A recent raw food article from The News & Observer…

Eating in the Raw

The cookbook section of most bookstores offers a staggering selection of books that show you how to cook. But take a closer look and you'll find a small but growing number of books that focus on "un-cooking," that is the benefits and how-to's of eating raw foods. To most raw-food proponents, "raw" simply refers to food that hasn't been cooked or even heated above a certain temperature. Foods that have been heat-smoked, as well as those that have been heated during processing such as canning or pasteurization–like pasteurized milk or salsa in a jar–are not considered raw foods.

What Happens When Food is Cooked?

You may be surprised to learn that heat above 107 degrees or so begins to inactivate such nutrients as vitamin C and folic acid, and can cause minerals such as calcium to become less readily absorbed by the body. In addition to affecting vitamins and minerals, heat from the cooking process can also destroy enzymes in food.

Enzymes perform many important functions in the body. They act as protein catalysts, help to produce energy to fuel cells and jump-start our digestive process. Our immune cells also use enzymes to attack viruses and bacteria. Although our bodies can make many of the enzymes that we need, raw food supporters contend that we can get "premade" enzymes by simply eating raw foods that are full of their own enzymes.

If you would like to begin eating more raw foods, this is the perfect time of year to start. Area farmers markets are bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables right now.

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The news article includes a raw food recipe involving cabbage, and advises sprouting beans, nuts and seeds.