Valcorza - The Naked Vegan: 140+ Tasty Raw Vegan Recipes For Health And Wellness

There once was a nurseturned-pharmaceutical sales manager who had always partied hard, chain smoked, eaten whatever she liked and exercised just enough to stay fit. One day, she decided to take up yoga (because it seemed like a great way to get a toned butt). Little did she know that this snap decision, made out of curiosity and vanity, would change her life forever, leading her on a journey to organic, plant-based, raw food health, one delicious bite at a time.

Maz Valcorza is the founder and director of Sadhana Kitchen, Sydneys first organic, raw food and vegan caf.

@mazvalcorza
#thenakedvegan

There once was a nurse-turned-pharmaceutical sales manager in Sydney who had always eaten whatever she wanted, partied hard, chain smoked, exercised enough to stay fit and didnt think very much about the repercussions of her actions.

One day, she decided to take up yoga, because it seemed like a great way to get a bit more coordination and a toned butt. Little did she know that this snap decision, made out of curiosity and vanity, would change her life forever.

The pharmaceutical sales manager loved yoga so much, she studied to become a yoga teacher. One yogic philosophy that really resonated with her was that of ahimsa, which translates as non-violence or non-harm. This principle seems pretty straightforward: dont walk around hurting others. She soon came to realise that non-violence included avoiding injury to all living beings, both directly and indirectly and that changing what she consumed as food was one of the most significant ways to ensure she was doing as little harm as possible on a daily basis.

So she decided to adopt a plant-based diet specifically a vegan one, which differs from a vegetarian diet by avoiding not only animal flesh of any kind, but also all animal-derived products, such as eggs, dairy and honey.

She knew a plant-based diet could definitely provide all the essential nutrients, so she started researching nutrient-dense vegan options. Then she came across the concept of raw food and it piqued her curiosity. What on earth was raw pizza was the dough just not baked? Can you eat more than just a bunch of carrot sticks and dip? Luckily the answer was no, and yes, respectively.

She began experimenting with online recipes, and came to find raw food so delicious, quick and easy that she started sharing recipes through her own online blog. When she came up with the idea of making vegan treats such as her to sell to small cafes in her spare time, the owner of her yoga studio let her use their kitchen space one thing led to another and soon enough she was given a life-changing opportunity to leave the pharmaceutical world and open Sydneys very first organic, raw, vegan cafe.

That girl was me, and Im so grateful to everyone who has helped me on this journey and supported what Sadhana Kitchen is all about: making delicious, mindful, healthy food more accessible, and encouraging our customers along their own journey with every bite.

These days, Sadhana Kitchen hosts a series of unique experiences, including a signature raw vegan high tea, a seven-course raw food degustation, raw cleanses, raw catering and lunch delivery services.

Sdhan (pronounced sah-da-nah) is a Sanskrit term that translates as ones conscious spiritual practice. Your sadhana is your daily ritual: something you do consistently and consciously to enliven your every day. At Sadhana Kitchen, we hope to share how eating ethical, healthy and delicious food can help us connect with our personal wisdom. By eating kindly and consciously every day, we remember to be more mindful in all our daily choices, to pay more attention, and to celebrate the things we enjoy and feel good about. By using delicious and beautiful raw vegan food as this reminder as our sadhana we nudge our lives in a happier, more purposeful direction.

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