hmmm. anyone heard this argument against raw foods before? how do i respond?

[kaybee]

People where I live are pretty unfamiliar with the idea of raw foods. They are into alternative medicine and homeopathy and stuff to a certain extent though... I was recently talking to a friend who works at a health food store about raw foods; until I explained, every time I said raw foods, she couldnt imagine anything but carrot sticks. Shes definitely open to the concepts of raw vegan, BUT... heres a/the catch. I was explaining how I made hemp milk with unhulled seeds... and I said something to the effect of that I "blasted it in the blender for quite some time" and then strained it. Her concern/objection is that blending/processing stuff in that way (I guess with the use of electricity??) interferes with the energy field of it, and makes the energy field (?) all mangled and twisted and confused/damages the food so its not good for our bodies anymore.... I pointed out that cooking does something similar, which she sort of agreed, but it seemed more obviously evident to her that the foods energy field was confused/disrupted/damaged by heavy blending..... Now, I see her point, BUT the evidence of so many people really thriving on raw and especially on stuff like green smoothies seems to show otherwise/refute this concern.... As Im going to be teaching a raw foods course soon, I expect Im going to be faced with other questions similar to this. Any ideas on how to respond?

Thanks much
kaybee

[RawKnitster]

I haven't heard that one before. I have heard of some odd food practices where you have to stir your food equally in both directions, perhaps for similiar reasons that she brings up. I might tell her that the soils are not as rich as they used to be, and our food has less nutrients because of it. Blending in a high speed blender breaks down the cell wall and makes the nutrients more easily available to the digestive system. I think that was in Victoria Boutenko's book "12 Steps to Raw Foods".

That's probably only the first of many strange things people will tell you about why they can't imagine eating raw foods. Everytime I tell someone I only eat raw foods they respond with some reason they couldn't possibly do that. Even though I never suggested they should. :rolleyes:

[Zella Juice]

I wouldn't worry about getting that response from alot of people.

We mangle food in our mouth too. So I don't get it.

If she really feels that way she would be eating a raw diet where you don't process anything or cook anything.

I really think people just come up with the wierdest excuses because they don't want to believe this is the right way to eat...because that would mean they aren't eating the right way and they should change their eating habits, and most people fear change to their eating habits. I have seen people with cancer not give up processed foods and things like coffee even though they have learned that eating healthier will prolong their life.

[EZ rider]

I "blasted it in the blender for quite some time" and then strained it. Her concern/objection is that blending/processing stuff in that way (I guess with the use of electricity??) interferes with the energy field of it, and makes the energy field (?) all mangled and twisted and confused/damages the food so its not good for our bodies anymore....
Next time you are speaking to her about raw vegan's mention to her that there are many ways of doing raw and that some people just eat fresh WHOLE raw foods and that might work for her.

[kaybee]

yep, i did mention that actually, that some people do it that way. should have put that in my post. i forgot.

apparently its something to do with the electrical energy shes concerned about...but i know nothing about energy healing or any of that. all i know about is lifeforce in foods, and my understanding is that cooking kills ALL of the lifeforce... so i would think we're better off with "mangled" life force than no life force at all... but i just dont understand the energy stuff that shes talking about or whatever. maybe someone else does? but regardless, cooking aint the answer.. ;p honestly, i find there is so much of this stuff out there about different energies, different ways to do stuff etc and i can never figure out if its some form of twisted gnosticism, egoism, or if theres really legitimacy to it... i mean, i do think that reality is deeper and richer than we grasp or understand, but im never sure if what people are talking about when they are talking about all this energy stuff and manifesting and whatever has some legitimacy or is just quackery...

[juliebove]

I wouldn't worry about it. People think all sorts of things about foods. The other day my chiropractor flipped out over some bottled water. Said the vibration was all wrong. It was in a blue bottle. The water tasted fine to me.

I figure each one of us has our own ideas about what works for us.

[Revvell]

I think she's got a great imagination. Tell her after you're through blending the energy out of it you reverse the blender (o.k., so, you can't) and the energy goes back the way it was yet it's still broken down and easier to digest. :rolleyes:

I love it when people get a LITTLE knowledge about something and then think they've got the understanding. When I was doing a lot more bodywork than I am now people would ask "Do you do energy work?" Well duh, yeah, We're made of energy. It's all energy; can't DO anything but energy work.

What they meant of course was, do I do hands-off work since someone called that "energy work" so when someone TOUCHES the body it's no longer "energy" work? :rolleyes:

Tell her that blending in a blender is waaaaay better than mangling it in a microwave and if it concerns her, she really doesn't need to do that as others have stated.... and be care-filled not to use metal knives because the food will go rancid... and just eat everything right from the ground or the tree/bush so she'll be sure to get ALL the nutrients w/out interference and, be sure not to refrigerate it as the cold sucks the nutrients out of the food and ONLY buy from places where she can eat the food immediately as it's picked....

I'd say I don't respond to sillyness but, I guess I do. :D

[Christiana]

lol, just tell her that if she's worried, she can buy a manual blender!

http://www.alwaysbrilliant.com/aa/DT-10052008/aspx-products/PID-1677/PD-51131/bb/Tailgate+Blender.htm

[coco]

oh my goodness. people really will find the oddest excuses to justify bizarre beliefs.
there is more "energy disruption" passing through our bodies every minute of every day because of electrical stuff all around us, cell phones and radio waves etc, then some hemp milk in a blender will ever see.
it's about seeing the big picture. a kitchen utensil is a teeny weeny minor little detail in the grand scheme of things, really.

[shashibala]

I think there could be some truth to her idea since being around electrical things does affect energy. But, it is no reason not to try raw foods!!!!!
Is she prepared to move to a tropical island and eat only ripe fruits and leaves right from the plants? If not then she will most likely have to buy cultivated, shipped, food ,and most likely process it in some way. I think blending is a great way to make nutrients available to our bodies with reasonable processing. To say one shouldn't blend because it's dangerous and then eat mostly cooked food just doesn't make sense.

[Sugar Snap Pea]

Blending just does a better job of mangling than our teeth do!! :eek:

[Green_Woman]

*trundles off to mangle some tomatoes with her teeth*

*giggles*

[Emma-Liza]

I promise I'm not saying this to be flippant or suggesting you be rude...but...Haven't you already had the only conversation you need to have? Why discuss it further? (I mean, it's fun to talk about it here and all, but...)

She sounds like some of my friends who like to discuss politics. Some people have a mission to stir things up and aren't really open to new information; or they just want to "enlighten" others with what they already know. Next time you are with this person, if she brings it up, unless you are truly, really interested in this, I think you should feel free to move on to new topics.

[Bananna]

Hilarious! but best not to laugh in people's faces, lol.

It is true that metal can alter the chemical structure of, or interact with, certain foods. That's why if you soak an onion in water and the knife too it won't make you cry, right?

Now she has taken that and fused it with energy fields...whatever they are. Almost sounds like a soul or something?

Bottom line, we are after the enzymes, which are not destroyed, atleast for the most part, by blending or freezing.

Maybe just ask her what she even means by energy fields. Ask her for some sources. Then check out said sources. Always give the benefit of the doubt...you might learn something genuine. ...or it might just confirm silliness.

At this you will be leading by example to search out truths vs. falsehoods methodically rather than whimsically.

[EZ rider]

Some people have a mission to stir things up and aren't really open to new information

That reminds me of a funny cartoon I saw once. It was a picture of a pig wallowing and splashing around in the mud. The caption read "never try to teach a pig to sing - it wastes your time and it annoys the pig".

[Aleesha Sattva]

okay... as for electricity messing up your energy... yup that is true. that's why many people (myself included) put a crystal on or near anything electrical to neutralize any electrical energy.

but...

sometimes there is the greater of things. chewing the hemp and swallowing will NOT bring the same level of nutrition into our bodies as drinking hemp mylk made in your blender. period.

and if she is so bothered by electrical energy then she really needs to live 'off the grid' with no electricity - period. yes some people choose to live that way... it's a personal choice (just like eating raw is) - and we all need to decide where our zero is.

what i mean by "where our zero is":

i share this with my clients all the time. each person must decide where their zero is in life. what is on one side of the zero is acceptable... what is on the other side is not. for me... cooked food is on the unacceptable side, whereas watching tv is on the acceptable. does this make me right? no... but it is my choice and so for me... this is right. for you it may be completely wrong.

so if - in her world - electricity being used on food is on the unacceptable side of zero... then that's perfect and right for her in this moment. doesn't mean that anyone has to choose that though.

i can't imagine too many people living on this planet living a truly 100% pure life. after all... with all the pollution, lack of ozone, global warming etc... living a pristine life would be pretty hard.

[Blazin'Jane]

My firest response---a confused energy field is more nutritious than a dead one. cooked food is definitely dead.

[kaybee]

wow! this generated alot of discussion...and alot of giggles ;p i.e.

a confused energy field is more nutritious than a dead one


*trundles off to mangle some tomatoes with her teeth*



think she's got a great imagination. Tell her after you're through blending the energy out of it you reverse the blender (o.k., so, you can't) and the energy goes back the way it was yet it's still broken down and easier to digest.


Now she has taken that and fused it with energy fields...whatever they are. Almost sounds like a soul or something?

thanks for the responses all... I just dont/didnt know anything about this "energy fields" thing that she was talking about and thought some of you might be more enlightened/experienced than me. I do think revvell's right though that sometimes people only grasp onto a little of an idea and then use that to make arguments, even thought they dont grasp the whole concept of whatever it is, which makes it difficult ...
Emma-Lisa-- nope, dont think youre being rude or flippant, and no, I dont necessarily need to further discuss this with her; my bigger concern is that Im about to offer a series of raw foods classes and I thought the question might come up. The question is not foreign to the type of question I might expect in this area...my town attracts people that are "into things but maybe dont understand the whole thing" (or maybe Im the one that just doesnt understand the whole thing. i dunno) in terms of energy healing, etc etc etc, so i thought it was worth preparing myself for the question if I get it or something like it again.
Also, this woman seems generally interested, if her concerns can be addressed.

That was really funny, and right-on, I think, what Blazin Jane said--that a confused energy field is better than a dead one :) thats a short and sweet response ;)

aleesha--can you explain more about the crystals?


thanks

kaybee

[Aleesha Sattva]

if you place a crystal near or on anything which uses electricity - it will neutralize the energy.

it's a simple - very inexpensive fix.

i work with energy (as a reiki m/t) so i am sensitive to it. i find having crystals (i personally use apophyllite crystals instead of quartz) really calms the energy down in the room.

best way to find if it works for/with you... buy one and place it on your computer - tv etc and see if you like the way you feel. if you don't... get rid of it (or cleanse the crystal using sea salt and setting it where the sun and moon will touch it for three days and three nights and then bury the salt)... no harm no foul. :)

[goobygirl]

I think a good answer to a question in your class might be to ask the class, "What do you think the answer is??" We don't always have the answers, sometimes others do. Sometimes, as people have pointed out here, answers aren't always important.

Sheesh....it's kinda involved, just eat!

I think the whole energy idea is a little weird, and most people think I'm very weird when it comes to the what I call "woo woo" stuff ...so there you go...

[oai]

we chew our foods which a blender pretty much does the job for us. so hm.... :confused:

the only thing i can see that is bad about blending our food for like smoothies is that if most of our diet consist of smoothies, we may impair our jaw strength due to not exercising it enough via chewing. :o also, the foods we just drink via smoothies don't get mixed with our saliva. mixing food with saliva makes it easier for the body to digest.

so due to our chewing food anyway resembling blending food, losing the food's vital energy doesn't sound too logical in that sense. in the sense of energy fields, i can understand where she's coming from. and as aleesha mentioned, no one lives without some kind of electrical appliance anyway though.

aleesha -- where do you purchase your crystals? what do i look for? i'm interested in trying some out esp. placing near my laptop. :)

[Veganforlife]

Me personally? I refuse to "argue" about anything. Wastes too much good energy.

[Aleesha Sattva]

oai, i go to a local rock shop... but you can find crystals all over the place. any spiritual bookstore, bead store etc. ;)

i agree lucy... total waste of energy.

[Veganforlife]

...back in the day there were "treasure" candles where when you burned them treasures would appear. Mine ALWAYS had crystals in them!!!

[oai]

wait. wait. how do you guys decipher between a discussion & an argument? :p

[Asian Pear]

Everyone's right.

This girl is telling you that eating a blended food is not healthy, but do you know what she eats all day? She could be eating garbage - processed soy and other processed vegan food, or something worse. I have found that many people come up with silly, random questions about this food or that technique, this nutrient or that disease they've heard of, yet they eat unhealthily in their day to day lives.

Really, what's the point?

If that question comes up during your demo - you can bring that up, that the most important thing is to eat the best, most natural, fresh, raw, pure food you can and who cares if something is blended - is it healthier to enjoy a green smoothie or a cheeseburger or soy burger?

You don't need to try to answer the question or even entertain the thought - just tell them that "you" try to eat the best you can that nature has to offer via plant food and you aren't concerned with all those little details, and that you don't want to waste your time researching such things, or you'd be caught up in doing it endlessly. Make sure you smile when you say it. :)

[Veganforlife]

wait. wait. how do you guys decipher between a discussion & an argument? :p

Well...if it's a discussion, both parties will state their viewpoints and not have voices raised and such.

An argument is two people yelling and demanding they are right. (I grew up with arguing parents).

Since argument was used in the title of this thread, I responded that I refuse to "argue" with anyone...

[Revvell]

I'll make a bet IF that question ever comes up again it'll be in the far distant future. Most likely questions you'll get will be "Where do you get your protein/calcium/iron/b-12?" I'd get my answers straight for those first.

And then, search this forum for all the other questions. Actually, I've got a booklet ~ "10 Most Asked Questions About Raw Food" and that one didn't come close to the top 10. I have a list of the top 100 and that one didn't come up in those either. *shrugs*

Revvell

[annavon]

and if she is so bothered by electrical energy then she really needs to live 'off the grid' with no electricity - period. yes some people choose to live that way... it's a personal choice (just like eating raw is) - and we all need to decide where our zero is..

My thoughts exactly, does she store her food in a refrigerator, are there electric lights in her kitchen, water heater, stove, clocks etc. Electricity is everywhere unless you make a conscious effort to live off the grid (like the Amish).

I'm sure there there is some EMF's that emit from any electrical appliance when you use it, but a blender is certainly not as bad as something like a microwave.

[rawstrength]

I've heard that vortexing liquid foods (like a vitamix does) actually helps improve their energetic properties. Google "water vortexer" and you will see what I'm talking about.

At the end of the day, I'm more concerned with whether my food is raw, fresh, local, organic, and ethical than whether or not it is blended. But it's a personal choice :) .

You can also tape magnets on the jug of your vitamix to improve energy. ( I don't 100% believe in most of this stuff, just suggesting some possible answers to the question - I also don't 100% doubt it)

[kaybee]

aleesha--

thanks for explaining.
what about rocks with some crystals in them? any good? (trying to take the cheap option right now ;), but we've a lot of rocks with some crystal in them...and sometimes I find very small crystals (half to one inch), obelisk kind of shaped with flat sides 5 sides maybe? anyway, lots of rock with crystal in it in the garden. any good? probably need the big ones, huh?

[kaybee]

huh! thats really interesting about the vortex thing rawstrength. now that you say it i remember when i went to a david wolfe lecture im pretty sure he was emphasizing vortexes and that thats how his company gets their ormus water or whatever....

yeah, revvell, i dont imagine that came up in your top 10. or top 100 ;) its not something i would have expected someone to ask me, thats why it sort of threw me for a loop. and the question was asked genuinely, not just as an avoidance of raw food...so that made it even more difficult to figure out how to deal with :) i like your thing about telling them you reverse the vitamix and 'undizzy" the energy after you blend it one way ;)

[oai]

hm. cool. we're all learning something new. so if anyone does come up with this for convo., we some info. :D

[Aleesha Sattva]

kaybee, any form of crystal will assist. if you want the most bang for you buck you can go with the apophyllite crystals and they are super potent and small pieces are literally only a couple of bucks.

but, as with everything in life... there are no hard and fast rules. try different things and find out what works for YOU.

[Aleesha Sattva]

lucy, i love those candles!!!

[Rawism]

So funny you bring up this topic! When I used to go to a weight loss doctor, I was told the exact same thing!! She said that smoothies were prohibited because the blender creates extra energy in the drinks. I thought she was so crazy!! I had never heard of such a thing.

Not that I agree with her, but I guess I do see the point she was making. Nonetheless, that has not stopped me from consuming my green smoothies ;)

[Veganforlife]

I have carried this pouch around for years and years. It has gone to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and back three times. It's ALWAYS with me...

[oai]

man. i want some. do you guys think i can get crystals at an arts & crafts store? :confused: it's pretty huge, but i don't know if that type of store would carry stuff like crystals. i obviously am not into arts & crafts. :o

wait. i found this (http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=bd0658). are they too small to be effective?

[Aleesha Sattva]

those are man made crystals... they carry no energy like natural ones do.

[Aleesha Sattva]

great pouch lucy!

[RawHeaven]

are they too small to be effective?

nope. all sizes of gemstones and crystals are powerful. what's important is whether you connect with the particular stone or not. some people do this by sensing the energy when placed in the palm of the hand.

small is good too. afterall we begin with teeny tiny black & white particles that become atoms ----> cells etc. ;) :D

[Aleesha Sattva]

rawheaven did you look at what she's asking about? they are man made...

[Veganforlife]

rawheaven did you look at what she's asking about? they are man made...

Yeah by a guy named Swarovski!!!!

[oai]

how do i tell the difference? :confused: should i look for something called, "natural crystals?" seriously guys, i'm so clueless. :o

[Veganforlife]

Check this out:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070801174730AAHqw73

[Veganforlife]

Getting back to the original post? Start talking about crystals with them! LOL!!! :p:D:p

[Aleesha Sattva]

how do i tell the difference? :confused: should i look for something called, "natural crystals?" seriously guys, i'm so clueless. :o

if the crystal is absolutely clear... it's probably man made. natural crystals have cloudiness within them... areas may be clear but not 100% clear. and if you ask the seller, they'll know if they are man made or not. ;) just ask them "if this natural or man made".

[oai]

thanks guys. i would have casually took myself to the store & bought the man-made ones. eventually, i would have thought to myself "energy fields, hu???" :p

I like this one:


Working with any Crystals can only be successful when you can go to a rock shop to buy them or Believe it or Not, to a Natural History or Mineral Museum. At both places you can garner knowledge while you look at and possibly feel the warmth or vibrations from some.

I always choose the crystal first and later decide its usage. many times I have bought embedded crystals for the very reason that you are asking in your question. Few, if any, counterfeiter will go to the trouble and expense of embedding a crystal into a piece of rock.

I think, for you, a Museum would be best.

Sorry about the thread jack. :o Should anyone in the class ask about the blender and energy fields, yes, start talking about crystals. :p

[corrietcs]

Hi Raw Foodies,

I am just learning more about raw foods myself, but I am an energy healer and the way that this thread is going could be construed as insulting to energy work as the conversations by people blindly criticizing raw food.

Mindfulness/nonviolence of speech(ie listening) is important in digestion too (think about how hard it is to eat when your upset-that's energy). Raw food from my understanding belongs to a wholistic approach to our being and what that woman asked was legitimate regardless of her reasoning to ask it in the first place.

So instead of trying to come up with a knee-jerk response to this woman's legitimate question let's address it in a meaningful way, by trying to understand more ourselves. When we try to adapt an answer to a persons question without understanding or more frightenly judging the question, well, in all honesty we're being bad economist (i am one of those too) -adapting our answers without understanding the problem.

So a little thing about energy work, while I am shocked she asked the question, I am actually pleasant surprised by it. So here is a thing about energy, vibrations most often run in circles, or more so spirals. (please don't consider it quackery until you've given more than one modality a try, you might be pleasantly surprised by your healing). So blending food possibly increases the speed of the spin and likely puts all the spin into a singular pattern (i am speculating here since I am not advanced enough to conduct the experiment myself). Is this a problem? I don't know, many factors are involved and each energy worker will have their own idiosyncracies (just like raw foodies).

Energy, which is everything in the universe is constantly spinning. (When you see steam out of an oven note the spin). One question to be asked back, is the concern from the material being used (metal, glass, plastic all affect vibration), or from the spinning process itself. If it's the material used there's not a lot that can be done about it, blades seem to be standardized these days and I don't know what material would be ideal (maybe stone or copper? I really don't know). If it is from the spinning, ask thier perspective/concern on the energy impact and see what they say. You might quickly find they have no idea and it will stop the empty line of questioning or it will lead to an interesting conversation.

The thing is, spins can be controlled by thought as much as it is by mechnical means. If you had answered that you offered your food energy with intention for the food to be healing and serving your highest good before you consume to balance the energy, she probably would not have resisted at all. But if the response comes off defensive (ie cooking does too), does not really enhance the raw food argument. Again, until you have had energy work done or been taught to play with energy, energy of food may sound just as crazy as say, raw food to a carnivoire.

So her question is legitimate, and if energy isn't your area or if there is no credible source to answer the question than a simple "I don't know" will move you past the question and on to other things you both can more meaningfully an informingly discuss. You can also invite your questioners to experiment. Maybe participate in the experiment with them. This is how we might learn something even more valuable and useful about food. Like what food energy really is through hands on learning. Clue... some ways to test energy are through radio frequencies, through hands, or with a pendulum.

Good luck with your cooking class and remember if people ask questions, our own attitude chooses if the question is an attack or curiosity, why not always give the better benefit of doubt and go for teachable/learnable moment? And when questions get to intense, remember we can't change peoples minds if they don't want to be changed, sometimes the mind that needs to be changed is our own, and sometimes challenges aren't worth the effort they require. Let them have their belief and should their health or another reason make them come back to ask new questions, be compassionate.

namaste





People where I live are pretty unfamiliar with the idea of raw foods. They are into alternative medicine and homeopathy and stuff to a certain extent though... I was recently talking to a friend who works at a health food store about raw foods; until I explained, every time I said raw foods, she couldnt imagine anything but carrot sticks. Shes definitely open to the concepts of raw vegan, BUT... heres a/the catch. I was explaining how I made hemp milk with unhulled seeds... and I said something to the effect of that I "blasted it in the blender for quite some time" and then strained it. Her concern/objection is that blending/processing stuff in that way (I guess with the use of electricity??) interferes with the energy field of it, and makes the energy field (?) all mangled and twisted and confused/damages the food so its not good for our bodies anymore.... I pointed out that cooking does something similar, which she sort of agreed, but it seemed more obviously evident to her that the foods energy field was confused/disrupted/damaged by heavy blending..... Now, I see her point, BUT the evidence of so many people really thriving on raw and especially on stuff like green smoothies seems to show otherwise/refute this concern.... As Im going to be teaching a raw foods course soon, I expect Im going to be faced with other questions similar to this. Any ideas on how to respond?

Thanks much
kaybee