I am writing to give some perspective on the value of fresh, raw food in our daily diet, and to promote a resource I have made available for download: a raw food diet book. I believe that there is some good promotion of these raw foods, namely, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, but some of the key reasons why they are so beneficial need to be stressed. By contrast, one will also be able to see why foods that are cooked, are far behind in their nutritional value in these areas. Before I say more, let me stress that I am not writing about the most, or best, benefits of raw foods, but about two benefits that I feel need more attention: their fiber content and their enzyme content.

Secondly, the fiber content of raw foods: fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and greens is superior to any other form, bar none. The lack of fiber in our American diet is gross, in every sense of the word. Fiber is essential to the health of mankind, but it is a historical fact that ?civilized? countries have lack in this most essential element in their diet. People would rather eat donuts for breakfast than bananas, or cereal instead of a fresh fruit salad with ground almonds or coconut atop. It is worth noting the difference here between fiber from, say, cooked wheat products, versus uncooked, raw foods. The fiber in cooked foods has had its enzymes destroyed. This causes our body to take enzymes from somewhere else in our body, just to digest the fiber you have eaten. Compare this with enzymes found in living raw foods that have their enzymes intact?they are easily digestible, allowing you to eat a sufficient amount of fiber to meet your daily requirement without feeling stuffed like a turkey (happy Thanksgiving!), and tired. I had to mention greens at the beginning of this paragraph, because their fiber is some of the best! As the author of the above mentioned raw food book, Klacena M. Ferguson says, ?when you are green inside, you are clean inside!?

Lastly, the enzyme content of fresh, living raw food is superior to the enzyme content of cooked foods, because cooked foods have no enzyme content whatever! Just check the label on the can, box, or jar! Food labels are lacking in enzyme info, while raw food is rich in these necessary enzymes! Enzymes begin to die at 110 degrees, and are pretty much all dead at 120 degrees. Now, to some people this is irrelevant, because they don’t understand the role of enzymes in our diet. There are many types of enzymes: enzymes used to digest food, enzymes used to fight disease, enzymes to bring healing, to be very brief. I recommend reading Enzyme Nutrition, by Dr. Edward Howell, to become more informed on this vital nutrient, and to purchase and download the raw food diet book, Live Unfired Foods, as a great raw food recipe resource. When we eat living raw foods, they supply the enzymes within themselves, to digest themselves. When we eat cooked products, our body takes enzymes originally meant for another purpose, just to digest what we have eaten. Benjamin Franklin once said that more people dig their own grave with their fork and spoon, than die of starvation!

I hope I have been able to encourage someone, somewhere, to take action. In a very real sense, you are in control of your destiny. Not your mother, brother, or McDonald’s. Decide to at least increase your intake of raw food, and enjoy better health. It’s really up to you.