To Cook or Not to Cook - An Introduction to Different Schools of Thought

photo credits: tunachilli

There’s a big food fight going on between the Macrobiotic and the Raw community over differences in their health disciplines- with the Raw foodists emphasizing on beneficial ‘live’ enzymes and the Japanese derived health system- the Macrobiotics emphasizing on the balance of yin and yang.

Macrobiotics also has roots in Chinese medical science. In Chinese traditional medicine, there are 4 different body types:

TAI YANG (Greater Yang): Large, beefy, red-faced, over-developed upper body, under developed lower body

SHAO YANG (Lesser Yang): Healthy mesomorphic, neither fat nor thin, normal muscle tone

TAI YIN (Greater Yin): Endomorphic, obese, pale-faced, lack of tone, overdeveloped lower body

SHAO YIN (Lesser Yin): Ectomorphic, thin, nervous, restless

-Flaws and Sionneau, “Introduction”, The Treatment of Modern Western Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Pg 24

These diverse body types are the general categories whereby the duality of heat/cold and dry/damp energies manifest. All body types are constantly in flux, with factors such as age, gender and lifestyle as determinants to whether it falls into greater or lesser yang or greater and lesser yin categories. Thus, a person can be a mixture of 2 types or 1 type over lapping another due to life stage transitions and other environmental factors.

Yang body types generally benefit from diets that are more in yin in nature as a counter preventive towards an overbearing of yang (heat/ dry/ expansive) energy, while Yin body types’ tendency to gravitate towards an excess of Yin (cold/ damp/ contracting) energy would benefit from a more Yang-oriented diet, although a more complicated diagnosis is usually given.

photo credits: BoSquidley

The Chinese believe Yin/ Yang, a never constant and ever changing attribute imbued in all forms of life in the universe, to be a naturally occurring phenomena. Yin subjugates Yang; Yin yields to Yang and vice versa in an on-going, cyclical push/pull relationship.

Even foods that are Yin such as most vegetables and fruits may become more Yang through food preparation methods: frying, sauteing, roasting, dehydrating. Steaming and broiling are considered Yin preparation methods. Most raw fruits and vegetables are Yin while some of them, such as spices (onions, garlic, ginger etc) are ‘Yang‘. Visit these links for examples of Yin/Yang foods: see Fengshui Institute, Goto and Wikipedia.

Macrobiotics generally favour a grain heavy diet, with a variety of cooked dishes that reflects changes in seasons, climate and habitat.

On the other side of the spectrum, Living Foods and Raw Foodists adhere to the Acid/ Alkaline Food Chart, relying on the final pH value of the ash incurred through digestion as a gauge towards optimum health. Seeking to restore the body’s natural pH to reach the human body equilibrium of 80% Alkaline and 20% Acid through guided food intake, with the emphasis on raw foods. According to this school of thought, restricting the amount of acidifying foods and increasing the alkaline-forming foods will prevent disease and help heal residing ailments. Here are some source for the Acid/ Alkaline Chart: Natural Health School, The Wolf Clinic and Rense.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin, who practices medicine in Kensington, Maryland thinks that this whole Acid/Alkaline Theory of Disease is nothing but hogwash:

Certain foods can leave end-products called ash that can make your urine acid or alkaline, but urine is the only body fluid that can have its acidity changed by food or supplements. ALKALINE-ASH FOODS include fresh fruit and raw vegetables. ACID-ASH FOODS include ALL ANIMAL PRODUCTS, whole grains, beans and other seeds. These foods can change the acidity of your urine, but that’s irrelevant since your urine is contained in your bladder and does not affect the pH of any other part of your body. - Acid/Alkaline of Disease is Nonsense, January 11, 2009

However, he agrees with the commonly held view by most scientists that the excessive consumption of protein sets the stage for osteoporosis- the weakening of bones through loss of calcium:

“When you take in more protein than your body needs, your body cannot store it, so the excess amino acids are converted to organic acids that would acidify your blood. But your blood never becomes acidic because as soon as the proteins are converted to organic acids, calcium leaves your bones to neutralize the acid and prevent any change in pH.”

photo credits: iirraa

Enzymes are complex proteins that break down into their component amino acids in the process of digestion. Raw Foodists believe that since only raw food has ‘live’ enzymes, the digestive organs of a person who eats cooked food has to work harder to produce enzymes to complete the digestive process. Dr. Edward Howell, who pioneered research in the benefits of food enzymes, wrote, “Although the body can manufacture enzymes, the more you use your enzyme potential, the faster it is going to run out…” (Purohit, Raw Food Vs. Cooked Food, the Enzyme Factor, para 5) Raw Foodists argue that since raw food are already packed with ‘live’ enzymes, it takes lesser energy to digest raw foods, compared to cooked foods.

The viewpoints and approaches presented here are only the tip of the ice berg amidst the countless methologies available which seek to provide answers to optimum health, longevity and wellness. But in the end, it all boils down to what one chooses to believe in and the degree of commitment he/she chooses to implement in daily life.

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1. Plant Blood & the Great Protein Debate

Filed under: Being Raw • Debates on Health

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