There is growing evidence that much of illness today can be linked to diet.  What isn’t widely known is that it’s the cooking of our food that is creating the ill effects.  I’m not suggesting we eat raw meat; I don’t think we should eat meat at all.  What I am suggesting is that we strive to eat mainly plant foods in the uncooked, unadulterated, natural state.  At the Moon River Retreat Center, we work at detoxifying and healing the body through eating all organic raw living foods.  We call these foods “living foods” because they are full of life force energy.  Live foods include fruits and vegetables, their juices, raw nuts and seeds, seed sprouts, and sprouted grains.  Live foods are the most nutritious foods on the planet.





In contrast, the nutrition of cooked food has been largely compromised.  Heating food at temperatures over 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys nutrients, especially water soluble vitamins like vitamin C and all the B vitamins.  It also destroys the enzymes contained in the food, depleting the body of it’s enzyme reserves.  Cooking food also changes its molecular structure forming new chemical configurations that are often carcinogenic and mutagenic (in other words toxic and unfit for consumption).  Did you know that heating oil causes it to turn rancid?

So what happens to your body when you eat cooked food?  Well, one thing really fascinating is that your white blood cells increase, indicating that your body is in attack mode.  This also happens when you get sick.  And interestingly, this does NOT happen after eating raw food.  Cooked food is also very acidic.  It lowers your PH balance and creates a build up of toxic acidic waste material known as fee radicals.  With your white blood cells in constant attack mode and toxic acidic waste circulating in your body, and without the proper nutrients to support body’s natural healing abilities, your immune system weakens and ailments begin to increase.  Eating raw foods is naturally detoxifying and boosts your immune system by providing your cells with oxygen and nutrients that help your body do it’s job in protecting and healing you.

Many symptoms of illness are caused by intestinal toxemia.  People who eat cooked food commonly only have one bowl movement per day and often suffer from constipation.  Undigested and un-eliminated food putrefies in the intestines causing unfriendly bacteria to take over the colon, and causing the healthy intestinal flora to decrease.  Toxins from the putrefying food are reabsorbed back into the bloodstream through the colon creating at host of symptoms of “dis-ease” like headaches and allergies. Before I went “RAW” I felt really low energy and got frequent headaches and frequently was constipated.  Since going raw, my bowel movements are so regular (after every meal…food in – food out!), my headaches have disappeared and I have so much more energy and vitality than before.

Lastly, eating raw food is a cure for obesity.  Often people who eat only cooked foods tend to overeat. Due to the nutrient depletion in cooked food, the body is always hungry and craving more because it is malnourished.  When eating raw food you’re body is getting so much more nourishment and your food intake will balance out.

There are so many good reasons to eat raw foods.  And even if you’re not eating 100% raw, it’s important to make some steps toward incorporating more raw foods into your diet.  Making a commitment to yourself to eat as much raw living foods as you can and cut back on cooked and processed foods will improve your health to whatever degree you are able to do it.