I am new to raw foods, having been lacto-vegetarian for 17 years. I plan to work into it, dropping dairy first (the hardest part, I LOVE cheese). And I plan to allow myself to cheat a little if it keeps me from falling off the wagon entirely. But I am confused about why dehydrated foods are okay. Aren't these basically treated at high temperatures? By the way, is cheese cooked?...

dehydration is usually done at about 105 degrees. Food enzymes are destroyed at 118 degrees, so normally dehydration does not kill the enzymes. One problem with dehydration is that the food natural water is removed but as long as you are eating fresh fruit and vegetables, dehydrated food is ok.
[www.healingdaily.com]

Dehydrated foods are still raw and living. They still have life force energy in them. There are photographs on-line of dehydrated foods taken with a kirlian camera which shows that they are still alive.

Thank you for your responses. The website was enlightening. Having everyone's comments to read about different facets of raw food is so helpful to staying the course.

I am about 90% raw, but not vegan. I eat raw cheese and yogurt, which are both very abundantly available here in Central PA. Lots of farms are realizing the amazing benefits of raw dairy. So, if you are eating pastuerized cheese, then yes, it is cooked. Try not to think of things as 'cheating' or labelling yourself as anyone particular thing. Eat what feels right to you, what vibrates the highest in your own Be-Ing.

Peace and Blessings on Your Journey,
April Myers
The Enchanted Kitchen

I would take raw milk and cheese, but recently there was an E. coli outbreak in our area from raw milk. I'm kind of wary of it. We do have a good local organic milk, but it's pasteurized/homogenized.

Dehyrdated foods are less than ideal but are a fine choice for new and transitioning raw fooders who want/need to replicate some cooked food flavors and sensations. Of course, fresh is always better. but dehydrated is much better than cooked food. Once you have been raw for awhile and especially if you have been eating a simpler, fresh diet, you will definitely notice that you don't feel as well when you eat somehing dehydrated as when you eat fresh food.

All the best,

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

man eating dehydrated food is technically fine. It's already been said that you need to keep your water intake up, which you'll find eating raw foods actually lowers your need for water. As stated before, the dehydrated food doesn't have as much energy as eating completely fresh foods. HOWEVER, it is much better to eat some dehydrated food than eating cooked food even if it's vegan.

I mainly use dehydrated food for special dinner, some desserts and when I make food for travelling.

Just my two cents... but as april said.. do what feels best for you!

When foods are dehydrated they're not heated over 115 degrees, so the enzymes aren't destroyed - that's the theory, to eat food with living enzymes so your body can stop depleting its own enzymes in order to digest cooked food (which is what makes you tired after a meal - cooked food and animal products sap your energy because they're difficult to digest.

Dehydrated foods are not the ideal choice for the raw fooder. They are more of a transitional food. There are 2 problems with dehydrated foods. The first is that they dehydrate you, as they have a lower percentage of water than your body does. So when you eat them, they make you thirsty. The 2nd problems is that some of the nutrients get oxidized in the dehydration process. Not as bad as cooking, but not as good as fresh. Also, the water that you are dehydrating if you are using organic is a wonderful necessary nutrient.

Another issue with dehydration is that dehydrated foods are tough on the teeth. They can be sticky when compared to fresh foods and they are more likely to stick to your teeth and cause problems. When foods stick to your teeth, they invite bacteria to grow on the foods and cause tooth decay.

I like the texture of dehydrated foods. I find myself dehydrating for two main reasons, 1) I need to take food camping and fresh food won't last long enough, 2) I want something chewy or crunchy to eat.

Cheers,
Ian.

Thank you so much for all the thoughts. It seems intuitive that dehydrated foods aren't as healthy, but I'm glad that they are okay for when I get tired of salad for lunch. Or a dried mango is good for dessert at work when I don't have time for the fresh.

There is nothing wrong with eating dehydrated foods as long as they are dehydrated below 118 degrees. In fact, dehydrated foods are not bad for the teeth because some will give your teeth more work to chew them up which is actually very good for you and digestion. I have had a lot of fun with my dehydrator making raw breads, flax crackers, pizzas, puddings and anything else my creative mind will come up with. Dehydrating preserves the integrity of the enzymes so they are still living so you're not putting any dead food into your body. Also, some foods that oxidize easily like apples can be brushed with fresh lemon juice and this slows the oxidation process. I love making banana chips in my dehydrator as well as a whole host of other things that I would never have dreamed of making. I've even made a raw jerky that is totally yummy. One thing you will find on this website is multiple opinions. Some will like dehydrators, juicers and blenders and others will not. Some will love the benefits of coconut oil, hemp seed protein, maca powder,fermented foods and a few others while some will not. However, in the long run, you must decide what is right for you. Your raw food journey should be a pleasant one and not feel like you are being deprived of anything or else you will fall off the wagon. So, decide for yourself but I can't say enough great things about my excalibur dehydrator. It gets used everyday.

Peace,

Marcos

Go Vegan for your life, your health, the planet and, most importantly, the animals that we share this wonderful world with!

i get raw milk from my local whole foods (in california)... i tried raw cheese once but it was too salty.

My dehydrator is going night and day right now. My niece, sister and Mother are all bringing me tomatoes from their gardens. (I can't grow them at my house because of my walnut trees - tomatoes don't do well around walnut trees). I slice the tomatoes and just lay them on the screens. I bag them up after they are finished drying. Some of them I put (just a few slices at a time) into the blender and blend them into tomato powder. I use that for making french dressing (raw vinegar, lemon juice, agave, olive oil, pepper)

The rest of the dehydrated tomatoes will be used all winter long in pasta sauces, in walnut pate, on raw pizzas, in stuffed mushrooms, etc. My SAD husband will probably steal a few, too!

I don't do a LOT of fancy uncooking ( I'm sitting and eating a bowl of salad right now as I type. It contains: romaine! That's it - and some nice french dressing! BUT, it's not uncommon to feel deprived from time to time when eating raw (even when you're loving your new way of living and feeling good or maybe even great and life is just so good ) and it's really nice to have some more "gourmet" like items on the menu.

I may change my mind down the road - my tastes do seem to be becoming more simple - but for now - I vote yeah on the dehydrator!


Do what you LOVE!
Love what you DO!

PS. I offered to buy my son a LIFE IS GOOD t-shirt and he refused it. He said that only Yuppies wore those!!!!! Anyhoo - LIFE IS GOOD!

alive! Sometimes this raw thing fills me up with so much love I feel like I might kersplode!!!!!

Raw Milk is something that I would never drink for two reasons. One, it supports an industry that still contends that it's ok to do whatever you want to our non-human brethren, and two that when we are through with them they are simply as useful as a broken down lawnmower and are killed, thrown on junk heaps, etc. Also, mankind in the only animal that drinks milk beyond weaning. Tell me there isn't something seriously wrong with that picture? Just read Robert Cohen's book, Don't Drink Your Milk. It's a tell all.

Marcos

Go Vegan for your life, your health, the planet and, most importantly, the animals that we share this wonderful world with!

I LOVE raw breads etc... and feel like grains have been very important for me at this point.

If you buy dehydrated fruit at the store chances are it was dehydrated above 120 even 140 degrees (may also contain sulfite additives)

Here's some dehydrated recipes:

Brown Caraway Bread
Recipe by Elaina Love
Makes 48 pieces
6 cups almond pulp (fluffy, not packed) This is leftover pulp from making nut milk.
1 1/2 cup fresh ground flax meal, golden or brown
1/2 cup carob powder
1 tsp. Himalayan sea salt
1/4 cup caraway seeds (more or less according to taste)
1 cup olive oil
1/2-1 cup sauerkraut (more for a more sour taste)

Mix the dry ingredients with your hands first, then add the olive oil and sauerkraut and mix well. Roll out 1/3 of the batter sandwiched between two 14"x14" flex sheets. Use a rolling pin or olive oil bottle to flatten and even out the thickness. Remove the top flex sheet and use a pastry scraper to spread the dough out to the edges of the sheet and make it square. Score the bread into 16 squares per tray (4x4), and then flip it onto a dehydrator tray with the screen in place. This means the tray will have no flex sheets on the top or bottom, just the screen and tray. Dry for around 4 hours at 105 degrees. You will know the bread is ready when it is moist, and not doughy.

Store in a plastic bag or glass container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, and in the freezer for 2-4 weeks. These will not stay fresh long at room temperature since they are not dried completely, but overnight should be okay.


Walnut burgers

These are well worth making as they taste great, and provide a link to the type of food you might have left behind so you don't miss it. Makes about 8 burgers.

6 cups of walnuts, soaked for 2 hours
2 cups of carrots, topped and tailed
1 cup of fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil and coriander, tightly packed
1 and a half cups of red onion
2 cups of portabello mushroom
Half a red pepper, deseeded and destalked
6 sundried tomatoes, soaked for 2-6 hours
2 cloves of garlic
1 dessertspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of dried pizza herbs
1 teaspoon of dried parsley

Set aside the fresh herbs, the pepper and half the onions. Finely chop the sundried tomatoes. Blend all other ingredients in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl and continue blending with a hand blender until you achieve a smooth consistency.

Very finely chop the remaining ingredients by hand (this ensures a good texture), and mix into the burger mix. Divide into 8 or 10 equal portions andform into burger shapes. You can eat it as it is, but we prefer to dehydrate for 4-24 hours for a much more intense flavour.

Here's a serving suggestion: Put 1 burger in a big romaine or batavia leaf, add your choice of Tomato sauce*, cheddary cheeze slices* thinly sliced onion rings, "Fried" mushrooms*, Mango chutney*, Sweetcorn salsa* and mustard cress. Serve with Joe's chip shop chips* and a smile on your face.

*Recipes available in the book, Detox your world.

Raw Vegan Cheese

Ricotta:
3 1/2 cups macadamia nuts, soaked 2 or more hours
1/2 cup pure water
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. Himalayan Crystal Salt or 2 Tbs. light miso paste
1-2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Puree in a food processor or blend until fluffy.

Optional: for a cheesier taste, blend the nuts and water with 2 capsules of probiotic powder and let sit overnight. Then add the seasonings.

Thank you for the great recipes! Did I read somewhere that dried banana and apple from the store are routinely dried at higher temps?