainty imaginable about what I’m doing. Another favorite part is getting to work with ridiculously lovely talented people. And I love meeting new people at the restaurant and making people happy. I love when new dishes, desserts, ice creams or cookies are developed at the restaurant. I love finding really cool new products to add to the oneluckyduck site. Except… right now we have a huge backlog of things I want to add to our inventory and we can’t yet add them. So, this brings me to a less favorite part of what I do. It would have to be that I still feel that my hands are somewhat tied. This will change soon, but for now it’s challenging. I want to do so many things and not being able to do them can feel frustrating, but I’m working on that! I would love more space and resources. Sometimes I wish I could forget about it all for a while. That part is hard. Building a big business is maybe a little bit like having kids. You can’t put them back, or walk away from them. And you wouldn’t ever want to, because it’s so great and you love them (it) with all your heart and they are a part of you. But, still… sometimes my soul longs to do something mindless and without weight and responsibility. My work and home are combined into one, so there isn’t much separation, which is okay. But I really do want to take a true vacation one of these days. No laptop, no blackberry. Some of my favorite parts of what I do are also the hardest parts. Being in charge is great. But sometimes I don’t want it all to come back to me, and I wish I could just defer to someone else and go take a nap instead. Sometimes I actually do this. I have good support all around me—that’s really nice too. People I love and trust who know the overall vision, so if I need to take a mental break and run off, I can in fact sometimes do that. I should do that. Hmmmm.
I do get very stressed out sometimes and that’s also not easy. I love to focus on building things and creating things rather than just sorting out problems or responding to everything that appears before me all day long, which is a lot. I would like to delegate more. A lot comes back to resources… more resources would be amazing. Overall, I love knowing that I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing and there is nothing else for me… that’s a good feeling. Not to mention, every day I think how lucky I am not to have to squeeze into a suit every day and then squeeze into a subway car like a sardine, and then be confined in an artificially ventilated cubicle or office all day and have to do what someone else tells me to do. Sometimes working from your pajamas is really nice. And being able to work in the garden at Pure Food and Wine is insanely nice.
My favorite snack? Right now I’ve been noshing on frozen green juice. I take the bottled “Jolly Greens” juice from our juice bar, add a few extra drops of stevia, and pour it into ice cube trays. So good. And our new coconut chewy fruit bars. Yum. Those will be up on the oneluckyduck.com site soon.
Debbiedoesraw asks: "Hi Sarma. I loved your first book but are you going to write one solo? Please say yes!"
Sarma: YES!!! It’s all written and done, with the publisher. It was hard. I only submitted the final manuscript a full year past the original deadline. Oh well. I’m excited though! It’ll be great… the food photos are so beautiful.
Lee asks: "Are you really raw or are you just pretending for the money?"
Sarma: For the money? I’m still waiting on that part! I left behind a money career long ago so it’s not about that. But that part will be good, looking forward to it. I’ve never claimed to be 100% raw. I’m VERY raw. I’m probably almost all raw, almost every day. Mostly raw, most of the time? Whatever it is, it works for me!
Deborah asks: "Sarma, Deborah here. The good folks at your restaurant tell me that you are working on a new book. You are such a genius, we'd love to know when the next addition will be available. Thanks! (And how's the toe?? Your own pee, really?)"
Sarma: New book will be out in 2009. It takes a LONG time to print, apparently. Toe is great! Thanks for asking. The one that I broke still hurts but now at least I can walk fast again. The other toe that was stung by a bee… well, that one’s fine too. I’m sure because I soaked it in pee. Most people know said that if you get stung by a jelly fish, you want someone to pee on you really quick. So, follows it would be good for a bee sting too. Right? Plus, it’s nice and warm.
Miin asks: "How does one go about applying for a job at purefoodandwine? my best friend is moving to nyc and has a lot of service experience from Australia.. he would love to work in a raw food, loving environment."
Sarma: One must audition, much like one does for American Idol. We sit on a panel and harshly judge your talents. Not really. Your friend should just send a resume and letter… to my attention is fine, I can pass it along to the appropriate manager. Through regular snail mail, or you can always find my email through Dhrumil or the restaurant. And we are for sure a loving environment. I should mention that one time someone dropped a resume for me with a box of raw chocolates, along with a lovely letter. In the end, she was offered a job. Chocolate helps.
Mueller asks: "What are your current favorite dishes on your menu? What would be an average days food intake for you? Do you workout at all and if so what's your routine? What hobbies or activities do you enjoy partaking in or around NYC? What's the name of your EFT woman? P.S.How the heck do you make your ice cream so good? It should be criminal."
Sarma: Right now there’s a new okra dish on special. It’s like fried okra, but of course, not fried. If anyone remembers the ‘fried calamari’ we had years ago, it’s similar, but much more flavorful. Also, I am in love with the squash blossoms, those won’t be around too much longer. The cheesecake with figs and buckwheat honey ice cream is lovely. OH, how could I almost forget! We have new chocolate chip cookies in the juice bar, YUM and oreo ice cream by the pint, and the true geniuses are in the kitchen.
My average day food intake is hard to imagine… I don’t have much of an average. So far today, I had about a quart of green juice and I ate half of an S&M salad that I had left over in my fridge from yesterday. Yesterday I had a lot of green juice, and then the first half of that salad. Then I had a business meeting at the restaurant, so I ate small bites of a lot of different food off the menu. And I drank a few white light tinis.
I do work out, or at least I try. I used to go to a trainer, then I stopped when I was pushing to finish the book. I’ll start going back. His name is Lamont, at New York Sports Club. He’s the coolest. In the meantime, I work out in weird ways trying to fit little things in here and there. I have a rebounder at home (a mini trampoline). And yes, we sell them on oneluckyduck.com. I love my rebounder. It’s in the middle of my apartment. Sometimes I check out what’s on TV or put on good music and propel myself up and down and hope my assistant doesn’t walk in and see me. But it always helps my mood and it’s pretty serious fun, and really good for you. Since I broke my toe a few weeks ago, so I haven’t been able to walk around much in the city. I love long iPod walks. So now I’m getting back to doing that finally, without the limp. If I have a meeting in midtown, I’ll try to walk up and walk back. Or just go out and walk. I like walking by new restaurants that have opened up to check out their menus and peek inside. Then I know if I want to go back to try it sometime. I don’t go out much, but I do love restaurants and yes, not raw. It doesn’t happen too much. I don’t really have any hobbies. If I can find time, it’s good to spend it with people I love. And my EFT lady can be found at roadtoemotionalfreedom.com. She’s cool. I’m going to see her this afternoon! And glad you like the ice cream. We infuse it with secret good energy.
Andthroughcreation asks: "How long did it take you to open up Pure, taking into consideration floor plans, menus, business loans and such?"
Sarma: It took a full year.
Ben asks: "Since raw restaurants are becoming easy to find in major US cities, what do you think is the next big thing that's coming with raw food?"
Sarma: I think raw food will continue to be more and more available, and that’s a pretty big thing.
3amchef asks: "I am a professionally trained chef and yoga teacher. Any suggestions on how to start a private raw chef for catering & parties? Any suggestions about how to create a successful raw blog? Any suggestions for starting a healthy raw business? (food, products, spa, consultations etc..) How do you come up with ideas for a cookbook? As a new author how do you go about getting published? Thank you for any ideas."
Sarma: That’s a loaded question! I’m never sure how to answer these questions. It’s kind of like asking how to find a husband, or buy a house, or get pregnant. Um. Well. There’s a lot to it, or it can be very simple. I’m going to have to pass on this one… too much of it depends on your individual circumstances, where you live, who you know, what resources you have or don’t have. Just follow your heart. Look for the clues that come your way, talk to people around you. I can’t answer this question without knowing any specifics. Wish I could help more!!
Nimisha asks: "What do you visualize 5 years from now for your self as well as the raw movement? Any plans to open franchises in other cities? What are some of the cool things that your readers don't know yet about you?"
Sarma: Pure Food and Wine opened four years ago, and it was five years ago that I first found raw food. It’s a much different “raw” world out there now than it was then, so it will keep getting more “raw” at an accelerated pace, and I plan to be a big part of that acceleration. Yes, we’ll do things in other cities.
What cool things do people not know about me? I pretty much put it all out there, and probably too much… so I’m not sure what else I could say, or if any of it is cool in the first place. I get very personal in the upcoming book. I’ve probably struggled a lot more with food issues than most people know. Though, that doesn’t really qualify as cool either. Also, I find people often assume I’m living some kind of high life of fabulousness, and I’m working on that, but it’s not like that at all. Though I do get to meet and know some pretty interesting people sometimes, which is cool overall, but not a good thing to talk about. I’m trying really hard to think of something cool and not coming up with anything yet. Hmmmm.
You don't need a dehydrator to start your raw journey. When I first started mine though, I thought you did. So I bought one and it sat in a box in my closet for close to three years, virtually un-touched.
Then one summer, after visiting Karyn's Fresh Corner in Chicago, I found a recipe that I knew would be simple and tasty enough that it would inspire me to open up that closet and put my $159.99 machine to work. Kale Crisps in the house!
Now, if you're just starting your raw journey I don't recommend that you go out and get a dehydrator. Instead, that money is better spent on a high quality blender - like a Vita Mix or Blendtec. When you're starting off it's very easy to get caught in the trap of eating mostly dehydrated transition raw foods. Not having a dehydrator will force you to get smart and real with your food.
Plus, you don't know how many raw foodies buy a dehydrator, thinking they will use it, and then leave it chillin in a closet somewhere - like me! But if you did make that mistake and you're looking for a reason to put that bad boy to work... well, here you go.
Kale Crisps
Kale Crisps, or kale chips as some call them, are a simple dehydrated snack food made out of kale. Not only do they taste great, but they are an excellent way to get anyone comfortable with eating and enjoying more greens.
There are a fewvariations on the recipe, but I'm going to show you how to make the simplest version around.
These steps may look like many, but what I've found is the more step-by-step a recipe is, the more likely people will want to try it. Why? Because you see just how easy it is. You can imagine yourself following through on each step.
This entire recipe, excluding dehydrating time, will take you 15 to 20 minutes to put together.
Ingredients (all organic)
2 bunches of kale (Dino or Curly)
Olive oil or Coconut Oil or Flax Oil
Celtic Sea Salt
1/2 a lemon
Raw Honey or Raw Agave
Step 1: Wash and dry your kale.
Step 2: Bust out your dehydrator.
Step 3: Get a large mixing bowl ready.
Step 4: Line up your ingredients like you mean business.
Step 5: Chop your Kale. I'm using dino kale here and I prefer to have it chopped into 2 inch chunks. Small enough to be infused with flavor, large enough to stay together after being exposed to the heat of the dehydrator. If you're feeding kale crisps to kids for the first time it may be worth it to de-stem the kale. I prefer the stems in.
Step 6: Throw your chopped kale into your mixing bowl.
Step 7: Take about 1/4 or so of a cup of olive oil or coconut oil or flax oil and pour it over the chopped kale.
Step 8: Take 1 tea spoon of salt and throw it over the kale. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon over the kale too. Massage the salt, olive oil and lemon into the kale for about 3 minutes. I suggest massaging the kale before you toss the honey or agave on so that the kale starts to break down a bit. When the salt and lemon starts break down the kale, it makes it easier for the kale to absorb the sweetness of the honey.
If the kale seems a bit dry you can always add a little more oil into the mix.
Step 9: After you've massaged your kale for a few minutes, take about 1 table spoon of honey or agave and slowly drizzle it over the massaged kale.
Step 10: Now that they honey or agave is on the massaged kale, massage everything together once more for another 3 minutes. Really work the flavors into the kale with your hands. If you've done your job right, the massaged kale will take up about half the space that the plain kale took up in the mixing bowl.
How do you know the kale is ready? If you take a piece and eat it, it should taste good if not freaking great on it's own - without the use of the dehydrator. If it taste great before it goes into the dehydrator, it will be fantastic when it comes out. If you want more flavor you can always add a little more salt or lemon.
Step 11: Now that the kale is all massaged and ready to go, place it evenly over your dehydrator trays. Two bunches of kale will probably take up 2 dehydrator trays. Close up the dehydrator and flip the on switch.
Dehydrating Method 1: Kale Crisps, at 115 degrees F, will take about 8 hours or so before they are ready. It's tempting, but try to keep your hands out dehydrator until the kale starts to become crispy.
Dehydrating Method 2: In his book, Rainbow Green Live-Food Cusine, Dr. Gabriel Cousens talks about a study his masters team did on dehydrating. The team showed that certain foods can be dehydrated at 145 degrees F for the first 1 to 2 hours and then be brought down to 115 degree F without harming the enzymes.
It turns out that many foods "sweat" when first exposed to heat and the moisture of the sweat keeps the food item cool and the enzymes complete even a temperatures higher than 115 F. To be honest, I forgot if kale was on that list, but that's what I've been doing. 145 degrees F for 1 hour and then 115 degrees for 4 to 5 hours. This cuts about 2 to 3 hours off the dehydrating time. I've tried both methods and the kale tastes the same.
Step 12: 6 to 8 hours later and we're all done baby! I usually make my Kale Crisps in the morning so that they're ready by evening time.
I treat Kale Crisps as a snack. I don't really rely on them for my daily intake of greens. They are just a fun treat. It's still important to have green juice, green smoothies and kale salads. That being said, if you live with someone who's not down with green leafy vegetables, I've found that introducing them to kale crisps is a great way to get them more accustomed to eating greens.
Back in November 2006 the UN published a study that concluded "Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars."
The calls to action that the UN attached to the 2006 study primarily focused on better factory farming methods. But no one from the UN was publicly recommending that the world eat less meat.
But that all changed this past weekend.
Dr Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel Prize winner and chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has announced that if we as a world society want to get serious about climate change, we must eat less meat.
Although eating less meat was always implied by the UN, no formal statements were ever issued. Considering that the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the world authority on global warming, you can bet that this is the boldest action challenge ever issued on the topic of warming to date.
You can also bet that there are thousands of meat lobbyist around the world who are totally pissed!
People should have one meat-free day a week if they want to make a
personal and effective sacrifice that would help tackle climate change,
the world's leading authority on global warming has told The Observer.
Pachauri, who was re-elected the panel's chairman for a second six-year
term last week, said diet change was important because of the huge
greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems - including
habitat destruction - associated with rearing cattle and other animals.
It was relatively easy to change eating habits compared to changing
means of transport, he said.
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that meat
production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas
emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds,
for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is
23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide.
The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by
the middle of the century.
'In terms of immediacy of action and
the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time,
it clearly is the most attractive opportunity,' said Pachauri. 'Give up
meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease it from there,' said
the Indian economist, who is a vegetarian.
Who would have ever expected that an international organization, or
even a national one for that matter, would have ever taken a public
stand on food and how it effects our planet?
And can I get some love for my vegetarian Indian brother? Big ups to Dr Rajendra Pachauri and his team for all the amazing work they are doing.
The Raw Spirit Festival is going down next week and a bunch of GI2MR members will be present.
Since a lot of folks are attending the festival for the first time, we (Philip and Dhrumil) thought it would be great to create a few central opportunities for everyone to meet up together.
Details are in the audio clip here and listed below:
GI2MR / Raw Spirit Meetup Day 1
Friday September 12th, 2008
3:00pm in the Discovery Dome
Philip's talk on Emotional Eating, networking afterward
GI2MR / Raw Spirit Meetup Day 2
Saturday September 13th, 2008
11:30am in the Sharing Circle Section
Philip's Sharing Circle
More informal networking will be going down throughout the festival around the Gnosis Chocolate booth. Just flash the We Like It Raw sign so they know you're legit!
p.s. I personally (this is Dhrumil here) won't be making it out this year. Last minute my plans have changed do to some family obligations. I'll have to save that tie dye suit for next year : ) - Wish everyone the best!
Tonight I'm being interviewed by John Maciel on CKWR FM in Waterloo, Ontario. I promised John and his show's listeners that I'd share some links to help them jump start their raw food adventure. So here we go!
