Ah! Raw food children! One of my favourite subjects. I'm new to the list and
I just had to respond.

I think the answer to this question is complex. I don't think a raw food
lifestyle is dangerous or incomplete for children in itself (in fact I am
convinced it is the ticket to ultimate health), but i DO believe that it can
be PRACTICED in ways that endanger a child's health. Specifically, I would
be very wary of a diet that included only fruits, or a restricted variety of
food choices. I have seen very small and weakly children raised like this
(who nevertheless were probably as healthy as "normal"children).

Children have quite different nutritional needs than adults, because they
are growing and developing. Particularily in the earlier years, they require
healthy (raw) fats to aid in the development of brain and nervous tissue.
And like every adult, every child is different, according to a million
variables in genetic make-up, environment and the parent's past health
issues.

For this reason, we rely on the gift of Nature's instinct to regulate our
son's eating and food choices. He is 2 yo and has never touched cooked food
in his life. He has been eating instinctively since birth, tasting his first
solids at 5 weeks and beginning to truly add more solids to his breastmilk
diet in the second half of his first year. He is incredibly alert, bright,
beautiful, happy, energetic, and healthy. He is slightly above average
height (like his parents), slender but not thin (no typical baby pot belly),
very muscular, strong,  and well coordinated.

I believe the reason for his remarkable good health and contentedness (and
people DO remark on it!) is the fact that we allow him to choose BY INSTINCT
from a LARGE VARIETY of food choices, as long as they fit into the
INSTINCTIVE FRAMEWORK (raw, whole, organic, unmixed, unseasoned, one at a
time, no dairy). He still nurses regularily. He eats a wide variety of foods
including all fruits, vegetables, herbs, wild foods, nuts, seeds, seaweed,
meats (instinctively-raised or wild), seafood, and he's even tried insects
(though I haven't!).

His daily intake can change dramatically from day to day, and over time. He
went through a phase of eating about one quarter pound of parsley every day,
then papayas twice a day, lately it's oranges and hazelnuts. He usually
chooses at least two fat-rich foods per day, and enjoys greens, especially
very strong-flavoured wild ones. I am utterly confident that his body knows
what it needs, better than I would ever be able to determine. If I was
feeding him according to a diet (cooked OR raw) rather than by instinct, I
would be be concerned about meeting all his nutritional needs.

I would love to hear from any practicing this with their children, or
interested in doing so.

ingrid
-----Original Message-----
From: Andre Bowdry <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Saturday, January 30, 1999 6:14 AM
Subject: Raw children


>Did anyone check out Feb. '99 SPIN Magazine's "Totally Raw" atricle.
>The article referenced 2 children of raw parents doing pretty well.
>I'll feel a lot more comfortable now on the subject of raw children.
>Wednesday's (1/27/99) 20/20 television news report on the malnourished
>20 month old raw foodist baby had me somewhat disturbed and confused.
>How could this happen under Nature's diet.
>
>Does the raw food diet for Children provide "enough" in todays world -
>or can only adults be safe in the raw?
>
>Any feedback???
>
>
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