Ever notice raw foodist coming down with CFS?

[Guest guest]

I notice a preponderance of raw foodism on this group. I

encourage people to try things and note how it affects their body.

Posting an alternative view of raw food and their effects would help

folks make better informed decisions about their health. The

herbalist Tierra has in his book, " The Way of Herbs " , an

interesting paragraph referring to raw food.

" Vegetables are important as the balanced Yin part of a

balanced diet. They are more Yin than whole grains and beans but

not as extreme as fruits and juices. Because a diet low in meat is

basically a Yin diet, it is necessary to add Yang heat to the

vegetables to facilitate their digestion and assimilation. Raw

vegetables are necessary if one is eating a lot of meat because

the " Yinness " of the vegetables will help eliminate the Yang toxins

of the meat. However, too many cold, raw vegetables and fruits in a

diet lacking cooked foods and meat will depress metabolic function,

lower resisteance and immunity to infections, and cause a general

state of nervous mental energy. Over and over again I have

encountered people whose health has been ruined by following a

dietary program of raw vegetables over a long period, weakening

their circulation and digestive power, sometimes to the point of no

return. "

I have observed this. There are a lot of Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome sufferers who ate improper vegan/vegetarian diets during

their 20s and in their mid 30s developed problems. Though my

sample size of long term raw foodist is relatively small, one

watched for 2 years appeared to me to go quite out of balance. She

claimed to have " more energy than ever " but it looked to me like

nervous energy of unbalanced vata, not the calm power of a centered

healthy individual at all. I have met several former vegetarians

who had to start eating meat in order to correct health problems

that were cropping up.

An excellent alternative view of diets is the

book, " Traditional Foods are Your Best Medicine. " I don't remember

the the name of the author, but it was a dentist who started

researching dentrition among isolated groups still eating their

traditional diets back in the 1920's. Almost universally across the

planet, groups that ate traditional foods had very few dental

problems and virtually no TB. Once " commerce foods " (we know these,

evil white sugar, white flower, etc.) were introduced dental

problems went through the roof as did the health of the population.

At least one excellent herbalist teacher out west, Packman,

has that book on the required reading list for her students. An

additional resource is Tierra who does a lot for translating

aryuvedic and TCM dietary principles into western forms.

So, in our quest for health, I am leary of extreme dietary

paths. What's awesome for short term cleansing in the long run may

deplete our bodies and throw us out of harmony. Hope folks find an

alternative viewpoint to be thought provovative.