Where do you get your protein?

The simple answer is that I get more than enough protein from a varied diet of raw vegetables, low sugar fruits, sprouted grains and nuts. Unfortunately, most of the people asking that question don't believe that answer. So usually, answering with a couple of questions works best.

What are a couple of the strongest animals on earth? Elephants and gorillas, right? Where do they get their protein? They are herbivores. Their diets are based on plant foods.

When do people need the most protein? When they are growing the most, right? Like infants? Then maybe we should look to nature's perfect food, breast milk, for a proper protein intake. Human breast milk is made up of 5 – 7% protein. If that's the ratio of protein that God designed for humans at their peak growth rate, that's good enough for me.

Where do you get your calcium?

Again, the simple answer is that I get more than enough calcium from a varied diet of raw vegetables, fruits, sprouted grains and nuts. Still don't believe me? Where do you suppose the cow gets her calcium? She stopped drinking milk at a very young age, as does every other species of animal except humans. (And she only drank cows milk, not the milk of another species.)

What about osteoporosis? More and more research is being published that shows a direct relationship between excess protein intake and weakening bones. As a matter of fact, the countries with the highest rates of dairy consumption also have the highest rates of osteoporosis.

What can I eat? I would get so bored with such a limited variety of food!

I hear this one a lot. There are hundreds of fruits and vegetables out there and thousands of combinations in which to eat them. Sometimes it helps to know where to start. That's where some food workshops or a couple of good raw food recipe books can help.

Take a serious look at what you have eaten over the last 2 weeks. Most people find themselves eating the same meals over and over again, whether it's raw or cooked, healthy or not. It's the old 80/20 rule. You've heard that in any group 20% of the people do 80% of the work? Well, it's the same theory in the kitchen – we eat the same small percentage of recipes 80% of the time because they are our favorites, they are convenient, etc. The key is learning to prepare a variety of healthy and delicious meals that are also fast and easy.

What's wrong with cooking food?

People have a tendency to believe that just because most people do something a certain way that it's the best way. In this culture, most people cook their food and have for a long time. It seems "unnatural" to eat food that has not been altered (by chemicals or by cooking). The fact is raw, living foods contain the enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carbs, proteins, fats and oxygen that the body needs in a form in which the body can use it. Once a food has been heated above approximately 118 degrees, the enzymes, vitamins and oxygen are cooked out. The minerals, carbs, proteins, fats are altered in such a way that the body cannot properly absorb the nutrients. It has also been shown that each time a person eats cooked food, the immune system kicks into high gear with increased white blood cell activity. So what's wrong with an active immune system? Well, when we keep it in high gear all of the time, it eventually gets tired and worn down. Then when there's a big threat, it has no strength left to protect the body.

More and more people are trying the raw food lifestyle and finding that they love the increased energy, and for many, the opportunity to live each day free of the symptoms of many troublesome "diseases". Even if you are not committed to going 100% raw, just increasing the amount of raw fruits, vegetables, sprouted grains, seeds and nuts can make a difference in the overall quality of life a person experiences.