| is interview is an excerpt from Kevin Gianni's | | | | called The Gerson Institute which while it’s not |
| Rawkathon, which can be found at In this excerpt, | | | | exactly like this, they do a few different things. |
| Nomi Shannon shares on raw food, what people really | | | | It’s very world renowned. They are able to do |
| need and her experiences working at the Hippocrates | | | | things that can’t be done in this country, |
| Health Institute. | | | | that’s why they’re in Mexico. There are |
| Rawkathon with Nomi Shannon. Nomi Shannon is raw | | | | places in Germany, there’s places all over the |
| foodist who has worked at the Hippocrates Health | | | | world. Alternative health really is what it is. |
| Institute and is the author some amazing books on raw | | | | There’s lots of people who are completely well |
| food preparation including “The Raw Food | | | | that go there to learn the program, to clean up their |
| Gourmet” and “Raw Food | | | | act, their nutritional act. Unfortunately it’s very, |
| Celebrations.” | | | | very often that someone’s already sick. To go |
| Kevin: Well Nomi, welcome to this program. I’m | | | | to a place like Hippocrates, it’s not a hospital, |
| excited to have you. | | | | it’s not a clinic, you can’t be in bed sick. |
| Nomi: Hi Kevin, it’s good to be here. | | | | You have to be well enough to be able to take care |
| Kevin: Why don’t you start very quickly for | | | | of yourself. |
| those people who might not know who you are, just | | | | Kevin: OK. |
| tell a little about yourself. | | | | Nomi: Features of the program are wheat grass juice, |
| Nomi: OK, I’m Nomi Shannon, I have a book | | | | sprouts; they teach you how to grow these things. |
| called, “The Raw Gourmet” which is | | | | You juice the grass, you drink it, that kind of thing. |
| kind of the raw food bible for people who are just | | | | What sets Hippocrates apart from the other places, |
| starting. Especially because if you read the whole book | | | | are the food is truly gourmet and the quality of the |
| from cover to cover you’ll know everything | | | | classes, that kind of thing. You can even learn this |
| you need to know to have a raw food kitchen. I have | | | | from books. I like people if they can, especially in the |
| a newer book called, “Raw Food | | | | beginning, especially if they have a health challenge and |
| Celebrations” and that book is for people who | | | | they don’t know much, rather than sort of |
| want to have like a celebratory meal. The book has | | | | desperately attempt to cobble together the information, |
| menus so you have an entire Italian menu for example | | | | especially if they’re already panicked that |
| or an entire Thai menu. It’s set up so that you | | | | they’ve gotten a diagnosis that frightens them, |
| can prepare most of your food in advance which is an | | | | I’d like to see them go to one of these places. |
| unusual thing for raw food. So that if you work from | | | | Let somebody else make their food for three weeks |
| Monday through say Saturday or Friday, you can do | | | | and they have classes all day long which they can |
| most of the prep and then have your event on | | | | attend and learn how to do it. They’re |
| Saturday, Sunday without feeling like all you did was | | | | immersed in it so they’re simultaneously |
| work. | | | | cleansing and healing and learning what to do when |
| Kevin: Right and putting together these amazing recipe | | | | they go home. |
| books is just one part of your experience. You started | | | | It’s just easier rather than try to talk to |
| out at Hippocrates correct? | | | | someone on the phone and then you do this and then |
| Nomi: Yes, yes I worked for quite a few years at | | | | you make this and they’re not well and |
| Hippocrates Health Institute which is a really wonderful, | | | | they’re panicked. I’m like, “You |
| beautiful raw food retreat. The food there is very | | | | know what? What’s more important |
| gourmet and I really am comfortable and familiar with | | | | you’re health; take a few weeks off from |
| all the aspects that come along with a raw food diet. | | | | work, unpaid. Yes, it’s a sacrifice.” |
| Cleansing, healing, omeopathically, supplementation that | | | | Kevin: Yeah. |
| kind of thing. People think of me as a chef and as a | | | | Nomi: But get yourself into the program, especially if |
| caterer and as a creator of recipes but raw food is on | | | | you’re very ill. Take that three weeks to rest |
| continuum from therapeutic to gourmet and really | | | | and relax, you’ll get lot of cleansing done in |
| Hippocrates and places like it, such as Optimum Health | | | | three weeks. Then you really know what |
| Institute in San Diego, cater to the therapeutic aspects | | | | you’re doing when you come home. |
| of it. When people are wanting to become well, | | | | Kevin: What are some of the things that you find that |
| improve their health or prevent ever becoming ill. | | | | most people just need? Whether it’s |
| There’s a whole range that I’m familiar | | | | supplements, or it’s food or things that |
| with and able to teach. | | | | universally will help people get on a healthier track. |
| Kevin: Tell me a little about what kind of people that | | | | Nomi: Yes. Well the whole fast food thing, everybody |
| came in to Hippocrates, what kind of things helped | | | | seems so, including me, rushed and busy, even if |
| them and how they left. | | | | they’re at home all the time. With the Internet |
| Nomi: OK, I left Hippocrates in ’95 so it’s | | | | and all that, people are, even a generation or two ago |
| quite some years since I’ve been there, | | | | people made most of their food at home. Now |
| although I’ve gone back quite a few times to | | | | they’re getting it out. It’s hard to have |
| teach because one of the things they have besides a | | | | good nutrition when you’re not making your |
| regular three-week program, they also have a | | | | own food and so the transition even isn’t from |
| nine-week health educator program which is learning a | | | | a person who makes pasta on Monday and roast |
| little bit about a lot of different subjects. It’s | | | | beef on Tuesday and beans and franks on |
| great for people who want to be in the alternative | | | | Wednesday. They’re actually eating at home |
| health field to help them learn all the range of things | | | | and so what their transition is, OK I’m just going |
| that are out there and then when they leave there | | | | to make different food. The transition now is, learn |
| they would maybe choose one or two subjects, | | | | how to boil water, almost. You’re not really |
| maybe iridology which is study of the eye of the | | | | boiling water literally when you’re eating raw |
| strengths and weaknesses of the body or | | | | food but the joke is I can’t even boil water to |
| there’s just probably 15 or 20 subjects that we | | | | make an egg. I don’t even know how to do |
| cover lightly and then if they want they see what they | | | | that. The people, the generations that are coming up |
| want to learn more about. So I ran that program. | | | | now, have never made food. |
| The normal person that attends Hippocrates, people | | | | Kevin: Yes. |
| come there from all over the world. It is an expensive | | | | Nomi: Let alone learning how to do it at home. |
| program which is why I also mention Optimum Health | | | | That’s the biggest learning curve. And then |
| Institute, there’s one in Texas and one in | | | | people are always worried about time. So I have really, |
| California. There’s a place in Puerto Rico called | | | | and a lot of people in the raw food movement, have |
| The Anne Wigmore Foundation, essentially the same | | | | figured out ways to have really great nourishment in a |
| program. The other places I mentioned are far more | | | | really small amount of time. Like you guys, I shared a |
| affordable. I have literally seen people from every | | | | smoothie with you before we turned the camera on |
| single country in the world attend these places. People | | | | that you had thrown together in your blender, a green |
| have come there that were very, very ill with maybe | | | | smoothie. And that is, there are, they have to learn |
| various kinds of cancer. People have come there who | | | | that, that’s the sort of universal thing that |
| have already undergone surgery, radiation, chemo, | | | | people are learning. How to create really healthy food |
| maybe became well and then a few years later | | | | for themselves in a quite short amount of time. That is |
| something came back and they decided to take a | | | | the biggie. |
| natural route. There’s another institute in Mexico | | | | |