Meet Susan
There is a beauty and grace in simplicity.
Whether it’s how you live, how you eat, or how you move through this world, simplicity creates peace, joy, and health.
After years of complicating my life with the endless search to be “filled”, I have come to a place of grace and have a true joy for life. I move with an open heart and a desire to share what I have learned — and am still learning — along the way.
It is my truest desire to help you to be inspired. To bring health, joy, peace, and beauty into your life.
Seven years ago, when I started Rawmazing, I had found a way of eating that helped heal my past digressions with food. At that time, all I knew was that I loved raw food and the way it made me feel. I read everything I could, bought every book I could find (they were few and far between at that time) and started on a journey that not only brought me better health, but also started a love affair with the creation of recipes made from whole, plant-based, raw food.
Driven to Learn
As my life evolved, I was driven to learn more about the food I was preparing and how it affects our bodies and our health. I enrolled in T. Collin Campbell’s Plant Based Nutrition Course through Cornell’s E-school. What I learned not only supported the daily experience I was having from eating plant based food, but also gave me knowledge to support a whole food, plant-based way of life.
It also helped relieve some of the “raw food guilt” that I had when eating cooked food as I learned that, properly prepared, some cooked food can have great health benefits. It helped me to strengthen my desire to have a diet including both the raw food I love and healthy cooked food. Learn more about why I’ve chosen to embrace cooked food as well as raw.
It wasn’t a big departure as I have never promoted a 100% raw diet long term. And I have found a wonderful balance by eating raw and whole food, plant-based cooked food.
The Beginning of My Journey
Changing my diet wasn’t the end of the journey, it was the beginning of a journey into a whole food, plant-based life! I completed my Rouxbe Plant Based Professional Cooking Certification and developed a deep desire to start incorporating more cooked recipes into the site.
But it didn’t stop there. I have learned so much in my many trips around the sun. So much about living with grace, about simplifying but not depriving. About the beauty and grace you can create in your life not by constantly adding, but by finding out what brings you joy. I want to share what I have learned and also introduce you to people who have great gifts and wonderful ideas to offer to you.
It is with deep gratitude that I invite you to my site. I am so glad you are on this journey with me. I can’t wait to see where it takes us.
A Few Fun Facts
- I recently married the love of my life, Peter, on September 24, 2015. Never think that love has passed you by! Meeting an amazing life partner can happen at any age and I am so grateful for my husband, who, by the way, became vegan while I was studying the T. Collin Campbell course.
- I was born and raised in Minnesota but now live in the San Francisco East Bay Area. I love it here but miss fall and winter and the snow! And especially my mother, Cora. Frequent trips are necessary.
- I have two grown daughters, Mia and Kaia, who now live in California and Utah. If you were to ask me what my greatest life achievement has been, I would say giving birth to these two beautiful human beings and being lucky enough to be on their journey with them. They are beyond amazing and I love seeing the incredible women they have become.
- I have also recently been blessed with two outstanding stepsons, Alex and Chris. They bring such a fun and interesting dimension to all of our lives. They are intelligent, caring human beings and I love that we are all a family.
- We have two wonderful dogs, Atlas, our Kuvasz, and Sadie, our little Pug. Animals are a huge part of my life and I adore all four-legged friends. They bring such peace and unconditional love into our lives, daily.
- I am an award winning professional food photographer. You can see my work here: www.ShootingtheKitchen.com and www.Susanpowersphotography.com. I plan on expanding this part of my life into the blog!
- I am vegan and strive to have a vegan lifestyle but I am not perfect. I will not judge people for where they are in their journey. I would prefer to extend my hand and help you learn about this lifestyle rather than condemn you. I believe in love and acceptance for wherever you are in your journey.
>As far as the rest of it? I recharge in nature, love to learn, love sewing, knitting, painting, playing the harp and piano, and just about any type of creating that I can do.
I have successfully grown my first limes and lemons and have an amazing herb garden growing in pots. For a Minnesota girl, this is a big deal.
I love that you are here.
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Disclaimer:
This website is intended to give you information about healthy eating based on research and personal experience. I am not a doctor and information on this website should not be considered medical advice. Please consult your physician for health treatment and diagnosis.
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133 Comments
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jerrine verkaik wrote on May 7, 2011
Hello,
Could you give me some ideas for eating raw on the road? My husband and I are photographers who spend a couple of months at a time on the road in areas where “organic” and “vegetable” are suspect words. We have a very effective cooler/refrigerator in our car, but are often stuck with nothing but offensive foods on offer. I plan to take a mini-food prep pack with me (spiralizer, chopper, ceramic knife and peeler, oils, cider vinegar, herbs, nuts and seeds) but I could sure use some inspiration to fill out our choices!
Steffanie wrote on February 22, 2011
Susan,
I really think that if left to itself, the raw food movement will end up as a cliche for our generation’s version of ‘healthful eating.’ Everyone seems to want a method, or a plan and when they follow the interpretation of another (and often fail) they tend to throw the idea out as well because they’ve lumped it all together. There is not one way to succeed as a raw food-ist. If they would listen to their body, then they would find their own balance within the ideologies that they clamor for. For a free people, we certainly are addicted to being told what we should or should not do….which is unfortunate.
When you added the (gasp) idea of including ‘transitional’ meals into your raw diet, I had to smile. There are times of the year when cold, raw food just doesn’t make you feel good, and adding a few key ingredients can make a huge difference without compromising your ‘raw food integrity.’
Thank you for being a gentle, joyous advocate for sane eating. Be encouraged in your truth and in your message. You are right, and you have one more loyal fan.
Amber Ward wrote on February 2, 2011
I am relieved and inspired to find a raw food lover who lives in the Mid-West! I have thought about choosing raw lifestyle for a year now and have decided to transition. My challenges consist of living on a tight budget, three children, and finding organic close. The most comforting advise I have read is, slow and steady. My main challenge is to transition my children. First things first, I stopped buying candy, but need to find a way to replace the sweet tooth. Second, vegetables . . . ummmm where do I begin. I guess you could say we are the SAD poster family. Aware of the fact it may take time I am so thankful for free blogs such as this one. I could possibly start the poor woman’s raw food adventure!!!
Anne wrote on January 12, 2011
Susan, you’re doing an amazing job!!
This website shows that raw food can be actually tasty, and delicious, not mentioning the way it looks !! I was vegetarian for 10 years,vegan for 6 months and now I’m turning into raw vegan. I’m so excited !
Now I know that vegan meal can also be a great dining experience. I can’t wait to try out your recipes 🙂
best, Anna
Gwen Ritch wrote on December 15, 2010
I absolutely love my raw transition. Due to health reasons, I was always eating a vegan food plan. Now I have discovered raw eating and feel even better! I love the simplicity of it and the preparation and recipes are so awesome. My digestive system is almost healed…goodbye to the bad diseases and chronic pain! You only have one life to live, and this is it.
I live my live Rhawwhaaaaa…
Kira wrote on October 3, 2010
Susan, I wanted to add my thanks for this wonderful website of yours!
I grew up on meat and potatoes while watching my family member struggle with obesity along with diagnoses of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, the list goes on and on….I was on the same track but became a vegetarian years ago and now I am experimenting with raw foods, and seriously considering transitioning to a high raw diet. Its only been 2 months but this website has inspired me, Raw seems “doable” and your recipes are lovely and tasty. My non-vegetarian husband was not sure about this raw effort of mine, but he loves your recipes, and he’s been eating high raw by default!
Best, Kira
PS I agree in that the benefits of dietary change take some time, going veg resolved my health issues but it took time, consistency and a well rounded life (exercise, etc).
Marty wrote on October 2, 2010
I agree with Susan, it doesn’t happen overnight. Just like it doesn’t happen overnight that we get “di-eases” or wrinkles, gain weight, grey hair – whatever we’re trying to “get rid of”. Any health regime takes time. I’d say stick with it for 6 mos to a year atleast. I did find out I had a systemic candida condition this summer, and I’d been frustrated the past year with going 100% raw but being 9-mo pregnant looking bloated. What a relieve to finally have a diagnosis – as I couldn’t believe it was the diet! I’m on a strict anti-candida raw diet – no sugars, use only stevia (sparingly as most still have glycerin in them), grapefruit and granny smiles apples for fruits. I’m working with my ND (naturopathic doctor) and have probably lost the last 10 lbs I’ve been trying to forever.
I guess, like with every new diet, check with your doctor (MD or natural) and have a check-up and possibly blood work done to make sure you don’t have something going on. Oh – I had an blood allergy test done called Alcat (www.alcat.com). I found out regular things I was allergic to, things I ate on a regular basis. That made me think how important a rotational diet is, so we don’t become sensitized to things we eat regularily. Variety is the spice of life I guess, Christie, hang in there!
Christie wrote on September 30, 2010
Thanks for responding! I read a book by a famous supermodel, who made it all sound instant and fabulous and another by a woman in New York who could be a supermodel – maybe it’s not so for us normal people! But I’ll keep at it! Thanks!
Christie wrote on September 30, 2010
Hi Susan!
I just found your site and I’m really excited to look through it all. I went about 85% raw 5 weeks ago after being confronted with the idea over and over, even though I was not looking for it! I figured someone was trying to tell me something, so I’m giving it a shot. I have read lots of books,borrowed a dehydrator, and started making some things. I started (yet again!) working out 3 days a week. My question is this; I did not really have health problems before, aside from rhuematoid arthritis which I’ve had for most of my 40 years. I do not feel much different and initially lost 7 pounds the first 2 weeks, but no more since, and I would like to lose another 10-15. I already ate kombucha, kefir smoothies, raw dairy, raw honey, and pasture raised meats and eggs before. I want to feel the remarkable results, have radiant skin, and look so much better, like everyone else, and I’m wondering why it’s not so remarkable with me?
Susan wrote on September 30, 2010
It doesn’t happen overnight. And you started from a pretty good place. Everyone has their own path. You still need to make sure you are eating a balanced diet, getting good exercise, etc.