This is a large sea veggie salad rich with wakame, spirulina, kelp, sesame seeds, sesame oil and locally grown greens, made into a sandwich by harnessing the power of large cabbage leaves (substituted for bread). Queer Vegan Food is all about crossing boundaries, transgressing social culinary norms and straddling multiple identity categories. With that in mind, I ask you to accept that this is not a salad, but rather a sandwich. Or call it whatever you will–make it, and I bet you’ll agree with me that it’s absolutely healthfully delicious!

Raw Vegan Cabbage-Sea Veggie Sandwich

Close-up of the filling: spirulina-coated sea veggies, greens, almonds and more!

Ingredients:

Sandwich filling:

3 cups chopped greens (I used kale and romaine)

1/2 cup chopped cabbage

1/2 cup pre-soaked wakame

1/4 cup nori strips (optional)

handful raw almonds (optional)

1/4 cup chopped plain tofu (optional)

2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Spirulina dressing:

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbs spirulina

1-2 tsp olive oil or sesame oil

dash high-quality salt

dash kelp flakes

Cabbage “bread”:

4-6 large/medium outer cabbage leaves

Instructions:

Toss all salad ingredients and mix in spirulina dressing in a large salad bowl. Use large cabbage leaves to make sandwiches out of the salad filling. Enjoy!

10. “Clean” Green Juice

Where to get it: Jar Bar in Center City

My favorite juice in the city, hands down. “Clean” contains: cucumber, celery, romaine, spinach, kale. $5.50 for 16oz is very fair and makes this my go-to juice when on the go in Philly.

9. Chickpea Salad with Falafel

Where to get it: SweetGreen in University City.

This salad is delicious. SweetGreen is amazing, and so close to where I live it’s almost criminal. (Image.)

8. Banana Whip, aka “Frobana”

Where to get it: HipCityVeg in Rittenhouse Square

A long time ago, Gena Hamshaw figured out how to make frozen bananas into truly magical soft-serve ice cream using only a food processor or green star juicer, empowering legions of vegans to make the treat for themselves. HipCityVeg, which opened a little while ago, serves this healthful vegan twist on soft serve from 10a-10p each day of the week! I love that I can get this whenever I’m remotely near Rittenhouse Square. Everything is remotely near Rittenhouse Square, and for that I am very, very grateful. (Image)

7. Brussels Sprouts shaved and grilled with smoked mustard

Where to get it: Vedge Restaurant, when it’s featured on the “Dirt List”

This dish is unreal. Shaved, grilled and smoked, these Brussels Sprouts are unlike any I have ever tried before. Crisp, savory, and slightly crunchy bits grace each sauce-coated shaved Brussels sprouts mound. I ordered this dish both times I have had the privilege of dining at Vedge and was consistently thrilled. Pure vegetable bliss. (Image)

6. Brown Rice Inari

Where To Get it: Mizu (in various locations throughout the city)

Inari is so amazing. It’s traditionally made with sushi rice wrapped in fried bean curd, but Mizu makes a version with brown rice that’s a tad more healthful and really delicious. You have to specially request it with brown rice but it’s totally worth it! (Image.)

5. Sea Vegetable Salad

Where to get it: Vegan Tree on South St.

Generous chunks of wakame, fresh greens and other veggies, plus sesame seeds and well-prepared tofu. A truly delicious option for pre-made seaweed salad–the best I’ve found in Philly so far. (Image)

4. Vegan Bubble Tea

Where to get it: Vegan Tree on South St.

While some controversy abounds as to whether bubble tea is safe, for now I’m a huge fan of the bubble tea options at Vegan Tree. Completely vegan bubble tea is semi hard to come by in Philly, so these are a real find. I love the green tea, coconut, and Jasmine green tea flavors best, but have a (tapioca) ball and enjoy what you will! (Image)

3. Chocolate Coconut-Based Vegan Soft-Serve

Where To Get it: Pure Fare, Center City

This soft serve is out of this world good. Coconut-based soft serve has arrived to Philly and it’s unbelievable. (Image.)

2. Gluten-Free Vegan Cake Balls

Where to get it: Sweet Freedom on South St.

Sweetened with low glycemic coconut sugar, these gluten-free, soy-free, corn-free confections from Sweet Freedom are made with high-quality ingredients and taste like a chocolate Universe just collided in on itself to form black (brown?) holes of deliciousness. These are gone in just a few bites. Perfect. Image.

1. “Green Delight (w/ Spirulina)” Popcorn

Where to get it: Atiya Ola’s Spirit First Foods in West Philly.

This spirulina-coated popcorn is like crack for those of us who love algae snacks. And who doesn’t love algae snacks?

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear in the comments which dishes you love to enjoy in Philly that I haven’t listed here

Green juice and locally-grown flowers in my kitchen.

While I’ve been known to down glasses of liquified mustard greens, radish, beet greens, arugula and other “strong” plant ingredients, I’m a huge fan of mild green juice now and then. Appease your palate while boosting your veggie intake with this cool twist on a classic:

Delightful Mild Mint Green Juice

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

1 medium or 3/4 large cucumber

1/2 head romaine lettuce

5 stalks celery

1/2 green apple (optional)

4 peppermint or other mint leaves

Instructions:

Juice, drink deeply and enjoy!

]]> http://queerveganfood.com/2012/08/26/dehydrated-green-bean-garlic-crisps/ Sun, 26 Aug 2012 14:38:58 +0000 Sarah E. http://queerveganfood.com/2012/08/26/dehydrated-green-bean-garlic-crisps/

Green beans are an ideal vegetable snack. Great fresh or chopped into raw salads, they’re a versatile summer favorite. They are also wonderful when made into raw dehydrated crisps. Shoestring shaped, this easy-to-make healthful treat pairs well with hummus, bean or salsa dips, guacamole. Also great when enjoyed by itself as an energizing snack. Requires only a few hours to dehydrate, and takes very little prep time. Enjoy:

Dehydrated Green Bean Crisps

Ingredients:

Green beans

Coconut oil

Salt

Garlic powder

Herbs and spices (optional)

Instructions:

Lightly coat green beans with coconut oil, salt, garlic and other herbs and spices if you wish. Dehydrate for 3-5 hours, depending on desired texture. Enjoy!

From Top: Savory raw vegan breakfast crepe and raw vegan scallion creme cheese rolls at Quintessence, sea veggie salad, moon pies, and dessert case from One Lucky Duck, coffee with almond mylk and green juice at Whole Foods in Union Square.

From the rugged streets of Williamsburg (my grandmother, who grew up in pre-hipster Williamsburg, is incredulous that any of us “young folks” would ever want to spend time there!) to the fantastic raw eats in Manhattan to the brilliant and timeless art at the Met to a “songs-inspired-by-the book” concert in Bushwick to performance/mixed media art exhibit in Greenwood, Brooklyn, my dearling Courtney and I had quite a lovely and whirlwind time in NYC!

Vegan lovelies Ivory and Courtney!

The rad vegan singer-songwriter Jonathan Mann!

Hosted by dear vegan friends Jonathan and Ivory in a posh spot in Williamsburg, we were delighted by the experience and hope to return soon.

P.S. Yes, we drank coffee and green juice. At the same time. May dogma never rear its ugly head at the dining table!

]]> http://queerveganfood.com/2012/07/06/raw-vegan-bbq-zucchini-chips/ Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:06:07 +0000 Sarah E. http://queerveganfood.com/2012/07/06/raw-vegan-bbq-zucchini-chips/

Delectable bbq zucchini chips, fresh from the dehydrator.

When my generous and amazing older brother gifted us a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share, I had no idea how much I would grow to love each weekly dose of random veggies. The element of surprise is a great motivator to try new recipes! This season, our CSA has been blessed with a great zucchini harvest. Although July 4th has passed, barbeque season is still in full swing–enjoy these zucchini barbeque chips and savor the flavor of summer–healthfully!

Oh, and by the way: if you do grill, watch out for bristle brush residue! This NYT article says that some grill-cleaning bristle brushes have been getting stuck in grills and are ending up in food, causing medical issues for BBQ lovers around the country.

Stay safe, and enjoy this grill-free recipe!

Zucchini chips in the dehydrator.

Raw Vegan BBQ Zucchini Chips

(Serves 1-3)

Ingredients:

Zucchini (1-2 large zucchinis, or 3 small)

Barbeque sauce (Confession: I used a store-brought kind! check out these links for ideas: here, here and here)

Instructions:

Thinly slice zucchinis. Use a special slicer gadget (mandolin, etc.) if you have one on hand. Lightly coat the zucchini in BBQ sauce, and place evenly on dehydrator trays or sheets. Dehydrate for 5 hours. Enjoy!

]]> http://queerveganfood.com/2012/06/09/raw-berry-medley-smoothie/ Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:44:11 +0000 Sarah E. http://queerveganfood.com/2012/06/09/raw-berry-medley-smoothie/

This bright smoothie features blackberries, strawberries, a hint of blueberries and freshly made raw almond mylk. A perfect start to a busy weekend.

Raw Blackberry Strawberry Smoothie (Serves 1-2)

1 cup Almond mylk

1 cup strawberries

1 cup blackberries

1/4 cup blueberries (optional)

Stevia (to taste)

Vitamineral Green or other green powder (optional)

1/2 cup ice

Enjoy

]]> http://queerveganfood.com/2012/04/01/raw-spirulina-garlic-kale-chips/ Sun, 01 Apr 2012 22:10:22 +0000 Sarah E. http://queerveganfood.com/2012/04/01/raw-spirulina-garlic-kale-chips/ These dark green kale leaves were beautiful when I picked them up at the Glendale Farmers’ Market near our new home, but wow, did they look crazy amazing after being doused in their spirulina-Vitamineral green coating! The above photo represents my first-ever attempt to make dehydrated kale chips with an algae coating. The Spirulina Junkie and I agreed that the recipe was a huge success.

I am pretty sure you’ll want to make these immediately. Here is the recipe:

Raw Spirulina-Garlic Kale Chips (Serves 1-3, can be easily doubled)

Ingredients:

Raw kale

2 Tbs Hemp seeds

1 Tbs Spirulina

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup Lemon juice

1 Tbs Miso

1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove raw garlic

1 tsp Vitamineral green

1/8 cup water

Instructions:

Vitamix all ingredients except the kale. Coat the kale evenly, using your fingers to get into all the little leaf grooves and so the kale is well-covered in topping. Dehydrate for 4-6 hours. Enjoy.

The cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Encinitas, Calif.

I just returned from a beautiful little trip to Southerner Southern California! Not too far away from LA (approximately 2.5 hours drive), San Diego and the surrounding ocean-side cities are super cute! This was my second time in the area, but my first time partaking in its awesome vegan cuisine and exquisite nature.

Some highlights:

Evolution Vegan, a drive-through all-vegan restaurant in San Diego, Calif. also packages and sells some of their products in grocery stores throughout California. Their restaurant features raw wraps, gluten-free homemade veggie burgers, raw vegan soft serve, juice and soup specials. Highly recommended if you’re in the area–especially if you’re on the go and need something quick! Note: we did not drive-thru when we dined at Evo, so if you have and would like to share about the experience, please do!

Vegan drive-thru! Evolution Cafe in San Diego, Calif.

Another gastronomic highlight was Peace Pies raw vegan restaurant in Encinitas, Calif. I absolutely loved the decor, outdoor seating, and very reasonably-priced organic raw vegan food!

Peace Pies Cafe--Raw vegan food in Encinitas, Calif. That's Courtney walking in!

Raw vegan sauerkraut, kelp noodle and kale salad from Peace Pies.

Green Juice From The Lotus Cafe in Encinitas, Calif.

That's me, enthusiastically drinking green juice!

It was also very lovely to visit the beautiful SRF gardens in Encinitas, Calif. and spend time by the beach.

The Self-Realization Fellowship gardens overlooking the ocean in Encinitas, Calif. Photo courtesy of Jeff Dowler.

After spending a few days in the area, I stayed for five nights at Deer Park Buddhist Monastery in Escondido, Calif. Deer Park, founded by Vietnamese monk Thich Naht Hanh, is 100% vegan, organic, and sustainable monastery that is solar-powered! It is also absolutely gorgeous:

Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, Calif. Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.

At Deer Park, I enjoyed going inwards to enjoy healing silence and nature. Meals included simple Vietnamese vegan dishes like steamed veggies, greens, rice, noodles, and plenty of pho. Breakfast was oatmeal, fruit and almond butter, which is easy to make in bulk and hearty. It was quite nice to enjoy it a few hours after waking up for pre-dawn morning meditations!

Thanks for reading! I am now back in LA, enjoying being back in the city and taking with me the peace and ease of the trip.

xo

Savvy writer, nutritionist, blogger and doctor-to-be Gena Hamshaw recently wrote a series of posts on her blog Choosing Raw that shed light on the problem with conflating health with beauty, offering insightful commentary on these topics. Here is an excerpt:

Do I think there’s some truth to the idea that healthy lifestyle habits can help to keep one looking trim and youthful? Sure. Do I think there’s any sort of guarantee? No, not really. I’ve met incredibly healthy women and men who did not necessarily emanate youth, and I’ve met many more women and men who have lifestyle habits I’d call pretty unhealthy (processed food, no exercise, alcohol/nicotine/drug addictions) who appear to be the picture of youthful beauty. Healthy habits may offer some promise of youthfulness and beauty (whatever “beauty” means), but there’s certainly no direct cause and effect relationship.

I highly encourage you to check out the post on Choosing Raw!

This smoothie rocked. It was one of those rare occasions when I had frozen bananas on hand, which worked wonderfully with the cacao and maca. Court and I enjoyed it very, very much. And yes: there are indeed shaved raw chocolate pieces on top!

Raw Chocolate Blueberry Hemp Smoothie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

1 frozen banana

1 tsp maca

1tsp hemp seeds or ground hemp

1 tsp cacao powder

5 drops liquid stevia

1 tsp raw cacao powder

Raw chocolate shavings (garnish, optional)

Instructions:

Toss in blender. Enjoy with shaved chocolate on top, or perhaps a sprinkling of cacao nibs, goji berries, or raw granola!

This weekend, while visiting my brother Asher in Los Angeles, he took a few breaks from working on exciting projects at his film studio Pollution Studios to drink juice and hang with me. Here is the technique and recipe we used to make juice together!

Juice In A Blender! (Serves 1-2)

1. Chop all veggies, fruit, greens.

2. Blend all  ingredients.

3. Pour smoothie mix into a bowl with a nut mylk bag or cheesecloth. Pictured is a cheesecloth straining system.

4. Remove pulp-filled nut mylk bag or cheese cloth (freeze or immediately use in other recipes, if you’d like!) and pour strained juice into vessels of your choice.

My brother…enjoying fresh juice!

Voila! Enjoy! How do you like to make or get your juice?

I am so thrilled to tell you about THE SPIRULINA RECIPES EBOOK, a new cookbook published by the vegan goodess Courtney Pool! This cookbook is packed with beautiful recipes and photos featuring the superfood spirulina, which is high in plant protein and other nutrients.

Courtney writes: “Spirulina has a very distinct flavor that requires specific combining with other flavors.The Spirulina Recipes Ebook will share how you can incorporate spirulina into desserts, chocolate, entrees, soups, salads, smoothies and more, with 30 unique recipes! Top healthy chefs have contributed their tried-and-true, personal favorites for recipes incorporating the incredible superfood spirulina.”

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE SPIRULINA RECIPES COOKBOOK!

I’m very excited that my raw vegan hot chocolate recipe was selected as the recipe of the week on Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Life!

Thanks to Kris Carr and her team for promoting healthful vegan options at every turn. I am happy that my humble brew may now reach the lips and tummies of more lovelies!

Check it out here:

This year, for them, and for those of us who are avoiding alcohol tonight either out of necessity or personal reasons, or wish to include something healthy before getting soused, I hope my top five healthy beverage ideas will provide you with some delicious alternatives to enjoy when the ball drops!

Top Five Healthy Beverage Ideas For New Year’s Eve:

1. Coconut Water

Hydrating, sweet, and it goes down smooth! Available at health food stores, Trader Joe’s, and even some supermarkets!

2. “B Healthy” Lemonade

This is a year-round favorite drink of mine. My recipe: add liquid  b-12 (MaxB by Premier Research Labs is the kind I use), lemon juice, and liquid stevia to pure water. You could also use limes or omit the B if you haven’t got it on hand. It’s a delicious way to get your essential b-12 supplementation!

3. Green Juice

Drinking green juice on New Year’s Eve is a wonderful excuse to get in your yearly dose of greens, and a superbly healthy way to usher in 2012. It’s pretty much a goddess-send, as far as your body is concerned!

4. Kombucha

Kombucha is fizzy, expensive, and culturally important–what more could you ask for when it comes to champagne alternatives? Note: I’m not totally sure kombucha is non-alcoholic, so if this is a concern for you, please check! It’s best to brew your own, but you can stop by your local health food store to grab a bottle or four in a pinch.

5. Water

Go for it, champ!

Happy New Year’s Eve 2012, Queer Vegan Foodists! Remember: If you are going to drink alcohol, please do so responsibly! xo

I’d love to know: What are you favorite non-alcoholic healthy beverages?

Raw vegan hot chocolate is an incredible treat for the holidays. It’s cozy, warming and wonderfully delicious. This morning, in the festive light of our home’s cute miniature (real!) Christmas tree,  I whipped up a batch of delicious raw hot chocolate spiked with just about every “superfood” I had on hand. (P.S. If you haven’t already, definitely check out Gena Hamshaw’s take on superfoods. I really appreciate her perspectives on the topic!).

I have grown fond of tossing a bunch of “super” ingredients into my recipes when I can. I hope you’ll enjoy this fun nutrient-dense hot chocolate recipe, featuring reishi mushrooms, raw cacao, chia  seeds, maca, mesquite, and Vitamineral green.

Raw Vegan Superfood Hot Chocolate (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soaked Chia Seeds

1 Tbs Cacao powder

1 tsp reishi mushroom powder

1 Tbs Cacao Paste (optional)

1 tsp Mesquite powder

1 tsp Maca powder

Pinch high-quality salt

8 drops stevia (or, to taste)

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tsp Vitamineral Green or other green powder (optional)

pinch of cayenne (optional)

Instructions:

Toss all ingredients in a Vitamix or other blender. Mix until smooth. Meanwhile, heat up a pot of hot water. Add 2 cups hot water to the mixture and enjoy!

Most brands of Hanukkah gelt, the traditional foil-covered chocolate coins that are used to play games of Dreidel, are either non-vegan or are made with non-fair trade chocolate and yucky fillers. This Hanukkah, don’t settle for sub-par store-bought Hanukkah gelt! Make your own! This recipe, which is an adaptation of the raw chocolate I usually make, is solid at room temperature, and can be wrapped in foil, if you’d like!

Raw Vegan Hanukkah Gelt

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cacao paste (or 1/2 cup raw cacao powder and 3 Tbs coconut oil)

1/4 cup xylitol (optional)

2 droppers ful of liquid stevia

1 Tbs maca

2 Tbs mesquite powder

1 pinch vanilla powder

drop mint extract (optional)

Instructions:

Melt chocolate using a double boiler on low heat or in the dehydrator. Once melted, stir in other ingredients and mix until a smooth consistency. Remove from heat, place in chocolate molds and put in freezer or fridge. When hardened, enjoy immediately or during a game of cover in foil (optional) and use for a game of Dreidel.

Happy (early) Hanukkah! What other festive recipes would you like to see veganized for the holidays?

Raw nori strips make delicious croutons!

On this sunny winter afternoon in Patagonia, Courtney and I were craving soup for lunch. We had a lot of freshly harvested garden greens that Courtney picked in the veganic garden this morning, including the sweetest-tasting kale, cilantro and spinach, and had some fresh cucumbers that we’d already chopped. This was the base for an amazing cucumber soup that pleased our palates and even wowed two of our other raw vegan housemates!

Raw Green Gaia Cucumber Soup (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

3 medium-large Cucumbers

1/3 Sweet Onion (optional)

1 Cup Greens (Kale, Spinach, etc. will work)

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1-2 cloves raw garlic (optional; you may substitute Hing or Cayenne if you’d like)

1/2 Lemon’s juice

1/2 cup raw chickpea miso

2 Tbs Chia Seeds (optional; can also substitute 1/2 Avocado if on hand)

1-2 Pitted Dates (optional)

1 medium apple, cored

Instructions

Place all ingredients in Vitamix or other high-powered blender. Blend until desired consistency. Top with Nori strips, avocado slices, apple slices or even chopped cucumber!

View from our porch. Note: Mountain landscape not required for recipe!

Remember when you were a kid and shaved ices (also known as “snow cones” and “iceys”) were awesome? The syrup used to cover the crushed ice was likely made with loads of sugar, dyes and crap. I thought to myself, on one of the last warm afternoons in October, wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy a shaved ice treat made with low glycemic sweeteners and real fruit juice?

For this version, I employed my trusted Vitamix to crush the ice (Raw foodist confession: Our house of six raw vegans owns three Vitamixes, a dry blade and a special blade for crushing ice, which I used, although a normal blade should work fine.)

Stevia-Sweetened Raw Lemon-Lime Snow Cones

Ingredients:

Lime

Lemon

Ice

Liquid Stevia

Instructions:

Place ice in Vitamix or high-powered blender. Blend with a little water, then add lemon and lime juice and a few drops of stevia to taste. Enjoy!

Fall recipes may have arrived to the Blogosphere, but it’s still quite hot here in Patagonia. I’m not sure why October has brought us such high temperatures (last week we were 17 degrees F above average recorded temps for the day!), but we’ve been taking advantage of the cooler mornings by enjoying warm, delicious raw soups. This morning’s iteration featured soy-free chickpea miso, red bell peppers with kelp flakes and a bit of tomato concentrate. Feel free to substitute Aduki miso or soy miso if you’d like, and if you have kelp noodles, chunks of avocado or wakame on hand, they work great, too. Crushed nori sheets can also be fabulous, and their bold sea flavor definitely complements the mildness of the miso. Enjoy warm, hot, or at room temperature!

Chickpea Miso Soup With Red Bell Peppers And Kelp (Serves 1-2)

Ingredients:

Chickpea miso

Red bell peppers (ours were local from our garden today, lucky us!)

Raw kelp flakes

Tomato Concentrate (We use PR Labs brand)

Avocado chunks (optional)

Wakame strips (optional)

Kelp noodles (optional)

Crushed nori sheets (optional)

Heat hot water until nearly boiling. Add 1-1 1/2 Tbs chickpea miso to a bowl. Pour hot water into miso, then add raw vegetables and seaweed. Stir, and allow to cool to desired temperature.

Enjoy!

For those who haven’t caught on yet from previous posts, I live and work at a raw vegan community and retreat center in Arizona. At the center, I work on the website and help research and edit for the center’s founder and chief physician. It’s a great job and I love the community and lifestyle here, and for the most part I am quite happy. Yet there’s been something on my mind I’ve been eager to share with the world (or at least my few and wonderful devoted readers!) relating to my job and lifestyle, and that’s how I’ve found living and working in rawfood vegan bubble to be a very complicated scenario! It can be fun, bizarre, inspiring, and sometimes very challenging. In this post, I’ll highlight some of the challenges I’ve found related to balancing an extreme lifestyle workplace with what’s necessary for me to feel balanced. (Note:  The opinions and ideas I share in this post are not necessarily in accordance with those of my workplace, and they are by no means representative of others who live and work for the center. While many friends of mine have mentioned similar feelings to those I express, I would never wish to speak for anyone but myself.)

One of the biggest issues I’ve found living in a raw vegan community has been figuring out what percentage of raw food feels best for my body, and learning how not to cave in to social pressures that include obsessive cleansing mentalities that seem to be present among some (though certainly not all!) staff at our holistic health workplace.

As a healing center for those with diabetes and other chronic health conditions, our center outlines a very strict set of permissible foods (100% raw, no soy, no corn, no sugar, no gluten, no garlic or onions, no mushrooms, and on and on…) that has been shown to be highly effective in helping guests heal their chronic conditions and can improve health during even short stays. There is nothing wrong with cleansing per se, and I imagine that there are some individuals out there who really do feel amazing on eating totally, 100% raw, however as my experience and as some of my friends’ experiences have shown, beyond a few months, eating 100% raw, especially 100% raw and low-glycemic (the center where I work serves only low sugar raw vegan fare, meaning no refined sweeteners including agave and yacon syrup, etc.) can feel very restrictive. For those of us younger folks who are already at healthy weights, the pressure to further purify, continue to lose weight or otherwise cleanse can be frustrating. Where does the pressure come from? I suspect it’s the culture we all perpetuate based on the fact that most of us have studied these holistic healing modalities and have watched hundreds of guests undergo serious healing transformations on this diet and lifestyle on a frequent basis. For others, it may stem from much deeper patterns that probably aren’t worth speculating about here.

Working at a healing center can lead to feeling pressure to constantly cleanse or purify.

I’ve witnessed guests come here long-term and jettison unwanted pounds and heal chronic health conditions. Staff and volunteers often also undergo similar healing transformations in their work tenure here. Yet for staff who have been here for many years, beyond when desired weight is achieved and overall physical health has been vastly improved (or, if they were already healthy and/or at their natural or desired weight), I’ve noticed we still experience a tendency to want to further “purify”. Additionally, it’s inevitable that guests will watch our behavior and look to us as guides for living this lifestyle. It’s both a joy and a burden to feel like your actions have the potential to inspire or discourage those who may be just starting out on the path to plant-based nutrition.

I always like to remind myself and others that I eat vegan primarily for moral and ethical reasons. I eat a high raw diet because my body loves it and I find that reducing stimulants and sugars helps me stay balanced physically, emotionally and spiritually. Living in an environment where it feels like every other person is doing a cleanse or flushing their liver or doing a coffee enema can feel really intense. It can definitely bring back or cause ED patterns, and can push people to feel like they have to constantly upgrade themselves. Just as the SAD lifestyle is deleterious to our health, I think trying to stay 100% raw when it’s not what we’re ready for or what feels right to our bodies can also be damaging to our welfare.

The center’s founder and primary physician suggests that all staff and volunteers be vegan, but does not mandate that we are all 100% raw. I appreciate that he  doesn’t try to suggest that we can eat our way to purity or the Divine (he’s said this numerous times), but the social pressures to eat all of our meals at the cafe (which means staying all raw) and constantly undergo a cleanse, juice feast or liver flush can often feel overwhelming nonetheless. A few of us have started making cooked (all vegan and organic) dinners some nights, and have found that through incorporating more whole, cooked vegan foods at night, we’ve achieved a balance that many of us lost along the way.

Incorporating some cooked vegan foods can help balance high raw diets

Enthusiasm for a high raw diet is great, but we need to each find what works best for our bodies. Although we are “allowed” to have the cooked dinners some of us enjoy, the house where we often share cooked meals has been nicknamed (by friends, some of whom join us for cooked meals) the “sin house” and the “contraband house.” We’re eating cooked soups and veggies, and still using highly unprocessed ingredients most of the time (with the occasional batch of baked vegan cookies tossed in for good measure!), yet some who follow raw food dogma here may believe we’ve somehow “fallen off the wagon”. While these folks’ judgments are sometimes difficult, we try to remember that if our bodies are feeling great, if we’re eating mostly raw, and if we’re totally staying true to our ethics and morals by being vegan, that’s all that matters. As nutritionists Gena Hamshaw and Ginny Messina suggest, expanding our diets to include more whole, cooked vegan foods can be very helpful and can help us find balance while still maintaining high raw diets.

Finding balance is crucial for long-term rawfood vegans

One of the most important things for those of us with disordered eating pasts is to recognize how we are emotionally reacting to our nutrition regimen. In order for me to feel awesome living and working at an all-raw center, I acknowledge that while some days I will eat all raw, other days I will not. Although the threat of diabetes tends to loom large over this place–we all know how sugar affects our bodies and how high glycemic foods can set us up for serious problems if indulged in regularly–I have to let myself eat my sweet potatoes and occasional vegan cookies in peace. Really. Instead of choosing to feel guilty like many of my peers, I choose to nourish in a more expansive way with joy. Because this bubble is so wonderful in other ways, I feel like the pressures to adhere to extreme raw, low-glycemic eating plans are worth negotiating in order to experience the other benefits I feel from working here. Still, challenges do arise, and I’m excited to explore them more in-depth on this blog in the future.

I look forward to receiving feedback on this post, and hope that in sharing my journey it may help shed light on what the experience is like for anyone who’s ever wondered about what living and working at a raw vegan retreat center or living in an all-vegan bubble looks like.

sending love, and looking forward to comments! Sarah

With the right flavor balancing, green juice can be a real treat. Adding things like mint and fennel are great ways to excite your taste buds while getting in serious alkalizing nutrition. Here’s a recipe I made today that highlights the flavorings of fennel and mint with a mild cucumber-kale-romaine-celery base:

Ingredients:

Mint

Fennel

Cucumber

Celery

Kale

Romaine

Instructions:

Juice in a juicer, or blend in a high-powered blender and strain in a nut mylk bag. Enjoy!

Raw vegan Jell-O is awesome–it’s got a great texture, takes minutes to make, and is a light, fresh take on dessert. This is a low-glycemic version suitable for those on low-sugar diets.

Ingredients

12 ounces frozen or fresh cherries

Handful Irish moss

Sea salt, to taste

Stevia, to taste

Xylitol (optional, to taste)

Instructions:

Soak the Irish moss overnight. When it’s all plumped up with water, Vitamix it with a little bit of water until it’s an even, gooey consistency. Then, add frozen cherries, Stevia, sea salt, and Xylitol to taste. Chill in the fridge for a couple hours. Enjoy!

I hope others start experimenting with the concept of kelp in dessert!

Ingredients
Kelp noodles
raw cacao paste (I recommend sourcing from Vivapura)
coconut flakes
water
sea salt
stevia.

Instructions
Soak kelp noodles for a while; 20 minutes is good, or you can do longer if you’d like them to be a bit plumper. Melt the cacao paste (with a dehydrator, or on the stove with low heat, or in the sun…), then add a bit of cold water and immediately stir frantically until it becomes a mousse. Add in stevia to taste and a dash of sea salt. Then, toss in the kelp noodles and coat evenly. Chill in the fridge. Add a sprinkle of coconut as garnish, or perhaps some other topping you’d like. Enjoy!

• A great spaghetti and tomato sauce with the pasta made from zucchini
• A kale Mediterranean salad
• A taco Tuesday lunch at Peace Yoga Downtown where I was fortunate enough to see Cherie work her magic
• I then replicated Cherie’s tacos with a make your own taco bar for dinner
• This leftover taco filling was then transformed into some delicious stuffed avocados
• And finally we had a delicious raw dinner at the Peace Yoga Gallery

This week our Excalibur dehydrator also arrived! Dehydration is key to having items that are like bread and crackers only they are raw and vegan. So stay tuned for our adventures in dehydration.