What was the seed of your journey into Rawfood – Superfood uncookery?
Website: www.divianaalchemy.com
I never was much of a cook growing up, and until I discovered raw foods, the only food I ever made was generally for myself. Raw foods were different. They were unique and conjured up a reaction from any and all that tried the food. The reaction, whether good or bad, was what interested me most. I was able to see that this type of cuisine could be a way to converse and stir up some sort of passion in people. I think this is really where the seed set in, through realizing that I could use Raw Foods as a tool for conversation, since I was otherwise a bit shy. From there, the joy multiplied and I realized I could use this form of making food as a creative artistry.
What has been one of your peak experiences as a Rawfood Chef?
An exciting time for my growth happened when I traveled to Hawaii, first for the Raw Games, later for Pele Rising on the Big Island, then to NoniLand. By this time I had already experienced being a full-time raw food chef in Portland, OR and was ready for a change. The most impactful time for me was at the Pele Rising retreat where I worked with chef Bruce Horowitz and Melissa Mango in the kitchen. During this time I remembered how to have fun in the kitchen again. I got to experience the fullness of our loving reality with the community that surrounded me, where I built some lasting relationships, and not only learned about producing a successful retreat and flow of activities, I learned about releasing my fears, expectations and idealistic ideas that I may have carried about how I should be living my life in that moment. It was an incredible catalyst for beneficial changes to come.
What are some of your favorite Superfood ingredients and why?
I love mesquite pod meal, honey and noni. These unique ingredients I find add a special taste and nutrition that become central to the dessert foods that I create. Honey is the number one sweetener for me, and I see it as a superfood, since it’s full of life...enzymes, pollen, antioxidants, propolis, and so much more. Mesquite pod meal is so full of essential nutrients and minerals, like the amino acid lysine which is essential to counteract amino acid arganine (present in high amounts in cacao and other nuts) and is processed straight from a tree pod into a fine powder that adds depth and sweetness to desserts. Noni is one of my favorite superfruits, it contains polysaccharides for immunity, anti-bacterial properties, and is delicious when ripened and dehydrated. In this form it becomes sweet and almost nutty. These are the superfoods that are lasting in my personal use and seem to be of benefit for my own body. There are many others that I rotate between, and I suggest that you find the ones you resonate with the most.
Other than making good food what other general interest do you find yourself into and how might they affect your culinary art?
I like to be learning and discovering, this is where I find myself thriving and joyful. The means through which I discover and learn are photography, writing, drawing, and even through being out in nature hiking or running. I feel like these creative outlets allow for my own self-discovery, of what I find interest in, and where I can be calm and in my fullest potential of clarity in mind. What I mean by all that is that when I find myself in a nature space, I am more receptive to the ideas presenting themselves in my mind, the ones that have meaning, since this is the space where I am most comforted. I see differently and this affects my creative arts. So it is the same with the culinary arts, I feel when I am in the right space, comforted and calm, I am present to create the most incredible foods ever. Also, in another aspect, my photography and drawing are directly implemented into the foods I make, like for example my live pies, where I use the drawings I practice as designs on the pies, and I have this in mind because I am taking a photo of the pie as well. They are all intertwined.
Given that you have been omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, rawfoodist, 100% rawfoodist, superfood enthusiast. Where do you find yourself now on the dietary spectrum?
It always seems to be a mystery where the body will find peace next. At the present time, I am nothing at all in terms of categorization, since I incorporate different aspects of all these diets. I think that it can be helpful to guiding others when you place yourself in a category, but I don’t necessarily think that it’s right. I’ve been there before, in all of those states of mind, and I find that what comes with the categorization is judgment. Not only from those others that claim to be in the group, but from yourself. I can attest to being the harshest judge of myself at various times. So, with that said, I eat what makes me feel healthy. It isn’t easy to find this balance, as I have found, and it is most definitely not the same for everyone. I specifically eat raw fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds like I had on a 100% raw food diet, but I now only make this a large portion of every meal I eat, so mostly fruits, mostly veggies and a few nuts here and there. I also have a more dense form of nutrition in raw dairy, some yogurt, and a few gluten free cooked grain meals each week. Eggs are a balancing component to my diet right now, they feel grounding and sustaining, especially those that are directly from farmers that use organic non-grain feed. I’ve tried fish, from what my dad has caught, and I feel like it can be beneficial in small amounts. But this is me, and knowing your own needs is really the key.
What books (or websites) are you reading?
I go in and out of reading, I love to read but don’t always find the time or focus. The books I have open right now are The Great Dialogues of Plato and Lucid Food. Much of my time has been occupied by the computer lately, so I find myself searching online for interesting articles or videos when I want a little inspiration. Reality Sandwich is one of my favorite websites, it’s a place for a variety of articles on consciousness, plant medicine, alternative views and events. I have also researched a number of raw foods friendly websites, and the ones I find most interesting are GLiving, Daniel Vitalis, and SweetlyRaw. These sites are all completely different and have separate visions on raw foods, but I like the content and originality of each.
Can you share a couple recipes you have made recently?
Love to share! Here are some Ojio recipes:
Chocolate Chip Macaroons
Ingredients 2 cups coconut flakes 1/2 cup cacao beans 1/4 cup clear agave 3 T cacao powder 3 T coconut oil or butter 1 vanilla bean 1 T mesquite pod meal 1 T maca powder
Directions: 1. Place cacao beans into a food processor and pulse until broken into peices. 2. Place all ingredients into food processor and pulse until combined and sticky. 3. spoon mix onto a tray with an ice cream scoop to make cookies, refridgerate 1hr.
Ojio Goji Hemp Milk
Ingredients 3/4 cup ojio hemp seeds 1/4 cup ojio goji berries 3 T ojio agave 1 T virgin coconut oil 1 tsp vanilla powder pinch cinnamon pinch himalayan salt 3 cups spring water
Directions: 1. Soak goji berries in 1 cup spring water for 30 minutes or longer. 2. Place goji berries with water into a blender, along with remaining ingredients and blend until creamy, about 20 to 30 seconds. Serves 4.
Do you have a website or a product you want to plug?
Website: www.divianaalchemy.com
Product: Diviana Nectar – An amazing medicinal Raw Honey blend of Ayurvedic herbs, tonic mushrooms, superfoods, virgin coconut oil and synergizing spices. The ingredients are Raw Unfiltered Honey, Virgin Coconut Oil, Ashwaganda, Chlorella, Mesquite, Mucuna, Shilajit, Vanilla, Cordyceps, Ho Shu Wu, Maca, Noni, Red Reishi, Tribulus, Himalayan Crystal Salt, and Spices.
OJIO AGAVE NECTAR - APRIL 1, 2010
OJIO GOJI BERRIES - APRIL 1, 2010
OJIO HEMP SEEDS - APRIL 1, 2010
OJIO MACA POWDER - APRIL 1, 2010
Projected Roll Out Schedule:
June 4th: Coconut Oil
June 11th: Lucuma, Yacon, and Camu Camu Powders (8 and 16 oz)
June 18th: Shredded Coconut (12 oz). Goji Powder and Hemp Protein Powder (8 and 16 oz)
June 25th: 2 oz units
July 2nd: Ayurvedics, Mate, Chuchuhuasi, Chanca Piedra
July 16th: Chlorella & Spirulina, MSM, Marine Phytoplankton, Nori Sheets, Inland Seawater
July 30th: Whole Bean Vanilla, Palm Sugar, Himalayan Salt
For additional sell sheets of the OJIO product line send an email request to webinfo [at] ultimatesuperfoods.com and we will send a reply with the attached .pdf files.
We decided to rebrand the Ultimate Superfoods product line under a new name "Ojio" (pronounced o-gee-o). Same great products, new brand. We will continue the company name and our bulk product units as Ultimate Superfoods.
Ojio is a made up word. It is softer than the previous USF brand. It has more appeal to "average" consumers than USF. We made up a word so that our name would have no previous meaning and we get to witness what people think when they hear Ojio.
Our packaging is now a bag in a box and glass bottles. The box is SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) approved. The bag is NatureFlex and made of completely biodegradable wood fibers, yet clear as cellophane. We moved to bottles for our Agave because glass is more earth-friendly (reusable, recyclable) than plastic. We are at the beginning of a full line transition that will not be complete until June.
The box is allowing us to better explain what the products are and where they come from. The box explains, "what are the benefits", "what's it good for", "where in the world does it come from".
We appreciate your support and encouragement as we take this Ultimate Superfoods company to some new, bigger and better places.
"Every business has a purpose. Our purpose is to make a beneficial difference in the world."
Robert and Jason interviewed by Echo. Robert touches on the origin and vision of Ultimate and Jason lends a few details on the development of OJIO.
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Ultimate Superfoods
seeks out micro-environments and growing regions with well-nurtured soil biology, complete mineralogical spectrum, and natural irrigation source to allow these highly bio-available foods' full genetic potential to emerge. These uniquely pristine sources provide mineral-rich, nutrient-dense foods that are superior in helping people achieve their goal of healthy, natural, and vibrant nutrition. Our “Real Raw” Agave Nectar is the only clear agave nectar available on the market which means that it is free from heating and free from additives. Our full line of Cacao products are derived from 100% Arriba Nacional – Fino de Aroma Cacao pods. This heirloom varietal surpasses the hybrid cacao that is currently on the market in flavor, aroma, and mineral and nutrient content. We recognize the need for good health to live in happiness. We have discovered the keys to enter the highest-levels of human health using foods that nurture and generate a condition where the body can function optimally. With this in mind we have developed a product line that consists of the highest quality foods and ingredients from around the globe. And that line of products is constantly growing. New products are being prepared for market daily. New shipments are leaving port on a regular basis. New ingredients are being sourced around the globe. And, new consumer (finished goods) products are being developed and produced with ingenuity and artistry. Ultimate Superfoods is part of a brilliant tomorrow and is seeing its future ripen in the present moment. Learn more about Ultimate Superfoods products at http://www.ultimatesuperfoods.com
USF cacao beans and nibs are indeed raw. The cacao paste is stone-ground and raw. USF cacao powder has 20-24% cacao fat content fulfilling the necessary specification to be a raw processed cacao powder; but, from South American cacao beans and not hybrid beans.
The real question for me is, why eat a cacao seed in whatever form, anyway?
Cacao is consumed by animals in the wild but they do not have the luxury of enjoying cacao in its most palate pleasing state. Cacao seeds have to be sun-dried and fermented to bestow its complex flavor profile and unique bitter, floral, citrus, and aromatic dimensions. Flavor is significant but the more important reason to eat cacao is for its mineral, nutritional, and chemical make up. Dietary minerals are found in all natural foods but are in the highest concentrations in foods from where soils are nurtured by organic, permaculture, biodynamic practices or having the grace of being developed naturally in the plants indigenous environment. Cacao originated in Central and South America. Cacao growing in any other region is a stranger to its indigenous roots making it susceptible to detrimental genetic variations and most commonly diminished genome by human-induced hybridization.
Actual superfoods have entered into the pattern of food choices because most all foods available even those purchased from local farmers markets often are grown in mineral deficient soils, with municipal polluted water, and from hybrid strains of original plant foods. Cacao can be eaten raw from the pod with its sweet, white, jelly fruit. It is a wonderful experience but it is not chocolate. Cacao seeds transform into a mineral-dense, nutrient-rich, delicious food of the gods, through gentle sun drying and a delicate, well-developed method of fermentation. This process enhances the seeds flavor and in my opinion its nutritional caliber. Minerals and their correlate “informational codes” are why I eat. Through adequate mineral saturation to the cells, allows the body to function optimally. If you eliminate all toxicity, sustaining life of the body rests on proper mineralization. If, at the moment you cannot live in wild nature where food grows abundantand with perfected mineral profile, superfoods are a doorway to reach high levels of health until you get there. To pursue your personally meaning goals, the body needs not be a hindrance. To allow your body to be a catalyst for your pursuit - clean, mineral-rich foods is the smooth and gentle path to health.
Cacao powder and butter should be limited to specific recipe applications and used for needed performance variables. Cacao liqueur/paste, in my opinion, should replace and be used instead of cacao powder and butter. Cacao butter and powder has to go through an additional step of processing that I suspect is not necessary for most food preparation applications. You can melt the cacao paste in a food dehydrator or glass double boiler and incorporate it in recipes in replacement to powder and butter.
To sum up this curious and far-reaching diatribe, eat cacao from South America if you seek a variety worth eating and enjoy cacao beans, nibs, or liqueur/paste if you seek raw chocolate.
Ultimate Superfoods will soon have cleardocumentation of the cacao stone grinders and stone and wood presses used to produce the cacao liqueur/paste, powder, and butter.
A note from the Founder:
We are releasing 35 videos on start to finish processing of all our products with all product specific temperatures presented. This will include the temperatures inside the machines (when machines utilized) where the “real” contact temperature and most nutrient damage occur. There is Total Transparency andanyone can see our equipment as it is of the most elemental and rudimentary. The magic is not in the equipment, the magic is in the densely packed nutrient rich soil and the heirloom foods that we cultivate thereof and harvest. When you watch the videos you will come into full cognition of why you feel the way you do with our products.
The other thing to always ask “who” is using what? I find the most vital people who have mastered discernment use our products if they have been introduced to them. The most vital beings usually are a bit more sensitive to nutrients and toxins than the rest. This is the common rule of life- Emulate what you want to be. The final goal is to evolve into your ultimate consciousness. You grow into consciousness by minimizing toxins and increasing minerals & other nutrients. Consciousness is simply the attenuation of the art of feeling. Feeling is everything.
Our Ultimate world is competition free. We welcome all purveyors of “superfoods” to rise up and “compete” with us at our level, so more may come into full-conscious being to assist in the conscious transformation of our planet.
Below are a few interesting details regarding this remarkable berry:
Myrciaria dubia, commonly known as Camu Camu, CamuCamu, Cacari, and Camocamo, is a small (approx. 3-5 m tall) bushy riverside tree from the Amazon Rainforest vegetation in Peru, which bears a red/purple cherry like fruit. Its small flowers have waxy white petals and sweet smelling aroma. It has bushy feathery foliage. The evergreen, opposite leaves are lanceolate to elliptic. Individual leaves are 3 - 20 cm in length and 1 - 2 cm wide. Camu Camu offers astringent, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-pain, anti-viral, emollient and nutritive properties and contains natural beta-carotene, calcium, iron, niacin, phosphorus, protein, riboflavin, thiamin and the amino acids valine, leucine, and serine. This makes Camu Camu invaluable for metabolic processes, including the formation of white blood cells, maintaining a healthy immune system, and support for the brain, lymph glands, heart and lungs.
The extraordinarily high Vitamin C content (in the order of 2-3% of fresh weight) is thought to be the most important property of the Camu Camu fruit. Vitamin C content declines as full maturity is reached, and there is a trade-off between Vit C and flavor expression. As a myrtaceous fruit, Camu Camu most likely provides other nutritional benefits (phenolics, etc.), but these are less understood.
Camu Camu has also a unique aroma and fruit pigmentation. A reddish pigment in the leathery skin (probably anthocyanins) that are not removed, imparts an attractive and unique pink color on juices extracted from Camu Camu.
In addition to the high Vitamin C content it contains the amino acids valine, leucine, and serine, and is also rich in flavonoids. Camu Camu appears to provide nutritional support for the brain to optimize its own mood-balancing chemistry.
Camu Camu is superior in strengthening the immune system, energizing and mood-lifting effects than synthetic vitamin C at one or two grams daily.
One to two grams of Camu Camu, once or twice daily, can clear up most cases of bleeding gums and provide remarkable energy-boosting effects. It has the additional benefit of being non-irritating to sensitive stomachs and bladders.
In a comparative study of hundreds of botanicals, ranked in order of effectiveness for various health conditions, Camu Camu was ranked among hundreds of herbs as follows:
Anti-mutagenic #4;
Anti-viral #6;
Anti-oxidant #4;
Asthma #1;
Atherosclerosis #1;
Cataracts #1;
Colds #1;
Depression #2;
Edema #1;
Gingivitis/Periodontal disease #1;
Glaucoma #1;
Hepatitis #1;
Infertility #1;
Migraine headaches #1;
Osteoarthritis #1;
Painkiller #1;
Parkinson's disease #1
The simplest way to incorporate Camu Camu into your day is in a blended drink. It can as well be taken with MSM to impart mutual benefit of the MSM reacting better with an acid and MSM allowing the vitamin C and other properties into the cells. Or, can be stirred into an herbal tea such as tulsi, hyssop, or horsetail. Work into superfood dessert recipes and stir into fresh-pressed juices. Allow the subtle effect of vitalizing, pure, and natural Vitamin C on the cellular level.
One of the top herbs in the Ayurvedic medicine tradition is actually a mineral pitch. Housing 88+ dietary minerals and trace minerals along with fulvic and humic acid. It is microbially digested plant and mineral matter that has been incubated and pressurized for tens of thousands to millions of years through seismic and geological shifts in the Himalayan mountains folding upon themselves trapping matter between its layers. The minerals are in ionic and dual-ionic form. Originating from organic matter and being magnetized as it makes its way through the crevices of the mountain. The medicine men of the Himalayas would watch the monkeys and see that the same species at the top of the mountain were strong, virile, agile, and more communal; while the monkeys at the lower region of the mountain were more sickly, slower, and discordant. The monkeys at the top of the mountain were consuming the mineral pitch (shiljit) while the monkey below did not have access. Can harmony be wrought by mineralization?
Small amounts (1/4-1/2 tsp.) mixed in pure water tastes like a light herbal tea. Larger doses (1 tsp. – 2 tbsp.) can be stirred in warm herbal tea (yerba mate, pau d’arco, cat’s claw, nettles, horsetail, etc.) or in pasture-raised, grass-fed, raw cow or goat milk (shilajit and raw milk is potentially its most traditional usage). Another combination we have found useful is mixing as much shilajit as you desire with as much MSM as you desire (recommended: a heaping tablespoon of each in 32oz of pure water). The shilajit assists in breaking the MSM molecules down further because of the fulvic acid content and the MSM opens up the permeability of the cell wall allowing the minerals in and assists in wicking the toxins out.
Shilajit is potentially the most significant herb to be taking to mineralize the body with the full spectrum of dietary minerals and trace minerals needed for human health, as well as, it has the ability to dissolve calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate crystals in the tissue and around the bones. Calcium belongs in the bones and when we eat acidic foods, breathe acidic air, endure excessive stress, and other environmental factors, the calcium leaches from our bones (to neutralize the acid) and gets deposited in our tissue, around our skeletal structure, and even in our brains (brain sand). The fulvic acid in shilajit can dissolve the crystals and eliminate them naturally. Good bodywork and shilijit is a potent combination to alleviate the burden of calcification. Grab a partner and begin a practice of barefoot shiatsu.
I have been taking large amounts (1tsp. – 4oz.) for the last three years almost daily and continue to notice the benefit. Mineralization is a key to wellness, along with a thorough and maintenance detoxification protocol, pure water, clean food, fresh air, direct sunlight, positive vision for life, a spiritual or personally meaningful discipline, and a litany of other beneficial and useful practices will bestow a greatness and fullness of being that is the birthright of a destiny-driven humanity. Share shilajit with a friend or colleague, enhance their conductivity, and impart the understanding of the ancients.
Medicinal foods role in the ascent from the profane to the sacred
What after all could food have to do with philosophy? The pursuit of wisdom or true learning negates or assuages the body and its condition to draw the soul from its internment to participate in the divine.
Focusing attention on the material will bind one to the illusion that the physical realm is Reality itself, this contributes to a building and shaping of the relationship to that conclusion and keep one shackled to a lesser life.
However, if the body is in a state of disorder, the soul will be challenged to direct it’s vision anywhere but downward towards the believed source of the discord or pain.
Food as medicine is the greatest source to ensure that body can function optimally and ascend to higher more meaningful goals. An individual can spend time in study of human nutrition and fitness with the same high mind as those skilled in the practice of philosophy. Reason and demolishing of assumptions and hypothesis are part and parcel of both disciplines.
Nutrition can be seen as a study of wholeness. Wherever a part is in discord with the whole, a problem can pinpointed. Nutritional and mineral deficiencies will not allow the body and the brain to function as a whole to assist as an adequate vestibule to prepare the soul for the ascent to the divine and the Real.
Purity is a necessary aspect of philosophic vision. Physical purity plays its role in the game as well. Detoxification of modern chemicals, heavy metals, plasticizers, and other foreign material that is not conducive to a body operating with order.
With the inclusion of simple and intuitive health technologies, balance and homeostasis, can be brought about from years of disordered misaligned choices. There is a need for a health model that is currently in the process of nurture. The infancy stages are as follows:
Medicine Food and Methods
Water – Spring water, reverse osmosis then brought back to some semblance of spring water (crystal, clay, minerals, vortex, loadstone, freezing, bicarbonate salts, etc.).
Dietary minerals – Shilajit, local wild foods, Superfoods, inland seawater, rock dust grown fruits, vegetables, sprouts, and herbs, herbal infusions, decoctions, and teas.
Herb infusions, decoctions, teas – Cold water, moderate temperature and boiling plant and myco-material to release their properties into the water for medicinal, nutritional, psychotropic, effects.
Fasting – Pure water, pure air, direct sunlight (Dining from an Empty Bowl).
Sun gazing – Looking direct into the sun first few hours of sunrise and sunset. Look at the sun’s reflection on water (ocean) or through natural filter (between strands of hair).
Blending and juicing – Early stage of re-calibrating system from corrupt to optimal foods.
Elixir Alchemy – Using vigorous shaking, mortar and pestle, or blender to bring together, pure water or herbal decoctions, herbs, and Superfoods, to make the union of the whole more than the sum of its parts.
Detoxification: Heavy metal, plasticizer cleanse (Magnesium di-potassium EDTA or Medicardium), liver cleanse (Xeneplex or coffee enema), gall bladder and kidney cleanse (Glytamins), lymph movement (Gua Sha, Lymphplex), breaking up calcium phosphate or oxalate crystals (Bare Foot Shiatsu [Ashiatsu], Gua Sha, shilajit, magnesium di-potassium EDTA), parasite cleanse (through terrain modification).
Welcome the highest development in cacao. Hand-peeled, hand-nibbed, sun-dried, stone-granite-ground, 100% Arriba Nacional, Ecuadorian Heirloom, Raw, Organic, Cacao Paste.
Mix with a natural sweetener for the finest chocolate experience available. My preference is dipping a piece in Hawaiian, Canadian, New Zealand, or preferred local unheated honey. Or, melting it over a double-boiler at low temperatures and mixing in coconut palm sugar, mucuna, ashwaganha, red reishi,
vanilla seeds, birds-eye cayenne, and crystal salt. Play with differnent herbs and superfoods in your kitchen to make a superfood brittle, by pouring the mix in a glass pan, tucking into the fridge to solidify-crystalize, and cut it into pieces for the best home-made-with-love chocolate.
Share with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers the secret and power of raw cacao. There is no better bridge into the world of superior nutrition than raw chocolate. Cacao can act as a potentiator for anything that it is mixed with; what better way to fully encounter the benefit of powdered herbs and superfoods than through the vehicle of chocolate.
Chocolate has permeated society, share the secret of unadulterated raw cacao. USF is one of the few, if not the only source, of truly heirloom Ecuadorian cacao. A gift from generations of family farmers that have fought with the power of their own integrity to preserve this Arriba Nacional variety of cacao. Admired for is complex flavor profile, yet gentle and simple chocolate familiarity. This is grandfather cacao that has matured through time to represent the exemplar, Original Chocolate.
The highest grade. I have tried cacao in many form, many variation, and this is the new ideal. The consistency and performance of this cacao paste/liquor is greater than anything prior.
Come, enjoy in the banquet, with the focal food of the gods.
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