KRISTINA CARRILLO-BUCARAM
WHAT ALEXANDRA KNIGHT PRODUCT IS ON YOUR WISH LIST?
The French Market Tote is certainly on my wishlist this summer. I just love the details of the handcrafted woven straw and it looks roomy enough to fill it up with all fresh fruits and vegetables.
WHAT ARE YOUR LATEST TOP 10 OBSESSIONS?
Evamor Alkaline Drinking Water
I love drinking Evamor water because it's the only water I have tried that tastes great out the bottle and is highly alkaline which helps with hydration. I drink at least two 32 oz a day to keep me feeling my best.
Running on the Beach
I personally just love beauty of our Galveston coastline and the strength-enhancing workout running on sand can provide.
I am often on the go and so lately I have been enjoying bamboo utensils. They are biodegradable, which means they can be disposed outside and not hurt the environment.
There is an adorable outfit for any of my sweaty pursuits that make me look and feel great!
I feel more connected to the earth and more in tune with my body when wearing Vibram Running shoes. I know they look like gloves for the feet, but they make me feel centered and balanced.
The new Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer is an amazing juicer because you don't even have to cut any fruits or veggies. Its powerful masticating motor helps me create amazing tasting juices on the run while getting all the nutrients.
I just love the Chalkboard Mason Jar Mugs. They are made out of a glass and keep my juices and smoothies chilled. Glass helps preserve the integrity of the juice and I can write the name of my juice right on the chalkboard tab.
Hyannis Chaise Lounge in Grasshopper Green
These beautiful outdoor furniture pieces are on the top of my list for lounging outside because they are made with a high percentage of post-consumer materials; every piece helps the environment.
These old school produce storage bags are a great alternative to plastic and they keep your fruits and veggies uber crisp. Plus they are washable and reusable.
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE THAT YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
When it feels really loud outside get quiet on the inside.
DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL MANTRA OR QUOTE THAT YOU TOTE AROUND WITH YOU?
Nothing looks as good as healthy feels.
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?
I studied Ceramic Arts and Voice at Vanderbilt and Kinesiology at Rice University.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START RAWFULLY ORGANIC?
I was inspired to start Rawfully Organic to feed my community with affordable, living foods that are both local and organic.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, WHAT IS A FULLY RAW LIFESTYLE AND HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM "THE NORM" THAT MOST ARE ACCUSTOMED TO?
Raw food consists of (usually plant) food that is uncooked and unprocessed, such food often referred to as "live" or "living." Because you are not cooking the nutrients out of the food, you get the instant benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables in their natural state. Eating raw vegan means eating no animal products, but instead an abundance of fruits and vegetables that taste great!
HOW CAN ONE SEE YOUR VIDEOS, RECIPES, AND RECEIVE SUPPORT ON BEING FULLY RAW?
By going to www.fullyraw.com and from there you can link to all my social media channels. I love sharing weekly videos with my community full of recipes, tips and tricks to go FullyRaw. You can also visit www.youtube.com/fullyrawkristina.
WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FUTURE OF RAWFULLY ORGANIC?
I see a great future for Rawfully Organic. My dream is to see Rawfully Organic grow in various cities and continue to help develop and grow the RAW movement across the USA.
YOU ARE CHANGING PEOPLES LIVES WITH WHAT YOU DO, CAN YOU SHARE A PERSONAL STORY OR TWO THAT VALIDATES THAT?
One of my videos, 7 Raw Food Success Stories, shares the story of how these individuals have gone on the journey to be FullyRaw. One of my favorite stories, is a member of our community, Mark, lost 162 pounds. He used to eat 14,000 calories a day of junk food and today he is eating raw and feels and looks great!
Another heart touching story is that of Cecily, a mother of two little children, who was diagnosed with cancer. When Cecily found out she had to do Chemo, she turned to a Raw Lifestyle to help her counteract the toxicity of the Chemo.
I KNOW YOU HAVE TRAVELLED TO SOME FABULOUS PLACES, BUT WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE YOU HAVE EVER TRAVELLED TO AND WHY?
Dominican Republic, because it was a totally humbling experience where I got to rebuild a community and myself from the ground up.
WHAT ARE TWO THINGS THAT PEOPLE WOULD NEVER KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE?
I am ceramicist, which means I do my own ceramics and I love to do that as a past time.
I love to sing and it is my favorite past time.
CAN YOU SHARE A JUICE OR SMOOTHIE RECIPE THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR BEGINNERS?
The GlowStick
This is a great juice recipe for summer that is highly detoxifying and giving you beautiful skin! Take Carrots, Cucumber, Celery and Apple, run them through your juicer. Strain it, pour and enjoy!
Tropical Mango-Banana Smoothie
This is a really filling recipe and gives you energy for a sustained period of time. 3-4 Mangos, 3-4 Ripe Spackled Bananas (with the brown dots), 2-3 Leaves of Kale, 1 cup of Coconut Water. Rev it up in your Vitamix or any blender and enjoy!
FAVORITE WORKOUTS OR FITNESS SECRETS?
Stretch, Stretch, Stretch! That is very important to avoid injuries for any workout routine. Don't have weights? No problem! You can use a 5 lb. watermelon for squats. Also, one of my favorite workouts besides running is jump-rope. There is something youthful and fun about jumping rope and it really gets your heart moving.
WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE?
My Fully Raw Vegan Carrot Cake that I made for my birthday is probably one of the most delicious recipe substitutes I have ever created.
Raw food vegan carrot cake!
Ingredients:
4-6 cups of juiced carrot pulp (drink the juice!)
3-4 dried raw mulberries
1 cup of raw raisins
Approx. 2 cups of pitted dates
Ginger spice or a pinky of fresh ginger
Cinnamon
Slice of vanilla bean
Vanilla Icing Frosting!
4-6 cups of soaked raw cashews
4-6 cups of raw young coconut water
1.5 cups of pitted dates
1 cup of raw fresh, squeezed lemon juice
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Pinch of vanilla bean
1 teaspoon of rose water (2 if desired)
YOU ARE SO NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL, BUT ARE THERE ANY BEAUTY PRODUCTS OR ESSENTIALS THAT YOU USE?
The Morocco Method from Austin, which is a RAW Vegan hair company.
WHAT SONGS ARE ON YOUR CURRENT IPHONE/IPOD PLAYLIST OR WHAT ARTISTS ARE YOU LOVING?
I really like the "LuvAmp Project" by Sunflowers & Wood. Also, Avasa & Matty Love are really grooving. My favorite song from them is "Let the Sunshine Through".
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE OR WORDS OF WISDOM FOR SOMEONE THINKING TO TRY A RAW MEAL OR BECOME FULLY RAW ?
Enjoy the journey and be gentle with yourself. It is about the destination and each step you take to go Raw is a growth opportunity. Going Raw is a lifestyle, not a diet and actually going Raw is an abundant way of eating in which you can eat as much fruit and as many vegetables as you want. It's about feeling fully satiated. For those of you going on the summer vacations, check out my video: How to Travel and Eat Fully Raw.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RECIPES FOR SUMMER?
Raw Banana Ice-Cream
Ingredients:
5-8 Frozen bananas (peeled and then frozen in a ziploc bag)
1 carton of either blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries
Optional: 5-6 pitted dates
Directions:
Blend the bananas in a high speed blender (with dates if desired), then pour into a bowl. Blend the berries. Then pour this mixture over the banana ice cream, and create a swirl of color! Grab a spoon and enjoy!
WHO IS KRISTINA CARRILLO-BUCARAM AND WHY DO WE LOVE HER?
Ever since spending the summers in California, I have longed for a fabulous fresh co-op and farmers market and I have finally found it. I love receiving my boxes full of fresh fruits and veggies every week and taking my children. Making my children a part of the experience makes they actually eat more veggies! It is a fabulous resource for Houstonians.
Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram, is a pioneer in the local, organic food co-operative movement and is the founder of the largest raw, organic produce co-operative in the U.S., where she has been 100% raw for almost seven years.
She attended both Vanderbilt University and Rice University, and she graduated from Rice University on the top 5% of her class in 2009 with a triple major in Kinesiology specializing in Health Science, Raw Foods, and Fasting. Since then, she has been involved highly in the movement of Organic Horticulture, Permaculture, and Co-operative Communities.
Kristina's inspiration for being FullyRaw came after she was able to rid herself of Hyperglycemia at the age of 18 eating nothing but a low fat raw vegan diet consisting solely of fresh fruits and vegetables with few nuts and seeds. After being a direct understudy of 20+ year raw fooder John Rose, she interned and worked under Dr. Graham at his health events in Seattle and in Costa Rica.
She has lived in the Dominican Republic and in Costa Rica, and she has become an advidly enthusiastic runner who runs at least six to eight miles a day! At the age of 20 before she graduated college, she started the non-profit organization called Rawfully Organic. This organic produce co-operative in Houston, Texas grew from 12 people in her living room to over 6000 families in the greater Houston city limits. Rawfully Organic feeds over 450 families each week and focuses on the benefits of eating diets high in raw fruits and vegetables while making organic affordable for all. The nonprofit grosses more a million each year, and it stays true to its mission to support families in the Texas community to supply an abundance of organic produce to help them achieve their raw, vegetarian, or vegan lifestyle. To this day, the coop is 100% volunteer run, and not even Kristina chooses to write herself a paycheck.
Besides being the chief goddess co-operator of Rawfully Organic, Kristina has made a living coaching and inspiring thousands of others to be FullyRaw for the past few years. She also enjoys frequently speaking and lecturing to the Texas community. She even offers raw classes where she prepares food for her audiences! Kristina's mission is to simply REACH PEOPLE with the message of RAW. She wants to inspire people to find their rawness within so that they can find their own health freedom and zest! You CAN be FullyRaw, and Kristina wants to help you get there!
