Wesley Camp's Frequently Asked Questions about Living Foods
1. Do you eat a 100% live-food diet?
2. What's the connection between live-food and yoga? Why do you often present them together?
3. What's wrong with eating meat and dairy?
4. Where do you get your protein? Calcium? Iron? Zinc? Vitamin B-12?
5. Don't you get tired of just eating rabbit food? What if you want something hot?
6. Why do you soak ingredients such as nuts, seeds, and dried fruit before using them?
7. Where do you find the time to follow a live-food diet?
8. Doesn't live-foods take a lot of discipline and self-restraint?
9. Do you ever miss foods like meat, cheese, eggs butter, milk, sour cream, etc.?
10. Can strictly following a live-food lifestyle be unbalancing or unhealthy?
11. What is the difference between a young coconut and a regular coconut?
12. What temperature is considered 'safe' when using a food dehydrator?
13. What is the best available book about live-food?
14. Do you use organic ingredients?
1. Do you eat a 100% live-food diet? (top of page)
No. overall, my diet averages around 75% living foods and 25% cooked vegan foods. I try to use my best judgment when I make food choices, but I also try not to be too rigid when I'm choosing between raw and cooked foods. At any given time, I might be eating more raw food or more cooked food. Typically, I up my intake of cooked foods during the winter because I find it to be warming and grounding. The longer I have eaten a vegan diet, the more I have been able to put my intuition to use when determining whether any given food will serve me or do me harm. That's not to say that I don't occasionally reward myself with some baked vegan cinnamon rolls or cake!
2. What's the connection between live-food and yoga? Why do you often present them together? (top of page)
Yogic lifestyle has always prescribed a vegetarian diet, free of meat, fish, eggs, and stimulants including onions, garlic, and overly-spicy foods. The reasoning behind abstaining from meat is that meat-eating binds us to our material existence, making spiritual progress almost impossible. Stimulants are avoided because they can disrupt meditation, and also because yoga is a path of balance and avoiding extremes - even in flavor.
These days, with so much contamination and cruelty in the dairy industry, a vegan diet is recommended for yoga because it is the purest, most nutritious, and most compassionate diet possible. Live-food is an expansion on this concept, being the highest tier of vegan options.
Yoga teaches us of prana, or life energy, that exists in every living thing. One of the purposes of yoga is to increase the life energy that flows through us - in other words, to turn up the volume on our spiritual awareness. There is an age-old saying that leads us to the logical conclusion here... "You Are What You Eat". Eating is one of the most vital functions of the human body, and live-foods give us a way to increase our own prana while satisfying our most basic needs at the same time.
The purifying properties of a mostly raw, vegan diet can help us experience a complete yogic path. From a scientific viewpoint, live-food has an alkalizing effect on the body, which promotes a free flow of energy throughout the body and reduces the buildup of lactic acid in muscles (leading to quicker recovery time after exercise). Also, in addition to cultivating prana, live-food lends many esoteric benefits to a complete practice of yoga. The Bhagavad Gita outlines four pillars of yoga: Bhakti (devotion), Karma (action), Jnana (wisdom) and Raja (meditation). Live-food can help strengthen each of these pillars because if done correctly, vegan and living food can promote knowledge, compassion, and closeness to God & nature more than any other dietary lifestyle.
3. What's wrong with eating meat and dairy? (top of page)
Well...Nothing! It is not my intention to dictate what is right or wrong to anybody. My job is simply to advocate living the healthiest life possible for ourselves and for the Earth. Really, this question can only be answered by oneself through meditation. It is a known fact that unspeakable cruelty is common practice in the meat and dairy industries. For more information on this topic, I recommend watching Meet Your Meat, a short PETA video narrated by Alec Baldwin, or Earthlings, a full-length film about animal industries narrated by Joaquin Phoenix. Some people feel that meat and dairy are absolutely necessary for their survival, and nothing will ever stop them from eating these things. Whether they are right or wrong is not for me to decide.
I would say that the only thing "wrong" is that few people actually make informed decision about their dietary choices. Many spend their whole lives oblivious to the concept that the animal industries are far more brutal than anything that has ever occurred in human history. If a person understands the facts behind meat-eating and the nutritive benefits of a vegetarian diet and still chooses to eat meat, then I applaud them for sticking to their convictions! However, if a person is appalled by animal cruelty but continues to consider veal and foie gras to be delicacies, then that person is ignoring an important message that is coming directly from their soul. Unfortunately, in the current age (referred to in yoga as the Kali Yuga), we are programmed to ignore the soul and to spend our entire lives attempting to gratify our senses - chasing a dream that will only last as long as our bodies.
4. Where do you get your protein? Calcium? Iron? Zinc? Vitamin B-12? (top of page)
This is easily the most common question people have about any sort of vegetarian diet. Think back for one moment to the first few years of your life. Your motor skills and brain capacity, along with every single part of your body, are developing at that most rapid pace they will ever experience. Nutritionally, your needs are at their peak. So where do you find the one food that provides everything you need? It's breast milk! Only about 10% of the calories in mother's milk come from protein... so even at your body's stage of maximum development, a diet consisting of 10% protein is deemed appropriate by nature. Why, then, do all the meat and protein-based industries convince us that we need much more? Because they're businesses! Trust me here, I'm an MBA. The scare tactics that make us believe we should constantly be ingesting protein (or anything else) are nothing more than brilliant marketing techniques!
The truth is, nature provides us will everything we need without having us resort to slaughtering animals. There is plenty of protein in nuts & seeds, and even fruit contains enough protein for us as long as our caloric needs are met. Broccoli is full of calcium, There's tons of Iron in buckwheat, and pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of zinc. The key is to eat a variety of foods so that all of our needs are met. On that point, our 'needs' don't necessarily come from a chart in the school cafeteria or at the doctor's office. Don't think for one second that the meat industry doesn't lobby the USDA to keep the recommended daily allowance of protein as high as possible.
As for Vitamin B-12, nature produces it naturally in highly-mineralized, healthy soil. Presumably, if you eat only home-grown foods that you grow in soil that is enhanced with good compost, you would probably get enough B-12. There is also B-12 in sea vegetables such as nori and kale, but research has suggested that the B-12 in sea vegetables might not be absorbable enough to meet our dietary needs. Unfortunately, in modern society it is very difficult for a vegan to obtain B-12 through diet alone because our soil is greatly depleted from years draining the Earth's resources - especially on commercial farm land. B-12 supplementation is recommended for anyone who strictly eats a vegan diet.
5. Don't you get tired of just eating rabbit food? What if you want something hot?
I came to live-foods because I was overweight and unhappy, and I was willing to make a dramatic shift in my lifestyle if it meant I would be able to reclaim my physical and emotional health. When that shift proved successful, the excitement it generated was enough to spark a whole new world for me. My entire worldview, my spirituality, the way I treated others, my career ambitions... everything was completely transformed. That excitement carries on to this day, and I certainly do not get tired of living foods. After all, live-food is its own exciting style of cuisine - it can be quite gourmet; the flavors and indescribably bold and the foods can be presented beautifully. I would argue it is more gourmet than any gourmet cooked food because it utilizes the chef's intuition in a way that establishes a deep connection with the Earth and with nature's abundance.
If I was a person who was attempting to live a 100% live-food lifestyle, I would have a few tricks up my sleeve for having the occasional warm dish. You can use the dehydrator to warm foods, and some blenders even are powerful enough to generate heat in something like a soup. Of course, whenever a recipe calls for water, you could simply use hot water. The effect on the nutritive content of the food will be minimal. However, other than for short periods of time (up to a year) I do not recommend eating a 100% live-food diet. Some foods contain certain nutrients that are more bio-available when cooked, such as tomatoes (lycopene) and cabbage & broccoli (iron). This is proof enough for me to advocate a well balanced diet of mostly live-foods but also an abundance of cooked vegetables and grains (just not wheat... the gluten in wheat is highly reactive and almost everybody is allergic to it, but only some people are allergic enough to experience symptoms). Hot herbal tea is a great option anytime.
6. Why do you soak ingredients such as nuts, seeds, and dried fruit before using them?
Soaking seeds and nuts serves three purposes. First, the outer skin of shelled nuts and seeds contain a high amount of tannic acid which has a bitter flavor and blocks absorption of nutrients. Soaking releases much of this enzyme inhibitor allowing for maximum nutrient assimilation. Next, soaking increases the water content and reduces the oil content of nuts and seeds, making them less fatty and more digestible. Finally, the more esoteric explanation is that the prana (life energy) in raw seeds and nuts is dormant. This is a process determined by nature - plants drop their seeds in the fall which remain dormant throughout winter and germinate in spring. Soaking initiates the beginning phase of the germination process, rendering the raw seed or nut "alive" and more able to deliver its life energy to us as a food.
Soaking sun-dried tomatoes and dried fruits simply serves the purpose of re-hydrating them. It makes them much easier to work with, and makes them more digestible as well because it increases their water content.
7. Where do you find the time to follow a live-food diet? (top of page)
It is a common misunderstanding that living foods are highly time-consuming. With proper planning, live-food dishes can actually take less time out of your day than baking or grilling. Planning ahead is crucial because many recipes call for nuts, seeds or other ingredients that should be soaked before using. Also, it is important to plan your menu for a few days around the same ingredients in order to eliminate the possibility of wasting food. For example, I might stock up on tomatoes, zucchini, almonds and fresh basil... so over the next few days my menu will include lasagna, a hummus dish, and bruschetta (all of which I can make with my four ingredients).
The bottom line is that any healthy diet takes commitment and planning. The level of commitment one experiences relates directly to how the diet makes them feel and to the amount of excitement it can generate. I can say from personal experience that at one point in my life I worked a highly-demanding corporate job which often demanded 80-hour workweeks, and I was still able to maintain a vegan, live-food lifestyle. Granted, I was very young, single, and didn't have much of a life outside of working and eating! My point is that if a person has enough interest in and excitement about anything, that person will be able to find the time to pursue the interest.
8. Doesn't live-foods take a lot of discipline and self-restraint? (top of page)
This depends on how you approach live-food: as a diet or a lifestyle. I certainly do not recommend living foods as a crash diet or a way to simply lose weight. As with any 'diet', the concept of crash dieting involves restraint - depriving ourselves of the foods we are craving. Unfortunately, as human nature has proven time and time again, restraint is almost followed by indulgence. Our subconscious automatically wants to aggressively consume foods that the conscious mind is actively depriving. This is no way to live, bouncing back and forth between extremes. A more sensible solution is the middle path of balance, neither depriving nor indulging... in other words, eating to live instead of living to eat.
People often become vegetarian or get into live-foods simply because they want to lose weight. However, the reasons for eating a vegetarian diet are much bigger than weight loss or sounding cool & mysterious. It takes a sincere grasp of some of these reasons and literally a 'shift in consciousness' to approach vegetarianism or live-food in a sustainable way. One cannot become vegetarian and still crave meat uncontrollably, because eventually that person will revert to eating meat. Instead, one must permanently lose their craving for meat by developing a 'higher' taste... a taste for health and for closeness to the Earth that completely overrides the animalistic tendency to crave meat (thanks to our hunter/gatherer ancestors for that one).
If live-food is approached as a lifestyle rather than a diet, it will be because through research, meditation and intuition, a person has reached their 'higher taste' and because they want to explore every avenue in the ultimate pursuit of health, happiness, and closeness to God.
9. Do you ever miss foods like meat, cheese, eggs butter, milk, sour cream, etc.? (top of page)
No. This is related to question #8 above. If a person misses these foods, then they have yet to develop their overriding sense of compassion that is necessary for a healthy vegetarian diet. This is not a bad thing! I applaud anyone who has decided to stop eating animal products, particularly people who do it because they want to achieve long-term health benefits or because they cannot live with supporting the cruelty that takes place in the animal farming industries. The 'higher taste' (from #8) exists innately in every person. Sometimes it develops more quickly than others. If you are trying to eat a vegetarian diet but occasionally slip and eat animal products, don't feel bad! The important thing is that you are trying... that is all it takes for the higher taste to develop.
Personally, I was able to give up animal products easily. I learned about the meat and dairy industries, I studied the nutrition information thoroughly, and by the time I made my informed decision, I no longer had any desire for animal foods. Frankly, I became disgusted even at the thought of them. I learned statistics and facts about animal foods, and I was turned onto the natural order of things that our creator has set forth in nature. For example, one of the facts that really moved me was that humans are the only animal species that drink the milk of another species. Doesn't that sound like nature is trying to tell us something?
10. Can strictly following a live-food lifestyle be unbalancing or unhealthy? (top of page)
Following a 100% live-food diet can provide copious amounts of physical energy and vital energy (prana) as well. Actually, for most people, it can provide too much energy. Many people who follow a strict live-food diet can be quite neurotic at times (I am speaking from experience having live-food friends and being involved in the 'scene'). They can be emotionally over-sensitive to the point where they can barely function outside of their comfort zone. I think that this can have negative effects on one's health and wellbeing, thereby negating the positive effects of the live-food diet.
Also, as I have mentioned before, I believe any diet that is too restrictive can be emotionally unhealthy. Of course, many people argue with me that my adherence to being vegan is too restrictive (this relates to the development of the 'higher taste' which I have previously mentioned). My response is always the same... "What exactly have I given up? Cruelty, cholesterol, saturated fat, suffering... etc." I feel so strongly about being vegan that I have the opposite of desire for animal foods. This, in my opinion, is a healthy way to approach live-foods... with excitement, passion, knowledge, balance, and non-attachment to being 100% raw.
11. What is the difference between a young coconut and a regular coconut? (top of page)
When coconuts grow, they have a hard green shell surrounding a white fibrous layer and a hard, liquid-filled kernel. This kernel is what we know of as a coconut - the fuzzy, light tan to dark brown, rock-hard, mysterious and delicious food. The coconuts we typically see in stores are these fully-matured coconuts that have a thick layer of white 'meat' inside along with a little bit of sweet liquid.
Some coconuts are harvested before full maturity, and their green outer shell is only shaved down halfway to the kernel, leaving a white fibrous outer layer. These young coconuts are usually shaved into the shape of a cylinder with a cone on top. Young coconuts typically contain less 'meat' than mature coconuts, while they are completely filled with liquid that is much sweeter than the liquid found in mature coconuts.
Nutritionally, young coconuts are an excellent source of electrolytes, vitamins and trace minerals. They are among the most hydrating and nutritionally complete foods on the planet. Mature coconuts are also very healthful, and are an excellent source of lauric acid and natural dietary fat. Try not to treat 'fat' like a bad word here... plant-based fats such as coconuts, avocados, olives, and durians are just as important as protein and carbohydrates for well-balanced nutrition.
12. What temperature is considered 'safe' when using a food dehydrator? (top of page)
There is much debate over this question. Some people say that 105°F is the magic number, while others stretch as high as 120°F. The important thing to consider is that the hotter the temperature, the more of a cooking effect the dehydrator is going to have on your food. Generally, 118°F is considered the maximum 'safe' temperature at which to dehydrate foods, so many people use 115°F as a more failsafe alternative. The latest research shows that some thicker foods such as breads, pizza crusts, etc. can actually dehydrate at 145°F for up to 2 hours, after which the temperature should be lowered. The reason for this is that only the air surrounding the food and the very outer layer of the food will be exposed to the heat, while 99% of the food will remain below 118°F.
13. What is the best available book about live-food? (top of page)
There are several books on the market that include live-food rationale information and recipes. My absolute favorite is "Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine" by Gabriel Cousens, M.D. The first book that got me turned on to living foods was "The Hippocrates Diet" by Ann Wigmore. Just reading about the theory behind live-food made so much sense to me. It struck a core and resonated more deeply than anything I had ever thought about food. This book was a great starting ground, but I still recommend Cousens' book because it backs up the theories with scientific evidence. It also includes some of the latest findings affecting the live-food movement, such as recommending reduced intake of grains and legumes. Additionally, the recipes in "Rainbow Green" are full of flavor (more than most other live-food programs) and simple to follow. One other great book is David Wolfe's "Sunfood Diet Success System" - although it focuses less on recipes and more on theory and emotional support.
14. Do you use organic ingredients? (top of page)
Absolutely. I prefer to use organic everything, but I am also realistic about my limitations. Certified organic herbs and dry spices are very difficult to find, and certain organic food items are so expensive they cannot be justified on a limited budget. At the market where I buy most of my groceries, the organic Avocados are outrageously expensive and are often of poorer quality than the conventionally-grown ones. Therefore, I will use conventional avocados... especially since avocados have a tough, inedible skin that protects the fruit from absorbing pesticides. While I strive to be 100% organic, I also have to use my best judgment and lower my standards from time to time.