Rawpower

We have a jam-packed newsletter to start the month. We've gone a bit crazy with March specials - call it March Madness if you will :-)  We continue to receive new products that you'll see on the right - including a scrumptious Raw macaroons; my husband polished off a whole pack in quick fashion!

Finding Balance

Some research came out last week indicating that fasting one or two times a week can protect against brain-related diseases. It's been known for quite some time now that calorie-restriction can significantly enhance longevity and there are many adherents to a calorie-restricted diet. Typically, the diet calls for severe food restrictions on a daily basis which for many people is just not sustainable. This study is the first to show that just cutting food intake intermittently rather than continuously can help your protect your health dramatically.

My great grandfather lived to 100 and 2 months old. 5 generations of the family got together to celebrate his centennial in 2002 (see the photo of him here with my niece - his great-great-grand-daughter). He lived through two World Wars and worked hard in the fields of the Loire Valley. But he kept a cheeky sense of humour and, in fine French tradition, didn't deny himself a small drink or a cigar from time to time. In the final years of his life he would like nothing more than to receive gifts of liqueur chocolates that he rationed to one a day. Yes, he probably had some lucky genes, but he ate fresh, organic produce from the land and was physically active and his vices were always in moderation. Rest in peace Papy Lucien.

For those with extreme ailments such as cancer, type-2 diabetes, hepatitis and so forth, extreme action is advocated and a predominantly raw food diet has been seen to do wonders.

For the majority of us though do we need to be concerned if we can't achieve a 100% raw food diet? Or, even 75%, 50%? The research from Dr. Paul Kouchakoff demonstrating that cooking food introduces some damaging elements is compelling. But the reality for many people in our modern world is that we are fighting for balance: to find an equilibrium for our health by introducing positives amongst a lot of hard-to-avoid negatives. There is research that indicates that our bodies need some level of toxins to build a strong immune system. And, finding that balance is often more about the journey than the destination. That means that any improvement towards a healthier lifestyle by getting more nutrition through superfoods and raw foods into your diet will only help your quality of life and longevity.

Here was a little piece that Anand wrote a couple of years back in one of his newsletters that I think sums it up well:

How do you know a superfood is raw?

The answer is you often can't.

The only way you will know for sure is if you personally supervise from picking to processing and packaging. Unlike certified organic food there are no authorities governing or monitoring foods labelled as "raw". Therefore retailers need to go on the word of their suppliers which as you will see is not always accurate. 

For instance it has recently come to light that ALL "raw" cacao powder and butter have been heated at temperatures significantly higher than 45C in their processing (our supplier has been unable to give us exact temperatures as no-one has actually measured it). Despite being heated at higher than accepted temperatures (above 45C) raw cacao powder has not been roasted like conventional cocoa and according to studies has up to 15 times more antioxidants than conventional cocoa powder. Nearly all spirulina has been been briefly heated between 65C and 80C in a spray drying process and is technically not raw. (We have only recently sourced some spirulina which the makers claim has been sun-dried at no more than 41C.)

Does this mean these products which are heated at more than 45C are harmful or cooked products? Not to me. My interest is in leading a balanced happy, healthy life  and I am not concerned if I use a condiment or a superfood which has been heated beyond 45C. This isn't some competition to see how raw I can be, is it? :-). I know that a vast percentage of the food and drink that enters my body is raw - all of the fresh fruit and vegetables which make up most of my diet are certainly raw. With nuts, seeds, seaweeds and dried fruit it is much harder to know for sure if they are authentically raw. At the end of the day I am the healthiest and happiest I have ever been in my entire life and that is enough for me.

SHIPPING CHANGES

We've decided to make some improvements to our shipping structure. For all shipping excluding the Raw Food Kitchen catalogs of appliances, dehydrators, juicers and water purifiers: the great news is that shipping will be cheaper for the majority of you! When you check out, you'll now have options to choose your location. If you live in South-East Queensland, shipping will be as low as $7.95 (a $2 saving) while those in metro & coastal NSW, ACT, QLD, VIC, SA and TAS will pay only $9.50. Better still if you live these coloured shipping zones, spend over $300 and PAY NOTHING for shipping at all!

For the Raw Food Kitchen catalogs: we have separated shipping into an option that you select on the product page and is then added to the price of the item. This will allow us to set our prices even lower for these catalogs.

LAYBY CLARIFICATION

We need to adjust our Layby to only offer for non-perishable non-food items; e.g. appliances, juicers, etc. We are offering a layby service for any purchase of $500 or more. Just place your order using our Direct Deposit (EFT) payment option and clearly specify "LAYBY ORDER" in the Shipping Instructions field. A minimum $100 initial payment for the layby items is required to secure the shopping basket (any food items in the same basket will need to paid in full). Final payment of the balance is required 10 weeks after placing the order. Cancellations will incur a $50 re-stocking fee. Please indicate the invoice number clearly in all bank transfers.

EVENT - March 11 - SYDNEY - HEALTHY LUNCH BOX BLISS WORKSHOP

Tania from Energy and More Yoga is holding a motivating workshop that will have you feeling inspired and delighted at making healthy lunches for your kids. This will be held in Sydney on March 11 at 2-5pm. Bring the kids or come with a friend. $25 per person or $30 per adult & child. For more information visit www.energy-and-more.com or email tania@energy-and-more.com

Yours in wonderful health,

Valerie & the team at Raw Power