2) In Search of Raw Almonds

At the present time it is much easier to get raw almonds in some parts of California than in any other state of the US. The majority of the US almond crop is grown in CA and the current regulations state that any one purchaser can purchase up to 100 lbs. per day of raw almonds ONLY direct from the farm or from a farmer at a farmers market. Every single other CA almond by law is either treated with propylene oxide, a toxic fumigant recognized as a carcinogen by the EPA, or pasteurized, before being sold.

In NY at the Park Slope Food Coop that I'm a member of, they have brought in supposedly raw almonds from Italy. They are labeled raw but so are the other almonds labeled raw... the ones treated with either propylene oxide or pasteurized. I bought a few of these "raw" almonds from Italy but I do not trust them and I'll tell you why. First of all, the skin is much darker than I've seen on previous raw almonds... I mean the truly raw almonds that I've had experience with for many years. The skin of these Italian raw almonds are as dark as the CA treated and labeled raw almonds. The second reason that I don't trust them is that when you soak them in water overnight, the skins peel off very easily. This has not been my previous experience with truly raw almonds. When you soak truly raw almonds overnight, the skins DO NOT pop off easily.

Fifteen almond farmers and handlers in CA have teamed up with the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute (www.cornucopia.org) and instituted a lawsuit seeking to repeal the controversial USDA-mandated treatment program. Citing loss of markets to foreign nuts, and other business hardships, the lawsuit states that prior to implementing the treatment regulation, the Almond Board of California did not seek the input of small-scale family and organic farms or the public at large, that chooses to eat healthy, whole, raw almonds. The two salmonella contaminated almond outbreaks were traced to a factory farm operation of 9000 acres. Factory farms and organic or small-scale farms raise almonds in completely different and distinct ways. Why should we lose our raw almonds because the factory farms do not want to clean up their act? Why should we lose our raw almonds because the factory farms want to protect themselves from the liability of their actions (more salmonella contamination's) by killing all the almonds?

It would be in our own best interests to help retrieve our raw almonds by supporting this lawsuit either through financial donations or writing letters to the appropriate parties involved or better yet, DO BOTH. To help support the lawsuit and to get a list of the parties to write to, go to: www.cornucopia.org.

If anyone has any ideas on how people in other states can get raw almonds, please let us know. Perhaps a small private buying coop can be formed. I don't know how legal it would be, but I really don't want to settle for foreign almonds which may or may not be treated. The regulation states that foreign nuts do not have to be treated, but as I stated before, the ones that I've bought are suspect.

3) Over a Thousand Dollars of F.R.E.E. Gifts Go with the Purchase of one Book: The Live Food Factor

I highly recommend this book, as I enjoyed reading it myself and in fact interviewed Susan on my radio show, Hooked on Raw last year. In this book Susan has gathered a collection of scientific studies all pointing to the immense value and efficacy of the raw food diet for returning and/or maintaining the body in vibrant. glowing health, which is every person's birthright. I found these studies to be one of the most compelling reasons to add this book to my personal collection, although the book also offers a very comprehensive view of the raw food diet.

“The best book on alternative health!” ---Dr. Vivian Vetrano
“This book is encyclopedic in scope and should be in the possession of all doctors, nutritionists and lay people. It's full of excellent information which can be valuable for all persons interested in vibrant health and a meaningful life.”---Dr. Stanley Bass, ND, DC, PhC, PhD, DO , DSc, DD

The Live Food Factor, The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet, by Susan Schenck, now has a second edition with Victoria BidWell. It has forewords by Victoria Boutenko and Dr. Vetrano, who was Dr. Shelton’s protégé. The first edition won the IPPY award for “Most Progressive Health Book of the Year” (2007).

This encyclopedic book of 660 pages is the most comprehensive guide to the raw food and Natural Hygiene movements. It includes 10 reasons to stop cooking, inspirational testimonials, over 60 scientific studies that prove the superiority of a raw diet, the history of the raw food diet, a chapter on fasting, a chapter on getting kids to eat raw, how to transition, recipes, and much, much more.

BUY IT ON JANUARY 24 or 25 and you will get dozens of bonus gifts and discount coupons, worth over a thousand dollars, including ebooks, discount coupons, mp3s, and recipes by noted raw foodists, health experts such as Dr. Joseph Mercola, and self-improvement leaders such as Peggy McColl, Terri Levine and John Assaraf.
Go to www.livefoodfactor.com/salesletter for details!

4) Some Studies from The Live Food Factor

a) "Molecules heated in cooking generate compounds toxic for embryos," Cahiers de nutrition et de dietetique (Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics), March 1982, pp. 36-37

In this study, a mixture of glucose (the most common sugar) and lysine (an amino acid) was heated for two hours at 194° F (90° C). Fifty percent of both compounds reacted, forming Maillard molecules. Then the resulting mixture was blended with food and fed to rats, using only 1/6th part of the compound mixture together with 5/6th part food. Results were that the number of embryos per litter decreased from 9.8 to 3.75. The weight of the embryos decreased, while placenta weight increased. The researchers interpreted the weight decrease of the embryos as signifying food poisoning rather than lack of nutrition. Teratogenic (interfering with normal embryonic development), vascularized tumors of the navel were also observed.

b) Colon Cancer Risk Lowered on Raw Diet

Quite a few controlled studies of the raw food diet's effects have been performed at the University of Kuopio in Finland. Researchers in the department of physiology published a paper called "Shifting from a conventional diet to an uncooked vegan diet reversibly alters fecal hydrolytic activities in humans" in The Journal of Nutrition (1992, Vol. 122, Issue 4, pp. 924-930, PubMed ID 552366).

The test group adopted a raw vegan diet for one month and then resumed a conventional diet for a second month, while the control group consumed a conventional diet throughout the study. Blood levels of the chemicals phenol and p-cresol, daily urine output and fecal enzyme activities were measured.

Within one week of commencing the raw vegan diet, fecal urease had decreased by 66%, cholylglycine hydrolase by 55%, beta-glucuronidase by 33% and beta-glucosidase by 40%. These values remained lowered throughout the diet. Within two weeks of resuming the conventional diet, however, the fecal enzyme activities returned to the higher, baseline values.

In plan English, these results suggested that the raw vegan diet resulted in a bodily adaptation: a definite decrease in bacterial enzymes and certain toxic products that have been implicated in colon cancer risk.

c) Dr. Werner Kollath's Study Animals Thrived on a Raw Diet

Just before World War II, Professor Kollath at the University of Rostock in Germany raised animals on processed food that had virtually no vitamins or minerals other than thiamine, potassium, sulfate and zinc.

Despite the depleted diet, the animals initially appeared healthy, showing no signs of deficiency. But when they reached adulthood, they displayed degenerative signs much like those of humans living in the Western world on conventional diets: osteoporosis, intestinal toxemia, dental cavities and damaged organs.

Kollath then gave these animals vitamin supplements to see if that would reverse their conditions. No improvement was noted. The chronic degeneration reversed only on a diet of fresh, living, raw food composed of many vegetables.

A control group raised on raw food all along that was never fed the processed food did not acquire the degenerative disease conditions. He labeled these differences "meso-health" and "super-health".

Researchers in Sweden and Germany later confirmed Dr. Kollath's findings. Research scientists studying raw food diets and their use in treating illness conclude that great numbers of people in industrialized societies are living in states of "meso-health" due to their highly processed and devitalized food.

5) This is what happens when you start 'em young. Raw Cheese Collard Wraps with Isadora

Until next time, wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year and may all your dreams be realized beyond your wildest expectations! Rhio

If you know of anyone who would appreciate receiving the Raw Energy Hotline, please have them subscribe at http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/mail_list/mailchooselocationpg.html

or forward their email to me and I will send them an invitation to join. Please put "invitation to join" in the subject line. Thank You!

6) Feedback

January 23, 2009

Querida Rhio,

Thanks so much for the wonderful newsletter and that great party, almost a month ago. If there were an Academy Award for raw foodists, you'd be the first winner.
 
I wanted to bring the following news to your attention in case you haven't already heard about it. I copied the following article from Denise Mari's newsletter. This is a case for you and Karen's activist org.

Mil cariños,

Joel

January 24, 2009

Rhio, thank you so much for this MAGICAL NEWSLETTER!
Miss you!

Always with LUV and more LUV,

Leah.

January 24, 2009

Hi Rhio,
 
That was very interesting and sad. I used to plan cultural arts events for the children in the Berkeley Heights Schools for 8 years when my daughter was in grammar school and middle school. The PTA in these schools kept the arts alive. We had some fun and creative shows.
 
With Warmth,
 
Taiana