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1. What do you mean by a “plant- based foods”?
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By “Plant Based foods” we mean unprocessed (or minimally processed) whole foods in the form of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouts, sea-vegetables and superfoods.
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2. What is a living food lifestyle?
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We have used the word “lifestyle” instead of “diet” because eating a high percentage of living foods is usually a lifestyle choice which goes way beyond food and impacts all areas of your life. “Living Foods” are foods which have not been heated above 45 C (115 F).
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3. Why not cook food?
For optimal health we recommend eating a high percentage (75% or more) of uncooked or living foods. Cooking denatures or destroys a high percentage of foods medicinal phytonutrients including vitamins, minerals, enzymes as well as proteins and fats.
Our bodies are designed by nature to thrive on unprocessed living foods and the price we pay for eating a diet high in cooked and heavily processed foods can be seen in the high incidence of chronic and degenerative diseases, including cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s.
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4. Organic food can be expensive. Is it necessary to eat only organic?
We recommend eating organically grown food whenever possible. To save money buy at your local farmers market and whenever possible buy by the box to receive discounts. Organically grown food is free from chemical residues, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides and is usually much higher in phyto-nutrients than conventionally grown produce. Studies in the US have found up to 200 man-made chemicals in the umbilical cord of babies, 60 of which are known carcinogens. Up to 3 times the acceptable level of dioxin, a highly carcinogenic chemical has been found in mother’s milk. These chemicals are insidious, you can’t see them, taste them or smell them, they bioaccumulate in our bodies and are linked to many modern diseases including cancer. According to the Environmental Working Group’s 2006 report, lettuce is among the top foods where pesticide residues have been found. Pesticide exposure has been found to compromise the liver, the cells ability to produce energy, and the nerves.
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5. Where do I get my protein?
Cooking denatures up to 50% of protein, so for starters by mostly not cooking your food you will be getting 50% more protein. Many nutritionists agree that we only need 5-10% protein (as a percentage of calories) in our diet and as you can see from the list below plants can provide more than enough protein for our needs.
Protein levels in some plant foods:
Sprouts 55%
Green leafy vegetables 35-50%
Nuts & Seeds 12-20%
Other vegetables 10- 45%
Grains 8-20%
Fruits 1-10 %
If you still feel the need to eat animal protein, we recommend organic and keeping it under 10% of your total caloric intake.
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6. What are the benefits of a living food life style?
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Most people will experience a dramatic improvement in their health and vitality when they significantly increase the amount of living foods in their diet. This is particularly evident when you eat 75% of more of your diet as living food.
Below is a list of commonly reported benefits:
increased energy
radiant glowing complexion
decreased need for sleep
weight loss
improved digestion
headaches alleviated
improved concentration, decision making ability and memory
resistant to colds and flu’s
detoxification
allergies alleviated
improved fertility
greater ease of movement
lower cholesterol
normal blood sugar levels
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7. What percentage of living food should I be eating?
There is no right answer to this question, everyone is unique and will respond differently. What is more important than percentages is that you are feeling and looking great. We recommend gradually increasing the amount of living foods in your diet until you are feeling exceptionally well. For most people this will be somewhere between 75-100% living foods.
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8. Why is it that when I increased the amount of living food in my diet I feel much worse than before?
Hang in there this is where most people fall off the bandwagon! If you have been eating lots of processed and cooked food throughout your life you will almost certainly be experiencing a cleansing reaction. With the introduction of high quality living food your body is taking the opportunity to “clean house”. Headaches, nausea and flu-like-symptoms are quite normal and a good sign. If symptoms persist more than 7 days or are extreme, please make sure you visit a health professional.
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9. Why don't you use the term 'certified organic' on your labels?
- We purchase certified organic products and repackage them with our labels. For a re-packaged certified organic product to still retain its certified organic status, the product must be repackaged in a certified organic packaging plant, using processes and materials that have been certified by an authorised certifier (such as Australian Certified Organic). At this point in time our packaging facility has not been certified. This is why we use the term 'organic' as opposed to 'certified organic' on all produce which was originally certified organic.
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10. Have our products been stored away from light?
Yes. Our bulk products are either stored in black or clear plastic bags, thick brown paper bags, inside cardboard boxes, wooden drums or plastic containers. They are then packaged from the bulk storage into the lightproof bags which you receive them in.
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11. Have our products been irradiated?
- Most of our products are Certified Organic and therefore irradiation is prohibited if using this classification. Some of our suppliers pay for tests to be done to prove that there is no risk of contamination from their product, to satisfy Australian quarantine and therefore avoiding any possible irradiation. Any product that is not 'certified organic' is from a known organic source and has not been irradiated. However, we have recently discovered that Reishi Mushroom powder has been irradiated, it simply cannot enter the country unless irradiated.
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12. What process have our products been through?
- Our Purple Corn Extract is freeze dried, and Acai Berries are snap frozen at the harvest site, then milled at low temperatures into powders. For Camu Camu to be able to enter Australia it needs to be processed by spray-drying to a temperature of 95ºC for 2 seconds, which makes it not a 'raw' product, yet it still contains 8- 9% Vitamin C which is 30-60 times more than an orange.
- Our other products are cold pressed/processed at or below 45ºC, unless stated otherwise in our product description.
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