Why Organic Raw Food is Good For You

“See, I have given thee every herb that yields seeds which is on the face of the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seeds, to you it shall be for food.”
Genesis 1:29

1. Raw food is full of phytonutrients which promote the functions of the immune system, reduce inflammation and is associated with treatment and prevention of disease, especially cancer. Many phytonutrients give fruits and vegetables their bright colour. For example: anthocyanin makes blueberries blue, carotene makes carrots orange, lutein makes yellow peppers yellow, and lycopene makes tomatoes red.

2. Raw food is full of enzymes which aid in the breakdown and digestion of food. We are born with a “bank account” of enzymes. Depending on your lifestyle, genetics, diet or stress level, you will run out of enzymes at some point in your body, beit 30, 50, or 70 years of age. At that point, you are not getting the nutritional value from the food you are eating. With raw food, the enzymes are present as they have not been touched by heat. Temperatures over 108 degrees kills enzymes.(this includes sautéing, steaming, stir-frying, baking, broiling, barbecuing and frying)

3. Raw food contains falcarinol, found in carrots which seem to reduce the intensity of some cancers. Dr. Lorraine Day cured herself of breast cancer by drinking carrot juice. Mild heating or blanching of carrots reduces the falcarinol level by 50%. Another important nutrient, resveratrol has been shown to prevent or treat aging-related diseases. Resveratrol is found in grapes, grape leaves, red wine and olive oil.

4. Plant based protein enhances health, whereas animal protein is a major player in the development of disease as scientifically proven by T.Colin Campbell in The China Study. Cooking foods makes 50% of the protein unavailable, destroys 60-70% vitamins and dramatically reduces other healthy nutrients. We are the only species (besides flies, vultures and other scavengers) that consume dead animal protein. The strongest animals on the planet as a gorilla or elephant eat grasses and grains.

5. Uncooked fats as found in stone-pressed olive oil, cold-pressed coconut oil, cold-pressed flax seed oil and hemp seed oil are beneficial and recommended in a raw food diet. Whereas, it has been shown that heating oils changes it’s chemical and physical characteristics which oxidizes them producing cellular damage in hearts, livers and kidney of lab animals. As humans, are we any different? (Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill)

6. Raw food is less costly. What costs more a banana or a candy bar? an apple or apple pie? Apples, bananas, broccoli and salad greens are a bargain compared to filet mignon at $19.99/lb or tuna at $13.99/lb.

7. Raw food is easier and quicker to prepare. You can prepare a smoothie in 10 minutes; a salad in 10 minutes, fresh tomato sauce in 10 minutes; coconut fudge in 10 minutes vs. muffins in 30 minutes; soup in 30 minutes; baked chicken in 60 minutes; apple pie in 60 minutes. And there are no pans or pots to soak and scrub, no oven to clean or wastage of burnt or overcooked food.

8. The life force, the energy of food is removed by cooking. Unnatural food, which includes any form of food not found in nature, generates toxins that gradually poison the body. The benefits of nature cannot be duplicated artificially. What life force or living nutrition do you get from a doughnut, breakfast cereal, pizza or a coffee? The more we adulterated our food, the less value it has.

9. Less energy is used for digesting raw food so you have more energy for daily activities. Your skin becomes radiant, you have better digestion, you will loose weight and you will decrease your risk or heart disease.

10. Raw foods are alkalizing and keep more oxygen in the body. Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize in 1929 for his theory that disease lives in an environment that is acidic and lacking oxygen.

Living Food Summit

This historic Summit was held at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida on January 14, 2006. The summit conveyed to unify the leadership of Living Food Movement establishing science based common standards of optimum health.

The Optimum Diet for Health/Longevity:
• Vegan (no animal protein of any kind, cooked or raw)
• Organicn • Whole Foodsn • High in nutrition as vitamins, anti-oxidants and phytonutrientsn • Highly mineralizedn • Contains significant quantities of chlorophyll rich green foodsn • Contains adequate complete protein from plant sourcesn • Provides excellent hydrationn • Includes raw vegetable juicesn • Contains EFA’s omega 3’s from naturally occurring plant sourcesn • Is 80% rawn • Has moderate caloric intaken • Contains only low to moderate sugar and exclusively from whole food sourcesn • Is nutritionally optimized for detoxification and rebuilding

We also agreed that:
• Supplementation with Vitamin B-12 is advised.
• The addition of enzyme active superfoods and whole food supplements is also advised.
• This way of eating can be further optimized by tailoring it based on individual needs (within the principles stated)
• Benefits derived by following these principles are proportional to how they are followedn • A full spectrum, healthy supportive lifestyle is encouraged. This includes physical exercise, exposure to sunshine as well as psychological health. Avoiding environmental toxins and toxic products is essential. Pure water is paramount for consumption and bathing. The use of natural fibre clothing and non-toxic personal care products are also very important.. Healthy options for home furnishings/building materials and related items should be considered.

All leaders agree that the main objective of eating in the above mentioned fashion is to promote health, and equally to prevent and minimize disease.

The following leaders support these principles:

Solveig Almqvist (Sweden), Tommy Axelsson (Sweden), Fred Fisci (USA), Tamera Campbell (USA), Rajaa Chbani (Moroco), Gabriel Cousens (USA), Brenda Cobb (USA), Anna Marie Clement (USA), Brian Clement (USA), Carole Dougoud (Switzerland), Kare Engstrom (Sweden), Viktoras Kulvinskas (USA), Marie Christine Lhermitte (France), George Malkmus (USA), Rhonda Malkmus (USA), Paul Nison (USA), Claudine Richard (France), Michael Saiber (USA), Diana Stone (UK/Netherlands), Jill Swyers (UK/Portugal, Walter J.Urban (USA/Cosat Rica)

For more information, go to www.stovelesscuisine.com