What’s Wrong with Cooked Foods? Raw Fruits and Vegetables Are Perfect Foods.
Posted: 21st July 2010 by Michael in Exploring ControversiesI have so many people asking me 'What's wrong with cooked foods?" Well, I don't even know where to begin, there are SO many things wrong with cooked foods that it's almost an endless subject.
I've tried to cover a few big points in this video, but certainly there are many more reasons why eating cooked foods is unhealthy.
I usually try to focus on the benefits of uncooked natural plant foods like fruit and vegetables. I know from personal experience that eating nothing but raw fruits and vegetables and no cooked foods at all offers you perfect health.
Quick question, have you ever considered that the reason raw foods are as affordable/available as they are due to the relatively small demand for them (i.e. fruits/veggies makes up a possible 1-2% total calories of the average american) ? In other words, is your ability to maintain a fruitarian lifestyle contingent upon all the people who are buying the cooked/junk foods you malign so fiercely.
I have a few questions–three actually. If you don't have time for them that's fine but I am really curious.
1. Do you know anything about the macrobiotic diet, which is based on eating mainly cooked grains and vegetables and legumes (and little to no raw food or fruit), and is supposed to promote health and long life? If so what are your thoughts on that? It's supposedly based on scientific research and I'm the first to admit I know nothing about science, so if you think the claims are mistaken and could explain why I'd be very interested in hearing about it.
2. What are your thoughts on raw animal protein like sashimi or raw eggs? I'm assuming the fact that they're high in protein and relatively high in fat is a bad thing (as with avocados and nuts, which I understand you don't eat).
3. How do you define a "fruit"? Technically avocados can be considered fruits, along with all sorts of other things that people usually consider vegetables. Do you just go with what are commonly thought of as fruits (apples, oranges, bananas, etc) or do you have a specific way of deciding which fruits are acceptable for your diet?
You make so much sense. I am starting this full blown fruitarian diet tomorrow (I'm going to bed right now!), and if it gives me the results that I am hoping for…i will love you forever.
1. Macrobiotic diet is certainly healthier than a regular standard American diet with all the junk and animal products. Of course it cannot even compare to the energy, lightness and inner purity that the fruitarian diet creates. You can read more about my previous dietary experiences and evolution on my website at http://www.thefruitarian.com/index.php/about/.
This is an excerpt:
I subsequently went back to my low-fat cooked vegan diet, eating lots of soups, beans, and grains. (If you are familiar with the diet that Dr. Fuhrman prescribes in his book Eat to Live, this is how I primarily ate throughout my 20s). During this time, I pursued running and triathlon training, yet did not improve upon my performances, even as my diet varied and became more healthy and restrictive. I continued to read many books on diet and how it affected athletic performance, believing that I knew everything there was to know about superior diet and health.
2. Raw animal protein is unnecessary. There is no advantage in eating it. Besides, as you noticed, it is high in fat and decomposing protein.
3. There is no reason to spend time on defining fruit. Just eat things that you can make a meal of, that you can enjoy in their raw, unprocessed state, one thing at a time, as nature intended.
When the demand for fruits and vegetables increases, the suppliers will rise up to the challenge.
What about what traditional chinese medicine says about eating too much raw food? I took a class in TCM and the instructor was very, very down on the trend towards raw food. She wasn't particularly clear about what was going to happen to you, but just that it was bad.
I couldn't believe it, they actually believe cooking is necessary for human health. Something about loosing digestive power, getting cold, excessive yin. I believe that Indian medicine also says something negative about raw foods. I think its because of the general loose bowels that people can experience when starting on raw food.
Although what you saying makes some sense, I wonder why cooking is such a habit for most of humanity, It seems like more people would naturally be raw foodist. Thats something that has been a point of hesitation for me. Especially the caution against it given by TCM and Indian medicine.
@Jim
Do an experiment: go for 6 months on raw vegan fruit-based diet, and then go for 6 month on Chinese food diet and let us know how both felt.