How natural can you get?

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  April, 2005  by Irene Alleger

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Rawsome!

by Brigitte Mars

Basic Health Publications, Inc. 8200 Boulevard East, North Bergen, New Jersey 07047 USA; 201-868-8336

Softcover, 2004, $17.95 US/$28.95 CAN, 355 pp.

A raw foods diet is not for everyone, but it does have a lot of positive benefits--from providing essential enzymes to losing weight and detoxification. The obvious downside for most folks is the vegetarianism--raw meat is not an option these days! But probably the biggest deterrent for most Westerners is taste. Cold, uncooked foods seem pretty bland, after hot chili on a cold day, or a barbecued steak with fluffy baked potatoes.

Not so, says the author, a professional herbalist and nutritional consultant. She not only provides what studies have shown to be health benefits from a raw foods diet, she also provides a wealth of recipes that belie the myth of "tasteless."

Although most of the book is a "Raw Foods Encyclopedia," which is a mouth-watering cornucopia of mostly fruits and vegetables, there are valuable insights into diet. For instance, "the reason that cooked food smells so appealing is that its flavors and nutrients are being evaporated by the heat and are passing from the food into the air." Almost all nutrients are depleted or destroyed by the high heat of cooking. Cooking also produces free radicals, especially in oils used to cook with. The author writes "The free radicals, toxins, and loss of nutrients that result from cooking contribute to aging, bloating, depression, weight gain, cellulite, hair loss, wrinkles, anxiety, and puffiness and dark circles under the eyes. Do you want to feel baked, fried, cooked, and toasted? Or would you rather feel fresh, alive, radiant, and vital?"

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In this era of highly processed, ready-to-eat foods, the idea of eating au natural is a hard sell. For people seriously interested in nutrition and health, however, there are important benefits. Pottenger's research with cats is cited, as well as several others--studies comparing cooked diets with raw, and the differences are dramatic. There is little research done on things like raw food diets precisely because there is no economic incentive. People interested in nutrition and health need to be detectives, read books like Rawsome! and try some of these different dietary regimens, especially people who need to lose weight and detoxify (most of us could use a raw foods "cleanse").

The "Raw Foods Encyclopedia" is rich in information on the nutritional and healing properties of foods, starting with Apple (Malus species): "Apples are sweet, sour, and alkaline, and have a cool energy. They are rich in flavonoids, beta-carotene, vitamin B, vitamin C, boron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and silicon. The more tart an apple, the higher its vitamin C content. Apples are also high in pectin, a soluble fiber that helps in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels...." There are similar descriptions for Grains, Nuts and Seeds, Wild Things, Fats and Oils, Seaweeds, Herbs and Spices, even Edible Flowers. The author paints a picture of each "food" that shows its true nature and value. One does not have to dive in headfirst, but can gain some insight into why fruits and vegetables are the backbone of most diets.

A chapter titled "The Raw Kitchen" is a necessary and very interesting comparison between conventional kitchens and the basics of Blender, Citrus Juicer, Colanders, Food Dehydrator, Food Processor, Sprouting equipment, etc. Sprouts are a major part of a raw food diet, used mainly with grains.

The last part of Rawsome! are the Recipes, and they are outstanding. This section contains some of the most appealing Vegetable and Salad recipes you'll find anywhere. With the emphasis on raw, a lot of attention has been paid to taste. A raw foods diet may be healing at times, or started slowly to test whether it is the right diet for you, since we are all different in our nutritional needs.

Even though I feel better on a warm, cooked diet, I found Rawsome! motivated me to try more raw recipes, and make sure that I get even more of the required fruits and vegetables needed to stay healthy.

review by Irene Alleger

COPYRIGHT 2005 The Townsend Letter Group
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