A-Live and Healthy
An interview with chef and founder of A-Live and Healthy, Kim Smith:
How long have you been a raw food chef? What was your inspiration? In 1992 I found myself at the Optimum Health Institute, which is an Ann Wigmore center, in Lemon Grove, CA. They promote the use of wheatgrass and living food for optimum health. I thought I was taking myself to a fancy spa to be pampered. It was quite a surprize when I realized what I was actually going to be doing for 3 weeks. I felt so much better after 3 days that I decided to finish the program. It changed my life.
Where did you learn to prepare raw foods? I’ve always been comfortable in the kitchen. I have taken a couple of classes with different people and read lots of books and I experimented. In 2001 I worked in a living foods restaurant for about 8 months and I learned alot there. When your are using the best ingredients it’s hard to go too wrong.
Did you have any professional cooking experience before A-live and Healthy? Not professional cooking, but I started cooking when I was very young. I was frying eggs and bacon when I was 5. My father’s family was Hungarian and big eaters. At the holiday’s we feasted and there was always lots of baking. I loved all of it and my kitchen was a popular spot with my family and friends. Learning to do it all without turning on the stove was quite an adjustment at first. Now my kitchen is equipped with everything but pots and pans.
Are your a native Floridian? If not, where are you from? I am originally from Michigan. I came to Florida for a vacation in 1988 and I’ve been here ever since, except for the time I spent in California. I love it here and can’t imagine living any where else unless it was the tropics.
Do you eat an entirely raw food diet? No not entirely. I feel best when I eat raw, and I never eat flesh or dairy, but I eat cooked food occasionally. I eat whatever I want whenever I want it. Fortunately the things I want these days are the things that are good for my body.
What do you think the most important aspect and/or benefit of a raw food diet? For me it’s the way I feel. My digestion is good, I have almost inexhaustable energy, I sleep very well, I feel peaceful and happy most of the time, and I never get sick. When people tell me they can’t afford to eat organically I say “ I can’t afford not to.” I’ve saved thousands of dollars in doctor bills and sick days by eating organically and vegan It’s a lifestyle that will allow me to live my life to the fullest as long as I’m alive and that’s important to me.
