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A breath of fresh flair

An American guru of all things unprocessed has seen a niche interest turn into a global movement.

Esther Han
Esther Han

Raw foodism involves a diet of organic or wild foods, along with the so-called ''superfoods''.
Raw foodism involves a diet of organic or wild foods, along with the so-called ''superfoods''.Kim Kim Foster

David Wolfe has a habit of giving an answer the opposite of what is expected. Ask him about the neo-raw-food movement, and he describes it as ''ancient, old and nothing new''.

Ask the American nutritionist about the modern Western diet of refined sugars, additives and processed foods, and he replies: ''The dietary chaos we're in right now is actually very good.''

Let him explain: ''We're finding out what doesn't work and what does. We're opening up new pathways of knowledge. Without crisis, there's no opportunity.''

A 20-year convert: David Wolfe is touring Australia to promote the benefits of raw food.
A 20-year convert: David Wolfe is touring Australia to promote the benefits of raw food.Tamara Dean
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Wolfe is one of the world's leading proponents of raw food, advocating a lifestyle of consuming only unprocessed and uncooked food. He overhauled his diet 20 years ago, changing to raw, plant-based foods.

Raw foodism, as the movement is called, involves a diet of organic or wild foods, along with the so-called ''superfoods''.

Wolfe champions superfoods such as goji berries, hemp seed and blue-green algae, which he believes have helped him sustain a busy lifestyle touring the world promoting natural and organic living.

In a series of talks across Australia in May, the best-selling author hopes to reinvigorate raw-food communities and spark creativity in the growing number of raw-food and vegetarian eateries. Along with his vibrant persona, he has brought a haul of scientific proof.

He considers the raw-food diet to be a ''great cleansing protocol'' that helps people simplify their eating attitudes to understand what is and isn't necessary. And, in an age in which people are leading increasingly fast-paced lives and being exposed to a multitude of chemicals, he says the need for an ''original, authentic and pure'' diet is crucial.

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He concedes that living on raw food can be difficult. The most common complaint from those who give up the diet is that it's too expensive and fills the body with too much fibre. ''Organic food is crazy expensive,'' he says, ''but are you going to pay now or pay later, because the chemicals in food are just scary. And if there's too much fibre, eat more fruit, more berries and food with soluble fibre. Uncooked broccoli is quite a heavy load on your system.''

To help new converts adjust to the lifestyle, raw-food chef Julie Mitsios opened the Earth to Table cafe in Bondi Junction six months ago, and was surprised by the demand.

''People are getting more interested in eating healthy, fresh food,'' she says. ''Our most popular item is the decadent raw-chocolate smoothie. It has maca, goji berries and lucuma. People feel good after drinking it.''

Mitsios plans to expand, envisioning 10 raw-food restaurants within five years. She estimates that a quarter of her patrons are raw-food purists.

Marioul Valcorza took a gamble and opened another of Sydney's first raw-food eateries, Sadhana Kitchen in Newtown, in 2012.

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''I found eating raw food gave me more energy and vitality,'' she says. ''It was insane to open the cafe, considering I had no background in hospitality and didn't know if it would work.''

Buoyed by success, Valcorza will soon move the restaurant to a larger space on King Street, and she has plans to launch kiosks and food trucks to promote raw food.

Simon Lawson, executive chef at the Agape Organic Restaurant and Bar in Botany, began getting requests for raw-food menus three years ago. He now regularly serves raw-food dishes on request and hosts raw-food feasts.

The rise of raw-food restaurants in Sydney in the past three years is something Wolfe has witnessed in cities around the world. Restaurants in Chicago and New York are leading the way, he says.

''It's becoming more sophisticated and interesting. People are eating it up.''

See davidwolfeaustraliantour.com.

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Esther HanEsther Han is a homepage editor at The Sydney Morning Herald. She was the overnight homepage editor based in New York City, and previously covered state politics, health and consumer affairs.

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