was Asthma or Allergy, now raw food

[Guest guest]

one of the things that is pretty consistent about the way Indian food

is prepared is that is often over-cooked, especially the vegetables

(sabji) - partly this is to enhance the flavors of the spices, and

partly this is because the ground water is contaminated in many

places in India, and thoroughly cooking the food will prevent common

GI infections - remember that 80% of disease in India is water-borne

infections

 

when it comes to raw foods, however, the latter problem emerges,

particularly in places like India, but also here in North America -

in September 2003, there were 422 cases of foodborne hepatitis A

virus infection from contaminated raw green onions imported from

Mexico; even "organic" foods can contain pathogens - a few years back

there was a number of poisonings from an unpasteurized organic juice

sold in a popular coffee shop - some suggest there is even a greater

tendency for pathogens in organic food because healthy soil contains

a much broader diversity of micro-organisms

 

from what i have learned, Ayurveda generally avoids raw foods, in

part no doubt because of these problems, and also because many people

have difficulty breaking down the vegetable fibers to render the

vitamins, minerals, enzymes etc absorbable - I recommend raw foods

only for pitta

 

for most people, the solution is to prepare cooked foods in such a

way that it preserves as much of the nutrient value as possible

one cuisine that seems to employ this principle is traditional

Chinese food - NOT the Chinese food that is called such in India or

the Westernized Chinese food found in North America, but the REAL

thing - anyone who has had the privilege of having authentic, fresh

Chinese food will know what I mean

 

essentially, the Chinese use intense heat for short periods of time,

what we call stir-frying, which kills any pathogens while preserving

the nutrient content of the food; as a result vegetables are crunchy

and flavorful; if not non-veg, the meat isn't over-cooked and full of

health-damaging free-radicals - similarly, many traditional peoples

that eat meat either eat it raw or lightly cooked, for example, the

inuit (eskimos) who eat their fish, seal, whale etc fresh and raw

right on the ice, or other traditional peoples such as the coastal

salish, prairie indians and scandinavian peoples that dry their meat

(eg fish, buffalo etc) at very low temperatures...

 

i am not entirely down on raw foods, but after seeing many patients

who follow a <vegetarian> raw foods diet, i see many long term

problems most of which are related to an increase in vata - in

particular, i feel it is a very dangerous and unhealthy diet for

children

 

best... todd caldecott

 

 

On 24-May-06, at 6:27 AM, ayurveda wrote:

> My experience is similar in a slightly different way.

> I used to suffer from frequent colds,coughs, allergy

> and asthma attacks. But eversince I changed my diet

> pattern in favour of more and more raw and semi-cooked

> food avoiding cooked or over-cooked food and started

> drinking plenty of water alongwith simple relaxing

> exercises that help improve meditation too, I do not

> suffer from colds, coughs nor allergies and asthma any

> more

> Upto the age of 60, I used to suffer from all these

> problems, but after change in lifestyle as mentioned

> above, till the present days when I am about to

> complete 75, I am enjoying much better physical,

> mental and spiritual health than ever before sans

> those frequent nightmarish attacks of colds, coughs or

> asthma.

>

Caldecott

todd (AT) toddcaldecott (DOT) com

www.toddcaldecott.com

[Guest guest]

When we talk of raw food, it is always with the

over-riding condition, "other things being equal(ok)".

If raw food is not safe, put the pieces in boiling

water. Raw food should not be peeled but since too

many chemicals are being used, it is necessary to peel

it. Such compromises have always to be made by the

thinking people.

If you find fresh fruit better, reduce raw food and

increase fresh and seasonal food wherever possible.

The idea is to follow this principle to the extent

possible.

Cooked food contains all the white poisons such as

sugar, salt, fats, refined flours, etc. Raw food has

desease preventing and curative properties while

cooked food has the opposite ones. More the raw food

and less the cooked one, the healthier is the result.

Follow this as much as you think safe and convenient.

If one is hungry and there is hardly anything to fall

back upon, then one has to eat whatever is at hand

instead of dying of hunger.

A few points as some more food for thaught.

 

S. M. Acharya <smacharya (AT) (DOT) co.uk>

 

--- Todd Caldecott <todd (AT) toddcaldecott (DOT) com> wrote:

 

 

 

one of the things that is pretty consistent about the

way Indian food

is prepared is that is often over-cooked, especially

the vegetables

(sabji) - partly this is to enhance the flavors of the

spices, and

partly this is because the ground water is

contaminated in many

places in India, and thoroughly cooking the food will

prevent common

GI infections - remember that 80% of disease in India

is water-borne

infections

[Guest guest]

ayurveda, SM Acharya <smacharya wrote:

>

Raw food should not be peeled but since too

> many chemicals are being used, it is necessary to peel

> it. Such compromises have always to be made by the

> thinking people.

 

Thanks for bringing out this small but very important detail. In past

this author stressed the practice of eating mango (at least alphanso

variety) with peel. In a recent post author expressed that diabetics

can eat all fruits, the mango with skin is a medicine for them.

 

Despite chemicals, author feels that skin should not be removed as far as possible. If one can chew it, eat it after chewing well. This ensures that one chews it to digest

properly. Extra chewing due to skin digests the carbohydrate part of fruit

or vegetable in the mouth itself, relieving load on liver!

 

The popularity of Potata Vada all over Maharashtra is due to potato

being steamed with skin, preserves all vitamins. Author found that any

curry made with potato, taste much better if skin is retained till end. Despite chemicals. And use small country potato rather than big, demon size potato, a hybrid variety, possibly irradiated to increase shelf life too.

 

Same rule should be applied to all vegetables like bottle gourd, Turai,

etc. Retain the skin till end and remove while eating, only if one cant

chew it. e.g. drum stick is cooked in this way and has such a good

taste in sambar also, since skin is removed just while eating. YOu will

find that vegetables most popular are always cooked/roasted with skin

(e.g. Brinjal, tomato, Simla mirch all in stuffed form, etc.

 

Chemcials penetrate deep. Just removing skin does not remove them. Just

applying poweders from outside, traders are able to ripen papaya, mango

etc quickly and water melon is deep red inside also, but without sugary

taste! Similarly, carrots are being colored artificially by

wholesalers. Penetrating power of chemical powders used for ripening or

coloring should not be underestimated.

 

Some of these principle arise from energy medicine to be discussed later under the series 'Iron rules of health'

 

What a common man should do under these circumstances? Grow what

possible in courtyard, or stop buying artificially colored ripened

fruits/vegetables. Market will find its own equilibrium.

 

General rule which arises out of this is:

Minimum processing please.

 

Dr Bhate

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr. Bhate,

 

Thanks for your enlightening comments and guidance

about raw food.

 

I am growing mangoes, papaya, jamun (very good for

diabetics), gauvas and some vegetables in my back

yard. I never use any chemical fertilizers nor any

pesticides.

 

When papaya or mango skin turns deep yellow, the

fruits can be eaten with the skin. One does not notice

if one were eating with the skin. It is that tasty.

 

Another interesting point that I may mention is that

all fruits and vegetables are more nutrtitious if the

skin is not removed. Normally potatoes are said to be

bad for diabetics but the potato skin contains edible

chromium that prevents diabetes. Hence when there was

a big party where huge quantities of potato were being

boiled and peeled, I had insructed the cook to keep

aside the potato skin for myself. I then dried the

skin and powdered it and kept it in a bottle. I used

to add a spoonful of that skin powder with every dish

of dal-bhat (rice & pulses). That makes it more

nutritious, adds extra fibre and tates better.

 

S. M. Acharya <smacharya (AT) (DOT) co.uk>

 

--- Shirish Bhate <shirishbhate > wrote:

 

Chemcials penetrate deep. Just removing skin does not

remove them.

<SNIP>

Grow what possible in courtyard, or stop buying artificially

colored ripened fruits/vegetables. Market will find its own

equilibrium.

[Guest guest]

Dr. Bhate,

Yogi Bhajan, who was a master yogi until he passed away 2 years ago was my teacher. He told his students and I personally heard him agree with you on eating peels. However, he said that 4 peelings of food just do not digest and go through the digestive system like they entered the system. He suggested taking the peels off tomatos, peppers, carrots and beets. He said the healthiest part of oranges and bananas were the inside of the peel. They contain bioflavinoids and help balance the minerals in the body. He also gave some recipes for using the green part of melon rinds between the skin and the part we usually eat. They have a lot of digestive enzymes. I know one recipe he used had the watermelon rind with mung beans and rice.

GB

Re: was Asthma or Allergy, now raw food off

 

ayurveda, SM Acharya <smacharya

wrote:

>

Raw food should not be peeled but since too

> many chemicals are being used, it is necessary to peel

> it. Such compromises have always to be made by the

> thinking people.

 

Thanks for bringing out this small but very important detail. In past

this author stressed the practice of eating mango (at least alphanso

variety) with peel. In a recent post author expressed that diabetics

can eat all fruits, the mango with skin is a medicine for them.

 

 

Gurubandhu