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Anyone shivering in Canada?

Sometimes I think it would be so much easier to eat raw vegan if I lived in say…Peru? Hawaii? The winter veggies are not always so great here.

I’d like to know how other Canadians cope with winter…the cold (and staying warm), the lousy produce, the overwhelming urge to eat hot, starchy foods (just like mom used to serve up)...

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Comments

  • Hi Hollis,

    It’s nice to chat with someone close to home (I’m in downtown Toronto, work at York University)!

    I find a cup of herbal tea warms me up, especially on cold mornings such as today.

    I agree…the produce is pretty bad, but I find T&T supermarkets have a good selection at good prices as well. Not organic, but in the Great White North we have to make do sometimes!

    Two days ago, I could have killed someone for a veggie taco, but it has passed, and I’m back to my salads…

  • Hi, Hollis!

    This is my first winter being raw in Calgary. So far so good – wish me luck… A cup of the Yogi Clasic Indian Spice tea really warms my heart and soul… With a drop of agave nectar it is simply heaven… Also sometimes I put a little bit of raw almond milk in it… It is better than any latte/americano misto in the world… As for the produce – I shop at Planet Organic – they have stores in Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and Halifax. The manager has been so accomodating. Anything my little heart desires he has supplied for me… I am so spoiled. And here is another tip – any time you crave something hot, put your raw meal in a warm plate – right out of the dishwasher… This trick really fools my brain to think that I am eating real steaming hot but toxic pasta when I am actually eating the freshest and the best zucchini pasta ever… Good luck with everything! And do not feel bad if you fall off the wagon… Eventually your body will adjust and after eating SAD food you will feel no satisfaction… Also, see if in your area there is a raw food club/support group/thing. I am sure that you are not the only one experimenting with this lifestyle… Just remember this is your choice and it is not a punishment…Let your body guide you – your body knows best…

    Stay warm!

  • Hello Hollis!

    I am having a similar experience up in Northern Vermont... quite close to Canada, actually.
    I too have been sipping much much tea, but I also read that eating a few soaked almonds
    really warms the body up. Some people have sworn by it. I also notice that I feel especially cold in the evenings. I have been eating salads for
    dinner, but just tonight I made raw enchilada... amazing!! It was pretty much ground frozen
    corn, orange juice, flaxseed... made into a paste, then dehydrated into a tortilla. I filled
    it with veggies that I had marinating in olive oil and garlic, and it was scrumptious! It was
    so similar to a warm dinner, and it was so hearty, that I actually feel much warmer than after a salad. Finally, I hear that after being raw for a while, our bodies will adjust... hope its true!!! Good luck!
  • Tinkerbelly: T&T rocks! Unfortunately it’s a bit of a trek to get to the one that’s closest to me, but when I do go, I usually make a point of stocking up on kimchi! MMMM! As far as selection goes, they have an awesome produce section!

    planetorganic: I like the “hot plate” idea…I’m going to give that one a try ;)

    Marysia: You know, I’ve actually been craving soaked almonds…now I know why! I just soaked them for the sake of rehydrating them initially…but then I started to really enjoy the new texture. Do you have specifics on the recipe for the raw tortillas? I would really like to try that one out!

  • elizabethhelizabethh Raw Newbie

    i’m in the same boat. personally, and i know this is really weird, but i haven’t had a single hot food craving, and i’m in one of the coldest regions of canada. i think its due to my doing yoga every moring, it really keeps the body temperature up. also, i’ve been eating much more greens, and many more nuts.
    i would recommend a good cardio session each day, it really helps.
    stay warm!

  • Why is my font so ugly? :(... Anyways, Hollis, that is funny that you’ve been
    craving soaked almonds!! Funny how our bodies always know… As for the raw
    tortillas, I am making more right now and then I’ll take a picture when I eat them
    tonight and I’ll post it either tonight or tomorrow morning. I got them from Alissa
    Cohen’s book “Living on Live food”

    Elizabeth & Hollis: Yes, yoga does help keep that blood moving! I also have had no
    cravings for cooked food which makes me sooooo happy! Another thing I do when I am
    feeling chilly is I take a HOT bath…. glorious! I put a cup of Epson salts- b/c
    its supposed to really help detox the body, and therefore it eases detox symptoms.

  • My font is not ugly anymore! Yay! :)

  • I am in Minnesota, and it’s -11 (not including the windchill) right now. I like to keep hot herbal tea in my lap and curl up next to the radiator. I haven’t been doing much for salads but have been doing green smoothies—and that’s just a phase that always happens, I don’t think it’s because of the cold. So it’s been alright. I think exercise is more important, doing yoga and bodyweight exercises to keep the muscles producing heat.

  • I totally agree. I get so cold easily lately, due to winter. Elizabethh, it’s true I love it when I do excersises because they warm me up so nicely and then I’m craving a cold shake or drink. I love that feeling!
    Tea does help, but what I love when I’m really cold and craving comfort food is a nice dehydrated dish, so I agree with you Marysia!! Yummsies.

     

  • Wow! You’re all pretty inspiring! I am in Montreal and I have fell off the bandwagon big time lately. I was eating raw but I ate way too much nuts and fat and didn’t feel pretty good. The green smoothies didn’t help me control my cravings. I felt obsessed with food constantly so I gave in to cook food. Sorry if I’m whining, this is hard! Waaaaah!

  • Nezumi, you made me smile! Keep it up the raw, girl! And even if you’re not eating completely raw, when you do eat cooked try to eat whole foods (brown rice and brown bread, baked potatoes,ect.) It’s better to eat 50-75% raw than all raw and than all junk and switch back and forth. I know, because I have done that in the past. I’ve learned now, hopefully. ;0)

  • Marysia: I can’t wait to see how exactly you make those…it looks so simple and yet so tasty…also, it’s something I can share with my celiac friend which I know she’ll enjoy. Also, Yoga…you know, I love to do it, but for some reason it’s been so hard to incorporate into my morning routine for some reason. Between getting my little ones ready for school and moving my groggy butt around, sometimes just making my morning smoothie is an accomplishment. You’re so right about the Yoga though, and I promise to keep trying to squeeze in there. Hopefully sticking to the raw regimen will help with the getting up in the morning thing! BTW, I did have a good soak in the tub this morning and it felt SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! ;)

    Elizabethh: Great advice. I really need to get back to my sun salutations!

    Sky Princess: I have yet to use my dehydrator for something other than cookies ;)...are there any recipes you could recommend for taking the chill off?

    Nezumi: I feel for you…I baked a loaf of bread last week because I was seriously craving fresh, hot bread…boy did I regret that…it’s like glue inside my body! (sorry!) I’m determined to resist the processed wheat foods… if I can just make it through the weekend, I’m figure I’m doing well….baby steps. If I make it through the weekend, I’ll go for a whole week! (I’m hoping it’ll get easier after that.) I’m so tired of the food sensitivities and the cravings…I’m ready to move up in the world.

  • Thanks for the encouragement Sky Princess! I’m trying to find that balance that will make me feel good during transition.
    I have to try the epsom salt bath.
    I know I’ll make it to 100% but like Hollis said, baby steps!
    To help, I’ve made myself a chai tea with almond milk, yum! And I had this for lunch (but I added cooked chickpeas)
    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/2048-Pumpkin-Curry
    Sooooo much better than the cook stuff and warming

  • I live in New Hampshire and have been struggling with the desire to eat warm foods this winter also (especially while watching other members of the family do so). I find adding ginger to carrot juice and vegie dips helps a lot for warming up. You can also add 1/2 c. ginger to your bath and see if your circulation doesn’t get going then. I have resolved several times to eat some hot roasted thing or another to help warm myself up but find that procrastinating really comes in handy. By the time I get around to cooking something I eat a bunch of raw things and am full and no longer desirous of the cooked thing.

  • alpdesignsalpdesigns Raw Newbie

    My accupuncturist believes we should drink warm water with lemon every morning. He said we need some warming liquids, not hot, when it gets cold. I used to drink herbal teas, but I quit doing that for some reason. I’m shivering in Texas. It might be time to start up again!

  • I live in Trondheim Norway, there’s no doubt of cold here. What I do to warm up is put cayenne pepper in my dishes and they tend to be a bit richer in fats and protein this time of the year than in warmer months. If I crave something warm I’ll eat something savoury and try to add a good amount of warming foods like ginger, garlic, cayenne or other hot pepper/spices, cinnamon. I’m not sure if clove is raw or not but I add that too. A warm drink is excellent if I’m feeling cold in my body.

  • Plumeseed, you’re norwegian! So am I! Hei :D Funny :)

  • Hey there, I’m in Belfast, Nth Ireland….. I’ve been feeling cold lately also….It’s not as cold as Canada but it is nealy always damp, which is depressing in Winter!All those raw gurus seem to move to places like California where it’s all nice and sunny, so eating raw would be so much easier!
    I’ve been adding ginger to salads which helps, also drinking herbal teas…. and exercising!
    Anyone else have any ideas?

  • Hello Hollis,I’m in Montreal and the guy at club organic told me yesterday that buckweat groats are really warming! Try half oat groats ( soaked overnight ) and half buckweat groats ( soaked not more then 20 minutes, sprouted for a few days if you want) then in the food processor with whatever you feel like putting in your “oatmeal” soaked fruit banana nut milk ect

  • Shivering friends: I just had some ginger lemon tea, and I added extra lemon, extra ginger and a big wallooop of raw honey…delicious and I have never had a tea warm me so! I see others have been using ginger to warm up too.

    Nezumi: Don’t fret! Rather, give yourself a pat on the back for learning about raw foods, trying it, and incorporating them into your life! Your on the path to success! One thing that has helped me stay on track is keeping a journal. In the front, I wrote my goal down as if it already happened. Example “I lost x pounds, my body is toned and strong, my skin is tan because I spend time in the fresh air everyday. Since my insides are pure and full of life force energy, I radiate health and my skin glows and my hair shines. I feel at peace and happy… ect. I read it every morning and I visualize reaching my goal. It helps me stay positive!
    On a purely practical note, perhaps you are not getting all of the nutrients your body needs. I found that eating avocados with pretty much every meal helped me stay satisfied. Since I adore sweets and have to end each meal on a sweet note I started making avocado apple salads with a honey-lemon dressing. I add raisins to salads too, and then when I am done with them, I feel satisfied. (I’ll post this salad recipe soon)

    Hollis: I am about to post the delicious raw tortilla/ enchillada recipe.. Hope you enjoy!!!

  • Hollis Okay, I posted the recipe you asked for. I called it “Chillin’ Enchillada.” Hope you enjoy!!!

  • Hei Satnam! I’m not Norwegian but I live here, my husband is Norwegian. I’m from the Caribbean, yes I gave up that evershining sun hehehe. It’s wonderful to see another person in Norway who eats raw food! Sometimes it feels as though I’m the only one and being a foreginer, well, I get that funny feeling that I’m just weird because I’m a foreginer :p – There should be a buddy/messenger thing on this site, I don’t want to hijack the thread, it’s great seeing you :)

  • Thanks for the support Marysia! I like your positive approach. I’ll give it a try and I’ll also try the avo-apple salad maybe with a warming curry dressing… I’m drooling!

  • JoyceH from beautiful Vermont, to my knowledge, there’s no raw restaurant in Montreal. There use to be one but it closed. However, there’s a great raw catering called Crudessence. They also deliver lunch or you can pick it up. These guys have been around about for 3 months but they’re going to be very successful. Their food is delicious. That’s their website (sorry, it’s in french only): http://www.crudessence.com/
    About the vegetarian or vegan I like there’s Chu Chai on 4088 St-Denis where they offer thai food with all kind of mock meats. Also on 4110 St-Denis there’s La Faim du Monde which is not to bad. I really like Cafe Lola Rosa at 545 Milton and Les Vivres (which is vegan) on 4631 St-Laurent where it’s really nice to have breakfast on the terasse (but not a this time of year!)
    The Spirit Lounge also is an amusing place where you have to finish your plate if you don’t want to be banned from the restaurant, heehee!
    Happy Cow has a lot of info on these restaurants and more
    http://www.happycow.net/north_america/canada/qu…

  • JoyceH Hey! I live an hour away from the Canadian border in Vermont, too! Cool! It would be sweet to find a raw restaurant within driving distance (and I would be totally willing to make a day of it!) I live in East Burke. How about you? (if you dont mind me asking?)

  • Plumeseed, there’s actually quite a few in Oslo who’s showing interest in raw food. Surprises me! I am not 100% raw, but I try to incorporate it into my diet. Been some ups and downs, but now I think I’m gettin onto the between 50-80% raw track again.

    From the caribbean, wow..! I’ve lived in Jamaica for a year, so I know what you’ve left behind.. :-) I visited your web site,by the way! wonderful art!
    And a tips, if you’re into raw cacao, you can buy it in Norway now. I have a friend who sells it cheap – it’s supposed to be from the same source as Shazzie gets hers, so – organic and fairtrade, but no fancy smancy labels and stuff. Tell me if you’re interested.

  • JohceH How cool! Well you are totally welcome to come stay at my place when you come up mountain biking. My husband and I are planning to go to South America to visit his family, but that will be for a month and we can deff. work something out! Yes, I do shop at Natural Provisions and I also shop at the SJ Jonhsbury coop, which I love very much. I’m glad you’re getting some good food near you- I am new in Vermont but so far, so great! (oh, Im already excited about preparing food with someone who eats like me!! wow. in any case, the invitation stands!)

  • Satnam – Well it’s great that raw is coming to Norway somehow, hopefully it will get more popular as time goes. I’m about 100% raw up to 10 days before my period lol, then I start craving things like chocolate, rice, beans, you name it. I’m very pleased you liked what I spend my time doing, by the way :) And I’d love to know about the cacao! I’ve had no luck getting any of that stuff here, only agave so far.

  • Hi Everyone!

    I just joined this group—what an amazing resource! I live in Brampton, very near you JoyceH as I drive through Bolton about once/2weeks for my work. I work in York Region.

    I use ginger and cayenne and curry to warm up my foods or let them sit in the blender a little longer until the outside feels warm to the touch….I also love hot herbal teas but have read that these are not raw as they are more than 115degrees. I have been adding ice cubes to the water to get the temp down before adding the tea bag to get more value out of the herbs. Does anyone have more info on this? Does eating hot tea affect other foods you have recently eaten raw? I would love to warm up with a cup!

  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    havent read thread so this mayve already been posted but sometimes being colds from an iodine deficiency , and kelps a good source .
    also ive been told by a raw foodist kale helps them warm up , not sure if kales an iodine source though .

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