Back to Basics with Mi Hungry Whol' Some Food
Published:Wednesday | January 9, 2019 | 12:00 AMLatara Boodie/Gleaner Writer
"Humans are not true omnivores," said founder of Mi Hungry Whol' Some Food, I-Wara Mamher-Tafari. "When we see a live animal we do not say 'hmm, that looks delicious', like a true carnivore. When we see the leaves from a plant, it is not appealing to us like it is for a herbivore. If you were to see a mango hanging from your neighbour's tree you would be immediately drawn to it. It is appealing, it looks delicious. This is what we naturally want to eat in its simplest form. We are naturally 'fruitivors'," explained
I-Wara as he delved into the evolution of food for mankind.
His understanding of the human body and how it processes food has led him to believe that meat was not supposed to be a part of our daily diet. "We do not have the digestive system in place to eat meat or plants. We have to rely heavily on cooking everything. We are the only species that is not eating our food in its natural form," stated the raw food chef.
It is possible that the introduction of meat and processed food has increased the number of lifestyle ailments associated with the body, such as cancer, obesity and diabetes. "Our body has to work harder to break down the food we eat and that could lead to a lot of complications," said I-Wara, who is also a trained computer science specialist.
ONE-STOP SHOP
He became interested in the raw food way of life after his interaction with Dr Aris LaTham, who the 2004 Oxford Encyclopaedia of Food and Drink in America credits as the father of gourmet, ethical raw-food cuisine. "He said I was his favourite student," laughed I-Wara as he reflected on the time spent with his mentor.
I-Wara's restaurant, Mi Hungry Whol' Some Food, located within the courtyard at Market Place, is a one-stop shop for organic, raw food that will leave you full and satisfied. "This is my version of fast food. We have our burgers and pies, our interpretation of pizza where you can place a variety of 'raw-some' toppings," said I-Wara.
"It makes me happy to see the people who would typically want to buy a regular chicken meal at a fast food restaurant, come to Mi Hungry and leave 100 per cent satisfied," beamed the raw food guru. For more than five years, Mi Hungry has dominated the raw food industry and currently has three locations on the island. "We have one in Kingston, Mandeville and St Ann," he said.
Indulge in delicacies such as Jelly Ah Nuh pasta, a happy wholesome patty and spirlina, not milk shake, and the customer favourite, the rase-some salad.
Food caught up with Ana-Kay Harvey, who admitted she goes to Mi Hungry every day for one year. "I suffered badly from endometriosis and it seriously affected my life. A nurse told me I should cut out meat but I did not listen to her. It was after being admitted to the hospital one night that I decided I really needed to stop eating meat," she explained. Coming to Mi Hungry has made it easy for her to stay off meat because it is affordable, quick and easy. "Since going raw, I do not suffer from the serious pains associated with endometriosis and life has been good," said Harvey.
For more information call 876-908-1771, visit www.mihungrynow.com or check out their instagram @mihungrynow.