The Cost of Raw Organic Food

I get many questions asked to me about the cost of a raw diet so I thought that I would just address that issue today. The cost of organic food can seem high in contrast to non-organic produce and in reality it can be about 30% more than conventionally gown produce. Also a really raw olive oil is more expensive than off the shelf cold-pressed olive oils that are in fact heated up to filter them. In this lifestyle you do have to learn about how your food is produced. Another issue is that eating real un-processed raw food is more expensive, or so it looks, because you are not buying cheap flour, corn, bad veggie oils and high fructose corn syrup or sugar.
OK, here is my big “but”. I have medical insurance that of course I pay for but my co-pays are 15.00 a visit so you can tack one of those on a month because of medication checks and also 10.00 worth of gas to get there from where I live. Add on to that prescription drugs at 15.00 for each so that was at least 60.00 a month. Also, SAD eaters tend to buy a lot of junk food and restaurant food and that can add up to even more than the medical costs. I also do not use any supplements because I believe they are actually unnatural and counter productive to health so I don’t spend the huge amount of money for these that some people do. For some reason when people estimate their food costs they seem to leave out these huge costs. I guess that they just do not see that what you eat today builds your health for tomorrow either positively or negatively and that is going to impact their bank balance.
Now let’s talk about the cost of food preparation. Both SAD eaters and raw foodists need a very sharp knife so we will not count that. I have bought a 210.00 food dehydrator because I wanted something crispy for a change once in awhile and you do need to make your own dried fruit (even raisins) because the ones in the store are not really raw. On the property I live on I have a number of fruit trees so I went for the larger model so I would have the room when harvest came in and when certain things are in season locally. I also plan on springing for a 350.00 high speed blender. Raw foodists use them because they are not really just a better blender but a whole different kitchen tool. It is like comparing a Honda to a John Deer tractor. They both have four wheels and are called a vehicle but they are used for different things. With a high speed blender you can make raw nut and seed butters (to buy them is just too pricey for many) and do a variety of raw soups and green smoothies which many raw foodists use to pleasantly take in lots of raw greens. If you look at it though in reality a range is much more expensive than this but it can be an issue for people because usually people already own a range. If you do buy the dehydrator and high speed blender and don’t stick with this lifestyle you will find that they have a good resale value unlike some things.
To sum it up, with the saving I enjoy not spending my money on medical issues, junk snack foods and restaurants; I think I am way ahead on the food purchases for my lifestyle. As far as the kitchen equipment, you can do the math, it is much less expensive and I won’t even add the power issue.

Here is a few sites that could be helpful to you raw food newbies.
http://www.rawschool.com/basics.htm
Here is a place to get some rawsome organic really raw olive oil (cold pressed is heated for filtering).
http://www.barianioliveoil.com/index.php

Don't Hurt Yourselves!

I have been observing something lately that is just bugging me so I though that I would get it off my chest. While watching Youtube videos I see everyday people using the dullest knives I have every seen. For example, when you place your knife on whatever you are cutting and if that knife does not grab it and just sail through with little pressure, that knife is way too dull. This is a dangerous thing to do. If I did that I know I could seriously cause a bad cut and I have seen many people have this happen. They push down hard and the knife slips and cuts them. No wonder people don’t enjoy preparing food, with cutting being such a chore and all. A sharp knife will leave your food much more attractive also. My recommendation is, pay the money and get a handy-dandy electric sharpener or go to the sportsman’s section of a large store and get a $5 hand held knife sharpener and use it often. A good chef’s knife can be up to $100 but I have seen decent one’s on sale for $10. I would rather pay $10 and get a cheap chef’s knife and sharpen often, than have an expensive knife that is never sharpened. Oh, and never fall for the serrated “never needs sharpening” knives that I have seen on TV. Serrated edged knives are for meat, never veggies or fruit and they do not stay sharpened. I actually saw someone trying to use a steak knife to cut a carrot (it was painful to watch). I was appalled and had to speak up! With a sharp knife and a meditative spirit, all that cutting can actually be therapeutic.