Why Eat Raw
Why Eat Raw
“Food sustains us,… Yet what we eat may affect our risk for several of the leading causes of death for Americans, notably, coronary heart disease, stroke, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and some types of cancer. These disorders together now account for more than two-thirds of all deaths in the United States.” -former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop
It is estimated that 60% of disease is caused by the SAD diet (Standard American Diet). If food is the culprit, I believe that food can be the answer. As we become mindful about what we eat, we can start to make choices that promote our health over illness. Food is consumed for nutrition but it is also consumed for pleasure. What happens if we learn how to satisfy our pleasure receptors with healthy food? Our lives improve.
What do our bodies need to eat raw?
What are the building blocks that our bodies need to function? Enzymes, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, protein, essential fats and fiber. These are all provided by our food and are involved in growth, repair and maintenance of the body. Let’s take a quick look at each of these and what they do for you.
Enzymes
Enzymes convert the food we eat into chemical structures that can pass though the membranes of the cells lining the digestive tract and into the blood stream. Their job doesn’t end there. Enzymes are the living proteins that direct the life force into our biochemical and metabolic processes. They help transform and store energy, make active hormones, dissolve fiber and prevent clotting. They have anti-inflammatory effects. Enzymes help balance and restore the immune system, and heal many diseases. Enzymes even help repair our DNA and our RNA.
When we cook food, we destroy many of the enzymes that help us naturally digest it.
Vitamins
Without vitamins our cells would not function properly and thus our organs would suffer and eventually we would no longer be able to survive. Vitamins help regulate metabolism, help convert fat and carbohydrates into energy, and assist in forming bone and tissue. Guess what happens when you cook food? You got it, a large percentage of the vitamins are destroyed.
Viktoras Kulvinskas in his book, Survival into the 21st Century, estimates that the overall nutrient destruction is as high as 80%. Tests have shown that we will lose 50% of the B vitamins while B1 and B12 can lose up to 96%. 97% of folic acid is destroyed as well as 70-80 % of vitamin C.
Minerals
Seventeen of the thirty elements known to be essential to life are metals. Mineral deficiencies cause disease in humans. Minerals also have a synergistic relationship with vitamins. They help each other help us. When foods are cooked, many of the minerals are destroyed, or altered, rendering them useless and also unable to assist our friends the vitamins.
Phytonutrients
Phytonutrients are what give fruits and vegetables their color. Phytos protect the body and fight disease. They also fight cancer and help your heart. Phytonutrient are at leading edge of research on nutrition. They provide medicine for cell health. And once again, Phytonutrients in freshly harvested plant foods can be destroyed or removed by cooking.
Why Eat Raw?
It just starts to make sense. If cooking destroys the vital and essential nutrients that we need to stay healthy, eating our food raw does the opposite. It provides us with what we need for our health and well being. I know from experience that when I am eating at least 80% raw, I have more energy, more mental focus, and all of the pesky things that irritate me on a daily basis, like acid reflux and my daily aches and pains, dissipate. I also know that I am feeding my body what it needs to thrive, not just survive.
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Candy Stauffer wrote on January 28, 2011
I just taught several classes on Winter Vegetables and Lacto-Fermentation. Lots of fun and very enlightening to research and teach! Just a comment re: Jeanne’s info. I know from personal experience, and that’s all that counts with your body, right? that when I include a daily dose of fermented food, be it a flavorful kraut or other savory ferment, I DO NOT HAVE ANY CRAVINGS, other than craving RAW delicious veggies and just a little fruit! I find that very interesting and provocative.
And not to beat a dead horse, but I heartily agree and encourage folks: DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH and respond to WHAT RESONATES WITH YOUR BODY. We are all dealing with different nutritional issues; if you pay attention your body will tell you what you need. You just have to be willing to do some experimenting! Tasty experimenting! That’s where sites/blogs such as this one are helpful, to give you ideas and directions to explore.
We tend to be a society that expects to be spoon-fed information. Don’t take anyone’s word as gospel. For the most part, not always, they are passing on personal anecdotal info. That’s OK, to a point. We owe it to our health to search, ponder, experiment and determine what works for us personally.
There’s a ton of info out there, very little is research based. If its important to you personallly, try to find that sort of info, then experiment, then make up your own mind what works for YOU 🙂
Jeanne wrote on January 11, 2011
Oh, I almost forgot: what a great website!!! I love the recipes and the photos. mmm 🙂
Jeanne wrote on January 11, 2011
To Laura and Davy–it’s not true that some nutrients are *only* accessible through cooking; however, it is true that some nutrients are only accessible through fermentation. Cooking is the fast-food form of fermentation, in that heat is used to activate the enzymes that break down the food the way fermentation would. Cooking food makes it much faster to prepare than fermenting food (hours or minutes instead of days) but is also much less healthy because the enzymes and nutrients are destroyed in the cooking process and cooked food spoils whereas uncooked fermented food only gets better with age.
To Francesca–if you only eat exotic fruits and veggies in cold climates, you’re not eating optimally or in harmony with the seasons, and this food will often make you cold. But if you ferment winter vegetables such as root vegetables (beets, turnips, rutabagas, celeriac, parsley root, etc. but NOT potatoes unless heirloom) and vegetables such as cabbage and kale, then you’ll stay warm. 🙂
To ferment: cut up veggies into bite-sized pieces, press down, pour water such that water just covers the veggies, put a weight on the veggies to keep them pressed down in the water, cover container with cloth (so the insides won’t get dirty), wait for about a week for the veggies to rise and turn soft and cook in their own juices, and voila! Salt-free, refreshing, flavourful, warming winter raw food!
In general, the raw food world has to be more aware of fermentation…those who still crave cooked foods really crave fermented foods, which are must more flavourful and satisfying and the real deal, whereas cooking is just a quick fix. Fermentation is a staple of all traditional diets and ought to be a mainstay of raw foodism as well.
Jessie wrote on December 26, 2010
Hi Susan,
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family. By the way I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE. so BEAUTIFUL.
Jessie Rawji
Serene wrote on November 8, 2010
Just wondering if you have any links to resources for people with chronic medical issues? I am having trouble navigating the site, my internet connection is a bit funky today… CHeers,
Serene
Susan wrote on November 8, 2010
No…I do not give any medical advice or recommendations here. Only nutritional information and recipes.
dawnalee wrote on November 3, 2010
Is there a particular “list” on this site, or someplace you know of, that sheds some light on what is considered raw? I’ve been sticking pretty closely to veggies and fruits, but I realize after perusing your site that there is potential for so much more. Things like teas from tea or herbs? Yeast? Is there a raw gelatin-type thing? I’m supposing there’s no low heat roasted version of coffee beans. . . 🙂 Anywho. . .hoping to figure out what may or may not have adequate life still in it. Thanks for any help!
sandra wrote on October 14, 2010
I like the part about going raw, how raw food gives you energy, currently, i live with my brother who eats lots of meats, so pray for me
Naomi Merthe wrote on October 9, 2010
So excited to find your site! My family and I will be taking the 21 day raw challenge starting this Monday. We have had some health and weight issues for some time and hope to see some great results at the end. We will be logging everything so should be insightful Thanks again!