Basically, this book claims that cooked food is toxic because cooking destroys the enzymes contained within the food.  Proponents believe that the pancreas (which produces the enzymes that digest food) is forced to work harder on a diet of cooked foods and that the live enzymes within the foods we eat are as essential to digestion as the enzymes made by the pancreas.  Is this really true?  Does the body's pancreas really have to work any harder than it was originally designed to do by merely eating cooked foods?  And even if it does have to work a little harder, why is that a bad thing? Also, this odd premise neglects to work out the details for people deficient in specific digestive enzymes. For example, if you are deficient in lactase (the digestive enzyme produced by the pancreas to digest the sugar in milk) and you drink raw milk, then you still won't be able to digest the sugar found in the milk?raw or otherwise.  If the very premise of the raw food diet is that it gives us the enzymes that we need to be healthy and to digest our foods properly, then I find it very strange that Ms. Alt actually recommends using supplemental digestive enzymes along with the raw diet.  In my opinion, needing to buy additional digestive enzymes in a bottle seems to defeat the purpose behind the book.

As odd as this will sound, the book actually claims that no other animals on the planet cook their food and, therefore, wild animals do not get degenerative diseases. I did a Google search for degenerative diseases in wild animals and came up with 166,000 hits that discuss hundreds of degenerative diseases in wild animals in detail.  Let's face it.  Most animals living in the wild are killed off by predators before they are old enough to develop degenerative diseases, but that doesn't mean they don't get degenerative diseases because they eat raw foods.

My biggest beef (excuse the pun) with the book is the suggestion that you can and should eat raw meats. Historically, this hasn't worked very well.  Just consider how many food borne illnesses occur every year in the United States and how many people have actually died from eating raw meats. Whether we're talking about raw oysters, sushi or (God forbid) raw beef and poultry, raw meats are dangerous and potentially deadly regardless of where you shop for them. Last year there were 2.2 million food borne illnesses in Canada alone. Just think how many people became ill or died world wide. There were 2.5 million cases of illness reported from undercooked chicken or foods exposed to undercooked chicken. Eating raw oysters caused an estimated 120 million dollars in medical expenses in America last year alone.  Between 1989 and 2002, 169 people were killed from eating raw oysters. Honestly, if I listed all of the deaths from salmonella and other bacteria found in raw meats it would take several pages. Let me stress something:  It is essential that all raw animal products be cooked properly in order to be safe for consumption.  Dairy products and eggs must be cooked in order to avoid salmonella and to avoid parasites or other diseases.

I must also criticize this diet for being way too harsh and restrictive for most average people to follow short-term or to make into a permanent lifestyle.  Besides the potential harm I mentioned above, it is lacking in protein, calcium and certain vitamins and minerals and can lead to deficiencies.  And if eating raw food is the healthiest choice, then why would there be a disclaimer placed at the front of Carol Alt's book?  It states, "While this book emphasizes the benefits of eating uncooked foods, raw meat, fish, dairy and eggs, these ingredients (especially from an unreliable source) can contain bacteria that may cause serious illness or even death.  People who are pregnant or have suppressed immune systems are especially vulnerable."  Does this still sound like the fountain of youth to you or more like a fountain of death?

If you are still not convinced that this "lifestyle" may not be the best choice for you, let's look at how hard this diet would be to live with on a day-to-day basis for the rest of your life: Imagine having to purchase all of your foods either at a special store or from online sites that cater to the raw food movement.  Produce is supposed to be organic and as fresh as possible. It is even recommended that you purchase your produce directly from the farmer that grew it to be sure that it is fresh. Produce markets, health food stores, food co-ops and raw-food specialty stores are good in a pinch as are the new internet specialty shops that will FedEx your food to you.  According to the book water should be purified, but not bottled in plastic.  Meats and dairy foods must be purchased from vendors that cater to raw foodists in order to make sure that they are as fresh as possible.  I guess that means no more quick trips to the local grocer to get your foods for the week.  Not to mention restaurants!  If you ever want to eat out again, you had better compile a short list of suitable places that you can be sure are preparing and serving only the freshest foods possible.  I don't know about you, but the only person that I would trust to prepare a meal for me according to the rigid standards of this plan would be me.  I suppose that I could always rely on salads as a stand-by but that would get old pretty quick wouldn't it?

Let's say that you are still willing to give it a try.  Better pull out the credit cards because this lifestyle is a pricey one.  Not only are the basic food items more expensive than what you are buying now, but you also should have special appliances on hand.  Surprised?  I know that I was because I didn't realize that eating "raw" meant a kitchen full of new gadgets and gizmos.  The following items are highly recommended in her book:  a Vita-Mix blender ($399-$479), a coffee grinder, an instant read thermometer, a water purifier and water distiller, a vacuum storage system, a dehydrator ($100-$200), a sprouter, and a high-powered juicer ($100-$650.)  If I had to spend that much money just to get started I'd get the feeling that I got a raw deal!

Here's the bottom line. You might be wondering if there is anything positive about this type of diet.  The answer is yes. The raw food diet promotes eating as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. It also promotes eating a diet low in processed refined foods. A healthy eating program filled with fresh fruits and vegetables and low in processed foods would be beneficial to the health and fitness of everyone.  Eating foods closer to the way God made them is the cornerstone of the healthy eating plans we design at The Institute of Eating Management.  However, we also focus on including cooked lean meats and low fat dairy products to ensure that people are getting adequate amounts of protein and nutrients in their diet as well.  We also strive to develop a plan that suits the individual's goals, lifestyle and health conditions while all the while focusing on keeping it easy enough to follow for life.  Anything too rigid or extreme will only lead to a feeling of deprivation and an eventual relapse to the unhealthy choices made in the past.   Keeping that in mind, the choice is ultimately yours to make.  I choose to continue enjoying my foods cooked.