I have been slowly incorporating raw food into my diet for about 2 months. I am beginning 100 % raw today.

Can someone tell me what type of tea or hot drink is considered raw? I love green teas, senna, any herbal but did not know if they are considered raw. I don't mind the occasional hot water and lemon but I live in a Northern city and it is very cold here (-38C today) and cold water all the time chills me. Any suggestions for hot drinks?

Thanks very much!

CONGRATULATIONS JUANITA! Good for you! I hope you'll keep coming back and letting us know how you're doing! We're all here for support and you never know who you'll inspire!

I have the same question about hot drinks. My understanding is that an item is still considered raw as long as it's not been in conditions over 118F (47.78C).

I can't imagine giving up all hot drinks, so I'll be excited to see what information is given.

Tea is not considered raw, but some raw foodists do drink tea. If you're 100%, I guess no tea unless you do maybe sun brewed?

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

I tried to do a search on the forum for previous discussions about hot drinks. Nothing. Nada.

The only thing I found was this blurb in an article here about pollutants:

Quote

We have created thousands of chemicals, but we don't know the effects of them, and their interactions. Styrofoam cups are a bad idea. In autopsies of dead people, 100% have styrene in them - this is clearly not an essential nutrient! It is worse with hot drinks.

RAYMOND FRANCIS: AVOIDING ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS TO HEALTH - NOTES

Yikes!

Opinion: Don't get stuck on the word 'raw' or the science of 'enzymes' or the 'correct' temperatures. Think: Fresh raw plant foods....and you'll be on the right track. This is just my take. If tea helps you to consume more fresh, raw plant foods...then you definitely have my 100% support! For my part, I avoid it - as I don't consider it an optimal food. Just my experience.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

As summer turned into fall I keep wanting something warm/hot to drink but I had given up drinking tea on day 1 of my raw journey. As the fall gave way to winter the desire for a cup of warm/hot got stronger. I finally put some clean water into my tea cup and warmed it up. I put my cup of warm water on my old cup warmer (a cup sized hotplate) which kept it at about 120 f. My first reaction was tepid but it was warm and filled that want. As I continued to drink the warm water day after day I started really liking the clean fresh taste of the water in the same way that I appreciate a room temp glass of clean water but not as much as a glass of cold water with ice on a hot day. Maybe that will happen in time ? The point is I really like water as my drink and I "discovered" warm water filled the bill for me. Give it a try - you never know it might fill the bill for you too ?

There is no 100% raw religion! If herbal teas work for you then keep drinking them. I still drink herbal teas, I don't feel they have a negative effect on me.

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]

Thank you all for your responses - I do love a cup of senna or rosehip tea - and will continue with them. Having said that I think I will try the warm water - it will give me the warmth I crave in the winter.

I don't think I got across what I was trying to say in my post above so I will try again. When I switched to pure clean warm water the desire for flavored tea and other drinks left and I appreciated the taste of the water more until now I definitely prefer the clean taste of the water. I guess the only way to understand the remission of cravings is to experience it. Anyway I drink the pure warm water by choice and not because its a 100% raw religion. Check out this thread tittled "If you only had 3-6 months to live?". [www.rawfoodsupport.com] Its not about hot drinks but about food and my answer is the same I would eat raw if I had only one meal left to live because its the way I like to eat and drink. It feels right to me and I enjoy the taste of raw foods and the clean taste of pure water.

Once I begin the raw life, I'm sure I'll still have the odd cup of herbal tea during the cold months. It's the black tea with Carnation Evaporated Milk and raw sugar that I'll miss! That's what I'll miss the most. (That's it. I promised myself I wouldn't cry...)