A column devoted to informative integrative health resources on the Internet

Raw Food Cuisine — Part 2

In Part 1 of my Web Page Potpourri column on raw foods (June #251) I included resources for finding books, recipes, potlucks, and people. In Part 2, I'll share web pages that will connect you to local produce, along with raw-related listservs, magazines, health retreats, restaurants, and delivery services. In keeping with the theme of this issue, I've also included some helpful raw food resources related to bowel troubles.

Local Harvest
http://www.localharvest.org/
Raw food cuisine depends on fresh and ripe produce. This interactive map-based site can help you to find local farms, farmer's markets, restaurants and food cooperatives.

About Produce
http://www.aboutproduce.com/produceaz/commodity_search.asp
Aboutproduce.com is a collaboration of the Produce Marketing Association and the Produce for Better Health Foundation. The URL above displays availability of produce by source country, tips on selection and storage, FDA-approved health claims, and recipes. It's a good site, but a bit overly-friendly to genetic engineering and pesticide use. In their FAQ they say things like "Although minuscule amounts of pesticide residues may, in fact, remain, credible scientific evidence indicates they represent no risk." At some point I think I'll devote a whole column to web resources evaluating pesticide safety and risk.

Fresh Produce and Floral Council
http://www.fpfc.org/
This California-based site features a nice concise Fresh Facts newsletter, and adorable pictures of kids' art and games taken at the Produce Olympics.

Listservs
http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=raw+food
http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=live+food
http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=living+food
http://groups.msn.com/search
Listservs are communities linked by email. There are countless raw food (and "live food," "living food") listservs. They can be fabulous resources; they can also be a time drain, if you're not careful. For those new to listservs, I recommend searching the web for "listserv netiquette" to help navigate the art of etiquette online. I actually started a raw listserv: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shazziefans/. We are a lovely group including members from the US, UK, Canada, Belgium, France, and Germany. We're inspired by Shazzie, a beautiful Brit with a flair for raw food; we're a little abashed to be part of a "fan club," but happy to know one another, and to share our stories and our recipes.

Magazines
http://www.justeatanapple.com/
http://www.livingnutrition.com/
These two magazines are terrific.

Raw Restaurants
http://www.raw-pleasure.com/directory/directory_index.htm
This site was designed in Flash, so is unfortunately not disability-accessible. Even for those who are not vision-impaired, it would be nice if the restaurant listings allowed selectable text, for copying the address into a mapping site, or the name into an email. Those caveats aside, this is a rich international resource. (Townsend Letter readers can refer to the August/September 2003 edition of this column for information on how to make your website accessible to the blind.)

Delivery Services
http://www.diamondorganic.com/
http://doortodoororganics.com/
http://www.rawfood.com/
http://naturalzing.com/
http://urbanorganic.net/
http://www.planetorganics.com/
http://www.glaserorganicfarms.com/
http://www.sproutpeople.com/
http://www.rawvolution.com/
http://www.living-foods.com/resources/organic.html
A few years ago it took hours of searching online before I found someone who could deliver organic food. Now such sites abound! The selection above is just a start. Diamond Organics has some of the best produce I've ever tasted, and a visually stunning catalog. Door-to-door Organics costs a little less and offers weekly delivery. The Sprout People know about growing sprouts! Rawvolution actually ships prepared raw cuisine. (Not cheap, but very, very delicious.) Perhaps your supermarket doesn't stock organic produce? Now it's easy to take your business elsewhere.

Raw Radio Online
http://www.kuow.org/HumanCondition_020815.asp
http://www.tanglewoodwellnesscenter.com/articles/
http://www.thegardendiet.com/rawradio/
http://www.hacres.com/radio1.asp
http://www.wpfw.org/ (Thursdays, at 3 pm)
For your listening pleasure. Audio formats include Real, Flash, and MP3.

Health Centers and Retreats
http://www.living-foods.com/resources/health.html
http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/directories/dir_rawlifecenters.html
http://www.davidwolfe.com/links/retreats.shtml
http://www.rawfoodwiki.org/index.php/Facilities
A raw food retreat will benefit those who are chronically ill, as well as those who just need a vacation. I love to be where food is prepared by expert chefs, where the air is clean, and the sun is shining. Last year I did a work-trade for a week, washing dishes in exchange for the stay. Try one of these places: You'll inspire your taste buds, learn something new, meet energetic people, lose weight (if you're overweight) and feel great.

Colitis and Crohn's Health Recovery Service
http://www.colitis-crohns.com/testimonials.html
http://www.colitis-crohns.com/publications.html#ln
Conventional medical practitioners often recommend that patients with irritable bowel disorders avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables. These testimonials attest to the value of the opposite approach. This site is essential reading for anyone experiencing irritable bowel problems.

Mucoid Plaque
http://www.shazzie.com/raw/articles/mucoid.shtml
http://www.shazzie.com/raw/articles/colonic.shtml
http://www.freshfoodlife.com/health.htm
http://www.naturalhealthway.com/ejuva/mucoid/mucoid.html
Lovely pictures! (That is, if you don't mind pictures of intestinal mucoid plaques. Some say there's no such thing. Others have photographs.) A bit of a mystery as to what all that gook is.

Intestinal Problems
http://www.therapies.com/pic/colondiseased.jpg
One picture shows 14 problems.

Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF)
Bones and Raw Food (BARF)
http://www.barfworld.com/
http://www.bluegrace.com/barf.html
http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm
http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/Science/Biology/Animals/Mammals/Dogs/Diet_and_Nutrition
Raw food is good for you, and good for your pet, too.

Marjorie Roswell is a web developer at a health policy organization in Baltimore.

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