Raw Foods Introduction
by Paul Benhaim
Why Raw Foods?
Or more to the point, what is so wrong with cooked food. You probably know that cooking food destroys most of the vitamins and minerals. More recently, it has been suggested that heating (cooking) foods actually changes the structure of both the proteins and carbohydrates in the foods. Cooked foods are now not what they seem and our bodies find that difficult to deal with. Cooked foods will eventually wear down your bodies defence systems. And it all starts in your large intestine or colon. Damaging your internal organs it causes you to behave erratically while alive and eventually bring on premature death. All the diseases of civilization: cancer, heart disease, diabetes are all directly attributable to the consumption of cooked food.
Eating raw, living foods is based upon the simple premise that foods in their most natural state (non GM, non hybrid, non sprayed, not transported, preserved, heating, packed or treated in any way) are the most life giving.
People often say that humans have now adapted to cooked foods. Just because we eat cooked foods and live to tell the tale does not mean this is natural. White bread, for example has only been around for the last 100 years. People eat white bread en masse and they are still alive, does that mean they've adapted to it? Cooked food has a cumulative effect on the body. It builds up over time and prematurely wears out your body and severely damages your internal organs. Just because its dangerous effects are not felt immediately does not mean it is not damaging.
Vegan or Vegetarian
Those who eat a vegan or vegetarian diet, or those who miss out a desert now and again often consider themselves healthy. If you suffer from any colds, fevers, headaches, body pains, allergies then you are in the first stages of dis-ease. These symptoms now considered normal by civilization's standards, are actually dangerous, pathological conditions caused by eating cooked food. How many animals do you see blowing their noses? People think they are healthy, but they have never experienced real health.
The living food diet is the most incredible discovery in human history. Again, every natural creature feeds exclusively on raw foods. When you follow this diet you reach a level of success, health, and vitality you never before thought possible.
Truth and Experience
And who am I to say? From becoming 100% raw I have experienced a new lease of life, excess energy, a new level of intuition and even a new smooth skin! My raw food friends are full of life, passionate and most look 10-20 years younger than their true age.
Truth is not enhanced by qualifications, nor does it suffer for the lack of them. Truth stands on its own. If something is not true, it fails. There is no better test of something's worthiness than good results. Success leaves clues, so does failure. If you want to be successful, listen to successful people. If you want to be rich, listen to rich people. If you want to be healthy, listen to healthy people. Are the people who you have learnt from (teachers, politicians, governments, advertising company and food corporation executives) alive, passionate and healthy. Do they live unaided until 90 years of age, still active in their life?
Protein
There is the protein question that often comes up- where do you get protein from in raw foods. Protein is no more important than any other element in our food. When people have a craving for protein, it is really an addictive craving for cooked protein. We crave this as a means to making us feel better as our bodies detoxify from the unnatural proteins we have eaten in the past. These craving soon disappear once you have completely cleansed the body. Cooked protein does not feed the body. You can get all the protein you need from raw plant food - yes, even fruit has protein. How is it that a cow can grow hundreds of pound of protein flesh from simple grass that hardly contains any protein at all? It is not protein that is necessary to develop proteins in your body, but the essential amino acids that are present in raw fruits and vegetables. The mass frenzy on the subject of protein is the product of an elaborate media campaign by the meat and dairy industries to push their products. The truth is no one ever suffers from a protein deficiency - and certainly no one ever dies from one. But people die of protein poisoning en masse every day. Heart attacks, strokes, cancer, etc. are all the inevitable results of overburdening the body with cooked animal proteins. A complete source of natural de-natured protein is found in hemp seeds- with Australia still not allowing these non-toxic seeds for human consumption. Bee Pollen and Spirulina are other great sources of high protein foods.
Fats and weight loss
Fats are often a mis-understood subject. It is time for us to re-learn the true facts and not the hype of the low-fat diets that seemed to imply they would result in low-fat bodies. It is clear we cannot live without, in fact we would die without a regular intake of fats in our system. It is also clear that some fats actually kill us. Sound complicated? It is simple really- some fats are healers, some fats are killers.
Fats that are healers include natural unheated, unprocessed fats found in quantity in nuts and seeds. Cold-pressed oils are also a great source and the base to many different raw food salad dressings. Omega-3 and omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids are the most well known of these fats. Strangely enough, hemp seed and hemp oil are the best balanced sources of these fats. These kind of fats actually assist in increasing metabolic rate and may lead to weight loss.
Fats that kill are nearly all heated or processed fats. Where are they found? In nearly all processed foods and oils that do not clearly state 'cold-pressed'. The food industry found a novel way to increase the shelf-life of fats in their products called hydrogenation. This high heat process distorts the structure of the fats. Sometimes labelled as just 'vegetable fat' in margarines this is being shown to be one of the most deadly ingredients. You can find hydrogenated fats in nearly all take-away food outlets, snack bars, cereals, breads and soft-spreads. The best fat suitable for high temperature cooking is coconut oil (palm oil), with Ghee coming a close second. If you must cook- use these fats. Even olive oil is better suited for salad dressing or low temperature heating only.
Steamed is OK?
Are steamed veggies considered living foods? No, cooked foods include breads, pastas, anything that is heated above 102 degrees Fahrenheit starts to loose its enzymes. When foods are eaten that are deficient in enzymes, the body has to use its own enzymes, which are secreted by the pancreas, to break down the food. Eventually, on a diet of dead food, the pancreas becomes swollen and irritated and then the other digestive organs begin to have troubles as well.
What about supplementation- Living Foods are foods that are not processed. To say that a pill or powder or potion, no matter how 'natural' or organic is good for us is to say that Nature has made a mistake by not offering us these foods in a processed, refined state -- which, of course, is ridiculous.
However, extreme situations require extreme measures and supplementation of super-foods (hemp seeds, bee pollen, spirulina, mineral supplements and juicing) are often necessary as part of the re-mineralisation process.
Juicing
Juicing is a mechanical form of mastication. Juicing is excellent for the transition period, particularly fresh, live raw juices. However, we note that juices should be 'chewed' and should include at least some of the pulp to ensure the natural balance is available to us. Orange juice is a good example, highly acidic without the pulp and slightly alkaline with.
And along comes winter- how do we survive cold weather without warm food or drinks? Warm foods give us a false sense of security. They warm us up for a short while, when soon we are left cold again. It's like taking a hot shower: Are you more resistant to cold weather if you take hot showers or cold showers? One feels warm after a cold shower, and weak and depleted after a hot shower that drains one's vital energy. Look to the animal kingdom and see how some Deer survive icy winters on just grass. My first two winters on raw food were in the snowy cold of London, UK. Here in Australia we have an abundant of organic fresh fruit and vegetables that offer us the life giving properties we all deeply year for.
Are raw foods going to change my life?
Yes. They are. There is no doubt that people on a regular Standard Australian Diet (SAD) will benefit greatly by incorporating more and more raw foods into their lifestlye. How depends on the individual, however most people will tend to naturally incorporate forms of nature and relaxation in some form- starting your own veggie garden, walking on the beach or in the forest or parks, meditation, yoga or tai chi.
And if you are severely overweight then expect many of your friends not to recognise you within a few months. Some of the before and after pictures found on my website attest to this.
How do I start now? Do I have to stop eating all cooked foods today?
It is important that you do not stop a lifelong dietary habit and just eat raw foods. This would be a dangerous shock to your system. In fact, like any 'extreme' sport it is crucial that you know lots of information before you take part and cause an injury or decide never to take part again. This process is called transitioning and may take anywhere from 3 months to 3 years or more, depending on what type of person you are, how fast you are willing to change and detoxification symptoms you can accept.
I coach my clients to transition slowly and move at their own speed. The easiest way is to include more raw foods in your diet and not to cut out cooked foods at all. It will not take long and you will naturally feel that after an apple, four bananas and a raw chocolate mousse you will not feel so much like the meat pie, potatoes and pasta salad you planned for dinner. Drink lots of juices to start with, eat mounds of greens. To start with your taste buds will start to come back and you will remember that foods actually taste really great without piles of table salt being thrown at it.
For me, I still enjoy a lasagne, a Thai curry and chocolate cake every now and again. Don't worry- they can all be made raw and when transitioning raw foods such as essene bread and raw warmed soups make the journey that much easier.
I run regular 2 and 5 day residential retreats in the rainforest of New South Wales. Made affordable to most this is an excellent way to be introduced to the total experience of the Living Foods way of life. As well as guided relaxation, nature walks, nutrition lecture and gourmet food you get hands on experience in preparing gourmet raw foods. One-on-one consultations are also included in the small groups to ensure individual attention. Most of all - we have fun. A light-hearted way to relax in the forest and enjoy sharing with people from all backgrounds.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Paul Benhaim is Author of "Living Food Recipes" available mailorder at www.alivefoods.com and at all good bookstores and your local library. Cost is just $14.95 ISBN: 0-9751482-1-4.
Paul Benhaim is author of
