The RAW TRUTH

Living Raw

By Katrine Volynsky

Demi Moore, Alicia Silverstone and Carol Alt are doing it. Tyra Banks and Darryl Hannah are talking about it on their television shows. And for Vancouver-based Katrine Volynsky, it’s a way of life.

”Eating healthy.” What comes to mind when you hear these words? “Boring?” “Tasteless?” You’re not alone. A few years ago, eating the recommended five servings of fruit and veggies a day was tedious for me. I lived a lavish and glamorous lifestyle, traveling the world, wearing designer clothes and dining at the best restaurants. My idea of healthy eating involved a salad smothered in heavy dressing, a skipped main course and chocolate cake for dessert.

From outward appearances, my life looked amazing. I was a model and scholarship student taking a double major while preparing for a career in investment banking. But I struggled to maintain my appearance and health. Periods of starvation were followed by bouts of binging. My body finally rebelled and I started gaining weight at an alarming rate, even when I didn’t eat for weeks. Unable to stay awake in class, I had no energy and realized the problem was deeper then a few pounds of fat. 

A change of life
I knew I needed to take care of my body and heath, so I took another approach. I changed my focus and devoted my time to studying fitness and natural health. As a first step, I followed an intense enzyme therapy pioneered by Dr. Michael O’Brien. This led to a discovery of and appreciation for raw plant foods. Suddenly my taste buds told me that raw plant foods were all I wanted to eat!  The results were immediate and proof-positive. My weight finally stabilized, I felt light and vibrant, and I loved not having to count calories anymore.

The raw food lifestyle
Let’s begin with what our bodies need and look for in order to be healthy.  They seek a ‘complete package’ comprising the key elements needed for proper digestion, assimilation and elimination. These key elements include enzymes, protein, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and water. And while all these elements are important to your well-being, perhaps the most vital aspect of raw food is enzymes. 

The miracle of enzymes
To nourish our cells, food has to be properly broken down. Otherwise, undigested food particles travel into the small intestine, where they putrefy. Enzymes are the catalysts and workers in the body, and are necessary for all metabolic processes including nutrient absorption. Plant foods are an excellent source of food enzymes – but, unfortunately, these enzymes are destroyed when heated to a temperature of 116ºF.

“I knew I needed to take care of my body and health, so I took another approach." - Katrine Volynsky

The consequences of this are felt far from your digestive tract. Enzymes are required for every metabolic process in your body, from thinking to repairing a scar on your skin. There are over 3,000 known enzymes in our bodies that perform these functions, but our bodies have a limited amount of enzymes that it can produce over a lifetime. When we eat enzyme-deficient (cooked) foods, the body has to borrow from its reserves to digest the food. This makes us more vulnerable to disease. Staying young and healthy depends on keeping the enzyme activity at an optimum level. Raw, well-chewed food practically digests itself because it has the right amount of natural enzymes and nutrients. Eating enzyme-rich foods results in increased energy, strength, and longevity. 

More benefits
Raw food supports an alkaline balance in our body. This is important because viruses and bacteria can’t live in alkaline environment, and the aging process is considerably slowed when the body is in a slightly alkaline state. Raw foods are also high in antioxidants and phytonutrients. Antioxidants help your body fight diseases and infections, while phytonutrients (plant nutrients) decrease risk of cancer and heart disease. Both are important factors in slowing down the aging process.

Superior flavour
Our instinctive attraction to sweet things is because of sugar’s naturally-occurring process in plants. Smell a ripe peach or an apple and you instantly begin salivating. Raw organic food is superior in flavour and contains up to 50% more flavonoids (a plant nutrient) than non-organic foods. As a bonus, because of their great natural taste, raw foods don’t need added salt, sugar, spices, or other condiments that can irritate your digestive system or over-stimulate other organs. 

More than carrots and celery
Many people are under the impression that raw is boring. We’re trained to think of rabbit food like carrots and celery. But eating raw can be so much more. With raw recipes, you can create the taste and texture of just about anything: amazing desserts, raw chocolate, ice creams, pizza, burgers and lasagna. Most people who dine at my home are blown away by the taste of the food and can’t believe it’s raw. They experience a sense of bliss and a burst of extreme energy after the meal resulting from the supply of nutrients to the brain. Eating raw foods helps us change our relationship with food because we no longer engage in a ‘gorging-feel-guilty’ cycle. Who doesn’t want to eat a delicious meal and not feel guilty?

The original ‘fast food’
You don’t need elaborate kitchen appliances to go raw; often a blender, a knife – and a little practice – will do. The simplicity and innate goodness of organic, raw, nutritious creations will change your relationship with food. It’s healthy, fun, delicious and absolutely delightful – just as Mother Nature intended.

H&L

bRAWnies Makes 4-6 servings Time: 30 minutes Equipment: Food Processor Ingredients 1 cup walnuts 7/8 cup of raisins 1 tsp maple syrup (optional) or agave syrup 1/8 tsp alcohol-free vanilla extract or vanilla seeds 1/3 cup raw chocolate powder or finely ground cacao beans 1 tsp grated raw cacao butter (optional) 1/2 tsp Extra Virgin coconut butter/oil Icing 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup soaked dates Soak dates for at least 30 minutes, then blend with the lemon juice until smooth. Set aside. Process walnuts, raisins, chocolate powder and raw cacao butter in food processor with ‘S’ blade; add vanilla, maple or agave syrup, and coconut butter, process until batter forms into a ball. Take the batter out and spread in a glass pan about 1 inch high. Place in a freezer for at least 15 minutes. Take the pan out of the freezer, cut into bite size brawnies or larger; spread icing on top. Serve bite size brawnies in medium paper muffin cups. Keeps in refrigerator for up to 3 days.