Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>:
>For sevveral months, I thought I could eat raw and neglect other
>aspects of diets, neglect exercise, etc... but I think more and
>more that "perfect health" (in the sense defined above) is very
>difficult to attain, and eating raw is only one among many factors.

Tom:
I agree. Eating raw takes one to a plateau of health, and if you want to
go past that level, you must work on other aspects of your life -
exercise, positive thinking, spiritual factors, etc.

Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>:
>It would be useful to give a few tips about how to make the
>difference between detox, "tox", deficiencies and real disease. I have
>no idea, since I have never experienced other inconvenients than a
>temporary weakness. Can weakness be a sign of detoxification? How can
>detoxification cause weakness?

Tom:
Assume that one has a raw diet, a cleansing diet, and one has unpleasant
symptoms that MAY be a sign of detox. Then, as the detox process is in
progress (because of the diet), the detox symptoms should alleviate over
time - they should get better. If the symptoms are serious, and/or do not
alleviate over time (i.e., the symptoms get worse), then they are probably
not detox. One should consult (as soon as possible) a qualified health
professional for all acute/serious conditions, and any other problems that
fail to "go away".

Weakness can be a sign of detox, also a sign of low blood sugar, as well
as a symptom of any of a long list of serious health problems. Consult a
health professional if the condition persists. How does detox cause weak-
ness? I can only speculate: the presence of previously stored toxins
in the blood and lymph, that the liver/kidneys must work to eliminate?
Others are welcome to comment on this point...

Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>:
>I would add that, from the classical instincto point of view, there
>are no foods which are intrinsically poison. If a food tastes great,
>were it an Amanita, it is not a poison, and if an apple tastes bad,
>it is a (mild) poison. However, many vegetables never, or almost
...snip...
>That is just another example of imperfection of Nature: in order to get
>the nutrients, you have to pay a toll. Of course, the benefit is
>higher than the cost, but you still have to deal with natural toxins.

Tom:
Interesting. The manchineel fruit of South Florida and the Caribbean,
Latin name Hippomane manchineel, is toxic, but it smells wonderful,
and can taste good as well. (See "Wild Plants for Survival in South Florida",
by Julia F. Morton). Manchineel poisoning was a real problem for early
Western settlers in South Florida. It's an attractive fruit, but all parts
of the tree are toxic (as is smoke from the burning  leaves and wood.)

>>Tom:
>> P.S. apply simple common sense: if cooked food really is toxic, then we
>> would all have died long ago.

Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>:
>Not a very good argument. Caffeine and nicotine are toxic but not
>deadly.

Tom:
Yes, the argument has some limits. However, nicotine and caffeine have an
actual LD50 level - the dosage that kills 50% of the test animals (poor
mice!). On the other hand, I think Dr. Bass found that mice did quite
well on some cooked food diets - no LD50 for some kinds of cooked food.

re: Paleo diet..
Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>:
>Are there any clues about what foods were cooked, and how? Did they
>only cook meat? When did they start to use boiling water, etc?

Tom:
I'm not on the Paleo lists - perhaps other list members who are, will
reply to your questions.

Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>:
>Just one question: what happens to the undigested raw starch? Is there
>any possibility that it feeds colonic bacteria which create toxic
>substances (just a speculation from me, I don't know enough about
>biology).

Tom:
The starch passes through, seemingly with little effect. (It is largely
undigested). I don't know if it has any effect on colon bacteria flora.

Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>:
>What do you think about claims that spices can irritate the digestive
>system, cause stomach ailments, etc?

Tom:
Used in excess, or incorrectly, they can indeed cause problems. The difficulty
is that most raw fooders don't know how to use them correctly. I had to
study Ayurveda for a while, and experiment to find out which/how to use spices
in a way that helped me.

Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>:
>Do you think that vegetarism is not the best diet (for the *body*)?
>Or that the "sacrifice" you make on your body's health is negligible
>compared to the spiritual benefits?

Tom:
I think that a vegetarian diet can work well for most people. I would not
expect all to use it - some might follow a diet like Aajonus recommends,
instincto, others will be on ketogenic, still others may follow traditional
non-veg diets (Inuit, Lapps, Tibetans, etc.) due to necessity or for health
reasons.

Given that the human body is naturally omnivorous, and if we further add
the spiritual/ethical restriction of not killing for food, then the
consumption of (preferably raw) dairy is an option to consider (I know many
instinctos don't like dairy as it is not an original food.) Raw dairy
is a no-kill substitute for other animal products.

Jean-Louis Tu <[log in to unmask]>:
>Sure. However, I am still convinced that a healthy diet should
>include a high % of raw food (let's say at least 50%), and that
>the cooked part should be "intelligently" cooked. I was very

Tom:
I agree that most people (there will be a few exceptions, of course)
can eat at least 50% raw. Just before the recent SF-LiFE Expo (last
June 1), I was interviewed on the radio, and even discussed how people
with SAD diets can go 50% raw, with only minor changes in their present
life-style. [In case anyone asks, the changes are: make breakfast a
raw meal - sweet sprouts, sprout milk, and/or fruit; have a big salad
at lunchtime and dinner;  other veggies at lunch/dinner should be raw
whenever possible; make snacks raw - cut veggies, dehydrator cookie
substitutes, sprout crackers, etc. Such an approach will not satisfy
the purists, but it would be a BIG improvement for those on a SAD
diet!]

Thanks for your excellent questions and comments!

Regards,
Tom Billings
[log in to unmask]