Raw Vegan Food

First off lets start with Raw foods. Raw live food is living and full of enzymes, vitamins and hundreds of nutritional substances that not even science has completely discovered yet.  These substances are destroyed and damaged by heating, cooking and the processing of food.  Eating food raw and sprouted gives you nutritional value that is only second to juicing. Your body responds to these raw foods in so many positive ways with health benefits that cooked or processed foods could never compare to or provide.  Enzymes are life-giving nutrients that are present in all foods and cooking or heating destroys all the enzymes present in live foods.  Also most vitamins are totally destroyed or severely depleted by heating and cooking. Raw foods are nutrient dense foods. There is no way to get nutrient density from cooked foods that would even come close to the nutrient density of raw super foods like hemp seeds, chia seeds, or raw cocoa, fruits and vegetables.  The most important rule of eating is nutrient density, calories and protein will be there in the right amounts if you are eating a good variety of nutrient dense raw vegan foods.   Life force, life energy, metabolic and digestive enzymes within our body whatever you want to call it, is something that seems to have been forgotten. Go and plant a vitamin, a loaf of bread, roasted seeds or nuts, or any cooked food and what will happen? Nothing! But if you plant a little raw seed stand back and watch a huge explosion of life start to happen. You can plant a little tiny seed and end up with a huge tree 3 times your size! For this reason and this reason only eating live, raw food, food that is filled with life energy, life force, phytochemicals, bio-photons and enzymes that create growth and life are more nourishing to the body than any cooked food could ever be. Live food creates life, so eat more living, raw foods. I already know your next question. Sure raw food is great for us but what’s so wrong with cooked vegan food? Here’s whats wrong with cooked foods. 

THE HEALTH HAZARDS OF COOKING

Cooking makes food totally “unfit for human consumption” and dangerously”hazardous to your health.” Here is some lengthy and worthy information about why cooking food is so harmful to us. This info is very in-depth and to a true health seeker is very valuable.

A. Destruction of vital nutrients occurs. Health is maintained only if the human body has the full range of nutrients needed and in the proper proportion. The cooking of food not only destroys nutrients so that the full range needed is not represented, but it unbalances the nutrients remaining. When this happens the body is still “hungry” and crying for more food, regardless of the huge number of calories consumed. Furthermore, the destruction of nutrients results in toxic waste products that then enervate and poison the system. The endogenous wastes from food deranged by cooking are a primary cause of Enervation that leads to Toxemia. Lets examine how foods most-fit-for-life become toxic through the “killinary” art.

1. Some vitamins are destroyed or lost. A basic text in nutrition tells us that: “vitamins are important metabolic regulatory assistants to hormonal function and the vital enzymatic catalytic action. Vitamins are the micronutrients  that cause our glands to function smoothly, and they are the co-enzymes that ignite enzymes. Vitamins are essential to keeping us at high energy levels and they are lost in significant amounts when food is cooked. “cooking destroys in part, if not wholly, the oxidizable factors of foods. This simply means that cooking ‘burns’ those portions of foods that the body ordinarily oxidizes. Once these substances have been oxidized, they cannot again be oxidized in the body; hence, they are useless as food. Heat, by speeding up oxidation, turns food into ashes before it is eaten. The losses that result from cooking may not result in serious trouble until later in life, and all of the most harmful effects of eating cooked food do not even show up for 2 or 3 generations!” – Dr Herbert Shelton. Dr. Shelton estimates that food served to patrons of restaurants undergoes a 45% Vitamin C loss and a 35% Thiamine loss, on the average. An additional 15% loss is speculated since the food often sits for many hours with heat applied before its served. Some miscellaneous proof of vitamin loss reports the loss of Vitamin C in boiled mushrooms is 50%, during deep frying 67%, and during shallow frying 75%. A canned squash was found 35% lower in Vitamin A than fresh squash. Some of you are thinking well if I take a multivitamin I am replacing all these lost vitamins but the multivitamin that you are taking is a synthetic version made in a laboratory and your body only absorbs and recognizes between 10-20% of the vitamins. So your multivitamin money is wasted also even if they weren’t synthetic they are not present with the original foods they are supposed to be eaten with and are broken down and used differently than if they were eaten with the food they originated from. Raw food is digested symbiotically by the body and  all the nutrients work together with enzymes and other phytochemicals to produce the healthy effect that one receives from a raw diet.

2. Some minerals are rendered unusable. Mineral elements comprise less than 5% of our body weight and only about one percent of the weight of cellular protoplasm. However, minerals are essential to all metabolic activities. Their presence is required to sustain the alkalinity of the body fluids. And they are required for structure within cells and for the process of healing and repair. We require a full assortment of all required minerals to keep us breathing, growing, regenerating, healing…to keep us alive and well! The dynamic importance of minerals to health is seldom appreciated. Only when we become ill with mineral deficiencies and imbalances through poor food selection and cooking do we think twice about the need for minerals in our diet. Dr. Shelton tells us that mineral loss from foods by cooking occurs by the following means:

a. Leaching: The minerals are carried out in the food’s own juices which then run into the surrounding liquid. Anytime you see colored water in the pan, you are seeing mineral loss.

b. Evaporation: Minerals will “bubble out” from foods upon the application of heat. Any time you smell cooking odors, you are smelling mineral loss.

c. Chemical Alteration: Mineral salts in foods are changed chemically by the application of heat, so much so, in fact, that they become not only biologically unavailable to the body but toxic, as well. Anytime you are tasting flat, flavorless food, you are tasting mineral loss.

According to the Journal of Home Economics, Vol. 17, No. 5, the average loss by boiling in foods, for some examples, are as follows:

Iron – 48%, Calcium – 31.9, Phosphorus – 46.4%, Magnesium – 44.7%, Potato – 50%, Cabbage – 40%, Carrot – 30%, Spinach – 43%.

3. Proteins are coagulated and deaminized. Like with all other food nutrients, protein, too, is affected greatly by the application of heat. some proteins harden or coagulate at high temperatures. Proteins are found to be more easily digested raw than cooked because of this “coagulation factor.” But even many of the proteins in vegetable matter undergo modifications when heated such that the amine group of nitrogen/hydrogen is stripped off. Understand that protein molecules are the most complex of the food elements, so complex, in fact, that they are called “macromolecules” (giant molecules).  Without trying to offer a crash course in biochemistry, suffice it to say that when these macromolecules are subjected to heat, they change chemically, becoming less digestible/recognizable and more toxic to the body.

4. Sugars are caramelized and disorganized. As with all the nutrients that are so altered, toxins are created in the alteration during the cooking of sugars. This applies to fruit sugars as well as processed white sugars.

5. Fats are disorganized and are rendered carcinogenic. The application of heat to fats breaks them down chemically into fatty acids which are not usable by the body. Consequently, these “free-floating poisons” (free-fatty-acids, acroleins, hydrocarbons) act as carcinogens. Laboratory studies with animals as well as a statistical studies with humans have clearly established the cancer-causing role of the High-fat, SAD (Standard American Diet). And, in fact, it is the heating of these fats that so poisons the body. The SAD is 37% fat, virtually all of it heated at high temperatures and highly carcinogenic. Little wonder cancer is the nation’s number 2 killer!

6. Some unsaturated fats become saturated. The heat applied to fats while cooking causes more of the possible hydrogen sites of the unsaturated fat to be filled and thus to become “saturated.” Saturated fats are attracted to the linings of artery walls, where they attach and harden. The result is hardening of the arteries. The SAD, high in saturated fat along with cholesterol, has now been conclusively linked to the epidemic of cardiovascular disease which is the Nation’s Number One Killer.

7. Enzymes are totally destroyed at 120°F and above. Jim Karas in The Raw Foods Diet defines “enzymes”: They are substances, usually protein in nature, formed in living cells that bring about chemical changes. As catalysts, they play vital roles in changing carbohydrates, proteins, and fats through the digestive process. They then use these substances to provide energy and to rebuild cells. Enzymes are essential for tissue building, blood cell replacement, and the release of chemical energy for muscle movement…they are the ‘agents of life’.” The body houses 700 types of enzymes: Just 1 drop of blood holds 100,000 enzymes! There are “endogenous enzymes,” which the body itself produces: and there are “exogenous enzymes,” which are contained in raw foods. It is postulated that the lack of Live-food exogenous enzymes that accompany a steady diet of cooked food is significantly correlated to the lowered vitality and increased disease among cooked food eaters. Many entire books have been written on the subject of enzymes. When Hygienists talk of “live-Food” and the “vital force of the raw food diet,” we are speaking of the enzymatic power of whole, raw, plant food. This starts sounding very unscientific, very philosophical, totally abstract…certainly unprovable. But just as surely as a fresh apple seed will spring forth life if planted, so too will a cooked apple seed lay in the ground and rot if planted. That which made the fresh seed grow is the “life-force.” And if our Ideal Foods are cooked above 120°F, the food is killed…dead as a doornail. In giving good health, it can only fail. Another way to view enzymes so that the concept comes “alive,” so to speak, is to picture them as the “spark plugs” that keep every cell in the body firing in perfect harmony, one with the other. The vitamins, in like manner, are the co-enzymes that “spark the spark plugs.” And do not forget that the very best source of these “sparks of life” are Life-Food. Enzymes are a necessity, true. But in Hygiene we realize that health and vitality are determined by more than just the foods we eat. And not all Live-Fooders look younger than their age: some do, and some do not. Many other factors will determine a person’s youthfulness and vitality besides the amount of Live-Food in their diet. Personally, I believe it is the cellular and protoplasmic structure of the food itself that deteriorates. Once the food is no longer a part of the living branch or vine or stalk or root, it is no longer hooked up to its living source of circulation nutrients – it is no longer hooked up to life. Degenerative processes take place when the circulation of plant fluids suddenly stops – just like our own human cells degenerate when our bodily circulation of fluids is impaired. Atrophy sets in.” Few of us look at the fruits and vegetables we bring home from the store as alive, but they are. And this is not just speaking metaphorically. The metabolic activity in plant foods continues after it has been harvested. Microscopic study reveals this fact just as surely as does witnessing a jar of lentils sprout. Consider also, green tomatoes ripen off the vine and how mangos sweeten and avocados soften once picked. And so on. The point is that heating these plant foods above 120°F suddenly stops their metabolic action: THEIR LIFE FORCE IS KILLED.

8. Starches are rendered less digestible. We often hear the argument that cooking makes starches more digestible. If a food must be cooked before it is palatable/digestible, then it is not an “Ideal Food” according to “The Criteria of Ideal Food.” Research shows that cooking renders all starches less digestible. Starch digestion takes place primarily in the mouth with the secretion of salivary amylase. A human being is not a starch-eater, his ability to produce the starch-splitting enzyme is limited compared to herbivores. Additionally, when a cooked starch is eaten, it is soft and most often it is cooked up in a “tasty” recipe. The diner usually chews the food mass poorly and quickly washes it down with some beverage. This means the limited salivary amylase present to begin with is never given the full opportunity to proceed with the digestion process. And starches poorly digested always lead to fermentation and consequent self-poisoning. The toxic by-products of starch and sugar fermentation are various types of alcohol and acetic acid (vinegar). Some of the alcohols produced by fermentation in the intestinal tract, in fact are much more toxic than ordinary alcohols found in beer, wine, and hard liquor. Vinegar and alcohols are highly toxic and irritating. Their ingestion leads to inflammation of the stomach, which, in turn, impairs digestion: the end result is always Auto-Intoxication.

B. Poor mastication results in decreased saliva and enzyme flow: food is, therefore, poorly prepared for digestion. As previously stated, cooked food is almost invariably soft, if not comfortingly mushy. Its like commercial “baby food”: it passes through the mouth and slips down the throat so easily. Little, if any, chewing is required. this imperfect and short mastication process interferes with the digestive process along the entire alimentary canal due to the fact that the nerve communication channels are not kept open long enough to permit the inner stage to be correctly pre-set. And if the food is poorly prepared for digestion, it follows that poor digestion will result in toxic waste and self-poisoning.  Natural Live-Foods, by contrast, require thorough chewing. This gives sufficient time for message transmission and for adequate secretion of both enzymes and juices prior to the arrival of the food in the stomach and intestines. The stage is thus set for complete digestion of proper foods, which eliminates possibilities of Auto-Intoxication due to poor mastication.

Why eat vegan? There are a lot of reasons but first let me say this. I have been active and healthy all my life and also I ate meat all my life. I used to love BBQ’s, chicken and pork chops. Every day I ate meat in almost every meal, and if it wasn’t meat it was some sort of animal product. I also got a life threatening disease and almost died from it by the age of 28. I know that the reason I survived was to tell you about the things that made me sick and how I got my health back. With that being said I have plenty of facts to back up why you should eat vegan food. Over 1.5 million people in America will die this year alone because the fat and cholesterol they consumed from animals and animal products killed them. That’s around 2 people every minute! It either physically clogged their heart’s arteries, giving them a heart attack, or clogged the cerebral arteries to their brain, giving them a stroke. Or it clogged the veins to their major organs, depriving them of oxygen, nutrients and causing disease from the major organs not properly functioning. Cholesterol increases blood viscosity and blood platelet sticking or clotting, which kills by causing high blood pressure and or cancer. Stroke, heart disease, most cancers, even prostate disease (BPH) and fibroid uterine tumors are linked to eating animals. Most diseases have now been found to be literally “diseases of the fork.” Diseases that are caused by eating animals. Over 10 million Americans have now accepted the vegetarian lifestyle and an additional 20 million are trying it out. Medical studies report that vegetarians are healthier, have less disease, need fewer doctor visits and less medications and live longer! One average cubic inch of inspected choice beef has over 1,000 parasite larvae in it waiting to hatch inside your body. Not that parasites aren’t in vegetables and fruits but our bodies digest fruits and veggies in a matter of 1 to 2 days whereas beef sometimes never digests. It begins to putrefy and ferment circulating toxins into your blood stream and organs.  What about chicken? If you think chicken is a healthy alternative here’s some info on chicken. If you have ever seen the movie Food Inc. which is an amazing documentary, you would know that chickens are given 30 chlorine baths after they are butchered, and their living conditions are worse than you could imagine. Seeing it is almost like something out of a scary movie. Every day in America 10 people die from food poisoning directly related to eating chicken, and over an additional 10,000 get sick. Chicken causes more food poisoning than any other type of meat consumed. Chicken is often called the healthy white meat alternative to red meat but this couldn’t be a bigger lie. White meat chicken, even without the skin, ounce for ounce has just as much cholesterol as full-fat hamburger meat. What about Fish? If you think fish is a healthy alternative think again. According to ABC’s “Primetime Live” report, 2/3 of all fresh fish tested, bout at various markets, was technically rotten. It had toxic levels of bacteria and parasites, even though it looked, smelled and tasted normal. Another 2/3 tested positive for toxic levels of PCB’s (see below for more on PCB’s).  25% had toxic levels of mercury. They called sushi a dangerous food.

A university of Connecticut School of Medicine report blamed fish as the culprit in malignant breast cancer. They discovered that women with this malignancy had over double the concentrations of PCB’s in their bodies. They warned against the intake of fish and dairy products and even added caution regarding the intake of ANY animal fat. PCB’s (Polychlorinated biphenyls) are an industrial waste product that was used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications including electrical, heat transfer, and hydraulic equipment; as plasticizers in paints, plastics, and rubber products; in pigments, dyes, and carbonless copy paper; and many other applications. PCB’s were domestically manufactured from 1929 until their manufacture was banned in 1979.  And in that time frame you could imagine how much of it was haphazardly dumped into rivers and oceans without knowing the future consequences. PCB’s can now be found at the bottom of every ocean.  Nine of the 10 species with the highest polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels are marine mammals. The Toxic Top Ten: bottlenose dolphin, orca. Risso’s dolphin, harbor seal, beluga, Mediterranean monk seal, common dolphin, gray seal, polar bear. The 10th is the Steller’s sea eagle.

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