Raw food may be the next big thing

I think I needed to reclaim my food from the clutches of the corporates," says Mumbai-based raw foodist Mona Gandhi. "I needed to re-engage with my food on newer terms," says the 42-year-old artist, who is part of a small but thriving tribe of raw food enthusiasts who have rejected processed, pasteurised and cooked food to opt for a healthier diet.

Raw foodists live mostly on fruits, vegetables, greens and nuts. Enthusiasts could stick to one meal a day, a few meals in a week, or just eat raw food. The raw food could have a few spices thrown in, or it can be partially cooked. The underlying principle is simple — stick to food in its natural form.

Mona first turned to raw food at the age of 25 when she saw her yoga guru, who practised raw foodism, cure diseased people in weeks. "There was this old woman who would take minutes to amble through the room; the next week she could walk like us," remembers Mona. She 'turned raw', but left it within a year. "I found the social act of food demanding. I barely knew people who ate raw food. Eating out with friends wasn't easy," she says.

Then in April 2012, she was diagnosed with second stage breast cancer. "I knew right away that I have to turn back to raw food. I asked my doctor to replace my antibiotics with onion juice. I just did not want more chemicals in my system," she says. Food, for her, is not just subsistence; it is an agricultural act. "It is an everyday embodied experience. It can either nourish or poison," she says.

Bangalore-based herbalist Valli San took to raw foodism 10 years ago almost on impulse, albeit an unhealthy one. "My blood pressure (BP) count was shooting at 180, and I just decided to turn to raw food overnight. It was painful at first, but within a week my BP dropped to 128," says the former designer.

Like Mona, Valli too believes in the psychological role food plays in our lives. "If you want to derive more energy out of your food, you must look its ecological benefits, its sustainability, and its nutritional value," he says.

The benefits of raw food, practitioners claim, are many. There is a spurt of energy, you can make do with fewer hours of sleep, say goodbye to diseases and mood swings and also strengthen your immunity.

Delhi-based raw foodist Anjali Sanghi, who no longer goes to supermarkets, believes in buying her food from farmers themselves. Anjali was a practitioner of alternate therapies before she became a mother.

Today, she speaks internationally about raw food and conducts workshops. She remembers her transition. "I could not digest cooked food, and turned to raw food. It cured me within three days. The transition was emotionally purging," she says. "It helps you recover from de-addiction — of food, meat, cigarettes, alcohol or even the TV."

Her six-year-old son, Manikya, is a raw foodist too. Anjali has also been working on recipes of popular Indian dishes that do not require cooking. "I found out that you could use yellow bell pepper juice instead of yellow dal and it tastes almost the same," she says.

But embracing raw food blindly is not really healthy. "Raw food diets usually lead to B12 and D3 deficiencies," she says, adding that she puts in hours of research to come up with recipes.

Delhi-based nutritionist and food coach Nandini Gulati would agree. She is a partial raw foodist, and says that she gave up being 100 percent raw after hunger got the better of her. "You could blame it on the many years of cooked food, but I was too hungry. I am now high-raw (more than 80 percent of her diet is raw) during summer and keep to two raw meals otherwise. I need soups in the winters," says Nandini.

"You can't be religious about your diet if it is hurting you in any way. You should be flexible and start by incorporating salads, chutneys and partially-cooked food," says Nandini. "Feel your food before you feed it to your body."

Green Smoothies
Green smoothies are one of the most delicious ways to have your greens. First discovered by international award-winning author Victoria Boutenko, green smoothies can be both sweet and savory. We all know the importance of having greens in our diet, especially in India. Now there are ways in which these healthy greens can be relished as smoothies, soups and more.

Manikya's Favourite Sweet Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
3-4 ripe bananas cut into pieces
Handful of any organic greens such as baby spinach, lettuce leaves, iceberg lettuce, fenugreek leaves (methi), pigweed (bathua), saron, amaranth etc.
4-5 deseeded dates (optional)
Some water or coconut water to blend

Method:
Blend all ingredients together. Serve well and enjoy this creamy delight

Summer Special Savory
Indian Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
20 grams mint (pudina) leaves
30 grams coriander (dhania) leaves
½ green raw mango or one small star fruit (carambola)
1 teaspoon raw ground cumin (jeera)
Some pre-soaked raisins if sweeter taste is desired

Method:
Blend all ingredients well together with water. Serve well and relish this vitamin, mineral and enzyme-rich drink

Mango Salsa Salad
Ingredients:
1-2 diced mangoes
Half a red or yellow bell pepper diced into small pieces
1-2 diced tomatoes
Few leaves of spring onion (diced)
Chopped cilantro (optional)
Some raw red chilli powder or flakes
Optional cucumber or zucchini, diced or spiraled into noodles

Method:
Mix all ingredients well and serve