More questions today…
First off, thanks for posting your comments on the MyStyle blog! We really appreciate it!
Now on to the questions…
Amy – Have you ever discussed the benefits of oil of oregano? I’m interested to know if it conflicts with the probiotics and such.
Kurt – I’ve learned that drinking water with a meal will dilute digestive enzymes. Some green superfood powders contain digestive enzymes in them. If you scoop the powder into a glass of water, won’t the enzymes dilute and become useless?
Andrew – it is not totally proven that raw is healthier the wholefoods. raw does seem to be curing serious illnesses. but is it the best long term for healthy ppl? again, no studies, but I reckon it is 
Take a look…
Your question of the day: What do you think about raw as a long term solution? Viable? Not?
Click here, scroll down to the bottom of the page and leave your comments now!
Live Awesome!
Kev
8:32 pm on April 20th, 2010
Kevin, Do you think Oil of Oregano would help with Lyme?
8:51 pm on April 20th, 2010
Ask the rest of life in nature, in the animal kingdom, if you can “whisper”/listen so successfully. We’re the only twits who cooks their gooses. Maybe our digestive systems are atrophied, weakened by food broken down by cooking ahead of eating, but this can be rehabilitated, no?
8:52 pm on April 20th, 2010
Their are many articles to support raw vegan diets throughout history, each person must find what works best for them……..100% raw makes me thin, to slow down the process of thin I eat cooked.
Louise
8:59 pm on April 20th, 2010
Based on what I’ve read about a long term raw food diet from the book “When Hallelujah Becomes ‘What Happened?’”, a long term vegan diet is bad news. Grant it, the authors followed the Hallelujah Diet, which is 85% raw, all vegan, but they had also been all raw for three years prior to that. The book contains a questionnaire to alert people to deficiency symptoms that can occur on vegan diets. I highly recommend this read, because what may be beneficial short term as a cleansing diet may cause serious problems long term. An interesting article can be found at http://chetday.com/hallelujah-diet-dangers.htm
9:00 pm on April 20th, 2010
Like the great apes we are omnivores, BUT saying that I also believe in going back to a more paleolithic diet. Mostly raw except for veggies that digest better when cooked (broccoli, quinoa, beans & brown rice). Meat be it wild caught fish or grass fed buffalo (occasionally)
9:01 pm on April 20th, 2010
Hi Kevin! I love your passion! Thank you!
9:04 pm on April 20th, 2010
Concerning Long Term Raw/Vegan Diet: I believe it is possible – but a person must realize that once they go on a 100% Raw diet their bodies detox. And as they let go of certain raw/vegan foods that are toxic like garlic, onions, cheyenne, salt, etc.(spicy food) they will detox more. God is prompting us to let go of impure foods. And it is a continual cleansing process. The emotional body, etheric body, physical body (cells) all have to be purified not only the colon. The colon is only the starting point. All the discord from the body that is being released that energy travels upwards towards the head & thru the brain as our attention is held on God. It is like a person standing inside a jar filled with muddy water – what happens when you pour clear water into the jar – the muddy water rises and will continue to rise until the water is all clear. That is what is happening to us. As long as a person keeps adding dirt to their water it is a roller coaster ride. God Bless You
9:14 pm on April 20th, 2010
Thanks for answering my question, you’re awesome Kevin.
9:17 pm on April 20th, 2010
O.K. you mention that you are not 100% raw -and that many that speak on the raw food diet are not 100% raw. What are the cooked foods raw people eat ??? I know for my self that I was 98% raw for a year and felt I did need some fish once in awhile – What is it that you need?
9:19 pm on April 20th, 2010
Each of us has to learn to listen to our own body. In over 40 years of raw vegan or vegetarian diets, I find that I can go so many years as a raw vegan and then my body lets me know in no uncertain terms that it needs something I am not giving it. I am not talking here of a temporary craving, but after 5-7 years or more on one type of diet a tremendous drive to eat something, (once it was an egg) that had not been part of my diet. Only someone who has been on one kind of diet or another for many years can say whether it works long term or not and then only for themselves. It seems everyone “cheats” whether they admit it or not. Better not to be so rigid about what we eat and be willing to give our body what it needs to be healthy. Be grateful for the food that is given.
9:19 pm on April 20th, 2010
I definitely think in general people need much much much more raw foods!!!
9:20 pm on April 20th, 2010
So far from our experience, which has only been about 8 mo. a High Raw (great book, btw) diet makes us feel good. As we learn (and as Kevin and Annmarie learn and teach us) we will make changes and try new/different things. We think that being intuitive about our bodies is our best ally. I’m sure it will be a continual process for the rest of our lives. We are in search of optimal health, so we have fun with it and don’t stress ourselves out over it. Awesome show today Kevin, Thanks!!!!
9:34 pm on April 20th, 2010
I agree everyone needs to be eating a whole food “plant based” diet but 100% raw vegan just isn’t sustainable. No culture in history has ever lived on a 100% raw food diet. It is too difficult to consume enough calories and still be strong enough to survive (protect family, farm, work, etc.)
9:48 pm on April 20th, 2010
I don’t think 100% raws is good for everyone on the long term. I think you have to adjust to your environnement, your own needs in different period of your life. My main objective is to not put more stress in my life thinking i’m going to get sick or die sooner because i eat this or that. As long as i feel good, digest well and i am happy why should i feel guilty about not eating raw all the time? I love to find out about the benefit of different food or herbs. And i just happen to like my fruits and veggies raw because they make me feel good!
10:05 pm on April 20th, 2010
I once read that long ago the Native North American diet consisted of over 1,700 different foods… and we consider our diets diverse now if they include more than about 80 different foods (not packaged). Just think of the nutrient load they must have been eating with 1,700 different wild foods. We don’t even come close to this nowadays, even with widespread food transport (which I am not advocating).
So I don’t think the question is as simple as “is raw food better in the long term” since eating limited food choices, even if raw, will never provide the array of nutrients necessary to have healthy bodies. Perhaps this is why some long-term raw foodies encounter health challenges later on… they need to be able to identify the signals their bodies are trying to give them so that they can change their diet according to what is needed for health…. to add in (mostly raw) foods that will broaden their nutrient spectrum so that they will not fall into ill health.
I think our challenge is to discover how to read our bodies and it’s sometimes very subtle signals, as well as to discover the foods that provide what our bodies are asking for.
Thanks for all your thought-provoking shows Anne-Marie and Kevin, I love the community you foster.
10:16 pm on April 20th, 2010
Thank you Kevin your presentation was very good. I absolutely agree raw is the only to maximize one to live a long productive life,their is no other way because God designed us to consume life giving vegetation and not processed foods. GMO’S SUCK—CHANGE DNA FOREVER unlike pesticides at least will eventually break down in time—not so AT ALL WITH GMO’S.
10:27 pm on April 20th, 2010
Being 100% raw is not sustainable if you are in the real world (meaning not totally surrounded by raw foodists)…socializing, being with people who do not subsribe to raw foodism, and just life in general. Whole foods, organic foods, and yes, some yummy cooked foods are all good. I love lots of things about raw food eating, but it’s not my whole way of eating. Thanks Kevin and Annemarie for all the great information you give us and being open and honest about food choices. don’t worry, be happy and healthy!
jo F.
10:32 pm on April 20th, 2010
@Sue re Lyme, check out Wendi Dee’s blog at http://www.purejeevan.com, she recently recovered from a terrible bout with Lyme
re Question of the Day-I think we get too involved with labels and boxes and then try to fit into them. We are all unique and one box does not fit all. I believe we should look to the best in each diet and enhance that whilst eliminating those substances that we know do not agree with us.
So it becomes more of a question of being the healthiest you you can be rather than fitting into a box. One thing is for sure eating more plant based whole foods (whether cooked or raw but there needs to be a raw element) is never going to be detrimental to your health.
its not about being raw its about eating more raw in your day and choosing health as an indicator of your wealth.
Thanks Kevin and Ann, see you soon
10:55 pm on April 20th, 2010
opinion on raw foods:
1 every person is different
2 different daily activities demand different nutrition (ie heavy physical work vs sedentary work all day)
3 warm foods vs cold foods as described in chinese medicine as prescribed for different conditions (ie people with low kidney energy should not ingest cold foods or an all raw diet)also people with adrenal insufficiency need warmth and nutritionally dense food
4 anything that becomes obsessive mentally ie
spending 20 hours a day preparing and writing and thinking about food is detrimental to the balance needed for health
5 one person’s refuah (healing) is another’s poison – can save a life or deplete it
6 BALANCE building vs detoxing should be in balance
7 We certainly need more enzymes and “living foods” than in the SAD (standard american diet) raw gives us that, we need to add b12 to any vegetarian diet
8 It is not just raw or cooked but:
organic
balance of yin and yang (ie roots vs leaves)
variety
blood type
heredity (it takes time to transition for the body to adjust and process a new regimen
sometimes “time” is a generation
I am working on all this myself for decades and will let you know when I arrive at the right balance for me and how I did it.
Love you.
10:56 pm on April 20th, 2010
Yes, I do believe that raw food is the best way to heal yourself and stay healthy. My daughter and I have MRSA the staph infection and eating raw foods help me not get any more boils(on the bottom). Another this we do to not have boils(on the bottom is to take 1 teaspoon of tumeric twice a day is a god send. About Oragano Oil, I was out of it and started having some bumbs(on the bottom), so I bought some more and the bumbs went away. At the same time I was out of Oregon Grape, so I bought that, too and it helped me, too. I take The Vitamin Shop Oragano Extract in a capsules(175% Volatile oils, Standarized Herbs) and Nature’s Way Oregon Grape Root. What do you think about this.
10:59 pm on April 20th, 2010
wow that’s the best lecture on cravings I’ve heard yet- that made total sense
12:19 am on April 21st, 2010
I’ve been around the raw scene a long time. I once believed that if we could do the raw diet right, we would be immortal. Then I watched all my idols die, and usually much younger than people living a “normal” lifestyle. That’s when I began to question and search further, and most importantly, let go of the dogma that I had been carrying around.
The reason we are drawn to want to eat raw food, is the desire for higher health. But, then again, we are assuming that raw food vegan diet, is a healthier diet. As I began to research the Native American tribes, I discovered that they had longevity that seems like science fiction to us. Their stamina and physicality was superhuman. I have posted a couple quotes about them here:
http://bit.ly/aNyTa3
I believe that wild food, cooked or raw, is the key to health, and that includes wild game. I don’t believe veganism would ever work for humans in the wild. These foods are stronger by nature than anything we cultivate, as they exist in wild nature surviving year after year. That cannot be said of the pampered foods that most raw foodists exist on.
There are benefits to the raw vegan diet, especially in the case of deadly illness, as it is a cleanse, but the long term sustainability is questionable.
12:46 am on April 21st, 2010
Wow! Thanks for the reply on the oregano oil. You confirmed what I’d already been thinking so that’s great to know.
Is 100% raw the answer…I don’t know. Until last year I was a pretty typical eater [minus the fast food & soda pop] and have slowly switched to 80% raw and feel soooo much better. Trying hard to get that full head of lettuce in every day really makes a difference by the way. I’ve not been ready to try the 100% raw but I’m not too concerned just yet. I’m inclined to think you may have it right that a few cooked things are probably pretty healthy.
Love you guys and your show so much! You’re my idols!!!
12:57 am on April 21st, 2010
Raw vegan is a great cleansing diet, but it not suitable in the long run for most people. It is almost impossible to get enough calories, unless you are eating too much sugar or too much fat, or both.
Long-term raw is possible if raw meat is included. Prior to the invention of fire, our ancestors ate raw meat.
I doubt the pure raw vegan Garden of Eden ever existed. It’s a nice story, but not realistic at all.
When I tried to be pure raw vegan, I got really skinny and my teeth started to hurt. I knew I was in trouble when I would have tooth pain any time I ate anything cold or sweet. My gums were receding badly, and I needed to eat more protein and less fruit.
I now enjoy eating a wide variety of foods, including fish and meat, and the freshest eggs in the world from our farm.
I believe it is most important to eat with a grateful heart. We can be healthy eating just about anything if we are grateful and at peace while eating.
Michael T.
1:43 am on April 21st, 2010
At one point in time I thought that Oil of Oregano was used in small gel ovules to assist in the metabolism of sugar with diabetics. I even went out and bought a bottle for my grandpa several years back just for that reason. He had no adverse reaction to them. It’s amazing how the pure oil extract of a plant can have so many uses.
2:05 am on April 21st, 2010
Hey, – I live in Denmark and have tried, without any luck, to find toothsoap in Europe.
- I first thougth; never mind, I’ll just by it off your store… untill I calculated the shipping cost to $144,-…. – Then suddenly it didn’t seem like such a great idea anymore…
Does anybody know if it’s possible to get it somewhere in Europe? – Please please please let me know if you do!
Love Anja
3:54 am on April 21st, 2010
Hi Kevin and Annemarie,
I’m new to this whole raw thing (about 1 month) so I really can’t say.
I have a health challenge so I’m really game to give it a go.
But it seems to me that with all the things I’ve tried over the last ten years have led me to this point where I feel it’s the way to go now (raw)but I will be very interested in seeing what other people have to say.
Great show and keep up the good work.
Siobhan (Ireland)
4:14 am on April 21st, 2010
In my experience, yes its hard to be 100% raw and healthy weight.
Also I would like to know your opinion on zappers, if they destroy parasites could they also destroy the good guys??
thanks.
5:26 am on April 21st, 2010
To stay 100% raw is not sustainable for many people. Me and my friends tryed either eating too many fruits or too much fat that come from nuts and seeds. Both ways didn’t work in a long term.
I simple didn’t feel good.
I returned to eating a whole diet which includs 30-40% cooked food, I feel well balanced. On a raw diet I was deprived of glycogen to some degree and my blood sugar got low 1-2h after a raw meal.It is not healthy to live this way.I definetel will not stay 100%, ever.
6:05 am on April 21st, 2010
I was high raw (almost 100%) vegan for about 8 months. I was eating a lot of nuts to get my protein, and then I started following Doug Graham’s 80-10-10 diet, which is 80% of your calories from carbohydrates, 10% from fat, and 10% from protein. As you can guess, I ate mostly raw fruits and veggies. I lost a lot of weight and started losing my hair. This diet may work for some, but it did not work for me. Recently, I heard about metabolic typing, and took an online quiz. It seems that some people need a high protein diet and others need a high carb diet, while my metabolic type requires a balanced diet. This is probably why I did not do good on the 80-10-10 diet. I am wondering how I can eat a balanced raw diet without getting a lot of fat. If I was eating some cooked food, I could include legumes. Any suggestions for high protein, lower fat foods for raw vegans?
6:22 am on April 21st, 2010
I’ve been high raw for almost a year and it’s been an interesting journey. I ended up eating too many nuts and avocados and went a little crazy with the gourmet raw dishes – the result was a 10 lb weight gain! Now I’m focusing more on fruit and vegetables and limit my avocado and my gourmet dishes to a few times a month. The weight is slowly coming off. I find that the addition of superfoods such as spiralina, marine phytoplaktin, aged garlic etc has enhanced my health. I still have cooked food occassionally but I definately feel a difference – I get really groggy after eating a cooked meal so I’m more inclined to choose raw these days. I don’t think I could ever go back to eating animal flesh – I became vegetarian for ethical reasons not for health. I guess, in the end, we have to listen to our own body.
6:49 am on April 21st, 2010
Since raw isn’t just one diet it’s impossible to say. Raw is just the state of the food, it doesn’t really tell you what the diet includes.
But yes, I think that the raw vegan path is sustainable long term given that you eat the right kinds of food and that the quality of the food is high.
From my experience leafy greens and sprouts is very important, and if you don’t eat enough of them it may be wise to include animal products into the diet.
It’s also a good thing to eat as much wild foods as possible. I notice such a huge increase in health in the spring time when I start to throw lots of wild greens into my smoothies and salads.
I also find that exercise is more important on a raw diet. Especially on a high fruit diet. That might actually be one of the reasons some people are failing.
7:17 am on April 21st, 2010
It is hard to find organic foods in my area (western Maine) in the winter. GMO foods are the scariest thing. Next will be GMO potatoes. And they don’t even label them. Raw food from the garden (or wild) is the best. We need more organically grown foods. Stop the big seed companies who create GMO’s and pesticides and non-viable seeds. If we don’t we are in trouble.
Then a raw diet will be a moot point. I have been wondering if the sunflower seeds I feed the birds is okay. I used to get a lot of volunteers in the spring. Is there a source of organically grown seed for birds?
7:22 am on April 21st, 2010
I took oil of oregano capsules for 2-3 days and felt TERRIBLE. My body loudly proclaimed, “Hey, this isn’t good for us!” However, I do a foot detox often and oil oregano feels good when used that way. My feet and my entire body feel refreshed. One thing I knew for certain: different people have different needs so oil of oregano might be helpful for some.
7:23 am on April 21st, 2010
Thanks so much!!
7:39 am on April 21st, 2010
More controversy, the last thing we need…
Observation: the amount of “raw processed foods” available from the Raw Fodd Gurus is ludicrous.
My question to anybody not sustaining on raw would be 2-fold:
How much of your diet is nuts and seeds?
How much of your diet is “processed raw”?
I’ve seen videos of folks munching on a handful of raw nuts. What happened to 12-15 a day?
Vitamins, enzymes and probiotics begin dying 7 mins after seperation from the mother plant? So what’s in that processed raw foods except “taste good”?
I’m spending less than 10 mins each morning preparing the food that I take out of the house with me each day… a quart of green smoothie and fruit in a bowl.
I’d like to add a side-note:
Medical testing? To be compared to the charts of SAD eaters numbers? Their numbers have WHAT to do with us?
~PlzChuckle~
8:05 am on April 21st, 2010
Dan MacDonald (liferegenerator.com) has been raw for 9 years and he looks GREAT – at least on the outside.
For me, I agree with #18 Shivie
“its not about being raw its about eating more raw in your day and choosing health as an indicator of your wealth.”
We are vegan (at home) and 50% raw, and enjoy the health benefits. Hubby lost too much weight, I have not lost any. Lately I have been obsessing about scrambled eggs. I will try to hold out until our farmer’s market resumes May 1.
Answer the question: we are not interested in being 100% raw. It’s too restrictive. We get such pleasure in our cooked vegan (or non-vegan)food.
8:13 am on April 21st, 2010
i just wanted to say something fantastic about oil of oregano: i put drops on my toes twice a day for like 2 months and it cured my toenail fungus that i got from wearing public roller skates! (ewwww!!!!!) but it worked, just in case anyone else out there is battling that icky-ness.
as far as raw- all the time? well, i am not sure, as i have not stuck to it long enough to find out. however, when i do adhere, i feel fantastic. inside and out. i believe if your mental focus is positive, your body will be healthier no matter what you eat. though eating organic, local and fresh~ AND have a positive outlook, you will be running at optimum. it all starts in the mind and in the heart, which both nurture your spirit. but when you look to just foods for ‘wholeness’ you will be out of balance.
just my 2 cents.
8:14 am on April 21st, 2010
Hi there,
I like this discussion. I am a long time raw foodist but I am mutch to thin and also to sensitive. I do include animal products and cooked food now but I am still very akward and I would really love to know what food is very good to include cooked. What are you guyes eating und what change does it make. I would like to gain weight, healthy muskel mass
8:21 am on April 21st, 2010
I am enjoying you and AMarie in your journey and also enjoying the sharing you bring each time I click on one of your vids.
I started getting information about raw foods with Pamela Masters about 1986, I’m from Santa Cruz, CA and also sat with John Robbins and learned, and tried a lot of different types of diets. I did vegan very strict for over 8 years and a high percentage raw.
What I learned from that was that I needed more B vitamins and these days I incorporate more nutritional yeast on my foods.
I teach Raw Foods, Smoothies, Juice classes and much more and have a dog and cat class coming up in Summer. I now live in Northeast Minnesota through Cloquet Commmunity Education. This path has been a life long one so far at age 48.
I am thin, healthy, aside from some female issues likely the result of years of growing up on a SAD diet as a kid in San Jose, CA with meats loaded with hormones; I had a recent hysterectomy last week and I recovered in a fanastic way despite a 4 hour surgery!
I can work out at the gym in the winter easily for an hour or talk hours of walks with my very strong dog.
What I see is that everybody seems to have absorbed a lot of programs; e.g. food, religion, politics, the way of seeing the world, their filter, etc. mostly, they repeat some version of what they got from their environment growing up. So, those programs are always playing unless and until the person does some intentional deep-seated work on the psyche and attains some level of self-mastery.
If at some core level you believe and your program is not comfortable with “raw foods” you likely won’t ever embrace it.
I also offer wellness consultations where we go over goals, how the person motivates and I try my best to help discover or help the person discover what programs are running in an abstract way by asking what’s coming up in their lives and what is repetitious. In this way you can usually tell who is likely to be successful and who is not.
It’s easier to click on your existing programs than it is to start really being in each present moment and reach your maximum potential. This is one reason I find it hard to subscribe to what I view is long held dogma and stagnant thinking. Of course, I have some of my own programs, but I work to remove some of the dogmatic thinking no different than you would clutter clear your environment.
Of course adding raw foods to any diet is a welcome addition. I use the percentage plan with my clients that seems to work well. I usually do about 60-80% personally daily.
love and light,
karen
8:53 am on April 21st, 2010
imo … “100% raw” isn’t doable for hardly anyone … just obtaining truly raw foods can be difficult. We just aren’t set up to support a raw foods lifestyle and many of the things used in a raw foods diet aren’t really raw. But very high raw certainly is doable … so is vegan.
I’ve only been vegan (and mostly high raw) for several years, but in that time I’ve only felt better and better. There are many who have been vegan for decades and are in superior health. So, vegan and very high raw appears to be very sustainable and healthy over the long term.
8:55 am on April 21st, 2010
Come visit me and learn about macrobiotics to it is also a super healing diet. I was told by many TCM practitioners that with Lupus I need warming foods. Raw helped me a lot, but macrobiotics is helping even MORE!
http://www.lupushope.blogspot.com
Toni
9:27 am on April 21st, 2010
One thing to note – enzymes don’t dilute. They are proteins and don’t have water as part of their structure. Adding water to them just means that you’re getting more water, not less enzymes (or less effective enzymes). I think your questioner was confusing the dilution of HCl (hydrochloric acid) in the stomach with enzymes. Drinking too much water with a meal will dilute stomach acid, but enzymes will be unaffected.
9:54 am on April 21st, 2010
Love the sticker on the back of your laptop! I personally don’t believe in extreamism of any kind. The very fact that you need to take a B12 supplent if your going vegan says there is something wrong. I do believe in the concept of High Raw. It has already made wonderful changes in my health and life. While some people have a moral issue with the killing of animals I do not as long as it’s done quickly and humanly. I’m not sure where I heard it, perhaps a TV show on global warming, not sure, but I was shocked. They said that if the rest of the world eat like Americans at the current 2010 population we would need 4 earths to feed them. For me, this where the immorality lies.
9:59 am on April 21st, 2010
Doing what feels best for the body is my goal. Right now my body feels best with a high raw diet. I have yet to feel the need to even attempt 100% raw. Maybe my body is not ready for it. Or maybe it doesn’t need it.
All I know, is that I feel best on a high raw diet, while eating some cooked foods (and yes, some of those are animal products).
Thanks for another great show.
10:30 am on April 21st, 2010
but again what would be really good to eat cooked. I was so long on the raw food way , just have no clue.
11:17 am on April 21st, 2010
Kev,
Renegade Health is #1 show!. You guys are so incredible…I love all the information…Together you are changing the health of the world…one show at a time…and I am one that is learning so mch from you. Thank you so much for your dedication and time spent…you’ll never know all the people you help…just wanted to let you know that I am one!
12:07 pm on April 21st, 2010
I am an Eskimo & eat fish, seal and elk. No fruits or veggies. I am healthy and no issues @ 59.
12:21 pm on April 21st, 2010
Great show Kevin,
First I answer the question of comment #9. I’m not eating only raw foods. In colder weather I will eat cooked quinoa with lots of parsley and other fresh herbs and spices. (think tabouleh without the wheat) Same for millet and I indulge occasionally in my homemade buckwheat pancakes (made with 1 or 2 eggs) Another favorite recipe is Tuscan white bean soup. There are plenty of recipes out there with spinach or you can also use kale. Personally I prefer the tougher dark greens steamed, lightly cooked OR I juice a couple of leafs in my green juice. Like Linda # 9 I also occasionally enjoy some fish.
On the oregano oil: A couple of years ago I had a problem with candida and I saw a regular MD who practises environmental medicin. He did put me on a supplement that had ginger, oregano oil and wormwood in it. I also took probiotics. It did work for me but I have to say that when I did a couple of days Ann Wigmore’s energy soup (with rejuvelac) my system got really cleaned out. Here is it where I would like to comment on whether we should be eating raw food for the rest of our life. It has been proven that raw and especially LIVING foods heal. We can testify this personally by following the Hippocrates program. Long before Max Gerson came to North America, Europe had alternative healing centres all over. As a child I knew that certain diseases got cured with juicing and fasting. In our days we have taken those concepts to a new level. It is more attractive for main stream people to include those concepts in their food choices. However, I find that in North America there are too many extremes. It goes from 100 % junk food to 100% raw and for some people, when they make the decision to do something about their health, it can get easily confusing because all of a sudden you are not supposed to COOK anymore. Personally I have found that as many raw and living foods as possible work well in the summer. In the winter I am inclined to eat a bit more cooked foods. Like Kevin says, it is important not to get neurotic about it. We also should remember that raw seems to be the “new macrobiotic and over the years we have found out that there are flaws in this diet as well. Brian Clement has mentioned that for a healthy person 80-20 is totally fine
12:25 pm on April 21st, 2010
For myself, I am excited for the miraculous recovery for all the individuals who have healed themselves with raw foods. I think, in my opinion that a healthy individual would do well to bring more and more raw foods into their diet over time. Thats the path I am on. It took me 3 years to find a happy place with food. Now, I drink green smoothies 6 days a week, do an occasional fast, and focus my eating habits around fruits/veggies and various grains. Very little dairy(yogurt, fresh orgaic cheeses occasionally), etc. But I feel good. I listen to my body for what foods it rejects and what makes me feel great. And over time, as my body desires, my eating habits will evolve and by time I am an old lady, I might be an 80% or better raw foodist. The point is to listen and grow accordingly to attain a cleaner and cleaner body over time. I recommend Matt Monarchs books, he has a very intelligent perspective on this. If I was single and my husband wasn’t a passionate cook, then I would be a raw foodist though. Thats why it took so long to find a happy balance for myself.
12:28 pm on April 21st, 2010
I don’t know if you read old blogposts…
Do you read old blogposts? Would be good info for the people to know, so if you could mention it some thime?!
.. so I will post my tip for the goadhead here:
OF COURSE you shall KEEP it!!!! It is totally bizarre and totally lovely!!! I can’t understand how people even could suggest throwing it away! It is just PERFECT!
You should put it as a “gallion figure” (is that a proper word?) for the KaleWhale!
And when you settle in somewhere it should have it’s place over the fireplace – where the deer antlers usually hang! What better thing to put there for a non meet eater than a goats head!
12:43 pm on April 21st, 2010
Thanks for taking the time to do your shows Kevin and Ann Marie, and answering viewers questions. #35 mentioned about the dilution of HCL with water. I was taught my whole life to NOT drink water with your meals. It dilutes the HCL and messes with digestion. A man named Paul Volk talks alot about whole foods eating and not drinking water with your meals nor 30 minutes after eating.
12:48 pm on April 21st, 2010
I’ve been raw for a little more than a year, 100% raw for almost 6 months. Prior to eating raw, I had chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis & Candida, it was terrible. 60-80% raw didn’t help much, I only started to feel great after I became 100% raw on the 80/10/10 diet.
At the beginning when I went 100% raw, I would cheat on cooked food once in a while, even if it was just steam vegetables, my health went down, my pain got worse. So, I had to stick with 100% raw to feel good.
However, I have to say that not all raw food agrees with my body. I never feel good when I eat out at raw food restaurants. So, I stick with the 80/10/10 diet and eliminating all the nuts & seeds. It’s a very low fat diet and low protein, about 5%, but it works wonder. Of course, I eat a lot of fruits.
Some might wonder whether I get enough nutrients. My extensive blood work actually shows that all my nutrients are met by this diet. In my recent blood test, my internal inflammation have gone back to normal.
So, whether 100% raw is sustainable, I don’t know. I’ll listen to my body and do regular blood test to see if it still works. As long as it’s working, I’m sticking to it.
1:57 pm on April 21st, 2010
I think Rhonda hit the nail on the head – we have to eat a variety of foods to make sure we get enough nutrients.
I have never been 100% raw (more like 80%) but I find that the more raw I eat, the healthier I feel. But that’s probably because the cooked stuff I eat isn’t that great. It’s usually when I go to a restaurant with a friend, so it’s a lot of rice, oil, salt, overcooked veggies etc.
I’ve probably gone 3 days 100% raw unintentionally, and I don’t remember experiencing detox symptoms. The next step I’d like to make is when I eat cooked foods, to only eat the healthiest options. Like someone above said – cooked broccoli, quinoa, lentils, etc.
When I go to a restaurant, I should choose the healthiest option (usually it’s salad unless it’s a fancy place or raw/vegan), and not care what other people think.
2:03 pm on April 21st, 2010
I think as you say, people need to get blood work done to see if their diet is really stacking up. I have been gradually increasing my intake of raw food over the years and have all but eliminated cooked foods. I find the more super fresh raw food I have the less time or inclination I have to eat cooked foods. I feel truly great, and will continue on this path until my body… or blood work tell me otherwise.
There are myriad factors that determine the optimal diet for an individual. The healthier your environment, community, mind, spirit, ect.. , the less you need need to worry about lacking this or that nutrient. Meaning, that when your body and mind are in line it can assimilate nutrients optimally, even from an extremely simple diet. i.e yogis existing on only rice. We should not worship our food only, and realize that its essence is coming from something much larger.
great show.
Best,
Christie
2:49 pm on April 21st, 2010
Absolutly you can live on raw vegetables,sunflower greens, snow pea top greens, minerals, salts, such as,real salt, sodium bicarbinate, calcium bicarbinate,magnesium bicarbinate good oils such as olive oil, hemp oil, flax oil,many of the grasses such as wheat grass and ph water. Ph water is 1 liter per 30 lbs of body weight.
Promote2life@yahoo.com
2:52 pm on April 21st, 2010
I feel calmer with just a little cooked food in my diet, especially in the winter. I am always cold and 100% raw makes it worse.
3:37 pm on April 21st, 2010
Hi Kevin,
This won’t be regarding the discussion question, sorry. However, I’ve been thinking and researching about vegetarianism/veganism. I’m cutting out all meat. And I’m learning new recipes, incorporating more and new veggie, also beans and grains in my meals.
I went to my local health food store here in Canada, the Corn Crib, and I was talking with an older lady that works there. We were discussing all sorts of different things, like using seeds in smoothies, I should try green smoothies, and growing sprouts. She also mentioned your website!
And that’s why I’m here. And so far, I love it! Very informative. I also enjoy reading everyone’s comments and their thoughts and experiences.
4:08 pm on April 21st, 2010
Hello!
Talking about diluting enzymes: it’s the digestive enzymes you don’t want to dilute because they won’t be able to do a good job therefore= bad digestion.
When we eat cooked food the body uses its own enzymes to digest eventually the enzymes in the digestive tract will be depleted and the body will now start using enzymes from organs, tissues, etc. Bad news is we only have a limited amount in storage and the supply is NOT endless, it’s non renewable. That is why some people look and feel older than their actual age…
BY eating raw we provide the body with these precious enzymes!!!
We should aim for the 20/80 rule. So 80% raw food seems not such a bad idea. What is really important is to start a meal with raw veggies, sprouts it does wonders for the digestion.
4:36 pm on April 21st, 2010
Hi guys,
Love the show and information…
I would be interested in knowing:-
If you were diagnosed with cancer What systems / protocols would you put in place to give your self the best chance of curing yourself? (please be very specific)
Also
If you were diagnosed with heart disease what systems / protocols would you put in place to give your self the best chance of curing yourself? (please be very specific)
The reason I ask this is that almost everyone we know will die from one of these things (not with standing accidents) and it is very hard to get a definitive answer. I realise that the information you give is not medical advice; However, I am sure many people would appreciate a solid starting point.
Many thanks
Keep up the good work
Mark
5:10 pm on April 21st, 2010
I’m not even close to a 100% Raw but even at 50% raw my health has vastly improved and my body craves raw vegetables like crazy now! I used to have metabolic syndrome and was taking statins and thanks to the changes in my diet my health has greatly improved and I no longer need nor use pharmaceticals! I’ll keep gradually moving towards more raw foods. Thanks for this incredible website Kevin and Ann Marie!
8:41 pm on April 21st, 2010
Kevin,Damn it, my friends say I’ll be in their hell as soon as I am cold anyway. 10 years of veggie left me thinking sobrioty is over-rated.The ten k’s the tee shirts and the rush of being the heaviest (190.lb) runner near my time, no longer mattered.Raising kids and PTA’s and coaching and socializing with the same parents leaves me at 55 enjoying my beer and thinking that todays show makes you look like the Willy Wonka of veggie life.I do get my minerals and preach it to the kids and grandkids but the soil is bankrupt and outside of the the mini heads of lettuce and few veggies I grow we suppliment fermented minerals.It is cool to watch Joey eat a little head of bib or romain out of a tray without ever going inside but a kids meal is part of his life too. thank you.
9:46 pm on April 21st, 2010
I think a 100% raw diet is something that would sustain you for 30 to 40 yrs. (with supplements of B12, D-2 ect.) I think going towards breathairianism is even better. Eating less is the way to go when you go raw for a long time. I actually think it’s better to stay around 75% raw because it you do ever need to eat cooked food or want to travel, you won’t get too sick.
Thanks for you care and informative shows!
Love,
mia
10:30 pm on April 21st, 2010
Hey Kevin, thanks for that great show! YES!! I’ve experienced the power of raw juice every day and I say RAW is best….as much of it every day as one can do.
Gratefully!!
1:26 pm on April 22nd, 2010
I feel my best on a high raw diet. I’ve tried 100% raw and found myself feeling cold, achy, and fatigued. That being said, I try to listen to my body and not obsess if I have a craving that won’t go away. I deal with the craving, then I can feel satisfied eating high raw again.
7:18 pm on April 22nd, 2010
I will be with you until we all come up with the truth, Keep up the great work and great shows. To your HEALTH, Thank you! I guess I’m lucky I eat what ever I want and I don’t believe in Doctors.
7:36 pm on April 22nd, 2010
One of the keys to staying predominantly raw
is VARIETY…and learning new recipes. I think
many veer away because they tend to eat the same thing all the time and therefore get hungry because their regimen in not nutrionally balanced. Ancient peoples were foragers and had an instinct for picking the right foods for what their body needed.. we have lost that instinct and so need to learn how to do raw properly. Thanks for all your recipes and your truthful, non-dogmatic way of presenting.
8:26 pm on April 22nd, 2010
I eat organic whenever possible, both cooked and raw. Absolutely NO processed foods ever or meat products.
10:53 pm on April 22nd, 2010
I hope y’all will shed more light on B12 in upcoming programs. I believe it was in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon where I read that B12 is assimilated from animal sources only. She says we need ‘intrinsic factor’ deep in our gut to absorb the B12 from animal sources and some people don’t have it, especially in later years. I wonder how does anyone know how much B12 is getting assimilated from any source? Are the sublingual B12 supplements a reliable alternative? What should we know about the way B12 and other B vitamins are made? Do you and Annmarie supplement with B12? Does your bloodwork show that you’re getting enough?
8:58 pm on April 23rd, 2010
Hi Kevin! I love raw and will continue my transition toward a 90-95% raw diet. It just makes me feel great. A question for you…Your computer says “Pesticides Suck” and I couldn’t agree more; however, living in St. Louis MO with our southern heat and wooded lot, we have wood roaches ever spring through fall. They make a beeline for the house once spring hits. Is there a brand of safe insect killer that actually works or, better yet, is there a recipe for a homemade, non-toxic, insect killer that works? Right now my poor kitty is eating the ones she sees, and they always make her throw up.
( Thanks!
12:48 pm on April 26th, 2010
Love the raw diet, NO doubts, IF I’m allowed to keep the raw milk and eggs. GREAT stuff.
7:51 am on April 28th, 2010
I think it depends on the physiology of the person, the climate in which they live, the evolution of society as a whole, and other factors. For example, someone native to Alaska would probably have a more difficult time developing a sustainable raw lifestyle compared to someone living in the tropics whose constitution is naturally set up to eat more raw foods. I don’t think we can ever make generalizations that apply to everyone. We are all so unique in our constitutions, our environments, the climate in which we live and the type of food found locally therein, and what works for our bodies!
9:27 pm on May 15th, 2010
Raw food can be rather hard to digest. It can also increase Vata dosha which, when it’s cold & dry, can lead to an imbalance & health problems. A small salad in summer can be cooling. An oil dressing can balance the Vata & be very tasty.