Respectful Vigilance HC

Quick post on navigating the realm of raw foods and cooked foods. Learning about the benefits of raw foods is not a bad skill to have. Mainstream culture doesn’t really do too much with this at times. Most restaurants are likely to contain primarily cooked, heavy foods. These things are comforting and high in calories. There is not necessarily anything wrong with that type of stuff, but I do think a lot of people could benefit from learning about and adding more raw foods into their basic nutritional plan. There are many benefits of raw food.

1. Raw foods are not altered like cooked foods are. For some things like fruits, oils, nuts and seeds, etc. this makes sense. For some things like rice, beans, and some meats it might not. The point here is that raw foods are foods in their most basic unaltered form.

2. Raw foods typically contain enzymes that the body likes. They also have vitamins that can be heat sensitive. The problem is that these enzymes are actually destroyed by cooking sometimes. I think the exact temperature varies but it tends to be somewhere around 115 degrees for many things. These are digestive enzymes that do a lot of neat things in the body. IF you do not consume any or very little raw food, eventually it may be possible to develop digestive and other problems.

3. Fibers. Raw produce like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, etc. contain roughage. This is typically harder than fiber from soft things like beans or cooked vegetables. What does that mean? It just means that they may be better at scraping and keeping the digestive system clean. There are some drawbacks though. Too much can actually be counterproductive if say, you eat a whole bag of raw carrots.

A note on contamination and bacteria – There are multiple opinions on this one. Pasteurized dairy. Cooking meat and eggs. Things like that. This is a bit more advanced, but I would say that these things are not inherently bad to consume in their raw form. The problem is HOW have these things been handled and what quality are they. Bad quality meat, dairy, and eggs should definitely not be consumed raw. However, high quality raw dairy, eggs, and things like sushi can be safe and very healthy when proper precautions are used.

There are people that think you should ONLY eat raw food. Personally, I am not in this camp. There are many cultures that cook a high percentage of food and still maintain health and stability. However, I would say that the average person probably does not consume enough raw food unless they make it a point to do so. Thinks like fresh fruits, salads, raw nuts and seeds, etc. Another thing worth mentioning is that the TYPE of cooking matters a lot. Some steamed broccoli is much different than broccoli that has been breaded and deep fried. A sauteed stir-fry is much different than a high cheese pizza.

What I recommend is to integrate MORE raw foods into the diet.

Another great tip is to purchase “Cold Pressed” oils when possible. Olive, coconut, etc. If these oils have been heat-treated or pasteurized, then a lot of the medicinal and nutritional value may be lost.

To summarize, I would advocate for a “High-Raw” Diet plan. A lot of fresh fruit, leafy greens and salads, nuts and seeds, cold pressed oils, etc. Cook things that need cooked for digestive and contamination purposes. Focus on whole foods in general. Hope this post helps give a little education and inspiration to add more raw foods into your plan.

-JOE