Oh yikes... I went off for a bit of a camping trip and am just now getting back to the blog! Whew!
While eating in the camp cafeteria (it was a Seventh-day Adventist Camp Meeting), I had lots of time to reflect on my current way of eating at home-- which is largely raw vegan. I admit that I still enjoy the taste of pink icing on a cookie, and that I ate my share of "dainties" that seemed to be standard dessert fare (along with fresh fruit, I hasten to add). So, even if I ate just one cookie a day, I felt like crap at the end of the week. Some of the malaise was probably connected to eating other 'cooked' foods as well, stuff that I know I am supposed to avoid because I have sensitivities to them: corn, tomatoes, rice, wheat... especially wheat. I was very happy to get home and back to my raw vegan Nori wraps (simply roll up some fresh green crunchy salad in a sun-dried Nori roll so that it somewhat resembles a spring roll with open ends) and my fresh fruit breakfast smoothies (we pick blueberries off bushes in our backyard and blackberries off the bushes in the vacant lots... add whatever other fresh fruit you have on hand and whirr up in your blender).
When our son Conrad first experimented with raw foodism several years ago (he is 32) I was quite concerned that he wasn't getting enough protein or enough calories. Because he was going through a rather rebellious stage he drove me even crazier by suggesting that he might try "breatharianism" (not eating-- getting all nutrients from the air through breathing properly). I now recognize him as one of the healthiest people I know. He has learned what he needs to do to keep his calories up (he consumes lots of bananas and occasional nuts or avocadoes). He works hard and he rides his bike to keep up to his exercise needs. He occasionally coughs or blows his nose, but tells me that that is "detoxing" or getting rid of the dust (that was a big allergent for him as a child) that is in the air since he has been cutting and laying ceramic tiles in our front entry and offices here. Because of his example, my husband and I have also upped our raw food consumption. I eat about 75-80% raw, and my husband is not far off this as well. We have lost fat pounds and we feel great when we stick to the fresh fruits and veggies. And yes, we are getting the protein we need... fresh fruits and vegetables have protein in them! Enzymes, for example, are necessary proteins that are often destroyed during the cooking process (particularly if food is cooked above 130 degrees)and our body is forced to create its own enzymes to digest. Cooked food can take twice to even three times longer to digest than raw food... what an energy drain, eh?
I know that the idea of eating "living" (raw vegan) foods is not terribly appealing to the uninitiated... but if you want to experience true good health and no more debilitating urinary infections (once you have done your detoxing), I suggest you do some reading and research, and give it a try!
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