 My kitchen countertop - oranges, mangoes, pineapple, canteloupe, kumquats, grapefruit and more. When I started Erin’s UnBakery in 2021, I decided to take a very moderate approach to diet. What this meant for me was - to eat as much fruit and veg as I could, and mostly cooked meals. I did not exclude any foods. But I loved how raw desserts can bring delight while elevating the experience of food with fresh, raw ingredients. This became my motivation for creating and sharing information on how to do this.
I’d been nurturing a love of raw food, in particular desserts, since 2007 or so. For some time, I followed the “fruits and roots” approach, involving Freelee Frugivore’s philosophy of “stuff yourself to the max” with raw food, adding steamed potatoes and root veg for the last meal of the day. That style did not work; I gained 10 lbs, burned my mouth with fruit acids from over-stuffing myself, and my blood sugars began to lean chaotic. As a result of this, I stopped eating fully raw or even raw till 4. I needed a break. I eventually returned to raw desserts but I was not committed to any lifestyle in particular except “what feels balanced and good to me.” I remember back when I was stuffing myself, eventually, I encountered moments when my body needed dry, cooked foods. After observing this happen many times, and noticing a feeling of dizziness, I chose eventually to eat like everyone else again. I did not want to develop blood sugar problems. I have always leaned into spirituality and body wisdom, for as long as I knew about these things. I’ve always had a curious mind. And recently my intuition has been leading me back to raw food. This time, though, is different. And I have to add here, that I am doing what feels best to me, and I only encourage others to do what is best for them. This journey is our own. We are all a work in progress, and can release any feeling of “should haves” racing through our minds. So I choose to listen to my body and I am not following a plan. I have zero rules. I am eating raw again. But I’m not going to call myself a vegan. I can’t promise myself or anybody I’ll never consume a latte with cream ever again. And I don’t intend to promise myself that. The raw food community has grown a lot since 2007. It's not only grown in size, but the whole collective has grown in wisdom. By which I mean, everyone is understanding the link between heart, soul, mind and body, and how eating raw foods is far more than just a dietary decision - it involves a shift in priorities, values, emotions and spirituality. Those who are sharing and teaching have begun talking about the balance between emotion and body, between fruits and veg so as not to eat too much or too little, the importance of including plenty of watery fruits and veg for digestion and hydration but being sure to balance this, only eating when you’re hungry, and eating enough but not maxing out till you’re nearly sick. I like this. And when you watch and listen to raw vegans online, they have certain things in common - they are at peace, and have gloriously beautiful skin! There is a delicate balance here - shifting to raw eating can both bring up a purge of physical or emotional issues, and also heal them. So this is an emotional journey. I believe in avoiding extremes, and so I am not ever going to make myself do anything - raw food should be a treat, and enjoyable, and not unpleasant. So I believe in making the changes that you want to make, while becoming more educated on how to do it in a smart way (more to come on that). So for starters, I began by including raw fruit juices. Then, I started including more fruit. But I still ate cooked food. I figured out some recipe ideas that worked well as raw foods, such as raw sweet and sour stir fry, or raw crumbles similar to ground beef made from mushrooms, or raw lasagne. I’ve been going with what I want the most. The diet industry wants us to use our self control, but I don’t want to be on the struggle bus anymore. And when you’re eating a balanced diet of fresh foods, it’s far more difficult to go wrong. As a result, your cravings can be satisfied without fear of harming your health. In order to do this, it’s important to trust that the body knows what feels good and what does not. Food should be a source of nourishment. You can make it simple by purchasing lots of fruit and veg that you like. Make juicing or smoothies easy as possible. Some people just use frozen fruit in smoothies for simplicity. I bought a miniature juicer that doesn’t take up a ton of space, and can be cleaned in 2 minutes, for spontaneous juicing. Or I’ll use a large, masticating cold-press juicer for batch juicing. Get a juicer, hit the sales and keep lots of produce on hand, if you want to start eating more whole foods! No need to fit a perfect lifestyle image or achieve certain goals of “only this” or “none of that.” Just start adding more fruits and veg that you like. Then as your body adjusts, it will crave more. Our bodies want the good stuff.
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 Raw, Plant-Based Cinnamon-Spice Donut at Erin's UnBakery Nature constantly seeks a balance. We see this everywhere throughout the natural world, and it is a known principle that helps us to feel calm and at ease when we are outdoors.
Just as we can find harmony in the natural world around us, our bodies find harmony as we live our lives as much in step with the natural world as we can. One way of doing this is through our food choices. Natural, whole food comes in the form closest to what nature provides. On the raw food diet, these foods include anything that grows from a plant - fruit, vegetables, sproutable grains and legumes, nuts, seeds, and raw fats (such as coconut oil and cold-pressed sesame oil), and sweeteners (such as coconut sugar). This doesn’t mean that it undergoes no processing. “Processed” food is not bad - what we are looking for in a raw food diet is “minimally processed” foods. It’s okay to grind, dehydrate, soak, or ferment foods. What we want to avoid is too much heat, chemical treatment, and additives beyond flavorings. We stay away from ingredients such as emulsifiers and common preservatives. The benefit of the raw food diet is that it is simple, and fresh. The body loves fats that have not been heated, loves high-fiber foods, and foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Raw, vegan foods provide these beneficial properties. The raw food diet is not about perfection, and there are benfits to cooked foods. If you buy some bananas that aren’t organic, do not worry too much. The idea is to create new trends in your life - to create new habits, to lean toward eating more fruit and vegetables and more foods in their raw form. Raw desserts are one way to incorporate whole, raw, and living foods into your life. Raw desserts allow us to have fun and enjoy something tasty while knowing that the foods will help our bodies find balance and improve the overall function of the body. They also make you happy. It's easy to love a beautiful dessert that is kind to the body, mind and planet! Additional Reading: Raw Food - Impact on the Body - Foreo.com 5 Reasons To Choose The Raw Food Diet - LiveFood.eu Granola is about texture, sweetness, and crunch. I like to also add a bit of rainbow color.
Buckwheat, which is in fact another kind of seed, is a lighter ingredient which, when soaked and dehydrated creates "buckwheat crisps." Buckwheat also offers a variety of antioxidants and polyphenols, which make it highly anti-inflammatory. And lastly what you see in the photo, is shredded coconut, followed by the flower petals. The edible flowers transform the granola into reminder to take delight in the little gifts in life, and provides a reminder to love yourself and give yourself opportunities to appreciate these gifts! I don't know about you, but the little girl in me loves the idea of mixing flowers into my food! They don't alter the texture or flavor, and provide a pop of color.
A Lemon Panna Cotta Tart - my first raw tart. Round, yellow, and bright - just waiting for some decor.  This Summer Solstice tart also became my first ever treat made for an event. The creamy, bright, citrus filling fit the occasion. Creating panna cotta as a raw dessert involved using soaked cashews blended into a cream, with some lemon flavor added and some light-colored honey. Cashews are a magical food - their mild flavor and soft texture make them highly versatile. It can be blended into a butter, whipped into a cream, and ground into a flour. Cashews lower blood pressure and decrease bad cholesterol. Your body will love you for eating them. The turmeric used to color this tart has had the flavor compounds removed, leaving only the rich yellow color to enjoy, as well as the curcumin, which reduces inflammation. Add the fiber and antioxidants from the strawberries...and you have a dessert your heart will thank you for, both for it's health benefits and beautiful, happy colors. This tart is a part of Crystal Dawn Culinary's Raw Desserts course.  Lemon Panna Cotta with candied lemon, strawberries, cashew cream and mint. |
Erin Mackley, Raw Desserts Chef - The Raw Un-Baker
AuthorReflections on Nature's gifts 🌿 from Erin's UnBakery, Vegan + Raw Treats ✨ magic✨ + love. A celebration of the delightful & sensual life. Archives
September 2023
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