In my most recent piece, I tried to give you some tips about shopping healthy ingredients in Istanbul based on my personal experiences and I have introduced you to Elçin Oflaz, the “raw food coach and cook”.
I did an interview with her so that you get to know her better and learn more about this brand new way of eating called the “raw food” trend. Elçin Oflaz’s career decision was driven by her health issues. She became a raw food specialist in order to cope with her problem of Hashimoto Thyroiditis. Now, her main desire is to help people live as healthy as they can.
Could you tell us a little about yourself? How did you become a “raw food coach”?
I was already working in the well-being field. I graduated with a BA in NYC and worked in Lenox Hill Hospital in the psychology unit. Then I wanted to combine my western psychology education with Hatha yoga skills so I started working with the stressed New Yorkers. I did that about 11 years, meanwhile working with women prisoners in outpatient environment. Then I got diagnosed with Hashimoto hypothyroidism and started gaining weight and getting exhausted quickly. About 10 years ago, at the age of 40, I decided to look into nutrition and ended up with Donna Karan’s Urban Zen initiation camp where I experienced eating raw food for 10 days at her mansion. I felt better. Then, I decided to go further and I studied raw food nutrition at Hippocrates Health Institute to become a health consultant. Afterwards, I worked with many raw chefs. Now 10 years later, I feel better not only helping myself but others with their health problems.
What is “healthy eating” for you?
For me, healthy eating means eating unprocessed, fresh, daily picked produce. It is exactly the opposite of what we consume in today’s hectic lifestyle: quick, mass, processed, filled with pesticides. Nowadays, we have to put more efforts to grow the healthy produce and we spend so much money to buy these products which were vastly available once upon a time.
Healthy food must be designed for each individual. For example, I have gluten intolerance. So I can’t tolerate gluten, meaning all products made with wheat should be out of my diet. I don’t do well on sugar neither, except for some fruits’ sugar. To be honest, most people have problems with these two, yet as long as they are not sick they are not aware of the case. They have mild problems such as bloating and gas and yet they have no idea what causes these minor issues.
What do you like the most? Cooking? Coaching?
I like both. Cooking or “uncooking” in my field.. (Laughs) It is a very creative experience for me. I love coming up with new recipes. Raw food is a very wide area where you can be as creative as you want. Many chefs are creating amazing stuff for the past 10 years. It has been an exciting process. Meanwhile, I love helping people start new ways of eating and healing. Making them have quick results gives me great satisfaction and inspiration.
Can you tell us a little bit about your recipe book? How did you decide to write it?
I had some experience during the past 10 years. I worked as a raw menu consultant for restaurants and hotels. People loved my food, my sense of taste and zest. All my students and customers kept asking me to write a book and publish my recipes. I had also have created a raw food bar in collaboration with Sosa restaurant in Nişantaşı City’s Department Store. Clients of Sosa were interested in learning more about the recipes as well.
There was only one book about Raw Food that was translated to Turkish. It was mainly about introduction to the Raw Food Living but there was no gourmet recipes provided.
So I decided to write a book with lots of healthy recipes. It took me 2 years to complete it. The first 40 pages are about my life story and my education, my experience and tips for healthy living. The rest of the book is full of raw gourmet recipes for adults and children. People love the pictures and easy-read recipes.
I worked with two photographers, an American and a Turkish photographer. I also found the right ceramics to present my food. I tried my best to provide practical yet delicious recipes for everyone in the family. People won’t eat my food just because it is healthy, they will eat because it is also tasty. They will get used to eating these food instead of unhealthy junk food because my recipes are as tasty or even better than their junk counterparts. I also paid a great deal of attention for my ingredients to be accessible and affordable for everyone.
What are your tips for people who want to eat healthy food in Istanbul?
I love Istanbul in that regard. I mean it is easy to find healthy food in Istanbul. In the restaurants, there are always raw mezes such as muhammara, carrot salad, Lacerda (for non-vegans), Shepherd salad, arugula, and many others. There are also vegetarian restaurants such as Zencefil. I love Ramiz Köfte, where there is a cheap but delicious salad bar. Kebab restaurants also offer lots of mezes. You can ask for the Adana side dishes. I also love Aegean cuisine with all those fresh herbs. You can also find natural probiotics like turşu and şalgam juice everywhere.
What are the 3 ingredients that you like to consume every day?
I love greens, for example freshly chopped parsley and good cold press olive oil. I love everything about coconut for its high nutrition value and because it contains many electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium. I love real tomatoes and dried zahter herb. I can live on them most of the year. I make a salad from those three ingredients and drink fresh coconut water all day long.
What are the challenges / hurdles that you encounter while you are doing your job?
Well… People can be judgmental when it comes to Raw Eating. If I tell them it will be a raw food buffet, they think they will eat a raw carrot and cucumber and that they will starve. After they experiment it, they admit that they are pleasantly surprised by the variety and taste and seeing what can be done under the title of “raw food”.
It is better if they come and stay with me at my retreats to try my detox program. Then not only their opinions change but also their appearance and their mood change. They feel energetic, healthier and lighter. They loose some belly fat after cleansing the body of toxins by eating organic fresh gourmet raw food.
I used to have difficulty finding some ingredients 7 years ago when I first moved back to Turkey. But nowadays with the increasing demand, we have no problem finding coconut oil or raw cacao which are the basic ingredients for the preparation of desserts and chocolate. Gluten free quinoa and buckwheat are easily found as well.
As you are both American and Turkish, how would you describe eating habits of both cultures? Do you think that Turkish people eat healthy?
It depends what part of the country you are in but in mega cities like Istanbul, New York, London, you can find everything. You can go to organic open air markets in your area once a week now.
Americans overall eat less healthy food compared to Turkish people. They don’t eat raw salads and vegetables. In Turkey, except for İç Anadolu and Eastern part, people eat fresh herbs and vegetables. In US, they eat pre-prepared processed TV food. On the other side, Turkish people often eat some sort of mezes and zeytinyağlı – vegetables with olive oil even in small villages and local restaurants.
California is good for fresh products but not Alabama. Anatolia is challenging yet Aegean is a paradise. Except for California, in Turkey, fruits taste much better throughout the country.
Nowadays, you can order directly from farmers. Online shopping is good for that. “From farm to table” became the new norm.
What are your upcoming projects?
I organize detox programs twice a year in Spring and Autumn. I would like to do these programs all over the world. I would like to take people for healthy vacations so when they come back to work they don’t need another one. (Laughs)
I would like to write another recipe book and I would love to have my own TV show where I can invite important, inspiring people and many amazing farmers as well. I would like to increase the vibe and inspire people in my country. We need to start producing more beneficial cooking shows to inspire and change the current eating habits of the society towards a healthier path.
Surely enough, everyone will realize that eating healthy is a lifestyle, it should become a routine like brushing your teeth or washing your face. It is a continuous process of learning, experiencing and improving your quality of life.
