The SimplyRaw Living Foods Detox Manual. Natasha Kyssa

produce has repeatedly been shown to be of higher nutritional value than conventionally grown produce. Toxic elements such as synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, antibiotics, sewage sludge, growth hormones (to produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products) and confined-livestock operations are not permitted in organic production or certification. This means that there is a lower risk of pesticides affecting the soil, ground water, rivers, lakes, and atmosphere.

      According to the Organic Council of Ontario, going organic has benefits for health, the environment, and livestock. Purchasing local organic foods brings an added benefit of sustainability as well as reducing transportation needs. Organic practices also aim to preserve biodiversity through the use of traditional seed varieties, crop rotation, and respect for the natural diversity of the local environment.

      Organic foods are one of the most important choices we can make, and when we choose to purchase them, we are not only choosing higher-quality products, we are sending a powerful message by voting with our dollars. Organically grown foods:

      • eliminate intake of chemicals and heavy metals linked to cancer and other diseases

      • offer higher nutritional value than regular, conventionally grown foods

      • protect future generations from widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food

      • are not genetically modified (GM). It is currently not mandatory to label GM foods, and it is estimated that at least 60 percent of conventional food in grocery stores contain ingredients from genetically engineered crops.

      • save energy

      • minimize topsoil erosion

      • protect water quality

      • support smaller family farms dedicated to sustainability

      • provide better working conditions for farmers and workers

      • offer pure and natural taste (many top chefs use only organic produce)

      If you must use commercial produce, always soak in a vegetable wash and/or peel well—but note that many nutrients are close to the peel.

Why eat raw and living foods?

      Raw and living foods are high in enzymes that assist your body to digest food and absorb nutrients into the bloodstream. Enzymes play an important role in energy production and the repair of tissues, cells, and organs. They are the catalyst for life and are needed for every chemical reaction that takes place in the human body. Raw foods contain the enzymes required to convert molecules into the basic building blocks of metabolism: protein is converted into amino acids, complex carbohydrates and starches into simple sugars, fats into fatty acids.

      In our modern world, our bodies are under stress from pollutants. To help combat the stress load and prevent disease, we need to nourish our bodies with easy-to-digest food. Raw and living foods are packed with the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, chlorophyll, oxygen, and antioxidants needed to fuel our cells.

      When eating a diet high in raw fruits and vegetables, your body is able to focus its resources on cleansing and rebuilding the immune system. These nutrient-rich foods increase energy, assist healing, rebuild healthy tissue, and invigorate the entire body. You feel vital because all cell functions are operating at peak performance.

      Dr Edward Howell writes, in Enzyme Nutrition (Avery 1995): “Enzymes are the catalyst for the hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions that occur throughout the body; they are essential for the digestion and absorption of foods as well as for the production of cellular energy. Enzymes are essential for most of the building and rebuilding that goes on constantly in our bodies.”

      Harmful effects of cooking

      Cooking literally destroys the life of food. During the heating process, valuable nutritional substances are altered. Once cooked above 115 to 118 degrees F, enzymes are destroyed. Proteins are greatly altered, fats oxidized, vitamins diminished. Minerals undergo molecular changes at higher temperatures, making them more difficult for the body to digest and metabolize. Because cooked food passes through the digestive tract much more slowly than raw food, fermentation and putrefaction can occur, causing a buildup of gas and heartburn. Cooked food causes the body to work much harder for less nutrients.

      Because there are few enzymes present in cooked foods, the body is forced to use its own limited reserves. Eventually, the body’s own enzymes are depleted. Low enzyme activity has been found to contribute to chronic conditions such as diabetes, allergies, skin disorders, and cancer. It also results in weight gain, digestive disorders, lethargy, inflammation, and loss of both skin elasticity and muscle tone. Enzyme depletion and aging go hand-in-hand. Eating enzyme-less foods can also place a burden on your pancreas and other organs, which eventually exhausts these organs.

      Studies conducted by the Hippocrates Health Institute drew direct links between a raw vegan diet, immune system recovery, and the healing of catastrophic illnesses and diseases.

Eat less, live longer

      Aside from eating high-quality foods, eating less food is one of the best things we can do for our bodies to achieve optimal health. Instead of having a huge dinner, for example, you can break it up into smaller, more frequent meals and take the load off your body.

      Studies have found that the majority of centenarians around the world typically ate much less than the average population. They avoided overtaxing their bodies and refrained from all kinds of overindulgences. All centenarians surveyed were moderate eaters throughout their lives.

      Even the healthiest food, if eaten in excess, can make us unwell. The amount of food each individual needs depends on various factors such as gender, activity level, genetics, metabolism, growth rate, age, and climate. Try to tune in to your body and recognize your own true hunger needs. Genuine hunger is recognizable!

      For optimal digestion, do not eat more than you can hold in two hands. Watch your portions, and eat only until you feel satisfied. If you aren’t hungry, then don’t eat. It’s that simple. Be aware of realistic portion sizes and recognize that you may need to eat a bit more at first when transitioning away from a cooked diet as your body adjusts. Follow the three-quarters rule: stop eating when you are three-quarters full. The less food you eat all at once, the less hungry you feel because the food is more efficiently digested and utilized. Try to eat smaller meals and eat light to stay healthy!

      Overeating

      Overeating puts an enormous amount of stress on all the organs—especially the digestive system. In order to process a meal, the body must produce hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes, bile, and other digestive substances. When we overeat, the digestive system cannot meet the demands placed upon it. This causes food to break down poorly, which leads to poor assimilation and absorption. Undigested excess waste also creates gases in the digestive tract that are absorbed into the blood, leading to a toxic body.

      Studies show that overeating is one of the main causes of many degenerative diseases. In fact, overeating can poison the whole body. It diverts our energy towards processing food, instead of repairing, regenerating, and healing. Overburdening the body with food (even if it’s “healthy” food) is not only a cause for obesity but other illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. It also accelerates the aging process.

      Most of us eat much more than we need. We are living in a very indulgent society where portions are huge, and we are conditioned from an early age to eat three meals plus snacks each day whether or not we are truly hungry. Our body wastes energy by trying to metabolize excessive amounts of food, leaving little energy to maintain health.

      Most of us can easily reduce our food intake and be much healthier as a result. The best foods for us to eat are those that supply the maximum nutrition but require the least amount of work for our bodies to digest and assimilate. These are the high-water-content, chlorophyll-rich living foods.

      If you must eat a large meal,