Kimberlie is amazing, let me tell you. She's very very into raw foods and eats a close to 100% raw diet. I love her too because she's also not following a "trend" or trying conform to be anything! She is just a die-hard fully-aware woman who believes that her health is a direct reflection of her diet {mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health that is}. She goes through the honest ebbs and flows of life and allows her body to feel what is right for her. She wasn't totally raw through pregnancy but was vegan and did a lot of raw during her second. She had two natural births, one at home. She gave me a lot of strength through both my pregnancies. She knows a lot and has a lot to say ... so I recommend you listen up!
1. why do you eat raw and when/how did you get started on it?
I started eating raw 7.5 years ago when we met our nutritional
counselor who wanted to help Tom with his Parkinson's. Our daughter
(who was 6 months at the time and totally breastfed) had a lot of
digestive problems and food allergies and was just recovering from
whooping cough. Within 2 days of switching to an all raw/vegan diet
Tom was 50% better, and within 1 week of the switch our daughters'
whooping cough symptoms were completely gone, along with her tummy
troubles. After a long transition and the birth of our son, the
kids and I maintain a 100% raw/vegan lifestyle. Transitioning was
hardest for Tom who still eats cooked food. Our son was intolerant
of cooked food, which made staying raw necessary. It was complete
freedom when we stopped all cooked food. It became very easy, much
easier than trying to go back and forth.
2. your kids are raw? tell us more about their diets? what are some of their favorite things?
The kids are now 5 and 8 and love eating raw. They see the stuff
that other people eat and it smells "yuck" and looks "yuck" to them.
They see that other kids get colds and runny noses and they are
thankful that they eat raw and are healthy. They choose mostly fresh
food and eat very simply. A typical day is fruit and fresh juice in
the morning and/or green smoothie. Carrots, cucumber, lettuce and
onion/cashew dip in the afternoon, or collard wraps with anything
inside. Tomberlies any time after that, with salad in the evening.
Occasionally they like crackers, Kookie Karma Krawkers or rosemary
almond crackers that I make with guacamole or avocado slices. Apples
and almond butter or apple slices with basil pesto on occasion. They
definitely choose seasonal fruits and veggies and prefer salads and
veggies in fall/winter while eating more fruit in the spring/summer.
I love that they can eat whatever they want whenever they want.
3. tell us about your births and pregnancies? did you eat raw? vegan?
My first pregnancy was on the SAD diet. I thought that I was eating
really healthy with minimal processed food, but I had a cold that
lasted 2 weeks every month for the entire pregnancy. I became really
sensitive to a lot of foods and had a very difficult birth at a birth
center with 20 hours of intense labor and 4 hours of pushing. My
second pregnancy I juiced every day including wheatgrass and ate
mostly raw and totally vegan with some cooked food. I had a very
uncomfortable pregnancy and wish that I had had eaten completely
raw. I did have a very easy, quick, pain free, unassisted home birth.
4. what advice would you give new moms about raw food and kids diets?
The most important thing to remember is to eat a lot of leafy
greens. Mix them up. Put them in your smoothies and get your kids
to eat them. Green smoothies every day. Most kids love collard
wraps with a few veggies and hummus. They will eat salad with the
right stuff on it. Let them pick what they like. Sliced cucumber,
cherry tomatoes, shredded carrot, raisins, sunflower seeds, etc....
Usually they will choose a simple dressing of just olive oil and salt
or maybe some lemon squeezed on as well. Kids instinctively know
what they need as long as you give them access to fresh organic
food. See what they are drawn to and trust them. Let them eat with
their fingers too. Touching food is important in getting to know it
and makes it so much easier than trying to manipulate utensils with
slippery lettuce. Simple cashew dip is great too:
2 c. cashews
juice of one small lemon
1 tsp. salt
1 c. H20
-- blend to smooth.
You can add ¼c. sweet onion or 1 clove garlic and any combination of herbs.
This dip is sooo versatile and makes eating fun. New eaters
can feed themselves, just put soft fruit in front of them and let
them have at it. My daughter loved pears, avocado and bananas. My
son loved oranges. Both my children fed themselves, I didn't spoon
feed them. Kids will eat enough when the stress is off. If my kids
are hungry they get something to eat or ask for help. We don't have
"meal times", and I don't force them to "clean their plate". They
are both in the mid range for height and weight for their age, and
are always healthy.
5. what advice would you give woman about to go into labor?
One quart of green smoothie every day, breathe......talk to your
baby.....breathe more.....
6. what advice would you give a pregnant woman about her diet?
I recommend eating 100% raw. If that isn't as easy as it sounds, do
the best you can, and again, one quart of green smoothie every day.
Read "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko, I feel that this book is
the most important book on nutrition ever written. She answers and
explains any question you can possibly come up with.
7. tell me about tomberlies?
I started making raw/vegan ice cream for myself because life without
ice cream wasn't possible. It is my favorite food. It is also a
great way to get a meal in. When I got good at making it, Tom came
to me with a business card that read "TOMBERLIES
Raw Vegan Ice Cream", and the business was born. I love that I can
make a product that is supportive of Life. I love that I can be
helping people around the world by providing jobs for people who
provide me with the ingredients I need to make Tomberlies. The kids
and I talk about the impact of our business and what it means to us.
My daughter is really impressed by how far reaching one persons
actions can be, and is very thoughtful about what kind of a world she
wants to grow up in. Both the kids love eating Tomberlies. With all
the talk of "health care", I like to think that I am creating health
care in a cup, one cup at a time.
Jena
Thanks for sharing this information! I hope to have some of the ice cream next time I'm in SD.
Sherlyn2010
Ice cream perhaps one of world's favorite foods. It does not matter which part of world you are in, surely, you tried these cold snacks at least one in life. Others even try making own cold snacks at home using freezer ice cream maker. All they to do is to put in this into their freezer & wait for it to harden bit.