In Kapa‘a old town, Rainbow Living Foods offers full course meals of appetizers, mains, salads, desserts and drinks, all raw foods, all fresh, healthy and delicious. This is the only living-foods restaurant on Kaua‘i offering gluten free, organic and vegan
In Kapa‘a old town, Rainbow Living Foods offers full course meals of appetizers, mains, salads, desserts and drinks, all raw foods, all fresh, healthy and delicious. This is the only living-foods restaurant on Kaua‘i offering gluten free, organic and vegan delights. Janet Netto is showing us how tasty and creative live food can be, and its enormous health benefits.
Janet has been a vegan for more than 20 years. She was trained as a live-food chef in New York, and serves as owner and head chef of Rainbow Living Foods. Janet also is a graduate of the College of Naturopathic and Complementary Medicine in London. She has traveled to 43 different countries, and has observed through her travels the firm connection between food, lifestyle and health. Food is fundamental. Her husband Orlando is her main help at the restaurant and is himself a longtime vegetarian. The diverse menu reflects their Russian and Brazilian heritage.
“The recipes at the restaurant in Kapa‘a are made using local, live, organic produce, including sprouts, which are used to make the gluten-and grain-free pizza crusts and other “bread” items such as crackers. Nuts are used to make “cheeses” and sauces. Many super foods such as gogi berries, bee pollen, blue-green algae, ground flax seeds, spirulina, reishi and shiitake are included in Janet’s health giving recipes. Janet teaches raw food preparations from the restaurant on Sundays to small groups starting with the very basics of food preparation and advancing through more complex studies. She is currently working on an iPod book of recipes and a “non-cook” book to create nutritious and delicious foods at home. Janet also gives private consultations and prepares special diet foods for her private clients.
“Most of the population is intolerant or sensitive to milk and gluten. It’s the reason why so many food labels say, ‘may contain soy, milk or wheat products;’ Janet states, adding “the main secret to digestibility is the enzymes in raw foods.” She also believes that avoiding the known allergens in milk and wheat products allow your body to digest food better. Janet explains that after we eat cooked food, our bodies have to work hard to digest the food, which makes us feel tired and sleepy. But live food — food that has not been heated or cooked above 118 degrees — still has all its natural enzymes, which assist in digesting the food and absorbing its nutritional value.
We become more alive, need less sleep and are more vibrant when adhering to a diet of eating living foods. It’s not just healthy, though; the food at Rainbow Living Foods is delectable, interesting and affordable.
Rainbow Living Foods is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The restaurant is behind Java Kai in Kapa‘a town. For more information, call 821-9759.or check out the website at www.rainbowlivingfood.com.
• Jane Riley, certified personal trainer, B.A., C.P.T, C.N.A., can be reached at 212-1451 or www.janerileyfitness.com.
