What are the negative aspects of raw food?

In a message dated 3/18/04 4:42:01 PM, Danny writes:

Dear Rhio,

I've read almost every book about raw food. I think your book "Hooked on Raw" was the best! I really need your help. Can you think of some questions that I can put in my I-search (which is part of my exit project) about raw food? Besides the "positive things" about raw food, can you give me a full report of the "negative thing" about raw food? (For example: Diseases can be form, etc.) Thank You Rhio!

From #1 FAN,
Danny

Dear Danny,

Thank you for the kind words about my book. I really appreciate your letting me know.

I'm not sure what an exit project is but I surmise it has something to do with school. Perhaps the final paper of the school year or something. I'm glad you chose this subject!!!

Anyway, I really, really can't think of any negative effects of adopting a raw/live food diet and lifestyle, EXCEPT when the diet is misapplied. By misapplied, I mean that, as you probably know, within the raw food community there are many and varied ideas as to what is proper to include in the diet. To my way of thinking, the raw/live food diet should be varied and many different types of foods should be included. I include as many different types of food as I can think of, and I'm looking for more different types and varieties of produce to include all the time. I've read that the First Nations (American Indians) ate a diet that contained infinitely more varieties of food than what are available to us today even in the most well stocked produce market. I believe that our supply of produce, while it looks abundant, is really very limited in variety. There are tens of thousands of varieties of vegetables, roots, and fruits that never make it into a store for the general public to buy. Variety is needed because different plants pick up different nutrients from the soil, so by including variety, you have a better chance of getting every nutrient that you need. If you were growing your own food and building up the soil with rock dust, compost and other natural soil amendments, then you might not need as much variety because the vegetables and fruits that grow in good soil are naturally higher in mineral and other nutrient values.

As I mentioned in my book, I have reservations about the people who adopt the raw lifestyle and only eat sweet fruit; the Fruitarians. I believe this is a serious mistake. For example, right now in NY it is very cold. When it is very cold, fruit really does not meet the needs of the body. Right now my body, in the climate I'm in, is calling for roots, greens, sea vegetables. This is not to say that I don't eat fruit now, but I try to find the fruit that is appropriate to the season, such as pomegranates, persimmons, figs, etc.

Others in the raw community cut out all fermented foods. Fermented foods, traditionally have been used by long lived peoples and provide many beneficial ferments that keep the colon functioning optimally.

Others in the raw community don't believe in using even the beneficial oils like extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil. A friend of mine who didn't use oil for 15 years developed a deficiency of essential fatty acids - particularly the omega 3s. She started getting a rash and itchy skin on her legs that then spread to other parts of her body. Fortunately, a doctor, versed in the raw food diet, was able to spot her deficiency and then verified it with appropriate tests. She is now taking several tbsp of olive and flaxseed oil per day and her condition has improved significantly, but it took a year and a half to correct the deficiency. She has agreed to be interviewed so that I can include her experience in my next book.

Some raw food proponents say that since you're eating a diet that is very high in water content (fruits and vegetables have a lot of water in them) that you don't really need to drink any additional water. I believe this is another serious mistake. Eight glasses of water a day are essential to keep our bodies hydrated and it takes fresh water to process the water out of the vegetables and fruits that we eat. After all, broccoli doesn't look like water and it doesn't release its water until it goes through a process in the body and in order to facilitate that process, the body needs fresh water. There is a very famous raw food teacher - fruitarian - who looks about 20 years older than his real age. He looks like the difference between a grape and a raisin. He eats a high water diet of mostly fruit, but looks dehydrated. He says fresh water is not necessary. I won't say who it is because I don't like to pinpoint any particular person, only the erroneous idea. The raw food diet and lifestyle is supposed to make you look younger than your years - not older!!

These are not problems created from a raw food diet, but from a raw food diet, misapplied.

There are other things you might investigate. The B12 controversy goes on and on.

There is also an emotional/spiritual component to health, so sometimes even a raw food diet will not resolve some problems if people do not attend to this emotional/spiritual aspect. Brian Clement speaks a lot about this, and he is in a position to know, since so many different people pass through his Institute in West Palm Beach. He has been able to discern that the small percentage of people whose health does not improve are holding onto some negative emotional and spiritual baggage.

Another aspect is that some people just do not know how to live without illness. To them disease has become familiar - comfortable - so when they go on a diet that starts them on the path to health, they do not feel good about it. They will lose their illness which in some ways is giving them something they need.

A "temporary negative effect" of raw foods of course is that when you are first changing over, you will usually have some days or weeks of "healing crisis" and during that time you will not feel very good at all. This is short term negative and once the cleansing has reached a certain level, you will probably not feel ill again.

It's hard to think of what might be negative effects. I can't really think of any truly negative effects. There are some social seemingly negative effects - not being able to freely socialize without making some arrangements ahead of time for the food you need. That is a negative for some people who don't want to be bothered about planning ahead. Being criticized for your way of life sometimes can be negative, some in the family might be resistant to the changes you're making. You could lose friends.

As far as dis-ease is concerned, in my experience, dis-ease just falls away from a body that is alkaline. An acid body is the breeding ground for dis-ease.

Hope this helps.

With blessings and peace,

Rhio

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