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THE RAW DEAL

 

By Christina McNamara

http://www.qctimes.com/internal.php?story_id=1039192 & l=1 & t=Food & c=13,1039192

 

Last Updated: 11:23 pm, Tuesday, November 9th, 2004

 

At this time of year when we’re beginning to focus on Thanksgiving

turkey with all its trimmings – not to mention Christmas fudge and

cookies – the diet practiced by Colona, Ill., chiropractor Kathy Ramsey

definitely goes against the grain.

 

Or maybe it’s with the grain.

 

Ramsey promotes the “raw food diet,” which focuses on eating fruits,

vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts, and eating them at a certain (some

would say “uncooked”) temperature. The diet excludes meat, eggs, and

dairy products.

 

Ramsey believes the diet can be virtually a medical miracle for people

suffering from food allergies, digestive problems, and terminal

illnesses, and in January she founded a business called Nature’s Raw

Energy to make it available to others.

 

She admits that response hasn’t been great, and that the diet has its

critics, particularly those who say it is too low in protein, a

much-needed building block for the body.

 

But adherents such as Ramsey counter that uncooked fruits, vegetables,

nuts and grains have more nutrients and digestion-aiding enzymes than

cooked food.

 

“The main concept of the raw food diet is that once you cook food over

120 degrees, enzymes become dead and food is altered into another

state,” Ramsey says. “Vitamins, minerals and enzymes are lost. Enzymes

help the body break down food and absorb vitamins and minerals.”

 

Ramsey admits that following the diet is a big change for most people.

 

Foods must be cooked in a dehydrator, rather than an oven, which takes

longer.

 

“You can make cookies, crackers and breads,” she says. “Some things take

only four or five hours; others take 24 to 48 hours.”

 

While the diet may seem restrictive, Ramsey finds lots of ways to create

variety.

 

“You can create juices,” she says. “You can create milk and cheese out

of nuts. I teach people how to make almond milk.”

 

Another key component of the raw food diet is drinking a green,

chlorophyll beverage called wheatgrass juice.

 

“Wheatgrass juice has all of the essential amino acids,” she says. “The

body can create all of the protein it needs.”

 

Ramsey says those who have tried the diet through her business have

reaped benefits.

 

“I had a lady with lung cancer. She did really well. Her lab results

improved,” Ramsey says. “I dealt with someone who was extremely

overweight and lost 100 pounds. I believe it can help any condition

(except) ones that are genetic. Cancer, tumors, irritable bowel

syndrome, and other problems disappear.”

 

Vicki Bean, a registered dietician at Trinity Medical Center, is among

those who question the diet.

 

“Any time you restrict a diet there can be problems,” she says. “Vitamin

B12 would be a concern since it’s only found in animal products. Zinc

would be another concern, as well as protein.”

 

Kimberly Kirchherr, a corporate dietician for the Midwest division of

Jewel-Osco, also has reservations about the raw food diet.

 

“My concern would be watching the danger zone of 40-140 degrees,” she

says. “Cold foods should be stored under 40 degrees. Hot foods should be

kept over 140 degrees.”

 

On the plus side, both Bean and Kirchheer like that the diet encourages

heavy consumption of fruits and vegetables, and that it is low in

cholesterol and sodium and high in fiber.

 

Before making any major dietary changes, though, Kirchherr offers this

advice: “Talk with a doctor before starting any diet. People with a

compromised immune system must be very careful. Start with a doctor or a

dietician that can access your medical records to be sure that the diet

will benefit you.”

 

FOR MORE

 

INFORMATION

 

Want to learn more about the raw food diet?

 

Chiropractor Kathy Ramsey offers three-hour workshops; the next one is

Tuesday, Nov. 16.

 

She also holds potlucks from 6 to 7:30 p.m. the third Thursday of the

month at Greatest Grains, 1600 N. Harrison St., Davenport. (Nov. 18 is

the next one.) Attendees are asked to bring a raw food dish to share.

 

Twelve-day residential detoxification retreats are also offered, helping

people get rid of toxins, focus on healing and learn how to follow the

raw food diet.

 

For more information, call (309) 755-0200 or visit the Nature’s Raw

Energy Web site at www.naturesrawenergy.com

<http://www.naturesrawenergy.com>.

 

Cookbook offers ‘raw food’ recipes

 

Editors of the new book. “The Complete Book of Raw Food: Healthy,

Delicious Vegetarian Cuisine Made with Living Foods,” people can enjoy

the tastes of a traditional Thanksgiving meal and still eat healthfully.

 

Raw foodists, who believe that heating foods above 115 degrees kills

essential nutrients, eat a fully vegetarian and dairy-free diet, but the

book’s chefs believe they have found delicious ways to replicate many

traditional favorites, such as broccoli with cheddar sauce, lasagna, and

apple pie—all without cooking or baking.

 

The recipe below, for example, is a raw gourmet version of one of

Thanksgiving’s most comforting staples: sweet potatoes.

 

“People who aren’t raw foodists — or even vegetarians — should find this

recipe a great compliment to Thanksgiving dinner,” says the book’s

contributing editor Julie Rodwell. “It offers the wonderful, familiar

taste of sweet potatoes, without the heaviness. Also, the gourmet touch

of offering this traditional Thanksgiving staple as a soup will really

impress your guests!”

 

Sweet Potato Soup

 

Serves 2

 

1 sweet potato (shredded and soaked overnight)

 

¼ red onion, chopped

 

½ small clove of garlic

 

1 apple, chopped

 

½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice

 

½ teaspoon cinnamon

 

½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt

 

Blend all ingredients with 1 cup of water until smooth.

 

Serve warm if desired.

 

— Excerpted from “The Complete Book

 

of Raw Food” (Healthy Living Books, $25)

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