RAW CHEF WENDY SAYS, 'I DEPLORE OIL!'

Hello there, raw fans,

Day 6 of my return to a raw diet is almost over and it was a very nice and raw one!

We started out the day back at the Wellness Expo for day 2. I was not working the Expo today, but we were passing it on our way to Lancaster, so why not???

I had to go back for one of Chef Wendy's Buddah Bowls, a raw vegan curry vegetable "stew" over cabbage. Mmmmmm!

Here's Chef Wendy catering an event! To visit her supper club in Hereford, PA, check out The Honey Underground on facebook. You can always request a raw vegan meal that is SURE TO PLEASE!

My Buddah bowl was more delicious the 2nd day - I sensed the zucchini chunks had been marinated in something fennelish, then there was a tomato sauce, and some kind of a seed or nut puree' on top of the shredded cabbage, and the cabbage was yellow, seasoned with turmeric and more curry spices, and everything was topped with a light dusting of coconut flakes. The entire dish was remarkable for it's many exotic spices and it's lack of heaviness. I'd said to raw chef, Wendy, http://www.balasia.net/, at the Expo yesterday, "It's so FLAVORFUL, but so LIGHT, it's not GREASY..." She came over from her vendor table to interject. "Greasy? Why would it be GREASY? I deplore oil!" she declaimed.

Oils, she explained, make her skin break out and make her feel horrible, so she keeps them out of her raw food as much as possible. And with all of the many flavors and spices and sauces and differing veggie textures, chunks & shreds, you don't even MISS it.

"I deplore oil," she said. They really seared me, those words.

"I deplore oil....."

Wendy said: "People come to me all the time and ask, 'How can i lose weight on raw?'' I tell them, 'One: Cut out oil, and Two: cut out nuts. Point blank. Just those two things. And the weight falls OFF."

I had to admit, i'd come to the VERY SAME conclusion myself, noting that at OHI we never had oils at all, and were never served nuts. The only time I had these two foods were when I went out for raw gourmet.

Wendy herself is naturally very very thin and very, very lean, but she does not shun all raw fat like some adherants to 811. Rather than oils, she uses avocado and seeds and coconut in her preparations. And obviously freely uses spices, herbs, salt, peppers to create her unique style of asian fusion world cuisine. With all of that flavor going on, believe me, you're not missing ANYTHING.

In her colorful passionate way, she pointed out, "Do you know how many heads of corn it takes to make 1 tbsp of corn oil? 18! Who could eat that many heads of corn? NO ONE! Oil is the MOST concentrated form of calories on the planet. WHY would you want to be eating it?"

I had to admit, with her lean body a real polar opposite to my fat one, the lightness of her raw food and her passionate stance against oil, this encounter with Chef Wendy rocked me. Her message of NO OIL is seared into my brain.

I get it. I get it, God! It's like the universe is sending me a confirmation that I am now on track.

What i like about Wendy's food, too, is that she freely uses VEGGIES....and spices and salt! 811ers who are FRUIT-ORIENTED and deplore spices and salt, would not enjoy her food, and that's OK! More for me!

What's more, it's not only exciting and vibrant and colorful and exotic and filling....it's LOW CAL! For an obese person like me to be filling herself up on deliciously exotically seasoned low cal veggies, to actually be getting FULL....but not really to be taking in many calories.....? AMAZING.

This is one BIG BIG clue on the eternal mystery of how to lose weight on raw. Ladies, THAT'S how you do it! NO OIL!

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MY RAW DAY
Cliff and I each had a delicious minty green smoothie from Arnold's booth when we first got to the Expo. Cliff couldn't get over how delicious it was, asking what was in it.

MINTY GREEN SMOOTHIE: Just fresh mint leaves, organic banana, collards, ice, water. That's it!

I enjoyed my Buddah bowl for lunch and another serving of Wendy's amazing Carrot Hummus - so good and also oil free, made with raw tahini.

We took a leisurely drive in the country and we started to get hungry. We shared a serving of Chia candies Wendy had made. So good! Lemony sweet treat squares made with lemon rind, sesame seeds, chia seeds, dates & coconut. Mmm!

Cliff wanted a cooked lunch, so we stopped at a roadside diner. Watching him eat didn't bother me again today. I am blessed today with a lifting of my food compulsion. Instead of focusing on food, I be-bopped to the music playing in the dining room as he ate, as if i didn't have a care in the world. The music was great!

Later in the afternoon, we stopped by a great Pheonixville spot, "Strawberry Fields Juice & Smoothie Bar," for a gorilla size raw vegan frozen banana whip with strawberries on top, yummo! This is how you make a banana whip. And this is the website for Strawberry Fields! http://www.strawberryfields.com/

Later at home, I enjoyed a nori sheet wrapped around 2 of the raw veggie burgers I'd made earlier in the week, with spring mix in there. It was good and a surprisingly small amount was enough...and no oil!

With some soaking sunflower seeds, i made a raw ranch dressing I'll enjoy tomorrow: soaked sunflower seeds, garlic, onion, lemon juice, raw vinegar, himalayan salt, agave, dillweed, water. Yummy and....(drum roll)....no oil!

For dessert, I enjoyed a cake pod from Linda Louise! http://www.lindalouise.org/ Tiny and packed with flavor. What a GREAT treat because of it's small size but big satisfaction!

I'm happy to be here with you. Writing is fun and it's less calories than eating, and if it helps someone, then i've not only had a great day, you've gotten something from it, too!!

xoxo michelle joy