Raw Food Heats Up Some Pros and Cons
by Marilynn Marter
Knight Ridder Newspapers

Raw food as an alternative lifestyle has been promoted since the '50s. In recent years, the success of raw-food restaurants in California has spread the concept nationwide. With Raw (Ten Speed Press, 2003), two visionary chefs — Charlie Trotter in Chicago, Roxanne Klein in San Francisco — created a landmark volume celebrating raw food, giving it gourmet glam and nudging it into the culinary mainstream.

Certainly, eating some raw food is natural and healthful; raw-food vegetarian diets can promote health and healing. But questions of long-term success, and possible vitamin deficiencies, remain. Face it, the concept runs counter to evolution and thousands of years of cooking. If that's not enough to stir controversy, add the nutritional complexities to the mix and you could have a food war on your hands.

Here are a few of the pros and cons: Raw food contains live enzymes that aid digestion, said chef-author Matthew Kenney. Heated past 118 degrees, those enzymes begin to die, leaving only the enzymes our bodies produce to digest what we eat. When the body supplies those enzymes, some believe, it speeds up the aging process. Research has shown that a raw food diet can have a major effect on health, normalizing weight and increasing energy. Raw foods can be more easily digested, producing less acid and bile. Combining raw and cooked foods at the same meal, however, may cause indigestion.

There is some concern that raw foods have higher pesticide levels than cooked foods, thus use of organic ingredients is recommended for raw food dishes. A small supplement of Vitamin B-12 is suggested with vegetarian diets since that nutrient is found primarily in meat. Nuts, seeds and sprouts are good sources of protein. But because plant proteins don't have the "balanced" amino acid profile found in animal protein, it is best to include a variety of protein sources in vegetarian diets. For essential fatty acids, Omega 3, typically found in fish, is very important. A precursor of Omega 3, alpha-linoleic acid, is found in green leafy vegetables and walnuts.

Take note: While eating most foods raw won't hurt you, the nutritional benefits of eliminating cooked foods, or for that matter, of going vegan and cutting all meat and dairy items from your diet, remains a subject of controversy for dietitians and doctors.

For those interested in learning more about raw foods, here are three books to explore:

Complete Book of Raw Food: Healthy, Delicious Vegetarian Cuisine Made with Living Foods by Lori Baird (Healthy Living Books, 2003) — More than 350 recipes from more than 40 top raw food chefs worldwide, with tips for making elegant and healthy meals, from preparation to presentation.

Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods by Renee Loux Underkoffler (Avery Publishing, 2004) — A comprehensive introduction to a raw-foods lifestyle, including tools, techniques, nutrition and safety tips and more than 300 gourmet vegan recipes from the former chef/co-owner of Raw Experience in Maui.

The following information about food combining is from Frederic Patenuade's raw food newsletter. I found the information very helpful, and I hope you find it helpful, as well…

Food Combining Simplified:

In my book, “The Raw Secrets,” I have simplified food combining to a few simple rules. Let’s take a look at those rules again…

1.) DO NOT COMBINE FAT WITH SUGAR

This is probably the most important rule to follow. The combination of fat (or protein) with sugar encourages fermentation. Some authors allow combining an acid fruit (such as an orange) with a fat (such as nuts or avocado). Although this combination isn’t the worst, it still isn’t
optimal and often creates digestive problems.

Examples of this combination: dates with nuts, dried fruits with avocado, avocado with sweet fruits, a fruit salad with coconut, etc.

2.) DO NOT COMBINE ACID FOODS WITH STARCH

Acid with starch is a pretty bad combination. The acidity literally stops the digestion of starches, or makes it much more difficult (and sometimes painful).

Examples of this combination: mixing tomatoes with (cooked) potatoes, the classic tomato-sandwich, but also mixing bananas with oranges. Oranges contain much acidity and bananas still contain starch, even when they are ripe. Bananas combine better with fruits that contain less acidity (sweet apples, mangoes, etc.).

3.) DO NOT COMBINE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FATTY FOODS WITHIN ONE MEAL

Fatty foods are quite difficult to digest. When many of them are present within a meal, digestion is considerably slower.

Examples of this combination: nuts with avocados, nuts with an oil, coconut with avocado, coconut with other types of nuts, etc.

That’s it! Those are the rules when eating a raw/hygienic diet. Of course, we could come up with more rules, but they would be for combinations that wouldn’t be appealing. For example, I doubt that fibrous vegetables (such as broccoli) would mix well with fruits (mangoes, etc.), but this combination is naturally unappealing, so it’s useless to discuss it."

"Your food determines in a large measure how long you shall live–how much you shall enjoy life, and how successful your life shall be." –Dr. Kirschner

"Success is an accumulation of practicing fundamentals each and every day. Eating is a daily activity of vital importance which cannot be overlooked." –David Wolfe

"A consistent habit of making excellent food choices is an absolute necessity for a successful life."–David Wolfe, The Sunfood Diet Success System.

There is a strong correlation between health and success in life. How many successful people do you know who are weak, constantly sick, and lacking in energy? Not many, right?

Success and physical health are undeniably linked. A strong physical body and a healthy immune system provide the foundation needed for achievement.

There is way too much emphasis placed on protein by so-called "nutritionists." Surprisingly, research reveals that too much protein compromises the immune system and is detrimental to your health.

A great book on the dangers of excess protein, and the importance of the acid/alkaline balance is Your Health, Your Choice by Dr. M. Ted Mortmer. In addition, "Your Health, Your Choice" has one of the most simplified, easy-to-understand explanations of the digestive process.

Cancer and other diseases thrive in an acidic state within the body. Many people do not know that all food eaten leaves a residue of acid-ash or alkaline-ash in the body. The human body will do whatever it takes to counteract the acid-ash residue left from the SAD (Standard American Diet) we are used to–this includes pulling calcium from the bones to neutralize the acid in the system.

Drinking homogenized milk only aggravates the acidity (milk leaves an acid-ash residue which must be neutralized). According Mortmer, the ideal PH of the body is 7.5 which is alkaline, and the human body goes through ENORMOUS lengths to maintain this PH level. Alcohol, coffee, flesh-based protein (i.e. meat), and stress all create acidity within the body and should be avoided.

Since flesh-foods leave an acid-ash residue, it's best to get your protein from plant-based foods which leave an alkaline-ash. Unfortunately, many people are ignorant and believe that you can't get protein without eating meat. This is entirely false. Read more about The Protein Myth.