Eating and Living in Harmony With Nature's Design; Statistical vs. Biological Norms; Maintaining the Supply of Mother's Milk (WAS: Tahini and Infants)

July 30, 2007

Nancy,

As a generalization, all RF babies should be low, often quite low, on the medical growth charts. Just look at furniture and buildings from a century or so ago. Our species was MUCH smaller back then!!!

Underneath this conversation, we have access to a major paradigm shift, away from medical model thinking, where cause-and-effect relationships are almost completely garbled (at best) and toward a health model, where we look first at our species' design, then at the designs of similar species, then at our core sciences, and last, if ever, at our so-called "health sciences". For the latter are commercial enterprises first, last, and always ... especially in the U.S.

The medical industry's perceptions of "normal" body temperature, blood pressure, resting respiration, white blood count, and various other indicators are ALL wrong ... far wrong in most cases ... because all their "norms" are statistical norms based upon observation of a sick population. Our species' biological norms are quite different in many respects.

Example: The medical world believes "normal" human body temperature is 97.4/97/6 degrees F (depending on what country you ask). Some research shows that "normal" body temperature may be as "low" as the 97s. But in the RF world, for those who consume a high-water-content, low-protein, low-fat diet and who are physically active, it has been clear for years that our species biologically normal body temperature is actually somewhere between 93-96 degrees F. (We don't have enough people to further narrow the range yet ... but we will!!!) This is extraordinarily significant, because ANY engineer will tell you that the #1 cause of destruction in most engines and motors is heat. So if you are running at 98 degrees for several decades and I am running at 94 degrees for those same several decades, guess who has a HUGE cumulative advantage???

The keys to adequate milk supply are primarily adequate hydration and continual feeding. Hydration is crucial ... a nursing mom should consume zero salt (NaCl, sodium chloride) from any source and zero of all those dehydrated foods of which many RFs are so fond.

As for the tribes, each culture does what it does ... this is not an expression of what is biologically normal. However, if we observe other mammalian species, we notice consistently a certain degree of self-reliance before weaning. No human infant at 6-9 months, or for some time thereafter, demonstrates comparable self-reliance.

As for the health of the mom, your suggest is depleting ... VERY depleting. You are suggesting very high-fat foods, and ALL high-fat foods are very dehydrating to the body. We need small quantities, and ONLY small quantities, of the high-fat foods. And even at that, we are better off with the fat brought to us in greens (yes, greens are higher in fat, pound for pound, than many realize) and in an occasional avocado than in any nuts or seeds, and certainly no oils. Nuts and seeds are filled with insoluble (indigestible) fiber of a very harsh nature, it literally scratches and irritates the lining of the intestinal tract all the way down.

Anyone can demonstrate this easily. Eat no salt, nuts, seeds, oils, spices, or herbs for about a week. Then, as your FIRST food of the day, eat a handful or two of nuts, whatever quantity you think you "need". Chew them well, then just hang out awhile and notice the inside of your mouth. You will readily observe damage to the tissues, swelling, etc.

What I have learned is that almost everything taught almost everywhere is wrong, or at least substantially off target. This includes most of what is taught in the RF world, as most of the available information nowadays comes increasingly from commercial sources. I won't name any names. But if you find the people who sell NO ingestible products ... NO supplements, NO herbs, NO nothing other than perhaps knowledge and information ... then you have found the people who have figured out how to succeed by living most in harmony with Nature's design.

Just food for thought, as it were.

Best,

Elchanan

On Behalf Of pnparletteSent: Monday, July 30, 2007 9:47 AM Subject: RE: Tahini and Infants

Elchanan,

You have to consider that she may not have enough milk.

I am glad you asked the key question - HOW far below the chart is the baby? If it just a pound or 2 below the normal lowest point then, I would not be concerned as you say. However, the last thing we want is another raw food baby death! so PLEASE don't tell someone they HAVE to do just breast milk like it's a SIN if they add in fruits and raw whole juices. In other tribes through out the world by the time the child is reaching out for food Mommy is taking (which is usually between 6 to 9 months), Mommy puts it in her own mouth to soften it and get her digestive enzymes on it and then puts it in the baby's mouth. The raw juices are already juices, in an easy form to absorb, it is only when they are not broken down enough that the allergies form. In theory and general principle I agree with you. But since we don't know how healthy the Mom is , I don't think what I suggested would cause ANY harm to the little one. The key (as I was wanting to make) is to get Mom's milk as healthy as possible, so let HER eat the raw nuts and seeds and avocado, etc. and pass on the nutrients to the baby.

Nancy

July 31, 2007

Elchanan,

I feel that you are interpreting me in a way I never meant. Since I have not been privately counseling this woman and know NOTHING about her, please don't take my comments on getting more fat in her diet to help enrich her milk (of which I never said how much - as being excessive, you just assumed. There have been many emails I sent out to this group talking about the importance of a LOW fat raw food diet (1/2 an avocado a day, or 2 oz of nuts/seed a day is what I consider plenty for most people). I don't believe I said anything about OILS. You again, are absolutely right of the importance of hydration and getting in plenty of fruits, etc. I guess because I didn't actually say that you assumed I didn't care about that aspect of her diet.(I don't have a lot of time to do this and just try to make what I pray is a helpful comment, here and there, not a full dissertation :-)

When I don't know exactly where a person is, I try to work with what they tell me and move them to a healthier place. She was talking tahini, so I talked tahini - again, just responding to the little that I knew. So please don't accuse me of making a depleted diet recommendation. I gave no comprehensive diet recommendation except to add some more fat in case she wasn't getting enough (I should have asked her how much she was doing - my oversight). This is sort of a futile argument since neither of us know this concerned Mom or her health status.

What most people in this group do know about me is that I am a Doug Graham fan, so since I know you know Doug, I think you then know where I stand. I actually think we are on the same page, with me being a bit more gentle approach. So, lets not argue when neither of us has enough information to do anything but make a few general comments and suggestions.

I am curious, since you clearly speak with a lot of knowledge and authority, what your back ground is in nutrition/natural health? How long have you been raw? I know you've been on this group for awhile.

I hope our discussion has been helpful to this and other Mom's in the group. As I said, I agree with all that you say, but just know that many people like to take a slower pace in getting to that place.

Nancy

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