I barely got off the plane from teaching in Pennsylvania, and am already packing to go teach in Hawaii.

At the moment, my regular classes in the Bay Area are achieving standing room only status with students from all around the world.  At the same time, we are coordinating lots of events for local and out of town chefs to share their skills with the Bay Area throughout the spring and summer.

With all of these arrangements, I getting a chance to see what is happening in the raw food world beyond the Bay.  I am so excited by what I am seeing!

My experience at State College Pennsylvania is a good example of how popular raw food is getting. The classes sold out: in a relatively small town, with snow on the ground, in the middle of WINTER!   

Nature's Pantry, the local health food store, set the stage perfectly.  They already carried all the raw food products a raw foodist might want, including truly raw items, high quality local produce, sprouting equipment and even travel blenders.  Working together with the local raw food cafe, raw authors and fans, plus the media, we got the word got out about the classes. People came from near and far.  It was such a pleasure to help them visualize the changes that they wanted to see in their own personal health, and the health of the planet.

Soon, I will report back on the raw scene in Hawaii.  From what I see, there is lots going on.  In the meantime, let me share with you a connection from the Midwest:  Milwaukee Public TV is hosting an 8-part series called "Cooking Raw".  It is a fabulous show!  Check it out here. There should be a show like this in all of our communities.    

In the Bay Area, there are many exciting things happening.  If you live out of town, consider making a visit here in April. 

The spring weather in the Bay Area is spectacular.  You can bask in the sun and enjoy the wildflowers in full bloom.  It is also a time when all the raw foodists come out to play!    

On April 9th I will offer a full day hands on course Raw Food for Busy People. On April 11th, our Oakland meet-up is hosting a full day tour of the raw scene in beautiful Marin County.  The bus tour includes meals at two raw cafes, a stop at True North Health Center, and several outstanding speakers.  Click here for details on that.   

On April 21st Raw Bay Area will host Chef Brian "Belive" Lucas for a cooking class and demonstration.  On April 25th he will do a stop in San Francisco as a guest chef.  Chef Belive is from Los Angeles and recently won the top spot as "Best Gourmet Chef" in the Best of Raw contest.  Registration will open soon for this.  

And that is not all!  Join us on Earth Day April 23rd.  We are curating a Raw Chef Demonstration for the San Francisco Earth Day Festival, which is anticipated to draw 15,000 people.  And then join us for our Nut Milks and Cheeses class on April 27th, in coordination with the Institute for Urban Homesteading.  

 

Many vegans and vegetarians who do not regularly consume reliable sources of vitamin B12.  You should take a moment to think about your levels of this crucial vitamin.  Very low B12 intakes can cause anemia and nervous system damage, along with gastrointestinal disturbances, so it's very important for vegans to consume enough B12 to avoid potential symptoms.

Importance of B12: 

• helps build DNA
• maintains protective sheaths that surround nerve fibers
• converts carbohydrates, fats, and protein to usable energy
• rids the body of homocysteine, which can trigger heart disease

It is sad to say that the only reliable sources of B12 are found in foods fortified with B12 and supplements.     

To get the full benefits of a vegan diet, one could do the following:

• eat fortified foods two to three times a day to get at least three micrograms of B12 per day or
• take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms or
• take a weekly B12 supplement providing at last 2000 micrograms

The less frequently you obtain B12, the more you need to take, as it is absorbed in small amounts. The recommendations above take full account of this.    

My research shows that nutritional yeast does not provide enough B12.  And, I don't like fortified foods.  So, like many raw foodists, I take a B12 supplement in pill form once a week or so.  Truly, the pill (or injection) method is the best reliable non-animal form of B12 that we know of.   I don't like supplements, I eat my nutrition in its natural form. But B12 I do need to take.  Vitamin Code has a good raw, vegan B12. You can see it here. 

 Cozy Lemon Ginger Tea 

This tea will help you transition from winter to spring, and keep your immune system very strong.  It is thick and delicious, and I find it to be a therapeutic tool especially if I am feeling rundown.

1 tablespoon ginger juice 

2 tablespoon  lemon juice (2 lemons)

2 tablespoon honey

2 cups water

Dash cayenne pepper

 
Heat your water on the stove until it is very warm.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Enjoy! 
 
NOTE:  There are two ways to make ginger juice: A) run the root through your juicer B) shred your root very fine (a microplane works well) and then place the shredded root into a nut milk bag or similar fine material.  Squeeze the bag and watch as the juice pours out!  Save your ginger pulp for a green smoothie, or compost.  

Also, experiment with the quantity of ginger/lemon/honey you use.  I personally like this tea extra thick and sweet.  You might find cutting back to a few teaspoons of each ingredient might suit you better.