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>Kirt:
>> Cooked vegans appear to last longer before they experience trouble.

>carol
>I've heard this said many times, but -- and I know I've asked
>this before just recently -- do you think it's by virtue of the
>cooking itself, or do you think that the difference lies in the
>different food choices people make when they're eating raw foods
>as opposed to cooked ones?  I'd really like to hear more people's
>thoughts on this question.  I think it's an important one.


I don't see how cooking can improved the food , except maybe that it could
facilitate the work of  a tired digestive system ( it breaks down the
molecules so  may be less need for digestive juices, and by consequence we
get hooked to that) The same way that an untrained body can't stand
exercising ( vicious circle)
 We knows  from the enzymes point of view that it is required from the body
more energy  to handle cooked foods. So globaly i don't see the gain of
cooking the food.

It is more likely that the difference between cooked or raw vegan come from
the fact they choose different food to eat ( specialy starchy foods versus
fruits)
the most obvious problem that a raw vegan will enconter is the rollercoaster
of glucose level in the blood stream. STarch give a more steady source of
glucose available in the blood during the day. Fruit is quickly assimilated
and used up.
i can see that a cooked vegan,  eating grain beans  veggies , having a mole
balance ratio of glucide, lipide and aminos acids than a fruit veggies nuts
( not so sure ever, depend)

For me the answer might lie in the emotional consequence of letting go of
the reassuring filling and nurturing of a warm soup . I know for myself that
eating raw bring to the surface , fellings that i could keep repressed and
hidden by eating thoses familiar warming foods..
THe same way that an alcoholic letting go of his or her bottle will have to
face stored fellings of loneliness , fear etc. ( any 12 step recovering
alcoholic can tell you about that ).
Any raw foodist who go, head first into it , might have hard time to deal
with  that.
I will recomande every one to be prepared for this enconter with oneself.
this emotional side of the story is not  strictly emotional but
physiological as well , they go together because i believe that specific
foods give rise to specific feelings.
I will just say that for now despite that i have way more to say.
Jean-claude