Eating Raw

For someone who likes to cook, the idea of raw food is hard to embrace. I cannot imagine life without the smell of garlic sizzling in olive oil or freshly baked bread. I say hovering over the warmth of the oven on a cold winter night or lingering by the barbecue in the heat of summer are part of life's pleasures.

Indeed, though, there are those who wholeheartedly subscribe to and champion the idea of a raw food diet, eating squeaky-clean, meatless snacks and meals populated with the likes of nuts and seeds and sprouts.

Cynthia Wikkerink certainly believes in the power of raw food. When she was studying to become an herbalist a few years ago, she was a vegetarian, but was introduced to -- and intrigued by -- the idea of eating "living" foods . Fast forward to now and Wikkerink owns her own business, Divinely Raw (www.divinelyraw.ca), which teaches classes on raw food eating and provides weekly food boxes to a growing number of devotees.

Uncooked food, Wikkerink maintains, is healthier because it's easier for the body to digest. Cooking food, she says, destroys its enzymes. She sees cooking as a kind of processing, something that is taking fresh food away from its natural state.

That said, she's not out to see everyone change their diet 100 per cent.

"I'm not big on making it a religion," she says. "It can be very time consuming. I get excited when people start incorporating more greens in their diet. That's a real step forward."

The classes began in the Zehrs Community Kitchen about three years ago and progressed when Wikkerink began visiting clients in their homes to teach small groups of people. Now she's teaching them out of her home. Most popular is her basic, entry level class -- a "101" to raw eating which lasts about five hours. Participants make smoothies, learn the ins and outs of sprouting and learn to make nut and seed milks.

"I encourage people to bring an apron and come ready to work," she says. "I prefer that because it's more participatory. You take more out of the class. We make tons of food and are usually stuffed. I teach people things they can do at home with their own tools."

As for the food-to-go, Wikkerink started making what she calls her Nourish boxes for customers after people coming to her classes began asking her if she could cook for them.

The weekly box, which customers pick up at a drop-off point on Tuesday evenings, contains about seven items. Most people use the food for lunches or eating on the go, supplementing what they buy and prepare on their own.

A recent box contained, among other treats, "neatloaf" made with soaked nuts, mushrooms, herbs and spices, dates. There was also vegan sushi made with sunflower pate, sprouts and vegetables, and chocolate cheesecake with cashews, coconut oil, raw cacao, honey and agave.

"I'm really fussy about ingredients," Wikkerink says. "I do the best I can to source out organics and I love going to the farmers' market and have some local farmers I deal with."

Wikkerink has started providing grab-and-go items like falafel to Sante, a health food store in Elora, and will soon begin selling similar items at The Healthy Haven on Bruce Street in Kitchener.

If, like me, you’re not so sure about jumping full force into the world of 100 per cent raw, Wikkerink offers a baby step via the green smoothie, which she says is an excellent way to incorporate some extra fresh stuff into your diet. She recommends having one every day for breakfast.

So for those of us trying to turn over a new leaf (don't you love January?), here is a recipe to try. Spirulina and maca are available at the health food store. Wikkerink recommends using a good, powerful blender and suggests you trick your kids into consuming them by telling them it's a "Dinosaur Drink." Good luck!

Pear, Kale and Ginger Smoothie

2 cups filtered water

1 or 2 large pears, cut in chunks, seeds removed

1 large handful of kale, stems removed

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, cut into chunks

A sprig or two of mint

Optional:

1 tablespoon of maca and/or spirulina

a pinch of cayenne

Whirl all ingredients in a blender on high until smooth.

-30-