So after deciding to go 100% for a while I have heard a saying a couple of times...

"98% raw, 98% benefits, 99% raw, 99% benefits, 100% raw, 1000% benefits!"

Anyone have any opinion on this?

Are there any concrete benefits of not putting that 1% in your body (things like spices or vanilla extract)?

yes, definitely. however, it's not about "Raw"... there are many other qualities that an ideal food should have that tends to put you in that high flying zone...
just RAW doesn't get it done for me.

fresh, whole, organic, etc....

It's hyperbole. Your body doesn't have an on/off switch like that. Neither do rats/mice etc.

But if it feels good, and you don't develop any deficiencies, do it.

arugula,

Re: It's hyperbole.

Are you sharing your opinion here, or are you sharing your experience? If you are sharing your experience, exactly what experience are you drawing from?

Yes, in my experience it impossible to get a 1010% improvement from a 1% change in a diet unless there is some severe allergen present or other type of virulent toxin or something like that.

Assuming that the foods are otherwise well tolerated, I would say from experience that the difference from 99% to 100% is more like 1%.

For me, difference from 80% to 100% is more noticeable. That I can see, others have also remarked on a visible difference.

Isaac,

I saw a big benefit after taking spices/condiments out of my diet (though they make it back from time to time if I visit the city and go to a raw restaurant). The biggest benefit from me was after removing the spices, my body was able to slow down and make space for some healing to occur, because the spices had a stimulating effect on my body, which I could never notice until after I stopped eating the spices. Nowadays, if I indulge in some raw gourmet food at a raw restaurant, I usually have detox symptoms starting after the meal for 24 hours or so. If you hear about raw folk being too stimulated to sleep well, very often it is because of the spices and condiments in their foods (assuming no overt stimulants like cacao).

Ask them to make you something simple without the raw spices next time. See if that makes any difference. It might also be the very high fat that is bothering you.

bryan, what does overt stimulant mean? would you still notice healing in your body if you ate "overt stimulants?" as opposed to garlic and peppers?

does cacao have caffeine in it? Is there any part of the fruit you can eat besides the beans? How come it is always processed in stores? I never see it fresh.

I know it's kind of off topic. I'm just curious.

Thanks for the information, that idea of over stimulation is very interesting. I go to a raw dinner on Sunday nights and although it is supposed to be 100%, I think some of the spices are not raw.

I guess what you are saying though is that even if the spices are raw, it still might have an ill effect.

I do notice I end up reading a long time on Sunday nights to slow down, it is hard for me to say if that is dietary or from being wound up from a night of dinner conversation with a bunch of energetic raw fooders.

Maybe I will try to eat only the very simple raw foods at one of the dinners, minus the spice, and see if that helps.

Usually I like to use things like raw apple cider vinegar, hemp oil, olive oil, etc... as a spice. I also use the celtic sea salt sometimes. Do you have any experience with this kinds of "spices"?

What about blended and dehydrated whole foods, like flax crackers made with fresh tomatos, onions, celery, carrot, grapes and sea salt?

Once again, much appreciated.

ILoveJen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bryan, what does overt stimulant mean? would you
> still notice healing in your body if you ate
> "overt stimulants?" as opposed to garlic and
> peppers?
>
> does cacao have caffeine in it? Is there any part
> of the fruit you can eat besides the beans? How
> come it is always processed in stores? I never
> see it fresh.
>
> I know it's kind of off topic. I'm just curious.


Just my personal experience, I lust for raw cacao, like an addiction...okay, not like an addiction, it is a drug and I should admit it is an addiction. It is one I do not submit to very much, but if I do late at night I do not sleep. It is the only source of caffeine that has been put in my body for close to a year now and I definitely notice.

I am starting to satiate that sweet craving with things like dates and figs more, and eventually I am going to let the cacao go completely. For now I will make it a once in a while thing, and make sure it is not late at night.