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Raw Food Cuisine is More than Salad and Crudité!Posted: Tue, Sep 30, 2008By: Danielle Heard, MS, HHC Artemis in the City Blog Home 
It is 9:15 AM and like most days, an exhausted 36 year-old Carol Taylor is running late for work. She stops at a street corner near her office to buy her usual bagel and a large cup of coffee from a vendor. She is hopeful that her breakfast on the run will give her the energy she needs to close an important business deal. Carol then hurries to her office to begin another 12-hour day of work. For lunch she stops for a few minutes at a nearby pizza shop to gobble down a slice of pizza and a large cola. By 3:00 PM she can barely focus or stay awake. Carol then has another large cup of coffee to help her make it through the day. Once at home she orders tacos and a large cola for dinner. Carol knows that she needs to eat healthier as she is Pre-Diabetic and is 30 pounds over her normal weight. But Carol is afraid to give up her favorite foods – the foods that she has come to rely on for comfort. We all know someone like Carol, who is working long hours, living on processed fast food, trying to manage a hectic stressful life and who is facing serious health issues such as diabetes. Though most people have an idea of what is considered healthy food versus junk food, most people are not aware that their food choices also create their life. If lifeless, denatured and demineralized food is eaten then this is what the body physically and spiritually becomes. Dr. Gabriel Cousens, holistic physician, founder of the Tree of Life Foundation and live raw food expert said “Our food choices reflect the ongoing harmony with ourselves, the world, all of creation and the Divine.” For many Americans, a splash of lettuce on their hamburger or tacos is the only living raw leafy-green vegetable they ever consume. Lifeless, denatured and demineralized food is their primary source of fuel that builds their mind and body. The shift from a culture that traditionally ate locally grown fresh whole farm produce and handmade home cooked meals to one that exists on commercialized packaged and processed food products made with denatured food stuffs and chemicals in factories has caused a major shift in the way Americans are able to create healthy balanced lives. The shift away from real whole food is a leading cause of the rise in the number of people developing diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes and will be the cause of many new diseases among future generations. This shift has also led to a severely obese society as well as to one that is less harmonious, respectful and mentally and spiritually well. Natural whole foods that are living have the power to help our world heal on so many levels. At the personal level, even a small shift a person makes to incorporate some raw living foods into his or her diet can have the capacity to upgrade the course of that person’s life as better quality and nutrient dense food has been added. Raw “living” food is just as nature intended. It has not been denatured and therefore contains a complete set of elements that are easily recognized and utilized by the body to create life. Food is not just a system of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. It also provides vitamins, minerals, live enzymes, phytonutrients and even electrical energy. In its natural or “live” state raw whole food contains many enzymes that aid in digestion, help to detoxify the body, provide energy and vitality, promote longevity and that aid in the prevention of diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. In his book, “Food Enzymes for Health and Longevity,” Dr. Edward Howell, a leader in food enzyme research, noted that our health status is indicated by the quantity of enzymes we have in our system. According to Dr. Howell there are 75,000-100,000 different enzyme systems in the body. These enzymes are responsible for all physical functioning to life such as digestion, detoxification, repairing DNA, maintaining the immune system as well as all metabolic and regenerative processes. “Enzymes are substances that make life possible. No mineral, vitamin, or hormone can do any work without enzymes. They are the manual workers that build the body from proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The body may have the raw building materials, but without the workers, it cannot begin,” states Dr. Howell. By eating raw “live” foods, fewer digestive enzymes from the stomach, pancreas, liver and small intestine are needed to digest the food. Less enzymes needed for digestion allows for more enzyme energy to support other body system functions leading to an increase in energy and vitality. Just as it is important to eat a variety of foods to ensure that your body receives a balance of nutrients, it is important to always vary your method of cooking and food preparation because various cooking methods have an impact on your health energetically. A most notable fact is that cooking destroys much of the vital nutrients, live enzymes, and phytonutrients of living raw food. Additionally, the natural water of food is also lost through cooking. Some methods of cooking such as frying and grilling can completely alter the structure of the food molecules causing them to become toxic and carcinogenic. When eaten the toxic food molecules cause an increase in free-radicals in the body which triggers an immune system response that can lead to inflammation and disease. As mentioned previously, the denaturing and demineralization of food is a serious problem in America that has led to a rise in the number of people who are obese, have diabetes, cancer, heart disease, auto-immune system diseases, kidney disease, allergies, chronic fatigue, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, sexual dysfunction and many other chronic mental and physical health conditions. In his book, “ Spiritual Nutrition,” Dr. Gabriel Cousens says “Cooking is not only risky business but it significantly diminishes the amount of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, organic acids and other lesser-known phytonutrients such as bioflavonoids, which are key components for activating positive gene expression.” Dr. Cousens also points to research published in the “Journal of Medical Hypothesis” vol. 51 1998 which notes that each cell has 90 million methyl groups at birth. A loss of these methyl groups leads to mental and physical degeneration, including cancer. Dr. Cousens further explains that when we cook food the proteolytic enzymes are destroyed resulting in the need for more hydrochloric acid to be used for digestion. Because more hydrochloric acid is needed for digestion there is less available to donate to methyl groups. The result is a loss of methyl groups which speeds up the aging process. Over time age, stress and chronic illness additionally decrease the body’s supply of enzymes causing an acceleration in the aging process. According to these experts, continuously eating enzyme rich live raw foods helps build up enzyme reserves, increases energy for increased wellness and vitality, and provides more enzyme energy that can be used for detoxification, digestion and metabolic function. In her book “The Hippocrates Diet and Health Program,” Ann Wigmore, a pioneer of natural health and nutrition and founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute, suggests that the secret of life is the preservation of enzymes. If you have ever juiced fresh raw organic fruits and vegetables then you have experienced first hand the benefits of live enzymes. In a very short amount of time the skin becomes more youthful and beautiful, and emanates a healthy glow. This answer is not an easy one as it really is based on each individual person and what he or she chooses or wants to create in their life. The level of health and vitality that someone is experiencing is an indication as to the immediate level of need from a healing perspective. If you ask raw foodists then of course ideally your diet should be 100% raw. But even raw food experts recognize that a 100% totally raw diet is one that is not an easy lifestyle and for some people could be viewed as too dogmatic. Dr. Cousens recommends a lifestyle that incorporates 80% raw foods and 20% cooked. David Wolfe, another notable natural health pioneer, live raw food expert and founder of Sunfood Nutrition, suggests that people should begin with their heart and start with simple easy to incorporate upgrades. I agree with Wolfe and have made it my mission to help people choose simple nutrition and lifestyle upgrades that help them create the life they want for themselves. I first became motivated to incorporate more raw foods into my diet in 1997 after I was diagnosed with connective tissue disease and fibromyalgia. What became a key element to my complete recovery was the implementation of high amounts of greens into my diet. I began drinking fresh live juices every day with a primary focus on fresh green juices. Eleven years later my green juice is still a major part of my personal wellness program. But a major shift towards more raw food experimentation occurred for me after hearing one of David Wolfe's lectures on live raw foods. He was amazing, so full of life and brought with him the most beautiful Kirlian photos taken of food that captured the luminescent energy field or bioelectrical property of the food. The Kirlian photography clearly showed that live food has a much larger auric field than cooked food. When eating live raw food a person is able to enlarge their own auric energy field and conversely this energy field becomes smaller when a person eats cooked or processed junk food. Then this summer I had the opportunity to attend one of Dr. Gabriel Cousens’ lectures on curing type II diabetes with his live raw food program at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center. Immediately when he walked into the room I knew that there was something very special and incredible about this person - and his skin glowed. Both Cousens and Wolfe are great examples of how food choices can create amazing lives.
When I am talking with people and they discover that I eat a lot of raw foods, their initial reaction is typically some sort of rejective grumble as if they think that I am only eating a bunch of salad and carrot sticks. But live raw food cuisine is more than salad and crudité. It is interesting, beautiful, fun, delicious, as well as very healthy for you. In fact, many of your favorite foods such as pizza, tacos, Italian pasta dishes and desserts can be made from live raw whole foods. Imagine eating your favorite foods and not having to feel guilty about it and benefiting from its nutrient dense properties. How incredible is that! Primary Kitchen Appliances:You will need appliances based on the degree to which you will want to experiment and make raw foods. I have listed in parentheses my recommendations. For dehydration you would only want to invest in the Excalibur food dehydrator because of its unique drying system.
Blender (Vita-Mix – my choice even for fresh juices!)
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