Bali’s fertile land and an abundance of organic and pesticide-free crops create a haven for the food conscious. The seasonally available onions and strawberries grown on volcanic soil are much higher in minerals than your average local organic shop forced to import their goods. So, if you ever considered adding more fruit and vegetables to your diet or practicing being a healthy vegan, this is the place to be. Going a bit more extreme or simpler and back to basics, depending on your personal world views, is the Raw Food Diet. Learn more about it in this article.

An easy understanding is that Raw Food consists of raw fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts. A bit more elaborate view is that it is food that is alive but mildly “processed” to be more beneficial. For example, ferments like sauerkraut and kombucha, soaked and sprouted beans, seeds and nuts, legumes, and grains, and dried or dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Some advocate that food can be slightly heated to a low temperature without losing nutritional value. For example, while dehydrating or using a heating blender for smoothies and soups.

How exclusive or inclusive you define your Raw Food diet is up to you. The popular belief of non-fundamentalists is that if three-quarters of your food intake is raw, you are Raw. This approach works for the Raw-til-Four crowd, who consume whatever their heart or belly desires after 4 pm.
Some individuals who do not limit the raw principles to only plant-based food, still consider themselves following a Raw Food Diet. They may consume unprocessed cow’s milk, raw eggs, and raw or dried fish or meat. Each to their own. After all, once you are an adult, you do have the freedom and choice to choose how you treat and nourish your body temple… For this article, however, we are looking at plant-based raw food options in Bali.

What are the benefits of Raw Food?

If you are transitioning from a heavily processed diet to raw, you will probably experience quite a bit of weight loss and, in the beginning detoxing. That is why a Raw Food Diet can be the preparation of a detox or a juice cleanse program. Overall, often people experience better metabolism, digestion, and general wellbeing with more energy and less mucus and inflammation. This may result in improved mental and emotional health and clearer skin. Just cutting down on sugar and keeping away from over-processed products will give your body space to thrive rather than work hard in eliminating all the unnatural input.

What are the considerations when on a Raw Food diet?

Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene. Always wash your fruit and vegetables in clean water since there is no heat used to kill off bacteria. If you are consuming raw animal products, there is a risk of food poisoning. If you are sharing a kitchen space or cooking for others, obviously keep your cutting boards, knives, and surfaces clean to avoid cross-contamination.
Some plant products can be toxic in their raw form, like buckwheat, kidney beans, sprouts, and cassava. The beneficial nutrients in some products are better absorbed after heat treatment. For example tomatoes, carrots, capsicum, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts.
If you have been on a Raw Food diet for a more extended period of time and past the big clearing and detoxing phase of it, you probably have learned a few things on the way. You are more in tune with your body and its needs and quite often needing to add supplements or treatments to stay healthy and thriving. The most common deficiencies for raw vegans are iodine, iron, calcium, vitamins B12, B6, and D. It may be challenging to consume enough calories and protein while having an active or demanding lifestyle. All this is worth paying attention to before your body starts sending signs via fertility and digestion issues, depression, anxiety, tooth decay, hair loss etc… Well, being aware of your body, mind, and spirit is an essential aspect of self-awareness and self-responsibility no matter the diet.

Where to find Raw Food classes, courses, and retreats in Bali?

If you wish to enjoy a beautiful raw meal or educate yourself on the Raw Food lifestyle in Bali, these are the options:

KAFE

Jl. Hanoman No.44B, Ubud, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
kafe-bali.com

KAFE is a wholesome food hub nestled in the heart of Ubud offering a variety of vegetarian and vegan options from local, organic suppliers. Exuding Ubud’s tropical, free-spirited ambiance, KAFE’s aesthetic boasts a New York-style bistro quirk, making it an appealing hang out spot in central Ubud. The menu has been carefully nurtured and developed since 2004 to align with the owners’ ethos of a healthy, environmentally conscious lifestyle. You’ll find a wide range of vegetarian, vegan food, raw, gluten-free, macrobiotic, and world cuisine dishes, including Mexican, Italian, or a range of Indonesian specialties. From breakfast to dinner (7am to 11pm), KAFE offers super salads, raw desserts, and more. The team behind KAFE are also avid coffee lovers – don’t forget to give their espresso a try!

Phone:     (0361) 4792079
Instagram: @kafe_ubud

ALCHEMY BALI

Jalan Penestanan Kelod No 75, Penestanan Ubud, Bali 80571
www.alchemybali.com

Raw food is natural. It is produced by nature for humans. It contains the nutrients our cells need, and in the form that our body can absorb. Raw food exudes life force from the natural elements that have made it what it is. Raw food also contains enzymes, minerals, and vitamins that don’t survive being cooked. Enzymes help with digestion and can slow down and actually reverse aging.
Alchemy was established as a place for transformation in 2011 by a group of conscious, creative, live food enthusiasts. Alchemy’s vision is to honor mother nature, promote healthy sustainable living, support healthy habits and well being, and to offer a space of inspiration and community.

E-Mail:  [email protected]
Phone: +6281339457432

Open Monday – Sunday, 7h – 21h

LIVING FOOD LAB

No 8, Canggu Square, units 12-13, Canggu, Jl. Pantai Berawa, Bali 80361
www.livingfoodlab.com

For raw food lovers, Living Food Lab has possibly the most extensive raw food menu in Canggu. They mix it up with cooked foods as well, so there’s something to keep everyone happy. They’re flexible to accommodate specific dietary requests, and absolutely love catering for retreats and special events. Living Food Lab also has a library of raw food, vegan, sustainability-themed books for you to read in-house. Their cooks and baristas abide by this motto: Our food is an offering from us to you, made with love and integrity. Chill out downstairs in their indoor or outdoor space or get productive and creative in their co-working space upstairs. Keep a look out for their ebooks, courses, and events, and consider renting their upstairs venue for a training or a party.
 
Instagram: @livingfoodlabbali
Facebook:  @livingfoodlab
E-Mail:       [email protected]
Phone:      Reception and orders +628113801958

UBUD RAW CHOCOLATE

Jl Raya Sayan no 74 | Jl Goutama 8 | Jl Raya Semat no 99, next to berawa kitchen.
www.ubudraw.com
 
UBUD RAW are becoming world-famous for their deliciously healthy raw chocolates and ceremonial cacao drinks, as well as for sophisticated retail design, and their warm and relaxed staff. Creamy, delicious, & packed with antioxidants, their plant-based raw chocolates are freshly handmade every day from locally sourced ingredients. UBUD RAW are also one of the world’s favorite suppliers of ceremonial cacao from organic farmers in West Bali, where ceremonies are performed for the cacao at each stage of the growing and harvesting process. With two branded shops and cafes in Ubud, and a third in Canggu, UBUD RAW products are also sold at partner outlets such as the Yoga Barn and Kafe. Any trip to Bali would not be complete without savoring their amazing treats and taking some home as gifts.

Instagram: @Ubudraw

As juicing can also be a form of consuming raw food, check out Bali’s Juice Cleanse offers here.

Author’s Experience

I believe that food is medicine. Throughout my many self-experiments and deep dives into different theories of various “experts,” I have also dabbled into a strict raw food vegan diet. On the positive, I had a lot of support and hands-on training in the multitude of creative recipes, options, food combining and the bigger picture thinking of it because one of my aunties from my extended family has been practicing this lifestyle for 20+ years and is a Raw Food Chef in Australia (Ig: @inloveskitchen). On the negative, I chose a terrible time since it was straight after giving birth to my second child, and I was carrying 20+ kg baby weight. As hindsight, it was idiotic of me to do this at the level of strictness I chose while breastfeeding and dumping a lot of my weight loss detoxing into the breast milk for my precious child. Pure ignorance, stubbornness, and rigidity at play there… It was not an enjoyable experience. I was always hungry or thinking about food, extremely busy with a toddler and newborn, and maneuvering the breakdown of my marriage. Nevertheless, I learned some great recipes and experienced what food felt good and what not. Step by step, we all find our own balance for the present moment… and then it probably changes like the seasons. Happy journeying!
 


EXTRA: Prepare your Raw Food Meal at home with this delicious recipe by Kate Magic

Serves two
Takes 10 mins
You need a blender and a spiralizer

This is a traditional Italian dish called Spaghetti alla Puttanesca – the story goes that it was so cheap, quick and easy to make, the prostitutes could make it between clients. Well, I don’t know if any of you reading this are actually selling your bodies, but I’m sure many of you, like me, do your fair share of hustling in a day. So in the spirit of easy, here’s my raw puttanesca.

3 tomatoes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp rock salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 courgettes
2 tbsp capers
100g pitted black olives

Prepare the tomatoes for the blender. Put them in, along with the olive oil, honey, chilli, salt and vinegar. Whizz for a minute until you have a thick purée.
Spiralise your courgettes, and stir them into the sauce, along with your capers and olives. Done!

© Recipe and image: Kate Magic 2020. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Kate Magic is founder of RawLiving.eu, Europe’s leading resource for raw foods and superfoods. She has been a raw vegan for nearly 30 years, and raised her three sons into adulthood on a primarily raw vegan diet. She is the author of many recipe and holistic health books, and has travelled the world spreading her own unique blend of down to earth practical lifestyle advice combined with spiritual wisdom and magical insights.. You can find more of her work at KateMagic.com.