Hi,
I just started reading this thread and it is very interesting.
No_biz, I wanted to say that I think you are correct that we should experiment on ourselves before radically changing our children's diets. I don't even give my kids herbs until I have tried them for a while.
If you haven't seen our discussions on the raw omnivore forum, there are a few threads near the top with some good info on chimpanzee diets.
//www.curezone.org/forums/f.asp?f=575
I ate 100% raw for a few months before the end of the school year, then I started eating one cooked meal a day, in the evenings, during the summer - because my kids were not going to school and the stress and cravings for cooked foods were too much for me. I have to say that EVERY TIME I eat cooked food now, my stomach feels upset and I get really tired. I don't know why I keep eating it (probably addiction). I usually wind up taking some enzyme supplement. I don't know why after eating cooked food almost every day all summer, I still seem to be unable to digest it.
I think I am going to go back to 100% raw when school starts in 3 weeks. I'm hoping to gain weight through exercise, and the raw diet really didn't make a big difference in my weight anyway. I lost less than 1 kg, which was just a few
inches on my waist; all of my clothes fit me exactly the same as they did before, except for the waist, so I now wear a belt with almost all of my pants. Also, I did not gain any weight back this summer when I started eating a cooked meal in the evening. Though I have to say I have always been small and have been basically the same size for the past 18 years.
I am currently trying to eat as closely as I can to the diet of the wild chimpanzee. I think they are the best role model. I find that I feel best when I eat nothing but fruit during the day and then maybe some raw veggies/nuts/avocadoes in the evening. I used to be "pre-diabetic", but the fresh fruit does not bother me at all; I can even eat a whole
Watermelon in the morning and have no ill-effects. The only supplement I take regularly is Dr Schultze's Superfood.
As far as meat is concerned, my opinion is that small amounts are okay, raw, but I don't think it is necessary. I don't want to get into a debate. I am just modelling the chimpanzee, who does eat meat. During the summer, I have been eating raw salmon about once a week. During the winter, I will up this to 3 times per week. I am not eating meat for protein, as I don't think extra protein is necessary. I am eating the salmon for the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and (during the winter) for the vitamin D. I looked into buying a vitamin D lamp for the winter, but was unable to find someone who would ship to me.
As for my children, I make fresh fruit available to them at all times. They still eat cooked foods as well, but they don't want them as much when they eat a lot of fruits. My children are "free-fed" are are allowed to eat anything in the house at any time of the day or night. The only restriction I put on them is that they must eat a fresh fruit in the morning before they get anything cooked. They rarely eat any cooked meat when we are home, but I do not restrict them when we are out (we rarely eat out anyway).
My daughter loves raw salmon, and will eat over a pound of it in one sitting. Both my kids like raw quail eggs; so much that I have to stop buying them for a while because they take them out of the fridge when I am not looking and crush them all into cups to drink them and wind up ruining most of them. I am not concerned about the paratites in these foods. Here in Japan, everyone feeds these raw to their children and the children here are exceptionally healthy. The Salmon is pre-frozen, which kills the dangerous parasites, and the eggs here are very fresh. I am not eating chicken eggs raw, though I have been told that it is a common practice here and that all Japanese eggs are safe to be eaten raw before the expiration date, which is stamped or stickered on each individual egg.
Tina.