Cooking is the beginning of much disease and the shorting of life span. It mutilates food. The chemical changes are numerous.

>>"Have you heard of strongman Joe Rollino age 104?"<<

No.

>>"A lifetime vegetarian died after being hit by a car while jogging. His story is one of many countless vegetarian health stories "the model of health" according to the article."<<

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that *a few* people (in the global scheme of things of a total global population of nearly 7 billion) can achieve decent health and well being on a vegetarian diet.

I never stated *all people* in my post...

That is what is *wrong* with most people these days. They latch on to a single line of thought and think that *their* way is the *best* way for *everyone*. IT IS NOT - NEVER WAS, AND NEVER WILL BE.

That line of thinking is VERY harmful to many.

If a vegetarian lifestyle is best for *YOU*, then great - go for it... if you *trust* the article as being accurate.

>>"What is the proper intestinal flora and how to acheive it is a matter of learning."<<

Incorrect. Learn all you wish about microflora, however, due to radical changes in diets over the last 150 years or so, many microbiologists that study this stuff believe that some forms of intestinal flora have become extinct in most people - all but those still, at least in part, on a traditional, *native* diet... which are very, very few.

Keeping in mind that all processed foods, and commercially raised food is not any where close\near to what food once was when we were all generally responsible for growing, hunting, and gathering our own.

>>"Vegetarian is very healthy if done properly, and raw is the only way animals eat their food in the wild. Humanity was not born to do cooking either."<<

The vast majority of animals, birds and reptiles are NOT strictly vegetarian... even insects eat other insects.

Most apes, including chimps do hunt and eat meat; albeit raw, so... your argument for eating raw I accept to a point. HOWEVER, if an individual were lacking in certain nutrients due to a lack of certain microflora (all, or any of the microflora that manufacture or convert plant based nutrition, to animal based), AND\OR, have any number of metabolic issues that prevent the utilization of those converted plant based nutrients, cooking foods, especially dark greens, with lots of animal based fats can slowly serve to correct these issues.

From time to time, we see someone, such as your *Joe*, who is an *exception*. But then I never *lived* with him and ate with him over the years and have no way of knowing if he was *truly* a vegetarian or if it is just hearsay used to promote a lifestyle and *sell things either. He may have been a vegetarian... and he may not have... I did not know him. And hearing *of* him, along with what is *said* about him, proves nothing.

In a world with nearly 7 billion people living on it, what makes YOU think that everyone is the SAME? And should *eat* the same? We are not the same... and must adjust our diets to *our* optimal diet as we find things that make us feel good and strong, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and work to avoid those foods that make us feel bad and weak. Just look around you and you will observe differences\diversity in physical appearances alone... and outward signs of *HUGE* metabolic differences, including disease and illness.

There is NO historic record of an entirely vegetarian people on this planet that I am aware of... however, I will concede that there were some who were close, generally dependent upon their *class* rank in society... and *always*, in my research conducted thus far, that class rank was limited to the lower classes, and\or slave laborers.

There are a lot of factors to consider here... including that the vegetarian diet is largely enabled through modern, retail food stores... especially for those that live in areas of short growing seasons. Vegetarianism would never be possible in such a natural environment - people would starve to death.

Without the commercial food stores, the variety required for a healthy vegetarian diet would be impossible for most to achieve... with the possible exception of those that lived in a round the year, three or more (with planning and canning\preserving) growing seasons environment.

If you do not believe me... only eat what you can grow for several years and see how you do.

I am not arguing, as much as I am trying to get yourself and others to realize, that there is NO one size fits all diet... never has been, likely never will be - though with the population growth on this planet... it may come to that one day if we survive - soylent green.

grz-