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Raw Food
Heated debates can happen over something so cool as a raw food diet.
Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, sums it up like this: "I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it." (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
God created Adam and Eve from the ground and told them to eat the herbs and the fruits that bear seeds. They certainly ate the fruits and the herbs in a raw state, as there was no pollution from fire and destruction for firewood in Eden. The first person recorded to apply fire to the fruits of the field, and with that to cook, bake and possibly burn the food was Cain (Genesis 4:3) , Adam and Eve's firstborn son. This however happened after they had been expelled from paradise due to sin.
As man was created from the ground of the earth, it is not surprising to find more than 50% of the elements on earth in the human body. In order for the body to function well, these elements need to be provided through the food we consume. For over six millenniums the ground has been providing nutrients for every plant and every being on this planet. As the ground gets more deficient, we need to make sure we receive sufficient quantity and quality of nutrients in our diet.
Plants extend their roots deep into the ground and assimilate the elements found in the earth into their structure. That's why organic products grown on a rich soil are more valuable than conventionally grown produce and certainly better than chemically synthesized products.
And then we have the question of cooking. What does it do to the nutrients in our food and to our body, mind and soul?
Protein in the diet is important. Among others they function as enzymes that convert food into their chemical elements and assist with their transport from the digestive tract into the blood and then to the organs in each cell. However, heating them above 47°C (118°F) changes their God-given structure and disables them. With that the body has to spend extra energy in disassembling and reassembling new enzymes.
Temperatures above 120°C (248°F) can change energy supplying carbohydrates among others to the cancer producing toxin called Acrylamide which is used for dyes and the production of plastic.
Heated fats release cancer- and other disease-producing free radicals. Free radicals in turn destroy some of the fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamin A + E) that were among other functions created to protect the body from these free radicals. Heated fats in combination with proteins as found in animal products create other cancer-causing substances including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzopyrene) and heterocyclic amines, N-nitroso compounds (nitrosamines).
Fruits and vegetables contain other elements, called phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. Phytochemicals belong to God's pharmacy and are probably the least known group. They are not just supporting the digestion, but can protect from cancer, infections and multiple other diseases. They have a positive influence on blood pressure, blood clotting, blood sugar and cholesterol level, as well as on the immune and digestive system and many more. Most of the phytochemicals can't tolerate heat and loose 60- 100 % of their effectiveness. Vitamins tend to be more stable with average vitamin losses after correction for water loss through cooking ranging from about 10 to 25 %.
Minerals are chemically not changed by cooking. However, 60-70% of the minerals get lost with boiling water. So, if you want to cook, slight steaming is a better choice, except for plants that contain oxalic acid, like in spinach and rhubarb. Oxalic acid in the raw state is beneficial to smooth muscle, like the movement of the intestine, cooked however, it increases the risk of accumulating deposits of oxalic acid containing stones like kidney stones. So it is healthier to leach it out with boiling and to dispose of the water.
Fruits contain between 74% (bananas) and 92% (watermelon and strawberry) water by weight. Vegetables range from 79% (potatoes and green peas) to 96% (cucumbers and lettuce). As the average person is made up of about 60% (45-75%) of water by weight, water is also very important to maintain a healthy body. Cooking and dehydrating reduces the foods content of this so wonderfully filtered water.
These are just a few things, that cooking does to nutrients in our food. What can we expect to happen to body, mind and soul when we consume such a diet on a regular basis?
An experiment, known as "The Great American Rat Experiment: Raw Food Vs. the Cooked, American Diet" might give us an answer to this question. It is an experiment in three parts looking at the effects that raw food has on rats in comparison to cooked food, as recorded in the book 'Goldot', by Lewis E. Cook, Jr. and Junko Yasui:
"It has been found that a group of rats were fed diets of raw vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains from birth grew into completely healthy specimens and never suffered from any disease. They were never ill. They grew rapidly, but never became fat, mated with enthusiasm and had healthy offspring. They were always gently affectionate and playful and lived in perfect harmony with each other. Upon reaching an old age, equivalent to 80 years in human, these rats were put to death and autopsied. At that advanced age their organs, glands, tissues and all body processes appeared to be in perfect condition without any sign of aging or deterioration.
"A companion group of rats were fed a diet comparable to that of the average American and included white bread, cooked foods, meats, milk, salt, soft drinks, candies, cakes, vitamins and other supplements, medicines for their ailments, etc. During their lifetime these rats became fat and, from the earliest age, contracted most of the diseases of modern American society including colds, fever, pneumonia, poor vision, cataracts, heart disease, arthritis, cancer and many more.
"Most of this group dies prematurely at early ages but during their lifetime most of them were vicious, snarling beasts, fighting with one another, stealing one another's food and attempting to kill each other. They had to be kept apart to prevent total destruction of the entire group. Their offspring were all sick and exhibited the same general characteristics as the parents.
"As this group of rats died one by one or in epidemics or various diseases, autopsies were performed revealing extensive degenerative conditions in every part of the bodies. All organs, glands and tissues were affected as were the skin, hair, blood and nervous system. They were all truly total physical and nervous wrecks. The same conditions existed in the few which survived the full duration of the experiment.
"A third companion group of rats was fed the same diet as the second group to an age equivalent to about 40 years in humans. They displayed the same general symptoms of the second group – being sick and vicious so that they had to be separated to prevent them from killing each other and stealing one another's food.
"At the end of this initial period all rats in this group were placed on a strict fast, with only water to drink for a period of several days. Then they received the natural (raw) diet of the first group of rats. This diet was alternated with periods of fasting and within one month the behavioral pattern had changed completely so that the now docile, affectionate, playful creatures were once again able to live together in a harmonious society and from this point on never suffered any illness.
"Several rats were put to death and autopsied at the end of the initial period revealing the same general deterioration as that exhibited in the second group of rats. However, the remaining rats lived out the full duration of the experiment, to the equivalent of 80 years in humans, and when they were autopsied there were no signs of aging or deterioration or disease – just as those in the first group. The obvious disease, degeneration and deterioration of the body parts evident in their first half of life had been completely reversed and excellent health restored.
"The same principles apply to human life as there is only one TRUTH! Thus it may be concluded, that sick people may be restored to health simply by choosing the proper diet, fasting and observing the other rules of health."
As this was a rat experiment we can expect incredible things to happen with our health and our life if we understand what diet was originally given to man.
So what did man originally eat?
(Genesis 2:16+17) tells us that God commanded man to eat freely of every tree in the Garden, except of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From this we know that there was no restriction on fruits. From the creation account we see that herbs (greens) bearing seeds was part of their diet (Genesis 1:29) . So the diet was high in simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates that we find in grains and tubers (the kind of vegetables that can be stored like potatoes, manioc and carrots) were not part of the original diet. In addition to fruits, green leafy vegetables and herbs play an important role due to the variety of minerals and phytochemicals that are found in them. It is interesting to note that our digestive system is also designed to absorb simple carbohydrates as it is found in fruits and non-starchy vegetables.
Food containing nuts and seeds were not created in abundance and mostly have a cover that is not easily digestible. They are meant mainly for procreation. We are safe to assume that they are to be used sparingly. Douglas N. Graham shows in his book "The 80/10/10 Diet" that people commonly consume more fat than they need with gravitating toward 42% fat, regardless of what type of diet they follow. Even the average vegan stays close to it, despite a good number of them follow a "low-fat" program. Almost every type of disease is connected to high fat consumption due to the bodies reduced ability to transport oxygen to the cells of the body, which also accelerates aging.