RAAAA! Foodies Unite - and get real!

Egyptian sun god RaOne vegetarian diet that has been trending for the past few years is that of the raw food persuasion.  The meat eaters’ version of this would be the Paleo diet, but that’s a fleshy story for another day.  Raw food vegetarians believe that it was nature’s intension to eat only raw fruits, vegetables and sprouted grains.  Personally, this way of eating makes me drool, but I don't think that I am of the same mold as others.

Actually, the word raw goes back to the Egyptian term, Ra – which is the name of their sun god. In ancient times it was understood that when people ate raw food, they ate foods relative to the season.  To eat Ra, or Raw food, one harmonized the viscosity (fluidity) of their blood to the earth’s seasonal temperatures through their diet.

In warmer months our body moves blood quickly, and disperses internal heat through perspiration. The quality of our blood is more fluid, or viscous.  And by “coincidence” the produce that is in-season is characterised by its high water content; nature's way to replenish body fluids lost by the summer heat.  Think watermelon, cucumber, grapes and salads.

As the season cools our blood flow becomes slower, denser. Food that grows in these seasons are also denser and don't hold a lot of water.  Because of this, these foods are meant to be heated by fire, which traps the heat and brings warmth to the body. Think root vegetables and dense, low-lying vegetables such as pumpkin, squash and zucchini.

Eating locally grown, in-season produce ensures that we maintain our health as the seasonal demands on our body change.  Having said that, we can still find seasonally-adjusted ways to eat uncooked vegetables and fruit every day, to top up our mineral stores and maintain the ever-important alkaline digestive system.

By this definition, I am a pinkie vegetarian raw foodie.  Or, on that one irritable day every month, a RAAAA! Foodie!