René’s Blog

Hi Rene,

Our star fruit tree produced hundreds of star ftuit this year.  We’ve given them away to friends and neighbors, but we still have more than we can eat.  What can I do with them?

Becky from Stuart, FL

Hi Becky,

Our tree produced lots for us this year too!  We use them in juices, green smoothies, fruit salads and wrapped in lettuce leaves!  You can also make great Star Fruit Candy by dehydrating them.   

Star Fruit before dehydrating

Star Fruit Candy after dehydrating

I have extended the Healthy Holiday Package and Holiday Book Special through 2-14-10.  To learn more about it click here or go to http://reneoswald.com/book.html

Hi Rene,

I love everything about the raw food diet in the summer months, but when it starts getting cold (I live in Illinois) I find it hard to stay on this diet.  Do you have any tips?

Thanks so much,

Marcia

Hi Marcia,

That’s a great question.  Many of you, who live in a cold climate, are asking if there are any tricks to staying on the raw food path when the weather gets cold. 

I used to recommend warming soups made in the high-speed blender by running the blender on high-speed for a few minutes longer until it reached 105 degrees Fahrenheit.  I now feel that more nutrients are retained by blending for the minimum amount until smooth and then heating to 105 degrees Fahrenheit by placing in a pan or bowl of hot water. 

The attached photo is of the Chai Holiday Smoothie from my ”Living Cuisine for Happy Holidays” eBook http://reneoswald.com/ebooks.html .  This smoothie is delicious when warmed to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. 

When heating soups or sauces that have been refrigerated I store them in a class jar and about 15-30 minutes before serving I place them in a large bowl of hot water.  You may have to change the water once or twice during this time for larger quantities of food.

I have also used a heating pad to warm cold foods by placing the heating pad around the jar of food.

There are many spices that you can use to help provide “heat” to your foods that often help you stay warm.  I use cayenne, chili powder, ginger and white pepper and fresh hot peppers. 

Make warm saloups instead of cold salads.  I have lots of recipes for saloups in the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book.   

Instead of cold green smoothies, make warm energy soups.

For fruit smoothies and green smoothies, use fruit at room temperature instead of using frozen fruit.

Dry skin brushing for 3-4 minutes, followed by an intermittent hot/cool shower is great to improve circulation and also helps remove toxins from the body.  Always brush towards the heart and then take a 10 minute shower, alternating 1 minute of hot water, then 1 minute of cool water 5 times for a total of 10 minutes.  Start with hot water and end with cool water.

Another way to “warm up” is by exercising when you are feeling cold.  There are so many things that you can do in the comfort of your home to get a little exercise in those cold winter months!  Here are a few:

©      Jumping jacks

©      Rebounding

©      Jump roping

©      An abdominal workout

©      Pilates

©      Yoga

©      Strength training with weights or bands

©      Table tennis

You’ll find it only takes a few minutes to “warm up” and you get the benefit of a good workout! 

I hope some of these suggestions have helped you. 

We live in a tropical climate now, but I did live in Upstate NY for 21 years and I do remember how cold it could get and I do “feel your pain”!    

Please post your comments and questions below or email me at rene.oswald@att.net   I love hearing from all of you! 

Stay warm,

Rene

Hello Rene,

With differing health opinions out there, I find it difficult to decide which health choices are best for my family.  However, I do feel blessed I came across the RAW FOOD DIET, even though it has many approaches to learn about.  I don’t know much about raw foods yet & only briefly mentioned a few things to my family.  I don’t know if they’ll ever be open to this lifestyle (& if so, to what degree), but I hope so, I’d like to.  I think it would help us all with our individual illnesses.  We eat cooked & raw food.  For now, I hope we’ll increase our RAW: fruits, veggies (& greens), nuts, seeds, avocadoes & in future, embrace this diet more.

For a long time, I’ve been trying to find out which ‘FAT/OIL’ is best to use for cooking, especially as mum has high cholesterol.  But I’m confused, as different ‘fats/oils’ state they’re the healthiest for COOKING, e.g. extra virgin olive oil, rice bran oil, raw extra virgin coconut oil/coconut butter.

I’VE LEARNED ‘FATS/OILS’ SHOULDN’T BE HEATED.  But, if we’re still going to cook with ‘fats/oils’….. do you know which ‘fat/oil’ is best, even at very high heats (will retain maximum nutrition & be least damaged)?  And Why? 

Regards,

Sara from Australia

Hi Sara,

Thanks for the great question!

The best way to consume fats is in their whole, natural state in the form of olives, coconut, avocado, nuts and seeds.  When eaten in their natural state we don’t tend to overeat fat and we get the added benefit of the whole food with the fiber and other components that are essential to the complete digestion of that food.   When eating concentrated fat in the form of oils we often over-consume.  There are up to 1,375 olives in each liter of olive oil.  This means that it takes 45 olives to make just one ounce of olive oil, which is the minimum amount of oil that the average person eats on a small salad!.  Most people are not aware of how much fat they consume in a day when they are using oil on their foods during cooking and their use of salad dressings.  One of the first things that I do with people when counseling them is to look over their daily consumption of fats in their daily menu.  Most people are shocked when they find out they are eating 40-60% fat in a day.  Our daily fat requirement is 10-20%. 

The best oils are cold-pressed (first pressed), unrefined and best used unheated.  When cooking it’s best to steam, boil, bake or roast your food and sprinkle a small amount of oil on after if you need the added oil. 

Prune puree and ground flax seed are great replacements for the fat in baked recipes.  (See the ‘Healthy Ingredient Substitution Chart’ on pg. 56 of the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book)

To make Prune Puree, combine 8 oz. of prunes with 3/4 cup water in a food processor with S-blade.  Process until smooth.  If a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, substitute with 1/2 cup oil and 1/4 cup prune puree.  May be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month. 

To substitute flaxseed for one large egg in a recipe, whisk 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water and let sit for 5 minutes before using.

If using oil in sauteeing or frying it is important to be aware of the oil’s “Smoke Point”
An oil’s ‘smoke point’ indicates how high the heat can get to before it begins to smoke. When oil smokes, it releases carcinogens and free radicals. For the healthiest approach, discard any oil that has gone beyond its smoke point, and clean the pan.  All oils are not created equal.  As you’ll see from the list below, there are many differences in the ‘smoke points’ of the same oils.  When deciding on an oil it’s best to check what the smoke point is with the manufacturer.  The smoke point can have a 100 degree difference from the same kind of oil, depending on how if is refined.   

Smoke Points of Various Oils

Oils with a high ‘smoke point’ are best for sautéing, frying and other high heat applications.

Avocado 430°F-510°F
Almond 495°F
Apricot Kernel 495°F
Grapeseed Oil  420-485°F

Canola (Super High Heat) 460°F
Safflower (Super High Heat) 450°F-460°F
Sunflower 450°F-460°F
Safflower, High Oleic 445°F-510°F-
Sesame 445°F-445°F

Oils with a medium-high ‘smoke point’ are best for sautéing at medium-high heat or for baking.

Hazelnut Oil  430°F-

Canola 425°F-445°F
Walnut 400°F-
Safflower, High Oleic 390°F
Coconut 350°F-365°F
Soy 360°F-495°F-

Medium heat oils are good for sauces and salad dressings, or for sautéing at medium heat where the oil’s flavor is intended as an integral part of the finished dish.

Sesame 350°F
Peanut 350°F-450°F-
Macadamia Nut Oil  389°F-

Toasted Sesame 350°F
Olive 325°F-445°F-
Corn 320°F-450°F-
Coconut 280°F

Butter  350°F-

Hemp Seed Oil 350°F

 These oils with low ‘smoke points’ have a fragile structure and are best  poured directly onto a finished dish, or blended into a dressing or sauce.

Borage 225°F
Evening Primrose 225°F
Flax Oil 225°F
Wheat Germ 225°F

Doesn’t that look yummy!?   It’s from one of the recipes in our book, “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” and it’s made with Coconut Cream!  I have been recommending a Coconut Cream to all of you for many years.  I have recently been informed that the Coconut Cream that I was told was processed under 118 degrees Fahrenheit, is actually now processed at 176 degrees Fahrenheit.

Following is the email I received from Becky:

This is Becky’s original message to Tropical Traditions:

 About your Coconut Cream Concentrate and Coconut Flakes.
 Are they raw, meaning not heated above about 105 degrees F?
 
 Thanks,

Becky

The Response from Tropical Traditions:

 Hi Becky,
 
 Thank you for contacting Tropical Traditions! No. Tropical Traditions dried coconut products, which presently include our coconut flakes, shredded coconut, coconut cream concentrate, and coconut flour, are all manufactured by well-established companies in the Philippines that have been producing dried coconut products for many years under industry standard operating procedures, and are also certified organic according to USDA standards. The dried coconut is heated to appropriate temperatures to insure no contamination occurs that is common to coconut products in the tropics.
 
 We have become very concerned that there are some companies in the US claiming to sell “raw” dried coconut from the Philippines that has not been treated by heat. This is not the industry standard way of producing dried coconut in the Philippines, as is very well documented.
 
 Raw, unprocessed coconut supports the growth of salmonellae as well as that of other enteric bacteria, salmonellae being particularly resistant to subsequent desiccation. Original contamination is not due to carriers or to polluted water supplies, but to contact with bacteria-containing soils followed by dispersion via infected coconut milk and shells. Pasteurization of raw coconut meat in a water bath at 80 C (176 F) for 8 to 10 min effectively killed such bacteria, did not injure the product, and provided a prophylactic method now widely used by the coconut industry.
 
 You may read more about it at: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/raw_dried_coconut.htm You may also find more information about our products at: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/faq.htm
 
 If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us. Have a great day!
 
 Sincerely,
 
 Kay
 Customer Service
 Tropical Traditions

Becky’s email to me:

Hi Rene,
 
I noticed in one of your videos (I’m a subscriber to your YouTube channel) and on your website, you recommend Coconut Cream Concentrate from Tropical Traditions. I buy my coconut oil from them. I sent them an email asking if their Coconut Cream Concentrate was raw. Below is their answer. It is NOT raw; instead, it is heated to 176 F.
 
Do you think it still has some benefit?
 
Thank you,
Becky Kirby

My response to Becky:

Hi Becky,

Thank you so much for passing on this valuable information! When I talked with them 4-5 years ago they assured me the coconut cream concentrate was not heated above 118 degrees.  I will include this information in my blog post!  Thanks for sharing!

I still believe it is a good alterative for those that are transitioning to living foods and can not find Thai coconuts in their area or for those that want the convenience of the coconut cream concentrate and would otherwise revert to unhealthy baked alternatives.  It’s sort of like using maple syrup, it’s definitely a “cooked” product (boiled for several hours), but it’s still a good alternative to processed sugars and artificial sweeteners!  It’s always best to use the foods closest to how they are found in nature, but not everyone’s willing to take the time! 

Thank you again for sharing this important info!

Rene

–

Since receiving this information I found a Company in Patagonia AZ that process their coconut cream under 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

This is the information that I found from Cocopura Coconut Créme at Vivapure.

I have not personally tried this Coconut Créme yet, but I have been told by many people that it is a good one.  I spoke with Erika at Vivapure and she stated that their coconut cream was Certified Organic from Mexico and is not heated above 110 degrees

Here is the information from their website at http://vivapura.net/

 A Stone-ground, Whole Food, Delightfully Delicious Indulgence!

Our passion for coconut has ignited, and a proprietary delicacy has been born - Cocopura Coconut Créme .  Adored by raw food enthusiasts and gourmet chefs alike, this creamy, low-glycemic yumminess is something you will adore. Coconut Créme is a healthy whole food, as well as a raw “comfort food,” that really satisfies the craving for rich sweet flavors. Use it as a raw-vegan base in creamy soups, desserts, chai tea and smoothies - or eat it right from the jar! It simply melts in your mouth with a heavenly flavor.

Unlike any other coconut “butters” or “creams,” Cocopura Coconut Créme is low-temperature, stone-ground from raw, organic Coconut Flakes. Never any extra sweeteners or fillers. This low-glycemic decadence is a great source of essential amino acids, dietary fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals - a highly nutritious whole food.

Why Stone-Ground?
Coconut “creme” and coconut “butters” on the market masticate (tear) the food with industrial metal blades in order to make it smooth. Most raw-food aficionados and health gurus recognize that ripping food with metal de-vitalizes it and diminishes the life force frequency of the food. 

The life-giving subtle energy (life force) of food is a newly understood principle, and one that we at Vivapura honor and uphold.  In our efforts to fully honor the bountiful energetic blessing of the Earth, in the form of food, and to fully support the health and wellbeing of our customers, we stone-grind our Coconut Crémes (and nut & seed butters) at low temperatures.  Stone-grinding literally presses the food against itself and the large black granite grinding wheels. This is a far superior way to create a smooth creamy texture and preserve the delicate life-force.

Gabriel Cousens, M.D., Founder of the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, a premier raw food education and research center, preforms testing to evaluate the life force energy of each of our foods.  Dr. Cousens has found that when Vivapura stone-grinds a food, the energetic frequency actually goes up. This is something we can’t quite explain.  Perhaps it is that the stone-grinding is close to the natural action of teeth, and the life force gets activated so that it can contribute itself to the consumer. Although the Mystery is yet to be solved, the vital energy can be experienced in every jar!

Why Coconut Cremés are Often Sold Out . . .
Because we make them fresh. When you receive our Coconut Cremé, it is often shipped the day its made.  And people love them, so we just can’t seem to keep them around.  In honor of our valued customers who just love Coconut Cremé, we are increasing our production capacity so that we can make sure you have all the Cremé that you love.

I hope the above information was helpful to you.

Please leave your comments below and be sure to send any other questions to rene.oswald@att.net or print them below.

Hi Rene,

I’ve been eating lots of spouted wheat berries in so many recipes.  I use them in crackers, cookies, burgers, as a breakfast cereal—tossed with raisins and bananas or other fruits or just tossed into a salad.  I notice that you don’t use many grains in your TLC program.  Is there a problem with eating wheat berries?  They are so easy to sprout in a jar, so I sprout them every day.

Marcy from Ontario

Hi Marcy,

Thanks for the great question!

I too loved sprouted grains when I first started on this path.  It was exciting for me when I started eating foods in their natural state and noticing the major improvements I was having in my health.  Suddenly I noticed I was really tasting the essence of food for the first time.  After eating healthier and becoming more in tune with my body, I become more aware of the negative effects some of the foods had on me.  I noticed I was very sluggish after eating a meal that contained grains, often feeling bloated and congested with a headache.  After eliminating and reintroducing grains I found they were the problem.  Since most people do better with less grains in their diets I chose not to use grains in the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” (TLC) Program.  However, it’s great if they are working for you and you are getting positive results.  We are all different and we need to do what works best for each of us.

I once read that in nature, only animals with a gizzard consume grains, which makes more sense that they are not a natural part of our diet and why so many people have trouble digesting them.  However, if we soak and sprout them, like you have been doing, we can break them down with our teeth and they are much easier to digest.  

Another important factor is to alternate your grains.  Many people develop allergies to foods that are over-consumed.   This is seen in the US, where wheat is the most highly consumed grain and there is a direct correlation in the increased incidence of wheat allergies here.  Great alternatives to wheat are quinoa, millet, buckwheat groats, brown rice, oat groats, amaranth, barley, corn, kamut, rye and spelt, .  Check out my “Resource” page at www.reneoswald.com for links to companies that sell these grains if you have trouble finding them in your area.  You can also find information about sprouting grains on page 214 of the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” (TLC) Book.

For those that eat cooked foods, it’s best to dehydrate the sprouted grains before grinding them into flour.  It seems like a tedious process, but I think you’ll see positive health changes for your efforts.  The majority of the grains eaten in the US have been ground into flour and highly processed, removing all the valuable parts, like the wheat germ and the bran and replaced with chemical additives.  There are a few reputable companies that sprout their grains and use minimal processing that I recommend for those eating cooked foods.  http://www.foodforlife.com/ and

http://www.alvaradostreetbakery.com/

It’s important to listen to your body and eat the foods that work best for you.  The cleaner your system becomes, the easier it is to listen to the cues it give you.

Further reading on this subject:  “The No-Grain Diet” by Dr. Joseph Mercola and “Grain Damage” by Douglas Graham

Post your great comments and questions here or email them to me at rene.oswald@att.com  I love hearing from all of you!

Hello Rene,

       I have enjoyed viewing your videos and am curious if any of your raw food creations and smoothies are suitable for the Type 2 diabetic? I have been watching closely my diet for many years and have arrived at the place where types of foods and there preparation seem to be my last chance at good control of my blood sugar. I started looking at your videos to see how you used the Vita-Mix Blender and then became very interested in a raw food diet. I use very little meat in my diet now and could easily remove it entirely. I hope you may have some suggestions because I love fruit and vegetables but know that most fruits are too high in natural sugar. I am also looking into Dragon Fruit and Dried Dragon

Fruit. Do you know about it’s use in salads or smoothies.

Thank you,

Robbay

Hi Robbay,

I’m sorry to hear that you have diabetes, but am excited to hear your interest in this lifestyle.  I’ve seen many diabetics decrease or stop needing insulin shots completely after adding delicious living foods to their diet.  I know many people will benefit from your question.  Thanks for asking!

Fruits are a valuable food for all of us, including diabetics.  They are high in vitamins, phytochemicals, and fiber.  The fiber allows the fruit to breakdown in our bodies at the perfect speed.  When fruits are juiced and the fiber is removed from the fruit it changes the way the fruit is metabolized in our bodies.  This faster assimilation can cause the blood sugar to rise too quickly, therefore diabetics should refrain from drinking fruit juices.  That’s where the Vita-Mix becomes an essential part of the diabetic’s kitchen.  When making fruit smoothies, the entire fruit, including the fiber is present.  In it’s “whole” form, it is a very acceptable part of the diet.  Adding greens to your fruit to make a “green smoothie” helps to slow the absorbtion of the fructose and decrease the chances of blood sugar elevations.  The only precaution that diabetics need to take when eating fruits are to eat those that have a low glycemic index.  The Glycemic Index measures how fast the food is converted to glucose.  Those fruits that score a Glycemic Index below 55 are the best ones for diabetics. 

Here are some examples of the Glycemic Index in specific fruits:

Food                                                         Glycemic Index Value

Low Glycemic Index food for diabetics are less than 55
Foods with GI index between 55 and 70 are consider intermediate
High Glycemic Index food have a glycemic index above 70

You can see by this list, there are plenty of fruits that diabetics can eat. 

This is just a chart of the fruits, however most of the other foods that I use in the recipes in our “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book are low glycemic,  such as  Nuts—GI of 15-30, Tomatoes—GI of 15 and Green Leafy Vegetables with a GI of 0-15.

Interesting that you asked about dragon fruit, also know as pitaya fruit.  There have been health claims that dragon fruit helps to control glucose blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes and some with type 1 diabetes.  Dragon fruit is also high in dietary fiber and Vitamin C.   I normally recommend fresh fruit rather than dried fruit, but since it’s often hard to find the fresh fruit, you may have to purchase the  dried variety.  Another benefit of eating dried dragon fruit is that the dried fruit has about 10x more Vitamin C than the fresh fruit.  Fresh dragon fruit or dried dragon fruit both are great additions to a healthy diet.  Fresh dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting the fruit in half and scooping the flesh out. They are a wonderful addition to smoothies, or just eaten by themselves or in a fruit salad.

It is also important to pay attention to the way you combine your foods.  Fruits should always be eaten alone or only with greens or celery.  Fruit should never be combined with fat, this includes avocado, coconut, olive oil, nuts and seeds, etc.  Not only does this slow the assimilation of the sugars from the fruit, which is harmful to diabetics, it also causes unnatural fermentation, often causing a candida albicans overgrowth, which is the origin to many negative health issues. 

Remember, everyone is different in how they assimilate fruit.  This also changes as your body becomes healthier.  You should monitor your blood sugar level to determine when it is the best time of day for you to eat fruit.  The majority of the people that I have worked with find the morning hours to be the best time to consume fruit.  They then eat the vegetable, nut and seed dishes for lunch and dinner.  This allows for proper food combining, without having to think much about it.  If you do east fruit at a meal when you will also be eating vegetables/fat in your food, it’s best to eat the fruit first, about 15-30 minutes before you eat the rest of the meal.

Enjoy the journey!

Some of you have asked why I use buckwheat groats in so many of my recipes in the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book.  Others have had trouble finding them.  Following are some of the benefits of including buckwheat groats in your diet and some places to purchase them.

·         Buckwheat groats contain all eight essential amino acids and are therefore a complete plant-based protein source.

·         They are high in calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium and B vitamins.

·         They are low glycemic, low in fat and high in fiber, making them a very healthy food and extremely beneficial to diabetics.

·         They contain Rutin, which helps lower cholesterol levels.

·         They are much less expensive than the nuts used in many raw food recipes

Many people who are newly diagnosed with Celiac are nervous about consuming buckwheat groats because their name has the dreaded “wheat” in it.  Buckwheat is not a form of wheat. It is not even a grain!  It is a seed from the rhubarb and dockweed families. It is gluten free, but it is still very important to talk with the manufacturer before purchasing as it is often processed in the same machinery as the wheat products.

Here are some sources for Buckwheat groats (they are often listed under “grains”, however they are a seed)

Sun Organic Farm at http://www.sunorganic.com/

Jaffe Brothers at http://www.organicfruitsandnuts.com/

Handy Pantry Sprouting at http://www.handypantry.com/page/1178388

For other “hard to find” items, please check my “Resources” page on my website at www.reneoswald.com and let me know if there’s anything else you are having trouble finding that you don’t find listed there.  Keep sending your great questions and check the website often at www.reneoswald.com for updates! 

The question for this week is:

I’ve been on the Living Foods Lifestyle for over a year now and I’m feeling fantastic.  I’m off all my prescription medications.  My cholesterol is 150, my blood pressure is 140/70, I’m happy, no more depression, no more PMS and I lost 80 lbs.  I haven’t been this size since I was 16 years old!  The problem is I try to tell my family members and friends that they could have perfect health too, if they would just eat this way, no one will listen.  What can I do to convince family and friends to try this lifestyle?

Thanks so much,

Teresa in WA

      Remember what Margaret Mead said, “It’s easier to change a man’s religion than to change his diet”. 

      It can be very frustrating when you regain your health and try to get your family and friends to listen.  Prior conversations have always been based on lack of health, current medications and excess weight.  They seem to loose interest in people they can no longer commiserate with.

      I think our first step is to find out if they are happy with their current level of health.  When your sister tells you she loves her new electric wheelchair and is grateful for the 26 different prescription drugs she is on, she may not be ready to hear you.

      Being a positive example is all we can offer her.  Remember, you are planting seeds every time you are with her.  She sees your happiness, weight loss and your light-weight purse without multiple bottles of prescription drugs and just may start asking questions.  Just remember they have to be the ones to initiate the conversation.  That is often the hardest part.  As you continue on this path, you will acquire valuable information.  It is human nature that you will want to share it with others to help alleviate their suffering.  If you want to share your knowledge with those that are interested start giving lectures at community centers, libraries, health food stores, any place you can find people that are interested in hearing more about this lifestyle.  You’d be surprised how many people are ready to take control of their health and are hungry to get as much information as possible.