Having a new baby. Often it’s the happiest time of your life. You’ve counted the fingers and toes, verified he or she is healthy, and probably pronounced your child as the most perfect in creation. At first, you don’t even care about that lingering “baby bulge,” you’re so happy. But time has gone by, the worries of childhood are behind you and now you want to move heaven and earth to get rid of that baby bulge. Read the rest of this entry »

First, we need to agree on what “raw” means. What are the main characteristics of fruits, vegetables and greens that come directly from a garden or orchard with absolutely no processing? They are whole raw foods and the only ones I eat. We know what “raw” means, but what about “whole”? It means the water is intact. By this definition, oils are not whole raw foods even if they are cold pressed. Read the rest of this entry »

“Impossible!” some people challenge me: “You can’t live on so few calories.” But quite clearly, I do.

On average, one burns 750–850 calories in a 90-minute Bikram yoga class. Since I often take two classes a day, I may well burn 1500 calories a day just from yoga classes, before we begin counting up everything else. I consume approximately 1200 to 1400 calories daily, and my weight stays constant. This might seem impossible to a nutritional scientist. Some nutritionists would calculate that I must be wasting away. However, in the words of Mr. Churchill, “The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.” I’m not only living but also thriving on a calorie-restricted diet. Read the rest of this entry »

Vanity. Despite how it may sound it can be the one and only thing that is big enough to drive people to change their bad habits and unhealthy lifestyles. It’s not that most people don’t know the drawbacks of a poor diet and detrimental lifestyle practices such as smoking or overeating, but for some people even after they hear all the testimonies about how good they can feel and some of the powerful healing effects of raw foods, they still have a hard time finding the inspiration to really go out there and do it. Read the rest of this entry »

All right…you’ve never met a raw foodist who’s lived an unusually long life. Is that a good reason to doubt the raw food diet? The fact is we raw foodists are a rare species. Billions of people around the world have never even laid eyes on a 100 percent raw foodist. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any—just that they’re rare. And sometimes hard to spot. Read the rest of this entry »

Raw beets are nutritional powerhouses, containing high levels of fiber, the right kinds of natural sugars, vitamins C and K, and an impressive amount of carotenoids and antioxidants which help protect against heart disease and colon cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

The food we eat on the raw food diet has been appropriately called by many different names: living food, sunfood, plant-based nutrition, raw vegan, and similar terms. Recently, one reader commented on how much she enjoyed the ‘waterful’ raw diet. What a delightful and refreshing image it brings to mind! It makes it an excellent synonym for “whole.” Find a definition for whole food. It should state that the water is intact. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s funny though not surprising anymore…those of us who use the raw food regime and internal cleansing often are branded “extreme.” Yet asking to be injected with bovine toxin is “normal.” There are even Botox parties, as innocent, we’re to suppose, as Tupperware parties. And there are, now, Botox addicts. Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve seen claims for “superfoods.” Loads of them. Dieticians are now touting the “amazing health benefits” of popcorn—ultrahigh in fiber…peanut butter—because nuts help reduce inflammation and cut the risk of heart attack…baked beans—packed with fiber…and—wait for it! Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most ancient and beneficial health practices known: the art of tempering the body with cold water.

Tempering the body with cold water, indoors or out, is an ancient practice for health, stamina and longevity. Kundalini yoga practitioners do this early in the morning, and their name for it is ishnaan. The ancient Greeks and Spartans practiced it. Read the rest of this entry »