Ten years ago, my personal journey with living foods began. As I changed my lifestyle, eating choices, and personal way of working with and looking at food, I arrived at such a euphoric place of good health that I wanted to shout about it from the rooftops. I became very passionate about sharing the wellness and vitality I was now living with the world. Of course, I knew nothing of how this would unfold except that I was committed to making a difference.

As my personal journey has evolved, I have been blessed with the opportunity to spread the word about living foods to more and more people, one day at a time. Through my current restaurant, 118 Degrees in Costa Mesa, California; workshops and classes; and hands-on educational experiences, I’ve been a part of bringing this powerful lifestyle to more than 100,000 people, and have seen truly miraculous things.

Whenever I teach, and oftentimes in the restaurant, customers will ask me, “What is the easiest way to start ‘doing’ raw foods?” Of course, there is no magic answer or a one-size-fits-all approach to embarking on the path of living foods, but there are some basics that can help even the most novice cooks begin creating healthy and delicious raw dishes they will love.

Raw Basics is designed to answer this important question, as well as inspire you to begin adding more fresh, vibrant foods to your diet. We have a saying at 118 that goes like this: “Just start adding more of the good stuff.” I’ve found that more than 80 percent of our clients get great results if they begin by focusing on adding to their diet. Adding, not subtracting. As they shift to learning great raw options and incorporating them into their everyday eating, the other foods they’ve been trying to give up just sort of fall away, leaving them feeling refreshed and invigorated.

How Much Living Food Does the Body Need?

It’s true that every little bit of raw food you add to your diet counts, and at the end of just a week, you’ll feel more vibrant and alive. Living bodies need living food: the idea is that for everything you add to your life, you get more of the same. Negative thoughts breed negativity. Foods that are devoid of life and life-enhancing agents foster death and disease. For every “nonvital” part of your diet that you replace with something vital to your overall health, you become “more of” health.

We were designed to be health, to embody vibrant being through optimal health.

Enjoy my book as a whole, or skip to the recipes that sound good to you, and actively explore each section on its own. In a very fundamental way, this book is designed to educate and empower you so you can find a healthy balance in your diet . . . leading to vibrant health!

Here’s one of my favorite recipes to get you started:

Tahini Spread

Tahini, or sesame-seed paste, creates great body in sauces and is such a functional ingredient. Recommended as part of a daily diet, it’s widely used in Middle Eastern cultures as a base ingredient.

1 cup tahini

2 Roma tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

1/2 clove garlic

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 green onion

1/2 cup diced dill pickles

2 Tbsp. fresh dill

1 tsp. sea salt

In a blender, combine the tomato, red bell pepper, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic, and onion. Blend well into a liquid. Add in tahini and continue blending until a thick paste forms. Transfer to another container for storage, and hand-fold in dill pickles and fresh dill.

Makes 2 cups.