JL:>
>6) I don't believe that being cold is a sign of detoxification. Eating too
>much sweets and not enough protein and fats, added to the the fact that
>the digestive system is not yet adapted to a high amount of raw
>food/fiber, lead to deficiencies, lack of energy, sensitivity to cold,
>weight loss, etc.

Mike:
I want to speak only from my own experience. That is what is counts for me
and not theories, even though they help explain what happens and may keep
you going if things are not so perfect (e.g.detox).
When I was eating lots of dates I felt very energetic, I could run long
distances and it took me very long to warm up but I also did not get
exhausted (sound a little bit like NFL eh? but is true). I put on weight
during this period. Of course I was not only eating fruit and dates but all
sorts of raw foods (excluding wheat and milk) (big RAF meals included -
sorry NFL guys). It is always a question of balance. How much fruit is to
much is very different from day to day. And some very important point:
fruit is not fruit. The differences are much bigger than I thougth in the
beginning. Some examples:

1)  Back in fall 1996 sometime, I was not able to eat even half an orange,
even though I did not eat oranges for a long period of time (months)
before, it was just totally sour and burnt my mouth but I could eat an
whole water melon with delight, no problems. BTW, my wife always found the
same oranges sweet and ate them by the bag.


2)  Currently; dates (ORKOS) burn my mouth after one or two. I love figs
(ORKOS) and can easily eat 1lbs. until the pleasure leaves. Only eating one
or two more makes trouble (flatulence, sweating) but staying in the limit
of great taste gives no problems.

Cold-with-RAF-example:

3)  After a period of 1.5 month in spring 1996 with little RAF, no meat,
but fruits and dates I was feeling warm (cold resistant so to speak). After
one meal of aged beef (0.5 lbs.) which tasted like the best German sausage
I ever had, I felt icy cold the next day. In fact, I was wearing a thick
sweater where the others just had shorts and T-shirts (April in Tucson, AZ,
80 to 90F around mid day, still with sweater). But I also felt full of
energy.

JL:
These symptoms are more marked in 100% raw vegans than
>people eating partially cooked or instinctos, not (IMO) because they are
>detoxifying at a faster rate, but because they eat less concentrated
>foods, less protein and fat, more fiber, etc. The fact that these symptoms
>don't persist more than a few months doesn't mean that it's a sign of
>detox, but than somehow the body adapts [Note: whatever dietary change you
>make, long-term results often differ from short-term ones, because there
>is generally an adaptation; that's why scientific experiments lasting a
>few weeks tell little about long-term consequences of a diet].

Mike:
It is very easy to make yourself cold. The best example is my wife. She had
a period about one year ago eating some cooked (including rice). The next
raw meal she liked fruits very much and started to feel very cold right
after the meal (or even during eating) just like in the beginning of
instincto, as she explained.
I also realized cold feeling after introducing a new food or eating
something I did not have for several weeks/month. Those cold feelings are
usually rather pleasant because I have a feeling of something that wanted
to get out just left through the right door (just a feeling no scientific
proof but good enough for me).
Summarizing, up to now, I had could and warm feelings with nearly all foods
I ate raw, of course to different degrees (veggies usually don't yield that
strong reactions and fruit/RAF can be extreme in terms of cold/warm feelings).
BTW, the first year of instincto (and the 8 month of vegan raw eating
before) I continuously felt cold no matter what I ate, even after big RAF
meals.

Warm instinctive regards (hope that does not count as plagiarism),

Mike