Last night, I was enjoying another delicious Savory Veggie Stew, and I was thinking about everything I learned over the past 12 years since I started a mostly raw food diet.

The idea of blending greens and other vegetables to make a liquid concoction, a sort of “magic potion”, is something that has been around for quite some time.

There have been many different stages in the evolution of this type of meal that we could call a green soup.

First of all, why are blended greens so important on the raw food diet?

———————-
First: A Quick Reminder
There’s just 48 hours left to order the Savory Veggie Stew program from Roger Haeske and get all the bonuses.
==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4
Make sure you contact Roger at support@superbeing.com to claim your bonuses for being a reader of my ezine.
———————-

It’s not that blended greens are essential on the raw food diet, but they are very useful.

Eating fruit only will probably not provide enough alkaline minerals (such as calcium) for most people’s needs.

A fruit-based diet is best, but I do believe that this diet will be improved by the addition of one or two pounds of vegetables and greens per day.

But there are many problems we face when attempting to eat this quantity of raw vegetables every day:

-    Most people don’t chew well enough, or have compromised dentition, and therefore don’t absorb as much as they should from the vegetables they eat.
-    Most salads are not very palatable unless we add a fatty dressing to them. However, too much fat, even in the form of avocados or nuts, is detrimental to health.
-    Making a huge salad takes a lot of time in preparing the vegetables, rinsing and spinning the lettuce, chopping everything, making a dressing, and most importantly: chewing it all! Who has an hour to spare every day for such a routine?

Some people have attempted to solve this problem by drinking green juice. However, the problem with green juice is that it’s too concentrated.

I’m not opposed myself to consuming a reasonable quantity of vegetable juice every day, such as 8 or 10 ounces. If you go beyond this amount, I believe you’re not doing your body a favor by consuming concentrated doses of strong vegetables (such as parsley, kale, etc.), which can be mildly toxic.

However, the problem with juice is that you leave behind the valuable fiber, and you’re also consuming a refined food.

Also, a juice is not a “satisfying meal”. It’s a nice appetizer, at best, but not something that leaves you satisfied.

So that’s why smart naturopaths and natural hygienists of the past have created various forms of the “Green Soup”, where you blend the vegetables, instead of juicing them.

*The Evolution of the Green Soup*

This type of meal has gone through several stages of evolution.

1) The Blended Salad

First, we had the natural hygienists of the past, who came up with a “blended salad”. The idea was to blend various kinds of leafy greens and vegetables to create a liquid soup with a baby food consistency. To that, they sometimes added fruits (such as bananas or apples), or avocado.

It wasn’t too unpalatable, as long as you saw it as a temporary solution to help your digestion get back on track. It certainly wasn’t “tasty” and exciting.

2) The Energy Soup

At some point after, or around the same time, the naturopath and living food pioneer Ann Wigmore popularized her version of the blended salad, that she called the “Energy Soup”.

Initially, Ann Wigmore advocated juicing, but later she realized that blending foods was more preferable.

The Energy Soup was the cornerstone of her program, and contained a mixture of greens, sprouts, rejuvelac (the fermented juice of soaked wheat), vegetables and dulse. The soup often contained some avocado and apple.

I have tried making different variations of the Energy Soup, and none of them really appealed to my taste. I found the combination of seaweed, sprouts, apples and avocado quite repulsive, and could only manage to eat it if I drastically altered the recipe.

It felt more like “punishment food”, rather than something you would want to eat every day. However, the Energy Soup worked, people got better, and the idea of living foods, thanks to Ann’s amazing work, continued to flourish.

3) The Green Smoothie

The idea is not new, but it was about 5 years ago that Victoria Boutenko (from the Raw Family) popularized the concept of the Green Smoothie.

The Green Smoothie is essentially a blended salad composed of fruits and leafy greens, with some optional water. Generally, hard or savory vegetables such as carrots or tomatoes are avoided. Only fruits and leafy greens such as celery and spinach are included.

The concept was not new, but the idea worked, and Victoria has done an amazing job selling over 100,000 copies of her book Green For Life, and helping countless people regain their health with green smoothies.

For more information and to get some green smoothie recipes, go to: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/greenforlife.html

4) The Savory Veggie Stew

Finally, the latest stage of evolution of this green soup idea has been recently popularized by Roger Haeske with his Savory Veggie Stew program.

==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

Blended salads were a little bland, and the Energy Soup generally only appealed to hard-core living food enthusiasts, or people on short-term detox programs.

Green smoothies are great, but they are sweet, and sometimes we want a savory flavor instead.

The Savory Veggie Stew answers that problem, and I think Roger has done an amazing job over the years refining his recipes and creating an entire health program based around them. 

Currently, the program has 8 videos, 4 recipe booklets, 5 bonuses and a 15-minute consultation with Roger. It’s really a complete health program.

==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

Initially, Roger started making simple blended salads, but kept trying harder to make them tastier and more interesting.

He’s finally done it.

For me, the Savory Veggie Stew has finally answered the question “What can I eat for dinner on a raw food diet”?

The answer is simple: I start my dinner with fruit, then follow with as many servings of Savory Veggie Stew as I’d like (I make a new one every night), and if desired, I follow that with a salad or anything else I want.

Every time, I’m amazed how satisfying it is.

You can find out more and get the entire program at:

==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

Remember that there’s 48 hours left to get extra bonuses that are not advertised on Roger’s website. These extras are only for readers of my newsletter. They include:

- The digital version of - "Your First 30-Days Raw" audio program in which I interviewed Roger about what he suggested were the best dietary and
psychological strategies to succeed in your first 30 days of going 100% raw.

- Roger will also send you the printed transcript of the call in a downloadable and beautiful PDF file.

- You will also get 2 special reports of brand new information that Roger recently shared with his raw coaching clients.

The first Special Technique is called:

"How to Beat Cravings of Any Kind with Your Mind"

The second:

"How To Make Desires Stronger Or Weaker"

With your Savory Veggie Stews program and the Your First -Days Raw program, going 100% raw and loving it will be easier than ever before.

Get it now here:

==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

To your Raw Success,

Frederic Patenaude

P.S. Don't forget to email Roger your receipt for your Savory Veggie Stews order to support@superbeing.com and they'll email you the bonuses described above.

Get the program at: ==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

P.P.S. Please be patient, as they have to email you this information manually. It could take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to send you the bonus materials. Hopefully though, it will be a lot sooner.

I just had a visit from long-term 100% raw-foodist Roger Haeske and his girlfriend Karmyn here in Costa Rica, where I’m staying with my fiancée.

Roger has recently published a program called the “Savory Veggie Stews”, which I think is going to be the next revolution in the raw food movement after green smoothies.

I’ve been making these Veggie Stews non-stop for almost a year, but this was the first time I got together with Roger since he released his program.

==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

The great thing about the Savory Veggie Stews is that it’s the only low-fat raw-food dinner that I find completely satisfying (after a good plate of fruit).

Dinnertime is when most people (myself included) crave cooked foods. After eating fruits all day, it’s normal to want something more savory for dinner.

But big salads with lots of fat like avocados or fatty foods is tasty, but it can make you feel tired and is not always satisfying (especially without a good dressing!).

Just fruit for dinner also leaves you hungry for something else. And a green smoothie for dinner is just plain unsatisfying. 

But the Savory Veggie Stews are completely different. It’s the best way I found to consume sufficient quantities of greens and vegetables, and actually enjoy it! Green smoothies are also great, but they are not savory, therefore not really enjoyable for dinnertime.

Savory Veggie Stews have no fat and are very tasty at any time of the day! 

*What I Was Doing All Wrong*

Anyway, to get back to my story, when we finally got together with Karmyn and Roger, Karmyn made her famous Tex-Mex Veggie Stew. I didn’t really watch what she was doing with the blender, so I had no idea what method she was using to make her recipe.

When she served me a bowl, I was totally blown away. It was so much better than my own Veggie Stew recipe! It was definitely the most enjoyable raw soup I ever ate, a meal that could certainly be called “Energy Soup”, because it left me energized and well-nourished.

Actually, Energy Soup was another soup common in sprout-eating circles, which in many cases was a green sludge that was utterly disgusting and unpalatable to modern taste buds. The Savory Veggie Stew does NOT taste like this!

It was sweet and savory, crunchy, a little spicy and completely satisfying!

Anyway, the next day I made my own Veggie Stew recipe, and was very disappointed that it didn’t taste like Karmyn’s recipe.

If you’ve tried to make your own Veggie Stew and it didn’t turn out right, you were probably making the same mistakes I did.

Karmyn told me my soup tasted like “cake and lettuce”. I admitted having used dates in it, instead of the normal Veggie Stew ingredients.

She asked me “Did you actually watch the video where I showed how to make the Tex-Mex soup?”

I admitted that I didn’t fully watch the videos that Roger had put together in his program. I just went by the basic recipe, but was doing a lot of things wrong without realizing it.

So I went back and watched the most recent video that Roger and Karmyn added to their Veggie Stew program. And this time, I made my own Veggie Stew following their exact recommendations (it only took a few minutes).

I served it to everybody, and they all loved it. So much that Roger was almost licking the Vita-Mix bowl dry to get every last little bit of it, and Karmyn’s 2-year old son, Andrew, was asking me to make more of it!

By the way, I’ve never seen a kid in the world as excited about the idea of eating raw soup…

Since Roger and Karmyn left a few days ago, I’ve been making the Veggie Stews non-stop.

==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

I assure you that it’s my all-time, favorite dinnertime raw recipe, and takes care of any cooked food cravings you might have.

Plus, it’s the best way to consume greens, and more enjoyable than green smoothies, as far as I’m concerned.

If you’ve tried to make the Veggie Stews and they haven’t turned out right, I suggest you watch the new videos Karmyn and Roger have added to the program. Also, with the Savory Veggie Stew program you get a 15-minute consultation with Roger, in case your recipe doesn’t turn out right and you need help making it.

If you don’t have the Savory Veggie Stew program, I highly recommend that you get it now. It comes with so many bonuses and new recipes — in addition to the basic videos.

Roger is about to permanently increase the price of his program to $67. So get it now while it’s on sale.

==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

*More Value*

I asked Roger to give my readers something that could really help them to go raw and stay that way without willpower or needless struggle. And Roger came through big time for you.

You'll be getting access to the digital version of - "Your First 30-Days Raw" audio program in which I interviewed Roger about what he suggested were the best dietary and psychological strategies to succeed in your first 30 days of going 100% raw. This is currently selling for $30.00.

But that CD is only 70 minutes long and doesn't include the valuable question and answer session that lasted an extra 25 minutes or so.

First, get the Savory Veggie Stew program at:

==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

Then:

1. When you email your receipt for "Savory Veggie Stews" to support@superbeing.com Roger and his staff will send you the full audio recording of "Your First 30-Days Raw" (including the Q & A Session) as 2 downloadable MP3 files. You won't be getting the physical CD yet you'll receive much more information in the digital format.

2. Roger will also send you the printed transcript of the call in a downloadable and beautiful PDF file.

3. You will also get 2 special reports are brand new information that Roger recently shared with his raw coaching clients and Magic Ideas Newsletter subscribers.

The first Special Technique is called:

"How to Beat Cravings of Any Kind with Your Mind"

The second:

"How To Make Desires Stronger Or Weaker"

You will get these two special reports, plus "Your First 30-Days Raw" with the extended and downloadable audios in MP3 format and the beautifully printed PDF file when you get — "Savory Veggie Stews" right now.

With your Savory Veggie Stews program and the  Your First 30-Days Raw program, going 100% raw and loving it will be easier than ever before.

Get it now here:

==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

There really is a way to go raw without the struggle and willpower. That's an area that Roger excels in. And you'll soon have that knowledge for yourself.

To your Raw Success,

Frederic Patenaude

P.S. Don't forget to email Roger your receipt for your Savory Veggie Stews order to support@superbeing.com and they'll email you the bonuses described above.

Get the program at:
==> http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

P.P.S. Please be patient, as they have to email you this information manually. It could take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to send you the bonus materials. Hopefully though, it will be a lot sooner.

- Frederic's Update

-  Questions from the Readers!

- Can the iPhone Help You Succeed With Your Health Program?

Right now I’m here in Costa Rica, where I am relocating for the next 6 months with my fiancée, enjoying the tropical air.

After many years of spending most of my time in cold climates, with a few months a year, I found that I enjoy the “tropical lifestyle” so much that I could not enjoy living in Canada for most of the year.

For me, the tropical lifestyle means being able to walk around in comfortable clothes and short-sleeved shirts, leave the windows wide open day and night, enjoy warm tropical air, enjoy the sunshine and bright days (even when it’s gray, it’s still brighter than up north), and being able to go to the beach and travel around the country as a tourist, while living there as well.

It used to be that I could see myself living in Canada 6-8 months a year and in the tropics the rest of the time. But now, I don’t even enjoy the month of May in Canada. Too cold and rainy. Same for October!

If your dream is to live the tropical lifestyle, I really encourage you to make it happen, but one step at a time, like I did. That avoids a lot of disappointments. If you’re interested in this topic, I highly recommend my course “How to Move to a Tropical Paradise” available at: 

www.fredericpatenaude.com/tropicalparadise.html

In December of this year, I’ll be welcoming participants of this course to a special “Day in Costa Rica with Frederic”. Wanna come? Check out:

www.fredericpatenaude.com/tropicalparadise.html

What if you’re left in the cold? Here are some tips and ideas from my Raw Vegan Mentor Club newsletter. There is WAY more in the actual newsletter, including what to do about low-body temperature. If you’re not a member, check it out here:

http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/mentorclub.html

Here are a few more tips to make the most of the winter and avoid some of the problems related to this season.

Tips for the Cold Season and the Raw Diet

•    If you can, get some sunshine, first thing in the morning, even if it’s just stepping outside and getting a bit of sunshine on your hands and eyelids. This will help tremendously to keep your mood up during the cold season.

•    Get some full-spectrum light bulbs. They make a big difference, especially when you’re working on the computer or reading. These types of light bulbs can be ordered online.

•    If possible, take a vacation south so you can get necessary sun and vitamin D!

•    Grow your own sprouts and indoor greens, to get some super-fresh vegetables to add to salads.

•    Make raw warm soups in the vita-mix. Warm them up in the dehydrator, if necessary. As a compromise, you can steam some vegetables and blend them in the vita-mix with some of the cooking water for a delicious, salt-free soup.

•    Exercise! Remember exercise is the best thing to keep your mood up and your health during the winter.

•    Help your body increase it’s resistance to cold by letting it regulate it’s temperature more naturally.  Don’t immerse yourself 24/7 in the same hot environment at work and at home while wearing multiple sweaters.  Your body will not learn to adapt and raise and lower your body temperature when necessary in the different seasons. Wear lighter clothing if in extremely warm buildings, but bundle up when going outside. Your body can adapt just like outdoor animals can in the different seasons if you help it.

“Who Else Wants to Watch Professional DVDs and Become Confident in the Kitchen With the Most Amazing, Simple and Delicious Low Fat Raw Recipes Ever?”

Four Pounds of Fruit a Day

You suggest to eat 4 pounds of fruits a day. How do I weigh the oranges and grapefruits ? with the skin or without a skin? Some big oranges and grapefruits are heavy course of very thick skin. How would I do it?

ANSWER: The suggestion of 4 pounds a day is a STRICT minimum to get started on the raw-food diet, but nowhere near the amounts necessary for optimal health for most people. The amount is with peels. It’s far better to measure food consumption by calories, because some fruits have much more calories per serving than others. The idea is to get most of your calories from fruit.

–

Traveling in the Raw! Family-Friendly Raw Destinations

Hello! You have clearly had a lot of experience travelling and raw-food-ing, could you possibly tell me where the best holiday destinations with the most fruit are that are also family friendly? (I am from New Zealand - so even seemingly 'obvious' destinations (ie California??) would be very helpful!). Thank you so much! P.S. Thank you for all your info/books etc! Without them I would still be eating a not-quite-so-SAD diet, but not 100% raw!

ANSWER:  Here are some of my favorite holiday destinations where you can find the most fruit and that are family-friendly, with average cost of living.

California: Great for the health food and raw scene. Car rental is usually a must to get around because of the large distances. Lots of raw restaurants and the best well-stocked health food stores. Hotel room prices start at $100-130 for a decent room. Food costs are average for first word countries. Must visit if you’re into raw-foods!

Hawaii: Great place to visit and easy to get around. Some raw restaurants and good fruits at the farmer’s markets and some good health food stores! Hotel room prices for a decent room are above $150. Food costs are higher than mainland USA.

Thailand: The ultimate place for fruit. Very safe and children-friendly. Cheap accommodations and good rooms for families can be found at around $50, with other more comfortable, higher-end options at prices far below North American (ultra-cheap but clean rooms are also available in the $10-20 range). Food costs are ultra cheap too.

Bali: My favorite island and still magical in spite of the tourism. Super children-friendly. Prices only slightly above Thailand, but very affordable.

Costa Rica: Where I choose to live most of the year. Great for families and nature lovers. Lots of Bed and Breakfast types of room (where a fruit breakfast can usually be served — just ask). Lots of fruit if you can drive to the farmer’s market. A good idea to rent a car or at least a driver to see more of the country and be able to get fruit. I love the Southern Area (San Isidro + Dominical, Uvita). Families can rent a room for around $75-100 or less in most areas, but less expensive options are also available.

If other readers have some more ideas, please feel free to comment!

–

Raw Food Videos

I was able to access the videos on the Raw Food Mentor Club website this morning. Thank you so much for including videos on this website. The information you are providing is helping me to deepen my commitment to the Low Fat Raw Food Program. I really appreicate all of your sincere efforts on behalf of all of us. Caron

NOTE: The raw food videos are a new feature of the Raw Vegan Mentor Club. Not a member? Find out more at www.fredericpatenaude.com/mentorclub.html

–
 

Sun Tea

Hello Frederic, I was wondering if Sun Tea (which is made by putting a tea bag in a jug of water, then letting it set in the sun for a few hours) would be an acceptable beverage for somebody who wants to adapt a raw food diet. At least in my part of the world, the temperature of the water would never exceed 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and the tea leaves are dried, so I don't see any cooked element in it. Of course, there is some caffeine in some teas — but you could also make it from a herbal "tea" with no caffeine. I'd be extremely interested in hearing your opinion on this in an upcoming blog post. Best regards, Tom

ANSWER: I don’t see anything majorly wrong with that. I personally avoid all forms of caffeine and would recommend to do the same for optimal health.Your health is your own, so if you choose to include some sun tea in your diet for your enjoyment, then so be it.

Raw Health Starter Kit The Best Value Bundle! Over $500 worth of products bundled into one, low-priced starter kit. You can get started on the raw-food diet and learn how to use it for boundless energy, detox, rejuvenation, or achieving your ideal weight. Instant Raw Sensations — sprial bound recipe book by Frederic   The Raw Secrets — fresh perspective on raw food diet by Frederic Health & Energy With Raw & Living Foods CD   How to Create Passive Income in Health CD   Starter Kit CD   Digital bonuses - and more! For More Information, Click Here!

It’s Not That Complicated

I’ve noticed lately from reading some comments left on my blog, that a lot of people are trying to make the raw food lifestyle a lot more complicated than it is.

There always has been a lot of confusion in the natural health field, as well as plenty of contradicting opinions. This is literally paralyzing many people from taking any action at all. They feel lost and don’t know what to believe anymore.

Others are turning simple recommendations and observations into dogmas, and the raw food community into a cult. They are unable to think outside of these rules and think for themselves.

Are you making it too complicated?

Are you confused by all of the different diet theories?

Let me offer you a quick guide to eating raw without the confusion and the dogma.

1)    Be Self-Motivated. The only reason why someone would take the time, energy and effort it takes to eat a raw food diet and learn how to do it right is because they should be able to gain something for themselves. If there are no benefits to be gained, then there should be no reason to do it.

That motivation is usually health-related. Either improving your health, overcoming an existing condition or avoiding illness in the future. You should be very clear what your motivations are in the first place, and avoid following someone else’s motivation.

Don’t just go raw because someone is telling you it’s the right or “cool” thing to do. Do it for your own reasons.

2) Eat fruit. Eat Vegetables. Eat little fat — The concept is very simple. The basic idea is to eat fruits and vegetables! Don’t make the raw food diet much more complicated than it is. It’s not about jars and pills and prepared meals, it’s about eating fresh produce!

Also realize that you’ll always be hungry if you try to live on raw vegetables and greens, that you’ll inevitably be drawn to junk foods. It’s just not sustainable.

The only way to make this diet work is if you get enough calories. I believe that fruit is the ideal food for human beings, and I think most of our calories should come from fruit, with minimal quantities of fat.

As far as the percentage goes, I say 10% or less. If another percentage works for you, then more power to you. But make sure you are honestly evaluating your results before coming to any conclusions.

3) Get Some Basic Nutritional Knowledge.

A lot of people are confused because they don’t really understand what fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and other nutrients really are.

They eat a large apple for breakfast and wonder why they’re hungry after 45 minutes.

Spare yourself a lot of trouble and spend a few hours to study the basics of calories and nutrition. Eventually you should be able to look at a piece of fruit or a meal and be able to evaluate on the spot how many calories it contains.

4) Do Your Tests

Every single “guru” or author in the field makes recommendations based on the diet that they’re eating or trying to eat, and what they believe is best (if they’re honest).

Each of these people took the best of the information that was available to them, tried to synthesize it in a way that made sense, and created their own program.

You should do the same. Test the theories out in your life, after you evaluate them with logic and eliminate the non-sense.

Don’t just take what I say word-for-word. Learn to think for yourself.

5) Respect your Body

I might be a big fan of mangoes, but maybe mangoes don’t agree with you. Respect your body and avoid them for the time being if they're not working for you.

It doesn’t mean that sometime in the future you might not give them another try. Maybe at that point they could agree with you.

You’re the only person who really knows your body, so don’t try to force someone else’s preferences as your own.

6) Know a Few Great Recipes

You can’t enjoy this raw food lifestyle if you don’t enjoy the food. That’s why you should know at least 5 to 7 great recipes that you really enjoy and could eat day after day.

If a recipe is NOT appealing to you, then don’t try to convince yourself that you like it. Maybe you don’t, at least for the time being!

If you’re not enjoying the foods, you’ll eventually quit. So discover some recipes that you truly enjoy, and don’t hesitate to modify existing recipes for your own tastes.

7) Don’t live with too many rules.

Eliminate the word “rule” and replace it with the word “suggestion”. For example, you might know some basic food combining “rules”. Instead of calling them rules, think of them as “suggestions for food combining”.

Simpler meals tend to digest better. But they can also be boring for some people. Certain combinations are appealing to the taste, but more difficult to digest. It’s all a compromise.

Choose what makes sense to you depending on the situation. If you find that a particular combination digests perfectly well, then go for it, even if there’s a “rule” against it.

The reverse is also true.

Keep things in perspective. Only 8% of the US population follows the basic health recommendations (No tobacco and alcohol, exercise 3 times a week, keeping a healthy weight and eating at least 5 fruits a day).

There are only actions and consequences. If a particular action always leads to negative consequences and very little to gain in exchange, then it makes sense not to repeat it.

If on the other hand, an occasional indulgence brings you certain benefits (social or personal), with minimal consequences that can be manageable, then it’s certainly something you could consider.

Only live by your own rules, not someone else’s.

7) Eat For Long-Term Pleasure

The average person only lives for short-term gratification.

For example, these Dorritos chips taste great when I put them in my mouth. I get immediate pleasure. If I’m a dumb robot, then that’s all I care about and that’s perfectly fine. Eat the Dorritos and be happy in the moment.

Smart people consider long-term consequences of their choices.

If I eat these Dorritos, they will taste great, but they will also ruin my sleep. I will wake up the next day feeling terrible. And if I keep on eating these Dorritos every night, one day I will wake up and I’ll be 40 pounds heavier, and sick.

Therefore, I’ll pass on the Dorritos, and instead eat something that might not give me that instant jolt of pleasure, but that’ll still taste great and leave me feeling much better after.

Eat foods that make you feel great. In the moment and in the long term. That’s not a rule. That’s a suggestion!

“Who Else Wants to Watch Professional DVDs and Become Confident in the Kitchen With the Most Amazing, Simple and Delicious Low Fat Raw Recipes Ever?”

Watch the preview YouTube Video to get a peak at what's inside this DVD series. For more information on the Low Fat Raw Vegan DVD Series, click here. On the video, click "HQ" after it has started for better quality.

To order the Low Fat Raw Vegan DVDs, click here.

 

  

- Frederic's Update

-  Questions from the Readers!

- Can the iPhone Help You Succeed With Your Health Program?

After a three week stay in Calgary, nicknamed "Cowtown", I'm back in my home province of Quebec. I must say, the produce quality we get in Montreal is a lot better than what I could find in Calgary. Maybe I missed something when I was there… but I think I can find more stuff in Quebec.

Last trip at the farmer's market yielded two different varieties of great-tasting mangoes (which are hard to find now), delicious Greek figs (fresh), Italian pears (tasty!), amazingly crisp grapes, and more (as shown on the picture on the right).

It's funny because sometime I speak to people and I tell them that one of the main reasons I decided to move to Costa Rica most of the year, besides the weather, is because of the fruits and vegetables I can find there. Most people can't imagine that I would want to move somewhere because of the food!

Yet, food is a very important part of life, and even more important for a raw-food and fruit aficionado.

I know many people who relocated to places such as the Bay Area ( San Francisco), Hawaii, Miami, Thailand, Australia and other places because it makes it's easier to enjoy their raw-food lifestyle.

Have you ever considered a move somewhere because of the fruits, vegetables and weather you could get there? Have you ever successfully moved somewhere for those reasons? If so, let me know in the comments!

Another thing:

Next week, I'm organizing a FREE Cleanse next week for the fall. Make sure you join us for this event and get back in shape before the holidays! Go to:

http://tinyurl.com/3ku5cj

Frederic

PS: Next month I'll be in Costa Rica. In December, I'm organizing a "Day Tour of Costa Rica" for people interested in moving to this tropical paradise, part-time or full-time. This is for students of my course "How to Move to a Tropical Paradise." For more information and to sign up, go to: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/tropicalparadise.html

Dear Mr Patenaude, I just read your book the Raw Secrets, and it makes a lot of sense.. However, the fruit-section is quite hard, because as long as I can remember, I do not like fruit, I get shivers if I even think of them.. (ok, because I got myself in bad health conditions with unfood, diabetes, candida etc) so, is it wise to use only blended salads without the fruits, and maybe start to eat them whenever I feel like I'm ready? Cause I have the feeling if I just start to eat them now, I'll go crazy with itchiness etc.. Anyway, thank you for all the information and I cannot wait to get myself better! Cheers x

ANSWER: A transition is certainly possible, however you should be aware that a blended salad without fruit has almost no calories, so it would be impossible to survive on them and you would lose too much weight too quickly and be very hungry all the time. I wouldn’t recommend living on blended salads with fat in them (avocados, nuts, etc.) because that would bring the total percentage of fat in your diet above 70%, which is very unhealthy. The main way to get well is to remove the cause of your health problems. Living on a high-fat diet will certainly not help you and will only make things worse in the long-term. I would much prefer that people go on a simple low-fat vegan diet that includes cooked items such as potatoes and rice (but avoid gluten-based products) and then progressively include more fruit to phase out the grains, rather than going on a high-fat, all-raw diet and from there try to lower the fat content. For health, it’s much more important to eat low-fat than to eat all-raw.

IS COCONUT OIL FAT?

I have a question in regards to your article on sugar with fat, and I would appreciate it if you could be kind enough and answer it as it regards something I eat on a daily basis and if there is a problem with combining, I would like an alternative option. Here it is: Every morning I grind flax seeds and add all kinds of seeds like hemp and chia, sometimes I even add freshly ground sunflower seeds and pumpkin (sprouted of course). I grind some goji berries which is low glycemic sugar and then I add flax oil and coconut oil. Question is whether the oils are considered fats, whether seeds are fats, and whether goji berry fall into the category of sugar since they are really low glycemic. As a matter of fact, when I eat fruit, I usually add seeds. Thank you Frederic, Shoshannah Sarah

ANSWER: I’m glad that you read the article, but for further information you should also read my fruit report at http://TinyWebLink-001.com/?pid=2961304
Flax seeds, hemp, chia, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds — even when sprouted — are still high in fat. Flax oil and coconut oil are definitely fat. In fact, they are 100% fat by calories, just like any other oil. I recommend avoiding the combination of fruit and fat in general (except for small quantities in salads), and limiting the percentage of fat in the diet to less than 10-15%, which will be something like half an avocado a day for most people, maybe more if you’re very active.

CONSUMING VEGGIE STEWS AND GREENS ON THE GO

PLEASE, can you and Roger get your heads together and come up with a plan on how we can consume all these green smoothies, stews, etc. during the day in which we do NOT have access to a Vita Mix! These are not portable drinks and need to be consumed right after making. Not all of us have or can have the type of job the 2 of you have. Also, Dr. Cousin suggest a diet of mostly fruit and Roger claims (and you endorse) a diet of Savory stews with some fruit. Is one more important than the other? Thanks!

ANSWER: It’s very easy to bring green smoothies around. My friend Diana Stoevelaar from Calgary makes 4 large green smoothies a day and she brings them in large “sports bottle” types of container (32 ounces each). If you add some ice or some frozen fruit in them they will keep for several hours. When I travel, I always make smoothies in advance with some ice or frozen fruit and bring them for the day. I also cut up fruit and bring them in plastic containers (Tupperware and the like). Also, keep in mind that the idea is not to consume mostly green drinks or veggie stews and some fruit. You got it wrong. I recommend mostly fruit with a Veggie Stew for dinner for active people, while everyone else can replace some of the fruit meals during the days with green smoothies. Roger eats a LOT of fruit during the day and at night he has several servings of his world-famous craving-busting veggie stews (which I highly recommend and that are still available at: http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4)
 

I am wondering if your Raw Health Starter Kit is worth the money because I can't imagine what information there would be which I haven't heard of yet. You're website gives already information about eating less fat and more fruit. But other than that, I can't imagine that there would be new information, which does trigger me to stay 100% raw. I am having problems in staying raw and I am really desperate to find success. But I can't imagine how it would be possible. Can you give me a reason why I should buy the starter kit instead of books like 'conscious eating' and 'raw beauty'?

ANSWER: If you are desperate to finding success, then I assure you that the Raw Health Starter Kit will fill in the blanks. Very few raw books contain any recipes or real life solutions.  Too much of the information is confusing, contraidictory and have opinions that are often unfounded and go against common sense. Why waste any more time sifting through the endless information out there when I can share with you my 12 years of experience in living this diet and show you how you can achieve the same results by avoiding my mistakes? Check it out below: 

Raw Health Starter Kit The Best Value Bundle! Over $500 worth of products bundled into one, low-priced starter kit. You can get started on the raw-food diet and learn how to use it for boundless energy, detox, rejuvenation, or achieving your ideal weight. Instant Raw Sensations — sprial bound recipe book by Frederic   The Raw Secrets — fresh perspective on raw food diet by Frederic Health & Energy With Raw & Living Foods CD   How to Create Passive Income in Health CD   Starter Kit CD   Digital bonuses - and more! For More Information, Click Here!

Can the iPhone Help You Succeed With Your Health Program?

If you use an iPhone or iPod Touch or were thinking about getting one, you will love this article. I’m going to share with you how to use the iPhone to improve your health and fitness on the go, with my favorite “raw” programs.

I admit that I’m a bit of a geek. I love my iPhone. I use it not only to listen to music, make calls, track my expenses, and take pictures, but I also have found a ton of useful programs that help me succeed on the raw food diet.

Since Apple has sold over 50 million iPhones and iPod Touches I think I must not be the only geek out there.

Although the apps I will describe are great, I think there’s room for more innovation for the raw food community on this mobile platform. For example, what about a program that would automatically send you raw food tips every day? Or what about a database of raw food recipes you can easily search and view on the go?

I’ve entertained the idea of developing some programs for the iPhone (and iPod Touch), but only if there’s enough demand to justify it. So be sure to let me know in your comments if you think this is a good idea.

All of the programs below are available in the iTunes App Store.

Absolute Fitness — $14.95 —  This is a great tool to replace “Fitday” and other similar nutritional databases to keep track of your calories, your fat intake, and your fitness activities.

The program includes a searchable database of foods, including most fruits and vegetables. If necessary, you can create custom foods.

You enter your foods eaten and it will automatically create stats for you. You can watch your fat consumption day by day or on average, and set your own limits for each nutrient.

The only missing feature is the ability to view the percentage of calories coming from fat, protein and carbs. But at least you have the amount of fat consumed daily, which can give you a good idea. I hope that the developers will improve this and add the caloronutritient ratio in future versions.

You can also track your fitness activities and see how many calories you’re burning daily. All in all, a great tool.

iHeartRate — $0.99 — Are you curious what your resting heart rate, or how fast you recover from a workout? Although you can take your pulse over 15 and 30 seconds and then multiply it, I’ve always found that method a bit complicated, leading to several trials to get a good number. With the iHeartRate app, you simply take your pulse and tap along with the other hand on the screen. After 10 taps the app automatically calculates your heart rate, and it’s pretty accurate! For 99 cents, it’s also a good deal.

Fitness Builder — $19.95 — This is the ultimate mobile fitness app! It’s more expensive than the more popular iFitness, but light years beyond. Look no further. This program features hundreds of workouts you can use in any circumstances, stat calculators, and the ability to track your workouts overtime.

You can also search workouts by locations and goal. For example, say you’re at a hotel and you want to do some cardio or body-building. Just put those preferences and the program automatically finds the best workouts for you.

When you’re working out, you have nice picture of each exercise, and you can stream videos if necessary. You even have a timer to calculate your rest time between reps. You can also track your results and can easily see how much you lifted last time for the same exercise. Of course, you can listen to your music while you’re working out as well.

 

YogaStretch — $1.99 — This is a nifty little app to have your own yoga instructor on the go. Simply select the duration of your desired workout (up to 60 minutes), and launch the program. An attractive female voice leads you through your yoga session, while on the screen you can see illustrations of each pause and time left.

Bento — $4.99 — Bento is a program made by File Maker to create various kinds of databases. An obvious use for us is the recipe database. I’ve started inventorying all of the new raw recipes that I’m creating. You can even take a picture on the go of your new creation. The best way to use this program is to also own the desktop version ($49.95) and use the iPhone as a synchronized version and an “on-the-go” recipe database.

Finally, why not load on your iPhone or iPod Touch my new Low Fat Raw Vegan DVD Series? It’s simple. Simply use a program like Roxio Crunch to rip my DVDs, so you can take curly-haired Frederic with you and watch your favorite recipe demos on the go!

“Who Else Wants to Watch Professional DVDs and Become Confident in the Kitchen With the Most Amazing, Simple and Delicious Low Fat Raw Recipes Ever?”

Watch the preview YouTube Video to get a peak at what's inside this DVD series. For more information on the Low Fat Raw Vegan DVD Series, click here. On the video, click "HQ" after it has started for better quality.

To order the Low Fat Raw Vegan DVDs, click here.

 

  

Do What You Love Email Tips
It’s Good Enough
 
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when getting started with building an online business is taking too long to get things set up.
 
I see it all the time.
 
A friend of mine took 9 months to write an eBook, and it’s still not done! He’s getting quite frustrated with the entire project and is thinking about giving up.
 
Another has been working on her “logo” for her website for over a year. The website is not up, and nothing is happening.
 
Another friend makes a living with live events and is aching to move everything online, but still can’t get to doing it as daily to do items keep piling up.
 
Guys, stop taking so long to get things done!
 
There are 24 hours in a day. Everybody gets the same number. Yet, some people are so much more productive than others.
 
One issue has to do with your expectations and trying to be perfect.
 
Yet, the only way to grow is to do something and learn from your mistakes. I’d much rather see you put together an ugly little website that’ll make you laugh a couple of years from today – and do it fast — rather than spend all your time launching the “perfect” website right from the start.
 
If you’ve been working on your eBook for so long and can’t seem to get it finished, why not just force yourself to finish it in 2-3 hours? Whatever comes out comes out. Just put it out there! It’s never going to be perfect anyway.
 
If you’ve been waiting for months for your editor to finish editing it, then why not spend an hour with the spellchecker and release it, “as is”. Remember, it’s an eBook! You can always go back and make changes. Your mistakes are not going to be immortalized on paper.
 
If you can’t get yourself to write an eBook, then buy a stupid little digital recorder at BestBuy for less than $40, and get your best friends to ask you the top 10, most important questions you get asked all the time about your topic! Then burn this “interview” as it is on a CD and upload it to www.kunaki.com to create a CD product in a flash. Better yet, sell the MP3 download!
 
If you can’t get your website done, then fire your graphic designers and launch an ugly little Wordpress blog that look like millions of other ones, but be committed to write good stuff in it regularly. Remember, it’s not the design that matters, it’s content!
 
One of my good friends, Oliver, has a website in French about energy medicine. He makes a full-time living with it. Here’s the link: http://www.energiesante.com/
 
Go! Knock yourself out and check it out, and realize that this little, ugly, stupid opt-in page with no content has built his mailing list and that’s all he needs to make a living.
 
And his emails don’t look that great either. Just plain text. No blog, no fancy graphics. His “articles” are just a couple paragraphs of content, once a week, loaded with ads for his products.
 
His products are not that great looking. You could call them “home-made” at best. But the information is great, and that’s what matters.
 
If you can’t find a good idea for a website or a product, why don’t you simply do *exactly* what everybody else is doing, but just find a way to make it a little bit better? Isn’t that what everybody is after?
 
When I’m looking for information on a topic, I don’t need it to by mind-blowingly different and original. I just need it to be good and interesting. I need it to answer my concerns, and solve my problems.
 
What’s most important about an online business is consistency, and good information.
 
Graphic design doesn’t matter as much as people think. It’s more of a refinement to give you more credibility once you’ve established yourself in other ways.
 
Don't keep trying to make it perfect. Stop getting lost in so many different avenues. Just stick with a plan, and keep it simple.
 
And for those of you who are overly perfectionist, but never get anything done, I dare you to do something different. Try repeating these words “It’s good enough.”
 
Just say it and see what happens… “It’s good enough.”
 
These few words can change your life when it comes to getting started with your online business.
 
I’m not advocating mediocrity. But remember that you can only improve on the things you ACTUALLY put out. I’d much rather see you put out an imperfect but decent product quickly than a perfect product… never!
 
Don’t pull your hair over getting the perfect logo for your new website. Just say the words “it’s good enough” and move on! Get it out there! Make it happen! Then you can improve on it, when it’s actually worth it to spend a little time to make things prettier.
 
If you’ve had some trouble getting things going, I highly recommend that you join our coaching program the Do What You Love Success Group.
 
Our monthly calls and newsletters will help you get out of the habit of procrastinating, and you’ll know what is worth spending your time on, and what is not.
 
Sign up for the course “How to Write and Sell Your Own eBooks in 24 Hours” and you’ll get 30 days of the Do What You Love Success Group. Check it out here:
 
http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/writeyourebook.html
 
Yours for health and success,
 
Frederic

PS: To sign up for more free Do What You Love Tips like this, click here.
 

Do you need to cleanse?

Do you find it hard to stay raw?

Do you want to get rid of your cravings for unhealthy
foods?

If so, I just want to let you know that I'm organizing a
special event called the "Fall Cleanse".

As a subscriber to my newsletter, you are invited to join.
Just go to:

http://tinyurl.com/3ku5cj

Yours for the best health,

Frederic

PS: This is the perfect way to get back on track with your
health program before the most dreadful period of the year
arrives… the winter! Make sure you sign up at:

http://tinyurl.com/3ku5cj

I just came back from Calgary where I did a live event about the raw food diet.

Normally, I only do a few of these every year. I really enjoy the experience and plan to do more.

I know that a lot of authors and speakers in the raw food movement do a lot of live speaking and events, but I personally choose to keep them to a minimum and instead focus on my online business almost exclusively.

The reason I do this is that I can get a lot more results for a day of working on my online business than I could from a day working on a live event and putting it together.

With the online world, if I concentrate on a project for a few days in a row, I can easily create a product and launch it, often generating over ten thousand dollars in the process.

With live events, it’s often hard to break even.

Yet, in spite of that, I’m seeing more and more advantages to doing more live events at this point in my life. Why?

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each side of the business: the online world and the live events.

With the online world, the advantages are pretty obvious:

- Low overhead
- Possibly high-profit (if you do things correctly)
- Working from home
- Being able to travel easily and everything related to the freedom of the Internet lifestyle.

The main disadvantages of everything online are:

- The constant distractions of social networking and emails (you have to discipline yourself to work with focus and not check your email and Facebook every 5 minutes!)
- The fact that you’re working alone, and the lack of personal, face-to-face contact with people (although I see that as an advantage most of the time!)
- Competition: being one website in the midst of millions of other ones competing for people’s attention

I know that because I like to be free and travel and be in complete control of my schedule, my business will always be web-based.

But I also see advantages to doing live events such as conferences, weekend seminars, live coaching, recipe classes and retreats.

Here are some advantages that I see:

-    It builds your credibility. People can see you’re not just hiding behind your computer. You’re out there, meeting people in person, signing books and being open about who you are in public. Also, public speaking in general builds your credibility tremendously.

-    It boosts sales for products. After a live event where YOU are the main speaker, products should normally fly of the shelves. If you put together a good special, you should be able to sell enough to at least break even, if not make a good profit. Also, anyone who sees you live will probably be a regular visitor to your website and future customer as well.

-    It brings new prospects to your business. Some people who came to see my event in Calgary were already familiar with my website. But many were completely new, which surprised me.

-    A great way to network. By doing some live events, you will inevitably meet all kinds of people who will be able to help you in all sorts of ways you wouldn’t have been able to figure out on your own. You can find people to help you distribute your books, or become an affiliate for your eBooks, or give you connections you might not have found otherwise.

-    A great way to create products. If you create any sort of live event —whether it’s a food demo, or a short conference, or anything! — you absolutely have to capture it on video and audio! That way you instantly have a product you can sell online, or use for your website, or use as a bonus in the future.

The biggest disadvantages of live events are:

-    The time and cost involved in traveling
-    The possible low dollar-per-hour value of your time. Often, if you add up all the hours you put into an event and divide that into the total amount you made, you might realize that you are not earning that much per hour.

I personally think you should design a business based on your personality. If you’re someone who’s very extroverted and likes to be out there, talking to people all the time, then you should consider doing more live events and not spending all your time behind the computer.

If you’re like me and prefer to spend lots of time alone to express your creativity, then doing fewer live events is the way to go.

It’s pretty obvious that now in 2009, most of your business will come from the online world.

However, live events are extremely valuable as well. I gained a lot from doing them, and plan to do more in the future.

Starting in 2010 I will probably do at least 12-20 live events a year. For me, that’s the amount I can comfortably manage without stress and get great results.

If you’re just starting out, I suggest staying away from week-long health retreats! By that I mean those relatively expensive retreats where you take a group of people to Costa Rica, the Bahamas, or Hawaii and treat them to a week of sunshine, health foods and education.

It’s extremely difficult to make a profit with these events, especially if you try to charge too little. When I organized a health retreat in 2006, I had top-notch copywriting and marketing, and the retreat cost $2500 per person. Even at that price, I barely broke even.

There are so many more costs to doing health retreats that most people don’t imagine. I only recommend considering them once you have your entire online business set up and you have done at least a dozen successful paid live events.

If you’ve never done a live event before, when should you consider doing one?

I don’t recommend them until you’ve put together the basic structure of your online business and have at least one product to sell.

The best way to get started is to write and sell your own eBook.

If you can’t wait to get started making a living doing what you love, check out my course “How to Write and Sell Your Own eBook in 24 Hours or Less”. It teaches *everything* you need to know in a step-by-step formula for success.

I’m accepting some new students now for this course but I won’t be for long. You can get started as soon as you sign up!

Get more info at: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/writeyourebook.html

Yours for health and success,

Frederic

PS:  Want to learn how I manage to bring my dollar value per hour to $2000 or more? Check out my story at: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/writeyourebook.html

In my travels, I often meet people who tell me how much they admire what I do on the Internet and how they would like to have a business just like mine.

I also often meet work-at-home entrepreneurs who simply spend too much time working one-on-one for very little in return.

A great friend of mine in Calgary was telling me the other day: “What you’re doing is smart Fred. I should be selling things online instead of doing all of these live events and classes… I’m working too much and not even able to sustain myself full-time yet with my business.”

I’m a pretty humble guy and I don’t tend to brag a lot about my accomplishments. So it’s nice to hear it from others that they admire what I do, because I often tend to forget how different my lifestyle is from the rest of the world.

Let me give you a quick example.

I’ve been traveling more than usual lately, and it occurred to me that I could no longer keep my normal schedule of working 4 or 5 days a week on my online business.

A couple of years ago I refined my business to the point where I only need to work about 4 hours a day on it, 4-5 days a week.

Granted, I will put in more hours if I need to because of a special project, but 20 hours a week is all I need to keep things rolling and generate the same revenues.

But when I’m traveling, I find it hard to adapt my schedule to the places I’m visiting.

I’m in a different environment, and there’s the time involved in traveling, adjusting to the timezone, resting, the distractions and excitement of being somewhere new, and so on.

So I decided instead it would make more sense to condense my schedule into three days a week.

Strangely enough, I found that I am much more productive working only three days a week than when I was working five! I get more done in fewer hours, because I can keep concentrated focus on the same thing for longer, rather than spreading it out over more days.

This is again “Parkinson’s Law” in action, that states that work tends to expand in accordance with time available for its completion.

The less time you allow yourself to complete a project, the more effective you become!

And to me, working three days a week and traveling the world, doing what I love with someone I love is a dream come true.

How long will it get you to get to that point if you start today from scratch?

Another friend of mine who lives in Calgary wants to be able to make at least $1000 a month on the Internet with her coaching business by December of this year.

She asked me “how long will it take?”

My answer was, “how long do you want it to take?”

It’s pretty reasonable to take three months to build an online business that earns $1000 a month and grows from there, but you have to be willing to do what it takes.

Here’s what it takes:

1-    Find the time to do it. Stop all distractions like surfing the web, Facebook, emailing your friends constantly, and spend at least a couple of hours a day you normally would have wasted online doing something productive.

2-    Build your blog and your list. You’ll need a website where you can put content and sign people up for your list. Don’t try to make it perfect at first, but get it done! This is one of the first things you can do.

3-    Be consistent. To become successful online, you have to be very consistent with the content you put out. For example, there was a time when I was writing a new article every day and adding it to my website. Now that work has paid off because of all the traffic I get to my site due to these articles. So whether it’s a bi-monthly newsletter, or a weekly ezine, or a video every day, whatever you choose to do, you need to keep it up. You cannot miss an issue! Otherwise nobody will see you as a reliable source of information.
4-    Create a first product in a flash. An eBook is a great first product to sell, but don’t spend too much time on it. A month or two, maximum three should be enough to write your eBook and start selling it, from scratch!

How badly do you want to become hugely successful on the Internet? The more you want it, the easier it’s going to be!

If you can’t wait to get started, start with the program that most of my successful students have done and write and sell your own eBook in 24 hours or less!

Does that sound impossible? Remember you can spread out these 24 hours in one weekend or 2 weeks or 2 months if you’d like.

But remember Parkinson’s Law: the less time you take to do something, the more effective you become.

To learn how you can write and sell your own eBook in 24 hours or less, check out my program at: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/writeyourebook.html

I am still accepting some students but not for long.

http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/writeyourebook.html

Yours for health and success,

Frederic
 

I’m here in Calgary, home of the Calgary Stampede and nicknamed “Cow Town”. Funny thing though, no one is eating like a cow here…

I went to a local vegetarian restaurant for their weekly featured “raw dinner” and what I got was a gourmet meal high in fat, loaded with salt and you guessed it… low in fruit. Typical of most raw restaurants, unfortunately…

I went home starving after this meal, even though it had a lot of calories! I was still unsatisfied.

Has the same ever happened to you? Do you  wonder how this supposedly healthy raw diet can be so unsatisfying at times?

Tomorrow is my talk “High Fruit or High Fat?” – If you’re in the Calgary area, don’t miss it! You can RSVP at www.awesomerawsome.com or check out the flyer at http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/blog/?p=260 for more details.

If you can’t wait to get started, check out my Raw Health Starter Kit, the best way to succeed on the raw food diet without making the common mistakes that can potentially hurt your health. Get the details along with a special bonus we will no longer be offering soon:

http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/starterkit.html

Today I’m answering your questions! Please feel free to comment below.

Frederic

PS: The highlight of the weekend was a visit to the wonderful city of Banff. A true postcard from any angle… Check out pictures on my Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/frederic.patenaude, I will accept your friendship

———————————————————-

"How I Beat My Salt and Dinnertime Cravings"

Do you find it easy to eat raw during the daytime, but find that when dinner comes, you're tired of just eating fruit and you're craving something more substantial and savory?  

If you do, you're not alone!

For those of you who still crave savory things and cooked food at dinner time, you'll love Roger Haeske's new program on Veggie Stews.

It worked for me, and it will probably work for you! Check it out here. It might still be available at a discount price:

http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

——————————————————-

***************************************************
Questions from the Readers (That’s You!)
***************************************************

What Raw Foods Should We Avoid?

I love your website and your videos. I have not seen any reference to raw eggplant: Some websites say it is edible while others say it is not. What is your opinion? Are there other veggies or fruits that should not be eaten raw? Thank you for your time.

ANSWER:

Rather than making up rules about what can and cannot be eaten raw, I’d rather have you trust your taste buds. I don’t see anything wrong with raw eggplant, except for the fact that it’s not very tasty. In the past I have marinated it for some recipes, but I don’t think I’ve eaten raw eggplant in the past 5 or 6 years!

A few comments about some fruits and vegetables:

Raw legumes (even soaked or sprouted) should be avoided due to the toxic enzyme inhibitors found in them, as well as high quantities of raw starch. Beans should never be eaten raw.

Potatoes and other very starchy vegetables should also never be eaten raw.

Buckwheat greens should be avoided in large quantities due to a substance contained in them called fagopyrin, which can cause hypersensitivity to sunlight.

Rhubarb is a vegetable to avoid because of the high concentration of oxalic acid.

I recommend moderation with any strong or bitter-tasting green such as dandelion, watercress, culinary herbs, etc.

Here are other foods that are not lethal or toxic but can be considered “borderline” but might be used as a seasoning

•    Garlic: due to the Allyl methyl sulfide produced from the digestion of garlic and the way it is exuded from the skin pores, causing bad breath and smell, I personally prefer to avoid it!

•    Onion  family: quite strong and best used in moderation, or oxidized by chopping them in a food processor and leaving at room temperature for a few minutes for the strong oil to partly evaporate. 

•    Hot Peppers: The substance that causes the heat sensation in hot peppers is called “capsaicin.” It binds with pain receptors that are responsible for sensing heat. So it “tricks” the brain into thinking that it’s sensing heat or pain. The physiological response is the same as when an actual burn has occurred, even though the tissues have not been harmed. Heart rate is raised and perspiration is increased, with the release of endorphins. Hot peppers are a stimulant. Knowing that, I still personally enjoy a little “heat” sometimes.

•    Mushrooms: Many types of mushrooms are toxic. The cultivated varieties are relatively safe but I wouldn’t class them in the same category as fruits and vegetables. I rarely enjoy them raw but sometimes I might eat them in a recipe.

There are no reasons to avoid any common fruits sold at the supermarket.

–

Mixing Fruits With Fat

Hi Frederic! In the Raw Secrets book it states that we should not mix fruit with fat foods (nuts, seeds, oils) because the fruits may ferment since they digest quicker. So, how long should we wait after eating fat foods to eat fruits? Is two hours enough time? Thanks.

ANSWER:

For the answer to that question, please refer to my last article on food combining! http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/blog/?p=256

Hot Water

I know you believe in limiting eating/drinking ice; what about drinking boiled, hot water? Also just a question about what 100% means: is eating nori seaweed, carob, agave, dried fruits 100% raw, or just acceptable? Thanks!

ANSWER:

I have nothing against drinking hot water, if it’s to “warm you up” during the winter. You could even add a little lemon juice. Just be careful not to burn yourself! The lining of your esophagus is very delicate.

As for the other foods you mention, most likely they are not truly raw, but can still be consumed on occasion. I’m not really a big fan of seaweed for reasons mentioned elsewhere, but a little on occasion to make sushi rolls for example, is okay for me. Agave nectar is a concentrated processed sweetener that I don’t recommend either. I prefer to use sweet fruits such as mangoes, if a recipe calls for agave nectar. I might use it occasionally in a recipe if mangoes are not available…

Dried fruits should be avoided most of the time, because they are difficult to digest, tend to ferment and also can stick to the teeth and cause dental decay. However, they can be very useful in exceptional circumstances when carrying fresh fruits would be difficult. For example: traveling in the desert, hiking across a national park, visiting remote islands in the South Pacific, etc. Just make sure you increase your water intake to compensate.

Fruit Ripeness

How can you tell when a fruit is at the "ripe" point to be considered the most nutritionally nutritious (i.e., mangoes, melons, bananas, etc.) Why are mangoes so hard to cut and what is the woody part of the fruit? I have yet to buy a mango that doesn’t get wasted because you cannot cut through the woody part. They are pretty expensive for so much waste.

ANSWER:

Every fruit is different, but most fruits are ripe when soft and sweet. That is also their nutritional peak. Bananas are ripe when they start to get some brown spots (although that can be different for some exotic varieties.) Mangoes should be soft and juicy, and certainly not hard like you described. Of course, don’t eat the center seed, cut around it. There are many videos on youtube showing how to cut a mango.  Check it out.

Eating Fruit and Running

I took the giant step towards a raw lifestyle about a month ago and while I'm not 100% yet, I feel great. Leaner, cleaner and just overall better. My big concern is can a raw food diet maintain the fuel/energy requirements of an athlete. I'm a runner. I run about 30 miles a week and compete in races monthly during the race season (mostly 1/2 marathons). Because I haven't been able to figure out the best way to carb load on a raw diet I still have my bowl of pasta the night before. I'm afraid not to. Have you already addressed this in a previous article or series? If not, I think this would be a great topic for a future one! Thank you for making raw foods look so easy and delicious! The switch can be intimidating when you don't know what you are doing and you make it look so simple.

ANSWER:

As an amateur runner myself, let me give you some tips. I don’t run as much as you do but I have done as much as 20 miles a week.

On a low-fat, high fruit diet you’re going to have much better results with your training. First of all, you don’t need to “carb load” because fruits, unlike cooked complex carbohydrates, are easily digested and provide quick energy.

The problem with most runners is they don’t eat enough simple carbohydrates, which is what the body really needs when you’re running.

The most important thing is to get enough calories and carbs overall. As a runner you’ll probably need to eat at least 3000 calories a day. That’s about 30 bananas, or less if you add in some vegetables and other varieties of fruit.

When I run longer than 90 minutes, I take some fruit with me, usually blended, seedless watermelon or a smoothie made with water, bananas and celery, and drink that every 15 minutes.

You don’t need to “carb load” when you’re eating enough carbs (and most runners aren’t, unfortunately).

For the best information, I recommend the book “Nutrition and Athletic Performance,” by Doug Graham, available on Amazon. It will answer all your questions and more.

South America & Candida

I wanted to recommend you go to South America! I am from Uruguay and if you can work your way around all the meat that the people eat there. You can find great organic raw foods. Also I have a question that you don't have to respond to if you don't want. But can you recommend me a diet to kill off my Candida issues..? Thanks and bless!

ANSWER:

There are too many countries to visit and not enough time! I have spent a month in Brazil in 2004 and really enjoyed it there. Maybe one day I’ll visit your country as well.

As for Candida, I hope that this report will help you sort it out:
www.fredericpatenaude.com/fruitreport.pdf
   

"How I Beat My Salt and Dinnertime Cravings" Do you find it easy to eat raw during the daytime, but find that when dinner comes, you're tired of just eating fruit and you're craving something more substantial and savory?   If you do, you're not alone! For those of you who still crave savory things and cooked food at dinner time, you'll love Roger Haeske's new program on Veggie Stews It worked for me, and it will probably work for you! Check it out here. It might still be available at a discount price: http://tinyurl.com/mjq7r4

- Frederic's Update

-  Raw Cacao

I'm here in Calgary getting ready for a raw food event called "High Fat or High Fruit?", put together by the wonderful Diana Stoevelaar from Awesome Rawsome, who's also contributing a great article on cacao for this issue of the ezine.

If you're in the Calgary area and would like to attend, the event is on September 23rd at 7 p.m., on "High Fat or High Fruit", that is the question! For information about attending, go to: www.awesomerawsome.com.

New Edition of How to Make a Living in the Natural Health Movement

Do you dream of starting your own business in the raw food or natural health field?

Would you like to make a full-time income working part-time doing something you love?

We're about to launch the next edition of our course "How to Make a Living in the Natural Health Movement". We only do this twice a year at the most! The next edition is going to be great!

Today is the last day left to sign up: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/makealiving.html

Is Raw Cacao a Superfood or Harmful Stimulant
By Diana Stoevelaar of www.AwesomeRawsome.com

Is raw cacao a superfood or harmful stimulant? Although some raw food leaders highly promote cacao as something that should be revered as a food of the Gods, others have spoken out against raw cacao and raw chocolate. Who should you believe? Don’t be fooled by all the hype!

“Many people are being mislead to believe cacao and other foods are healthy. Many of the people who promote it, have a good heart and really feel it is a good food, but I know there are many who sell this product knowing it is toxic and addictive, just to make money.”

Many raw food leaders including Victoria Boutenko, Dr. Doug Graham, Frederic Patenaude, Paul Nissan, Jeremy Safron, Dr. Fred Bisci, and Dr. Brian Clement, have already come to the conclusion that raw cacao is not a superfood but an addictive stimulant. What do they know that you perhaps don’t yet know?

They probably have discovered what Dr. Neal Barnard says in his lecture, Breaking the Food Seduction, namely that, “Chocolate, just like sugar, elicits an opiate reaction within the brain that trips the dopamine receptors and gives us a pleasure response…I don’t mean to say that chocolate is a drug. What I mean to say is that chocolate is the whole darn drugstore! “

 When Narcan or Noloxone, the drugs used to block opiate receptors for those suffering a heroine overdose are used in research studies for those with a chocolate addiction, test subjects lose their desire for chocolate.

Jeremy Safron’s findings were as follows:

• Cacao is one of the most addictive substances known.
• In some cases of long term use there are also psychological effects that range from addictive tendencies, sexual dysfunction, violent outbursts, lack of reasoning, and decreased will.
• At mega does of 40 plus beans it acts as a hallucinogen and can cause many effects attributed to LSD or Hashish.
• Cacao is super toxic to the liver.
• The result of long term use is a high level of liver and blood toxicity which can cause extreme: mood swings, angry outbursts, violence, depression, paranoia, and dizziness.
• It is extremely clogging due to the toxins carried in the oils contained within. Plus the fat chains are highly complex and require tons of work to break down.
• It acts as a stimulant and agitates the kidneys and adrenal glands this can cause: insomnia, nightmares, waking up in the middle of the night, shakes, and extreme energy shifts.
• No animal in nature will eat it unless tricked into it with milk or sugar.
• If you can convince an animal to eat it then it greatly shortens their life span if it doesn’t kill them immediately. (as with dogs)
• The native people who ate it only ate the fruit of the theobroma (which contains all the benefits and none of the detriments) and only used the cacao seed as an addition to their psychedelic brew ahyuwasca and as a medicine in emergences.
• Native people did not eat it as a food nor as a supplement, but only for sacred use.
• When Native people did eat it, they only ate the fruit which contained the benefits without the detriments.

Jeremy Safron’s final stand on cacao is that it is for medicinal, sacred and for entertainment usage only; it is not a health food!

Paul Nison says “The processing of cacao beans into powder and chocolate is an unsanitary, risky procedure to say the least. To be blunt - chocolate and cacao are laced with animal feces and hair, insects, and molds. The carcinogenic mold called aflatoxin has been found in large quantities on cacao beans.” and continues…”

Watch Paul Nison in this very informative 9:33 minute video of with references to the scientific research regarding the harmfulness of raw cacao/chocolate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz_XezJ8cMY&feature=related

Doctor Fred Bisci, a raw foodist for about 40 years also confirmed what Jeremy Safron and Paul Nison suspected; cacao is toxic!!!

You can hear him speak about his findings and personal experience with raw chocolate here in this 3 minute clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AQA5IJ10Lg

Listen to Dr. Brian Clement explain in this short clip why he does not recommend raw chocolate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuSWFZO2qs0&feature=related

Cacao is a Dangerous Heart Stimulant

Just last week I was visiting a health food store to purchase my greens (nature’s best source of minerals, trace minerals and magnesium) all without stimulants, addictive substances and high amounts of saturated fat, when I got into a conversation with a very health conscious gentleman who asked me what I thought about cacao. I told him that I agreed with Dr. Neil Barnard and others, that chocolate is harmful to our health. Chocolate contains caffeine, theobromine, as well as phenylethylamine which slows down the breakdown on anandamide just as with the use of marijuana. Now you can understand why it’s so addictive!

He relayed an interesting story to me that clearly illustrates raw chocolate’s stimulating effects. He told me how he had recently started adding chocolate to his energy sports drink to help his energy and recovery. He rode his bike to the Blood Donor Clinic as he does every two months and tried to donate blood.

Unfortunately he couldn’t pass the screening test because his heart rate was too high! They asked him to sit for 15 minutes to allow his heart rate to normalize but it was still too high. He was shocked since this had never happened to him before!

Adding raw cacao was the only thing he had changed in his diet. Now, you might wonder why chocolate would make his heart race? Its due to the caffeine and theobromine, a sister molecule to caffeine, the same chemical that kills many dogs when they eat chocolate! The adrenal glands rev up metabolism so as to quickly eliminate the offensive substance. This is called stimulated energy which is always followed by fatigue, and therefore a desire for more of the stimulant.

My Personal Experience with Cacao

I never bought into the raw cacao craze; I was forewarned by knowledgeable people who knew the truth, but when a friend of mine wanted me to import some for her a few years ago, I obliged after trying to persuade her not to buy it. When it arrived I asked her if I might sample some so I could have a personal experience with it. She offered me a few nibs which I popped into my mouth. I chewed them a few seconds and felt compelled to spit them out into the kitchen sink. They were so bitter I couldn’t stand them and I used to be a dark chocolate fan! Apparently no animal in nature will eat them either unless you fool them into by combining the raw cacao with milk or sugar. So ended my desire to ever try it until…

I had the opportunity to try a raw chocolate dessert (a brownie made with raw cacao powder) for the first time at a raw food potluck. After just a few bites I felt a strange trembling sensation throughout my entire nervous system and then faintness came over me. I became very weak and had to be supported to walk. I linked the experience with the raw chocolate and decided not to touch it again until…

I worked for Avena Originals and they begged me to try their chocolate saying it was more “pure” than the cacao I had imported from a supplier in California. So after much coaxing I agreed to their request – to test their cacao by consuming just 2 tablespoons daily in my banana smoothie at lunch instead of the usual carob. After adding twice the amount of dates to the smoothie that I usually used, it was actually quite delicious.

The first thing I noticed was that I always wanted more after I had consumed the last drop, unlike the satisfied feeling I had with my banana –carob smoothie.

Secondly, I found it difficult to sleep through the night and suffered from insomnia. My gums started bleeding after about a week of consuming cacao daily, but the most unbearable side effects I experienced were the excruciatingly painful leg cramps in my calves that occurred nightly after about 2 weeks of consuming cacao. It was then that I abandoned my experiment and decided that cacao was definitely harmful for me. It appears that the cleaner one’s body the greater the sensitivity, which explains why long term raw foodists tend to experience the worst side effects. Fortunately all of these symptoms disappeared when I stopped consuming cacao.

I know you probably don’t like to hear that your favourite raw food is not good for you. That’s why I’ll never be as popular as those you try to convince you that it’s a SUPERFOOD. But then I am only doing my best to educate you; I’m not trying to convince you that the chocolate addiction you brought with you from the cooked food world is now actually good for you and that you should now consume cacao or raw chocolate with reckless abandon because it’s a SUPERFOOD! No, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night, not due to cacao’s stimulating effects (I don’t eat it!) but because I have a conscience.

Please note that I stand nothing to gain by telling you not to consume cacao except knowing that I did the right think to inform you so hopefully you would not be led astray and lose what health you’ve gained by consuming more raw food. Reserve your money to buy real superfoods – leafy greens!

“Greens are nature’s true superfoods.” ~ Sergei Boutenko

NOTE BY FREDERIC:

Some people claim that raw cacao is perfectly healthy because it's a fruit. Because I live in Costa Rica half the year, I know what a real cacao fruit is. In fact, I often buy it at the supermarket. There's a sweet/acidic pulp surrounding the seeds, and the way to eat the fruit is simply suck on the seeds like a candy, and then throw away the seeds! Why? They are not edible and taste horrible in their completely raw, natural state.

On the right is a photo of a Bribri native in Costa Rica, eating Cacao fruit.

What is your experience with raw cacao? What do you think?  Let me know with your comments below!

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