Eat Raw Foods and
Become Healthier

Raw foods are uncooked, unprocessed and often organic. Most raw foodists are vegan, perhaps even fruitarian, but some eat raw meat, fish and diary. (Note: This website does not recommend eating raw or cooked meat, fish or dairy.)

Why Eat Uncooked Plant Foods?

There are various reasons for adopting this eating regimen. There is a belief that heating food above 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys many food enzymes and causes the formation of potentially toxic substances.

David Wolfe in The Sunfood Diet states:

“Food enzyme shortages, sooner or later, result in physical degeneration and disease.”

Other nutrients, such as proteins, vitamins and minerals, can be changed or denatured when cooked, thus prevent the body from getting optimum nutrition.

Juicing raw vegetables and fruits is a wonderful way to release nutrients and quickly deliver nutrition to the body's cells.

Humans are the only creatures on the planet who cook their food. Unfortunately, we feed our pets predominantly cooked foods, as well, and they are subject to the same diseases that we are.

History

I was privileged to hear Ann Wigmore speak in Los Angeles in the 1980s. She is one of my raw foods heroes. She writes in Why Suffer about coming to America from Lithuania and through American eating habits developing cancer of the colon, arthritis, hernia, migraine headaches, blood poisoning, depression and gray hair by the time she was fifty. She turned to nature and gradually developed the Living Foods Lifestyle and regained her health.

Dr. Wigmore founded the original Hippocrates Health Institute in Boston, taught people about the benefits of a living foods lifestyle, about wheatgrass juice and sprouting, and produced many writings.

Another of the pioneers was Dr. Herbert Shelton. He wrote many books and contributed vastly to educating people about raw foods and fasting.

Dr. Max Gerson was a physician who developed a therapy consisting mostly of organic vegetarian foods and large quantities of fresh, raw juices for the healing of the body.

Norman Walker was a strict vegan and raw juice proponent. He advocated a plant-based diet of fruits, vegetables and nuts. The Norwalk juicer was based on his design.

Another of early proponent of the diet was John Tobe. I used to own a book of his about his travels to Hunza, where the long-lived native people ate a predominantly vegetarian diet and lived a vibrant life into their late years.

A book that may have done more to start the modern-day interest in raw foods is Fit-for-Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. According to Harvey Diamond’s website, Fit for Life was one of only four books to sell 2 million copies in the entire decade of the 1980s. It is still a big seller.

I think of it as a sort of transitional book between the early pioneers and the current-day raw foodists. I know that when I was in chiropractic practice in Los Angeles during that time, many patients were changing their diets just based on the information in that book. It wasn’t totally raw, but it was vegan and it got people to experience improved health in a way they hadn’t considered before.

Contemporary Teachers

There are many modern proponents of raw foods. This is just a short list. Each one has a somewhat different take on the lifestyle. I have learned something from each and am inspired by their work. Remember, there are certainly additional excellent teachers; these are a few who have made an impact on me.

When I lived in San Diego, I was privileged to attend events at which David Wolfe spoke. He’s a dynamic speaker and I enjoy his books.

I met Dr. Douglas Graham at a Natural Hygiene conference years ago. His books are also an inspiration to me. He walks his talk, as do these other teachers.

I also heard Gabriel Cousens, M.D., speak and have read his books. His Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona is one that I’d love to visit some day.

Rev. George Malkmus founded Hallelujah Acres with his wife Rhonda. They teach another variation of the vegan raw foods lifestyle, called the Hallelujah Diet, recommending 85% raw foods and 15% cooked food.

Other notables include Alissa Cohen who offers certification classes, Brenda Cobb of Living Foods Institute, The Boutenkos, Tonya Zavasta, and David Klein whose Living Nutrition website has a wealth of information.

Fruits and Vegetables

Can you imagine chasing down a rabbit, grabbing it in your jaws around its furry little neck, then tearing into its flesh with gusto? It doesn’t sound like our natural diet, does it?

Now, how about sitting down to a wedge of sweet, juicy, cool watermelon? It makes my mouth water just writing about it.

Just because we’ve been accustomed to eating cooked animal flesh since… well, a long time… doesn’t mean it’s good for us.

The Vita-Mix machine can help you prepare nutritious, raw, whole foods meals quickly and easily.

Health Retreats

There are healing centers where you can study nutrition and health, learn the raw foods lifestyle, engage in healthy weight and detoxification programs, and take home new vegetarian recipes to help you along your new healthy eating path.

Here are some suggestions:

• Hallelujah Acres in Shelby, North Carolina. They also have a well-stocked health food store and offer health and wellness products, both online and at the center. Several seminars and workshops are offered throughout the year.
  
• Optimum Health Institute in Lemon Grove, California, and Austin, Texas, where you can stay on-site, learn and get healthy.
  
• Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida (Brian and Anna Maria Clement); stay on-site.
  
• Creative Health Institute in Union City, Michigan; stay on-site.
  
• Assembly of Yahweh in Eaton Rapids, Michigan; stay on-site.
  
• Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, Arizona (Dr. Gabriel Cousens); stay on-site.
  
• Living Foods Institute in Atlanta, Georgia (Brenda Cobb); attend classes and learn how to do the lifestyle.

A Challenge