Trish Pottersmith <[log in to unmask]>:
>I wonder, is it the salt?  is it some kind of yin/yang
>thing?  I have not read a lot about pickles and suspect they

Tom:
Refined salt is well known for its association with cravings.  Yin/yang
is also a  possible explanation. The standard explanations in raw foods are
that: 1) the cravings are detox symptoms, if you are not yet "clean",
2) if you are "clean", the cravings are a symptom of mineral deficiency, or
a psychological thing. (Re: the phsychological aspect - food can affect our
moods/mental state, and is associated with memories. If you eat a favorite
dish made by your Mother, you are not just tasting the food, but reflecting
on the memories associated with previous consumption of that food.)

Trish Pottersmith <[log in to unmask]>:
>must be horrible for your stomach.  Anyone have information
>on pickles, if they are bad, why?  Are they considered
>fermented?  Why is some fermented food considered healthy
>(natural sauerkraut)  for you and some not? And, anyone with
>a clue as to what it is about pickles that might cause
>one to crave them (I'm not pregnant!).

Tom:
I wrote some articles on fermented foods; they were posted months ago. You can
probably find it in the new archives, using the search keywords 'fermented', or
the abbreviation used in my post: 'FF' (capital letters). (A search on FF
should net less material than a search on 'fermented').

Regards,
Tom Billings
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