Walter Semerenko <[log in to unmask]> posted some material from Dr.
(Andrew) Weil's web site, on raw food.

Dr. Weil:
>I know some people believe it's harmful to cook food. They say cooking
>destroys essential nutrients and the vital essence of foods... here are
>people who will soak rice for weeks rather than cook it; or bake their wheat
>in the sun for hours instead of using an oven. It's important to eat lots of
>fruits and vegetables, but I don't think it is healthy to eat all raw foods.
>It's not healthy to eat all anything. The best diet is a varied diet, and
>this goes for methods of preparation as well.

> Cooking renders some foods more digestible; it also breaks down natural
>toxins that are in some vegetables and seeds. If you're not feeling well,
>raw vegetables can make things worse. They are especially hard on an
>irritated colon. There are also a surprising number of toxins in foods found

Tom:
A minor point first: the only soaked rice I have seen is wild rice, which is
baked (therefore dead) before it is soaked. I wonder why folks bother with it -
easier to simply boil it, and it's just as "alive" (actually, dead) as baked,
soaked rice. (Many other kinds of rice will sprout, but they are often very
bitter. The easiest way to eat rice is if it is cooked.)

One could write a lot on this subject. Let me briefly summarize by saying
that some foods are easier to digest when raw, and some when cooked. Sample
foods that are easier to digest when cooked include: many starchy foods, and
those foods that produce a lot of flatulence: cabbage, certain legume sprouts,
and - in contradiction to Dr. Weil - onions. Cooking does reduce the life
force energy of a food, but that is irrelevant when you cannot digest the
raw food, or the raw food has harmful side-effects (like severe flatulence).
So, I would suggest eating those foods raw that are easy to digest, and cook
those that require it.

We have discussed here (see archives) the problems of 100% raw. It works well
for some people, but many find it difficult in the long run. I suggest that
you eat that % of raw that supports good health for you in the long run; the
% can be any number from 0 to 100; you have to find the best % by
experimentation.

>irritated colon. There are also a surprising number of toxins in foods found
>in most people's diets. Peanuts and peanut butter often have traces of
>aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen found in a mold that grows on the nuts.
>Alfalfa sprouts contain a toxin called canavanine. Celery harbors toxins
>that may sensitize us to sunlight and damage our immune systems. (Highest
>levels occur in celery that has brownish patches, which indicate a fungal
>disease called pink rot.) Raw spinach, chard and beet greens contain oxalic
>acid, which robs your body of calcium and iron. Cultivated white mushrooms
>contain several carcinogens. Members of the cabbage family also contain
>toxins. In general, these natural toxins are destroyed by cooking,
>especially cooking in water. To me this seems to a be a strong argument
>against a diet of all raw foods. But never overcook foods. That will lower
>nutrient content and cause other undesirable changes. For instance, charring
>foods creates carcinogens.

> There are some vegetables I would never eat raw: peas, beans, alfalfa
>sprouts, lentil sprouts, mung bean sprouts and mushrooms. Beans, lentils,
>chickpeas, and eggplant are best when cooked a long time. Many leafy green
>vegetables such as chard, spinach, collards and mustard greens are much
>better for you when cooked.

Tom:
Dr. Weil seems to be concerned with the toxins in foods. They are naturally
present, though we may have messed the levels up via hybridization,
genetic engineering, and other plant breeding techniques. Rather than getting
too worried about the chemistry, I suggest that people try foods and observe
how you feel after eating them. My body tells me that raw alfalfa sprouts are
not so good for me, also chard/beet greens. (I can eat cooked chard, but
find it rather salty for my taste.) However, some other raw fooders
enjoy such foods, and consume them with no difficulty. The point is that
your body, if you listen, can tell you which foods are good for it.

Another relevant point here: one can use (raw) spices to help you digest
raw foods that would otherwise be difficult to digest. Examples: turmeric
or ginger with high protein sprouts; cinnamon with raw apple to avoid the
belching it may cause; fennel with melons to avoid the burning hands/feet
it may produce, etc.

> On the other hand, there are some foods not normally eaten raw in the
>Western diet that I do suggest eating raw for medicinal reasons. Raw garlic
>and raw onions, eaten regularly, can protect against heart attacks by
>increasing the body's ability to dissolve blood clots. Raw garlic also is a
>potent antibiotic. And some vegetables are just fine raw: lettuce, arugula,
>radicchio, watercress, cucumbers, radishes and buckwheat sprouts.

Tom:
I disagree with the raw onions/garlic - they are fine IF you can tolerate
them, but they are too hot, too strong for some of us. Raw onions/garlic
do indeed have medicinal uses, but one should have real need for them,
to use them as medicine. (In small amounts, they are fine as food -
if you can tolerate the smell.)

Regards,
Tom Billings
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