posted August 23, 2002 12:56 PM         

yes, i have heard and actually know a friend who is a practicing raw foodist.

as living plants, food retains more nutritional value than cooked. also, cooking changes the organic structure of the food, creating "foreign" bodies the body is not accustomed to. a recently press release gave preliminary data from a study about how foods baked in an oven changes the structure of the food in a way that can cause cancer.

a book called "Conscious Eating" by Gabriel Cousens, M.D., describes various body types, their specific needs in food intake ratios, and explains in depth raw eating, conventional standards of cooking, and meat.

though, this is just what i know, i'm sure there is so much more! have you ever heard of raw foodists who do not eat nightshades?

posted August 24, 2002 08:23 PM         

Raw foods cause your body to always be in a state of cleansing. At some point, you would ideally be cleansed and could be closer to ideal health. I just sort of realized that for it to work best, you should live in a place that is as natural and non toxic as possible, with as many plant options as possible. TROPICAL PARADISE!

I did feel amazingly great while I ate that way, but after the year passed, it became a struggle. I try to balance the raw and cooked foods now... basically eating what my body tells me to.

Also it is very hard to do when you are one of only two people that you know that are eating that way. I got many many questions and weird looks. (not that I ultimately care, but...)Support is good.

Overall, i think it is this planets best diet, but the way things are now, it is nearly impossible. If all we had to eat were raw plants, then it would be easy, but 99% of food (that WAS originally raw(alive), mind you) in this world becomes cooked (killed) (not to mention processed as heck!)

posted August 25, 2002 11:14 AM         

-People really should stop anylizing what they eat and start caring more about excersising.

posted August 27, 2002 10:47 AM         

allone, i agree with you about the part about cleansing and how it is the natural way all organisms are meant to eat. however with the onslaught of mass capitalism and hegemonic media culture, food that is prepared with synthetic preservatives, colors, and flavoring and highly processed is considered "normal" and "not a big deal." ingredients like white sugar have been scientifically shown to be prevalent in high amounts in the diets of children with behavioral problems. more people today die from atherosclerosis and cancer---most of times, as a result of a diet constituted of highly processed food with synthetically hydrogenated oils and animals fats.

the "dead by now" is hype by mass media. looking at the overall long-term consequences of diet recorded in medicine reflects how food affects the body, mind and soul. there cannot be any denying of the hundreds and thousands of people who suffer from ailments that could be eased by alterations in their diets. the human body cannot simply eat whatever it wants and expect to see short term severely adverse health affects, these affects are often gradual and more difficult to diagnose and treat over time.