Great responses to the raw, vegan tomato bread! I’m already excited for another sandwich.

I’m thrilled to bring you guys an interview today with two of the most inspiring, enthusiastic, and talented young vegans I know. They’re my friends Cassie Karopkin and Daphne Cheng, and they’re the culinary dream team behind Verité Catering. Verité is one of the few entirely plant-based catering companies here in NYC and nationwide (in fact, it’s the only one I can think of off the top of my head). Within months, Verité has made a splash in the fine dining world, catering parties, special events, gallery openings, private dinners, and dinner parties.

Full confession: Cassie is one of my closest friends. So I’ve watched Verité thrive with pride and excitement. I met Cassie over two years ago, and from the moment I shook her hand, I knew she was destined to do wonderful and inspiring things for the vegan world. She’s infectiously enthusiastic, tough-minded yet encouraging, and wise beyond her (very modest) years. It gives me so much joy to see her join forces with another passionate young woman, and to watch the two of them create food that’s as sophisticated as it is compassionate. To quote from the company’s mission statement: “It is our mission and our pleasure to create dishes that are both simple and elegant, daring and familiar. We believe in foods that are kind to our bodies and to the planet…we believe that our food showcases a compassionate and forward-looking ethos.”

And so it does. I’ve tasted Verité food, and I can attest to its excellence. Without further ado, I’d like to share a short interview with these vegan entrepreneurs. I’ve asked them to share their thoughts on creating a “fine dining” experience with vegetables as a primary ingredient, on creating vegan food that holds its own for an omnivore audience, and on the intriguing title of their company. I’ve also asked them to share one of their favorite recipes, and they haven’t disappointed me! I can’t wait to try their roast beets with arugula and almond granola, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

1) Be truthful: how did you come up with the name “Vérité” for your new business?

“Vérité” means “truth” in French, and it has significant meaning for us in various ways. It represents the truth in the ingredients we use, which are organic and non-GMO. Without being preachy, we believe we are educating people about what truly healthful foods are. We don’t believe in gimmicks, fad diets, heavy marketing, “superfoods”… just honest and simple whole plant foods.

2) Try to sum up the ethos of Verité catering. What’s your mission?

We want to feed you delicious food, whether you are omnivorous, vegan, pescatarian, raw, gluten-intolerant… whatever your lifestyle and diet choices may be. We want to inspire your palate to develop an appreciation for plant-based cuisine and realize that it is completely satisfying in its own right. Our approach is to appeal to your taste buds and alleviate the fear of vegan food being bland or boring. The goal is to help people realize not only that they won’t miss eating animal products, but will actually crave plant-based cuisine. Whether one chooses to completely eliminate or simply cut back on animal products, we support any reduction in their consumption.

3) What sort of services do you offer?

We cater any size event ranging from an intimate dinner for one or two to a cocktail party for hundreds.  Our skills are versatile, and we also offer private and group cooking lessons.

4) Tell me a little bit more about your backgrounds, and what led you to the work you do.

Cassie: after studying mathematics in school, I delved into the world of actuarial science. Once I discovered veganism, though, I became immersed in health and nutrition. After I quit working at an auto insurance company, I began practicing as a colonic hydrotherapist. Many of my conversations with clients were focused on diet and nutrition, and I became interested in preparing the different meals I was describing to my clients as being healthful and delicious. I eventually entered culinary school, where I met Daphne, and we created Vérité as a way to spread the love of healthful eating. Now I am able to bring together wellness and culinary arts in my daily experience and share it with people who are embracing healthier choices in their own lives.

Daphne: I also originally came from a math background and became fascinated with the culinary arts when I was fifteen. I am completely obsessed with every aspect of enjoying a meal, from shopping for ingredients, to slicing and dicing with my beloved damascus steel knife, to taking photos of a beautifully plated dish, to finally devouring it all. I can spend hours wandering about the aisles of Whole Foods, getting lost in food and finding inspiration. With such a fervor for cooking, it only made sense to attend culinary school and dive into the food service industry.

5) As a vegan, I’m always conflicted in my thinking about how much vegan entrepeneurs should emphasize the veganism of their work. I know you’ve said that clients often don’t realize your food is vegan, and that you market it simply as great food. I think this is brilliant, and I like that it shows “foodies” that vegan cuisine is on par with any other high quality cuisine.

At the same time, I think it’s important to ultimately share vegan values. How do you navigate this tension, between wanting to draw attention away from vegan vs. non-vegan labels, and focus on the food’s quality, yet also wanting people to know what veganism is about?

We don’t feel as though we are misleading anyone into eating vegan. We are a catering company that serves good food; it just so happens that our dishes don’t include animal products. We don’t blatantly advertise ourselves as a vegan company as we don’t want to alienate anyone with the oftentimes polarizing word, “vegan.” The sad truth is that some people have preconceptions and will refuse to even try something if it is labeled vegan. We like to let our food do the talking. Most of the time, the guests at our events don’t know they are enjoying a meatless meal until they rave and ask us about it. The overwhelming positive response we get from people after tasting our food is what our company exists for.

6) You both have strong interest in nutrition. Can you tell me how you balance your enthusiasm for good health with your desire to make food that’s accessible and delicious?

It’s really easy when you are working with plant-based ingredients, because you don’t really have to put that much thought into making a dish that’s both flavorful and healthful. We truly believe that the most health-supporting foods also happen to be the most delicious.

7) How do you select your ingredients?

We only prepare foods that we would want to eat ourselves, and we almost exclusively eat organic and locally grown food. We purchase our ingredients from local, organic farms and purveyors and eco-friendly food service suppliers. In a pinch, we rely on farmers markets, food co-ops, and companies like Whole Foods that share our principles.

8  ) Unlike other vegan food companies, you’re very spare with meat analogs and cheese analogs. I love it! Tell me how you satisfy using veggies as the centerpieces of your meals.

Vegetables do the work for themselves. As chefs, we have the creativity and the skills to reveal and showcase the flavors that are naturally found within them. While we honor requests for meat substitutes if a client desires them, we generally don’t feel the need to have such a dish as part of a gratifying meal. Our clients tend to agree.

9) What’s an average selection of food at a Vérité event?

There is no average menu here at Vérité, as we custom create each menu specially for our clients. We rarely ever repeat a menu item unless requested and enjoy creating new recipes regularly. Our menus can vary from light, raw to incredibly rich and decadent. Some sample menu items include baby arugula with seared trumpet mushrooms in lemongrass chili vinaigrette, cucumber celeriac vichyssoise garnished with wild rice popcorn, butternut squash risotto with baby spinach and fresh basil chiffonade, rosé poached pear with cashew crème tart. And the list goes on.

10) Wow. Can you share one of your favorite recipes with CR readers?

Mélange of Roast Beet with Arugula and Almond Granola (serves 4)

Ingredients:

For the salad:

¾ cup baby arugula
2 trimmed rhubarb stalks, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices (optional)

For the red and golden roast beets:

1 pound red medium beets
1 pound gold medium beets

Roast beets at 350 degrees until fork tender (about 45 minutes). Allow beets to cool and remove skin. Cut into medium dice. Try to keep red beets away from golden beets to preserve color.

Red beet puree:

1 pound medium beets
½ cup orange juice
zest 1 orange
1 date
salt to taste

Roast red beet at 350 degrees until fork tender (about 45 minutes). Once cool, peel off skin and combine in blender with orange juice, zest, date, and salt. Blend until smooth.

Granola:

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
½ cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoon melted coconut oil
⅛ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Toss granola ingredients together in a bowl and transfer to a baking dish. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.

Directions:

Arrange beets, beet puree, and granola on a plate and garnish with baby arugula and rhubarb. Serve! This dish can be broken up and used separately as well.

Thank you, ladies! What a delicious treat.

For those of you who are interested in having Vérité cater a wedding, party, dinner party, or any other special occasion, contact them through their website or by emailing Daphne or Cassie individually. And New Yorkers, take note: Vérité hosts a special dinner party once a month or so, called “dinner with true friends.” They invite individuals in need of a friend—whether because they’re new to the city, new to a plant-based diet, or simply want good company—to a five course dinner, limited to 12 guests. They donate 50% of the ticket price to a different charity, which is decided at the end of the dinner by all attending. What an amazing idea! The next dinner with true friends is on Sunday, May 22, and you can purchase tickets here. I’m definitely going to try to attend, though the end of May promises to be wacky for me, and you should, too.

And readers, take note: we have a Green Recovery submission coming soon from Ms. Daphne, who has bravely shared her story with me. I can’t wait.

And now, let the weekend begin!

xo

I have a confession to make: I have a girl crush on Laura Beck.

If you don’t know who Laura is, I suggest you get to know her NOW. She’s one of the masterminds behind Vegansaurus.com, San Fran’s totally awesome vegan lifestyle guide (New Yorkers, I think we need to get us one of these), the writer of her own random, opinionated, and shittaciously funny blog, and the webmistress over at VegWeb.com, which is just the largest vegan recipe database in the world. She’s also one of the coolest vegans I know: whip smart, hilarious, and passionate. Few vegans are more blunt, outspoken, or vocal about why veganism rocks, but Laura—like all cool vegans—also knows how to be compassionate, encouraging, and to lead by example (rather than with vitriol).

In short, she is my hero.

I’m not only saying this because Laura happens to have featured me in the latest VegWeb newsletter. Yes, I just gave you the link, but don’t be lazy: as this issue proves, the VegWeb newsletter is awesome, and you should all go sign up to receive it (at the top of the VegWeb homepage) now. After all, it’s free!

Laura and I have spoken at length about raw foodism: the myths, the stereotypes, and the realities. I’ve shared with her my rather unorthodox approach to eating raw (which you guys already know about: semi-raw, flexible, etc.), and she’s shared with me her theories about why many vegans are alienated or put off by raw foods. This theory is pretty simple, and pretty hilarious. To quote Laura in the newsletter:

“Raw food gets a bad rap. Sometimes you get slack for eating vegan, but what’s weirder than that? Eating raw. Some vegans even like to point the finger at raw foodists when people accuse them of being odd. Like, look over there! Those people are the real freaks!”

Ha! I’ll confess, this attitude isn’t one I’m too familiar with. Typically, the people who write to me are vegans who are intent on becoming raw—perhaps even too intent, too quickly! I often find myself explaining to people that, while raw foods offer us myriad benefits, “going raw” isn’t the logical extension of veganism, or some sort of special challenge for the hardcore among us. Still, I see Laura’s point: I think raw foodies are natural targets for certain unsupportive vegans who enjoy the idea of there being someone out there whose food choices are even less conventional than their own. But, as Laura points out,

“ . . . the stigma attached to raw foods is slowly being erased, bit by bit, by the fact that some of the most innovative food coming out of the kitchen isn’t even cooked! Adventerous and talented raw-food chefs like Sarma Melngailis, Ani Phyo, and Mathew Kenney are changing the way people think about raw food. Bloggers are helping forge the way, too. My personal favorite is Choosing Raw, a blog maintained by the delightful Gena Hamshaw, who also happens to be VegNews’ raw-food columnist! Not only is she a total foodie genius, she’s smart and sane, to boot.”

OK I didn’t really have to include that last bit to prove my point about how raw food is going more mainstream. But it’s not every day that I get such sweet, if undeserved, flattery. Thankfully, I get to thank Laura with a big vegan dinner in San Fran when I visit (two weeks!!). If not, I’ll just continue to tell her about my girl crush on her until she gets creeped out by me.

Laura asked me to pick a recipe from the VegWeb raw food library to feature in the newsletter. Can you guys take a guess as to what I picked?

Duh! Raw green soup. Blended salad, con avocado: simple, easy, fresh. Vintage Gena.

While we’re on the topic of girl crushes, I was super excited to see that Ms. Katie gave my tofu scramble a spin on her blog this week. It looks as though her batch came out nicely! I was also really touched to see that my former client and friend Elese commented to say that she’s been inspired by the pleasure I take in eating (Elese and I have eaten out together in Chicago). When you eat “healthy food”—and especially when you write about it—the assumption is usually that you have a joyless, functional relationship with what you eat. I have to bat down this misconception a lot; to this day, I don’t think my ex-boyfriend believes that I really enjoy eating kale (are the 184572 photos of kale salad on my blog not sufficient proof?!?). So I’m always happy when a friend notices the fact that I like food. A lot.

To tie up our themes nicely, my lunch today involved both a girl crush and a raw soup. I used gray, damp weather as an excuse to make my girl Kristen’s incredible Harvest Soup, which is hands down one of my favorite raw soups ever. With simple salad, avocado, and pureed, steamed butternut squash (yes, I was feeling autumnal), it was exactly what I craved:

Comfort food for a rainy day.

And now, the usual Sunday night catch up ensues. Before I go, tell me: do you have any blogger girl crushes? Or guy crushes? (Yes, Evan, Matt, and Ian, I am trying to embarrass you.) I would love to hear your personal blogging heroes are, and why.

xo

Hey guys!

Are we all enjoying some tasty work lunches today?

I just wanted to let you all know that I’m interviewed today on my friend Kathleen’s awesome blog, the Health and Happiness Club. If you guys haven’t checked this one out yet, add it to your google readers: it’s an intelligent, fun, and diverse blog that’s full of different perspectives. I’m a fan! In the interview, I chat about:

• The best “first steps” for those who are new to veganism
• Overcoming disordered eating and IBS
• My best advice to budding bloggers

And, in honor of women’s week:

• Do I believe that feminism has lost steam?
• Who are my female role models?

Click here to read the whole interview if you have time!

xo

Hey guys!

I continue to get really terrific responses to the Spark! Wellness + Choosing Raw January cleanse. While I can’t answer every question in detail, Hadley and Andrea and I have posted a sample day from each level of the cleanse on the Spark! website. This should give you a good sense of how the program will look at each level. Keep in mind, of course, that the meals and recipes provided will vary quite a bit from day to day. Check it out, and if you’re still wavering on which level to choose, please join our free conference call on January 6th (details TK)!

In the meantime I thought I’d give you all a chance to get to know the lady behind Level 1 a bit better. Hadley, who blogs at Hadley’s Holistics, is a Holistic Health Counselor who specializes in helping women to regain a sense of self-worth and to actualize their goals. In our own ways of eating, she and I differ somewhat (Hadley emphasizes moderation, and doesn’t exclude any food groups, while I fly the vegan flag), but we both agree that Pure Food and Wine rocks, that stuffed squash is a beautiful thing, and that vegetables are everybody’s best friend. Choosing Raw readers, meet Hadley!

1)   Many of us who work in nutrition are motivated to help others because of personal struggles we’ve faced, either health or food related. Does your passion for wellness emerge from personal struggle, and if so, can you share your story with us?

Growing up, I always equated ‘health’ with ‘thin’. In my late teens and early 20s, I didn’t focus on healthy eating as much as I did the latest fad diet that would keep me thin. About four years ago, all that changed. I was misdiagnosed with a pretty serious disease—and it took doctors about six weeks to realize the mistake—so during that time, I was faced with the prospect of a life filled with hospitals and drug regimens that had serious side effects. I was absolutely terrified and felt so stupid for not taking my health seriously beforehand.

As you can imagine, it was a very difficult period in my life, but it opened up so many new and exciting paths for me professionally and personally. As soon as I found out I was in the clear, I vowed that I would pay more attention to my overall health; however, I was absolutely terrified of the medical profession and couldn’t even go the dentist—much less a doctor’s office! I started working with a fabulous holistic health counselor named Melissa, who helped me regain balance in my life and taught me everything she knew about natural medicine. I was so inspired by the work that she did—and the impact that it made on my life—that I decided to become a health counselor myself.

2)   If you had to sum up your dietary perspective in a few sentences, what would you say? What’s your basic dietetic vantage point? What philosophies (ie, Ayurveda, macrobiotics, raw, vegan, blood type diet, McDougall, the list goes on) have influenced it?

So many things have influenced my dietary perspective! I’m very lucky because my school, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, trained us in every dietary theory imaginable—everything from South Beach and Atkins to macrobiotics and Ayurveda. I use bits of many of them in my daily life, but try not to get hung up on any one theory. My overriding food philosophy is not to restrict entire categories of food from my diet. I spent the first twenty-four years of my life doing that and it just doesn’t work for me. Instead, I believe in guilt-free moderation. I eat healthfully most of time, so don’t feel bad when I indulge in foods that aren’t as healthy.

3)   In my experience, it doesn’t take long for a nutritionist or health counselor to find a strength that is uniquely their own. Oftentimes, this strength emerges as a particular kind of empathy or insight. For instance, I’ve found that much of my strongest work has been in helping women with eating disorder histories regain a love of eating and body image through whole, plant based foods. What would you say your unique talent is as a counselor, and how do you market it?

I was overweight until I went to college, so I know what it’s like to feel like you’re at war with your body.  It’s so hard to overcome that feeling! My strongest work has been helping women call off the war with themselves. My goal for each client is to get her to the point of trusting her body, trusting herself around food, and trusting the choices she makes about food.

4)   What do you think are the most common pitfalls that keep your clients from achieving their goals? How can they work around them?

For most women, the biggest pitfall to achieving any goal is negative chatter. It’s like the TV in the background that you can’t turn off–even if you’re not focusing on it, it’s distracting. The most common culprit is the ‘as soon as…’ mentality.  We all create agreements with ourselves: “as soon as I lose weight, I’ll buy clothes that I love” or “I’ll start dating”; “as soon as I go to business school, I’ll feel worthy of respect”; “as soon as I get a new job, I’ll have time to eat more healthfully.” We all have our own version. This mentality creates excuses, drains us of energy, and ultimately creates barriers to success and happiness. Instead of making your goal conditional on something first, instead make it happen now! Buy clothes that you love, sign up for online dating, learn how to respect yourself, eat more healthfully . . . whatever it is, you can work on the goal now instead of waiting for something else to be fulfilled first.

5)   You talk a lot about emotional eating. How do you define emotional eating? Where does it emerge from?

Emotional eating is using food (or the act of eating) to fill a void. We all eat emotionally sometimes. It’s a primordial urge that stems from our earliest instincts to nurture ourselves by drinking our mothers’ milk. As we grow older, we repeat this pattern by turning to food for comfort, support, nourishment when we don’t get it elsewhere. We eat to fill a gap in our lives.

When a client comes to me to explore her emotional eating, I see it as an invitation to delve deeper into her life to see what’s really going on. Generally there are one or several elements that are consciously or unconsciously causing her distress. What’s missing from her life? Are there any uncomfortable feelings she’d rather not acknowledge? For example, the most common reason for sweet cravings is a lack of sweetness in your life—defined broadly, that can cover everything from a romantic connection to friendship to an adequate support system in you life.  Over time, I work with each client to balance her diet and her life so cravings aren’t as strong and the compulsion to eat emotionally decreases.

6)   This fall, you and fellow practitioner Andrea Moss opened a holistic healing center, Spark! Wellness. Tell us more about your vision for Spark! Wellness.

Spark! came out of an idea I had last year after reading The Four Hour Work Week, which is all about how to avoid duplicating services. I realized that I knew so many health practitioners who were doing the same thing for our clients—teleclasses, workshops, blogging, tweeting, etc. I thought it would be terrific if we could join forces and provide much more value for each client. We currently offer nutrition, acupuncture, personal fitness, pilates, yoga, and massage therapy.

Right now we’re a virtual wellness center—we don’t have a physical space, rather we see our clients all over the city. Every Spark! client gets access to monthly teleclasses, special in-house referral rates, and—starting January 2010—can participate in a health food store tour. Andrea and my nutrition clients also have access to an online community where they can ask questions and get additional support from their peers.

It’s been a great journey so far and we’re excited for the future. I’m particularly excited for a group cleanse we’re going to do in January.

7)   OK, Hadley, time to get honest: how do you feel about raw food?

I love raw foods, but don’t think I could be 100% raw year-round.  Though I love green juices, I do crave a steak every now and then. That being said, my favorite restaurant in New York City is Pure Food and Wine. Everything there is so good and amazingly satisfying. I especially love their raw ice cream sundae. Sometimes in the summer, I’ll make a meal out of it!

8  )   Any raw recipes you love to make?

I think the last raw recipe I made was your banana soft serve, which was delish! I made it for a friend who is lactose intolerant and she was in heaven. I also enjoy zucchini pasta with pesto. My goal in 2010 is to make the coconut macaroons from the Pure Food and Wine cookbook.

9)   A question I get asked very frequently is whether or not I recommend taking dietary supplements. I think that this question depends 100% on the health of the person who’s asking, but I do think that most vegans should consider a B-12 or D supplement, a calcium supplement if needed, Omega-3s if needed, and chill out about everything else. I’ve spoken to other counselors, though, who really recommend a multivitamin daily. What’s your take on this?

I think multi-vitamins can’t hurt and for most people they can definitely help. Studies have shown than 92% of Americans are deficient in a vitamin or mineral. Our bodies are finely tuned machines, so any imbalances can slow down the thousands of chemical reactions that happen every second. So unless you’re eating 100% local and organic, living a stress-free life, drinking 100% purified water and breathing 100% unpolluted air, a multi-vitamin will probably benefit you. If you’re going to take one, make sure it’s high quality. My favorite brands are Metagenic’s Multigenics or Trader Joe’s Women’s High Potency.

Another essential supplement is fish oil (or, if you’re vegetarian, flax oil). I don’t eat fish, so I take 3,000 mgs a day. I’ve also been taking D3 since daylight savings time (to help with seasonal depression) and ashwaganda, an Ayurvedic adaptogenic herb that helps with low-level stress.

10) What are some of your favorite recipes to share with your clients, Hadley? Could you share one with us? My clients would love, I’m sure, to see some cool, non-raw recipes.

I love to cook but rarely follow recipes. I usually use them as inspiration and then improvise as I go along. I recently made a terrific roasted winter squash filled with a tempeh-mushroom stuffing. It’s perfect for a cold winter night!

STUFFED WINTER SQUASH

1 winter squash of your choice

2 c mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 red onion, chopped

6 oz tempeh (half a block), cut into 1/4-1/2 in cubes

olive oil

salt and pepper

dried rosemary

1/4 c white wine (optional

1/8 c Roquefort cheese (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 345 degrees. Cut squash in half and remove any seeds. Rub lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake cut side down for 40-45 minutes. (This will vary on the size and type of your squash–Keep checking it to see when the flesh is very tender).

While this is baking, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add wine, if desired, and cook down for approx. 3 more minutes. Add a bit of salt, pepper, and dried rosemary and cook 1 more minute. Put into bowl and set aside.

Add more olive oil to pan and saute tempeh until crispy and browned. (The smaller the pieces, the crispier they’ll get).

Once squash is very tender, remove from oven, add stuffing to the middle and serve immediately. Sprinkle the roquefort cheese if desired.

Serves at least 2, depending on the type of squash. This stuffing will be a generous serving for 2-3 people.

Wow! What a terrific interview. I love Hadley’s description of a woman being “at war” with her own body: this, I’m sure, hits home for so many of you. I also love that Hadley encourages her clients to focus on the “now” mentality—begin change today, not tomorrow! It’s a very good dictum, and one that we all need to take to heart once in a while.

And as a special gift for Choosing Raw readers, Hadley is offering $25 off of her January “realize your resolution” two-part program. Details of the program can be found here, and you can also email Hadley at Hadley@sparkyourwellness.com  if you’re interested in more information, or if you’d like to join.

Have a great Thursday!

xo

Hi all!

Hope that your transition back into the work week has been relatively painless.

It seems that everywhere we turn these days, we’re reminded of mounting health epidemics: cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, HIV/AIDS. Very few of us can say that our lives have not been touched in some way or another by one of these afflictions. Most of us have also brushed paths with an equally life-altering disease: diabetes. Nearly 200 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes. It’s becoming increasingly rampant worldwide, and a number of troubling recent studies suggest that is is becoming particularly prevalent among children and teens.

Much of the literature, cookbooks, and information geared towards diabetes sufferers focuses on substitution and replacement. Naturally, sugars have to be watched assiduously in a diabetic diet, and so many recipes for diabetics feature artificial sweeteners. While these may prove less immediately harmful than regular sweeteners, they pose their own problems; artificial sweeteners are,by varying degrees, toxic, and they’re not ideal unless no other option is present.

For this reason, a number of enlightened educators and spokespeople are offering diabetes sufferers more natural and organic options than your typical oatmeal cookies baked with Splenda. Among them is Jessica Apple, founder of A Sweet Life (www.asweetlife.org).

A Sweet Life is a blog devoted to healthy living with diabetes. Jessica and her husband, Mike, live with Type 1 diabetes. Mike was diagnosed in 2002, four years after their marriage and just 18 months after the birth of the couple’s first son. Last year, while pregnant with their third son, Jessica was also diagnosed with Type 1.

Instead of letting diabetes depress them, Mike and Jessica took charge of their health as best they could. And as they worked together and saw how well they managed as a team, they decided to create A Sweet Life in order to reach others in the diabetic community. The website features articles, interviews, Q&As with experts, and a tally of diabetes in the news. Jessica’s panel of experts includes diabetes sufferers, MDs, RDs, and — to answer questions on raw foods and all natural eating — yours truly!

For, as a part of her interest in a natural, unprocessed diet, Jessica is a big fan of raw foods. In fact, she chooses to incorporate something raw into each and every meal or snack.

Today, I welcome Jessica to Choosing Raw to discuss her experience with raw foods, her thoughts on living with diabetes, and more about A Sweet Life.

What was your motivation to begin publishing A Sweet Life?

The idea for A Sweet Life came to me almost a year ago.  I was pregnant, exhausted, and a newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic. My husband, Mike, has been a type 1 for about eight years. Because of Mike, I already knew pretty much everything about living with type 1, still, having it in my own body made it different. Mike’s compassion and real understanding of what I was going through was more helpful than any doctor’s instructions or advice. Feeling that, and seeing the way Mike and I worked together as a team made me want to reach out to others in the diabetic community.

How do you feel that A Sweet Life differs from other online resources for diabetics—specifically, how do you feel your dietetic perspective may be different from others?

A Sweet Life is different from other online resources because we aren’t looking for a way around our diabetes. We’re living a healthy life with it. We think it’s wrong to try to replace regular cookies with artificially sweetened cookies. Our idea is about getting used to a new way of living—a way that is so much healthier. That’s why we appreciate raw food so much. It’s just plain old good for you! At A Sweet Life we believe in a natural diet, and we use only natural sweeteners that are diabetes-friendly, like Stevia and agave syrup.

Could you say a few words about your own journey as a Type 1 diabetic? I know that your husband has the condition as well, so feel free to share some of his experiences, too.

My journey as a type 1 is just beginning. Next month will be a year since my diagnosis. I was diagnosed while pregnant. Fortunately, I didn’t suffer any severe symptoms before diagnosis. Mike, however, was not as lucky. He was really sick for months before we knew what was wrong. By the time he was diagnosed he’d lost about 25 pounds, his feet were numb, and his vision was blurred.

This may feel rudimentary to you, but many people (at one point in time, this included me) don’t quite grasp the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Could you give us a quick primer?

Type 1 and type 2 are very different diseases with the same consequence—high blood sugar. In each disease, insulin plays a key role. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas.  Without insulin, the hormone that enables sugar to enter individual cells, the cells do not receive their ‘fuel’ and ultimately, they starve. In order to survive, type 1’s must inject themselves with insulin.

In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas produces insulin (even over-produces it sometimes) but the individual cells are unable to use it; they are insulin resistant. In later stages of type 2, the pancreas sometimes burns out from overwork and insulin secretion decreases. For more on this, check out the information on A Sweet Life.

You call your blog “The Natural Diabetic.” This is a provocative term – and it’s of particular interest to me, since so much of what I try to share at Choosing Raw is natural, unprocessed relationship to the things on our plate. Tell me more about the language you chose, and why you chose it.

The first reason I call my blog The Natural Diabetic is because I try to eat a natural diet that’s rich in vegetables, nuts, and some fruit. The name is also a play on words; given that my husband was a diabetic first, and I knew so much about it, diabetes came pretty naturally to me.

So Jessica, Let’s get to the real question. What are your thoughts on the raw diet with regards to managing diabetes?

I have a huge appreciation for raw foodists. I don’t have any statistics to quote you regarding raw food and diabetes, but I know that when Mike and I eat raw food, our blood sugar remains quite stable (though I don’t think this would be true if we ate large quantities of fruit). That’s one of the reasons we are so happy having raw recipes on ASweetLife.

How do you personally feel about raw food? Have you incorporated any raw foods into your life, and how? We want to hear all about your baby steps!

Personally, I think eating raw is healthy and admirable. I wish I could do it 100%, but I’m nowhere near ready to give up my morning cappuccino! My rule is that I aim to never eat anything, not even a snack, unless it has a raw component. Keeping to this rule ensures that I snack on fruit, veggies, and nuts. And my meals almost always include raw salads.

What are some of your very favorite raw recipes?

I love your recipe for zucchini hummus! Since I have a very busy household (I have three sons, 9, 6, and 7 months) I don’t have a lot of time to fuss over raw recipes. For me it’s usually just grabbing some nuts, a carrot, an apple…Lately I’ve been eating a lot of cucumbers. Also a lot of almond butter…I put a drop of agave in it and spread it on a thin slice of whole grain bread (not raw). My favorite juice these days is celery, zucchini, parsley, with a little bit of carrot.

In the popular DVD, Simply Raw, a number of Type 2 diabetes sufferers reverse their symptoms with raw diets (while a number of them abandon the diet in frustration). What are your thoughts on diabetics’ capacity to reverse that form of the disease? Do you think that DVDs like Simply Raw are inspiring, or do they put undo pressure on those who are afflicted? As you know, I welcome all perspectives on this site, so speak your mind.

I haven’t seen Simply Raw, but I have heard of diabetics who’ve had great blood glucose control while eating raw. I think, for most people, in order to succeed with any kind of diet there has to be genuine desire and drive behind it. Eating 100% raw really is difficult, and it requires a lot of time and thought. Not everyone can do it, and if you don’t really want to, it will never work. And to be honest…cooked food can be pretty great, so I understand why people wouldn’t want to give it up. Managing diabetes is kind of a full time job in itself, so it’s difficult to imagine anyone who works and has an active household being able to go completely raw. In my opinion, diabetics should aim to incorporate raw food into their diets as often as possible. But eating steamed or roasted vegetables is great too. And for those who enjoy chicken, fish, eggs, and cheeses, they can all be a big part of a healthy diabetic diet.

I strongly believe in staying away from packaged processed foods. Simple, natural eating is the best way to go.

In your mission statement, you say that life with diabetes can be sweet. I love your positive attitude! Many women who have suffered from disordered eating feel that the affliction, in spite of its misery and danger, did grant them a capacity to appreciate their bodies and nutrition more consciously than others do. I can’t help but see a parallel with your own statement. Do you feel that your condition has given you a heightened appreciation of health, and how?

I’m not someone who takes good health for granted. My mother had a very debilitating case of MS, and I grew up watching her deteriorate. Not a single day goes by where I don’t appreciate what my body can do. I’m still struggling with the issue of having an autoimmune disease, and the truth is that I probably haven’t completely come to terms with it yet, and there may be a rude awakening for me in the future.  For now, I am driven to make my diabetic life sweet. Diabetes might limit my diet, but that’s where it stops. I am not going to feel sorry for myself because I can’t eat pizza and cookies. No way!

As a tribute to Jessica and Mike–who are working to show us all that life with diabetes can still be sweet–I’m sharing a dessert recipe that has won my heart over this week. It’s an alternative to my chocomole recipe, which I know many of you have tried and loved. It’s slightly more labor intensive (it requires cracking open four young coconuts), but the result is slightly closer to authentic chocolate pudding, and it’s a great raw option for those of you who just can’t get down with using avocado as a dessert base. I’ve sweetened it with a combination of agave and Stevia, but the proportions can be altered for any diet (so if you shouldn’t or can’t touch sugar, use more Stevia and omit the agave altogether; if you’re fine in the sugar department, use all agave, or add some dates).

I used carob in this recipe, rather than chocolate. Raw cacao would be absolutely fine here, too, but I happen to love the taste of carob and admire its health properties (rich source of iron, among other things). Use whichever flavoring suits you.

The result is a smooth, creamy, rich treat that tastes way too good to be 100% raw and body-friendly. Enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Pudding (serves 4)

Ingredients:

Meat of four young coconuts
1/3 cup raw carob powder
2 tbsp coconut water
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 packet Stevia

Blend the ingredients on a low setting in your Vitamix. Continue to increase the speed very slowly, until the mix is quite creamy; then, turn the speed to high and let the mixture blend for a minute or more. See how long you can wait to devour it!

NB: if you don’t have a Vitamix, you can work with a food processor or conventional blender. You may need to be patient and add a bit more liquid to the mix, but you’ll get results.

Enjoy!

And a huge thank you to Jessica for her site and for sharing her story. Please support Mike and Jessica by visiting A Sweet Life and sharing it with anyone you know who battles diabetes — or simply with anyone who is health conscious.

Have a great night, guys.

Hey kids.

Is there a much beloved food—a treat, a comfort meal, or an all-American favorite—that you’ve never quite “gotten”? A dessert, maybe, that others devour with relish and abandon, but you’ve simply never really liked? Chloe, for example, just doesn’t like chocolate. She doesn’t dislike it, exactly: she just doesn’t crave it, or think about it, or fantasize about it on a semi-regular basis.

Obviously, this is akin to sacrilege in my book! But there are a ton of favorite foods that I simply never liked at all—long before I was vegan. These include, in no particular order:

• Pizza

• Chinese takeout

• Cake

• Any kind of cheese that has a scent (ie, the expensive ones that people love to taste and sample and serve with wine)

• French Fries

So OK. Cake’s not for everyone. But there’s one standout in the list of foods I never really “got” that shocks everyone, omnivore and vegan alike: ice cream. That’s right. As insane as it sounds, I was never much of an ice cream fan! Never bought it, never ate a lot of it, never sought it out. I can’t really say why this is: perhaps it’s the fact that I’m always cold, so cold treats don’t typically entice. Maybe it’s the fact that dairy hasn’t agreed with me since…well, ever. Maybe it’s the fact that ice cream often just strikes me as a little boring.

Maybe I’m just always so distracted by the prospect of chocolate to care about any other kind of dessert

Whatever the case, I am one of very few individuals who does not count ice cream among their favorite treats—a shame, since there are so many incredible varieties of raw ice cream to savor! I can certainly enjoy it (a scoop of the Oreo ice cream at One Lucky Duck, for instance, is likely to make me really, really happy). I just don’t sit around thinking about it.

But I’m weird. Most people adore the stuff. And they’re in luck, because there is never a shortage of new brands, flavors, and makers of ice cream. For many years, the ice cream market was a grim scene for vegans: sure, they could find ultra specialty brands, but the cost of shipping was a fortune. Nowadays, vegans have a huge variety of soy and rice-based brands to try. Better yet, there are now at least two major brands available nationwide that use coconut milk as a base: So Delicious and Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss. If you guys haven’t tried these brands, I really recommend them. They’re delicious, made with minimal and quality ingredients, and they’re a joy even for those of you who aren’t vegan, or lactose intolerant, or whatnot. (For more on the Coconut Bliss brand, check out VeggieGirl’s recent post!)

Here in New York, we’re lucky enough to have a local business that specializes in outstanding vegan ice cream. Stogo has gotten lots of love around the blogosphere these days, and with very good reason: it’s the non-vegan vegan ice cream. I do not say this to suggest that vegan ice cream is not a great thing in its own right. But what makes Stogo so wonderful is that it looks and tastes like—and, in my opinion, it surpasses—the best conventional ice cream you’ve ever had. The stuff is incredible: rich and creamy and decadent enough to please even ice cream snobs. And yet, it’s 100% vegan, made with high quality, organic ingredients, and absolutely free of refined sugars, GMOs, preservatives, and artificial flavorings.

A few months ago, I had the great honor of interviewing Rob Sedgwick, co-owner of this wonderful establishment. Rob is a professional actor (in case you were wondering, yes, he’s the younger brother of Kyra Sedgwick, so it seems that thespians run in the family!), a member of my gym, and, it turns out, the cousin of an old friend. I’d met Rob quite some years ago, and we’d lost touch; when I learned that he was the owner of Stogo, it was a nice excuse for me to say hello again.

I met up with Rob and his partner, Steve Horn, on an unseasonably rainy and cool late summer day. It wasn’t a perfect day for ice cream, but Rob and Steve’s warm, affable, and generous attitudes quickly had me excited for my own special tasting. Before digging into the array of Stogo flavors, I had a chance to ask Rob and Steve about their vision for Stogo.

The idea is simple: vegan ice cream that’s marketed like regular ice cream. Rather than emphasize the fact that their ice cream is vegan, Rob and Steve focus on the fact that it’s really, really good. Good enough to stand alongside Häagen Dazs, Ben and Jerry’s, or any other favorite brand. Its excellence is what makes it sell; the fact that it’s vegan is what makes it (to me, anyway) truly special.

Rob and Steve are old friends; they met over ten years ago when Rob was working at a restaurant called Goodbye Columbus. A few years ago, Steve told Rob that he was interested in making a great vegan ice cream. Rob concurred, and the two budding entrepreneurs enrolled in Malcolm Stogo’s famous ice cream making school. Stogo, who helped to create some of the most popular ice creams on the market (Carvel, Häagen Dazs, TCBY, Columbo) loved their work, but reacted with shock when they told him they wanted to make a vegan product. “Vegan?! [pronounced vay-gan]” he cried. “Vay-ganism?!”

As soon as Mr. Stogo witnessed Rob and Steve’s hard work and savvy, though, he began to sing another tune. He, along with Gene Stone (co-author of the bestselling Engine 2 Diet), invested as founders, and Stogo was born. The restaurant opened in December of 2008—hardly an auspicious season for an ice cream launch—but was an instant hit. In the last year, Stogo has been featured  in The New York Times, New York, countless blogs, and various vegetarian and vegan magazines. Meanwhile, it’s become the favorite treat stop for vegans all over the city – including my pals Heather, Ashley, and Lindsay!

Rob and I then strolled over to Stogo for an ice cream tasting and a chat about the store’s progress. He was gracious enough to answer my most burning questions about the business.

1) Can you say a few words about why you and your partner, Steve Horn, thought to start a vegan ice cream shop?

It was all Steve’s idea, and I backed him. He felt that there was nothing out there that was vegan and tasted good, and that there was a better, healthier way to make the stuff. His (and now my) fantasy was a vegan Ben and Jerry’s.

2) Part of what I love about Stogo is that the “veganism” angle isn’t overplayed: you guys focus on good taste, not a specialized diet. Obviously, I want people to wave the vegan banner confidently, but if not dwelling on the product’s veganism is likely to entice those who would never give dairy free ice cream a chance otherwise, I’m sold! Tell me more about how you guys have tried to market the Stogo product and why.

I think your second question relates to what I said above: we want to become the vegan Ben and Jerry’s, minus the ‘vegan tag.’ As we say in our mission statement and to customers in the store, people like to hear more ‘dairy free,’ ‘organic,’ ‘no refined sugars’ etc.—not necessarily vegan, per se. Our basic angle is that we’re great tasting place for desert that happens to be healthy.

3) One of the things that distinguishes Stogo from other vegan ice cream brands is that you offer two non-soy bases (coconut milk and hemp milk), and you never use refined sugar. What inspired you to branch out beyond soy?

Again, this was Steve’s idea, to give the customer a broader choice. Also, some people have an aversion to soy (most who claim allergies to it are, as you know, reaching). The coconut has more flavor because of the higher fat content, so people who are used to more traditional ice cream are pretty much at home, and the hemp was installed just to give the customer another, perhaps more exotic choice.

4) OK, think quick: what’s your favorite Stogo flavor?

My favorites are off the bat chocolate coconut and salted caramel pecan. But we’ve got a flavor for every taste!

5) What do you imagine for the future of the Stogo brand — and other healthy, enlightened products?

I don’t know about other products, but we are thinking either upper west side for our next place [yes please!!!!!] and/or CA. We are still refining the store, and, moreover the product. That doesn’t end. We’re coming up with new flavors all the time in addition to taking suggestions from customers, employees, anything to make it the best it can be. We’re frankly thrilled at the response we’ve been getting. Also at some point, hopefully soon, we will be getting into the pint business and be at a store near you!

I know that LA weather favors ice cream, but I, for one, am hoping that that next location is the Upper West Side!

After our sit down chat came the highlight of the afternoon: the tasting.

I began with the most popular flavor: salted caramel pecan. Take it from a non-ice cream lover, people: this stuff is amazing. (What IS it about salt and caramel?). Then, I tried the mint chocolate chip (the favorite flavor, apparently, among male clientele). It was also great, but what I really wanted to try were the coconut flavors.

As you all know, I’m not a fan of processed soy (even the organic, non-GMO variety) and I prefer my clients to try coconut milk based ice creams. And the Stogo ice creams are, by far, the best I’ve ever tried. I tasted chocolate, vanilla, and pina colada, and they all blew me away! So much so that Rob sent me home with a complimentary pint of the chocolate and the pina coloda (the latter was my favorite of the day). Not surprisingly, these didn’t last long!

Before heading out, I also had a chance to taste the hemp flavors (not quite creamy enough for me, but good) and to eye the amazing chocolate collection (Fine and Raw is sold here!):

So have I been converted into a diehard ice cream fanatic? Nope. Favorite foods are favorites for a reason, and I’ll always prefer dark chocolate or vegan mousse to ice cream. But it was a real treat to have my eyes opened to the wonderful tastes and possibilities of dairy free ice cream.

More importantly, I delight I the fact that, with each passing day, there are more and more vegan businesses working to conquer the notion that vegan dining is a “substitute” or a sacrifice. It isn’t. In the hands of capable chefs, vegan foods stand on their own merit as gourmet items to savor and enjoy; they demand no sacrifice from discerning foodies. And restaurants like Stogo are blazing the trail, showing consumers everywhere that good “healthy” and “delicious” can—and always should—coexist.

Thanks, Rob, for such a wonderful day, and for all that you and Steve do.

And now, a new giveaway! For all those of you in New York, or who plan to travel to New  York, I’m giving away twenty dollars worth of Stogo Ice cream! To win it, simply:

1) Comment on this post, letting me know which Stogo flavor you most want to try, and

2) Announce it on your blog or Tweet it.

Winner will be announced two weeks from today.

There’s a sweet start to your weekend!

Happy Friday, all.

xo

Happy Friday, guys.

I could not possibly be more glad that the weekend is here. This has been a tiring week from start to finish—too many commitments, too much to-do. I will admit without reservation that yesterday afternoon marked a new low in the annals of work week exhaustion: I was napping on the floor of my office with a legal pad under my head at 4:15 p.m., until my timid intern roused me (thank you, Gloria).

Needless to say, I did not feel particularly proud of my midday repose. Aren’t raw foodists supposed to be, you know, brimming with energy and vibrancy all the time? When I emailed my buddy Charles to say that I was feeling like the least appropriate raw role model ever, he responded with typical wit and kindness: “You’re still a role model. I admire all the passion you’re bringing to the raw scene.”

Thanks, C, for reminding me that we all have highs and lows. No matter how well we treat our bodies—and I think I treat mine pretty well—there’s simply no way to avoid an energy slump when you burn the candle at both ends. And that’s what I’ve been doing. This is a reminder for me to slow down a bit, but it’s also a reminder that, if I’m going to be busy, I might as well prepare myself to be forgiving, too. As I always like to remind my clients, no one is perfect! We all need a spontaneous nap now and then.

While we’re on the topic of being busy, I’d like to share with you all a recent interview I did for the Beam Green newsletter. As you may know, Beam Green is an organization that I’m proudly affiliated with as health counselor. Or was, until this week. Mary, Beam Green’s amazing founder, has taken an exciting new job opportunity, and so, for the foreseeable future, Beam Green is no more. I’m sad about this, of course, but thrilled for Mary. I know she’ll go on to do great things

For the final Beam Green newsletter, I did a quick Q&A about my story, my practice, and my lifestyle. Most of the questions are health-related, but you’ll see that the final note of the interview is a little meditation on being busy, and what it means to strive for some work/life (or work/work) balance. I hope the interview gives you some insight into who I am and what I do, but what I really hope is that you take away a sense of professional possibility. For a long time, I feared the juggling act of two jobs: it’s still a challenge, to be sure, but in the end, my work gives me tremendous energy (the occasional office nap aside). When you love what you do, time becomes elastic (as a good friend once reminded me).

Enjoy the interview, and have a great weekend!

9 Questions for Gena Hamshaw

1.    You recently signed on as BeamGreen’s Raw Food and Detox Coach. How will you be coaching BeamGreen members?

I like to think I’m here to offer as much or as little guidance as Beam Green members need. For those members who have queries about health and wellness, I’m here to provide well-researched and honest information. For those members who need a little encouragement with healthy lifestyle choices—whether that’s eating more greens or quitting smoking—I’m here to offer support. And for those members who are seeking more detailed nutritional assistance, I’ll be offering a discount on my coaching rates for Beam Green members.

2.    How did you get involved in BeamGreen and meet its Founding Director, Mary Boehmer?

I met Mary through our mutual friend, Cassie. As soon as I met her, I was struck by her grace, poise, and passion for the environment and for health. I couldn’t believe all that she’d accomplished at her tender age, and I was excited to collaborate with her in helping to spread word about healthy and green lifestyle choices. Fortunately for me, she’s been very receptive and a terrific collaborator!

3.    In 10 sentences or less, can you explain how you got to the dietary level you are at now?

That’s easy! I’m high-raw, and all vegan. This means that I’m a strict vegan dietetically—I sometimes wear vintage leather—and I eat mostly raw foods. I’d say that I eat nearly 100% raw on most days, but I never exclude cooked options from my diet: I enjoy warm soups, cooked grains and legumes, and cooked root vegetables whenever I crave them. I’ve been a vegetarian since childhood, a vegan for the past few years, and high raw for the last year and a half.

4.    You come from a Greek family, where food is central to its culture, traditions and way of life. How did your food choices affect the relationship with your family?

It wasn’t easy at first; in Greek families, food means love, tradition, hospitality, and so much more. I began eating differently from my family when I was very young, and it was always highly contentious. My grandmother, especially, had a difficult time understanding my decision to stop eating meat. This meant that my mother was caught in between us—she respected my autonomy, but I don’t think it was easy for her to see my diverging from family tradition.

It’s gotten much easier over time, if only because I’ve gotten older and more confident. Much of the trouble with eating differently from one’s family is simply a matter of determination and firmness: if you put your foot down and make clear that your lifestyle matters to you, there will be no room for argument. Obviously, supportive and loving relatives help, too. My father isn’t entirely supportive of my lifestyle, which is too bad, but my mother is entirely open-minded—she’s even incorporating some of my dietary practices into her own life! If respect and love are present, one’s choices should never be too fractious.

5.    What motivated you to start coaching people on nutrition and diets?

A lifelong interest in a healthy diet and a desire to help people find the root of their health complains, which I believe is almost always dietetic. Growing up, I didn’t feel that I had many examples of the kind of healthy, plant-based diet. When I tried to educate myself, I ran into some trouble with restrictive eating patterns—mostly because I was so young. My hope is that young people today and tomorrow will have an increased number of role models in their lives when it comes to plant-based nutrition and healthy, balanced approaches to food, and that parents will be equipped with information to provide kids who are interested in vegetarianism and veganism, even if they don’t ultimately eat those diets themselves.

I’ve never considered myself a naturally altruistic person, but my coaching work has shown me a new and unexpected side of myself: I love to help people. Each time a client overcomes an unhealthy eating pattern or makes a personal breakthrough, I am so glad; each time a client with a health condition feels better, I am thrilled.

6.    What is the most frequently asked question you receive from clients and how do you answer it?

The question I get most is this one: “What do you eat?” It also happens to be the question I refuse to answer. First of all, I consider it part of my job to help clients learn to think independently and self-sufficiently; if they constantly look to me for guidance, they’ll never feel confident with their own choices.

Moreover, I believe firmly that we’re all different. No two bodies will respond differently to the same foods and protocols; my most crucial work as a coach is in helping clients to find an individualized plan that works specifically for them. Looking at what other people eat only induces guilt, pressure, or feelings of superiority, and it’s never healthy; working on a specialized dietary program with one’s own needs in mind is the only way to achieve a lasting and peaceful relationship with food.

7.    What’s your favorite meal look like?

It would involve my three favorite foods: avocados, kale, and squash. I would make a big batch of guacamole, which I make both tart (with lime) and sweet (with agave), a huge green salad with raw kale, and some baked winter squash or raw summer squash, all united with a simple lemon and flax oil dressing. Yum!

8.    What is something people don’t know about you that you don’t mind sharing?

I used to be a smoker. Even as a vegan and frequent exerciser, I smoked. I smoked a pack a day for eight years. It’s not something I’m super proud of, but it’s a part of my past that I embrace and forgive myself for. As much as it can be tough to admit to other raw foodies, it’s also comforting for my clients to hear that I’m human, just like them! None of us are immune to the temptation of addiction, bad habits, etc. It’s how we confront these things that demonstrates our mettle.

9.    Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Right now, I have two lives: I’m a full time book editor at a publishing house in the city, and a health counselor. I love both jobs dearly and don’t wish to give either of them up. I’m young, and this is the time in my life for me to devote all of my energy and passion and wisdom to my career—or careers, as it were!

Whether or not this will still be possible in ten years is up in the air. I might experience so much progress in my coaching practice that my job as an editor becomes untenable; the publishing economy might improve and I may need to devote more time to my editorial work, but in that case I remain firm in my determination to continue with at least a few clients and to do meaningful work in the health community in whatever fashion possible. I may have a family at that point, too, which will mean only more commitments!

But I believe that time is elastic: when you love what you do, you can make anything fit. That’s the principle I live by now, and hope to live by always.

P.S. For another perspective on being busy, check out Melissa’s latest post!

(Erica Michelsen)

Boy, do I have a treat for you guys tonight!

Few New York City institutions are more cherished than the neighborhood restaurant. Most everyone has one: a beloved dining spot downstairs or around the corner that they can depend on. This restaurant is rarely adored for its cuisine; if anything, most neighborhood restaurants are fairly average. They’re likely to be a run-of-the-mill French bistro, or a tiny Italian spot with ten tables, or a diner that happens to be open late. What keeps us coming back to these restaurants again and again is not the food, per se, but the reliability. We may never credit our neighborhood restaurant with the best meal we ever had, or the most innovative, but we can count on it for consistency: we know what it offers, what we’re going to get (because most of us have a favorite dish on the menu) and we know that it will be good.

Truth be told, most restaurants are the same to me: high-end or modest, Italian or French, innovative or traditional, there’s a good chance I’m going to be ordering a giant salad and some steamed, grilled, or sautéed vegetables (maybe with a nice vegan sauce or dressing). This doesn’t sadden me: I don’t expect restaurants to carry an abundance of raw, vegan food. Raw vegans are a tiny part of the New York dining population (and an even smaller part of the national one), and there’s no reason why restaurants can or should cater directly to us. Sure, I think that restaurants should try harder to come up with innovative meals without animal proteins, and I believe they should begin waking up about local, organic, whole foods (some already are are). But I don’t expect all restaurants, especially modest neighborhood mainstays, to accommodate me to perfection.

Still, restaurant dining is a huge part of New York City culture. And it does sometimes feel like a secret language I don’t speak: all this worship of certain chefs and dining spots, this excitement about trying the latest branch of the Momofuku empire or the latest steakhouse, this ardor for flipping through New York  Magazine each week and eying new spots to savor. Thankfully, though, there is one part of the restaurant culture that I don’t have to miss out on. Within the last few years, I’ve found my own neighborhood restaurant—it just doesn’t happen to be in my residential neighborhood!

Pure Food and Wine, a mere three blocks from my office, is everything to me that a neighborhood restaurant should be. It’s inviting. It’s fun. It’s friendly. It’s reliable; I can count on Pure for the same consistency and quality that most people attribute to their neighborhood favorites. And best of all, it’s vegan. And raw. What more could a girl ask for??

(Ryu Kodama)

Unlike other neighborhood restaurants, Pure Food and Wine is notable for its cuisine. And I can say with assurance that I have had both the best and most innovative meals of my life there.

I like to preach the gospel of simplicity on this blog, and rightly so; I think that keeping food preparation simple is an integral part of success with a raw lifestyle. That said, I am no different from any other restaurant diner in wanting the occasional dazzling entrée or elaborate dessert—something I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, make at home. And this is where Pure comes in. It’s the place I can take family and friends to show them the true potential of vegan dining, or to prove that raw cuisine, like any other cuisine, is a blank canvas for culinary artistry.

So Pure has become for me a classier, more exciting version of what the neighborhood restaurant is for most people: on the one hand, it’s where I go when I want to be stunned with innovative raw cuisine. On the other, it’s the place I go when the thought of throwing dinner together seems like a drag; a place where I can smile and greet the wait staff by name; a place where I can always rely on my favorite rotation of dishes. The takeaway spot, One Lucky Duck, has become my go-to spot for midday treats, a great place to meet clients, and a shopping destination for raw goodies (they stock everything from prepared foods to raw oils and nut butters to my favorite facial wash).

(Carina Salvi)

My adoration of Pure is only compounded by my admiration for its founder, businesswoman extraordinaire (and total raw hottie) Sarma Melngailis. Sarma is a powerhouse: an entrepreneur (she is the founder, CEO, and proud mother of One Lucky Duck), a restaurateur (the co-founder and owner of Pure), and talented writer (the co-author of Raw Food Real World and author of Living Raw Food). If that isn’t enough, Sarma is also a blogger, a huge presence in the raw community, and a living, breathing embodiment of that ubiquitous “glow.” How Sarma manages to balance all of these tasks is beyond me; all I can say is that she does balance them, with her spirits and her glow intact!

Recently, this very busy lady was kind enough to agree to answer a few of my burning questions for you very lucky Choosing Raw readers. I was curious about Sarma’s experience as a businesswoman, her thoughts on the raw lifestyle, and her personal faves on the Pure menu. And I was thrilled with her answers. I love what Sarma has to say about the pressures of being a businessperson (though the scope of my business is much smaller than hers, I can relate!). And I think you’re all going to love what Sarma has to say about her raw lifestyle.

When I began Choosing Raw, my goal was to present the raw lifestyle in a welcoming voice, without espousing absolutes or judgments. This is the voice Sarma speaks with, and I hope you’ll all enjoy it!!

1)   I know that you covered the details of your raw transition in Raw Food, Real World, but could you recap the basics for us? What inspired you to try the raw lifestyle, and why did you continue?

I first heard about raw in the summer of 2003. I was reluctantly brought to a small raw café thinking it was going to completely suck. I was bummed out that we weren’t going to the fancy new Jean-Georges restaurant instead. Everything changed in that dinner. The philosophy/rationale (whatever you’d call it) behind eating raw was being explained to me while I was eating (a lot) of yummy food that was so much better than I thought it was going to be, and I felt really good—a noticeable contrast vs. the heavy, want-to-take-a-nap-now feeling that I normally felt after a big restaurant dinner. I was completely intrigued and excited. After that I read as much as I could about raw food while on what I thought was going to be a two-week raw food experiment. I figured it would be hard to endure, that I’d be going crazy wanting a hamburger, chicken, cheese and bread. I didn’t want any of those things, and I felt so amazing in a way I didn’t even know was possible. After only a few days I realized the experiment had become a permanent shift.

2)      A lot of food bloggers lately seem to feel pressured to “go raw” overnight or more quickly than they’re really ready for. Which is why I think they might find it comforting to hear that you don’t flash around the “100% raw” label; you, like me, make room for some cooked foods in your diet, right? What’s the balance that works for you?

I don’t really look for a specific balance of raw vs. cooked. When I’m working in a regular routine I’m usually eating all raw all the time. Admittedly it’s incredibly easy for me when I have my restaurant, our juice bar/takeaway, and One Lucky Duck snacks available whenever I want. But then when I come home and my boyfriend happens to have been inspired at the greenmarket by fresh beets and decided he was going to make a huge pot of borscht, then, I’ll eat a bowl of borscht. (It was really good by the way—full of beets, potatoes, carrots, cannellini beans, cabbage, yum). But then I did feel like I wanted to take a nap immediately. Maybe that ended up being half of what I ate that day. So then I was only half raw. I just never think about percentages, or looking for a balance. I love food, and I like trying other foods and flavors.

And I love nice restaurants. I’m busy so I don’t go out a lot, but if I end up in a really nice restaurant that uses good ingredients, I’ll try just about anything. It just depends whether it feels worth it to me. In Tokyo I was taken to probably one of the best sushi places in that whole city. I ate whatever the chef put in front of me, including teeny whole squids. Eiw. (But it actually tasted really good, once I didn’t have to look at it anymore). There are probably some vegans that would be appalled at what I eat once in a while… but it’s only once in a while.

Otherwise, my diversions are usually still vegan at least. Sometimes I get these odd crazy cravings for chickpeas. I can’t get chickpeas out of my brain. So, I’ll get a can of organic chick peas, dump it into a bowl and toss it with macadamia oil (my favorite), lime juice, and sea salt. Or, put them in a salad. Black beans too. If beans and chickpeas are my diversions from raw, I don’t think that’s anything to worry about. What makes me feel deprived is if I have to go too long without a green shake, or a green juice. I love green shakes (there’s a recipe on my blog and in Living Raw Food) and I love eating mostly raw most of the time!

3)      It goes without saying—or at least, it will come as no surprise to any of my blog readers—that I consider Pure Food and Wine the absolute epitome of fine dining. Part of what I love about Pure is that, unlike some other vegan or healthy restaurants, it feels like a sexy, elegant, urban dining experience. Could you say a few words about the ethos of the restaurant, and how it has grown?

Well, you said it nicely that the restaurant feels sexy and elegant. That’s what we’ve always been going for, in addition to really comfortable and warm. I like having high service standards, but delivered in a friendly way. I want everyone to feel extremely welcome and for that reason we actually don’t hire many raw/vegans (if any at all!). I’d like to get people who otherwise wouldn’t visit this sort of restaurant to come and so I especially don’t ever want anyone to come in and feel judged, or different. I’ve always wanted it to be this way and I think that’s stayed the same. What I see having grown is that more and more people coming in have already heard of raw food and know of the restaurant before—that’s nice.

(Ryu Kodama)

4)      Raw Food, Real World, is a classic in my own cookbook library, so I’m thrilled to dig into Living Raw Food. Could you say a few words about how the new book differs from the last? How has your culinary approach changed since you wrote the first book?

Like the first book, the new book is full of recipes from Pure Food and Wine, but this time they’re divided in two sections: easier recipes for which you don’t need as much time and equipment, and more ambitious recipes that require a bit more planning. The recipes come almost entirely from the staff at the restaurant, so it’s less a reflection of my own culinary approach vs. the restaurant’s culinary development. At this point we have more than enough recipes for a third book and I’d love to do a dessert book too.

Aside from the recipes, Raw Food Real World is more of a beginner’s perspective. My co-author and I described how we felt after our overnight transition from eating absolutely everything to eating only (or, mostly only) raw plant foods. This time I wrote the book alone, and it’s more about what it’s been like for me after five years on mostly raw (now it’s been six, but it was five at the time I wrote it). I also really wanted to address some of the more common questions I’ve been asked over the years, which includes issues related to emotional detox and people’s struggle to “stick with it”.

5)      As a book editor (my other, non-blogging life!), I really relish the intelligence and clarity you bring to your writing. I’ve also noticed that the new book is much more of a book, and less of a cookbook, than the first. How was it being a bit more visible as a narrator this time around?

To the extent that this book is a lot more personal, it was definitely nerve-wracking to put out. I kept thinking maybe I was sharing too much, or putting forth some kind of less than desirable impression, or worst of all just that no one would care. But then I just figure, F-it, as long as it’s honest then there’s nothing really to regret. My publisher wouldn’t like to know I’m saying this, but the cover makes me really squeamish! It looks too sales-y to me—like I’m pitching a Hawaiian vacation with that cocktail in my hand! I’m not good at posing for photos. Candid photos feel much more genuine. I love my publisher but we definitely fought over the cover and since they have ultimate control, they win. [Editor's honest note: Yeeeah. We publishers need to work on our book cover savvy.]

But back to the writing… I was really happy that they let me write what I wanted without censoring it, even when I wrote goofy things. I really want to write another book that has no recipes—I’ve been writing it in my head for a long time. I can let our chefs put out more recipe books, and I’ll write this other one. I just need to find the time!

6)      As a restaurateur, a writer, and a small business owner (One Lucky Duck), you are quite an entrepreneur. How do you balance all of your projects without losing your mind? What are some of the pressures that come with being at the helm of so many incredible organizations?

Sometimes I do lose my mind. I probably ought to meditate and do yoga and all that. Instead I just keep letting my mind run and run until it overloads and crashes, and then I’ll have to spend half a day (usually a Sunday) in broken down mode. This happens once in a while! I’d prefer if I could go lie on a beach once in a while, but for now this is how it goes. It’s okay. I think almost all people that have built really big businesses (and I plan for mine to be really big!) will say that there was a period of time where it’s all about survival and pushing forward with every ounce of effort. At some point we’ll reach a cruising altitude and then hopefully I can step back a bit, take more time to relax (which of course will only make me more focused and productive) and be able to create the things I want to create.

I think the biggest pressure comes from knowing so many people rely on you. Not that I want to, but I can’t decide to flake out and move to Hawaii. There are 70 (or so) people working for me. They’re all amazing. But I can’t let them, or anyone else, down. There’s a lot to take care of, a lot at stake, and hence, quite a bit of pressure. I try not to think about that part and just keep moving along. I’m kind of a perfectionist, so when I look at things I see what’s not right, and what needs fixing, updating, etc. Even at other restaurants, if there’s a typo on the menu I’ll spot it right away. I also know what we have planned, so when I look at oneluckyduck.com it’s hard for me to see all the things that aren’t there yet, that aren’t the way I’d like them to be. But I’m guessing it’ll always be like this. And it makes it really fun and satisfying when we make progress.

7)      OK. The question I’ve been dying to ask you! What are some of your favorite recipes from the new book? And what are some classic items on the Pure menu that have stood the test of time?

From the easier side of the book, I love the Heirloom Tomato, Fennel, and Avocado Pressed Salad with Caper Dressing, Pistachio, and Mint. A lot of my favorite flavors in one dish. It’s good to make for a dinner party.

I also love the super-easy Chia Pudding—it really couldn’t possibly be easier, it’s like the raw equivalent of jello pudding where you just stir the liquid in and wait fifteen minutes. Since there’s a recipe called My Favorite Greens Shake, that’s definitely another one I love.

From the more ambitious side of the book, I love the Black Trumpet Mushroom Napoleon with Caramelized Shallots, Herbed Cashew Cream and Apricot-Riesling Sauce. That’s not written on the menu at the restaurant right now, but we have the same thing in little mini bite sized tarts that you usually get if you order the tasting menu and I always order them to start when I have business dinners there. I also absolutely love the Falafel and Tabouleh which is still (and always will be) on our takeaway menu. Also, the Mint Sundae. Unless you don’t like mint, it’s hard not to love that one. [Hi again. Um, this is very true.]

The lasagna is the most classic menu item… specifically, the Zucchini and Tomato Lasagna with Pine Nut Ricotta, Sun Dried Tomato Sauce and Basil Pistashio Pesto [This is the dish that converted my Mom to raw food enthusiasm!]. The Tamales are also a popular dish, also in the first book, and also still on the menu now. And finally, you know my favorite thing from the takeaway is the Mallomar (though not in the book) … yummy. That and mint chocolate chip ice cream. OK… now I’m really hungry!

* * *

Thank you, Sarma, for giving New York the wonderful institution that is Pure. And thank you for giving me the neighborhood restaurant I never had.

I don’t doubt that Sarma’s musings will inspire so many of you — if only to make some raw ice cream! And to help you in that effort, Sarma has very generously agreed to share a copy of Living Raw Food with one lucky reader! So here’s the deal: respond to this post with a comment about one thing you took away from Sarma’s fabulous interview. I’ll announce the winner two weeks from today, on August 23rd. Good luck to you all!

I also have the winner of my last giveaway to announce! A brand new copy of Born to Run goes to #22: Lorena. I’ll be in touch, Lorena, about sending you the book!

And thanks, as always, for stopping by. May you all enjoy a visit to Pure someday — the sooner, the better!

xo

P.S. Everyone head over to my pal Chocolate Covered Katie‘s blog to read my guest post on veggie pasta!

Hi everyone!

I hope your holiday weekends are off to a great start. I’m thrilled to be sharing a very special post with you today; it’s the second installment in my Choosing Raw interview series, and it’s a good one! My guest is no stranger to you all by now: the very lovely Melissa, who is the heart and soul behind FitnessNYC.

One of the first blogs I discovered, FitnessNYC continues to be a blog I read and savor nearly every day. It’s a useful resource for any city dweller—Melissa has nailed the fine art of keeping her readers informed about goings on and opportunities in New York, always with an eye on her readers’ wallets. It’s also a tremendous source of inspiration for anyone who’s looking to upgrade their fitness routine. Though she never brags her athleticism on the blog, Melissa is a fitness star, through and through: marathon runner, Lotte Burke fanatic, gym rat, and mastermind of genius workout playlists!

If I had to choose, I’d say that the two things I love most about Melissa’s blog are its enthusiasm and its modesty. I’m grateful for the many fitness blogs out there, which inspire me to amp up my workout routine. But I have to admit that the culture of stat-sharing can sometimes seem a little self-congratulatory. Not so at FitnessNYC. Melissa might run eight miles in the morning and hit Physique 57 for a double class in the afternoon, but she never seems to be patting herself on the back for it.

More importantly, Melissa loves to sweat, and it shows. One phenomenon I often see with female clients (especially runners) is the use of exercise to mitigate eating. These clients might enjoy food, but they use working out to feel “safe” about what they’re eating, rather than for the physical thrill. I don’t cast aspersions on this; it’s natural for exercise to be a part of one’s desire to stay fit. But I do enjoy Melissa’s unadulterated love of physical activity: she’s not doing it for the calorie burn, nor to justify last night’s dinner. She’s doing it because she loves to sweat more than any lady I know.

Finally—and I’m sorry to ramble before I get to the lady of the hour herself—I have to mention that I also have the pleasure of calling Melissa a friend (in fact, she’s the person who pushed me to start this blog!). And as her friend, I can tell you that what you see on her blog is exactly what you get in person: honesty, sincerity, modesty, intelligence, and a big heart.

So without further ado, I present Melissa of FitnessNYC! Don’t forget to read the end of the post carefully, because I’m hosting a giveaway to honor having her as my guest!

1) Let’s begin at the beginning: how did your love of fitness develop? Has it been a lifelong passion?

I have always been very active and had lots of energy. Growing up I played several sports, danced and did gymnastics.  My mom did workout videos every single morning, so I have always been a fan—starting with Mousercise and working my way up to Denise, Gilad and Kathy Smith.  I became interested in things like yoga and cardio kickboxing in middle school, so I would take classes at the Y on a regular basis.

I was never an amazing athlete; I went to a huge high school, where you basically had to be top in the state to be on teams, so I enjoyed recreational league swim teams, softball, dance and gymnastics more for social reasons than for aspirations of glory.

In high school, I was more involved in community service groups, NHS, the art program and drama than athletics. I would basically go to the gym a few times a week, swim a few times a week and take daily walks with the dog, but it was never anything too structured. I was generally pretty active since I biked to work everyday and was always on the go.

In college, I found that going to the gym was actually a great way to relieve stress, break up my studying sessions, and take some time to daydream or work through my thoughts.  I didn’t go everyday, but I never found going to be a chore. When I studied abroad in Spain I found that it was pointless to waste time at the gym, so I just did as much walking and site seeing as possible.  When I returned from Spain, I started to go the gym on a daily basis, not because I had gained weight, but I found it was really important to my mood!  I also had a huge crush on a guy who I would often see at the gym, so that was further incentive to be a sweaty stalker.  So for the last six and half years, I have gone to the gym on a near daily basis and found it to be the perfect way to keep my mood and stress levels in check, and more recently, through running to challenge myself.

2) The reason I love your blog so much—OK, one of the reasons—is that your love of fitness seems so unbelievably untarnished by concerns about weight loss or maintenance. Unfortunately, many of my female clients seem to use exercise more as a means of self-regulation than satisfaction: they exercise in order to feel “safe” about what they eat. One of my favorite of your posts included a mention that you’d been to the gym in the morning and went again in the afternoon, not because you felt guilty about not working out “enough,” but because you really just wanted to. I loved this idea—the notion that you just couldn’t get enough. Tell me more about what it is you love so much about exercise and the way it makes you feel.

I have never really equated weight loss with exercise. Honestly, your body is more a reflection of your diet than your workout routine. However, I am happy that exercise has never been connected to diet or weight maintenance for me, because it has allowed it to be so much more fulfilling!  I find that even a day or two out of the gym and I have tons of nervous energy that needs releasing, less physical energy, and I am a whole lot more cranky.  Even just a half hour of light exercise, walking, elliptical or jogging keeps me on an even keel.  Add a few days a week of more intense exercise (which is what you need to really make a physical difference) and I am on cloud nine from the endorphin rush. But I never push myself to do more than I feel like or adhere rigidly to a schedule.

In high school, I suffered from depression, and I have found exercise to be more beneficial than the years of therapy and Zoloft. In terms of body image, I am certainly not immune to days where I don’t love my body, but running definitely has helped me appreciate the sheer strength and endurance of my body over my jeans size.

3) Another thing I love about your blog is your total honesty about the fact that you’ve never felt like a “born runner.” Running, you make clear, was a bit of a struggle for you at first, and it’s something you’ve had to work hard at. What’s your advice for people like me, who tend to think that they’re “bad” runners, or simply not cut out for it?

Definitely!  I still don’t know how I made it through “the mile” in grade school!  For years, I tried to run, but could only go a few houses before starting to wheeze!  I tried a lot of techniques to get better, running a minute, walking a minute, etc.  But I always gave up and stuck with things I enjoyed, like swimming, biking, power walking, kickboxing classes. However, it really started to annoy me that I couldn’t run.  Actually, my decision to sign up for the marathon was almost entirely based on my frustration with my running struggle and wanting to overcome it!  I can say two things helped me become “a runner.”

Finding a friend to sign up for a 5K with me.  I did the Revlon Run Walk in 2003.  Races are a great way to get motivated, excited and committed.  Plus, I knew I could walk if I needed to—I didn’t.

Second, there was a summer I didn’t have access to a gym.  So I was doing lots of biking and powerwalking.  Then my friend told me that powerwalking was for old ladies—and I decided to make the switch.  Plus I had almost no free time that summer, so my 3 mile run was far quicker than my 3 mile walk.

My best tips:

•find a friend to run with
•sign up for a short race
•run outside!
•have a great playlist
•start with just once or twice a week, so you don’t burn out or lose interest

I have written a few posts on getting started; check them out for more info!

So you want to be a runner? Part 1
So you want to be a runner? Part 2

4) I spend a lot of time assuring my readers that they can work raw foods and meal planning into their busy lives. But a common dilemma for me — and I’m sure other women can relate — is how to work physical fitness into my busy life! What are your best tips on staying active and fit amidst work, socializing, dating, etc?

This can be SO hard!  Basically, I have an very general idea of my schedule each week, so I know what days I have to workout in the morning, what days I might have a lunch hour free, and what days I have time to squeeze in an after work gym session before meeting friends for dinner/drinks/etc. And, of course, the occasional nights when I get to go straight home and can use the gym in my building for PM workout.

So if you look at your day as 4 opportunities to work out:

1.    first thing in the morning (always a safe bet, not too many obstacles come up before 8 am)
2.    lunch hour
3.    right after work
4.    after dinner

You have to find which works best for you each day and try to fit at least a quickie into one of those slots.  Some people really hate morning workouts, or cannot workout after dinner, others have no energy after work.  I feel for all of you, but guess what push through those harder times for a few days, and it will get much easier and even enjoyable. I always find it hard to get motivated after work, but I find that after the initial few minutes of misery, sometimes I have my best workouts!  Even if you are not a morning person, you may find that you have more energy all day and sleep better at night, if you squeeze in that AM jog!

5) One of your truest strengths as a blogger is your sense of place: FitnessNYC is both a fitness blog and an ode to our tremendous city. I’m always inspired by your informative posts on local goings on, deals, and attractions. Tell me more about how you feel fitness and New York-ness intersect on the blog. And what are your tips for staying fit in an urban environment—especially in the cold months, when running outdoors isn’t a great option?

This is a great question! I don’t know why I have never addressed it on my blog. My original tagline was: staying healthy, happy and fit in the city—and having a little fun too.  So I try kind of show that I have a life outside the gym—you can have both!  I am also obsessed with NYC and the amazing culture and fitness resources it offers, so if I can review a class or let people know about a special fitness freebie that might inspire even one person to love and enjoy fitness—that’s the greatest thing ever! Vital Juice Daily and the Time Out Spa and Sport sections always have great deals and information on the latest classes and studio specials!

Staying fit in NYC is both really tough and really simple.  Everyone is so busy and works long hours and there are lots of distractions.  However, there are tons of options: countless yoga studios, specialized fitness classes, 24 hour gyms, running clubs galore, etc.  I would say a nearby gym is probably the most convenient and affordable option.  You get tons of classes and machines for about the same price as three or four classes at a fancy yoga studio.

I am also a HUGE believer that natural fitness is the most effective. If you are truly time-strapped, put your heels in your bag, lace up your sneakers and walk to your destination.  We urban dwellers have ample opportunity to walk, so forgo the cabs and subways when you can!

6) OK. Here’s a toughie. There are many in the raw community who discourage intense exercise as a means of either weight loss OR health-generation. While I’m inclined to disagree with that stance—I like to work out and always feel better when I do—I also agree that I’ve been healthier and happier since I abandoned my more marathon workouts and gotten used to gentler, shorter gym runs and more yoga. Then again, I can’t help feeling just a tad sheepish when so many of my blogging sisters are training for marathons and triathalons!

Where do you stand on this? How much is too much or enough? How intensely should we be sweating to be healthy?

I think this is a personal decision. I don’t think there is a magic number.  You have to find the amount and intensity that feels right. I think a balance of cardio, strength and yoga/pilates is a great mix for anyone, even if it is just once a week of each to start. Whatever you do find what you love and gives you that happy, exhilarated feeling.  I can agree that no exercise is healthy.  I will say that I believe powerwalking is exercise.  Let’s look at some of the benefits that might appeal to the raw population:

-Sweating is detoxifying!
-exercise lubricates your joints and keeps your body limber
-weight bearing exercise is important to increase bone density
-exercise can improve mood and naturally alleviate depression
-raw food frees up time and energy; why not use some of it improving your cardiovascular health and endurance too?

Excess is no good either.  For those looking for major changes in endurance, speed or body fat, I do recommend one to two days of very high intensity intervals, you get more bang for your buck in much less time!

I also think the idea that exercise is only a temporary “high” due to increased blood flow and oxygen is sort of shallow because the same can be argued for the raw food lifestyle.  If you stop eating raw food, you don’t feel as good.  Furthermore, even a moderate amount of exercise can have notable stress relieving effects.

No one should feel the pressure to compete with other bloggers or their friends about exercise or diet. Not everyone has to be a marathoner, especially if you don’t enjoy it.  I incorporate a wide variety of exercise in my weekly workout wrap-ups.  I like running because it gets my creativity flowing, I often pre-write blog posts in my head or thing of ideas on a long run. The elliptical is where I daydream or think about my goals/to-do items. The rower is the best for silencing my mind and achieving total calm. Spinning, by contrast, amps me up and makes me feel on top of the world.

7) You’ve your own journey with raw foods. Tell us a little bit about your experience with eating raw.

Well, I think I am one of the luckier semi-raw foodists!  I kind of randomly got a hostessing job at Pure Food and Wine. At the time, I had NO IDEA what raw food was. I learned a ton and must have read Raw Food/Real World 20 times over the course of the summer.

I had a fairly easy time staying mostly raw while I was working there and really enjoyed it!  I worked there for over a year, and was raw until dinner for about a year.  It took me a while to warm up to all the raw hype, but slowly I became much more adventurous.  I had never had a mango or avocado before I worked at Pure Food and Wine! I always loved fruits and veggies, but I was pretty basic with my choices.

I would say the two life changing things I took away from Pure Food and Wine and my raw experience were:

1.) Vegetarianism. When I started working there, never in a million years did I think I would ever be a vegetarian! I wasn’t a huge meat eater, but I always liked knowing that I would have the fairly safe grilled chicken salad as my back up order in a restaurant with limited healthy choices. I never had a low carb lifestyle, but I generally thought protein (lean chicken and turkey) was important to keeping me thin. After learning more and reading, Diet For a New America, I knew I could never eat meat again. Even though it is purely ethical with me, I wouldn’t feel good or right eating chicken, even if I knew the bird had been lovingly tucked into a nest with 600 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. [Interruption from interviewer: hooray for vegetarianism!!!]

2.) A new definition of healthy foods.  Logically I had always known that processed foods were not healthy and had never been a huge diet food person. However, I was actually semi-restrictive with natural foods. I avoided dried fruits, nuts, oils, and even high GI fruits because I thought they would pack on pounds instantly. I would probably feel safer with a 100 calorie cup of froyo than a small serving of almonds because I would worry the volume in almonds wouldn’t be enough. However, I can to realize that these foods are actually part of any healthy diet in moderation.  While I have never loved nuts or dried fruits, nut butters and fresh dates are now staples in my diet. More importantly, I have broken away from fearing any food, and that resulting freedom has been amazing.

(Melissa and Gena at Pure Food and Wine)

8 ) What do you love about raw foods? And be honest: what don’t you love? What do you feel are some of the challenges of eating raw? And how do you think they can be avoided?

What I love about raw foods is how they can literally feel like an IV of health to your system.  How eating healthy food makes you crave healthy food and that you can actually create the most indulgent salads imaginable with a little creativity!

I do have a hard time dealing with the social issues of being raw.  Working at a restaurant made me a total foodie and restaurant snob. However, I found that some of my friends really didn’t appreciate my new diet and actually didn’t want to eat out with me when I started ordering my brunch granola, fruit salad and yogurt, minus the granola and yogurt.  That was very hard, but Gena, you have taught me to stand up for my health decisions, and I never tried to make anyone else a raw foodist!

But my personal challenge committing to a raw lifestyle wasn’t just other people, sometimes it is easy to feel guilty about not following the rules, such as eating 100% raw and food combining, and I never let myself feel guilty about what I eat EVER! I just can’t waste energy stressing about what I ate versus what I shouldn’t have eaten, etc. Some of that stems from experience with food far before learning about raw, and for the most part raw food actually made me more willing to expand my horizons.

I am still working to find the raw balance that works for me!

9) I get a fair number of clients who are concerned about keeping up their athletic regimes on a raw or semi-raw diet. It goes without saying that they’re particularly concerned about protein intake. While I, as you know, tend to discourage fixation on protein, I sympathize with this concern and try to handle it with respect for their needs. What’s your feeling about fueling one’s body for exercise on a raw diet? And what protein sources would you recommend?

I think your best bet is to still with the protein rich, but lighter sources: nuts have protein, but the high fat content can weigh you down a bit. I find green juice, hemp and chia seeds and bee pollen to be good bets. A lot of people rave about Sun Warrior Protein, but I have never tried it. I don’t typically worry about protein, but there are times when I realize I am too carb/fruit heavy and adding the greens, seeds and juice can help balance those things.

10) OK. The fun part! Please share your all time favorite raw recipe with us! And tell us why you love it.

Well, you can find my top 5 recipes on my blog.

But I thought I would share my favorite raw dish to order in a non-raw restaurant. AsI said, social dining can be hard when you really want to eat raw, but don’t want to draw attention to your order. I love Thai restaurants because they have so many raw options. My favorites are mango salads and papaya salads. You can always get a papaya salad and either a mango avocado salad and/or a shredded mango salad. While they may not be 100% raw–the dressing and nut garnish may contain trace cooked elements–they are pretty close and deliciously tasty and refreshing.

Thanks, Mel!

To honor having Melissa as my guest, I’m giving away a special book: Born to Run, by Chris McDougall.

How many of you have wondered—perhaps in struggling with running yourself—whether or not human beings were really meant to run in the first place? I know I have; as you can see above, running does not come easily to me, even when I do it and enjoy it. Well, this is the very question that Chris McDougall sets out to answer in Born to Run. To answer it, Chris travels to Mexico’s Copper Canyon, where he’s intent on studying the Tarahumara Indians, who are legendary for running hundreds of miles at a time without injury, without stress, and without stop. In fact, the Tarahumara are renowned for their serenity and joy, not to mention their lack of autoimmune disease and physiological damage.

What emerges from Chris’s quest is a travelogue, an anthropological portrait of the world’s greatest natural runners, and a riveting account of a fifty-mile race in which Chris ultimately chose to participate.  And guess who was running alongside him? None other than Scott Jurek, ultramarathoner and vegan!

If that’s not enough to pique your interest, you should know that the book has plenty of interesting information on the Tarahamura’s diet, which is low in animal protein and extremely high in chia seeds. It’s a terrific read for all vegan or raw athletes, or for anyone seeking out a compulsively entertaining and intelligently researched summer read!

To win a copy of Born to Run, just leave a comment on this post naming one thing about Melissa’s advice or feedback that stuck with you. Good luck!

Finally, I have the winner from my last interview giveaway! The lucky lady is Jenna from PetitFoodie. Jenna, please email me with your name and address so that I can send you Lindsay’s ebook!

Have a lovely 4th, everyone!

xo

Happy Tuesday, all. I have a very special post for you today!

One of my main goals with Choosing Raw is to offer you a variety of perspectives on nutrition, health, and green living. This will mean testimonials from eaters of all persuasions: raw, cooked, omni, flexitarian, vegan, and more. It will also mean conversations with other bloggers, figures in the health and fitness worlds, entrepreneurs, and, naturally, leaders in the raw community.

It is with tremendous pride, then, that I’m officially kicking off the Choosing Raw interview series! With any luck, I’ll have new interviews appearing every three to four weeks. I already have a number of interviewees in mind, but please feel free to share your suggestions!

My first interviewee is a lady whom I have great admiration for. I think her blog is incredible: in fact, it was one of the blogs that inspired me to begin blogging myself. She’s Lindsay, otherwise known as the Happy Herbivore–one of the blog world’s most vociferous and friendly vegan voices. Beyond her talent with the pen (or keyboard), Lindsay has become a good friend: she’s consistently sweet, supportive, and hilarious. We were lucky enough to share lunch when she was visiting New York from L.A. in December, and we had a blast!

If you aren’t familiar with Lindsay’s blog, here’s the deal: Lindsay cooks 100% vegan and almost 100% fat free. Now, you guys know that I’m all about my healthy fats. But I’m also all about eliminating unnecessary and/or animal-based fats, and this is where Lindsay’s genius comes in: think sweet potato muffins, tacos, key lime pie, and cupcakes, sans fat. But not without flavor: I was lucky enough to be one of Lindsay’s cookbook testers last year, and I know for a fact that her recipes are both scrumptious and healthy!

Here are the top five things I love about Lindsay:

1)    She’s a Fellow NYC native.

Holla!

2)    She Knows What People Want to Eat

Lindsay has a particular genius for cooking up comfort food. She takes traditional recipes—recipes that are satisfying, familiar, and enticing—and veganizing them. This is the kind of food you can feed to friends, family, and—the ultimate test—dudes! I dare you to find a boyfriend who won’t love Lindsay’s food.

On her blog, you’ll find recipes for burritos, cheesecake, double-chocolate brownie muffins, mac n’ cheese, mock meatloaf, and more. Along with these, you’ll find more traditional healthy vegan dishes: nourishing soups, stews, glazed tofu dishes, and a variety of ethnic meals, including her famous red lentil daal, which has made its way through the blogosphere to rave reviews.

3)    Her Creativity

Lindsay says it best: “you could deep fry a piece of bark and it would taste good.” Oh, how true it is. Let’s face it, it doesn’t take tremendous skill to make food taste good when you can lean on butter, salt, oil, refined sugar, or whatever your poison of choice happens to be. Making food—especially baked goods—that are fat free, whole-foods, and plant-based? Now that takes skill. Among vegan chefs, I consider Lindsay imminently resourceful and talented; you’ll never see two sticks of earth butter in her muffins, or a cup of oil in her stir fry. All you’ll find are whole ingredients and lots of ingenuity.

4)    Her Consistency

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, then you know that I’m a big fan of consistency and commitment (I also think that these are the keys to lasting weight loss and health maintenance). No one embodies these qualities more than Lindsay. A strict vegan who never apologizes for her views, Lindsay is 100% consistent; she, like me, never eats animal products (I make an exception for honey, against which I have yet to hear an entirely persuasive health or ethical argument). She, like me, doesn’t take “breaks” for travel or restaurants. As much as I respect the need for flexibility, I really admire Lindsay’s whole-hearted dedication to her lifestyle, and I know that I can always count on her to support mine.

5)    Her Commitment

Whether she’s running a race (yes, Lindsay is a marathon runner and a serious athlete), writing one of her new cookbooks (for the record, she’s self-published four already), or devising a new recipe, Lindsay gives everything 100% effort and more. I love her hard work ethic and unflagging energy!

Now, I consider myself what my buddy Kristen likes to call HRAV: High Raw, All Vegan. Even when I’m not totally raw, I’m always totally vegan. But I tend to give the vegan transition short change on the blog, since I’m so busy discussing all things raw. Don’t let my oversight stop you: if you’re interested in transitioning into a vegan lifestyle, I can’t recommend Lindsay’s blog enough. It’s informative, well researched, and beautiful. And as a vegan chef who knows how to re-create traditional comfort foods, no one is more suitable to talk about vegan eats than Lindsay is.

On that note, I’ve asked Lindsay to say a few words about her own journey to veganism, her way of cooking, her views on health, and her views on raw food. Without further ado, Lindsay — the Happy Herbivore!

1)    OK. It’s the question we’ve all been waiting for: Why vegan?

I’m a vegan for the animals, the environment and my health. This quote sums it up:

“No single food choice has a farther reaching and more profoundly positive impact on the environment and all of life on earth than the choice to be vegan.” – Alternative Baking Co.

2)    How did you transition to a vegan diet? Cold turkey or gradually? What foods or techniques helped you make the switch?

I was a vegetarian before I was a vegan, though making the switch was easy once I learned how to bake without eggs. I grew up thinking dairy was gross and was later diagnosed as lactose intolerant. I started drinking soymilk in the 1990’s. I’m a bit of an odd vegan in that I don’t like fake meats and dairy substitutes, though I’m happy those items exist for those that like them or find them helpful in maintaining a vegan diet.

3)    Were there any books or resources that influenced on you as you were transitioning to veganism that you’d recommend to other readers?

Skinny Bitch and Eat to Live. Though I was already vegan when I read them, they helped reinforce my new dietary and lifestyle choice.

4)    As soon as I went vegan, I noticed two things. 1) I never got seasonal colds anymore, and 2) I never got bad breath or body odor anymore. What did you notice right away? (Feel free to get personal. We aren’t shy.)

I’ve completely stopped wearing deodorant. During an intense workout I will get sweaty, but I won’t have BO. Even after a ten mile run I still don’t “stink.”

As for colds, they are few and far between. If I do pick something up, I always kick it within 24 to 48 hours and without the assistance of any medication (including over-the-counter meds). Prior to being vegan, I was always battling something – a sniffle, a cough, the flu. I was a student and riding public transportation so I was constantly exposed to germs and subsequently sick. In the first year I was vegan, I didn’t have one cold… not one! I was still a student and riding the subway, but my immune system went platinum.

Going vegan has also drastically cut back on my migraines. I’ve suffered from migraines for 19 years. 19! I would have, on average, 4 to 10 a month. My migraines aren’t just headaches: they come with sweats, shakes and vomiting. It was so out of control I was taking a pill four times a day to “prevent” them. Now I’m off the drugs AND I have one or two a year, tops.

Going vegan has also transformed my digestive system. I was always throwing up, constipated, suffering from diarrhea, or my stomach just hurt for whatever reason. At least once a week I thought I had food poisoning. I’ve never been so regular in my life since going vegan, and these digestive problems are a distant memory.

5)    You’re not only a vegan, but a vegan athlete. What whole foods to you use to fuel your workout regime?

I love fruit. A lot of runners use GU’s or other gels for “refueling” but I use coconut covered dates. I try not to use Gatorade . . . I prefer using the sports drink recipe in The Thrive Diet, but I do not always have the ability to make it.

I’m a big believer in proper fueling before and after a work out. I eat water-heavy fruits before a workout (such as melons) and I always have a banana after. After a long run, I slug fresh vegetable juice. Fresh veggie juices are a great way to get nutrients immediately back into your body after a taxing run.

One thing I don’t obsess about is protein. I eat beans and lentils fairly often but not every day. I stopped drinking protein shakes. Needing a lot of protein – athlete or not – is a misconception.  I’ve noticed an increase in energy once I stopped eating protein-sports products.

6)    What do you think makes someone a good vegan chef? Are there any tricks of the trade that pertain specifically to vegan cooking, rather than mainstream cooking?

I am not impressed with chefs who deep fry or use gobs of oil. You could deep fry a piece of bark and it would taste good. I’m far more impressed with chefs who can cook fat free and with whole foods. If you throw gobs of fat in something, it will taste good – but to make a decadent food that is fat-free and still tastes good? Well now I’m impressed!

7)    People tend to assume that eating a vegan diet necessarily means eating a healthy diet. In my experience, this isn’t true: lots of vegans subsist on processed soy products and Earth Balance. Part of what I love about your blog is that you’re not just a vegan, but a vegan who advocates a low fat, low oil, and whole foods diet. Tell us a little more about why you eat the way you do—especially your choice to cook almost 100% fat free.

The fat you eat is the fat you wear. It’s that simple. If you eat a low fat, plant-based diet you will lose weight and be thin. You can also eat as much as you want without gaining weight. Eat simply and as close to nature as possible and you will look and feel your best.

8)    Raw foodists, as you know, tend to be generous with their fat sources, especially oils and nuts. What tips would you give my raw readers about reducing these fats in their diets?

Cut the oil by half for starters, and remember produce! Cut back on the seeds and nuts, and eat more of earth’s bounty.

9)    So here’s the big question: how much raw foods do you eat? Do you enjoy eating raw? What are some of your favorite raw recipes?

I am 60-70% raw on any given day. I eating love fruit for breakfast as it gives me a bounce in my step. I snack all day on raw fruits and veggies and my lunches are typically salads or smoothies. I usually have a salad with my dinner and fresh berries for “dessert.” I tend to eat some cooked foods at dinner, if I’m in the mood, and I do toss beans on my salads. However, when eating raw, its fat-free or low fat. I use nuts sparingly, and I never use oils.

My all-time favorite raw recipe is Choosing Raw’s alfredo!! I also love salads and veggie wraps.

10)    Your cookbooks are overflowing with incredible recipes. But if you had to choose, what would you say is the most quintessential Happy Herbivore recipe—the recipe you think most defines you as a chef—and  why?

Hard question! My initial reaction was the low fat chocolate chip cookies – because they could convert anyone . . . and no one can discount my chickpea tacos, dal and carrot cake cupcakes which made me a vegan household name…

But I think I’ll go with Scott’s [Mr. Happy Herbivore’s] suggestion: the “Maple Kissed Sweet Potato Muffins.” They’re a little untraditional and edgy, like me, and they’re also fat-free and made from whole-wheat flour and maple syrup – whole ingredients are my life and cooking style.

Thanks, Lindsay!!!

Speaking of Lindsay’s cooking style: Lindsay has just released her latest scrumptious e-book: Backyard Vegan! Stuffed with popular summertime treats that have been healthified and veganized, this is your go to book for summer eats! All of the recipes are made from whole foods and have no added fat. And best of all, these recipes meet my own #1 criteria for kitchen excellence: they’re easy to make and use basic, inexpensive ingredients. Here’s some food porn for you all:

Southwestern Macaroni Salad

Veggie, Bean, and Quinoa “Meatballs”

Mojito Cupcakes

No-Sugar Mango Sorbet

As a little experiment, Lindsay and I thought it would be fun for me to take one of her recipes and make it raw. I chose a recipe that can’t be made totally raw without being sort of unpleasant (raw potatoes? No thanks), but was simply so tempting that I couldn’t resist. It’s Lindsay’s creamy potato salad. Lindsay’s recipe calls for fat-free vegan mayo, Dijon mustard, and lots of dill and lemon. Mine calls for a raw mayo and similar flavorings!

I steamed the potatoes gently for twenty-five minutes to retain maximum nutrients while achieving a cooked-through, tender texture. Here’s Lindsay’s version:

And mine!

And the raw-ified recipe:

A Raw Spin on Happy Herbivore’s Creamy Potato Salad (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 cups spring potatoes: I used baby brown potatoes, but you can use red potatoes, too
¼ – 1/3 cup raw mayo (recipe below)
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh dill
Generous sprinkle of lemon zest

Procedure:

Cut potatoes into quarters. Steam over moderate heat for about 20-25 minutes, or till fork tender. Let cool for about ten minutes, mix with mayo, and toss with herbs and zest. Enjoy!!

Gena’s Easy Raw Mayo (Makes about 2 cups)

Ingredients:

1 cup cashews, soaked at least 2 hours
3 tbsp – ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic (optional)
Water

Procedure:

Food processor: Blend nuts, garlic if desired and lemon until the mixture is relatively well combined. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the mix takes on a creamy texture. Check the consistency: if it’s still too thick or coarse, keep blending and drizzle some additional water in. Keep going until it’s rich and creamy. Add some chopped herbs, if you like!

Vitamix: Blend all of the ingredients in a Vitamix till creamy.

I tried this potato salad last night, and it is delicious! A perfect high-raw recipe for summer cookouts and parties. Your friends will never guess that it’s 100% vegan and healthy!

Now, I urge you all to go purchase Backyard Vegan: for a mere $5.00, it’s a tremendous value! But because she’s so generous, Lindsay is offering one copy of the book to a lucky Choosing Raw reader! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this blog mentioning your favorite summertime recipe (you guys know what mine is!). Good luck!

Speaking of luck, I’ll announce the winner of the Pure Food and Wine gift bag tomorrow. So stay tuned!

Have a great Tuesday, guys.

xo