By Chef Centehua
The benefits of living foods are undeniable. They supply a surplus of energy and vitality, cell renewal, balancing of hormones, and an overall feeling of health and well being. The phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables protect the cells from damage and help prevent cancer. They also provide enzymes which are essential for proper digestion and regulate the metabolism. I could go on and on. I love eating fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, flowers. I love juicing, making fermented foods, drinks, and raw dairy … yes dairy.
I believe the living foods movement is not restricted to a vegan diet. In fact, after many years as a vegan I discovered raw milk, and my digestive tract loved it. Since then raw dairy has been a staple in my diet. I make yogurt and look forward to having a couple of goats soon. Raw milk from pastured cows or goats is a complete, balanced food and a medicine. Easy to digest, raw dairy contains enzyme inhibitors, bio-activity, antibodies (providing resistance to virus), iron binding protein, and beneficial bacteria. All these disease fighting properties are significantly lost when dairy is heated. We kill all the beneficial bacteria when dairy foods are pasteurized and homogenized. Yogurt and kefir are fermented foods made with bacteria and yeast, providing many health benefits. These micro-organisms transform the stomach’s acid environment and reach the intestines. The enzymes break apart the proteins, which really helps strengthen a weakened digestive system, which many people suffer from today, whether it be from illness or pharmaceutical side effects.
With all the amazing benefits of these clean living dairy foods, you would wonder why they are
not available everywhere, right? Well, there is the question of liability since these products contain bacterial life and we live in a germaphobic culture. From antibacterial soaps and chemical hand sanitizers to processed industrial foods, we have been taught that all microbial life is unwanted. It seems the more we sterilize our environment, the sicker we get, for disease is not eradicated by eliminating bacteria; in fact, our immune systems are weakened by the lack of microbial activity in our bodies. Our digestive flora require a balance of good and bad bacteria. Neurological studies show that chronic health conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and autism, to name a few, are directly connected to amino acid, vitamin and mineral deficiencies; and these can be improved by foods that heal the digestive system in order to enable proper nutrient absorption.
Since we can’t trust an FDA that has declared war on raw dairy yet approves of toxic additives, preservatives, chemicals and genetically engineered foods, we now must connect as a “do-it-yourself community ” to exercise our freedom and reclaim our health. You won’t find fermented, live foods or raw dairy at Whole Foods, so look for them at co-ops, independent health food stores, farmers markets and, of course, online.
People are organizing food swaps all over the country. I have a good friend who makes real fermented sourdough bread, and we trade bread for sauerkraut, which I make every week. Learning to make things yourself is empowering and a strong socio-economic stand as we reclaim a self- sufficient and more sustainable culture. It’s about supporting one another instead of corporations. It’s about eating real whole foods handcrafted by people, not industry. To me, the live food movement is not just about a diet but about life, living art, music, food, humanity’s awakening, and living for one another.
I credit most of my family’s health to these amazing foods, nature, and all the love from our friends, family and community. Sharing life is a creative act, organic and inspiring.
Bless