Raw Food Recipes Can Be Adapted

FujiwaraThe dishes today look delicious. What is this on top of the cucumber?

FukuokaThis is "Walnut Miso with Cucumber." I made a miso paste. It's very simple, just mixing miso with crushed walnuts. For the "Green Vegetables and Cauliflower with White Dressing," I used Japanese parsley and cauliflower with a few cashews. The base is sesame. And for the "Cauliflower with Paprika Sauce and Caesar Salad," I dressed the cauliflower with a sauce made from yellow paprika and almond milk. For the overall dressing, I used cabbage enzyme water (rejuvelac).

FujiwaraHow do you make the dressing with cabbage enzyme water?

FukuokaI mix almond milk, cabbage enzyme water, lemon, salt, and black pepper.

FujiwaraRaw food cuisine is truly fascinating.

──A basic question, but won't consuming too many raw foods cool the body and lower metabolism?

FukuokaI think it depends on the season. Eating only cold foods in the dead of winter might make you feel cold. It also depends on your constitution. However, eating seasonal ingredients makes you less prone to feeling cold. For example, apples, which are in season in winter, are fruits that help keep the body warm, and root vegetables also warm the body. Conversely, watermelon, eaten in summer, cools the body. If you incorporate seasonal produce, you won't feel overly cold.

FujiwaraI've heard that once the body gets used to raw food, even in winter, your fingertips become warm.

FukuokaThat would be if you were eating 100% raw food, yes. However, I don't think it's practical in Japan's climate and living environment, or for a normal lifestyle.

FujiwaraSo, if you eat 100% raw food, you won't feel cold! But it's difficult when you have a family, as you can't force them. I, for one, when I eat meat when dining out, I always start with a salad before eating the meat.

FukuokaThat's a good approach. Also, varying your intake depending on the time of day is beneficial. For instance, incorporating raw food in the morning and starting your lunch and dinner with raw items.

FujiwaraWhen I can eat lunch at home, I make it 100% raw food, and for dinner, I aim for about half and half.

FukuokaIt's good to skillfully manage the timing and order of your meals.





──For those trying raw food for the first time, where should they start?

FukuokaI think simply changing your breakfast to fruits and vegetables is a good start.

FujiwaraI also felt significant changes just by having a fruit smoothie for breakfast.

FukuokaAs the weather gets warmer, it's a good time to start. It's best to drink it first thing in the morning. Also, smoothies separate and oxidize over time, so drink them immediately after making them.

FujiwaraI prefer thinner ones, so I often drink citrus-based ones. Watermelon is also very delicious right now.

FukuokaYes, with watermelon and melon, it's best to have them alone if possible! They digest quickly, so it's better not to mix them with leafy greens or other fruits.

FujiwaraI see, it's good to know these basics. Nowadays, some people put all sorts of things in their smoothies, not just fruits and vegetables? They add everything that's said to be effective, like supplements.

FukuokaI don't really recommend that.

FujiwaraThey put in prunes, kinako, and maybe ten or more ingredients together. Then the digestive enzymes are all different, and it's too much of an arrangement. I suppose this happens when people don't know the fundamental basics.

FukuokaExactly. It's important to understand the basics to some extent before arranging them. Raw food isn't difficult, so once you get the hang of it, you'll be fine. Starting with about two types of fruit is just right.

To Enjoy Raw Food, Listen Closely to Your Body

FujiwaraI wonder if getting too absorbed in it is also not ideal.

FukuokaThat's true. Getting too absorbed after experiencing dramatic changes isn't good either. When I see people like that, I feel I need to advise them to moderate.

FujiwaraIt's about balance, isn't it? Is it possible to gradually get the body accustomed to raw food?





FukuokaIf you're completely new to it, I think a concentrated period of two to three days will help you notice the difference. First, it's about eliminating waste from the body, detoxifying. For those who usually eat a regular diet, doing it intensively will make them aware of bodily changes. Once you feel 'something has changed,' you can then try changing just your breakfast. If you start according to your own balance, you'll gradually come to understand what suits your body. Michiko, listening to you, you seem to know well what suits you and what doesn't. What was the trigger for you?

FujiwaraWhen I eat something, I feel a heaviness in my stomach, or that it just doesn't sit well. Green smoothies are popular, but most people mix fruit with the greens, right? But I felt a heaviness in my stomach when I mixed leaves with fruit. Also, I thought it tasted better with just fruit or just greens.

FukuokaYou can't understand that unless your body becomes sensitive to it, can you? I sometimes wonder how to convey that.

FujiwaraThe other day, Junko told me that if I feel a heaviness, it means my stomach is weak, and I felt relieved with the clear understanding that 'then I don't have to force myself to eat it!' Everyone is different, and it's something you have to discover for yourself.

FukuokaThat's right. Listening to your body is the most important thing. Blindly continuing to eat something just because it's recommended isn't the right approach either. That's crucial.

FujiwaraFor example, people who eat a lot of junk food might have a dulled sense of listening to their bodies, so perhaps starting gradually is best. Are there things that don't suit you, Junko?

FukuokaYes, there are several. One is that my kidneys aren't very strong, so I'm careful with fruit sugars.

FujiwaraSo, if something feels off, it's right to pay attention to your body's signals.

FukuokaAbsolutely. Believing that your body's signals are correct is the first step.

FujiwaraI'll attend your class again.

FukuokaPlease do, we'll be waiting.

Click here for the first part of Michiko Fujiwara and Junko Fukuoka's "Raw Food Suited for Japanese People" conversation.