Raw Food folks?

[turil.livejournal.com]

I just went raw (YAY!) and I'm frustrated by the lack of raw food options for both restaurants and stores in the area. I can't afford to take the train out to Beverly every time I want to eat out! And I'm wondering if anyone else knows of secret/independent restaurants and stores in the area that wouldn't be obvious that they have a good selection, or just one or two really good things, for a raw diet?

I know that the fresh made juices at Blue Shirt are raw (some of them anyway), and that's been useful and fun. And I just found raw nori (not roasted/toasted) at the Asian market in Union Square. (The Asian market in Porter didn't have it, surprisingly, and the Asian market in Central went out of business.) And I know about the Harvest Coop, Whole Foods, and Cambridge Naturals.

Anyone else raw here? Any other suggestions?

Comments

[imvfd.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, a solid raw vegan meal in Boston is pretty much a desert so when I go raw it tends to be home made goodies that I take places. Somewhat surprising, really, that there's virtually nothing around.

Presumably you know about this site:

http://rawfoods.com/

Good for recipes.

One thing to keep in mind is that most of the info on raw foods that you can find is theoretically quite unsound. Which is not to say that raw foods are good and good for you, but Kristen's "why raw?" section is fairly typical in starting off with utter rubbish.

Also, if you're detoxing, consider adding your finer cruciferous veggies. If you've got a wheat grass juicer, I'd recommend kale (taste is... consider juicing some ginger into it). Also dandelion greens.

[kristensraw.livejournal.com]

I rather like my "why raw" section ;)

[imvfd.livejournal.com]

I should hope so, given that you've written it. Nonetheless, "enzymes" are simply biochemical catalysts. Some are used in digestion. Some repair DNA. Some cause cancer. And some create beta-amyloid plaques in your brain which might be the underlying cause of Alzheimer's. Also, plenty of enzymes work better at high temperatures. That's one of the reason why most beers are not raw foods because the wort is cooked to activate the digestive enzymes that breakdown the complex carbs into something that yeast can handle. Also, note that the "Okinawans and the Hunzas of Pakistan", though they may be "The world's longest living cultures," are not raw vegans. All things in good taste and moderation.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Right now I'm so overwhelmed by web sites and books, I don't know where to start. And I'm sure that lots of it is not so factual. But then again, that's pretty much true for everything anyone has to say in life! :-)

Mostly I'm just experimenting with my own diet and seeing what my body wants and doesn't want.

And, yep, I'm learning that my body does in fact want greens. I actually am fond of the wild edible (aka "weed") lambs quarters. It grows pretty much everywhere, including in my community garden plot. And it's apparently got tons of iron. I put it in my smoothies whenever I have them, and sometimes sneak it into salads and sandwiches (with flax crackers). The lamb's quarters is especially nice because I can cut it, put it in a vase of water on the windowsill and have it stay alive for weeks, if I don't happen to use it up right away.

I also eat lots of fresh "baby greens" lettuce from my garden (or windowsill in the winter). I've never been a fan of other leafy greens, but I'm playing with them, and finding them not so bad. :-)

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Just curious -- is wine considered raw? Or other fermented beverages that are never heated or cooked? I'd be so sad without that! :-)

[turil.livejournal.com]

I read that some wine is considered raw, though most raw folks avoid alcohol. Beer isn't, I don't think, since it's heated, I think. Other fermented things are sort of on the borderline of raw. (Some raw folk use miso, for instance, others don't.)

I've never been into alcohol, so I didn't do much research on wine.

The biggest way to know if it's ok for you though is to try some and see how you feel, physically.