Dear Ingrid,

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful experience with us.  I have
been interested in the subject for a few weeks now.

Would you mind telling us about the birth of your son? I asume it was
natural and that you are/have been raw for a while.
Is it true that raw child birth is "cleaner" and less painful?

Thanks,
Leah



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ingrid Bauer [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Sun January 31 1999 7:44
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Raw children
>
> 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???
> >
> >
> >_________________________________________________________
> >DO YOU YAHOO!?
> >Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com