Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Getting out of Dodge and the Real skinny on raw diet

Getting out of Dodge.  City, that is.  That's where we are today, my friends, in the heartland of feedlots and meat packing plants.  Not a great place for two gals who just spent three days avoiding the taste of slaughtered animals.
From what I gathered, and bear in mind I attended less than 5% of the six hundred workshops given (somewhat) raw food is the tip of the iceberg.  It is a portal to a healthier lifestyle.  There are many thoughts on the raw diet, from supplements to dehydration to raw only to colon cleanses.   The main idea is that anything cooked destroys the natural enzymes and nutrition of the food.  Which makes great sense.  The further from the soil the food is eaten, the more it is stripped of its nutrients.
Example stories I heard but cannot confirm:
One vegetarian meal a week saves 1160 miles of driving
Beef is considered protein, but nutritionally has only 15% protein, 85% fat
Seeds and nuts are considered fat, but have only 15% fat
Blue-green algae is one of the most nutritious foods around (I cannot tolerate it by itself by it's great in a protein bar)
Going raw is difficult for some people because of they use food as an emotional crutch.  If they can't find comfort in the refrigerator, they're forced to look inward, and to many that is scary beyond belief.  So going raw is not just the food choices, but coming to terms with old demons and vanquishing them.
As for curing common and uncommon ills, check out just one website for inspiration:
 www.mycrazysexylife.com
Off the soapbox.  I'm going to start incorporating some of this stuff when I get home, and have even now, on the road.  I can't promise I'll never eat cooked again (rice!  bread!) but life is a journey.

1 comment:

Jenny Trout said...

The raw diet always sounds amazing to me, until I remember I couldn't have mashed potatoes. Then, it's right out.