Hi Ben,

On Sun, 25 Oct 1998 19:49:25 -0600, Ben Odom <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Ok, Wes, so you state that there are some that do well on a vegetarian
>diet which includes at least raw dairy.  How does that disprove that
>other cultures have thrived on raw and/or lightly cooked animal products:
>
>- The Eskimos
>- The Native American Indians

The above mentioned cultures are not known for longevity or lasting health.
The Eskimos were supposedly healthy but generally died around age 50 or so.
This is why degenerative diseases didn't normally show up with them - not
enough time to fully manifest. As for the Native American Indians, they
had high rates of disease and short life spans in general.

>-
The Swiss of the Loeschenthal Valley
>- Australian Aborigines
>- Torres Strait Islanders
>- Peruvian Indians
>- Melanesians
>- Polynesians
>- The New Zealand Maori
>- Gaelics

I'm not familiar with them, but I haven't read of these cultures as being
among the long-lived. This isn't to say they aren't healthier than the
common S.A.D. American eater, however. :)

>While I'm not one to say that humans can't do well on vegetarian diets
>(especially when raw dairy is consumed), there seems to be more evidence
>that shows the importance of a full range of animal products in the
>healthiest of cultures.

"...seems to be more evidence..." are the key words. There are no known
fully vegetarian cultures (that I know of at least), therefore there is
no 100% sure-fire way of comparing. However, the Essenes are one group of
people who have been 100% raw  B dairy for generations and are known for
tremendous vitality and longevity.

I'm 100% raw including eggs, although I'm considering either using some raw
dairy in addition or just switching to dairy and stopping the use of the
eggs. What I do know is that I'm thriving using eggs as only source of
animal protein.

>One last question:  is it kosher for mainstream vegetarians to consume
>animal products such as raw dairy and eggs?  Or is it solely the
>fruitarians who exclude dairy and eggs?  Just wondering.

Mainstream vegetarians: yes. Vegans: no. Most vegetarians consume dairy and
eggs, or one or the other. But mainstream vegetarians aren't 100% raw
either. And mainstream vegetarians consume pasteurized, homogenized, and
commercial dairy, and/or commercial cooked eggs (including scrambled &
fried - even worse yet!) Huge differences, therefore. And as for
fruitarians, they ea
t mostly or only fruits, and are vegans.

One other note: Studies I've read strongly indicate that we are a primarily
vegetarian species, and if meat is eaten, it should be eaten in moderation.
High amounts of animal protein intake (and not just meat) have been shown
to be disease-producing and longevity-sapping in the long run. About 3-4
eggs per day is all I need to keep me at optimum vitality. I've
experimented.

Later,

Wes