| Have you bought the idea that a | | | | levels. You don't have to eat 100% raw. |
| completely raw food diet is the | | | | This is really an individual choice |
| ultimate, most logical, best diet for | | | | based on your health, your location, and |
| all humankind, no matter where they live | | | | your preference. |
| in the world? (Like eskimos eating | | | | - A raw food diet can be unnatural - |
| watermelon...) | | | | Eating 100% raw foods in the north can |
| It seems to me that it's the implied | | | | be unnatural and unsustainable. And for |
| idea transmitted by many raw-foodists, | | | | many more reasons that I can expand on |
| raw food website, books and seminars. | | | | in future articles, it's certainly not a |
| The idea is: | | | | solution that can be proposed to the |
| Raw Food is Good, Cooked Food is Evil, | | | | entire world! |
| and the World Would Be a Better Place If | | | | - If you live in the north, follow the |
| Everyone Ate Only Raw Foods | | | | seasons - Many people, as summer |
| OK, I may be exaggerating, but often | | | | approaches, have the desire to include |
| that's the general tone of many of the | | | | more raw food in their diet. But in the |
| raw food gurus' message. | | | | winter, instead of freezing to death, |
| Is it actually true? | | | | they choose to incorporate more raw, |
| Would it be possible that the resources | | | | cooked foods. That is perfectly fine, |
| required to transport those foods would | | | | natural and even desirable for most |
| actually make the raw food diet fairly | | | | people. |
| unecological, considering the fact that | | | | Here's a list of some additional tips to |
| eating a diet of bananas and mangoes in | | | | enable you to eat more ecologically and |
| Northern Canada isn't the most natural | | | | sustainably, while incorporating more |
| choice? | | | | raw fruits and vegetables in your diet, |
| How much food do you need as a 100% raw | | | | no matter where you live: |
| food eater? | | | | 1- Freeze Berries and other Fruits in |
| It's fairly well-known that anyone | | | | Season - Berries are some of the most |
| deciding to eat only raw foods in a | | | | nutritious and antioxidant-packed foods |
| sustainable way (for health) needs to | | | | you can eat. To avoid the consumption of |
| eat a tremendous quantity of fresh | | | | too much imported foods in the winter, I |
| fruits and vegetables. | | | | encourage you to freeze a huge quantity |
| In order to get enough calories from | | | | of ripe, local, organically grown (or |
| fruits and vegetables, without using too | | | | wild) fresh berries when they are in |
| much raw fat (which would be detrimental | | | | season. I personally freeze a lot of |
| for health), here's the average amount | | | | wild blueberries, which are local. Then, |
| of food that's necessary: | | | | use them throughout the winter in your |
| For a 2000 calorie diet: 10 pounds a day | | | | recipes. You can thaw them in advance to |
| (with peels and all) | | | | avoid the negative effect of consuming |
| For a 3000 calorie diet: 15 pounds a day | | | | cold foods. |
| (with peels and all) | | | | 2- Grow Sprouts - Grow some fresh, |
| I based those numbers on average | | | | toxin-free sprouts such as clover and |
| consumption most 100% raw foodists go | | | | sunflower greens, to get a supply of |
| through in a typical day (those who are | | | | cheap, fresh, local vegetables in the |
| not on a detox program!). | | | | winter! |
| So basically, 70 to over 100 pounds of | | | | 3- Avoid out of Season Fruits - Some |
| food per week! | | | | fruits may be available in your store, |
| That's a lot. | | | | but may actually be out of season in |
| Where does your food come from? | | | | your hemisphere of the world. If you |
| If we would want to get a more accurate | | | | live in North America, the season for |
| picture on the ecological impact that | | | | grapes usually ends in September or |
| eating a large quantity of imported | | | | October. Grapes during the winter are |
| fruits would have versus a smaller | | | | imported from countries situated in the |
| quantity of local cooked, animal or | | | | opposite hemisphere, such as Chile, |
| grain foods, we would need to analyze a | | | | where the seasons are reversed. Avoid |
| lot of variables. I haven't been able to | | | | that! Learn the seasons of different |
| get an accurate estimate from the data | | | | fruits and vegetables and choose to |
| that's available. | | | | avoid foods imported from such far-away |
| But just knowing that most imported | | | | places. |
| fruits come from fairly far away, and | | | | 4- Make Different Salads and Vegetable |
| that large quantities are necessary on a | | | | Dishes in the Winter - In one of my |
| completely raw food diet, I can draw the | | | | recipe books, I give different kinds of |
| obvious conclusion that eating this way | | | | salads and dressings depending on the |
| is not necessarily the most logical, | | | | season. In the winter, I recommend |
| natural and ecological choice. | | | | salads made with cabbage, carrots and |
| Consider that: | | | | other root vegetables. In the summer, I |
| - Grapes from Chile travel a minimum of | | | | incorporate more lettuce, tomatoes and |
| 4000 miles to get to you | | | | fresh vegetables. You should do the |
| - Bananas from Costa Rica travel about | | | | same. |
| 2000 miles or more to get to you | | | | 5- Shun Exotic Fruits - Exotic fruits |
| - Mangoes from Mexico at least 1000 | | | | such as durian, Thai coconuts and |
| miles to get to you | | | | litchis can be great to try, but they |
| - And so on... | | | | inevitably come from faraway countries |
| All of the fossil fuels used to | | | | such as Thailand. In addition to leaving |
| transport all of these foods leave an | | | | a huge ecological impact for being |
| impact, which may offset or even | | | | imported from so far, they are also |
| counter-balance the possible | | | | heavily sprayed with toxic chemicals. |
| environmental benefits of choosing a raw | | | | Durians are particularly notorious for |
| vegan diet (which requires less | | | | that. Try them for fun, but stick to |
| resources when produced locally), versus | | | | fruits and vegetables as local as |
| a local diet that would contain both | | | | possible - at least from somewhere you |
| raw, cooked, plant and possibly even | | | | could drive to. |
| animal foods. | | | | Finally, I would like to encourage you |
| It's always been obvious to me that a | | | | to continue making the best choices for |
| diet of all raw foods in Canada makes | | | | your health. Sometimes, that may |
| less sense on many levels that one that | | | | sometimes mean: |
| includes some cooked foods, more local | | | | - Eating fresher, locally grown |
| foods and fewer imported fruits. | | | | commercial foods instead of less fresh, |
| There's also the fact that these fruits | | | | imported organic foods |
| are picked unripe in many cases, the | | | | - Eating ripe, local commercial food |
| acidity level is too high and the | | | | instead of unripe, imported organic |
| nutrient level too low. | | | | foods |
| So is the solution for all raw-food | | | | - And eating some cooked, warm "local" |
| enthusiasts to move to the tropics? | | | | food instead of just cold imported |
| Certainly not! | | | | fruits |
| My point is: | | | | Lookt at true consequences of your own |
| - There's no need to demonize cooked | | | | choices, and realize that there's not |
| food - A diet that includes both raw and | | | | one size that fits all. |
| cooked food makes a lot of sense on many | | | | |