Before purchasing or consuming "foods", ask yourself these questions:

1. Is this food truly raw and living? Does the food you are eating have life-force? Even some "raw foods" that are packaged contain very little actual life force. Use your best judgment on deciding what foods are going to make you shine the brightest!

2. Is this food organic or pesticide-free? Foods that are not organic contain harmful chemical that a good wash will not help.

3. Does this food hydrate my body? Eating foods that are juicy are far better for you due to the water content. Foods that have their own water are easier to digest and do not rob water from the body in order to make it through the intestinal tract.

4. Does this food or meal contain 5 or less ingredients for easier digestion? The fewer ingredients a dish has, the better it is as far as digestion goes. If you are constantly dumping all sorts of "combo abombo" into the body with little bouts of simplicity you will never feel the beautiful benefits of Live Food nutrition.

5. Is this food fresh, ripe and in season near my home? Local is best! Nature grows what we need in places that we need it. This insured we consume a variety of fresh foods and get all that we need from the vitamin spectrum. If we live in say Idaho and eat mostly imported Thai coconuts and cacao powder, we will not experience a good healthy variety. If we are consuming fruits that have been picked green, shipped across two states in a box chances are the nutrients in that fruit are seriously lacking due to mass farming practices.  We may even feel off balance and blame it on simply being "raw" which is not the case. Choose fresh and ripe as often as possible.

Tip: Unless you are a seagull do not eat anything out of the drive-up window or a greasy street cart.

Strive for consistency rather than perfection!

-Melissa Mango

Author of Melissa Mango's Green Cuisine, Melissa is a live food chef in the Santa Cruz area also catering David Wolfe events. As a dessert magician and food combining mistress her talents taker her abroad to consult and share the healing magic of Live Foods.

As a new mother; her book on raw meals to support a healthy raw pergnancy and beyond will be released this summer.

Check the Mango Mama out here: http://www.melissamangosgreencuisine.blogspot.com/