|
Well, lets start from the beginning- most of us have probably heard
of the latest craze "raw foodism", so lets find out what it is first:
 Raw foodism
is a movement promoting the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed, and
often organic foods, as a large percentage of the diet. A raw food diet
consists fully of foods which have not been heated above a certain
temperature. The maximum temperature varies among the different forms
of the diet, from 92ºF to 118°F (33°C to 48°C). Raw food diets may
include a selectıon of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds (including
whole grains), eggs, fish, meat and unpasteurized dairy products (such
as raw milk, cheese and yogurt).
A raw foodist is a
person who consumes primarily raw food, or all raw food, depending on
how strict the person is. Raw foodists typically believe that the
greater the percentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health
benefits. They generally believe raw food prevents and/or heals many
forms of sickness and many chronic diseases. Freezing food is
considered acceptable by many raw foodists; some choose to preserve
nuts and seeds in a freezer.
So, you are probably asking, is this good for me? Consuming
raw foods has its pluses and minuses. Depending upon the type of food
you are talking about, you may be getting the maximum nutritional
benefits, but also risking your food safety. What is good for you is
vitamin and minerals that can reduce when food such as vegetables and
fruits are cooked, however even when vegetables and fruits are cooked
they still have vitamins and minerals we need.
What about my skin?
To promote healthy skin doctors recommend getting enough sleep (8
hours), reducing stress, using a mild soap, avoiding the sun, and....
Getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals (which is where raw
food comes in). The jury is still out on raw food, but in my opinion as
long as you are getting the vitamins you need (I suggest you enjoy at
least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day- raw or cooked. And
I, unlike raw foodists, do not advocate eating raw meat!) there is no
need to have a "raw diet". However, if you are interested in a raw diet
please read below, which will help you safely create a raw diet for
yourself.
To preserve as many of the vitamins and
minerals as we can, the following tips were recommended in the book
`The Essential Guide to Vitamins & Minerals` by E. Somer, M.A.,
R.D.:
- Purchase only the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables that will be eaten within a few days.
- Store
refrigerated foods at less than 40ø F, frozen foods below 0ø F and
canned and dry goods in a cool, dry place. Even small fluctuations in
temperature can result in considerable loss of vitamin C in frozen
foods.
- Store canned or frozen foods for no more than 3 to 5
months as the vitamin content can decline as much as 75% or more with
longer storage times.
- Store bulk dried beans and peas,
noodles, rice, and flour in dark containers or in the refrigerator to
reduce their exposure to ultraviolet light, which destroys vitamin B2.
ALL
raw foods have microorganisms that may cause disease (such as
salmonella), given the right conditions. If handled properly, the foods
are safe (and nutritious) to eat. Here are some suggestions for proper
food handling that are detailed in `The Nutrition Bible` by Anderson
and Deskins:
- Eggs - store in their original
cartons. Cook them thoroughly (until yolks are set) before eating (and
this includes whole eggs, yolks or whites used for frostings, puddings,
mousses, ice creams, sauces and salad dressings). Use within a month.
- Fish
& Shellfish - illnesses from eating raw fishes range from viral
intestinal infections to hepatitis to worms and parasites. 85% of these
illnesses can be traced to eating raw shellfish (clams, mussels,
oysters and scallops). Eat no seafood that hasn`t been thoroughly
cooked. All seafood should be gotten home quickly, unwrapped, placed on
a clean plate and rewrapped - loosely- with plastic wrap. Cook or
freeze fish and shellfish within 24 to 36 hours.
- Meats &
Poultry - As with seafood, rush home from the store, unwrap at once,
place on a clean plate, cover loosely with plastic food wrap and store
in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Cook or freeze within 2 days.
Ground meats are the most perishable of all and have the most
potentially harmful bugs. Before freezing, shape into patties, wrap
snugly, and date. Before cooking, rinse poultry well under cool water
(inside and out). Blot red meats dry with paper toweling, then discard
the toweling. Cook all meat and poultry thoroughly before eating [a
meat thermometer is a good tool to use to make sure internal
temperatures are at the recommended levels].
- Raw milk - is
not nutritionally superior to pasteurized milk, and from a bacterial
standpoint it is definitely inferior. In fact, it is so risky some
areas ban its sale.
- Fruits & Vegetables - unbundle any
bundled or banded vegetables, discard any soft or decaying pieces, then
pop the rest into fresh plastic storage bags. Berries will also last
longer if removed from their cartons and placed in a bowl. All
vegetables should be unwrapped, then transferred to pristine storage
bags. Before serving or cooking, wash all fruits and vegetables
carefully in several rinses of tepid water, then peel, if necessary.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) adds these suggestions for raw fruit and vegetable safety:
- Wash produce in water. Use a scrub brush. Rinse thoroughly.
- Discard the outer leaves of leafy vegetables (i.e. lettuce).
- Cut
rinds off of melons or scrub the outside of your melon. Melon skins can
be washed with a diluted chlorine bleach solution. According to the
Ohio Cooperative Extension Service, mix one teaspoon of bleach (regular
bleach with no scent) in a gallon of water. Rinse thoroughly. The
quantity of bleach used should not exceed one Tablespoon of bleach per
gallon of water. For more detailed information, try their website
(listed below).
- Peel waxed fruit and vegetables (waxes can seal in pesticide residues).
- Peel vegetables such as carrots (this will remove pesticides that remain in or on the peel).
- Do
not cut vegetables on a cutting board or surface that was just used for
raw meat (that includes the knife used too). This will
cross-contaminate.
- Do not store vegetables below meat in the refrigerator. The raw meat drippings may fall on them and cause contamination.
- Keep your refrigerator produce drawer clean and sanitized.
|
