Susan O'Brien

Hail Merry Raw Food Label Update

Most RAW nuts and seeds grown in the United States have in fact been put through a bacterial kill step with a bath of 160 degrees F.  Hail Merry leads the way for truth in raw food labeling standards. Raw food is fresh, whole food that has not been refined, chemically processed, denatured, or heated above 118 degrees F.  Hail Merry is undergoing a label conversion and we want to explain why.  We are on a path to migrate away from the raw foods lifestyle definition of raw and into a more technical definition of raw.  In order to migrate into the technical definition of RAW we are moving to RAW OILS rather than RAW and here is why...

First let us explain the overall landscape of "Artisanal" Raw Foods.

Hail Merry's owners have been in the food industry for over 30 years, using good practices in food safety and supply management.  We have vetted the raw ingredients used by our industry.  Most ingredients believed to be raw and that have been used in the raw food lifestyle for years have in fact been put through a bacterial kill step with a bath of 160 degrees F.   These ingredients include:  shredded coconut, all USA nuts & seeds, nut flours, dried fruits and spices.

The only raw food snacks that can truly claim raw status are the dehydrated produce companies like raw kale chips (although these companies also use raw food lifestyle ingredients that are not technically raw in their recipes, such as seeds and spices).  Raw Granolas, crackers & macaroons, even though they are low temp dehydrated, are really not technically raw since they have been put through the bacterial kill step (which is a good thing by the way) resulting in no active enzymes present.   However the omegas in these ingredients are still raw!  The bath that a raw nut undergoes still leaves the interior of the nut well below its flash point and considered to be raw and much healthier to consume than if that nut were heated to temperatures reached in baking or roasting.  In our attempt to bring transparency to our labeling we had added the asterisks next to these non-raw ingredients.  Others in the industry have not.

It just really depends on how each artisan defines raw, whether by the lifestyle (which includes these non-raw ingredients) or by the amount of active enzymes present.   In our label migration path at Hail Merry we have decided to move past the lifestyle definition into the more technical definition with regards to living enzymes.

Truth in labeling is actually extremely important to us and we will take a leadership role in bringing forth these facts.  The FDA will expect this action from us as well as our neighbors in raw.  That day will come very soon.

As for maple syrup, it again is one of those raw food lifestyle ingredients and one that we see frequently used by other raw food snack companies, again without the use of an asterisk like we have added.  Maple syrup is boiled during production but is still rich in minerals.

With all this said, raw foods are very much "artisanal" during these formative years.  There are even highly regarded raw food companies using non-official raw symbols containing grains and animal proteins, such as whey and oats.  This is the most liberal expression of artisanal raw foods we have seen in the market place.

We will also be adding LOW TEMP DEHYDRATION to our packaging.  LTD is after all what we do as raw foodists, we dehydrate - all with the well-intentioned desire to not fully oxidize and denature these healthy nutrient dense ingredients and omegas with high heat from baking.

We hope this clarifies the progress being made in our raw food category and at Hail Merry.

Respectfully,

Susan O’Brien

Founder, Hail Merry

Hail Merry Raw Statement:

Thanks to movies like Food Inc. and Forks Over Knives, and the double-digit growth of the gluten-free market due to an epidemic increase in chronic and autoimmune diseases like celiac and type-2 diabetes, the public has awoken to the health benefits of raw foods. Consumers are looking for quality transportable products that are affordable, taste good, and do not contain refined sugars, oxidized refined oils, synthetic vitamins, GMOs, soy fillers, gluten or animal/dairy products. Hail Merry snacks delivers on all fronts while proudly offering outstanding award winning taste! Safety, quality and dependability of the finished consumer product are of utmost importance to us. We methodically source our ingredients for the same safety, quality and dependability so we can deliver a product that not only tastes delicious but also is healthy & safe to eat. This philosophy and dedication to our consumer is the reason we are not 100% raw. Hail Merry is a RAW OIL story. Let me explain.

As you are probably aware there are two factors that make a food raw, raw oils & living enzymes.  Living enzymes like probiotics are VERY hard to quantify.  That is why we hang our hat on raw oils not enzymes. There is not a standard of identity yet for RAW foods the way there is for gluten-free (Hail Merry is certified Gluten-Free to the highest standards of the industry by its most respected approving authority). We will become involved in contributing to the standards of RAW as an OIL story as we believe it is as critical as the ENZYME story. All Hail Merry products include RAW ingredients. Some of our products are more RAW than others, but they ALL feature RAW oils.

As a raw food enthusiast our brand reflects my own personal lifestyle (which is not 100% raw) and what I prefer in regard to flavor profile and the unique benefits of raw oils.  I do believe strongly that enzymes play a major role in health and vitality.  I prefer to obtain the majority of the living enzymes I consume daily from raw fruits and veggies.  Our foods contain some living enzymes (as opposed to baked snacks) but are in fact more of a raw oil story, since by nature  macaroons, dessert tarts, nuts and granola are considerably low in enzyme payload by nature.   We choose to celebrate the plant based raw oil within the coconut oil, nuts & seeds left in tact from low heat dehydration.

As a manufacturer, we can source raw oils to meet our high quality standards.  The raw cacao industry is not regulated and there is no guarantee that temperature limits to preserve living enzymes have not been exceeded. Manufacturers of raw foods cannot guarantee enzyme levels of their packaged products by the time it reaches the consumer, much like the yogurt industry. Air, light and temperature become factors. We can guarantee the processing of our cold-pressed raw oils.

I also personally believe that raw cocao is toxic when consumed often.  It is not a superfood in the minds of many raw food experts including Jeremy Safron who is very outspoken on this issue.  My recipes happen to be inspired by the highly esteemed raw food chef Matthew Kenney, who uses maple syrup in many of his recipes.  Mathew also owns the raw food culinary school in Oklahoma and is regarded as a leader in the industry speaking at TED conferences etc.

Therefore, Hail Merry is a RAW OIL story.  Raw oils don’t begin to fully oxidize until heated to temps well over 220 degrees.  For the record we dehydrate our foods at 115 degrees.

For example our Meyer Lemon Tarts do contain raw fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice, which gives the tarts our signature great fresh taste.   We also use organic raw agave in the Meyer Lemon Tart.  As you know there is a tremendous amount of controversy surrounding agave.  At the end of the day we selected the highest quality raw agave on the market to use in this recipe for the flavor profile - yet how raw is the agave truly?  Most agave syrup is processed at temperatures between 120-160F. How many living enzymes really exist in that agave after processing, manufacturing and transportation? If it does not have enzymatic activity, is it raw? As the controversy plays out in the raw food industry, we will continue to primarily use maple syrup as a sweetener.  Maple syrup has a higher vitamin/mineral payload than agave and often a better taste profile in our snacks and desserts. The result is repeat sales and consumer loyalty, lifting the entire raw food market for all manufacturers. If a product does not taste good, it will not have sustainability. I can’t tell you how many raw enthusiasts Hail Merry has as fans, who are happy we use maple syrup in some of our recipes instead of agave.

At the end of the day, there are no official standards for defining raw.  The fact that we dehydrate at 115 degrees to protect our raw plant based oils is how WE lead with raw.  Hail Merry adds an asterisk next to those items in our ingredients that don't contain living enzymes for transparency, however there are still raw plant based oils present.  We believe our customers are educated enough to make their own decisions about how raw a raw food should be to fit their individual lifestyle and philosophy, just as I have done. We believe in our customer and they trust us to deliver high quality, safe, transportable raw, vegan and gluten-free snacks that taste great and make them happy!

Here is a statement I wrote for our website.

Hail Merry foods are not 100% raw.   We feel that we are raw where it counts most -  in the plant based dietary oils found in the nuts, seeds and coconut oils.  Our almonds have been steam pasteurized at 160 degrees, however the oils inside the almonds still remain raw.  Our buckwheat groats, & sunflower seeds, have been soaked prior to seasoning and dehydration for optimum digestion. A diet flush with living enzymes is the key to vitality and longevity. Pair that with raw plant based dietary oils for proper vitamin absorption, and hormone balance and our bodies will radiate with good health.

I hope this helps give you more perspective into our story and philosophy.  There are some living enzymes present in our foods just like other raw food companies, but no company can guarantee how many enzymes are present at point of consumption. We can guarantee consistency, dependability, sustainability and safety to your customers.

Thanks,

Susan O’Brien
Founder, Hail Merry

Eat a Raw Food Diet and Look Younger

By Susan O’Brien

What is this RAW FOOD diet all about and how can it make me look younger? The RAW FOOD diet is rapidly becoming the most talked about diet in America. What is it all about and how can we incorporate this lifestyle into our lives with out countless hours of dehydration and food preparation? There is also a shroud of “out-there” surrounding the raw food movement. “If I only eat raw will I stop shaving my armpits and join a commune”? “Will I become that annoying evangelist who never gets invited to a dinner party because I only talk about raw food and how it makes you super human”?

Here is my real life, real mom experience with the Raw Food Diet and how I walked away from 9 months of being 99% raw to become a total fan of raw food AND someone you still might want to invite to a dinner party (I hope).

First the Cleanse: It all started when I was turning 40 and wanted to do something for ME. NOT my kids, my husband or my 3 animals. But ME! I first started with the Master Cleanse. Which if you have never done a cleanse, I highly recommend that you research one that works for you. The Master Cleanse is a great one (the Master Cleanse is a yellow pamphlet that can be purchased at most Whole Foods Markets - it is always best to consult your doctor before doing a cleanse). I personally love the Master Cleanse because you don’t eat anything for several days. You just drink lemonade made with fresh lemons and maple syrup. When your body doesn’t have to digest food it can start to flush toxins and repair cellar damage. It was strange how after the first day or two you stop being hungry and you cannot believe how great you will sleep during this time.

Years of ingesting toxins from pesticides, environmental toxins that we absorb from the air we breath, as well as the chemicals that leach into our skin from sun screens and topical creams are stored in our fat cells. Doing a cleanse will allow you to burn off these old fat cells and flush out these stored toxins. Not to mention, you will loose weight, which is for most the number one reason for doing a cleanse!

After the Master Cleanse, it was time to eat again so I decided to eat only raw foods. The Raw Food Diet is comprised of only raw fruits, vegetables and raw nuts and seeds. It is vegan and gluten free, which is also a nice added benefit.

Living raw foods are loaded with digestive enzymes and co-factors that help us more quickly absorb the nutrients from our foods higher up in the gastric region rather than relying on the pancreas to manufacture these enzymes for us. When we rely solely on the pancreas to offer up our digestive enzymes our food sits for a longer time in our stomach and intestines waiting for these enzymes to take effect, which then causes the stomach to store this food longer and create more stomach acid.

When we flood our bodies with living enzymes at the moment we begin chewing our food, we absorb our nutrients quicker and more efficiently which de-stresses the pancreas by allowing it to produce enzymes for other important metabolic functions. When we cook foods above 118 degrees the vitamins & minerals in our foods are still prevalent but these vital enzymes and co-factors needed to absorb them are destroyed.

When you eat more raw foods you will quickly notice less fullness after meals, increased energy, faster emptying of the stomach, decreased gas and more regular bowel habits. The greatest of all benefits of the Raw Foods Diet is you will shed pounds rapidly.

Once my ideal body weight was achieved I began to incorporate more cooked foods back into my diet in the way of steamed veggies first, and then I moved to raw fish and eventually a meal of cooked seafood once or twice a week.

The whole process I just described creates an environment in the body that decreases the amount of stress on the body, which in turns slows the aging process and makes you look and feel younger! Another added benefit is most food allergies begin to dissipate because most food allergies are caused by an inability to manufacture the enzymes needed to absorb foods. That is why so many people are allergic to dairy. Those who are allergic to dairy don’t produce lactase and when they ingest pasteurized dairy (which is heated above 118 and void of any digestive enzymes) they can’t digest dairy at all.

Here are some easy ways to incorporate more raw foods into your regime:

• Eat only raw nuts and nut butters rather than roasted.
• Eat raw veggies with every meal.
• Make every meal at least 50-70% raw.
• Add raw fruit/veggie smoothies into your daily ritual.
• Learn about all the wonderful raw superfoods and how to add them into your daily regime.
• Begin to juice greens and add this to your daily intake.
• If you’re making a fruit based smoothie throw in a handful of spinach for greens.
• Explore the different raw food snacking options now available at most Whole Foods Markets and other natural retailers. You will be amazed at how flavorful and satisfying these foods can be. (check out our line of raw snacks at www.hailmerry.com)
• Raw desserts are so yummy and not off limits on a raw food diet. They kept me “in the game” and were so delicious.

Here are a few things to avoid:

Don’t over eat nuts & seeds, which a lot of new raw foodist do in the beginning to replace meat and dairy. Just remember that nuts are extremely healing but our livers can only digest one handful of nuts at a time

Eat your fruits don’t drink them! Raw foodist tend to over juice. Raw fruit juices are too carb/sugar loading. Sugar highs from over juicing can throw our thyroid and adrenal functioning out of balance.

Don’t freak out about the perceived lack of protein – Dark Leafy greens and nuts are loaded with protein. Plant based protein is also more easily digestible and you don’t need as many grams of plant protein to maintain muscle. You would be surprised at how many pro athletes are thriving on a vegan diet!

Here is my favorite raw salad dressing recipe that kept me in the raw food game in the beginning. I put this dressing on everything!

Raw Ranch Dressing

½ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Celtic Sea Salt
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 cup whole, raw macadamia nuts
1/3 cup cold-pressed olive oil

Blend all of the ingredients until very smooth. Add water to achieve desired consistency. Pour over chopped salad of choice.

Can going gluten-free improve your mood?  If you are one in 10 Americans that suffer from gluten sensitivity- YES. Research has shown that a gluten-free diet improves depression and feelings of sadness.  Music also improves your mood.  Just ask any teenager.  Not only do we experience more positive emotions after listening to music, but our already positive emotions are intensified by listening to music.

So what happens when you combine the gluten-free diet with music- Groovin’ Miracle Tarts! Luckily, I live with teenagers that turn me on to all sorts of music- especially in the kitchen, when we are cooking or eating together. Below is my daughter’s Hail Merry® playlist, favorite songs that keep a smile on our face while the gluten-free snacks feed our bodies royally. Noshing to the Beat!

Every Teardrop is a Waterfall- Coldplay

Knee Deep- Zac Brown Band & Jimmy Buffet

Something Good Can Work- Two Door Cinema

Dog Days are Over- Florence & The Machine

Coastin'- Zion I

Feelin' Alright- Rebelution

On Nature- Matisyahu

You and Your Heart- Jack Johnson

Pumped of Kicks- Foster the People

Good Life- One Republic

Firework- Katy Perry

Patience- Nas & Damien Marley