Chef Vincenzo Canoro is known and appreciated in the raw-vegan food arena, especially for the idea of nutrition that, through his dishes, he tries to convey to those who want to approach a new kind of diet. A free researcher in the field of natural food, Chef Canoro organizes events and workshops with cooking demonstrations where the protagonists are the fruits of the earth as they are offered to us by nature, free of any manipulation, as authentic as possible. It is especially the freshness of food, in fact, that guarantees and preserves our health, and the chef explains why.
Vegan since 2008 and crudist since 2012: why did you decide to change your diet?
The transition from the vegan diet happened overnight. In retrospect, I realized that my body was already ready for the change, and I was only unknowingly procrastinating a wrong eating habit until then. The transition, on the other hand, to a raw dietary regimen was slightly more complicated: in the last few months before the switch to raw, in fact, my body was constantly demanding farinaceous foods, and I suddenly felt the need to cleanse the body, to detoxify it from certain foods. After a complete three-day fast, I started eating only raw food, fruits mainly. I first followed a transitional diet and then went to 80% raw.
What benefits have been found by switching to a raw diet?
The first positive aspect I found was a much higher energy availability: I was working in the fields at the time and noticed that fatigue was appearing later and later. Through study and research, I have realized that the body works much better when you eat little, because the digestive processes are faster and require less energy: the cells are more efficient and work better, allowing for greater physical endurance. Another benefit was the resolution of a problem that had plagued me for years, that of varicose veins. By eliminating animal foods, I felt a noticeable improvement, but the problem disappeared with raw.
When did the passion for cooking develop?
I am completely self-taught, having previously worked in the prison police, so I have no specific culinary training, but my passion for raw food spurred me to take this new path. it all came about by chance, I organized a presentation on vegan-cruist nutrition in Florence with a buffet that was greatly appreciated. From there, I started attending fairs with food stands of freshly prepared dishes that attracted many people who were incredulous that certain dishes were raw and not cooked. What I want to emphasize is to make it clear is that the recipe must be tasty, yes, but most importantly, healthy.
Vibrational feeding, what does it mean?
Vibrational feeding is based on the principle that man is a transceiver of energy vibrations whose intensity determines the state of health. Too low a vibrational level affects the physical plane with the appearance of diseases. This threshold is particularly affected by thoughts and emotions: feelings such as anxiety and fear result in a sinking of the vibrational level; confidence and optimism, on the other hand, raise the vibration. Food also plays an important role: live food has a high vibrational level, especially fresh, plant-based, raw and organic food that has a high charge and brings great benefits to our health.
Many people are skeptical about raw food and find it impossible to eat only raw products. How to stimulate them to change, with what dishes or recipes?
The first piece of advice is an invitation to reflect on the fact from weaning n onward the sense of taste has undergone a process of progressive alteration due to an unsuitable diet for our bodies. It takes time to get used to a healthy diet: you need to plan a transitional diet perhaps starting main meals with a portion of mixed salad and that provides valuable enzymes to aid digestion; it is also important to increase fruit consumption, as long as it is away from meals, to prevent sugars from tending to ferment in the stomach producing alcohol.
Do you like to experiment in the kitchen? What are the favorite ingredients?
I use fresh and dried vegetables and fruits, offering spinach or pumpkin creams in which I also employ avocado and cashews, or zucchini lasagna with sage and basil pesto, as well as classic spaghetti and raw desserts. My cooking brings back the essentials, tries to include the ingredients as they were prepared by Mother Nature: the transformation of food can never improve the food itself.
He recently stated that he no longer uses medicine because he does not need it thanks to adopting the vegan-cruist diet. How can nutrition affect health status and avert the occurrence or development of diseases?
First of all, raw foods are digested much more easily, which allows the body to have sufficient energy to activate processes aimed at eliminating metabolic waste. Plant fiber is then important for nourishing our intestinal flora, home to about 80 percent of the immune system. Having it as balanced as possible makes our bodies a nonfertile breeding ground for bacteria.
In addition to cooking you are a researcher in the field of natural food. What does it mean?
I am fascinated by study and research because they allow me to refine my dissemination activities in an increasingly precise, comprehensive and incisive way. My studies deal with alternative topics to official science. On nutrition, I found a lot of scientific material confirming the validity of plant-based nutrition. I am in fact writing a book on this aspect.
