Young Buccoo farmer, Bobby, takes pride in the neat rows of organic crops he and his associates cultivate on the fertile clifftop.Deeper in the village, Sonny, with his signature black eye patch, nurtures an impressive organic home vegetable garden.In Plymouth, young Lisa and her boyfriend enjoy home grown organic produce from their front yard.
Green-thumbed Sherwin reuses plastic containers as grow boxes and inspires children to plant their own organic crops at home.Throughout Tobago, more people are subscribing to healthier, more affordable ways of nourishing themselves and their loved ones – through home grown organic food.
Tobago farmers who grow organic produce on a small or large scale will always find a market in citizens who choose to maintain optimum health through more conscious eating, body-awareness and connection to nature.What does a Gabriela Lerner, who lives on the edge of an ancient woodland in the South east of England with her husband, dog and cat have to do with this? She too grows her own produce, to fuel her diet of raw, organic plant-based material.
As a certified Raw Nutrition Coach, who once fell in love with Tobago, she is returning to facilitate a week-long raw food retreat/workshop, "Radiant on Raw" in the laid back fishing village of Castara (which began yesterday and concludes on July 5).In a largely meat-eating, fast food society like T&T, while it can be challenging for some to commit to a raw food lifestyle, having done it myself for two years, I can vouch that it opens a whole new world of culinary experimentation, discoveries and accompanying benefits.
On her Web site (www.radiantonraw.uk), Gabriela states: "When my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago, we started to embark on a serious anti-cancer diet. This meant cutting out all refined sugar, starches, meat, dairy, and all processed foods. It isn't until you try to stop buying processed foods that you realise how much of it we consume on a daily basis ..."
The decision to 'go raw' was also partly motivated by Gabriela's quest to heal herself from debilitating fibromyalgia. Today, she no longer takes medication for the condition and feels better than she has in over two decades. She and her husband who, three years ago, was given an 'all clear' from prostate cancer, continue to support themselves and maintain optimum health through the raw food lifestyle.
Far from simply being "plates of lettuce" as many people envision, raw food is delicious and includes cakes, pies, ice creams, crackers, pat�s and more of many people's favourite menu items–only completely raw and 'good for you'.
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While a 100 per cent raw food diet is not for everyone, increased raw intake does have beneficial results:
"Raw plant-based food is live food. Enzymes, vitamins, phytonutrients and minerals are destroyed at temperatures above 46�C (115�F) and therefore most of these life-giving elements are lost in cooked food. Raw food is unprocessed and plant-based. It is a 'low footprint' food with the least pesticides or toxic contamination, particularly if you stick to mostly organic produce. ...Raw foods, eaten in a balanced way, are packed with nutrients and provide us with all we need: protein, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals to support our health." (Gabriela Lerner)
Perhaps one day, in addition to stopping off to buy doubles or pies, one may be able to pull over on the roadside and eat a delicious cabbage and lentil sprout samosa on the way back from the beach.
Those interested in contacting Gabriela may e-mail her at gabriela@radiantonraw.co.uk