What I Learned Working with a Raw Food Chef

Although I believe that there isn’t one right diet for everyone, including myself, I have recently been drawn to the undeniably delicious taste of gourmet raw meals prepared to maximize every last nutrient’s enzymatic power to heal and enlighten.

For those who aren’t familiar with this style of eating, the raw food diet consists of unprocessed, whole-plant foods that are never cooked above 118 degrees as it’s believed that heat destroys many of the enzymes, vitamins, and phytonutrients found in raw, living food. What you are surprisingly left with is an endless array of delicious and creative food combinations that can leave you energized and inspired.

Out of my desire to expand my cooking ability in raw food cuisine and learn the secrets of achieving the exquisite taste I had only yet experienced in raw food restaurants, I decided to spend a month last summer working side by side with one of the best raw food chefs in the Seattle area, Adam Lewis.

Although learning how to clean dishes, restaurant style, wasn’t part of my original vision; I soon realized the importance of loving and embracing every step that goes into the meticulous preparation of what raw living food advocates call “the best food on the planet.” Not only was I able to witness the extreme care given to the quality and taste of each ingredient, I was also able to see the contagious enthusiasm and happiness that Adam’s meals brought to each of his customers.

What I discovered was that raw food is more than great tasting versions of lasagna, pizza, wraps, tacos, endless spreads and divine deserts. It is also a type of food that inspires an enthusiasm for life that stems from the value placed on not only our own bodies, but on all living things on earth.

Although I left my experience with a bag full of useful preparation techniques, what stuck with me more was the importance of loving ourselves and our environment enough to think carefully about what we eat and where it comes from. The result is not only a healthy and energetic body, but also a feeling of self-confidence and empowerment that can transfer into every other aspect of our lives and the lives of the people around us.

Regardless of whether one chooses a raw living diet or not, I believe that this is a lesson worth pondering as we choose our next meal.