Meanwhile, many aspects of the raw food diet are not taken into account, considering its consequences only at a superficial level. I propose, removing the assessment and not making a judgment, to look at this issue from an unusual angle.
The point of this article is not to proclaim the raw food diet as a completely unsuitable or dangerous food system for humans. Not! In some cases, a raw food diet is acceptable or even vital – as a temporary measure. Take, for example, cancer patients, diabetics, people suffering from metabolic disorders. In this case, a raw food diet is a great way to cleanse the body of toxins and recover from chemotherapy. But in other situations, this way of eating can even be dangerous. Why? You need to understand that when you switch to a raw food diet, not only the physical body is cleansed – the process of purification affects deeper levels. And when switching to live food, i.e. to a more subtle form of energy, not only the physical body changes: the mind changes, the energy of consciousness changes.
Is your mind ready for this transition?
A new “light mind” without proper control skills will carry you like a rabid horse. The newly released energy, not directed into activity, will simply tear. A prime example that we have all dealt with is the raw foodists obsessed with the very idea of a raw food diet. People who spend 99% of their time thinking about food, talking about food, searching for suitable products, recipes, themed hangouts with like-minded people. If there is nothing else in life that can be “obsessed with”, if there is no focus on spiritual growth and the development of consciousness, the scenario is very predictable: “adept of the Gut cult”.
On the other hand, a raw food diet is favorable for people who are following the spiritual path, for example, for monks during the period of deepening their practice. The ancient sacred texts contain many indications of this.
The dangers of an unintelligent raw food diet
Yes, danger. What difficulties can lie in wait for a person when switching to a raw food diet?
At the level of the body:
1. Problems with teeth. After a few months of a raw food diet, teeth can begin to crumble rapidly. The reason for this is the abundance of sugars and fruit acids that corrode the enamel; lack of calcium and protein, the use of nuts, hard snacks with a general weakness of dental tissue.
2. Skin problems. Rashes can be the result of bowel cleansing and changes in the composition of the intestinal microflora. Plus, if you decide to switch to a raw food diet after 25 and are burdened with extra pounds, you can not avoid saggy skin. You will lose weight, there is no doubt, but at the same time the skin will sag and lose its former healthy glow, especially for the skin of the face.
3. Freezing. Most raw foodists become extremely sensitive to the cold.
4. Changes in weight. In the first 1-3 months after switching to a raw food diet, your weight may drop dramatically. After 6 months it will most likely stabilize. An interesting effect occurs after 2 years on a raw food diet (everyone is different) – some again return to their previous weight.
5. Sleep disturbance. It is likely that when you switch to a raw food diet, your sleep will be reduced by 2-3 hours and become more superficial. Shallow short sleep does not allow the nervous system to fully recover, which adversely affects the state of the body.
6. Stop the cycle in women. Most of the girls and women face this effect of the raw food diet. Whether the transition to a raw food diet affects the cycle of egg maturation itself, or whether it concerns only visible manifestations, the question is ambiguous to this day.
On a mental level:
1. Restless mind. In general, raw foodists are more anxious, restless and restless. It is difficult for them to concentrate on one object, to think for a long time on a particular topic and make decisions.
2. Attachment to food. A raw foodist becomes addicted to food. Most of the thoughts and actions of a raw foodist are focused on the acquisition, preparation, analysis of consumed products. Often there is a fear of being hungry, not finding suitable food in an unfamiliar place. Many raw foodists leave the house with a supply of food and feel extremely insecure without a “just in case” banana in their pocket.
3. Feeling of hunger. There are few raw foodists who calmly endure hunger and know how to do without food. Most people constantly feel the desire to chew something and think about food. It may be natural hunger, or it may be a desire to chew something caused by a lack of diet, stress, psychological dissatisfaction with inadequate food.
4. Asociality. The very path of “raw food” can become a reason for pride, which over time can turn into aggression directed at the “eaters of boiled meat”. A raw food diet often leads to an overestimation of self-esteem and develops into opposing oneself to others. There is a separation from society as a whole. It has been noticed that for the most part, raw foodists are not set to unite (especially with “non-raw foodists”), it is difficult for them to feel like a part of the whole, and in a team they are more focused on overestimating their own “unusualness” at the expense of others.
On a spiritual level:
1. If you do not engage in consciousness, do not purify the mind and heart, do not direct energy to the Higher, you will replace the Eternal Truth with Food. You make a choice: how to fill your reality. This is perhaps the only choice we have. And if you choose “food for the sake of food”, there will be nothing else in your life. It is necessary to understand this and, first of all, to work with the consciousness.
Does the raw food diet have any advantages? Undoubtedly, there
Of course, this power system has its advantages:
1. Slimness. Raw foodists are most often thin, especially the first couple of years. The raw foodist just melts before our eyes. After six months or a year of a raw food diet, the long-awaited thinness may come. If by this time moderate physical activity is added to changes in nutrition, then the body becomes toned, and a tone appears in it. If the raw food diet is not supported by physical activity, then thinness will be rather unhealthy, and you cannot avoid the lack of tone.
2. Activity. More like hyperactivity. Their destiny is creativity, many are obsessed with dynamic sports, hiking, mountain travel and dancing. They are the embodiment of the element Air, and air is movement, impermanence, elusiveness.
3. No runny nose, swelling. When cleansing the body for a raw food diet, excess mucus is removed from it and water metabolism changes. Plus, most often a raw food diet means the absence of salt and fluid-retaining products in the diet. As a rule, raw foodists are not in danger of waking up in the morning with swollen eyes or suffering from a runny nose during the wet season.
4. Virus resistance. When switching to a raw food diet, immunity improves: this is a consequence of cleansing the body of toxins and activating the immune system. It has been observed that raw foodists are less likely than others to suffer from seasonal viral diseases.
5. No allergies. One way to get rid of or mitigate allergies is to switch to a partial or full raw food diet (but this is not suitable for everyone!). Many raw foodists claim that the allergy that “tormented them since childhood” has ceased to bother them.
6. Lightness. Raw foodists are easy going. They do not feel sleepy after eating, it is easy for them to jump up in the middle of the night and get to work. They think little and act quickly. Most often they act abruptly, spontaneously, which is not always accepted by others and sometimes not very reasonable.
7. Sleep shortening. Raw foodists sleep 2-4 hours less than non-raw foodists. The advantage of this is that they have several hours that can be used consciously. Given that we spend 40% of our lives in a dream, a raw foodist manages to reduce this figure to 30%. With a sufficient level of awareness, these 2-3 hours can be a chic gift and can be used for spiritual practice and good deeds.
So who is raw food suitable for?
For people living in a warm climate, close to nature, not burdened with strong physical labor and engaged in spiritual practices, food with a predominance of a raw food diet of up to 60-70% (in some cases up to 100%) is acceptable.
Urban dwellers, those who live in cold climates, work hard and constantly communicate with a large number of people, a raw food diet will unbalance and lead to stress. In such cases, a complete vegetarian or even vegan diet can be recommended. Without a doubt, this type of nutrition harmonizes the body and mind and maintains internal balance, despite the constantly changing conditions of life.