RE: Another Question [s]

[Guest guest]

Hi Debbie, you wrote:

 

I know Elchanan, that you feel the dehydrated foods etc are not as good for

us as just the true form of fruits and veggies. But let us think about IF

one was to eat a homemade sprout bread. Baked a bit in the oven. at 175

degrees it could be done in a dehydrator also at the highest temp.. approx

175 wuld we be replacing one bad SAD item with a supposedly healthier

version of same item. Sprouts being the better option.. There would not be

any " flour " in this so I suppose it would be better then say a regular SAD

piece of whole wheat bread...right?? And at 175degrees it really would not

harm the enzymes etc much would it?

_____

 

Thanks for writing, these are great questions I'm sure others have as well.

Today is a busy one for me, so I'll have to be brief...this is probably my

only substantive post today.

 

Standard pasteurization temperature is 161F (approximately 72C). The food

industry chooses this temperature NOT because bacteria are killed -- some

are, but many are not -- but rather because this is the temperature at which

the last of the known food enzymes are destroyed -- they lose their capacity

to function mechanically. And without those enzymes, spoilage decreases and

" shelf life " increases correspondingly. Remember, increased shelf-life also

means decreased digestibility.

 

The question is not " what is the oven temperature? " but rather " what is the

temperature inside the bread itself? " Have you ever been where a turkey or

beef is being roasted, and they stick a " meat thermometer " into the flesh?

The oven temperature may be 350 or even higher, but the bird (if a turkey)

is considered " done " when the inside temperature reaches 170 or 175, as I

recall. (Been awhile, whew!!!) And note that this is basically

pasteurization temperature plus a modest safety margin, because home

thermometers may not be perfectly accurate, and also because some home users

may not be, well, you know.

 

Obviously, the effects of heat occur over time -- the interior temperature

of the food rises more gradually than the air temperature in the oven. This

phenomenon occurs in all convection heating systems. When we heat a room,

the air temperature has little to do with our internal body temperature,

except under the most extreme conditions.

 

RFs are typically taught not to dehydrate anything at temperatures above

105F (approximately 41C) or so. We are taught that the enzymes in the food

are " killed " (a nonsense term, as they were never alive) at 117 or 118F

(approximately 47C). But this teaching is fairly devoid of actual knowledge

or understanding.

 

First, as long as the interior of the food is wet, it remains relatively

cool, around hot tub temperature, perhaps, and you can dehydrate at a higher

temperature. But pay attention to the food, as it dries its interior

temperature will rise, that's when you turn the dehydrator down. If you

choose to dehydrate ....

 

Second, different food/digestive enzymes are incapacitated/destroyed within

a range of temperatures, from the mid 90sF (approximately 35C) to 161F

(approximately 72C), as mentioned above. There is no magical temperature.

And it is also true that, for EACH enzyme, there is a temperature where that

particular enzyme functions optimally. For example, during a " fever, "

elevated temperature may actually support enhanced activity of certain

metabolic enzymes during the cleansing and repair process. (Therefore, don't

attach a fever, let it run!!)

 

Now, having said all this, the entire discussion is rather moot, because the

entire enzyme discussion in the RF movement is poorly conceived and

misinformed. I tryly wish RF teachers would just stop focusing on enzymes,

they are not one of the top 10 reasons for eating RF. But that was the

subject of another, previous post.

 

Far more important in the present discussion, in my opinion, are the

following:

 

1. Anything dehydrated outside you is dehydrating inside you. Our health

arises, first and foremost, from the quality of our hydration and

oxygenation. Dehydration is the #1 cause of garden-variety " tiredness. " I

often find that when someone seems sluggish, a glass of water helps a great

deal. Of course, water will not make up for inadequate sleep and rest or for

poor nutrition, but I am often surprised at how much improvement occurs with

simply consuming some water, or one piece of sweet, juicy fruit. Even though

we have been taught to focus on the sugar (fuel) content in the fruit, the

water content is of crucial importance, as well.

 

When you eat ANY dehydrated food, your body MUST respond by pulling water

from the cells into the digestive system, and then by making you feel

thirsty in order to bring in still more water. (NOW consider what is

happening when people drink soft drinks or other beverages loaded with salt

and/or alcohol at this point in their process!!!)

 

Eating dehydrated foods is a choice, it is not " right " or " wrong. " I only

wish for you and everyone to be aware of the range of choices available, and

of the predictable consequences of each choice. After all, one thing science

IS good for is identifying predictable event patterns.

 

2. I encourage you and all to reconsider at the entire " mainstream " RF

mindset, which gives the name " transitioning " to a process of replacing

cooked foods with RF recipes that mimic cooked foods. I believe that we have

a much larger opportunity, to reconnect with Nature and to live increasingly

in harmony with Nature's design, this is part of the journey, at least for

me.

 

My first RF teachers all taught this way, with bread and cookies and pies

and burgers etc., all made from raw ingredients. Most of these recipes

contained some combination of salted, poorly combined, dehydrated, high-fat,

high in nondigestible fiber, and so on. Eventually, I learned to let them

all go, though once in awhile I may indulge a bit at a potluck where others

have prepared such things. But even there, more than a couple of bites

throws my system off.

 

Now, I hope that by sharing this portion of my experience with others, they

may find a more direct, shorter, easier path to health and vitality than the

path I have traveled. There is no reason to continue passing on a long,

circuitous path when a shorter, easier, more enjoyable journey is readily

available. So this is really where I am coming from, above all else.

 

Hope this is helpful. Best to all,

Elchanan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

I completely agree....it not only would have been better for my body, it would

have been better for my budget as well! Gadgets and gizmos and books, oh my! A

lot of money went into things that I now no longer use, except when some company

is here. (My family will eat raw when they visit if it comes in a more familiar

form.) But I have learned a lot along the way, and have saved a couple of

friends some money by passing on some of those things I need no longer. I still

cook for my husband, but it is minimal, and he is happy with the raw things I

serve in their simple state, the most complicated now normally being smoothies.

 

Peace, Valerie

 

 

 

Elchanan wrote: Now, I hope that by sharing this portion of my experience with

others, they

may find a more direct, shorter, easier path to health and vitality than the

path I have traveled. There is no reason to continue passing on a long,

circuitous path when a shorter, easier, more enjoyable journey is readily

available.

 

 

 

 

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