Raw Food: The Best Diet for Mind, Body and Planet?
Eva Kavková greeted us with a smile and a plateful of raw svíčková at Jídlo Lásky, one of her two new raw bistros, and told us all about the truth behind raw eating, her journey to becoming “salad queen” and even a little about… the purpose of life (!).
What you need to know about raw food, besides that it’s tasty: it’s not just a trend, but part of a whole lifestyle philosophy. For Eva, who started Prague’s first real raw restaurant Secret of Raw, which she has since sold, making the change to raw eating six years ago was life altering. She switched out of a career in real estate investment, one of the four businesses she has started, and dedicated herself to aiding others in their own self-transformation, with raw food being just one of her tools.
“It’s an incubator of people’s purposes. That’s the absolute main point of this project.The food is only a means for our purpose. In the long term it is a way to help people find their freedom.”
Eva explained that eating raw is a step in the process of discovering consciousness, self-understanding, and ultimately your purpose in life — and on a grander scale, your place in the Universe. She chose the name Jídlo Lásky (“food of love”) for the bistro because she wanted the focus to be on the holistic lifestyle rather than just the fact that the food is, yes, raw.
The health and environmental benefits
Too much for you to digest? Even if you’re not ready to buy into the underlying philosophy, the raw movement claims to also be a healthier and more ecological way of living. Being uncooked and vegetarian, raw food is energy efficient in both its preparation and ingredients.
The main health claim is that raw food keeps enzymes and nutrients intact that are normally destroyed through cooking, and which aid in the process of digesting nutrients and fighting pathogens. The claimed benefits of a raw diet include losing weight, feeling better and getting rid of ailments such as allergies and headaches.
“People who eat raw food don’t age,” said Eva, who herself has eaten raw for 6 years — and we agree she looks great.
When it comes to food, taste is arguably one of the more important variables. So does it pass the taste test? Our personal favorite was the raw banana cake that we sampled at Jídlo Lásky, which was perfectly sweet and creamy.
How to learn more about the Raw lifestyle
For those interested in digging deeper into the raw philosophy, Eva has written about it all in her brand new book, Žena, která toužila být „silná”, aneb syndrom české Amazonky.
Eva also offers courses on the topic and has plans to open a new center in a natural setting not far from Prague to offer coaching and other services to help others on their journey to a healthy and balanced life.
We personally haven’t made a full transition to a raw diet, but can’t argue that eating lots of fruits and vegetables and preparing your meals with care is a smart approach, for health and environmental reasons – or just because it tastes good. It’s a baby step towards what may well be a better, more sustainable way of life.