How Raw Do You Need To Be?
I got an interesting comment on one of the recipes today. It was explained to me that chipotle peppers are not raw, and if I served the eggplant bacon to someone who was a 100% raw foodist, they would get really angry. Technically, chipotle peppers are smoked. I don’t know how high the heat gets when they are being smoked. The actual smoking and drying takes days. So, it is possible that the peppers never reach the 116 degrees. Are they raw? Probably not.
When you make the eggplant bacon, 1/4 of a teaspoon of dried chipotle powder is required for the recipe. It goes in the marinade which get’s drained off before the eggplant is dehydrated. So, if you want to get technical, maybe one grain of the powder remains on a piece? Not sure. Would that make a 100% raw foodist angry? Once again, I don’t know. But there is a bigger question brewing here. Just how raw do you have to be?
I once heard a quote, “Perfection is not an option”. I fell in love with that saying and it has been my motto ever since. I believe that trying to be perfect just sets us up for failure. Do I believe in doing the best you can do? Yes. I also believe in striving to be better. But perfection? Way too restricting.
There are people who eat 100% raw food. I admire them and respect their choices. There are times that I am 100% raw. Honestly, it is when I feel the best. But I don’t always find it practical. Nor do I suggest that someone starting a raw diet should go 100% immediately. It is a great way to set yourself up for failure. For me, it is about striving to be the best, not perfect. Transitioning raw into your life is easier than going 100% cold turkey. Replacing that a cheesecake that is made from eggs, sugar, cream cheese, etc, with one that has a handful of cashews and almonds as it’s main ingredients is going to make a difference in how you feel. It is a start. When you realize that you can have healthy food that tastes great, you are on your way.
I don’t want to keep score. I want you to realize that there are healthier alternatives to what you may be eating. I believe that the more raw foods you eat, the healthier you will be. Will you eat super healthy food if it doesn’t appeal to you? Probably not. So, if adding a grain of chipotle pepper to a recipe pushes the flavor over the top, I am going to do it. How raw you want to be is a personal choice. I can just hope that my recipes encourage you to incorporate as much raw into your diet as you can.
Dot D. wrote on November 21, 2009
I love the food, the pictures, the idea of taking it slowly and in moderation. In doing so, I would not mind a bit of UNraw on my plate. People are different. Each of us needs to know who we are and what is best for us individually. Best of luck to each of us on our way to good health and happy living.
cristina wrote on November 21, 2009
I like raw foods because they make me feel very good but sometimes it’s a lonely path and I have encountered many obstacles along the way. Definitely the biggest turn-off is when I encounter an extremist who takes this beautiful philosophy of vibrance and darkens my palette with rigid rules that don’t really capture the greater essence of living this lifestyle. I studied with the Most Experienced Raw Chefs and Instructors this summer at LIving Light Culinary Institute, and I was very pleased to learn that some ingredients are technically not raw yet that doesn’t mean that the food they compliment will loose any of it’s enzymes… I am referring to spices, condiments, jelling agents, thickening agents, and binders. These are crucial for many successful recipes. Susan, I adore your articles and your site… thanks for sharing so much!!!
Ida wrote on November 21, 2009
I like adding raw foods to my diet to feel better, be more alkaline and less acid. Being angry is way too acid-forming, even if I was 100% raw. It is not just food that affects our health. Our emotions cause biochemical reactions that impact our health. I would rather have happy endorphins floating around my brain and blood, than nasty old cortisol and adrenaline!
polly raichert wrote on November 20, 2009
Thank you so much Susan for the wonderful recipes you post and inspire us with. It helps to keep me on track. I try to check your site daily. Thanks for all the effort you put into this! You’re a God send. Keep it up! Made the raw chocolate from your class last Sat. Turned out awesome. My non-foodies loved it. Another great creation! Thanks for this addition to our raw food recipe stash. Can’t wait for your next class. They never fail:)
Java Guy wrote on November 20, 2009
Amen, Eco Mama! I always say moderation in all things, including moderation. I’ll keep score then: Susan 1, Purists 0. What a great picture, too!
Susan wrote on November 21, 2009
It isn’t a contest…just different ways of looking at things….
Damon wrote on November 20, 2009
Honestly I’ve heard something like staying at 51% raw is enough to keep the benefits coming. It’s just up to us to educate ourselves and each other as to what REAL food really is, how to acquire it and how to enjoy it’s maximum nutrition. I prefer to not wear the “raw” label but I will proudly if it would help 😉
Peace!
Isle Dance wrote on November 20, 2009
Great thoughts. Gorgeous photo.
Eco Mama wrote on November 20, 2009
Angry over chipotle peppers? What a turn off! You can serve me your eggplant any day and I’d be most grateful! Raw foodists often use maple syrup and that’s not technically raw either. Same with nutritional yeast. I think if you make it too strict and militant people will recoil away from something they would have otherwise gotten excited about. It might be nice to know the that there’s a speck of non-raw on your eggplant, but it’s certainly nothing to get fired up about.
I love your creativity with food and you have inspired me so much! I look forward to each post and I’m okay with the chipotle peppers!