I first heard about raw foods in 1998 from a patient who insisted on eating only non-cooked foods for optimal health. I was very skeptical, to say the least. With so many years of clinical and nutritional experience, how could I never have heard of this "diet" before? For a vegetarian doctor who promotes the Four Food Groups according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (www.pcrm.org), namely Fruits (including nuts and seeds), Vegetables, Grains, and Legumes, I could not comprehend how anyone could survive on the likes of apples, celery sticks, and carrots alone... I assumed that cooking was a must if we are to eat all four groups regularly. I was ignorant and "stuck in my ways," as so many physicians and nutritionists often are.

A year later, my nephew came for a visit after travelling to Colorado, where he had attended dinner parties that served entire meals of fresh, raw, vegan foods. He told me about delicious appetizers, entrees, sauces, salads and desserts prepared without cooking. The chef used blenders, dehydrators (set at low temperature), and innovative cutting techniques. At the time, it sounded interesting to me, but not too appealing. It smacked of a faddish curiosity at best...

Then, on a trip to California (Autumn 1999), My friend and I picked up the book Raw: The Uncook Book by Juliano. That did it - we were amazed and enticed by what could be done with raw fruits, vegetables, and seeds!

At our Minneapolis home, we began incorporating a few of the recipes, and even sprouted some regular old lentils and chickpeas. It was all very exciting; the recipes were fantastic! The innovative combinations of ingredients created rich, full flavors and filling meals. Also, a mini kitchen garden of sprouts was both practical and rewarding to grow. Yet, despite this new awareness, I was still reluctant to adopt the raw food approach fully, let alone incorporate it into my scientific practice of medical nutrition. I remained ignorant to the scientifically-proven health impact of exposing our foods to unnatural heat, which is not taught in medical or nutrition and diet-related schools.

In the following Spring, when I finished one of my lectures at a biological dentist's office, an ex-patient approached me and shared with me his experience with raw foods. He used to suffer from a chronic, debilitating condition, for which he tried all the scientific and popular nutritional therapies, to no avail. Switching, finally, to a raw food diet was the only successful approach. He invited me to a raw food potluck with other "uncooked" friends. Hearing all the personal health "miracles" at the meeting, combined with tasting a satisfying full course raw meal first-hand for the first time, I resolved to research this phenomenon seriously...

What I found, after finally "relaxing" my "tunnel vision" eyes was a great scientific and culinary discovery! I had been vegan for almost two years (vegetarian since birth), focusing mainly on cooked grains, legumes, and vegetables. Learning more about raw foods made me ponder why I was buying fresh, organic, whole plant foods and then destroying all their enzymes, thousands of nutrients, and molecular structures by cooking them! Also, my household was relying too much on packaged foods, producing more landfill waste and ecological footprint than absolutely necessary.

For me and my close friends, any step away from this made sense. We began buying mostly fresh plant-based produce, nuts and seeds, spices, fresh herbs, dried fruits, and a few unpasteurized, vegan ingredients in recyclable containers. Whenever possible, we purchased organic bulk foods. Raw food can be a huge part of a sustainable lifestyle, promoting stewardship of the Earth's environment and ecology, although most people in the worldwide raw food community emphasize the amazing health benefits of this truly natural diet. I've met and treated many people who have used it to overcome a large variety of health conditions such as fibromyalgia, indigestion, Candida, cancer, fatigue, headaches, eczema, obesity, ADD, MS, various immune disorders, and others. Also, raw food is a great prevention measure, so why wait 'til it hurts?

All of these amazing benefits from one simple idea-to eat foods in a natural, raw state, as Nature intended! And using any of the several raw recipe books, we can enjoy social dining and entertaining... and revel in the sight of our children and relatives gobbling delicious pâtés, yummy sauces, invigorating smoothies, nutritious fresh juices, refreshing zucchini fettuccini, sensational raw pizzas, wholesome raw wraps, incredible mushroom nut loaf with mashed "potatoes" and cashew-mushroom gravy, and banana coconut cream pie with a crust of dates and almonds!

And so, the vision for Ecopolitan was born, then grew flesh and bones (plant-based, of course...)

Adiel Tel-Oren M.D. (Europe), D.C., CCN, DACBN, LN, DABOM, FABDA