6. Too much of anything is never a good thing.
I was cold, guys. Super cold. The enzymes in raw fruits and vegetables are imperative for pancreatic health, cancer prevention, and breaking down waste in the body. And if you don’t usually eat raw food, you definitely need to balance that out with some fresh live enzymes. But like I always thought thanks to Chinese medicine, TOO much of anything causes an imbalance on the other end of the spectrum. Raw food can definitely lower ‘digestive fire’ in a cold climate and drain your energy since your body is trying its hardest to keep you warm in the presence of all this yin (cooling) food. If you’re trying out a raw food diet in a cold climate, listen to your body and don’t be afraid to have some vegetable soup in the evening. You will still get a ton of benefits from the raw food and also have balance and grounding.
7. Some foods are better off cooked (meaning yes I believe humans can utilize fire and tools for a reason!)
When I ate raw salad greens, no matter how much I chewed and chewed, the plant matter would still come “out” the other way undigested. In Chinese medicine, raw greens are the most yin, cooling foods in the world, so they deplete digestive fire and can be hard to break down. This was certainly my experience. Raw fruit digested quite well for me but I was dying for warm salads and cooked spinach. It makes sense of course, because humans are not herbivores and cannot break down cellulose (we’re much closer to the anatomy of frugivores, in my opinion). Cooking makes the cell walls of cellulose-rich green plants much easier to digest. The past few days I’ve had cooked greens instead and they’ve digested wonderfully. There is a reason greens get even brighter when you lightly steam or sautée them; because the nutrients become more bio-available and the human eye is trained to instinctively associate brighter color with denser nutrition. Also, the earth wouldn’t make sweet potato, potato, grains, etc. if we weren’t meant to cook food. Ever tried to eat a raw potato?!
8. Raw food is cleansing, that’s for sure. It’s a very useful tool for detox, and I will definitely do this again soon.
As I explained in my recent YouTube video, detox happens in absence and emptiness. Yin (cooling) foods are considered “depleting” in Traditional Chinese Medicine and are a very useful tool for detox (which was not really covered or needed in the time of TCM unlike our modern toxic world).
Yin/raw food’s live enzymes and detoxifying fiber allow your body to digest and remove waste, tumors, etc. If I had cancer I would definitely do a predominately raw diet with fruit/vegetable juices and chlorophyll rich plants to pack in as much oxygen as possible and kill cancer cells (but I might have to move to a warmer climate first!) Our modern world is VERY polluted and our bodies are bombarded with toxins. Adding more raw food into your diet (even if you balance it with warming food in the evening to keep you grounded and warm) gives your body the yin, detoxing foods it needs to get rid of the poisons before it rebuilds itself with the yang dishes.
When Traditional Chinese Medicine first began, people weren’t living in a toxic world and could handle way more yang, building foods. Nowadays that’s not as practical since our bodies are too toxic to break down heavier, richer foods. We need to get the waste out first and we need more help/enzymes from food to do so. My personal ‘balance’ (which as I said will include a lot more fruit, and a little bit of fish) is very different from the balance taught in the time of TCM, and that’s OK – because again, we are all different! Nick definitely needs way more warming, heavy foods than I do since he loses weight far too quickly.
My conclusions:
Eat more raw food, especially in the morning such as fruit for breakfast…. but don’t go crazy with it if it doesn’t feel right! Don’t be afraid of fruit because it’s one of the most healing, anti-viral, anti-parasitic foods known to man. No, the sugar will not hurt you! Don’t put yourself in a box or try to stick to a diet that works for someone else – YOUR body is your guide. We are all VERY different. Base your diet around whole plants foods (whether cooked or raw), make sure to get in a good amount of live enzyme foods, eat abundant fresh fruit whenever you can, and you’ll have WAY less room for the “acidic” stuff – which you need in moderation, anyway. By doing this you will naturally find YOUR balance and live your healthiest life. Above all, do not stress. Stress will kill you way faster than any diet will. Love you all! x
15 Comments
Marlee
paul e white
Alexandra
Michelle Cashion
Denise
Kamala
Shayna
romee
Michelle
Read the “Medical Medium”. He advocates fruit for Candida and claims traditional meat and veggie diets for Candida make you sick
Megan
Emily-Rose
Xochi Kaplan
Olivia Mary
Samia L.
Olivia
Indeed, balance is key!