My Research Paper

[Erika]

I will go ahead and post the paper here. Blanks like this _____ are there to protects a persons identity and exact location but the complete information was left in the paper that was turned into the professor. There may be a few minor errors but I was in a hurry to get it finished before the deadline. The teacher gave me a B on the paper because I was 30 minutes late to class and wasn't there to turn it into her when the class started. I think she has it out for me or something but I'm going to take english over again so it's okay.
It looks like I'll have to post a few different times to get it all in here.

And wouldn't you know it... it's not indented correctly or anything but I assure you, it looked beautiful when I turned it in lol.

[Erika]

Erika May
English 1301.103
Spring 2008
Research paper final copy

Is a Raw Food Diet Healthy?

With all of the fad diets that have been developing over the last decade, it is not hard to imagine why one would be confused about which diet to follow. Many people are overwhelmed with frustration and unfortunately end up falling into the cycle of only eating what is convenient. Many of the foods that are most readily available are pure junk food and even the foods that are said to be healthy are surprisingly found to be laden with unhealthy fats, additives and preservatives. There is a diet, however, that is easy to follow, tastes great, is the healthiest of all diets, can save your life and treat many diseases. The diet is called “the raw food diet.”

Examine the definition of what it means to be a raw foodist and what it means to live the lifestyle. Raw means exactly what it says, food that is not cooked and since most raw foodist are also vegans, they do not consume meat or any other animal products (Raw Food Real World 3). Some raw vegans choose to make exceptions to the rule; they might consume fish or use products that contain animal byproducts such as bee pollen or honey (Raw Food Real World 3). It is not wrong to make these exceptions and they are completely up to the consumer and at what level of raw or veganism they choose to live. In the raw world, anything that is heated to less than 118degrees Fahrenheit is still considered to be raw (Raw Food Real World 16). Many raw foodists will consume foods that have been warmed in a food dehydrator or by other such means, so that it is not completely cold upon consumption. Being a raw foodist also means not consuming foods that have been processed in any way. The idea behind this method of eating is that heat kills the enzymes that make the food "alive". Food that is still alive is more healthful than food that has been killed prior to consumption. Enzymes are beneficial to the human body for so many reasons including immune function, digestion, and general well being (Real Food Real World 16).

Enzymes are not the only factor to consider when it comes to cooking food. When food is cooked it does cause the enzymes to die, but it also destroys vital nutrients as well as vitamins, and can cause mutations of the molecules, which can harm the body. A very good example of the way that a food can mutate through cooking is the black burn-like substance that sticks to grilled meat. That black substance is a carcinogen (Raw Food Real World 16).

One product that is particularly harmful is milk or any other product that is made from dairy. Milk has been linked to the deterioration of bones and may be a factor in the cause of osteoporosis (Rose 30). Milk, just like meat, also contains antibiotics and hormones that are injected into the mother cow and passed down to consumers; even organic milks contain small amounts of the chemicals (Rose 31). Both dairy and soy products are problematic, because they cause too much mucus and can lead to upper respiratory infections, and soy can cause digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (Rose 29).

One thing that is so surprising is that most Americans are so busy that they do not take the time to care for themselves properly. They would rather take a pill to cure their illness than to eat a bowl of fresh fruits or vegetables. One of Woody Harrelson's ideas on this issue is that all too often; people are more concerned with what they put into their cars than what they put into their bodies. Most people ignore the option to treat themselves naturally and opt for the pharmacy instead, and in doing so, they are only treating the symptoms and not the disease. It might not be the entire patient’s fault though; many medical professionals would rather keep their patients uninformed because if the person is cured then the doctor loses money. If information was more readily available to the public about this way of healing then people could learn to change the way that they live and change their lives forever.

There are many health benefits that people of this way of living are striving to achieve. Some people who have medical conditions that affect the reproductive system have found benefits by reducing the amounts of hormones ingested from animal products. Those with diabetes have drastically lowered blood sugar levels naturally by eliminating processed foods from their diets. Aleesha ________ of ___________, Canada completely cured herself of type II Diabetes by eating a raw vegan diet; she also lost 130 pounds, corrected her high cholesterol and fixed her damaged liver (personal interview). Also, Lucy _______ of __________, Maryland was completely cured of her migraines after suffering with them for 54 years when modern migraine medications did not relieve her pain. Not only did Lucy cure herself of constant agonizing headaches but she also freed herself of a thyroid condition known as hypothyroidism (personal interview). Finally, Dr. Kirstine Nolfi treated herself for breast cancer with this diet; she also did her own personal research on it and opened a small clinic to house patients in her own home (2,3,4,6,8,10,13,15…). There are many medical conditions that can be treated by eating a raw diet and some of those conditions include, but are not limited to, cancer, obesity, heart disease, non-functioning thyroid, liver disease, intestinal problems, high blood pressure, migraines, fatigue, depression, mental disorders, and skin diseases.

According to Dr. James Dinh, D.C., this diet is very effective at treating disorders and can even lead to the curing of many conditions. “It is my belief and my practice to treat myself as well as others with proper nutrition versus medicinal use whenever I possibly can. I also believe that patients are constantly being over medicated when they can simply treat and even cure themselves completely using the raw food diet” (personal interview).

Americans have a tendency to eat the foods that are quick and easy which are oftentimes the worst ones for a healthy body. Americans eat too much processed foods and it is hard to understand why they do this when minimally processed raw foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are so much more beneficial to one’s health (Butler, Graham). When natural food is so much better for the human body, it is hard to understand why a person would rather eat something that he or she knows is harmful to their health. One thing that is disturbing to see is the amount of parents that will buy their children fast-food happy meals just to satisfy their temper tantrums when the parent could have avoided any sort of fit throwing by giving the child healthy options at a young age. “A study published in the Journal of Nutrition (2005) found that a raw food diet lowered total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations—two common risk factors for cardiovascular disease.” (Consequences of a Long-Term Raw Food Diet on Body Weight and Menstruation: Results of a Questionnaire Survey).

Dr. Gary Null, who is a leading expert in health and natural healing as well as nutrition, suggests that a juice fast is one of the healthiest ways to naturally heal the body by giving the digestive system a chance to rest (9). A person may think that raw food is harder to digest since it is harder and more solid than cooked food, but the truth is that raw food is easier to digest. The exception to the rule is when it comes to grains such as rice and oatmeal. Actual digestion begins in the mouth with the excretion of saliva; if a person chews their food well enough, then at least half of the digestion process is taken care of in the mouth before it ever reaches the stomach.

“The Raw Food Detox Diet” discusses that detoxifying your body from harmful substances should be a lifelong pursuit of health and not just an over-night cure (Rose 7). Once a person begins to take on this lifestyle, he or she will immediately see a change in his or her body and mind. A person’s skin will become soft and the complexion will become clear and free of blemishes, the urine will become a very clear color, any haze in the eyes will begin to disappear, the hair will start to shine and become radiant and those are just the outwardly traits. On the inside a person will start to feel lighter and less weighed down, he or she will no longer become drowsy from a large and heavy meal even after consuming a large amount of raw food. A sense of wellness will start to begin as the organs in the body start to free themselves of impurities. A person living this way will also have better mental clarity and feel a sense of being close to the earth and more grounded to nature. This diet may not be for everyone, as it takes strength and willpower to change habits but for those that do embark upon the journey, health will surely be rewarded.

[Erika]

Works Cited

Butler, Graham. "Raw, Not Rare." Alive: Canadian Journal of Health & Nutrition (Feb.2008): 156-157. Alt HealthWatch. EBSCO. San Jacinto College Library, Pasadena, Tx. 24 June 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=awh&AN=28804521&site=ehost-live>.

_________, Lucy. Personal Interview. June 23, 2008

Dinh, James, D.C. Personal Interview. June 28, 2008

Kenney, Matthew, and Sarma Melngailis. Raw Food Real World. New York: HarperCollins Publishing Company, 2005.

Koebnick, C, et al. "Consequences of a long-term raw food diet on body weight and menstruation: results of a questionnaire survey." Annals Of Nutrition & Metabolism 43.2 (1999): 69-79. MEDLINE. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 17 June 2008<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmedm&AN=10436305&site=ehost-live>.

Nolfi, M.D., Kirstine (1950). The Raw Food Treatment of Cancer and Other Diseases.Retrieved June 30, 2008, from Bible Plus Web site: http://bibleplus.org/health/rawfood.htm

Null, Gary. "Detoxifying and Rebuilding with Foods." Total Health 30.1 (Jan. 2008): 52-53. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation].17June 2008 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=31409447 &site=ehost-live>.


Rose, Natalia. The Raw Food Detox Diet. New York: Harper Collins Publishing Company, 2005.

_____________, Aleesha. Personal Interview. June 23, 2008

[JennaBoBenna]

wow! cool! thanks for posting !

[Erika]

no problem, I promised that I would post it as soon as I was finished with it. I wish that I had more time to put some more passion into it but it's a 5 week summer class and I only had 2 weeks really to work on the paper.

[Raene]

Woohoo, that's great! Spread the word. :)

[tanishamarshall]

Great paper.. I like it.

[Aleesha Sattva]

great info... i'd love to see your teacher spread it around the teacher's lounge!

[shashibala]

Thank you for sharing! You did a fine job! Those summer classes can be killer!

[gingincal]

Good job, Erika. Nice paper. :)

[Veganforlife]

Erika - VERY well done! Congrads on the "B"! Thanks for choosing this topic. It's dear to my heart!!!

[Erika]

Thanks everyone. I'm taking english over again so that I can make an A. That english teacher was a nazi and I should have had an A.

Anyway, I'll have to do a new research paper for this english class that I'm in and I already got permission from my new teacher to use the same paper but just build off of it and make it longer. The new paper has to be 7 pages so I'll be able to be more creative with it. By the time I'm done though this paper will have an A on it lol.

[Random]

Erika, you said that your paper was late. A late paper can't get an A without an awfully good reason. That's pretty standard throughout secondary and post-secondary education. A teacher taking off marks for a tardy paper doesn't make him/her a "nazi".

That said, what a great opportunity for you to learn more about the lifestyle that you've chosen! Your paper was interesting.