Simply Raw

Just announcing a special event in Geneva this coming Saturday!

Gourmet Raw Chef and culinary artist Boris Lauser is visiting us here in Switzerland, so if you are looking for new raw sensations in the Geneva area, don’t miss this special dinner. A unique experience that will certainly enhance your passion for a healthy diet and lifestyle!

For more information, download the entire event description, click here.

I am pleased to announce the publishing of a new article about Simply Raw this summer in my town’s newspaper!

The Journal de Morges was indeed interested in my expanding business and we met in my raw kitchen for an afternoon. The result: a “summer profile“, in other words an entire page dedicated to my professional path, in particular to my adventure with raw food. The prospect of raising interest throughout the local population is exciting. It seems like the raw message is travelling fast, planting seeds in people’s minds.

I hope the “Pâté Soleil” (Sunflower Pâté) recipe printed in the article will inspire your summer holiday menus!

To read  the article (in French), click here.

To be credible and objective, the journalist also interviewed a local nutritionist. Once again, it is regrettable that those professionals most people trust can make blunt statements without verifying their facts first.  She declared:  “This diet does not protect or cure people from cancer” (yet what does she now of this diet?).  I can provide several serious articles proving that many people do indeed recover from cancer thanks to raw and living foods. In fact, success stories abound on the net, simply google it and you will see.  Nutritionists who are blind to these facts are harming their clients, they would be wise to seek more information before closing the door on such life-saving information (for example, at the Hippocrates Institute in Florida, where many people have recovered from cancer in the past 40 years).

Don’t forget to follow Simply Raw on Facebook, for regular updates and a collection of photos and videos. To become a Facebook fan, click here. (For the moment, the page only exists in French).

I wish you a wonderful end of summer, enjoy a large amount of fresh and local fruit and vegetables!

I am happy to announce that Brian Clement will be back in Geneva this year for both an evening conference, as in previous years, as well as a full day workshop. This will give people a chance to get up close with Brian and learn all the latest research findings on a healthful lifestyle. This promises to be a fascinating as well as intimate experience as participants are asked to submit their questions in advance. Brian will address these in a structured fashion, providing participants with the feedback they need and want.

Lecture on Wednesday 23 June 2010, 19h30 to 22h: Youthfulness and Longevity

Welcome: A healthy drink will be served as of 18h30 and you will be able to purchase books and products. Venue: Geneva University UNIMAIL, 40 Bvd du Pont d’Arve – Salle M S150. Price:  CHF 30. It is best to sign up here. Language: Dr Clement will speak in English, with simultaneous French translation by Dr Schaller.

Topic: Youthfulness of our mind… of our body and all cells – Longevity
Preventing Aging (disease, malnutrition, pollution) – Enjoying Life without limits
Director of the Hippocrates Health Institute, Dr. Brian Clement will reveal the growing body of evidence from modern research showing why a raw, plant based diet including whole food supplements and exercise can enrich, revitalize and extend our lives.

Workshop on Thursday 24 June 2010, from 9h30 to 17h: Living Food for Life Change

Venue: Le Cénacle, 17 Promenade Charles-Martin, 1208 Geneva (access by car via Route de Malagnou)– Salle 1 – Signing up in advance is required – Price: CHF 100 to be paid in advance. Lunch : Raw Living Food as at Hippocrates Institute from 12h30 to 13h30.

Topic:  Harmonizing Body and Spirit
Don’t miss the opportunity to greatly benefit from Brian’s precious experience and also receive individual answers to your questions. The Life Change Program deals not only with the body but also the mind, emotions and spirit. This workshop will specifically address topics such as reactions when beginning the raw food diet, is this lifestyle for everyone, the impact of spirit and emotions on health, how to optimize the raw food approach, how to best integrate this lifestyle day after day. Prepare your questions and send them in when you sign up.

TO SIGN UP: Both events are organized by Carole Dougoud from the Institut Haute Vitalité. The agenda can be found on the site calendar. For more information, please call Carole: (027) 288 22 52 or send an email. When you sign up, please mention that you have been sent by Amy Webster @ Simply Raw, thank you! And of course, I will be there!

Simply Raw Class in English: Saturday 5 June 2010

The recent survey to find a new date to draw enough participants to an English class was successful and the date has now been set for Saturday 5 June 2010.  I was unable to respond to two persons who voted for that same date, however, as they did not get in touch with me directly: I’d like to ask Marcia and Nicole, if they recognize themselves, to quickly get in touch with me here so I can reserve a seat for them! Thank you to all those who took part in the survey.

For more information on the class, check out this page. There are a few seats left so seize this opportunity to get started with raw and get into great shape for the summer season! There won’t be another introductory class in English for a while, so come and join us for a day of exciting and inspiring learning! Again, sign up using this email. Thank you!

Yes, participants to my classes will tell you, this is an excellent way to discover the wonderful world of raw foods! I will soon announce new dates for classes over the summer and fall. The next Level 3 Class will probably take place in September. So stay tuned!

Here are the next dates for classes in French:

• Simply Raw Level 1, “Introduction”: Saturday 29 May, Tuesday 8 June 2010
• Simply Raw Level 2, “All About Greens”: Tuesday 11 May, Saturday 19 June 2010

To sign up, contact me here, thank you!

Choose Your Own Date for a Class in English!

Classes in English, however, have been more difficult to fill. Surprisingly, the buzz has not started for the English-speaking community in this part of Switzerland. I was only able to teach one group last November. So I have decided to be a little creative and started a survey offering several possible dates for an introductory class in English. If you have been waiting to attend an introduction to raw foods class in English, then this is your chance to find a suitable date! Just visit the survey, enter your name and check out the dates that suit you (Note: this survey was closed on 19 May as a date was found: Saturday 5 June). I am keeping my fingers crossed that a date suitable for many will come out of this initiative. Of course, don’t forget to contact me as well!

New concept: Discovery Evening

I am also pleased to announce that starting September, I will start a new introductory class that is designed to take place in the evening, during the week. This will allow people without a full day to spare to also discover the magic of raw foods and see what it can do for their busy lives. These “Discovery of Raw Foods” classes will take place on a weekday, in the evening, from 5pm to 9pm. They will be a shorter version of my Simply Raw Level 1 Class, with a little less theory and the preparation of evening dishes. Dates for this new class will be announced shortly, so so stay tuned!

In the meantime, I wish you all a vibrant spring season!

Yes, people are talking about it! And it is precisely in a well-known show of the French-speaking Swiss Radio, entitled “On en parle”,  that journalists recently discussed the emergence of a raw food trend in Switzerland. I am thrilled with the result, so listen in if you speak French and find out for yourself. The show lasts around 7 minutes, and is based on a live interview made of me on 19 March 2010, just minutes before I gave a class to a group of new participants. The journalist asked relevant questions that make the show interesting to a wide range of people. If you know anyone who might be interested and understands French, do spread the message and share the link!

The one thing to remember of this show is to please yourself, follow your instincts and avoid any dogma: as you know, such is my philosophy!

Raw Trend

Sandra Zimmerli talks about a food trend of the 21st century: eating raw.

A real lifestyle, not cooking your food is said to provide enhanced energy, better health and would allow getting rid of many ailments and discomforts.

Eating raw is trendy in the USA, and is attracting an increasing number of enthusiasts over here. Health, nutrition and lifestyle magazines are all talking about it. Several raw food restaurants might even be in the pipeline in Western Switzerland. Experts teach classes and organize workshops.

How does eating raw actually work and what kind of people are attracted by this new trend? Interview with Amy Webster, Raw Food Coach in Morges, near Lausanne and not far from Geneva.

To listen, click here: RSR-20100319-la-mode-du-cru

The direct link with the French-speaking Swiss Radio (Radio Suisse Romande): http://www.rsr.ch/la-1ere/on-en-parle/selectedDate/19/03/2010#vendredi

Don’t hesitate to give me your feedback on this show!

Raw Magic without Food Prep: Friday 30th of April 2010, 19h30-21h30, Venue: 30 Rte du Grand Bois, 1000 Lausanne 26, 20 Frs

Kate is so excited about raw foods and superfoods and their potential as vital tools to heal ourselves and our planet. Kate will discuss how to make the raw food diet simple and sustainable, and fit easily into your existing routines. She will talk about the magic that unfolds in your life as you learn to listen to your heart, and eat from a place of deep joy and knowing, rather than eating out of conditioning and habit.

When we detox and align with raw foods, superfoods, and other natural healing tools such as yoga and reiki, we start to come into alignment with the natural energies of the universe, where there is infinite abundance and eternity of miracles ready to greet us.

Kate’s wisdom comes from raising a family of three boys on a raw food diet. She has a wealth of experience in making raw an easy and accessible part of your daily diet that she will share with you.

Raw Magic with Food Prep: Saturday the 1st of May or Sunday the 2nd of May, 11h- 16h, Rte du Grand Bois 30, 1000 Lausanne 26, 160 Frs

Kate is so excited about superfoods and their effects, and will share her passion for and expertise in the planet’s best foods in this workshop. She has been including superfoods in her diet for over two decades and has a wealth of understanding of how these foods work in the body and affect our health and well-being on a holistic level.

Kate will discuss the Raw Magic philosophy: when we tune into our body’s natural intelligence, we align with the universal wisdom. Through detoxing with raw food and superfoods, we rediscover the magic of life, where everything is possible, miracles become a daily reality, and life flows effortlessly. By the law of attraction, the more we vibrate at a pure and joyous level, the more we create a world of harmony and bliss.

We will look in detail at the different superfoods, their nutritional properties and energetic qualities, including maca, cacao, gojis, bee pollen, the algaes and the seaweeds. And we will create and enjoy the finest gourmet raw cuisine, crammed with as many superfoods as we can manage! Kate is enthusiastic about incorporating superfoods into our main meals, so minimising the need for too many sweet treats and snacks. Although we will make those too. Starters, main courses, cakes and sweets, we’ll cover as much as we can. This is cutting edge nutritional teaching, combined with empowering inspiration and wisdom, and utterly amazing food – for your mind, your heart and your body, it’s all in Raw Magic.

Kate (Wood) Magic

Kate is the most experienced raw food promoter in the UK today. She has seventeen years of experience of raw eating, and is raising her three sons on the raw diet. She is the author of ‘Eat Smart, Eat Raw’, the UK’s best selling raw food recipe book; and ‘Raw Living’, a recipe book and guide to the raw lifestyle, both published by Grub Street. Her third book, ‘Raw Magic’, a ground-breaking book of superfood recipes, another UK first, was published by Rawcreation in 2008, to rave reviews.

She is Creative Director of the Raw Living website which offers advice and information on the raw diet, as well as an online shop, and she is the proud parent of the Raw Living range of chocolate bars and cakes. She was the editor of Get Fresh magazine, the world’s most popular raw food magazine, for three years. Her fourth book, “Ecstatic Beings,” co-authored with Shazzie, has just been published, and she also has a fifth book coming out in 2010, “88 – the untold story of a revolution.”

To follow Kate’s adventures, go towww.katesmagicbubble.com

To visit her website with recipes, articles and online shop: www.rawliving.eu

Price for both classes (Friday evening + Saturday OR Sunday): 170 Frs. The class will be simultaneously translated into French by Karin Roten.

To sign up: contact Karin Roten at karin@thefreechild.com or call 079 634 07 01.
For more information about Karin Roten, read this past article.

This is the title of my very first raw recipe e-book, which will be launched next week in French and available for purchase in English on this blog in a few weeks! In this holiday season, I chose the subject of chocolate because we all seek to add more sweetness to our lives. Finding out that sweets are not only delicious, but can be really magical as well as healthy is sure to appeal to many people so stay tuned!

Would you like to make your own truffles, pralines and chocolate candy very easily and with only high quality ingredients? You will thus be able to enjoy the sweet treats without the guilt, as well as share them and give them to your friends and family during the holiday season. The e-book will offer more than a dozen quick and easy recipes, including macaroons, cookies and chocolate custard. All the recipes are prepared with raw cacao (a superfood which is to be consumed in moderation) and contain no gluten, no dairy (no butter, no cream, no milk!) as well as no sugar. This may sound unbelievable, but it’s true. It’s what I call the magic of raw food. Only pure and non-transformed ingredients are used, ingredients which are readily available. So don’t hesitate and come discover these magical recipes on my blog in a few weeks’ time!

I chose to start with chocolate, because it is a lovely way to introduce raw food to those who love to eat — I am one of those folks! A great way to discover that you can prepare your own sweet treats at home and enjoy the true flavors of natural and high quality products. But don’t overindulge and remember that the basis of a healthy diet is essentially fresh fruit and vegetables. After the holiday, we will be sure to come back to this basis, I promise. But in the meantime, let’s indulge and create the magic!

Dates for Simply Raw Classes in 2010

The new dates for raw food classes in 2010 are now available. Don’t wait to sign up as these classes fill up quickly and there is a limited number of seats. There will be several classes offered in French, and one in English:

- Simply Raw, Level 1, Introduction to Raw Food: Saturday 24 April 2010

I also have a group of people who have signed up on a waiting list for a Simply Raw, Level 2, All About Green, class - so if you would like to join this list, let me know. As soon as six people have confirmed interest, we will set up a date in early 2010. Contact me here.

This being said, let’s indulge in all the candle lighting, warm firplaces and other means to warm our homes and create a magical atmosphere to please our souls and lift our emotions! Let’s not forget that food often serves to fill our emotional needs. By just becoming aware of this, we can choose to find other ways to have fun and enjoy ourselves without having to resort to the kind of food that does not suit us or make us feel 100%. Who would want less than that?

Today, I would like to share with you a quick and delicious way to warm up at all levels with a spicy miso soup that will stimulate all our senses and easily fulfill all our needs for greater warmth.

Miso Soup

Ingredients for 1-2 servings
 - 2.5 cups of pure water
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon tamari or shoyu
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced
- a small piece of ginger, grated
- 1/2 carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 thinly sliced mushroom
- 1 spring onion or piece of leak, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

How to proceed:
Mix the miso and spices in the water and gently warm in a saucepan on the lowest stove temperature. Keep checking with your finger that the temperature remains low. Add the parsley and chopped veggies. Serve immediately or leave for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to mingle before enjoying.

Next Classes at “Simply Raw”
The last several months have been very busy with a series of classes and this rhythm continues until year end. The next introductory level class in English is taking place on Saturday 14 November in Morges, there are a few seats still available so let me know quickly if you are interested by contacting me here. The following class in English is not planned until next spring so seize this opportunity to get started with raw food and begin to enjoy the many health benefits of this way of eating.

Books on Raw Food
For anyone interested in reading about raw food, you will find numerous books on Amazon, in fact so many it may be difficult to choose. I have made a few suggestions here on the right hand column, just scroll down and you will find links to buy these books which are my very favorite. In my upcoming website I will provide more information on each of these.

I am thrilled to inform you that an article was published today in the Swiss magazine l’Illustré on Simply Raw. This article comes at an opportune time during this very hot (in Switzerland) summer season as there is nothing lighter or more appealing than fresh raw dishes in this type of weather! Moreover, this article is superbly laid out, eye catching and positive, it will serve to spread the raw message to a wider audience. Indeed, l’Illustré is without any doubt the most popular and most read general public magazine in the French speaking part of Switzerland, so in other words the perfect medium to spread this universal message!

I appreciate this article all the more as the journalist and photographer together managed to grasp the energy of raw with lightness and freshness, making the concept appealing to all. They also kept to my own message and personality, for which I am grateful. In just a few hours I have received some positive return, which is likely to increase in the coming days — a highly welcome boost to my project! I seize this time of celebration to thank Céline Fossati and Julie de Tribolet for a job well done. I particularly want to thank all of my supporters, readers, subscribers and Simply Raw class participants, whose support and enthusiasm is very precious to me.

To read this article (which is in French) or to print it, click here: L’Illustré du 19 aôut 2009

Next Class this coming Saturday 22 August

The Simply Raw Level 2 Class ”All About Greens” which is taking place this coming Saturday 22 August all day is also very opportune as green leafy vegetables are particularly abundant in this season.

Come and learn how to enjoy greens in all forms and shapes, i.e. juices, smoothies, sprouts, salads… for enhanced wellness and unlimited energy. There are two seats left on this class, so don’t wait too long to seize them, as the next Level 2 Class will not take place before end of October.  Let’s make plenty of space for GREENS at this time of new beginnings!

Trays of wheatgrass are now available in Switzerland at Manor supermarkets. Participants who took part in my class “Simply Raw – Level 2 – All About Green” already know about this, because we had the pleasure of tasting freshly extracted wheatgrass juice during the class, and I had ordered and bought the wheatgrass at Manor. I seize the opportunity of a recent message from Carole Dougoud of the Institut Haute Vitalité to further spread the following news.

“After many months of efforts, the Manor supermarkets are selling wheatgrass trays beginning in June. This is excellent news for all who appreciate and drink wheatgrass juice. The Manor stores need help in getting this product better known to secure enough sales and ensure continued supply. The aim is to have as many people as possible aware that wheatgrass is now available at Manor. You can also order and pick up your trays 48 hours later.

To promote this, activities on the point of sale are organized as follows, from 9.30am to noon and 3.30 to 6.30pm in each of the following locations: in Geneva and Marin on Friday 5 June, in Vevey on Saturday 6 June, in Monthey on Saturday 13 June, in Basel on Friday 19 June, in Lugano and Emmen on Saturday 20 June, in Sierre on Friday 26 June and in Sion on Friday 27 June. Please pass along this information to those who might be interested so they can join the promotional activities, taste the juice and buy wheatgrass.

The tray comes with information printed on the handle. There are two lengths of grass, medium and high. The medium height grass allows you to keep it several days so it continues growing to full height, while the high grass is ready to cut and juice. The price is 4,90 francs per tray of 100 to 150g which will yield 10 to 15 cl of juice (namely 3 to 5 ounces).”

I take this opportunity to announce that Carole Dougoud has just launched a new blog dedicated to wheatgrass juice, in French (there are many others in English, just search on Google!), which is called www.jus-vert.com, in order to answer the many questions people have and provide tips and recipes. It is just the beginning but I recommend you check it out. It is a wonderful initiative, congratulations to Carole! Let’s hope this news will bring more health and energy to our beautiful Switzerland!

The main benefits of wheatgrass juice

Wheatgrass juice is a very potent drink that is highly beneficial for our health thanks to its amazing cleansing, detoxifying and healing properties. It contains 92 of the 102 essential minerals, a wide array of vitamins A, B, C and E and minerals (calcium, iron, phosphorus and magnesium), and 20 amino acids including the 8 essential ones which the body cannot manufacture. Clearly, wheatgrass juice is a perfect source of protein! Wheatgrass juice is composed of 70% chlorophyll, a substance that is very similar to human hemoglobin which brings oxygen to our blood, hence its nickname of green blood. To be consumed without delay if you want to cure or prevent a number of civilization diseases. In the USA, many juice bars serve this juice that features a very characteristic taste (!) and fabulous properties that too few people are aware of.

Brian Clement in Switzerland

Another excellent piece of news from the Institut Haute Vitalité for those of us living in Switzerland: Dr Brian Clement is coming again to Geneva! The Director of the Hippocrates Institute in Florida and one of the leaders of Living Food will give a speech on Wednesday 8 July 2009 from 7 to 10 pm on the theme of longevity: the youthfulness of our spirit, body and all our cells, or how to prevent the ageing of our cells (age, disease, malnutrition, modern pollution) and enjoy life without limits.

The conference will be held in English with simultaneous translation into French by Dr Tal Schaller. It will take place at the University of Geneva, UNIMAIL, 40 Bvd du Pont d’Arve. The conference last year was fascinating, you can read more about it here. I am a great admirer of Dr Brian Clement who is a fantastic speaker and whose knowledge in the fields of health and nutrition is immense. Don’t miss this great opportunity to see him live! For more information on July 8 and to sign up, click here. If anyone wishes to join me, contact me here!