99.9% or 100%

[dhammala]

Hi everyone,

I have read in some books and forum posts that some of you long term raw foodies feel there is a big difference between being 99.9% raw and being 100% raw. Can you share some of your thoughts? What are some of the differences? What happens to our bodies, physically, emotionally, mentally when we are 100% vs 99.9% ? What has been your personal experience?

Thanks!

[Sharon in Colorado]

I have read in Victoria Boutenko's book (not sure which book) that the big difference lies in your body not defending itself against anything that is not raw.

That if you are still putting the slightest denatured thing in your body, the high amount of mucous will remain to protect your body from damage.

When you are totally 100% pure, your body rids itself of this excess mucous (there will always be mucous in the body btw) and the nutrients are much better absorbed.

But in the same book she does go on to say that if you were to eat something that you didn't realize was cooked (maybe in a recipe or something) that it is okay. This didn't really make much sense to me, because your body does know what your mind doesn't.

[Doe]

Maybe she was just trying to say that there is no need worrying - obsessing -about something we didn't even know we were doing or might accidentally do. Worry also causes disease.

Teri S

[sport]

I have definetly found that if I eat something cooked it disrupts my toilet regularity for many days afterwards. It could take me 3 days to get back to normal and go after every meal.

[yeahbethany]

That if you are still putting the slightest denatured thing in your body, the high amount of mucous will remain to protect your body from damage.

When you are totally 100% pure, your body rids itself of this excess mucous (there will always be mucous in the body btw) and the nutrients are much better absorbed.

But in the same book she does go on to say that if you were to eat something that you didn't realize was cooked (maybe in a recipe or something) that it is okay. This didn't really make much sense to me, because your body does know what your mind doesn't.

I agree, Sharon, it doesn't make much sense to me. What about all the things she may have "thought" were raw, but weren't actually raw (such as wild rice, nuts that had been heated in processing, etc)? Plus, I believe that other factors besides food, such as environmental toxins and stress may cause us to hold on to mucous as well.

I think it is important not to obsess, about that .001 percent, if everything feels good to you! =)

[DavidZaneMason]

I think that the real important thing is that you are in a PROCESS of getting 100% to some goal in your life. Something that YOU decide is helpful / healthful. Having swallowed that level of commitment in ones life.....toward one's goals...is very important.

-In other words (in my experience): If something is continually determined to be a good thing (like eating healthier)....then why ever stop that process? Why not go slow.....but comfortably....and never stop? If cooked food is inhernetly inferior in all ways....why settle for even a bit of it? What is it inside a person that causes him to sacrifice long-term success for short-term gain? Or to accept lower quality?

-Just some thoughts - which I hope are helpful.

-David Mason

[mollyokeeffe]

I'm still taking in heated water infusuions (AKA tea) while otherwise being close to 100%, I wonder what it would be like to be consistently 100%... It requires more vigilence, such as avoiding questionable things like store bought dried fruit, certain seed and nut butters, dried spices and packaged raw things made with braggs, dates and other fruits that may be steamed, other spices and cashews and other questionable nuts. It means eating exclusively high integrity plant food (preferably local organic to be sure it wasn't steamed) in it's raw state which often requires manifesting and making it yourself (to assure the integrity of all ingredients) or just eating it whole. It is a big difference from the casual raw foodist who feels satisfied to be high raw or nearly 100% and will eat things from stores labelled raw which one never knows for sure. Sometimes I am just happy to be eating much better than I was when I was not in the raw vibe at all.
Making things myself with all raw ingredients tossed into a food processor can be rich and rewarding and satisfy the habitual craving for combinations and plates of interesting combinations.
Although not many, I have had days of this kind of 100% with some mono style vigilence and it was more spiritual and closer to a fasting kind of vibe than casual raw. I think it is a step deeper into non-duality and has the potential to encourage more conscious eating and a deeper commitment with more care. There is a merging aspect by eating one kind of raw food at a time, even if it is 3 pounds of bananas in one sitting followed by a large avocado and then calling it a meal... One feels more intimate with the food when they are not multi-combined, shredded, oiled and spiced.
It is something else altogether even to try it for just a day or a meal.
One need not eat mono to be 100% but it makes it easy as there is less room for accidental cooked...
I have heard for years that 98% raw is 98% good, as the body continues to be on alert to that 2% cooked, while 100% raw is 1,000% good in terms of over all feeling, giving the body a full rest from all white blood cell release or attacks on cooked food poisons.
For some of us at certain times, it may not be worth the energy to be that vigilant, prefering the ease of a casual raw lifestyle, while for others it is not a problem at all.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Maybe she was just trying to say that there is no need worrying - obsessing -about something we didn't even know we were doing or might accidentally do. Worry also causes disease.

Teri S

She may have been referring to addiction, that if you consume something questionable and not realizing it, it probably wouldn't cause you to go back to cooked food.

However it didn't make sense about it not affecting you if you were already 100%.

[rawpriestess]

I studied extensively with Victoria Boutenko, and what she said was that when you are 100% raw, your botdy totally detoxes, and realeases ALL of it's mucoid plaque from your digestive system, but if you keep any part of the cooked food in your food program, then the body, will not release the mucoid plaque which protects it from taking in the toxins, in the cooked food. Because it knows you need the protection.

It's similar to a person who used to smoke one pack a day, but cuts down to one cigarette, and the person who doesn't smoke at all anymore.

The one who doesn't smoke, has their lungs and body clear of tar and nicotine and all that pretty quickly, but the one who keeps smoking even one cigarette a day, keeps a very high level of yuck in their system.

that is why a smoker, will wake up after a cigarette fast, and cough (which is the beginning of their detox) so they have a cigarette, and the smoking stops for hours. (because the body now knows it is NOT supposed to detox, because the toxins are being re-introduced into the body).

Anyway, that is how she explained it in the classes I was in.

[sweetgoddess]

There is a difference between 99.9 % and 100% for a few reasons.

I am going to share the theory without quoting the exact numbers, because I dont remember them and dont have my stuff here to reference! So it's just to give you the idea.

When you are eating any cooked food, your body's ability to assimilate the nutrients decreases. On 100% raw food, you assimilate 30 percent of the nutrients in your food. When you eat 99% that drops to something like 15% or it maye have been even less. That bit of cooked food interferes with your body's ability to assimilate nutrients. Of course, the 15 or so percent 99 percent raw gives you is a lot higher than what we were getting on a high cooked diet, and I dont promote freaking out over things for sure, lol.
But for optimal functioning and assimilation, 100 percent living, energy infused foods with whole, usable nutrition will provide you with the highest level of functioning.

And as already dscussed, mucous is created when you ingest something cooked or unusable to your body.

I also think emotionally, for some people, it makes a huge difference leaving a crack open.

It all comes down to the individual, really. How good do they want to feel in this lifetime, and what do they feel they need to do to achieve that.

Have a lovely day!
Carmel

[Peas&Carrots]

This is a fabulous post. This is the #1 topic in raw food I want to know more about. What are the real negative side effects of having 1% raw one day per week? How long does it take to get that cooked food (poison) out of your body? I think this is the essential topic. Very good information so far. If I could just hear that one fact, that one sentance that tips me over the edge on 99 vs 100, that would solve many other things.

BTW- I think the 12 Steps Bountenko book said that 100% was 30% assimilation and 99% was 1 or 3% assimilation. BIG difference. But for me, I think I would respond better to the negative effects of just little bit cooked. A few crackers one day a week, a spoonful of peanut butter. What can it really do? Now, as far as addiction, I now believe this 100%. As far as physical effects, this is something I hope we can talk and share experiences about.

[Angelina]

Carmel...I understand why that makes sense and can definitely see some difference in my body/allergies when I am 100% vs. 99 or below. But what seems soo daunting is that some of the products that are in beloved raw recipes such as maple syrup or cashews that aren't 100% raw or questionable nut butters, such as Trader Joes Organic raw (vs. the inorganic raw that has roasted on the label). So to be 100%, it just seems that one has to be very particular and strict? Any time I've been 100% its basically all fruits, green smoothies, salads, veggies and raw soaked nuts. NO elaborate recipes. So I can see myself doing that most of the time, but would also love to have those yummy recipes too.

[Sharon in Colorado]

So when we are talking about the slightest percentage denatured, we mean Nama Shoyu, cashews and other questionable dried nuts, any dried fruit that isn't sun-dried, most seasonings and spices from jars, frozen foods that have been blanched and/or denatured during the freezing process, most dehydrated foods, correct?

Just wanted to make sure about that. Seems that we all have or do eat a little bit of that occassionally, which means nobody is really 100%

[Lauraw]

BTW- I think the 12 Steps Bountenko book said that 100% was 30% assimilation and 99% was 1 or 3% assimilation.

Victoria says in her book that this is her theory based on experience with her family and others. These percentages have not been proven scientifically.

[Cinnamon]

Very good thread and something I know we all think about.

The questionable things we sometimes eat that we can't be sure are really raw such as mentioned above: cashews, almond butter, maple syrup (not raw but used in many "raw" desserts), Bragg's, frozen corn in "raw" corn chips, and so on are what keeps many of us from being 100%.

To eliminate all questionable ingredients and eat a pure diet would be ideal but I don't know how practical it can be given recipes that call for these things we want to try and enjoy. Does trying to be 100% drive me nuts versus 99% being very doable and easy to live with... hard to answer that for myself.

I don't have an answer as I have not maintained a "true" 100% raw food diet for any length of time, I do use some of these items occasionally and wonder just how my raw food results could possibly improve on a pure diet.

Some experimenting I can do on myself for sure!

[Ariannah]

I found it much easier to be 100% without a single questionable ingredient in the summer time. Lots of delectable fresh fruit to eat in abundance, greens were fresh and pure.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Good point Cinnamon. I have to admit it drives me (soaked) nuts when folks say they are 100% raw but they are making recipes here and there and eating Larabars. It is like a "vegetarian" who eats fish.

Just say you're (not you, anybody) all raw, or eat raw food. Why the percentages?

[dhammala]

I thought Larabars are raw?

[Sharon in Colorado]

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8206 The Larabar thread

[dhammala]

Thanks Sharon.. just saw that one too! LOL

[sweetgoddess]

Here is some food for thought:

"Consider these facts about cooked, frozen, canned, and processed foods:

they have been depleted of most vitamins
they create toxins
they drain the life force from the body
they harm the constructive bacteria in the intestines
they produce harmful bacteria in the intestines
they poison the bloodstream, thereby feeding disease
they clog the body's lymph system
they drain the body's enzyme reserve
they overwork and clog the elimination systems
they strain the glandular system, especially the endocrine glands
they overwork the digestive system
they cause stress, congestion and mucus
they produce the ideal environment for parasites
they lower our consciousness, our vibration "
-Dr. Richard Anderson