Turn to natural food before it is too late.

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http://www.lifepositive.com/body/holistic-recipes/recipes/rawfood.aspBy Arundhati MitraFind out why it is healthier to turn to natural food before it is too lateSee, I have given thee every herb that yields seed which is on theface of the earth. And every tree whose fruit yields seeds, to you itshall be for food!—Genesis 1:29A huge golden-brown roasted steak, dripping with butter. Surroundedby finger chips and garnished by a sprig of basil and creamymayonnaise. The aroma of exotic herbs. Your taste buds tingle. Youalmost feel the steak melting in your mouth. Yummy, isn't it? Butwait! What about the cholesterol you are inviting into your system?If you are health-conscious and have sufficient will-power, you maypush away this delicious picture and go for something more

banal,like a boiled salad. But is that really as healthy as it seems?Thenew mantra doing the rounds is that any-repeat, any-cooked food isavoidable. "In cooked food," says Jehangir Palkhivala, an Indian yogatherapist, "life forces are taken away from the food. Raw food can beconsumed easily without exerting pressure on our organs."And this is only for starters.Nutrition science is fast gaining the reputation of being a healingand preventive device. Dr Nand Kishore Sharma, a naturopath in NewDelhi, India, feels that most diseases are caused by bad foodhabits. "Unnatural food, which includes any form of food not found innature, generates toxins that gradually poison the body," he says.From his 'Fireless Kitchen', Dr Sharma gives patients regenerative ornatural food for degenerative diseases. This, he claims, has curedmany. "I have even seen people grow new teeth and hair at 60 and 70years of age," he

says.Urvashi Rawal is a case in point. A homeopath from Mumbai, India, shesuddenly lost her voice in 1988. Doctors could not help her beyonddiagnosing that she had developed some nodes on her vocal chords.During this time she met Rishi Prabhakar, who introduced her to hisSiddha Samadhi Yoga (SSY) and put her on a complete raw food diet. "Isuffered from severe diarrhea for the first few days. In the process,natural food flushed out all the toxins from my body," Rawal (now MaUrvashi) recalls. Within six months, she regained her voice. Today,she is a senior SSY instructor.Raw food is usually defined as that which is not cooked, applied tofire or fragmented. Uday Chotai, a naturohygienist from Mumbai,adds: "According to naturopathy, there are two types of food—suncooked and uncooked. Fruits that ripen in the sun fall into thecategory of suncooked food. Uncooked or raw food have not ripened atall." But

both types have high pranic value and meet everyrequirement of the body.In their book Prakritik Vyanjan, Dr Nand Kishore and Savita Sharmaaffirm that nature is a most effective resource manager. Duringsummer, we get juicy fruits and vegetables such as watermelon,muskmelon, mint and cucumber, which have a cooling effect. Inwinters, there are dry fruits and dates. The authors discouragehaving non-seasonal fruits and vegetables since they have lownutrition value. Moreover, the nutrients that the body gets . fromseasonal fruits and vegetables are assimilated and kept in store forcoming seasons. Any minor requirements can be compensated throughavailable seasonal fruits and vegetables.However, despite such a foolproof natural system, man tends toexperiment with nature-often with adverse results. We eat peeledfruits and vegetables because they taste better and are easier tochew. But in doing so, we rid them of

their vitamins, minerals andfiber. Chewing has its own advantages: the more we chew, the betterdoes the food mix with digestive juices in our mouth. This reducesstrain on the stomach. SPROUTING THOUGHTSSprouts probably contain the largest amount of nutrients per unit ofany food known. Enzymes that initiate and control most chemicalreactions in our body are activated in the sprouting process. Thishelps convert proteins into amino acids, starch into glucose andincreases the value of vitamins. For example, vitamin B increases by1,000 per cent and Vitamin C by 600 per cent in sprouted wheat.A study of Chinese pharmacopoeia reveals that the Chinese could loseweight, cure rheumatism, lower fever and tone the body through theregular consumption of sprouts. Sprouts were introduced to the Westby Captain Cook. Despite many strenuous voyages spanning a decade,his crew was remarkably fit. Their secret-sprouted

beans.It is best to eat sprouts fresh. However, the nourishment whichdevelops as the sprouts grow is very stable and can be frozen ordried for future use.Sprouts can be mixed with other foods and dressings such as lemonjuice and rock salt. This live food rejuvenates body cells andtissues and provides energy. It also retards the aging process.Sprouted potato and tomato seeds, however, should be avoided as theyare poisonous. Alfalfa and moong-bean sprouts are, on the other hand,excellent soft food: they contain every known vitamin necessary forthe human body in perfect balance. And yes, they don't taste badeither.Dr Victor G. Rocine, a Norwegian homeopath, advises eating food "theway God manufactured it". According to him, we must preserve theorganic chemical salts in food because once we remove them, we arelikely to alter other chemicals as well. Dr Rocine also discouragesadding artificial

ingredients to food, especially if their naturalforms are available. He cites the example of common salt. Table salt,according to him, is an inorganic substance and hence not of muchvalue for us organic beings. Dr Rocine suggests taking sodium fromorganic substances such as spinach, strawberries and carrots. Foodsrich in sodium are often rich in chlorine and oxygen also.Dr Sharma agrees: "Man needs perhaps one per cent salt. This he caneasily get from fruits and vegetables." Going a step further, A.P.Dewan, in his book Food for Health, says too much salt increases thebody's alkalinity. This can result in cancer. The notion that cookingdestroys food has many supporters. "Natural foods," points out MaUrvashi, "contain sun energy in the cellulose. This is destroyed whenexposed to high temperatures while cooking." When ingested, thecooked food is first broken down to its natural form and thendigested. "We can save our

body a lot of energy if we take naturalfood in the first instance," she argues.Dr S.N. Pandey, a Delhi-based naturopath, feels that the mysteries ofnature cannot be duplicated artificially. "Nature's products exist inholistic forms. Their effects are also holistic," he says. "This isdestroyed while cooking. Citric acid, for example, can never do forthe human body what lime can." One important substance that isdestroyed by any form of heating are enzymes. They work as catalystsduring all chemical changes in the body, especially during digestion.They die at temperatures, above 55ºC. After that no food can beabsorbed by the body. Enzymes become inactive even at lowtemperatures, but can be revived. Though our body produces enzymes,the best source is fresh food, rich in natural enzymes. All raw foodadvocates underscore the necessity of properly washing fruits andvegetables. This is because of the use of chemical

fertilizers andpesticides. "Have you ever seen cows and goats washing their greensbefore eating?" asks Dr Sharma. "Organic soil has a lot of nutrients.Though humans can't consume it directly, a little amount is harmless.But chemicals contaminate everything."DIVINE HONEYHoney has been eulogised in every religious scripture as food of thegods. Natural honey is valued for its sweetness, and it also retainsits prana longer than most food. In that sense, honey is almost aperfect food. Most importantly, it can be preserved indefinitely ifit is pure.Honey also has very high food value and its daily use can prevent andcontrol many common ailments. It has 76 per cent sugar and variousminerals, enzymes and vitamins in proportions required by the humanbody. Dark honey has more iron, copper and manganese than the lightervarieties. Natural honey, pre- digested by bees, can be rapidlyassimilated in the body and is

sedative.Honey has certain potassium salts that make it a phenomenal moistureabsorber and a great killer of germs and bacteria. In fact,naturopath A.P. Dewan says that honey kills bacteria more effectivelythan some antibiotics.This also helps it draw excess fluid from the blood stream, loweringblood pressure. Honey, if taken on an empty stomach with water andlemon, reduces obesity and weight.Beauticians recommend it quite liberally for a glowing complexion andsilky hair. If taken at night with hot milk, it cures constipation.A glass of water with a teaspoon of honey also removes excessivefatigue.Thankfully, organic fertilisers and pesticides will soon come intothe market. In fact, Ma Urvashi cites the case of Dr C.K. Patel,former professor of Vallabh Vidya Nagar, in the western Indian stateof Gujarat, who is already exporting neem pesticides prepared by him.Another point that

qualifies raw food is freshness. Says Dr SwatiSawant, naturopath: "Raw juices clean our system. But if we allowthem to rest a long time, they get oxidised and are of no use." Thereis an interesting theory behind this. During his studies, Dr Rocineobserved that the moment a fruit is plucked from a tree, its lifeprinciple begins to go back to the atmosphere, leaving the fruitnutritionally dead. This is especially true of chlorophyll, animportant component in the production of red blood cells. As thesecomponents spoil quickly, the food is preserved by removing them-inthe process eliminating the most nutritive parts.Nutritionists arealso questioning many age-old beliefs. Take milk. Considered by manya complete food, it is increasingly being labelled unhealthy-even inits raw form. "Do you know of any animal other than man that consumesmilk of another species?" asks Dr Sharma. "The milk of cows orbuffaloes is suited for

their calves, not us."A lot of non-vegetarian food is also eaten raw. The Japanese, forone, eat raw seafood. In fact, sushi, a Japanese raw fishpreparation, is a gourmet's delight. Adds Parvinder Multani,executive chef of Oberoi Maidens: "Appetisers like caviar, stallionsalamis and oysters are considered delicacies. These are all eatenraw." He points out that the French make steak tartare with mincedbeef or horse meat, served raw with egg yolks and seasonings. InAfrica, many beef dishes are eaten raw. In the ultimate analysis,however, it is unrealistic and undesirable to hastily do away withcertain habits, no matter what the advantages. Pointing out variouspsychological factors, most natural food champions state that thefood we eat should suit our mental and emotional temperament.Otherwise its physiological benefits will be nullified. As KavitaMukhi of Nature Options says: "We should eat a balanced diet

bycombining natural and cooked food." So if you don't like raw food orcan't get adjusted to it, take your time to develop the palate.There's really no hurry. After all, we all know what happened to theproverbial hare. "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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