Hello Peter and all:

Merry Christmas everyone.  And Pter, thank you for your comments.  I'll try
to address your questions:

>I feel pretty relaxed as well about eating these foods raw, but I still
>keep in mind that only few people have been doing it for any length of time
>and little is known of long term effects.

Interesting that you should mention this!   One of the volumes I have found
a lot of good information from is one written by Dr. Weston Price.  Dr.
Price was a dentist/doctor/anthropologist who did many extensive research
studies on primitive, raw diets, including many raw animal products.
Through his research and clear studies of a number of primitive cultures, he
found that there were plenty of cultures who lived without chronic illness,
enjoying almost perfect health and vitality.  He demonstrated that in all
instances, raw animal foods were integral to this formula of health.
Different foods were used in different geographic regions.  Peter, if you
are interested in learning more about this, I would greatly encourage that
you obtain this information and search through it; I think you will find it
not only enlightening but captivating.

Although the original volume "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" by Price
is out of print, "Traditional Foods are your Best Medicine" by Schmid
details the work of Price.  Highly recommended.

>I agree that it is important to seek out the best sources of these foods
>but "natural, organic sources" are not that easy to come by.

Agreed, Peter.  I have a very high motivation to obtain some land of my own,
so I might provide a percentage of my own home-grown organic food.

>It is true that meat that has been broken down by cooking or thawing is
>more susceptible to various infestations than in its raw state.  Still,
>there can be no doubt that  freezing kills parasites and cooking does away
>with a lot of bacteria.


I sympathize with your concerns but I must maintain my ideas about parasites
and bacteria.  They have a job to do:  to destroy dead matter in bodies.  I
may sound like a broken record, but there are many well-regarded scientists
who have different ideas than the standard "germ theory."  That is to say,
that a parasite or bacterium will not destroy healthy tissue, but it will
rather perform its function of cleaning dead or damaged tissue from our
bodies.  I know that is a very "blanket statement," but I think science (not
medical monopolies) has shown us that bacteria exist in different states
(pleomorphic); they coexist in harmony in our bodies, and change function as
the need arises (as in common colds, etc.)

I accept that many others have differing opinions, but I personally feel
that the "germ" or "contagious" theory is just a scare tactic to push us
into an endless cycle of vaccination, antibiotics, and other drugs that will
never benefit our long-term health one bit.  Simply trying to kill
everything in our food to avoid disease is much like shooting a crowing
rooster to stop the sun from coming up.

I repeat, I am by no means an authority in the matter.  If you want to
examine all of this for yourself, I strongly recommend it.  MUCH is written
on these topics, but you won't find it on the news, in good housekeeping
magazine, or on the TV, because it's not an idea that "sells," it's just the
truth.

>Maybe you would like to share with us some of the benefits you have
>experienced from   eating RAF (raw animal foods)?

I will once again admit, Peter, that I have no _extensive_ experience in
this either.  I will honestly say that I have only been eating raw for about
6 months now.  However, I will just simply say that I was bedridden with
disease at the start, and now I work part-time.  That is enough to prove to
me that I can expect good things from eating naturally.  It is a miracle to
me that nature can truly restore my health.  Every raw food plays it's part:
The raw fruit cleanses me, the raw vegetables provide nutrients and flavor,
the raw fish provides nourishment to my nervous system, the raw fat from
butter, beef, and plant oils lubricates, it fuels my body, and strengthens
my muscles.  Stomach ulcers have vanished, insomnia disappeared.  Although I
am no picture of perfect health yet, my progress from debilitating illness
has amazed my peers (and myself).

If a drug did this, would _it_ be advertised on TV, like Advil or Tylenol?
Perhaps, but I doubt that the raw diet will ever have the flair of a drug,
nor the power to make pharmaceutical companies rich.  How would our
country's billion dollar health industry like it if every person learned for
himself that no drug can guarantee his health like natural, raw foods can?
Interesting questions.  Just pay attention the next time you watch TV and
see how many ads there are for this drug or that drug.

Sorry for the extensive rhetoric.  I just find it amazing to myself that
even with a year's reading, I have found more information on how to really
improve health than 15 year's worth of schooling could show me.  Once again,
I strongly recommend any of the books about raw animal foods to any who are
interested in learning more.

Thank you for your kind comments, and a good Christmas to all.

Warmest Regards,

Ben

-- "To destroy disease, one must first create health."