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| The raw food diet is a simple concept to understand for most people - eating the way Nature intended: unrefined, pure, simple raw fruits and vegetables. Our eating habits are deeply ingrained from birth; psychology comes into play. Support is not always there; friends and family try to discourage us. The whole world eats differently and temptation is usually right around the corner. The contentious question often arises: "Raw versus Cooked: Which is More Natural?" Those advocating a "raw foodist" lifestyle tend to argue that cooking is unnatural. They often argue that since we evolved eating raw foods like the rest of the animal kingdom, we are better adapted to eat that way. [Comparative Biology and Physiology 136 (2003): p.35]. First, they note that other than the new deliberate "raw foodists", there do not seem to be any current or historical populations, small groups or even individuals living for more than a few days without access to cooked foods. They argue that not only have humans adapted to eating cooked foods, they argue that human beings have adapted so much that eating cooked food now seems obligatory for optimum health. One of the few studies (and possibly the only study) of 100% raw foodists followed for years [Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 43 (1999): p.69] showed that a third of the raw foodists were suffering from Chronic Energy Deficiency. Many were literally "wasting away". Further, the sample consisted of modern urban people with relatively low activity levels who had access to high-quality, high-calorie produce from around the world year-round. There have been major changes in our digestive biology over the past few hundred thousand years, and the researchers argue that these changes may have been due to the availability of cooked foods. They also suggest that perhaps other differences between our digestive systems and those of the great apes may also have been because of our adaptation to cooked foods - our smaller gut volume, longer small intestine, smaller colon, and faster gut passage rate. |
| Hypertension Chronic Fatigue / Fibromyalgia Syndrome Crohn's Disease General Detoxification Requirement Hypothyroidism Poor Small Intestine Health Problems Caused By Being Overweight |