RAW FOOD Food is generally
considered "cooked" when it's heated over 120° Fahrenheit. "Living foods" are things
like sprouts and sproutable seeds that are still alive until the moment you eat them,
and fruits and vegetables that have been picked less than 24 - 48 hours. After that,
foods are considered "raw." They are still extremely valuable, but don't have as many
energy-giving properties. There's an amazing connection between us and our living planet,
and fresh raw fruits and vegetables are the link.
Cooking food destroys enzymes needed to perform metabolic and digestive functions, so
the body must provide its own enzymes to break down food. Over time, one's body eventually
tires of this and becomes prone to weight problems, allergies, premature aging,
circulatory and heart disease and eventually things like pancreatic cancer. Some
maladies have only appeared since diets containing primarily cooked food have became
common. Few wild animals have cancer. When researchers want to create cancer in lab
animals, they generally feed them cooked food.
Maintaining an acid-alkaline balance in the body is important. Fruit may seem acidic to the
taste, but the body will metabolize it into healthy alkaline compounds. Excess acid in the
body causes many problems - including a craving for alkaline compounds to help overcome
the imbalance. It's no surprise that cigarettes, coffee, cocaine and heroin are tough to
quit, because they are all alkaline substances, performing a duty that the body is
probably incapable of doing itself anymore. Studies done to see if addictions can be
cured with a raw food diet have had highly successful results. However, there's less
money to be made with fruit and vegetables than with pharmaceuticals.
Some people believe that cooked food itself is addictive and that's why it's so easy to
slip into poor eating habits. Addictions or annoying food cravings for foods like chocolate
or dairy products - can be conquered by following a detoxifying raw food regimen.
Detoxification from anything isn't easy - some people even encounter pain as their bodies
heal and cleanse themselves. Still, there's no easier way to look and feel better.
Raw foods possess the highest source of fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and
enzymes. Cooked or processed foods are harder for the digestive system to deal with
and force the body to produce acids to help break them down. Although our food seems
to pass through the body, not all of it is eliminated. True carnivores have a straight intestine,
like a pipe, and a specialized digestive system for dealing with dead flesh. Humans, however,
are constructed more like an herbivore's, with intestines convoluted and full of pouches.
These pockets are designed to extract maximum nourishment, but sometimes they fill up
with stuff we can't easily digest, like meat, thus raw food is prevented from being
absorbed properly - so although a person may look robust, they may be starving to death
on a nutritional level. It seems like a good idea, then, to keep the colon clean and working.
I'm beginning to believe that getting enough raw food in one's diet can prevent or
cure many unpleasant health conditions- provided they're caught in time.
One of the worst sins we commit is eating without chewing well. I recommend buying
a good quality juicer that homogenizes- it can grind up soft foods and blend them together.
Juicing ensures that you get the most nutrients out of food by breaking up pieces that you
might not ordinarily be able to chew. Hard vegetables like beets or carrots can be ground
for juice. You can easily drink the healthy pulp and fiber of more fruit than you could eat
all at once. The benefits you encounter from eating in this way are magnified and you
feel the results quickly. Plus juice drinks are refreshing and more satisfying than soda
drinks. You will find that you will not feel thirsty as often when you have plenty of fruit
drinks on warm days. Anyway, no matter what you eat, try to include as many fresh
fruits and vegetables as possible to your diet. You can't go wrong. Experiment to see
what combination of fresh food makes you feel best, because each of us has specific
nutritional needs. Here are a few links about raw food and Natural Hygiene:
Living Nutrition is a great magazine
for anybody considering a raw-food diet. Many many stories and resources for support.
Look for it in the US and Canada. Gypsy Boots
was a funny addition to Steve Allen's TV show, sometimes swinging onto the stage like
Tarzan to introduce his humorous health segments. Gypsy must have been doing something
right, because he lived to be about 90 years old, in extraordinary health for most of his life, easily doing great physical stunts to help promote healthy eating and living. Unfortunately, Gypsy has recently passed away, but there is still a website dedicated to him. Celebrity photos, 50 raw food
recipes, and stories from his amazing life. Natural Hygiene - a website by Simon Falk.
Back to health links. You can find a few more
raw food and Natural Hygiene links there.
Natural Hygiene seems to be the key to good health!