The Problem With Cooked Foods

The Problem With Cooked Foods

The reason the raw food movement has taken off with such force is because of the health benefits it brings. Cooking our foods is the norm. It is how 99.9% of us were brought up as soon as we were weaned off mother's milk.

Notice I didn't say off Beech Nut pureed fruits and vegetables, the usual step after weaning? That's because in order for the canning process to be complete, and all the harmful bacteria destroyed, it must be processed at extremely high temperatures. That means, basically, it's cooked.

The reason it's difficult getting babies to eat any cooked food is because instinctively they know it is not healthy. We have to train them to eat it!

What happens when a food is heated, or cooked? At about 116 degrees, vitamins are destroyed and minerals become unavailable to our bodies. The enzymes are also destroyed, which are necessary for our bodies to break down the food we eat.

So our bodies pull out enzymes from within the body to break down the food, depleting our own needed supply.

Protein is destroyed, or "de-natured", at about 160 degrees. So all those people worrying about where raw foodists get their protein is a moot point, because even they aren't getting the helpful, healthful protein they think they are getting!

What does it mean, to be de-natured? Think of an egg frying in a pan. The chemical bond in the protein is changed, and the structure itself changes. It cannot ever be changed back.

Our bodies do need protein, but not in this changed form. It is now no longer available to our bodies in the way it is needed. What it does instead is do harmful things in our bodies. Too much of this kind of protein is responsible for much of the disease and death in our country today.

What can you do about it? You can start taking charge of your own health - no one can do that for you. What you put into your body today is either making it stronger, healthier, able to resist the harmful toxins and cancer cells that are present in everyone's blood stream; or it is weakening your body, setting you up for future disease and early death.

A suggestion: Start eating more raw, fresh, ripe, organic (if possible) fruits. Make a meal of it! Have a green or fruit smoothie for breakfast.

But Where Do You Get Your Protein?

This is, invariably, the first question I get when I tell people I don't eat animal products.

It always makes me smile, because 10 years ago I would have asked the same thing. So I never tire of telling people that I get absolutely all the protein I need from raw fruits and vegetables.

Actually, you can get enough protein from eating raw fruits alone, but I wouldn't recommend that because we need the minerals and variety of so many nutrients that we get from vegetables.

This also begs the question, How much protein do we really need?

The truth is, not very much. Anywhere from 5-10% of our total calories need to come from protein, in order to replace the protein we routinely use.

T. Colin Campbell, in his landmark work entitled, "The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health", says that we only require 5-6%. He also says that "About 9-10% protein has been recommended for the past 50 years to be assured that most people at least get their 5-6% protein." (pp 30-31)

Actually, if you were to eat only potatoes you would also get enough protein (again, definitely not something I would recommend!). In fact, it is extremely difficult in this country to not get enough protein in your diet!

It is the meat industry with their lobbying and their advertising over the years that has convinced us to worry about getting enough protein. In actuality, the typical American eats about 16% protein.

What happens when our bodies are fed this surplus of protein?

Diseases and health problems of all kinds.

Protein is, in general, very acid forming in the body. This throws off the body's pH balance and so it must work very hard to maintain homeostasis by pulling an alkaline mineral, calcium, from the bloodstream. The body replaces the calcium in the bloodstream by removing it from our bones and teeth.

This is why when you drink milk, you actually lose calcium! Just the opposite of why most people drink milk! How sad that the milk and dairy industry continues to perpetrate this fraud on the American people.

So if you are on a raw, low fat vegan diet, just make sure that you eat enough fruits and vegetables, with a good variety.

I highly recommend Dr. Douglas N. Graham's book called "The 80/10/10 Diet" if you want to learn more.

Phyllis Towse