Taste test

[Guest guest]

There is some truth to the assertion that things that do not taste

good should not be eaten. Raw fruit that has started to spoil will

not taste good. Any wholesome food eaten in too great of quantity

will in time lose its taste appeal. That principal cannot be applied

100% of the time though. Hemlock tastes good (so I've been told!),

but will kill you if you eat it. Likewise, there are some herbs

that, while bitter, will strengthen the body. Golden seal root (just

for one example) is bitter, but is very effective in stopping a runny

nose and fighting infection, and helps provide insulin for

diabetics.

 

Ron Koenig

Bellevue

[Guest guest]

> Golden seal root (just

>for one example) is bitter, but is very effective in stopping a runny

>nose and fighting infection,

 

That is also an example of a substance (herb or medicine) that may

actually be hindering the body. If the body is creating the symptom

of a runny nose, then the body abviously wants a runny nose to

accomplish something (removing something foreign, like a toxin). So,

the herb (or medicine) has the appearence of " helping " when it is

actually working against the body. Nora would probably mention how,

while more natural, this is a carry-over from western medicine - we

are led to believe that stopping the symptom is a good thing. The

blood sugar issue I am not as familiar with, but may be similar to

the runny nose issue.

 

Jeff

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Ron,

I was curious about what you said about hemlock tasting " good " , so I

looked up some info. I found this on www.botanical.com:

 

" The entire plant has a bitter taste and possesses a disagreeable mousy

odour, which is especially noticeable when bruised. When dry, the odour is

still disagreeable, but not so pronounced as in the fresh plant. The seeds or

fruits have very marked odour or taste, but when rubbed with a solution of

potassium bi-oxide, the same disagreeable mouse-like odour is produced. When

pure, Coniine (the primary alkaloid constituent in the leaves) is a volatile,

colourless, oily liquid, strongly alkaline, with poisonous properties and

having a bitter taste and a disagreeable, penetrating, mouse-like odour.

There are also present the alkaloids, Methyl-coniine, Conhydrine,

Pseudoconhydrine, Ethyl piperidine, mucilage, a fixed oil and 12 per cent of

ash. "

 

Doesn't sound like something we'd mistake for food, no matter how screwed

up our instincts are. Additionally, herbs don't " strengthen the body " . They

only burden the body. Jeff is right, you wouldn't want to stop a runny nose,

and " infection " is another of those medical fables like " allergy " and

" virus " . " Infection " is really inflammation, and it is always best to remove

the cause of it rather than covering up its effects with herbal

preparations.

So few diabetics take responsibility for their health that we have no way

of knowing what percentage is truly " insulin dependent " , but it's surely a

very small number. The overwhelming majority would be able to overcome their

disease with fasting and lifestyle changes. Victoria's Boutenko's son, for

one, was diagnosed with diabetes but fortunately discovered raw food before

he made the mistake of taking insulin. Insulin isn't a cure or panacea for

diabetes, it's only a very expensive crutch, one that actually has the effect

of making the diseased organs even less functional.

Nora

P.S.

This might be a good opportunity to mention that I have a copy of the TC Fry

" Life Science " course that I made a few months ago for someone who changed

her mind about buying it. It's available for $150, which represents just a

bit over copying costs. If anyone's interested, feel free to email me

privately.

 

 

Nora

 

 

 

Ron Koenig wrote:

 

> There is some truth to the assertion that things that do not taste

> good should not be eaten. Raw fruit that has started to spoil will

> not taste good. Any wholesome food eaten in too great of quantity

> will in time lose its taste appeal. That principal cannot be applied

> 100% of the time though. Hemlock tastes good (so I've been told!),

> but will kill you if you eat it. Likewise, there are some herbs

> that, while bitter, will strengthen the body. Golden seal root (just

> for one example) is bitter, but is very effective in stopping a runny

> nose and fighting infection, and helps provide insulin for

> diabetics.

>

> Ron Koenig

> Bellevue

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hemlock being bitter actually makes more sense to me. I have read

though of people eating it and saying it tasted pleasant (before they

died). I guess they were used to eating bitter things.

 

I agree that with any health problems the cause needs to be found and

addressed rather than the symptom. I do however, believe that herbs

have their place in maintaining health. This has been discussed

before and I don't expect to change your mind, or you mine.

 

Ron Koenig

Bellevue

 

RawSeattle , Nora Lenz <nmlenz@s...> wrote:

> Hi Ron,

> I was curious about what you said about hemlock tasting " good " ,

so I looked up some info. I found this on www.botanical.com:

>

> " The entire plant has a bitter taste and possesses a disagreeable

mousy

> odour, which is especially noticeable when bruised. When dry, the

odour is

> still disagreeable, but not so pronounced as in the fresh plant.

The seeds or

> fruits have very marked odour or taste, but when rubbed with a

solution of

> potassium bi-oxide, the same disagreeable mouse-like odour is

produced. When

> pure, Coniine (the primary alkaloid constituent in the leaves) is a

volatile,

> colourless, oily liquid, strongly alkaline, with poisonous

properties and

> having a bitter taste and a disagreeable, penetrating, mouse-like

odour.

> There are also present the alkaloids, Methyl-coniine, Conhydrine,

> Pseudoconhydrine, Ethyl piperidine, mucilage, a fixed oil and 12

per cent of ash. "

>

> Doesn't sound like something we'd mistake for food, no matter

how screwed

> up our instincts are. Additionally, herbs don't " strengthen the

body " . They

> only burden the body. Jeff is right, you wouldn't want to stop a

runny nose,

> and " infection " is another of those medical fables like " allergy "

and

> " virus " . " Infection " is really inflammation, and it is always best

to remove

> the cause of it rather than covering up its effects with herbal

> preparations.

> So few diabetics take responsibility for their health that we

have no way

> of knowing what percentage is truly " insulin dependent " , but it's

surely a

> very small number. The overwhelming majority would be able to

overcome their

> disease with fasting and lifestyle changes. Victoria's Boutenko's

son, for

> one, was diagnosed with diabetes but fortunately discovered raw

food before

> he made the mistake of taking insulin. Insulin isn't a cure or

panacea for

> diabetes, it's only a very expensive crutch, one that actually has

the effect

> of making the diseased organs even less functional.

> Nora

[Guest guest]

>I do however, believe that herbs

>have their place in maintaining health.

 

That hit's upon what I was saying. I believe plants have a purpose.

Not that they are therefor all edible, but many may have a healthful

purpose. If there is a purpose for a specific herb in maintaining

health, I believe we will be attracted to it (in an ideal world) and

it will taste good. As Nora mentioned, we are far from our natural

world and natural healthy bodies, so it may be that our " intuition "

is off a bit. I know my diet is far from perfect (but much closer

than it used to be.) I will end saying I understand Nora and

Robert's perspective, yet am not confident enough in that theory to

say an herb will never have a purpose for health.

 

This discussion of taste reminds me of the zinc insufficiency test. A

person swishes around a zinc solution in their mouth. If it tastes

good, they need zinc. If it tastes nasty, they don't need zinc.

 

Granted, that is an isolated nutrient, but it does use that same idea

that something our body needs will taste good.

 

I can hear it now...

" my body must need chocolate " , etc! Sorry, that's different. Though,

I suspect if I tried some of the processed chocolate like I use to

eat, it may have some good flavors, but would probably have an

artificial or bad taste as well. When I've prepared some not-so-raw

foods for others and did the ole taste and spit test. It left a bad

taste in my mouth, even though it included raw food. Chocolate would

probably be the same way.

 

Jeff

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Right on, Jeff! As with zinc, it is also true with licorice root.

If it tastes sweet, you need it. Some people don't like the taste of

it, and those people usually don't need it. (There has to be a

biochemical explanation for it, but that is beyond my realm of

knowledge.) There is a big difference between liking the taste of a

whole food and a refined food. If you like the taste of a refined

food, you most likely are in the early stages of starting an

addiction. You can never get addicted to whole foods in the sense

that you will experience withdrawals if you don't have some. As a

teenager I remember having my first taste of a Dr. Pepper (which

contains caffeine). It had a very bitter and stimulating taste to it

and I didn't like it, and never drank one ever again. However, I saw

the potential that if I had continued to drink it, I would of gotten

addicted to it to the point of having withdrawals if I didn't have

some every day.

 

Ron Koenig

 

RawSeattle , Jeff Rogers <jeff@t...> wrote:

> >I do however, believe that herbs

> >have their place in maintaining health.

>

> That hit's upon what I was saying. I believe plants have a purpose.

> Not that they are therefor all edible, but many may have a

healthful

> purpose. If there is a purpose for a specific herb in maintaining

> health, I believe we will be attracted to it (in an ideal world)

and

> it will taste good. As Nora mentioned, we are far from our natural

> world and natural healthy bodies, so it may be that our " intuition "

> is off a bit. I know my diet is far from perfect (but much closer

> than it used to be.) I will end saying I understand Nora and

> Robert's perspective, yet am not confident enough in that theory to

> say an herb will never have a purpose for health.

>

> This discussion of taste reminds me of the zinc insufficiency test.

A

> person swishes around a zinc solution in their mouth. If it tastes

> good, they need zinc. If it tastes nasty, they don't need zinc.

>

> Granted, that is an isolated nutrient, but it does use that same

idea

> that something our body needs will taste good.

>

> I can hear it now...

> " my body must need chocolate " , etc! Sorry, that's different.

Though,

> I suspect if I tried some of the processed chocolate like I use to

> eat, it may have some good flavors, but would probably have an

> artificial or bad taste as well. When I've prepared some not-so-raw

> foods for others and did the ole taste and spit test. It left a bad

> taste in my mouth, even though it included raw food. Chocolate

would

> probably be the same way.

>

> Jeff

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Regarding caffeinated sodas, I had been addicted to them a long time

ago. I got off of them, then back on , then off, etc. I think three

cycles before getting off them altogether.

 

Regarding chocolate addiction. Since starting experimentatin with the

raw cacao beans last week, i've noticed I don't feel any of the

addictive qualities that the chocolate brownies, ice creams, cookies,

etc. had on me. No REALLY... I can quit ANY TIME I WANT! I haven't

had any for a couple days and have not cravings. That supports the

theory that it's the cooking and processing of ingreduebts that

creates the addiction.

 

Jeff