#3- Nutri or Magic Bullet: these blenders are great for blending up small batters. These are like mini, high-speed blenders. They perform well, they just don’t make hot soups like the two mentioned above do. The reviews for this blender are good, too. I suggest reading the pro’s and cons about both the Nutri and the Bullet.
Q. What is the recommended water intake? Also, should water be drunk during a meal?
A. It’s recommended that you drink 32-64 oz daily. As long as you’re hydrated, you’re good! Your goal each day should be to drink more then 10 cups of water a day. If you’re more active, then of course – drink more water! A trick (that most of you may already know) to tell if your body is hydrated enough is when your pee comes out clear; not yellow.
Q. On a raw foods diet, would you still be able to warm foods up? And if so, where? On the stove, oven, microwave, etc.?
A. Yes! As long as you don’t pass over 115 degrees – you’re good rawific! 😉 You can warm up your foods in the dehydrator (it may be a bit time-consuming, but definitely worth it), on the stove in a pan or if you aren’t so picky, you could use your oven at its lowest temperature, too. I DON’T and NEVER recommend using your microwave to heat and warm foods up, as microwaves carry too much radiation. YIKES! I wouldn’t want radiation in my food during the heating/warming process. Dehydrators are a safe kitchen appliance to use.
Q. Will my skin glow eating a Raw Vegan Diet?
A. Absolutely, yes! No doubt about it. Eating a raw foods diet reverses your aging process. There are SO many great raw foods that are anti-aging such as goji berries, coconut oil, watermelon, sprouts, mangoes, cucumbers, strawberries, blueberries, cacao — just to name a few. The list goes on. There are so many epic raw vegans who look so young! Some are older and looks fabulous for their age! When I went raw, I noticed my skin glowing, looked more radiant and youthful! Since I started my raw journey at such young age, I am never going to age! Lol! 😉
A. Oh, YES! When one transitions into a raw foods diet, you may notice an increase in your energy. Why? Simply because you’re eating foods that are high in enzymes and un-cooked foods offers the complete vitamins and nutrients the food has to offer.
Q. Will I be starving or hungry eating a Raw Vegan Diet?
A. Depends. This is a yes and no answer. Yes, if you don’t eat enough and the right amount of foods, then of course you’re going to be hungry. But no, if you eat enough. You want to eat until you are no longer hungry, maybe full. Not too full, but you also don’t want to be stuffed either. If you eat a well balanced diet, you’ll be fine.
Q. Can I gain weight on the Raw Vegan Diet?
A. Yes. Don’t think just because everything on the raw foods diet is raw, healthy and guilt-free does not mean you won’t gain weight. It happened to me, but then I lost it. If you eat a diet that’s high in fat (avocados, nuts, seeds, young coconuts, etc) then you’ll be gaining weight. That’s why a low-fat diet is so important. Too much fat will thicken the blood, causing the red blood cells to clump together so they cannot deliver oxygen to the cells. Avocados, nuts and seeds are high in fat content; just know how to eat them in moderation.
Q. (the famous one) Where do you get your proteins from?
A. SO many resources where us vegans get our proteins. We get our protein from spinach, hemp seeds (hemp seeds are a complete protein, by the way!) dark leafy greens, bananas, dates, kale, broccoli, raisins, nuts – the list goes on! We don’t need to consume meat and milk for protein! Have you heard of the “Protein Myth”?
Q. I’m diabetic, can I still enjoy sweets eating a Raw Vegan Diet? My doctor says I can’t have any sweets.
A. Believe it or not, YES! On the raw vegan diet, you’re still able to enjoy your sweets that you love. Coconut nectar and coconut sugar is great for diabetics (it actually helps with diabetics, in fact!), dates, date paste, raisins and other dried fruits! Plus, natural sweeteners are great to lower high blood pressure! Who knew?!
Q. I’ve heard many people say that they tried the Raw Diet for a while (months and years) and they haven’t seen any improvements in their life. I understand that we all function in different bodies, but why is it that others experience radical changes while others do not?
A. I hear and read stories of people often that say that they tried the raw vegan diet fr a while now and felt terrible. They’ve said they have gotten headaches, hair loss, acne, nauseas, bad bowel movement, etc. So they started eating carnivore again.
I believe the reason why some people fail in eating raw vegan is simply because they didn’t do it right, they didn’t eat the right types of foods in order to stay, look and feel healthy. If your nails are breaking, experiencing hair loss, getting headaches (hmm…. when you get headaches your body is actually detoxing! Your body needs time to transition to a plant-based diet, especially if you ate poorly and animals all your life!), it’s because you aren’t eating the right foods! Most people have succeeded on the raw diet, but if you don’t feel like eating 100% raw, then go vegan! People just find the excuse and need to go back to eating animals again. If you think about it, EATING MEAT IS NOT NORMAL!! It’s completely abnormal. I’ll talk more about this topic in a post.
Q. Why Raw?
Q. Why Aren’t Cashews Really Raw?
A. Cashews harvest in a hard protected shell. Inside the hard shell, is a cashew nut. The cashews are really hard to remove from the shell as its hard, so they boil the cashew shell, that way its easier to remove the cashew nut. The reason why they call it and label it “raw” is because they don’t roast the cashew nut after removing it from its shell. They just remove the cashew nut from the shell and leave it that, making it raw in a way. Just remember that all nut/seed/peanut products labeled “raw” & sold in stores have actually been steam, heat, or chemical pasteurized, as required by law (if they go through a distribution/packaging network, then it is required). The only way to get truly raw nuts/seeds/peanuts is directly from a grower at a farmers marker or such.
Q. What is buckwheat? Is it wheat?
A. Buckwheat is a gluten-free grain comes from a plant, called buckwheat. Buckwheat is not wheat, nor is it related to wheat.
Q. Why Do Vegans Eat Honey?
A. Although honey is not vegan, some vegans eat honey (aka “beegans”) because bees weren’t harmed in the production of honey. When bees produce their honey, they are free to roam, leaving their beehives whenever they like. Since bees weren’t harmed or murder in the production of honey, I guess they find it OK to eat it on occasion.
Q. I’ve read that if you eat 100% raw, you can basically eat whatever you want, as much as you want, as long as it’s raw. So does this mean I could eat raw desserts for breakfast or lunch and/or dinner if I wanted to? Do you eat raw desserts often, or only as a special treat to yourself? How often do you eat desserts? What is your theory of this?
A. This is a pretty lengthy topic and answer, but here it goes: A lot of people think this when they first go raw, and so I did. However, it’s not really true. With time you learn that although foods are raw and vegan, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can eat as much as you want, whenever you want, and as long as you want. I learned that the hard way. You CAN eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want! But the foods that should really be eaten in moderation are things like nuts, seeds, oils, super food powders such as cacao, maca, lucama, etc. Why? Because although they ARE healthy and good for you, there should be a limit to how much you consume of them.
The reason for nuts, seeds, and oils is because they have a very high fat content (certain nuts and seeds are low in fat compared to other nuts and seeds, but still. Keep them moderate!). It’s recommended that we ALL eat a diet low in fat to keep a healthy body and an ideal weight. And although these are “happy-healthy fats”, they can cause weight gain, just like any other fats. Fat is vital for health, but only in small amounts.
Most of my recipes have a reasonable amount of fats in them for a single serving, so you don’t have to worry about overloading, unless you eat the entire thing all by yourself! (which I don’t recommend doing!). When I brainstorm and make my recipes, I keep it low-fat (very low-fat) or sometimes completely fat-free! Don’t be afraid of fats, just know how to indulge in them properly.
And as for super foods and powders like cacao, lucama, maca, etc., the reason to have them moderately is because they are concentrated, and don’t contain any water, making them dry. Another reason is, these super foods and powders effects on your body that you should pay caution to. Overdosing on super food powders like maca or cacao for example, can have a toll on your body. Too much cacao is not healthy, and too much maca is not healthy either. Just like with any foods; if you eat too much of it, it can either make you fat, make you sleepy, make you lethargic, make you throw up, make you sick, give you a headache, etc. Not that eating super foods are bad for you or anything. The simple fact that too much of it is not great. I believe when super food powders are added into smoothies, desserts, etc., it’s great rather than eating them by spoonfuls.
I don’t eat raw desserts everyday, like I used to when I first became raw vegan. Sometimes, I would eat one raw dessert per week, or no dessert at all. It really all depends. If the dessert is fat-free like banana ice cream, then I would eat that everyday! In a way, you CAN eat desserts everyday BUT only if they’re fat-free, like banana ice cream! You can eat banana ice cream that everyday for breakfast, lunch AND dinner if you wanted. I’ve never done that before (that sounds like a creamy dream!) but it’s ‘allowed’, to put in simplest form. If you really wanted to eat a raw dessert everyday, go with the fat-free dessert. But if you wanted a low-fat raw gourmet dessert using foods that should be eaten in moderation (as listed above), then I say 1-2 times a week. If you eat a low-fat raw dessert everyday, just have one, no more.
Hopefully, this doesn’t sound too “strict” or that you have to limit and restrict yourself, because this lifestyle is too sweet and epic for that ;), but it’s very important to keep in mind that you shouldn’t just eat cashews and raw brownies all day and expect to be healthy and at a healthy weight. Nuts are an acidic food, so too much of them can lead to an acidic body (not good! bad pH!). Don’t live off of desserts, live off of fruits and vegetables! Desserts should be in moderation! Fridays and on the weekends are great to indulge in desserts.
However, if you’re eating these foods in moderation (raw desserts), then yes, you CAN eat desserts for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. In fact, you CAN eat raw desserts for breakfast, lunch and dinner! As long as you keep it in moderation, you’re rawesome! I suggest if you do that, keep it low-fat and fat-free. I’m not saying to restrict your calories, but to just lay low on the high fat foods, like nuts and seeds. There are SO many delicious, raw dessert recipes to make. I’m not saying to eat desserts everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner; you can, though eat desserts everyday. ONE dessert a day is all you need, if you wanted to eat desserts everyday. It makes it easier to eat a raw dessert everyday in a big house, or simply if you are going to share with others. Making smaller portions of desserts is beneficial, too.
Sometimes, you can skip a dinner meal and just eat dessert! You just have to know your limits. As long as you’re not eating raw desserts everyday (the ones made with fats, super foods, etc), then it’ll be okay to eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So in a way, you ARE able to eat raw desserts for breakfast, lunch or dinner, if you choose to, but in moderation; once in awhile. But again, don’t just live off of desserts. Incorporate lots of fruits and veggies. This is similar to the 80/10/10 diet. 80% is carbs (fruits), 10% is fats and 10% is protein.
In summary: eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want, including leafy greens. Eat nuts, seeds, oils and super food powders in moderation so you have a healthy ratio of fat in your diet. Smoothies, juices or fruits are a great dessert replacement for those days that you don’t eat desserts, or just wish you had dessert.
A lot of raw food advocates are now starting to realize this (too much desserts is not healthy, even if it is raw and healthy) and have made a few changes in their diets.
Q. Do I need to use any “special” equipments to make your recipes, like desserts?
A. Yes! Pretty much the basic equipments that you’ll will need for my dessert recipes, is a blender (such as a Vita-mix) and a dehydrator. You don’t really NEED a food processor for my recipes, because you can use your blender. You can make crusts using a blender rather than using a food processor. If you have a food processor, use it! If you don’t or you just forgot it, don’t worry! You can still make my rawesome desserts!
And as for as a dehydrator goes, you really don’t NEED that either! If you’re not too picky about your food being completely raw, you can use your oven at its lowest temperature with the door cracked open or closed. If raw is a concern to you, I’d go with a dehydrator. Plus, it’s completely safe to use.
Q. What are your top 5 essential kitchen gadgets I should invest in?
A. My top 6 essential kitchen gadgets to invest in are….
- a juicer
- a high-speed blender, such as the Dash Blender
- a dehydrator
- a spiralizer
- wooden bowls
- a good wooden cutting board
Q. If I had to choose between a Vita-Mix or a food processor, which one should I choose? And why?
Then later on, buy yourself a food processor! But to be honest, you don’t really NEED a food processor in the kitchen when you have a great high-speed blender like the Vita-mix! I thought I needed a food processor in my kitchen… turns out, I didn’t! That’s my opinion.
Q. What ‘mylk’ do I use?
If I missed anything, would like me to add something, or have a question — please feel free to email them to me! I’d be more then happy to hear them! Hope this page becomes helpful, and hope I did my best to correctly answer your questions! Post a comment below and let me know if this page is helpful, etc.! Thank you!
P.S. I am slowly building this page, so I will continue to add more and more questions as I go. Eventually, this page will be filled with questions and answers. Along the way though, please keep in mind – you can ask any questions, if you have any. It’d be very much appreciated. Thanks.