Since Connie got back from Hippocrates, we've been eating about 80% raw and 20% cooked food and we notice a difference. Our meals were already 40%-50% raw, but increasing the raw and juicing each day has given us both more energy and vitality. Connie even describes it as a lightness of heart and euphoria.
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These results makes us wonder how it is that raw food can make a difference like this? There are a number of things that contribute, I think.
First is that we get more of some nutrients in raw than cooked because heat can destroy or reduce certain nutrients like vitamin C, folate, some B vitamins and a variety of other phytonutrients. So, overall, we're probably getting more nutrients from the raw.
Keep in mind though that there are some foods that are much better cooked than raw. Beans, lentils and whole grains for sure. Also mushrooms.
Another thing that raw food advocates talk about as an advantage of raw versus cooked is what they refer to as live enzymes.
Enzymes are proteins and they're heat sensitive. So when you cook them, many of the live enzymes are denatured, they're broken down. The raw food advocates say that by eating the food raw, it gives you these enzymes so that you don't use your own enzymes to digest the food, resulting in more energy and vitality.
Another thing that I think may be influencing us is the life force in the food. Life force is what, in Eastern traditions, they talk about as prana or chi. For practical purposes, science doesn't have a meaningful way to measure life force, so it's never included in evaluating the health benefits of a food.
It's pretty clear though that raw food has more life force than cooked. When it's raw, it's still alive. Once we cook it, it no longer is. No longer alive and growing.
Whether eating food with more life force is contributing to my experience of energy and vitality, I don't know. But with the change I've felt since starting to eat this way, it makes sense that it may.
And if it does, sprouts probably have a lot to do with it because they have the most life force of all the foods. And we're eating a LOT of sprouts. We have them with every meal from an assortment that's in our fridge of mung beans, pea, fenugreek, alfalfa, broccoli, sunflower and pea shoots. Hippocrates encourages 50% sprouts.
So, we're making changes and seeing good results. But we also want to say that the bottom line for us about what to eat, how to eat and when to eat, is by listening to your body.
No expert or research study can know you the way you know you. You are your best expert. So, while we are pouring ourselves into this new regimen, we're doing it to get to know the full impact it can have. And after some time, we'll go back to solely listening to our bodies for what, how and when to eat, having this new knowledge and experience to draw on.
The recipe this week is a vegetable slaw. It's what Connie often had at Hippocrates. It's a whole lot of raw veggies and sprouts, chopped up into a slaw in a food processor. We do this once or twice a day, topping it with sprouts and a nut dressing. It's delicious, filling and very satisfying.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
H.I. (Hippocrates Institute) Veggie Slaw (Serves 2)
- Carrot,1 large or 2 medium, cut in pieces
- Beet, cut in pieces
- Red or colored pepper, remove seeds and cut in pieces
- Handful of string beans, cut in pieces
- Turnip, cut in fours
- 2 Radishes, cut in half
- Jalapeno, seeded
- Slice of raw onion
- Sprouts of your choice
The veggies can be cut into large chunks since the food processor is going to grind them all up.
Add all ingredients except sprouts to food processor and pulse until ingredients are fine.
Dish into serving bowls and add sprouts
Top with a nut dressing if you like. The Ceasar Dressing from our website is particularly nice with it.
You can also add sauerkraut or kimchi on the side for even more nutrition and gut supporting microbes.
Version 2 (Serves 2)
- Carrot, 1 large or 2 medium, cut in pieces
- Red pepper, remove seeds and cut in pieces
- 1 large tomato, cut in quarters
- Cucumber, peel and cut in rounds
- ¼ cup of raw cabbage
- Jalapeno, seeded
- Slice of raw onion
- Sprouts of your choice
Add all ingredients except sprouts to food processor and pulse until ingredients are fine.
Dish into serving bowls, add sprouts and top with a nut dressing if you like.
You can also add sauerkraut or kimchi on the side for even more nutrition and gut supporting microbes.
Version 3 (Serves 2)
- Carrot, 1 large or 2 medium, cut in pieces
- 1 cup green cabbage
- 1 cup cauliflower cut in pieces
- 1 stalk celery, cut in pieces
- 1 slice raw onion
- ½ small zucchini, cut in pieces
- Red Pepper, de-seed and cut in pieces
- ½ cup frozen corn or peas
- Sprouts of your choice
Add all ingredients except sprouts and corn or peas to food processor and pulse until ingredients are fine.
Add corn or peas and pulse just enough to fold them in.
Dish into serving bowls, add sprouts and top with a nut dressing if you like.
You can also add sauerkraut or kimchi on the side for even more nutrition and gut supporting microbes.