i know alcohol isn't raw but if you only consume raw live foods and sometimes hard liquor or alcohol is that going to mess you up? its still better than eating cooked food right?

try it
see what happens
there's your answer

I think it's fine, I'm sure other will disagree with me. Some wines and ciders (that's hard ciders for those in the US) are raw. For ciders, if it doesn't have "concentrated fruit juice" on the ingreedents, then it's probably raw (since the cider make process requires the apples to be raw).

As for hard liquor, you could freeze some cider, when it's half frozen, pour the unfrozen liquid (containing all the alcohol) in to another container, and either drink it or try to freeze it again to make it stronger. This gives you apple jack, which is so far the only true raw vegan hard liquor I've found.

I don't think alcohol messes you up if you're not abusing it.

Cheers,
Ian.

Recent studies are finding that alcohol kills brain cells - even just a little bit of alcohol. If that's true (and I personally believe it is), then even if you're not abusing it, it's abusing YOU!

No offense intended to anyone who happens to disagree.

Best wishes, -Ally

As other people have said to you before Confuzed, you need to see what works for you. Personally, I think alcohol is toxic to the body. I kept drinking a small amount for several years after I went raw, but eventually got to the point where I didn't want it anymore.

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]

I've been drinking moderately to heavy every day for the last ten years since college, basically. About a month ago, I gave it up totally. Let me tell you that without a doubt alcohol is a toxin that does damage to your body and brain. Did you know that alcohol consumption, especially consistently, reduces your intestinal tract's ability to extract nutrients from food you are eating? In other words, it negates the good that you are trying to achieve nutrionally by eating raw. In terms of brain cells, I've always heard that it kills brain cells, too. I can tell you that my clarity level has increased ten fold, as well as my desire to put only good things into my body.

In short, I think it's fine to drink occassionally, unless you have an addictive personality, which I personally believe that most of us do (how else to explain the practically obsessive adherence to such a strict diet that basically gives you a natural high?). My brothers are coming to visit in a few months and I plan to crack a beer then ceremoniously, but mostly to also see how it makes my body feel after not having the alcohol compound in my bloodstream for so long. I will let you know!

Speaking from experience:

I went to a raw food seminar and ate 2 brownies with Mexican liquor added to them. I barfed 3 times that night/next morning. It sucked so bad.

Be careful. Alcohol is toxic. And when you have a really clean system, toxins like that affect you WAY more than it would someone that is toxicating themselves on a daily basis.

humans, like many other organisms, produce the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which is responsible for breaking down the ethanol that we naturally get from raw foods (especially fermented fruit) and intestinal bacteria.

humans have been consuming man-made alcoholic beverages for thousands of years (as early as 9,000 years ago according to wikipedia).

in roughly the same time period, many groups of humans have evolved ways to digest cows milk by retaining lactase production into older age.

is it possible that humans have also evolved ways to consume alcoholic beverages by increasing alcohol dehydrogenase production/efficiency, and by improving cellular defences againsts the harmful effects of alcohol?

-I don't find it to be as vital as fresh fruits and vegetables...so I avoid it. If YOU think it is a healthful beverage....then I encourage you to drink more of it.

-David Mason

i think jono is a Dehydrogenazzzzor
weren't u also in that movie with Arnold Schwargenneger? forget the name
but wasn't that film about a dude who was able to blast away all lactase and fermented stuff while doing aerial triple flips while disintegrating the
"bad" molecules with a ...? oh.. i forget...

I'd rather have a nice bowl of cantelope to satisfy my thirst. Llo

confuzed

i don't recommend anymore fermented beverages for u
it might make u a bit more confuzed
and well...i thought u were searching for a bit of clarity
so u could someday change your name to "enlightened"
ahhhh.. that would be cooooooooooLLness!!!

Hi Confused,

Didn't you say you are a teenager? Why are you asking about alcohol, you are too young to drink it!

I use herbal tinctures, which are made with vodka. The amount of alcohol in them is so small that it is insignificant.