Before You Reach For The Iceberg Lettuce - Select The Best Greens For Your Salad!

 Iceberg lettuce is crisp and delicious but not a nutritional star.

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Salad Greens
When I was a kid, we ate a salad with every meal. It was always the same - iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, vinegar and oil. There really wasn't much choice of salad greens in the super market back then. Today, of course, you can walk down an entire isle of salad green options - besides iceberg you may find romaine, butter lettuce, red leaf, green leaf, arugula, spinach and so on. And many are offered both organically or conventionally grown! So how are we to choose?

Taste preference is always a major factor. Arugula or rocket, has a slightly bittier or peppery taste. Lettuce has a more subtle flavor and often takes on the flavor of the salad dressing. Salad greens are also selected for their distinct textures. Romaine is crunchy while butter lettuce (also known as Boston or bibb lettuce), red leaf and green leaf have a more delicate texture. Salad greens also vary in their nutritional content.

Nutritional Comparison of Salad Greens
All salad greens are very low in calories (less than 10 calories per ounce), and have no saturated fat or cholesterol. They are also extremely low in sodium. Although they may not seem to be contain high amounts of vitamins and minerals, on a per calorie basis, they are very nutrient dense.  Here's how these salad greens differ in several beneficial nutrients:

Vitamin A
This fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin is important for vision, growth and development, healthy skin and a strong immune system. If you have night blindness, dry skin or just want to boost up your immunity and want a salad green with the highest amount of vitamin A, your best choice would be romaine or spinach - just two ounces would provide your entire daily requirement. Red and green leaf lettuces are also a very good choice. Iceberg on the other hand only provides 3% of your daily requirement per ounce.

One ounce of Romaine lettuce is only 5 calories and provides:

2439 IU vitamin A
7 mg vitamin C
29 mcg vitamin K
38 mcg folate
9 mg calcium

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is also an antioxidant and supports a healthy immune system, teeth and gum health and the formation of collagen (that's what keeps our skin from sagging ladies!). It also enhances the absorption of iron. If you bruise easily or have other signs of capillary weakness, once again romaine and spinach are the best choices for their vitamin C content - two ounces provides about one quarter of your daily requirement. Since vitamin C is very heat sensitive, eating a big raw salad is a good way to get it. Make sure and include a sliced, raw, red bell pepper - one of the best sources of this vitamin (1 cup of sliced red bell pepper provides twice your daily requirement!)  

Butter lettuce is only 4 calories per ounce and provides:

927 IU vitamin A
only 1 mg vitamin C
29 mcg vitamin K
20 mcg folate
10 mg calcium

Vitamin K
Although most people aren't deficient in this important vitamin, some people are - like those suffering from Crohn's or other diseases that effect absorption in the digestive tract or those taking certain drugs that interfere with it. This fat-soluble vitamin is essential for the regulation of blood clotting and is also very important for bone health. Spinach has a high concentration of vitamin K (135 mcg/ounce), 1 ounce providing more than the daily requirement for a man (120 mcg/day) or a woman (90 mcg/day). Those of you on warfarin (Coumadin), a blood-thinning medication, may want to avoid foods this high in vitamin K. If that's the case, the other lettuces are better choices than spinach.

One ounce of Red Leaf lettuce has only 5 calories and provides:
2098 IU vitamin A
only 1 mg vitamin C
39 mcg vitamin K
10 mcg folate
9 mg calcium
Although red leaf lettuce, with its deep colors, looks more nutritious, green leaf lettuce is higher in vitamins C & K, folate, calcium and potassium. 
One ounce of Green Leaf lettuce has only 5 calories and provides:
2073 IU vitamin A
5 mg vitamin C
49 mcg vitamin K
11 mcg folate
10 mg calcium

Folate
Folate plays a key role in amino acid metabolism and DNA synthesis. It is essential during pregnancy in preventing neural tube defects. If it's folate that you are after, spinach is a good choice with each ounce providing 14% of the daily requirement with romaine coming in a close second (one ounce providing 10%). 

It's important to note that folate can mask vitamin B12 deficiency so raw food vegans, who eat lots of high folate foods and little or no B12-rich foods, can be B12 deficient for a dangerously long time without noticing it.

Arugula, or Rocket,  is 7 calories per ounce and provides:

664 IU vitamin A
4 mg vitamin C
30 mcg vitamin K
27 mcg folate
45 mg calcium

Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is important for bone and tooth development as well as muscle contraction and nerve transmission. Although salad greens aren't a huge source of calcium, the salad green with the most calcium is arugula. A 4 ounce arugula salad provides 180 mg of calcium. More important, it's an alkaline food which doesn't draw calcium from the body like dairy sources which are acidic and cause the body to draw calcium from your bones for neutralization.
Although spinach is fairy high in calcium, it is also high in oxalates which reduce the absorption and retention of this critical mineral. To reduce the oxalic content, it's best to eat spinach cooked.

Spinach is 6 calories per ounce and provides:
2625 IU vitamin A
8 mg vitamin C
135 mcg vitamin K
54 mcg folate
28 mg calcium

So How Does Iceberg Lettuce Stack Up?
This old favorite isn't completely devoid of all nutrients - it's just not nearly as high as others. 
It contains only 1/17th the vitamin A as romaine, 1/8th the vitamin C as spinach, 1/14th the vitamin K as green leaf lettuce, and 1/11th the calcium as arugula .

Iceberg lettuce is 4 calories per ounce and provides only:
141 IU vitamin A
1 mg vitamin C
7 mcg vitamin K
8 mcg folate
5 mg calcium

How they rank
Of course their ranking depends on the nutrient you are the most deficient in - but overall, for a raw salad, romaine and arugula are the best nutritionally.
Red and green leaf are next in line followed by butter leaf.
Although spinach is an excellent source of many key vitamins and minerals, it's better prepared cooked to lessened the effect of calcium robbing oxalates.
As you may have guessed, iceberg comes in dead last. 

Vesanto Melina, Co-Author Of "Becoming Raw", Addresses Controversial Questions Concerning Raw Food Nutrition

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Vesanto Melina
Saturday night I was fortunate to hear Vesanto Melina discuss some very important issues about raw food vegan diets. Besides Becoming Raw, Ms. Melina has co-authored Raw Food Revolution Diet, Becoming Vegan, Raising Vegetarian Children, Food Allergy Survival Guide and The New Becoming Vegetarian. She has taught nutrition at the University of British Columbia and at Seattle's Bastyr University. In short, she's spent most of her life studying and writing about plant-based nutrition so she is truly an expert in this field.
In her talk, she discussed 4 controversial questions about raw food diets:
(1) What contributions do plant enzymes make to digestion?
(2) Are cooked foods toxic?
(3) Can we get enough vitamin B12 from plant foods or from the production of B12 in your intestines?
(4) Can raw food diets reverse chronic disease?

Vesanto Melina (right) lecturing at a vegan potluck in Santa Rosa, California 

Enzymes - The Very Foundation of a Raw Food DIet
Most raw foodists regard the preservation of enzymes as the holy grail. It is believed that the enzymes found in uncooked food can work together with the enzymes produced by the body itself to more efficiently digest food. This may reduce the amount of enzymes the body has to produce allowing it to preserve its energy for other activities. Raw foodists often experience high energy which many attribute to the consumption of raw food enzymes. I myself have experienced high levels of energy when on a raw food cleanse (when I go completely raw for 1 month) followed by extreme fatigue when I consume my first cooked meal after my cleanse. 
Contrary to these beliefs, Ms. Melina says that enzymes are not the core reason for the benefits of a raw food diet. She claims the science shows that food enzymes can provide some initial digestion which can begin when food is chopped, juiced, pureed and chewed, but the amount of enzymes in food is much smaller than those produced by the body. Because of their relative quantities, some experts feel that plant enzymes do not play a significant role in human digestion. However, she gave two important examples where plant enzymes are critical in providing health benefits and therefore the foods should be not be cooked to obtain maximum benefits. These are myrosinase and alliinase.
Myrosinase is an enzyme found in raw cruciferous vegetables iike broccoli, kale, cauliflower, bok choy, brussels sprouts, etc. These veggies all contain important sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates. Myrosinase allows the conversion of glucosinolates to isothiocyanates which are bioactive metabolites known to trigger other enzymes in the body to prevent and fight cancer. But unfortunately myrosinase is deactivated at 140 degrees F. Bottom line, if you cook cruciferous veggies more than lightly steaming them, you may lose much of their cancer fighting abilities!
Allinase is an enzyme found in raw garlic and onions and other vegetables in the allium family. Other vegetables in the allium family include chives, green onions and leeks. Allinase converts an organosulfur compound found in allium vegetables to allicin which has many powerful properties. Allicin is known to have anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial and antiparasitic properties. It also is known to help lower cholesterol, thin blood and reduce inflammation associated with arthritis. Unfortunately, allinase is destroyed by heat. If you let garlic sit for 10 to 15 minutes after crushing or mincing it before it is cooked, it allows sufficient conversion to allicin and it can withstand some amount of cooking. However, depending on the heat and amount of cooking time, much of the health properties of the garlic may still be lost. 


Are Cooked Foods Toxic?
Ms. Melina believes, as I do, that there is no need to eat a 100% raw diet. See my post on Raw Food Diet - How raw do you need to be? Many foods can be boiled and steamed and still provide important nutrients. However, she discussed some of the harmful effects that cooking can have: 
Carcinogenic by-products
I remember seeing the first infrared burner on BBQ grills thinking that they should just call it the "cancer feature". These burners can grill meat over 700 degrees F!
Ms. Melina discussed the health damaging by-products that can be formed when foods are subjected to very high temperatures. HCAs (heterocyclic amines) are generated when animal products like meat, poultry, fish and eggs, are barbecued, grilled or fried. Consumption of HCAs can increase the risk of colorectal, stomach, pancreatic and breast cancers. Grilling veggies does not produce HCAs.
PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are generated from grilled or charred meat, poultry, fish, grains, sweets and fats. An example of this is burnt toast. Like HCAs, PAHs can damage DNA and PAHs have been linked to cancer. AGEs (advanced glycation end products) are formed when proteins are cooked with sugars without water. Browning is an indication of AGEs, such as browned meats, bread crust, cookies, etc. These have been linked to accelerated aging, impaired immune systems, heart, nerve, eye and kidney diseases as well as diabetes. Acrylamines form when foods high in carbohydrates and low in protein are subjected to high cooking temperatures exceeding 248 degrees F. This is extremely bad news for all of you potato chip and french fry lovers! Consumption of acrylamines may also be carcinogenic.
Vitamin and Mineral Loss
Besides forming carcinogenic by-products, Ms. Melina pointed out that as much as 50% to 80% of vitamins can be lost in the cooking process and 30% to 40% of minerals can end up in the cooking water (so use it to make soup!). By eating foods raw, you will get the optimal amount of vitamins and minerals.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals, or plant chemicals, are what gives plants their colors and many other characteristics. When consumed, they have numerous health benefits, many of which are lessened by the cooking process. But this is not always the case. Some phytochemicals increase with cooking. For example, studies show that the availability of the phytochemical, lycopene, increases when tomatoes are cooked. It is believed that cooking breaks down the cell wall. A list of vegetables and what effect cooking has on their phytochemicals can be found on pages 49-50 in Ms. Melina's book, Becoming Raw.


Vitamin B12 
Like many other well regarded nutritionists, Ms. Melina also agrees that you cannot possibly get enough vitamin B12 from plant food or from the production of B12 in your intestines. Vegetables purchased today do not contain B12 producing bacteria (as they are free of dirt) and the B12 produced in your body is done further down the intestine beyond the point the body is able to absorb and utilize it. Raw food vegans must supplement as they do not eat fortified foods. Vegetarian formulated Red Star nutritional yeast is also a good source of vitamin B12 but she still highly recommends supplementation. By the way, if you're not supplementing and haven't gotten into trouble yet, it's because your body is extremely good at recycling vitamin B12. But eventually it will catch up with you and deficiency can cause some life threatening health issues like megaloblastic anemia and severe nervous system problems. Fatigue, depression, confusion and irritability are symptoms of B12 deficiency.
Ms. Melina also recommended supplementing with vitamin D (her own vitamin D levels were woefully low despite her visit to sunny Hawaii) and perhaps DHA omega 3.


Can Raw Food Diets Reverse Chronic Disease?
There is scientific evidence that raw food diets can reverse some chronic diseases. Specifically, they have been shown to offer significant benefits for those suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and those who are overweight or obese. There is suggestive evidence that a raw food diet may also provide protection against cancer and should be a good supplemental treatment to those who already have cancer. It is also widely acknowledged that raw food diets have the potential to prevent and reverse cardiovascular disease due to the high content of antioxidants and phytochemicals. The caveat here is that without B12 supplementation, there is an increase in homocysteine and therefore an increased risk of heart disease! Supplementation with vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids is also required. And finally, there is also strong suggestive evidence that raw food diets can prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes. (See my post where my friend Kannan prevented type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome with a raw food diet). Ms. Melina also indicated that there were instances of people with type 1 diabetes who responded favorable to a raw food diet. The above vitamin and fatty acid supplementation is also recommended to achieve the benefits of protecting and reversing all the mentioned disorders.


In Summary
To summarize, Ms. Melina thinks that "Raw Rocks" as she states in her book. There are many advantages to raw plant consumption as it can help us obtain and maintain a healthful body weight and protect us from many diseases. Raw plants contain high amounts of compounds that are good for us and fewer compounds that make us sick. This contributes to the ability of this food regimen to reverse some chronic illnesses.
However, she does not feel that the majority of benefits from a raw food diet come from living enzymes and their ability to significantly contribute to digestion. She also points out that several critical nutrients can not be derived solely from raw plant sources, especially vitamin B12. And, Ms. Melina feels that there is an important place for cooked plant foods in our diet and does not think that people need to be 100% raw. 
A big thanks to Vesanto Melina for a wonderful lecture and discussion on this very important topic!

Vitamin D - Do The New Recommendations Fall Short? What Vegans Need To Know About Vitamin D.

IOM Triples Recommended Vitamin D Intake

In 1997, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) set the adequate intake level of vitamin D at 200 IUs for people less than 50, 400 IUs for those 50 to 70 and 600 IUs for people over 70. The new recommendations call for 600 IUs daily for everyone, including children, up to adults age 70 and 800 IUs for those over 71.

Although this triples the amount recommended for younger people, many health professionals feel that this new level still missed the mark.

What is Vitamin D and Where does it come from? Is it Vegan?

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. There are two forms.

* Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is made by converting a sterol found in plants and yeast. Since it is plant based, it is considered vegan. Mushrooms, when exposed to sunlight, are another source of this important vitamin.

* Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is produced by the skin when exposed to the sun. It is also found in animal products and some fatty fish. Vitamin D3 supplements are made from lanolin from the wool of sheep and are not considered vegan.

* 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the hormonally active form of vitamin D that the body makes from Vitamin D2 and D3. When you test your blood levels for vitamin D, they are testing for 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

Is D3 Better then D2?

Several early studies showed that vitamin D3 was more effective in raising the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D when taken in very high doses. In a more recent study by Holick, it was found that both forms are equally effective, when taken in more typical doses of 1,000 IU per day, in increasing and maintaining serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. This is good news for vegans who prefer the plant based vitamin D2.

But I'm a Sun Loving Vegan, Isn't that Enough?

I too love getting as many nutrients from nature as possible. But trying to determine the amount of sunlight one can safely take to provide adequate vitamin D levels is difficult. Reading some of these descriptions is almost comical so I'll defer to other sources to tell you how much, what longitude and latitude, time of day, time of the year, color of your skin, how much suntan lotion you're wearing, etc.. I'm getting exhausted just listing these! This vitamin is critical to so many things, why not just supplement?

Why is Vitamin D Important?

Vitamin D has long been associated with bone health since it regulates how body absorbs calcium and phosphorus. Recent studies have linked low vitamin D levels to:

* Increased risk of cardiovascular disease

* Higher incidence and severity of depression

* Higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women

* Increased risk of prostate, breast and colon cancers

* Severe asthma in children

* Cognitive impairment in older adults.

Research also has shown that vitamin D shows promise in preventing and treating:

* Type 1 and type 2 diabetes

* Multiple Sclerosis

* High blood pressure

* Significant reduction in the incidence of seasonal influenza.

* Parkinson disease

Did the IOM Fall Short?

OK, I must give credit that the IOM actually raised the bar but many experts do not feel that they raised it enough and I agree. Much of the controversy centers around the optimal blood level of vitamin D. Vitamin D advocates, such as the International Osteoporosis Foundation, feel that 30 ng/ml is the optimal level. Some experts feel that this level should even be higher than that. Life Extensions recommends levels as high as 50 ng/ml. But the IOM panel dismissed these recommendations and concluded that for 97% of the population, 20 ng/ml of vitamin D is sufficient.

Who is at Risk for Vitamin D Deficiency

Some people have a much higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. These include:

* Those with osteoporosis

* People over age 50

* People with dark skin who have reduced capability of converting the sun's rays to vitamin D

* Obese people

* People on certain medications like prednisone and anti-seizure drugs like Dilantin

* People with fat malabsorption as is associated with those with Crohn's, celiac and other diseases

* People who work indoors and avoid the sun

Can you get Too Much?

Since vitamin D is fat soluble, the body stores it. Taking excessive amounts can potentially result in hypercalcemia, or too much calcium in the blood. Hypercalcemia symptoms include:

* Loss of appetite

* Constipation

* Confusion

* Weakness

The IOM panel increased the acceptable upper limit of daily intake of vitamin D from 2,000 IU to 4,000 IU from supplements and food sources.

What Should I Do?

If you are a RAW FOOD VEGAN who doesn't supplement, you have a high chance of being vitamin D deficient since there are NO ADEQUATE plant sources of vitamin D. Of course it you work shirtless in a field all day and you are light skinned and close enough to the equator, this may not be a problem. (But your chances of skin cancer exceed you likelihood of vitamin D deficiency!)

Vegans in general may also be vitamin D deficient since they don't eat fatty fish and may avoid foods fortified with vitamin D3.

Here's what my husband and I do:

* We asked our doctor to test our blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

* Doug and I want our levels to be over 40 ng/ml based on what we've read but ask your doctor what he or she recommends. Hopefully the answer will be at least 30 ng/ml. If it's 20 ng/ml, find another doctor.

* Our intake is at least 2,000 IU per day. Nature's Life makes a 2,000 IU vitamin D2 supplement in a vegetarian capsule.

* Be sure to include amounts found in fortified foods like soy milk. Hats off to Silk for supplementing their soy milk with vegan D2 !

Mushrooms, an Interesting Development

It turns out that mushrooms can convert the sun's rays into vitamin D too! In fact, the USDA has been working with the Monterey Mushroom company to grow a mushroom with increased levels of vitamin D. By exposing the mushrooms to UV light, the mushrooms create a stable amount of the nutrient which is maintained even after cooking or freezing! I actually bought some this weekend so they are now on the shelves!

Don't Forget the Kids

A study in Japan found that giving 1,200 IU per day to school age children from December through March cut down the incidence of seasonal flu by 42% so don't forget the kids this winter!

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Dr. Michael Klaper Tells Raw Food Vegans What They Need To Know About Vitamin B12 At Raw Health Expo

This vegan lemon basil pesto contains B12-rich nutritional yeast

The Truth Is Refreshing at Sebastopol Raw Food Expo

On July 31st and August 1st I attended the Sonoma County Raw Health Expo in Sebastopol, California. I haven't been to a raw food expo in a while. What I noticed this time was that the speakers were more realistic and forthright in their opinions about the few nutritional risks of a 100% raw food diet. In the past, many of the speakers would insist that everything that anyone could possibly need can be obtained from raw, live plants. I spent years studying this question. In fact my PhD dissertation topic was, "The Nutritional Adequacy of a Raw Food Vegan Diet". In this I concluded that you could not get adequate amounts of vitamins D and B12 from raw plants alone. For these you must supplement or eat foods that contain them. I also concluded that careful meal planning was required to ensure the adequate consumption of vitamins E and B2, calcium, iodine, iron, zinc and the amino acid, methionine. Since that study, I would add today that although the omega 3 fatty acid ALA is easily obtained in the raw food diet, the more important DHA and EPA omega 3 fatty acids are not. Although these are said to be manufactured by the body from ALA, it is now known that in most people this process is very inefficient and some people cannot make this conversion at all. A person who is on a 100% raw food diet for an extended period of time should have their blood tested for all essential vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids, especially if they are pregnant or breast feeding.

Dr. Michael Klaper, a specialist in vegan nutrition, gave an excellent talk on vitamin B12. He clearly stated that you cannot get vitamin B12 from plants, period. There are several myths held by some of the early raw food pioneers that Dr. Klaper dispelled.

Myth Number One: You could get sufficient amounts of this nutrient from the B12 produced in your intestines by friendly bacteria.

Truth: Although it is true that bacteria in your intestines produce vitamin B12, it is produced well beyond the point where it would be absorbed.

Myth Number Two: B12 can be found on vegetables that are not washed because the bacteria-enriched dirt would supply adequate amounts of this critical nutrient.

Truth: This may be true in developing countries where unwashed vegetables are fertilized by human manure but it is not true in industrialized countries.

Myth Number Three: Raw food vegans who haven't supplemented in years but show no deficiencies are OK.

Truth: Vitamin B12 is stored in the body and only a small amount of it is lost each day. It could take years for a person to develop a severe deficiency. Unfortunately, when it does, it could be irreversible.

Here are more highlights from Dr. Klaper's talk:

Why We Need Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is required for:

* Production of red blood cells. Deficiency leads to anemia.

* Healthy nerves and spinal cord. Deficiency could lead to irreversible spinal cord damage.

* Healthy brain function. Deficiency leads to dementia.

* Detoxification of homocysteine. Deficiency leads to elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine which can damage arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease.

Are There Vegan B12 Sources?

The only real natural source of vitamin B12 are from microorganisms and the animals that consume them. There are no reliably good "natural vegan sources". It was once thought that tempeh, tofu, miso, shoya, tamari and umeboshi plums were sources but further analysis found no significant B12. It was also thought that seaweeds, algae, chlorella and spirulina were high in B12 however, it was found that they actually contain B12 "analogues". These analogues are structurally similar to vitamin B12 and can actually block the B12 receptors and increase the risk of deficiency.

Dr. Klaper recommends getting vitamin B12 from multiple sources like Vegetarian Support Formula Red Star Nutritional Yeast and B12 supplements. The most absorbable form of B12 supplements, according to Klaper, is hydroxocobalamin, and he recommends taking 5 micrograms daily or even a monthly injection.

The Most "At Risk" Individuals

Dr. Klaper said that the people most "at risk" for vitamin B12 deficiency are long term vegans and infants of vegans who are breast fed. He very strongly warned, "If a vegan nurses their child without taking vitamin B12 they are putting their child at risk!"

A big thanks to Dr. Klaper for his honesty and for spreading the word on this very important matter. It is easy to get swept away with being raw and wanting to do absolutely everything in a natural way. But vitamin B12 deficiency is very real and very dangerous.

For a raw food recipe that uses vitamin B12-rich nutritional yeast, see my Raw Vegan Lemon Basil Pesto with Raw Zucchini Spaghetti.

Make Your Own Raw, Fortified Almond Milk - Can You Get Enough Calcium From A Raw Food Diet?

Soaked almonds being blended in a VitaMix.

Strain through a fine, mesh strainer.

Almond pulp after straining.

Nutritious Almond Milk - No Need to Run Out to the Store!

How convenient not to have to run out to the store to buy milk! All you need is a few almonds and a VitaMix or other high speed blender and you have fresh nut milk. If you want truly "raw" almond milk, you will have to buy the almonds at a farmer's market or directly from the grower as most almonds you get at the supermarket are blanched. For those of you who consume cow's milk, give nut milk a try. It's less mucous forming which is especially important during allergy or cold and flu season. It's also a good alternative for those who are lactose intolerant.

Calcium and the Raw Food Vegan Diet

In my doctoral research I concluded that adequate calcium is difficult, but not impossible, to get from a strict raw food diet. If you have a fairly alkaline diet and avoid foods that bind calcium, you may not need as much calcium as others who don't.

There is a lot of misinformation about calcium, thanks to the dairy industry and their large marketing budget. The two things they want you to believe are: one, you need lots of it and two, the best way to get it is with dairy products.

How Much do we Need?

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is important for bone and tooth development as well as muscle contractions and nerve transmissions. In 1989, the National Academy of Science recommended 800 mg of calcium for adults over 25. In 1994, the NIH raised this amount to 1,000 mg for premenopausal women 25-50 and 1,500 mg for postmenopausal women not taking estrogen drugs. That's a lot of calcium. Do we all really need that much? Well, that depends. Like many nutritional guidelines, I do not believe that "one size fits all". I do believe that the amount of calcium you need depends on your overall diet. Some foods cause the body to deplete calcium and others bind usable calcium reducing its bio-availability. If you eat a diet rich in these foods, you may need to take as much as the NIH recommends.

Calcium Detractors

Oxalic acid foods such as spinach, chard, beet greens, cocoa, turnip and mustard greens can bind with calcium. But before you stop eating these healthful, nutrient rich foods, consider the opinion of Dr. Norman Walker. According to Dr. Walker, famous for his raw juice therapies, oxalic acid, when found in raw foods and in its "organic" state, is beneficial and essential to good health. It is only when these foods are cooked that oxalic acid combines with calcium and destroys its nutritional benefit and forms painful "inorganic" crystals in the kidneys. Although I could not verify his theory, Dr. Walker lived until 99 so I feel he's a pretty credible source. According to him, oxalic acid from raw food may not reduce your amount of calcium.

Phytates, found in nuts, beans and grains, are another detractor and can bind calcium, zinc, iron and other minerals. According to Paul Pitchford, the author of "Healing with Whole Foods", soaking and sprouting these foods will reduce phytic acid and make calcium and other minerals more bio-available. Raw foodists and others who do not soak and sprout nuts, beans and grains will have reduced bio-availability of the calcium they consume and will therefore require higher amounts. Many raw food recipes, however, call for the soaking and rinsing of these high phytate foods so if you are diligent about this, it should not be a problem.

Acid forming foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, pasteurized dairy, sugar, coffee, alcohol, pasta and some beans, nuts and seeds cause the body to draw calcium from the bones to neutralize the acid. Raw foodists avoid meat and dairy but consume quite a few grains, nuts and seeds, some of which are acidic. Dr. Gabriel Cousens, in his book, "Conscious Eating", states that sprouting of all nuts, seeds, beans and grains cause them to become more alkaline. This would certainly reduce the amount of calcium the body needs to use to neutralize acidic foods. Given the difficulty of getting adequate calcium with a raw food diet, it is very important for raw foodists to soak and sprout acidic nuts, seeds, beans and grains. Here's one website listing alkaline and acidic foods .

Milk, Does It "Do a Body Good?"

Because of their acidic nature, I believe that dairy foods may not be the best source of calcium despite the popular slogan, "milk, it does a body good!". In 1986, Hedsted's study (as sited in Campbell and Campbell's book, "The China Study"), reported that the rate of hip fractures is higher in countries where the consumption of cow's milk is high where those countries with the lowest consumption of cow's milk have the lowest incidence of hip fractures. He sited that the U.S. drinks the most cow milk and has the most hip fractures! On the other hand, there have been several studies that have shown a positive link between the consumption of fruit and vegetables and bone health which may be attributed to their alkalizing nature.

To Summarize

Raw food vegans who soak and sprout all acidic nuts, seeds, beans and grains and eat lots of alkaline fruits and vegetables may not require as high an amount of calcium as those who eat foods with the above mentioned detractors. With that said, it is still difficult to get even half the recommended requirement of calcium on a raw food diet. Two tablespoons of raw tahini provides 126 mg of calcium and a cup of kale only provides 90.5 mg, and these are two of the most calcium dense raw vegan foods. Although I don't personally aim for the standard RDA of calcium, I do supplement with a few hundred mg of calcium per day (see below).

Fortify Nut Milk with Calcium, Vitamin D and other Minerals

If you feel you are not getting adequate calcium, you may want to take calcium supplements. I always take magnesium with my calcium to make it more absorbable (either 50% to 100% as much magnesium as calcium depending on your needs). So when I make raw nut milk, or smoothies, I often throw in a complex of 250 mg of calcium citrate and 125 mg of magnesium citrate with some vitamin D per cup of liquid. If your calcium complex comes in a capsule, break open the capsule and empty the contents in the blender. If it is a hard pill, drop it in the blender with the water and let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve. Voila, you have your very own "fortified" milk.

Add a Few Brazil Nuts to get Selenium

A single brazil nut provides 137% of your daily requirement of selenium, a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals. I always keep brazil nuts on hand a drop one or two into my nut milks or smoothies.

Pour over Cereal, Use in a Smoothie or in a Chia Pudding Recipe

Serve nut milk with raw or baked granola or other cereals or as the base in any smoothie . You can also use it as a replacement for hemp milk in Chia Seed Pudding . Just add some vanilla to the almond milk and follow the rest of the recipe.

***

Fortified Raw Almond Milk [makes 2 cups]

1/2 cup raw almonds soaked overnight

2 raw brazil nuts soaked overnight

2 cups filtered water

6 drops stevia (or more to taste)

Two 250 mg calcium citrate complex with 125 mg magnesium citrate (optional)

Rinse almonds and brazil nuts and put in a VitaMix or other high speed blender with filtered water, stevia and calcium supplement. If calcium is in a capsule, break open and put contents in the blender. If it is in pill form, drop it in the water and let it sit for a few minutes until it starts to dissolve. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until the nuts are fully processed and the mixture is white, like milk. Strain nut milk once or twice in a fine, mesh strainer. For a purer milk, put a few layers of cheesecloth over the strainer. Save the residue to make raw crackers or cookies.

Since the amount of residue is dependent on your blender, I cannot provide exact nutritional information on the resulting milk. But 1/4 cup of almonds provide nearly half the RDA of vitamin E and 21% of the RDA of vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Adequate amounts of both of these vitamins are difficult to achieve on a raw food diet so drink raw almond milk, it really does a body good!

Raw Granola - Hearty Breakfast And Convenient Snack. Also, The Health Benefits Of Nuts And Seeds.

Soak nuts for 4 hours, seeds for 2 hours and dates for 30 minutes.

After soaking, rinse nuts and seeds.

Lay out mixture on a Teflex sheet and dehydrate.

Once dehydrated, break up into bite-sized pieces.

Store in air tight containers and refrigerate for freshness.

The Importance of Nuts, Especially in a Raw Food Diet

Studies have shown that people who eat nuts regularly have lower risks of heart disease. Although they are high in calories, they are high in fiber, "good fats", antioxidants and protein. The nuts and seeds used in this recipe are rich in the following important nutrients:

Manganese: Important in the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids. Supports bone health, blood sugar balance and energy production.

Copper: Needed in the metabolism of iron, the formation of red blood cells and keeping a healthy immune system.

Magnesium: Plays a key role in the proper functioning of muscles and nerves and supports energy production.

Phosphorus: Key in the formation of bones and teeth, energy production, protein synthesis and muscle contraction.

Thiamin: Required for carbohydrate metabolism and supports the nervous system.

Omega 6 fatty acids: Required for cholesterol metabolism, growth and reproduction.

Besides containing the above listed nutrients, some nuts and seeds also are high in other key nutrients:

English Walnuts: High in omega 3 fatty acids with a good balance of omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 3 is key for proper functioning of all body tissues and is especially needed in fetal development. It reduces inflammation and is important for heart health and brain development.

Pistachio nuts: High in vitamin B6, needed for amino acid metabolism and proper functioning of the nervous and muscular system.

Sunflower seeds: Contain high levels of vitamin E and selenium, both strong antioxidants that work together to protect our cell membranes. Sunflower seeds are also high in vitamin B6, folate, niacin, zinc and iron. Vitamin E, zinc and iron are difficult to get in a raw food diet so sunflower seeds are an important food for raw foodists. Iron is needed for the formation of hemoglobin and transporting oxygen. Zinc supports growth, immunity, sexual development, detoxification and wound healing.

Pumpkin seeds: Also high in iron and zinc, pumpkins seeds are important in a raw food diet.

Flaxseeds: Very high in omega 3 fatty acids.

Tahini or sesame paste: High in calcium, needed for bone and tooth development as well as muscle contraction and nerve transmission. Calcium is also difficult to get in a raw food diet so sesame tahini is an important food for raw foodists.

Hempseeds: Hempseeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, zinc and iron and are a very important food in a raw food diet.

Raw Granola - A Healthy Snack When You Are On-The-Go

Whether or not you are on a raw food diet, raw granola makes a great snack, especially for the kids. Just throw some in a baggy and drop it in their lunch boxes or take some to work for yourself. Don't get put off by the number of ingredients as each nut and seed offers unique benefits. But if you want to leave out pecans, just use more walnuts or cashews. Or double the sunflower seeds and leave out the pumpkin seeds. Get creative and use the nuts and seeds that you and your family like the best. This recipe was formulated to give a healthy balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and provide some of the nutrients that are difficult to get in a raw food vegan diet.

Also check out my Agave Sweetened Vegan "Cooked" Granola recipe.

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Raw Granola

[makes 8 cups of granola or 16 half cup servings]

1 cup raw English walnuts, (soaked for 4 hours)

1/2 cup raw pistachios, (soaked for 4 hours)

1/2 cup raw pecans, (soaked for 4 hours)

1/2 cup raw cashews, (soaked for 4 hours)

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, (soaked for 2 hours)

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, (soaked for 2 hours)

1/4 cup raw wheat germ (do not soak)

1/4 cup raw, shelled hemp seeds (do not soak)

2 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

1/4 cup dried, unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

2 medium apples, cored and chopped

5 large medjool dates, pitted (soaked for 30 minutes)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons raw tahini

1/2 cup raw agave nectar, or maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

To minimize the use of bowls, I usually soak the nuts (walnuts, pistachios, pecans and cashews) for 2 hours and then add the sunflower and pumpkin seeds to the same bowl and soak another 2 hours. After soaking, rinse and drain the nuts and seeds in a strainer. Put them in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times until broken up to your liking. You may want to do this in two batches so the nuts and seeds don't get over processed.

Once pulsed, place in a large bowl. Add wheat germ, un-soaked hempseeds and ground flaxseeds to the bowl and combine with the processed nuts and seeds. Stir in coconut and cranberries (or raisins).

Without cleaning the food processor, add chopped apples, soaked dates, lemon juice, tahini, agave nector (or maple syrup), vanilla, cinnamon and salt and process until smooth. Pour into the bowl and stir into the nut mixture until thoroughly combined.

Spread out onto 2 or 3 Teflex sheets and dehydrate for 8 to 12 hours at 115 degrees F. Flip over onto mesh tray, remove Teflex sheets and dehydrate for another 8 to 12 hours or until dry and crisp to your liking. When complete, remove from dehydrator and let cool. When cool, break up into small pieces and store until needed in an air tight container. Refrigerated, it will last for a few weeks. Serve with berries and raw nut milk or juice or just eat by itself for a snack.

Per 1/2 cup serving: 248 calories, 16.1 g fat, 2.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5.7 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 3.9 g fiber, 1.2 g omega 3 and 6.3 g omega 6 fatty acids.

Raw Food Diet - How Raw Do You Need To Be? What Does It Mean To Be 80% or 100% Raw?

How Raw Are You?

Remember the popular ice-breaker, “What’s your sign”? Well, if you’re going to your first raw food potluck, you’ll certainly be asked a different but equally popular question? “How raw are you”? The person asking you will most likely feel that 100% is nirvana and if you are consuming anything less, you are still on your journey. You may see some people avoid a salad because it has a small amount of balsamic vinegar (which is not raw). Not all raw foodists are this strict, of course, but when you run into them it may cause you to have one of several reactions. It might make you think that you have to be 100% raw or you won’t get any of the magical benefits of raw food and you go home and remove all cooked foods from your pantry. Or, you may leave wondering if you can really stick to such a restrictive diet and give up on your goal to eat more raw food completely.

The Good News Is....

Raw food, no matter how much you eat of it, is good for you for so many reasons. Here are my favorite three:

First, raw food is alive and rich in enzymes which studies have shown survive the digestive tract. These enzymes help your body digest the food without producing its own enzymes (or at least producing less of them). Given the body expends much of its energy producing enzymes that digest food, you can see what an advantage it would be to save your body from this task.

Second, many vitamins are destroyed by the cooking process. Raw food delivers a higher percentage of these heat sensitive nutrients to your body.

Third, the alkaline nature of a raw food diet allows a more optimal pH balance for the body.

You can get many of these benefits every time you eat raw food even if you aren't eating raw food exclusively.

How Raw Are You?

Here’s my method of calculating how much raw food I eat. I break the day down by meals, snacks and an evening dessert.

Breakfast counts as 25% if all raw

Lunch counts as 25% if all raw

Dinner counts as 25% if all raw

Snacks count as 10% each (2 raw snacks a day count as 20%)

One dessert a day counts as 5% if all raw

(If I skip any of these meals or snacks I weight the other meals and snacks more heavily).

If a meal or snack is only partially raw, like a salad topped with cooked beans, the meal is given "part credit" depending on calorie density or volume of raw food. You can use your own judgement - no one is grading you on this. For example; If you ate a raw smoothie for breakfast, you'd give yourself 25% but if you used all raw fruit, raw spinach, raw flax oil and 1/2 cup of organic soy milk, you may only give yourself 20% because the soymilk isn't raw.

Why Some Cooked Food is Important

Even if you're a raw foodist and eat most of your food raw, there are still some important reasons to eat cooked foods. Here are a few of them:

A 100% raw food vegan diet does not provide all the nutrients you need. (See my article, Raw Food Diet, Is it Enough). You cannot get vitamin B12 from plants. If you are 100% raw (vegan), you will have to take supplements or eat non-raw food. This is very important because you can suffer serious diseases from B12 deficiency including megaloblastic anemia and severe nervous system disorders. Example food sources of this vitamin include Red Star nutritional yeast, clams, trout, salmon and organ meats. Vitamin D is another extremely important vitamin that cannot be obtained in sufficient quantities from a 100% raw food diet. Although the body produces it from the sunshine, depending on where you live, the color of your skin, how often you are outside and other factors, there’s a very good chance you are not getting enough vitamin D. Many experts are now saying we need over 1,000 IU per day which makes getting enough a bigger problem. Supplementing with this vitamin is key considering the amount required. I just raised my daily supplementation to 2,000 IU per day. Food sources include oysters, herring, fortified orange juice or soymilk and mushrooms. (You may want to get your blood tested to find out your vitamin D level). Other vitamins that are possible (but difficult) to get from a 100% raw food diet and require very careful planning are: Vitamin E, B2 or riboflaven, calcium, iodine, iron, zinc and the amino acid, methionine.

Another reason to eat cooked foods is to more easily consume beans and grains. I’ve noticed that many raw foodists eat less beans and grains than regular vegans or vegetarians. This is probably because it takes days to sprout and soak these foods to make them edible. Cooked beans are a great source of high quality protein and fiber and are much more convenient and versatile than sprouted beans. They are also a great source of molybdenum, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and thiamin. Cooked grains are also a great source of fiber, several important B vitamins(thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate) and minerals like iron, magnesium and selenium. Just remember to soak the beans and grains before cooking in order to reduce their phytate level. Soaking and rinsing will make their minerals more bioavailable.

Eating a 100% raw diet is very restrictive and can be socially isolating. I’m not suggesting you eat an unhealthy diet so that your family and friends don’t avoid or make fun of you. I’m just saying that being more flexible about what you eat when you leave your house can improve the quality of your social life.

Lastly, some times you just want a nice hot meal. I’m headed to visit my daughter in Minneapolis in early February. If it’s cold and snowy, as I suspect it will be, you can bet that I’m going to make us a big pot of hot soup. Our bodies often tell us what it needs. Sometimes we crave foods because we are deficient in a certain nutrient. In the summer we want to eat light meals with lots of raw fruits and veggies. In the dead of winter our bodies often crave hot soup, veggie chili and home baked breads. Strict raw foodists say you can warm your bodies with warming foods and herbs like cayenne, ginger and cinnamon but sometimes that doesn’t always do it for me.

My Seasonal Raw Food Plan

Here is a plan that I have developed for myself. It goes by season, not calendar month since parts of the world experience “summer” at different times. If you live in the tropics, it’s always summer!

Winter - I eat about 30 to 40% of my food raw. If I go on a vacation to a warm climate, I eat more raw food, usually mimicking what I do in the summer months.

Spring – I work myself up to about 50 to 60% of my diet being raw. I pick one month in the spring, usually May or June, and do a “30 day raw food cleanse” where I eat at least 90% raw food.

Summer – With the garden flourishing, I like to eat a diet of at least 70% raw food.

Fall – As the weather gets colder, I drop back down to eating 50 to 60% of my food raw.

This plan works well for me because I'm at a healthy weight and I’m free of any life threatening disease. If any of that changed, I would immediately increase my intake of raw food to my "summer levels" of 70% or more. I’ve seen raw food diets heal people and allow them to stop taking medication for depression, blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and other ailments. A diet high in raw food also can facilitate rapid weight loss. But if you are relatively healthy and happy with your weight, a plan like this one gives you many of the benefits of a raw food diet while giving you the versatility to eat other nutrient dense foods to round out your diet, warm your body and soul and allow you to more easily socialize with your family and friends.

Like any diet or exercise regimen, talk to your doctor to see if a raw food diet is right for you.