The debate continues…
Fruit, fat? Where should you get your calories…
Today, I talk about how I navigate through this maze of conflicting information.
I also talk about agave syrup (high fructose) and real raw cacao products.
Take a look…
Your question of the day: What is your favorite place in the winter?
Click here, scroll down to the bottom of the page and leave your comments now!
Live Awesome!
Kev
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7:49 pm on March 11th, 2010
Pfft. Favorite place? On the slopes, snowboarding, or curled up with a bowl of fresh fruit and tea in a warm room with a fire. Or dreaming about summer.
7:54 pm on March 11th, 2010
I always loved the winters in Key West.
It would seem prudent to get our calories from fruit and nuts, keeping in mind not to go crazy with fat. It would not be good to eliminate either one.
7:54 pm on March 11th, 2010
The closest place to Paradise the garden of Eat’in. Sun 365 days-Vilcabamba Ecuador.
7:56 pm on March 11th, 2010
Off topic question about blood tests:
I went and got some blood tests done, as recommended.
I’ve been ill with Crohn’s disease for years – lately I’ve only been able to stomach white bread and saltines. All the while, I am losing a lot of hair and a lot of blood, etc.
Today I saw my doctor and he said I’m not deficient in iron or B12 or anything really – except for slightly deficient in Vitamin D.
Is this even possible???
Thank you so much for reading this,
Sara
baracoodah@aol.com [if anyone reading this might have any ideas!]
7:59 pm on March 11th, 2010
Right here on Maui!!!
8:00 pm on March 11th, 2010
Your skin looks great!!! Keep up the good work.
8:01 pm on March 11th, 2010
Those mountains are BEAUTIFUL. I was looking at them from Anaheim just today.
A while back, I was driving on a super empty road over the top of a huge hill. Just as it crested, those very mountains came into view.
The guy on the motorcycle in front of me [we were the only ones on the road] must have thought they were gorgeous too. He threw his head back and his hands up in the air and went down the mountain looking like he was in ecstasy. It was the COOLEST thing in the world – and put me in the best mood for the rest of the day.
8:03 pm on March 11th, 2010
got this today check this out kevin
Look at what a 4 year old hamburger looks like…from a fast food franchise!
Priority: Normal Date: Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:19 AM Size: 4 KB
Cut and paste this on your browser and watch this you tube below…
Subj: Fwd: What are we eating anyway?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IGtDPG4UfI
8:04 pm on March 11th, 2010
Florida, where I live. Otherwise, Jamaica. I visited there once and didn’t want to come back.
8:04 pm on March 11th, 2010
I love to go up to North Carolina for the winter. Kevin, where do YOU personally get most of your calories from?
8:05 pm on March 11th, 2010
Jackson, New Hampshire!!!!
8:17 pm on March 11th, 2010
Great work!
8:41 pm on March 11th, 2010
Right where I am. I love the snow and the feeling of hibranation like a polar bear. As long as I don’t have to drive or stay out to long . I love the changing seasons in Pa. course a nice warm sandy beach wouldn’t be bad either.
8:54 pm on March 11th, 2010
If I could afford it, Hawaii!! But I can’t, so I like sitting in a bright sunny window.
9:03 pm on March 11th, 2010
somewhere warm!! Greetings from Canada (brr!!)
9:30 pm on March 11th, 2010
Hi Kevin,
I love your stuff and I don’t expect this comment will make it because I’m way too jaded about raw food and the whole movement.
I totally commend you for saying you don’t know the answer; fruit vs. fat and I commend your work.
But you have talked to just about every expert in the field and you and we still havn’t figured out what the hell to eat. Even Brian Clement who says he has 50 years of clinical data is disputed.
I give up.. for now
Steve
9:39 pm on March 11th, 2010
Anywhere in the sunbelt with decent air quality-like here in Key West.
Hawaii is Optimal,Ecuador is Outrageous,
although it can be a VERY foreign place
to feel at home….it all depends on location
I FEEL SORRY FOR CANADIANS
HOW CAN ANYBODY LIVE THERE ?MISERABLE !
9:43 pm on March 11th, 2010
My favorite place to be in the winter is HOME. With the hubby and the doggies before a warm cozy fire. This winter was abnormally cold and long. Snow for 2 months, not 2 weeks, and we are happy the crocus tell of the approaching spring.
As with Dorothy, there’s no place like HOME.
10:01 pm on March 11th, 2010
Roadtripping through the southwestern United States and into Mexico! Right now we’re in Alamos, Sonora (mexico).
10:36 pm on March 11th, 2010
Right here at home in North Phoenix, AZ. Don’t like the cold at all, we can hike every weekend in great weather while looking at snow capped peaks in the background also. Of course hiking in the summer is out.
11:15 pm on March 11th, 2010
Anywhere but MN!
11:23 pm on March 11th, 2010
Here in Hawaii is a nice place in winter. It gets cool, though, sometimes down into the 60s. People here are funny. If the temperature drops even 5 degrees, they complain about how cold it is!
Regarding cacao, I grow it here, so I can answer your question about fermentation.
When cacao beans come out of the pod, they are covered with a thin white fruit layer, which is sweet and tastes like honey. Fermentation involves letting this fruit layer break down into vinegar, and generating a moderate amount of heat, up to about 105 degrees. Most cacao beans require about 6 to 11 days of fermentation for this process to be complete.
The bean itself is not damaged by the fermentation. But the heat and exposure to the vinegar changes the flavor of the cacao, making it more mellow and chocolate-like, and some of the bitter antioxidant compounds are modified. Fermented cacao has a richer, more complex flavor, and is more desirable for chocolate making.
Some of the raw beans are only partially fermented, which means they are fermented for fewer days, perhaps only 1 or 2 days. This results in a more bitter cacao, but it’s also higher in antioxidants.
Cacao that is not fermented at all is extremely bitter and too stimulating for me. I prefer the partially fermented cacao.
There is no problem with mold getting into the cacao as a result of fermentation, because they cacao bean has a skin on it. After fermenting and drying the beans, the skin is removed in a winnowing machine. As the skin is removed, the cacao bean breaks into smaller pieces, called nibs.
Some of the premium raw cacao beans are hand-peeled, but this is extremely labor intensive and is not usually done.
And you can also get whole cacao beans with the skin still attached, but the skin does not taste good. Some people say the skin has health benefits, but I’m not sure about this.
And yes, there is a lot of controversy about whether the raw cacao on the market is really raw. It is likely that much of it is heated to about 200 degrees in the process of grinding and pressing it into cacao butter and powder. But this is only for a brief period, and it’s not roasted at 350 degrees or more, like regular chocolate.
So, even if it isn’t really raw, it’s still better for you than roasted chocolate.
And yes, I agree, don’t eat too much at one time. Cacao is a strong stimulant and diuretic, so be sure to drink a lot of water.
Michael T.
1:24 am on March 12th, 2010
Hi Dear, You still have not tell us how much does those boxes of avocado, oranges and macadamia cost you guys. Love your show, Thank you.
2:22 am on March 12th, 2010
I spend winters here on the dorset coast in the U.K. I would like every three or four years to go somewhere warm, to thaw my bones!
3:22 am on March 12th, 2010
Where it’s nice and warm with soothing mild wind, fresh air and full access to as much raw food produce as possible all year round. Where I live, south of Oslo, Norway, two thirds of the year is either freezing cold or coming at us with gusty rain and fog. And to top that, finding a satisfactory range of organically grown produce or RAW food products in our stores is just about as hard as winning the lottery. I really envy you guys in southern California. You seem to have the most. Myself, I have to go out and shovel away one yard high of snow that just dropped down from my garage roof blocking my driveway.
4:31 am on March 12th, 2010
Right here in Texas on the third coast! I might try Costa Rica next year, but Houston’s been ‘bery bery good to me’ as they say.
7:37 am on March 12th, 2010
I’m sorry, but what does blood work have to do with the question of getting ones calories from fruit or nuts? Blood work isn’t perfect science either. I went years feeling terribly sick but blood work always came back that I was as healthy as could be.
7:43 am on March 12th, 2010
Fav place in the winter? THE FIREPLACE!!!!!
7:56 am on March 12th, 2010
anywhere south, not covered with snow! so sick of snow! says the cornhusker.
8:14 am on March 12th, 2010
Maine is the place to be, although we ended up with less snow so far in 2010 than we are used to.
9:55 am on March 12th, 2010
Delaney…MN is God’s Country LOL!!! My family lives there but I have not actually spent a winter there for many years…
I prefer cold over intense heat, but willing to spend the winter anywhere my family and/or friends are!
Steve…you eat what makes you thrive!
10:04 am on March 12th, 2010
My favorite place in winter is normally my home in Saint Cloud, FL, and although this has been the fifth coldest and wettest winter here in history, it still beats most of the rest of the good ol’ continental USA. Hawaii would probably have been a better spot this year.
BTW, I still cannot tolerate any fruit but pink grapefruit due to my reactive hypoglycemia, but I get a wonderfully wide array of whole food based fruits (minus the sugars) from Juice Plus Orchard and Vineyard Blends. Not only do independent studies show their potency, but if I do by chance start to feel a cold coming on I simply double up on those two Blends for a day or two and I have not developed a cold or flu for more than four years. I also supplement my daily raw greens with the Juice Plus Garden Blend of veggies as well as IsaGenix Greens.
I love your shows; thanks so much for sharing.
10:07 am on March 12th, 2010
I saw a commercial for Lean Cuisine this morning that basically said that nobody craves a salad. I know that I do and from reading the comments here, I know that alot of you do as well. Love the misinformation out there.
10:39 am on March 12th, 2010
ahhhh…the Keys
10:44 am on March 12th, 2010
My favorite place to be in the winter is walking on a sunny Florida beach.
Smile
11:40 am on March 12th, 2010
Bahamas, if I’m lucky. Otherwise, I’ll settle for being cozy and warm in my bedroom overlooking the river next to the flickering fireplace.
12:47 pm on March 12th, 2010
Kevin,
Although I watch your show and listened to the rawkathons when you had them, I never looked at the section below the show. I didn’t realize its really for commenting about the show so I apologise for the above comment as it seems out of place. On the cacao side of things, the only thing I don’t like about raw Cacao is that it stimulates my taste buds to want junk foods. When I stay mainly with fruits and vegetables and green smoothies with a little bit of nuts & seeds, I seem to stay on the Raw Vegan diet easier
2:29 pm on March 12th, 2010
Judith, great post (#28)! I’ve been taking (and been a distributor for) Juice Plus for 7 years with the same results you mentioned. I am so grateful for Juice Plus because whenever I got a cold before JP, it would go down into my chest and get really bad. A couple of times I thought I would die because I couldn’t breathe! I rarely get a cold now and when I do, it is very mild–lasts only a day or so. I am one happy camper!
Anyone who wants more info on Juice Plus can get it here: http://www.lacelle-solution-juiceplus.com
Have a great day!
Connie Lacelle
3:29 pm on March 12th, 2010
Right here at home- Marin County, Ca!
Sedona and Southwestern states fun to visit too.
5:11 pm on March 12th, 2010
Wow…I can’t believe that on the issue of getting most of one’s calories from “fruit” or “nuts (fat)”, you said that there is no answer and to go get a blood test?! What?! I’ve been getting regular blood tests for longer than you have and am just as keen on them and adamant about getting them, but come on! Blood tests are local indicators of micronutrient status, not macronutrient status, and you totally just dissed the whole field of nutritional epidemiology and biochemistry that investigates macronutrient composition on biochemical pathways and overall health. Even the most pro-fat *legitimate* scientists (key word here is legimate, not fringe Weston-Price stuff, which is not taking seriously by the scientific community) recommend no more than 45% of calories from fat, and nuts are > 75% fat in general, so there is just no way we should be getting most of our calories from nuts. Sure, there is some small degree of biochemical individuality, but not radical differences from person to person, as you are suggesting. You should have at least ruled out this extreme for people, if nothing else, rather than creating the illusion that no one really knows and that it’s all a guessing game with blood tests. Blood tests are amazing, but they are not the answer to everything. I think you totally missed the boat on this one and need to refer actually to legitimate scientific research on what we *do know* about macronutrient composition, rather than than just saying it’s a free-for-all situation.
Cheers,
Courtney
7:36 pm on March 12th, 2010
Tampa Bay Florida! 22 years here and still enjoy watching sunsets on the Gulf of Mexico, no matter what the temperature. The birds are so happy today that Spring is here!
7:46 pm on March 12th, 2010
Kittery Point, Maine USA!
8:41 pm on March 12th, 2010
I wish I was in Hawaii, but I can handle winter sitting in front of a wood stove in Northern California for now
.
Comment to Steve who sounds like he’s given up…
Kevin is being honest, there is no right or wrong answer. Eating a variety of foods/fats would have been an appropriate answer. But, when you first start eating raw your calorie requirements are much different than if you have been eating raw for a longer period of time (approx 1 year). I would recommend getting your calories from whatever you can when you first start. I was starving for the first 3 months, eating everything I could raw. Eventually going to fruits in the morning and lots of veggies, nuts dishes using oils and natural sugars all day. Your body starts to tell you that less calories are needed, if I eat too many calories after being raw for 1 year, I get lethargic. Just like cooked food used to make me feel. I reduce my intake of nuts, oils and sugars and I feel much better after a meal. So you have to listen to your body. The correct answer is within you.
Good luck and don’t give up on a healthy lifestyle of unprocessed foods. Simply put, Don’t eat poop.
Toni
12:10 am on March 13th, 2010
Where ever I am, that is my favorite place to be. lol. I’ll keep exploring the possibilities!
12:02 pm on March 13th, 2010
I love where Iam in beautiful Sedona.Wanting the summer to hurry and come
Thanks for the information about agave syrup and raw cacoa.
10:21 pm on March 13th, 2010
My favorite place to be in the winter is on vactation!
11:07 pm on March 13th, 2010
My last two experiences with raw cacao were bad. It always tastes like alcohol you have to buy at an ABC store. Is it supposed to have that taste and aroma?
My favorite place to be any time of year is home, here in Virginia Beach. I don’t think it would matter where I was geographically – home is where the heart is. I’d love to be somewhere tropical and experience what it’s like to have food picked from the field the day before, but I’m not a big fan of all the hurricanes that accompany the region.
1:13 pm on March 14th, 2010
Favorite place in winter? On the snow, on the slopes! Otherwise winter just ain’t bearable.
9:44 am on March 15th, 2010
My favorite place in the winter is anywhere I can get some sun and not be trapped indoors. Whether its on a beach or out on the mountain skiing, it doesn’t matter to me. As long as I can get outside.
Anyone else know what I mean?
1:24 pm on March 17th, 2010
At home, between a sunny south window and a wood stove, with cats on my lap and dogs at my feet!
3:39 pm on March 18th, 2010
I live in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and all though this winter was not too bad I can’t make a case for it as a favorite winter local. Right now my fantasy would be to be spending the winter months in Vilcabamba Ecuador and growing my own fig trees.