this is a repost of a recent article. I am posting it again because
there are some new people on veg-raw and raw-food, who might find it
to be useful. Those who remember this from the previous posting
can simply delete this article. This is not the long article I
mentioned on veg-raw - that is yet to come (and will be on both
lists: raw-food and veg-raw). Have a good weekend! /  Tom  Billings
*******************************************************************

the following article was inspired by a recent e-mail exchange with
someone who reads (at least) one of the e-mail lists I post to. I decided
to expand the material into an article for the (SF-LiFE, possibly other)
newsletter(s), as it touches on an important philosophical point. That point
is that we are interested in rawism for its potential health benefits, and
not for the purpose of elevating rawist dogma and turning it into a religion.
The latter approach - making rawism a religion - is zealotry, and we have
seen examples on both lists (raw-food and veg-raw) of zealots who actively
promote the concept that rawist dogma is more important than people, or their
health.

I hope you find the article below of interest.

Regards,
Tom Billings
[log in to unmask]

==============begin article============================================

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN HEALTH?


The following question was asked in a recent e-mail exchange (June 1997).
I am expanding on my response, and publishing it on Internet (and the
newsletters), in case others find it interesting. I have the consent of the
questioner, to use the question wording.

Question:
Can you comment on the one factor that has had the most profound positive
effect on your health (vitamins, minerals, herbs, sprouts, green drink,
exercise, yoga, book, raw foods, fasting, raw fresh juices, etc.) and
would you recommend this to others?
- Anonymous

Answer:

You are asking a very interesting question! Before giving specific answers,
let me introduce the topic. First, health itself has multiple aspects:
the health of body, mind, and spirit. To be truly healthy, one must address
all three aspects. Raw diets deal mostly with the body, and most of the factors
you list above in your question (except for one), deal primarily with the body.
Besides diet, factors that may influence health include: stress, breathing,
personal attitudes (positive thinking), exposure to environmental toxins,
your relationships with others, etc. The approach to spiritual health will
depend on whatever spiritual tradition (if any) you prefer.

Also, the road to health - finding healing, and/or maintaining health, will
vary on an individual basis. What works for one, might not be appropriate for
another. Raw diets are wonderful, but they are not for everyone. There is
no specific diet, or approach to health, that is universally the "best" for
every person. There is no "perfect" diet or health system. Instead, we must
each find the approaches that work for us, by study and experimentation.

With the above caveat, let me specify that I will answer your question from
my personal perspective. Needless to say, the answers could be different for
another person. The best way to answer your question is to split health into
the aspects listed above.

Physical Health

The most important factor to me is a predominantly raw food, sprout based diet.
I also find it helpful (and healthful) to limit the amount of fruit I eat. After
raw diet, herbs (Ayurveda: the traditional Indian system of medicine) are very
helpful and important to me.

Would I recommend a raw diet to others? I would exercise some discretion in
recommending a raw diet to others. Instead of telling people they "should" or
"must" be X% raw, I consider it appropriate to suggest the following.

1) Most people on the standard Western diet eat too much cooked/processed
food, and many of them may find that their health improves significantly, if
they eat more raw/unprocessed foods.

2) Find the % of raw that serves you best in that it supports good health,
and the diet works for you in practice. (It is in practice that many would-be
"100% raw" people fail.)

3) Raw food diets are not for everyone. Some people may find that other diets
are of more benefit to them (the examples of ketogenic, macrobiotic diets come
to mind immediately). If raw works for you, that is wonderful. If raw does not
work for you, then do not be blinded by dogma - allow yourself the freedom to
experiment with other diets, and find one that does work for you.

Mental Health

I find that a gentle, spiritual hatha yoga practice - asanas (postures),
pranayama (breathing practices) and  meditation - is the most helpful. A regular
practice of yoga provides real stress relief, and promotes a "sattvic" - calm,
peaceful, loving - state of mind. In my experience, Integral Yoga is the best
style for me. There are other, more strenuous styles, but gentle works as well
or better for many people. (The gentle style of Integral Yoga is used in the
program of Dr. Dean Ornish, to help reverse heart disease.)

I would recommend yoga to anyone who is able to do it, which is most people.
Who cannot do gentle yoga? The disabled might not be able to do asanas, but may
be able to do pranayama and breathing practices. The severely mentally ill might
not be able to meditate, (e.g., schizophrenics may hear voices when they try to
sit in meditation), although they might be able to imitate asanas (postures).

Spiritual Health

This will vary according to the spiritual orientation of each person, so I will
not give a specific answer. Instead I would encourage you to explore the
teachings of the spiritual tradition(s) of your choice.

Tom Billings