A Simple Reminder about Why We Eat Raw Food, Why Organic?

A Simple Reminder about Why We Eat Raw Food by Nomi Shannon

Eating a high enzyme diet consisting of raw fruits and vegetables, sprouted seeds, nuts, grains and some seaweed will profoundly increase your chance of achieving optimal health.

Eating predominantly cooked food puts a tremendous strain on the body. To understand why this is true, you need to understand the role enzymes play. Enzymes are in the cells of every living plant and animal. It is enzyme activity that accomplishes all biological work from blinking an eye, to lifting a finger, to having a thought.

When we eat, we need enzymes to help digest the food. If the food we are eating is raw-whether it is a rutabaga, a carrot, a lettuce leaf or a trout-all the enzymes we need are right there in the food itself, ready to go to work for us.

If the food is cooked beyond 118 0 Fahrenheit (48 0 C), however, these naturally occurring enzymes are killed by heat, and our body must manufacture its own digestive enzymes to do the job.

Is this a problem? Raw fooders believe it is. The father of the food enzyme concept, Dr. Edward Howell, argued that when the body is busy digesting food, it is unable to divert the energy necessary to make the type of enzymes needed to do other tasks. There is a tug-of-war between the demands of the digestive system for a constant supply of digestive enzymes and the needs of the body for the metabolic enzymes vital for cleansing, healing and building. Without an adequate supply of metabolic enzymes, over time, we suffer.

What does this suffering look like? It looks like disease, indigestion, constipation, age spots, fatigue, lethargy, wrinkles, bad skin, declining eyesight, declining memory, mood swings, irritability, allergies, brain fog and candida. This decline in health is usually attributed solely to ‘aging.’ But it is really the result of two facts: over time, the body loses its ability to manufacture enzymes (young adults have thirty times the enzymes of the. elderly); and, when we eat food that is cooked, it forces our bodies to manufacture enzymes for digestion, instead of enzymes that could be used for healing. Ultimately, when we don’t have enough enzymes to carry out the basic needs of life, we die.

The SAD (Standard American Diet) of meat, bread, dairy, processed and cooked foods, caffeine and alcohol is not only totally enzymeless, it also creates an acid state in the body which causes a variety of health problems. On the cellular level, our body needs to be in a predominantly alkali state to take in nutrients and oxygen efficiently and expel toxins.

Why Organic?

All truth passes through three stages:

First, it is ridiculed.

Second it is violently opposed.

Third it is accepted as being self-evident. Schopenhauer

Until recently, people bought their groceries at their favorite supermarket and didn’t think much about it. Now, more and more consumers are seeking out organic fooddand with good reason. Environmental pollution has put more stress on our bodies than ever before in history. And chemicals never meant for human consumption may be found in every step of the food chain.

There has been an exponential growth in the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides since World War II. Farmers are applying ever-increasing amounts of chemicals to our crops. One of the things these chemicals do is kill the microoorganisms that would normally break the soil down to release plant nutrients. This is one of the reasons that food grown today is less nutritious than it was even twenty years ago.

When you read the packaged food labels in any supermarket, you will see that a profusion of chemicals have been developed to preserve food and prolong shelf life, even though no one knows what will happe’n with those chemicals in the human body over time or from generation to generation.

Based on this evidence, more and more people are coming to the same conclusion:

To enjoy optimal health we need to seek out the most nutritious, natural, chemical free foods we can find-and this means buying as much organic as possible.

Recipe: A Garden Taste Pie

This recipe for a fabulous five-layer pie was created by Chef Shula Gabbay at her raw food restaurant in Del Mar, CA. (now closed). This is truly creative and delicious dessert. It takes a little work, but the results are well worth it. If you are artistic, this pie can be visually stunning. I find it works well for me as a breakfast as the nuts and fruits on their own work better with my digestion rather than after a big meal. Definitely special occasion fare, you can use any type of fruit combination. If you can find berries and colorful fruits like persimmons, mangos, papayas, that’s all the better from a visual point of view. Assemble the following ingredients: sunflower seeds, almonds, raisins, dates (medjool), dried figs, prunes, ripe pears, sweet apples (like Fuji, gala or Macintosh, not tart like Granny Smith) and a selection of pretty fruits.

In an 8 or 9-inch pie pan prepare the crust: 1 Cup Sunflower seeds (not soaked)

1 Cup raisins

3 Cups almonds (not soaked,) Dates

Put Sunflower seeds, almonds and raisins in food processor. Process until fairly fine. Keep adding dates until it all sticks together. Press into pie plate.

Makes a thick crust, about %”-1″

Filling

1 cup raisins

1 cup dried figs

1/2 cup prunes

1 cup dates

1-2 very ripe pears, or 1/2 cup apple juice

Next layer:

It is best to use very thinly sliced very ripe pear 1 layer thick covering the entire filling. If pear is not available, then use persimmon, mango or papaya.

Whatever you use must be fully ripe.

Next layer:

Finely shred 2-4 apples depending on size of apples and pie plate (use a food processor, salad shooter or hand grater on the longest shred) then toss with 2-4 teaspoons of lemon juice to keep them from getting too brown, and drain slightly in a bowl or colander.

Pile apples high onto the pie. Push down and pat the apples in, creating a smooth domed effect on which to build the top layer.

Next layer:

Now you are ready to decorate with fruit. Example: circles of persimmon, surrounded by pomegranate seeds, blueberries, and slices of other ripe pretty fruits. Let your imagination run wild. Cover the entire surface. Refrigerate.

Will keep for a few days.