I have heard it said that raw foodists tend towards the frail, spacey side. Not so my friends. Not so. It is possible that I have never met anyone who radiates health, vigor, energy and aliveness quite like David Wolfe.
I spent this past weekend in Haliburton playing in the woods with David Wolfe, a world leader in the raw food movement and is the absolute embodiment of practicing what you preach. In truth, he is a bit of a rock star to me and I was way more excited to hang with him than the time I spent with this one.
David Wolfe introduced the tone of the weekend by asking one of the attendees to pass him her shoes. He held one up and pointed out that we have accepted that wearing shoes is okay and asked us if we knew that it was. He explained that being in touch with the earth, sole to soul if you will, is the best way to stay grounded. The discussions and forest walk that followed would force all of us to question what we think of as being okay.
He went on to exemplify this by pointing out that many people have accepted Fruit Loops as an okay breakfast and that ongoing use of medications are an okay way to manage our health. If you read my blog you are aware that this is changing, that the paradigm is shifting. Collectively we are learning that these things are not okay and that we can’t ever get away from the simple notion that we are what we eat. Nothing will ever be a stronger or truer statement than this. So if we are what we eat, why wouldn’t we want to eat the very best foods available to us? Why wouldn’t we choose the best foods ever?
David talked about the best raw foods, best super foods, bestsuper herbs and super mushrooms along with the super powers that come from them. If you did my Green Smoothie cleanse, you already have a lot of these foods in your life- the Gojis, the Cacao, the hemp seeds, the raw honey, the spirulina and maybe even some maca.
That’s the chaga mushroom in his hand.
He showed off his party tricks- taking a bite out of a giant Chaga mushroom that he foraged from the nearby woods the day before. He talked a lot about the state of our health, the root of disease and demonstrated how the body can function when it is free of parasites and inflammation by chugging from a jar of honey. That’s right. He drank honey.
The second day of the event was a walk through the woods, getting to know the foods and herbs that grow in the local environment and all the amazing healing and health promoting things these foods- from root, to stem to leaf, to flower, can do for us. We sampled new tastes and treats right out of the forest buffet. I was amazed that all of this was right here, where my family has had a cottage for years; a bounty of goodness that I never knew existed.
The day we did the walk was incredibly hot. We were all feeling it’s affects but David kept on, without even taking a sip of water. He truly functions on the nourishment and energy of the sun. And now, having met him, heard what he had to say, experienced the wealth of knowledge he so passionately shares, I do believe him to be an even greater rock star than before and am honoured to have had this experience.
Here are some more photos from this awesome event and check out my David Wolfe inspired SuperHero Balls recipe.
David Wolfe, Raw (and barefoot) in the woods.
That would be me, foraging for a snack. 
Peat moss is apparently the answer to all my gardening woes.
Oh that David Wolfe… he makes me laugh.
The chaga mushroom hunting crew!
Just discovered your blog! I love it, as well as your recipes. It seems we have been up to the same challenge. Although I’ve been trying to heal my IBS with natural foods. It’s tough! I look forward to reading more of your stuff and learning more. Thanks for sharin’!
So, have you bought David Wolfe’s Longevity Now program? I have his Superfoods book and ordered the Sunfood Diet one too.
Thanks for sharing, looks like a great time!
David Wolfe “RockStar” indeed! Sunfoods love! Great photos and recap. Thanks for sharing the Sunshine!
so where does he live in the winter? I think it would be a bit challenging on the feet!
Nice. You’re going to have to drop some of that food foraging knowledge on us.
What an amazing weekend–the foraging parts sound heavenly!
While I do adore raw cuisine, I do often question living completely on a diet consisting of all raw foods. I rarely hear toxins mentioned by raw chefs, and there are quite a few in the raw forms of foods. not to mention chemicals that change during cooking so that nutrients CAN be absorbed. Kale and spinach (for example) have oxalates which can keep the body from absorbing calcium. the onlly way to neutralize oxalaic acid is to cook the food…and I mean cook it A LOT.
Mushrooms are also not supposed to be eaten raw.
“The list of edible mushrooms considered safe for raw consumption is quite short. Even species commonly eaten raw, especially the ubiquitous button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, have their drawbacks. Buttons, and many other edible mushrooms contain various hydrazines, a group of chemical compounds generally considered carcinogenic. For the most part, these compounds are heat sensitive, readily volatilized and expunged from the fungal flesh by proper cooking. ”
http://www.mykoweb.com/articles/EatingRawMushrooms.html
There are many foods where cooking makes it possible for our bodies to digest the nutrients.
Again, I am a fan of raw recipes, but do not see how eating a completely raw diet is better than mixing raw and cooked foods, and sometimes the raw form might actually be causing harm.
Cutest pic of you and Wolfie!
I love foraging for wild edibles. Foraging with David Wolfe would be a hoot! On the lookout for Chaga…
What an awesome experience Meghan!
All of the raw foodists I have met are much like you describe David Wolfe I must admit.
Glad you had so much fun!
David knows his stuff and is a very dedicated individual. His commitment to health, vitality and the spirtual connection with food and nature is really creating a paradigm shift.
For those in Ontario who would like to take some time out to see him he will be in Orangeville Aug 30th
What a fun weekend! I do hope you share some more of what you learned from his as well. And I want to hear the story behind the Amy Winehouse photo? Crazy!!
Ah… how lucky you are. I just interviewed David Wolfe about a week and a half ago for an eight week series I am doing called the Wisdom of Wellness. It was a delight to interview him but I would much prefer to spend an entire weekend learning what he has to teach.
Thank you for sharing everything – do you know where he will be next?
Best,
Alison
http://supernutrientgal.blogspot.com
Hi Meagen! great read…I was there on the Sun-day, guess we missed each other that time. I have spent several times with ‘Avocado’ including interviewing him for the RAW MOM SUMMIT which was heard by over 7,000 people to rave reviews. He is always soooooo inspiring and INSPIRED! I converted my entire family over to raw over 7 years ago after hearing him talk and have never looked back!
[...] it gives me an excuse to be a geeky fan and get my photo taken with rock stars, nutrition authors, super food heroes and most recently, two living legends. Michael Schmidt (far right), was recently acquitted of all [...]
[...] first learned of these mushrooms last summer when I was kicking it Raw In The Woods with David Wolfe. I have since eaten loads, been intrigued, read heaps and finally made the time to escape up into [...]