Facts on Raw Food By Pujya Guruji
I asked an intelligent group of people "What is the main cause for an ecological imbalance?" Some were CEO's of corporations, some were environmental activists, some were professors of chemistry and Zoology. They said:
Industrialization, lumber logging, wood cutting to make boxes, too many cars, flora chlorides from refrigerators and sprays, population pressure on forests..etc
They were all correct in their own way. Seeing developments from their own expertise, they held a particular cause as the cause. But none of them had a solution to the crisis on hand. No amount of talk of over exploitation will stop others from over industrialization, or logging or population expansion or from building and using more cars.
It is strange that none of these intelligent people said or thought "The cooked food” we consume as the fundamental cause.
They had all taken for granted that the food they eat is the only food. They thought that nothing was required to dramatically change in their own lives.
Some frequently asked questions answered:
Q. What is raw food (Amrut Aahar) or uncooked food?
A. Any natural food item which is not cooked or processed by heat can be called raw (or uncooked) food. This includes fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, sprouted grains, cereals either in their natural form or with minimal processing like cutting, grating or making juices.
Q. Is it not difficult to digest raw food?
A. Not at all! It is a myth passed on by our elders that raw food is difficult to digest. Actually, it is easier to digest and assimilate raw food.
For example: It takes just 13 hours to digest raw food, whereas it takes about 24 hours to digest cooked food and it takes about 72 hours to digest non-veg and fried food.
Q. But isn't cooking an important part of modern society?
A. Yes man has made it so, without realizing that cooking food is an unnatural and destructive process. Different cooking methods destroy the food to varying degrees. If you were to have raw food and juices, then all the nutrients are preserved. The body directly absorbs and assimilates such food very quickly. Such food is very high in pranic energy also.
Q. You mean to say that cooking has some disadvantages also?
A. Yes of course! There are several disadvantages. Of the several forms of cooking, steaming or boiling seem to be the least harmful. Boiling should be done in minimum water and the water retained and used. Pressure cooking should be done only for optimum time. Deep frying is the worst form of cooking, as it renders the food almost indigestible.
Modern equipments like inframatic or microwave ovens are best avoided. The reason is that they heat up food by setting the molecules of food into vibration. Even after you remove food from the oven, this process continues for some time. This is likely to damage our gastro-intestinal lining, leading to diseases.
However to cure such diseases, requires a whole new approach to life. Patients are therefore advised to seek help from qualified and competent persons.
The Siddha Samadhi Yoga (SSY) Programmes have consistently proved to be the best training for changing lifestyles to the extent of even curing chronic diseases.
Q. How about milk? It has calcium and is a complete food. Should we not drink milk?
A. This is another peculiar characteristic of man. No other animal drinks milk after infancy, neither does it drink milk of other animals. Whereas man continues to drink cow/buffalo milk even after infancy. The nature of the calcium present in milk is such that it is not absorbed by the body. Every time you drink milk or eat meat, your body loses calcium regardless of how much calcium you take in. This can result in a decrease in bone density, thus leading to fatal disease called "osteoporosis".
Q. So why should we avoid drinking milk?
A. After the age of 4 years, the human system is incapable of fully digesting milk. The enzymes renin which helps in the digestion of milk is present only in children upto 3-4 years of age. Thus adults will find difficult to digest milk, and it will create mucus. In England, milk is called "mucus". Hence people with any problem related to the lungs or sinuses should stop having milk and milk products. They will find instant relief. Curd and butter milk are bit easier to digest than milk.
Over 95% of the people are lactose intolerant. Milk contains mainly lactose sugar. Thus drinking milk can lead to allergies or even diarrhea. Modern doctors realize these facts. They recommend sprouts and soya-milk as the vegetable source of calcium, which is vital for the body.
Q. What is raw food (Amrut Aahar) or uncooked food?
A. Any natural food item which is not cooked or processed by heat can be called raw (or uncooked) food. This includes fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, sprouted grains, cereals either in their natural form or with minimal processing like cutting, grating or making juices.
Q. Is it not difficult to digest raw food?
A. Not at all! It is a myth passed on by our elders that raw food is difficult to digest. Actually, it is easier to digest and assimilate raw food.
For example: It takes just 13 hours to digest raw food, whereas it takes about 24 hours to digest cooked food and it takes about 72 hours to digest non-veg and fried food.
Q. But isn't cooking an important part of modern society?
A. Yes man has made it so, without realizing that cooking food is an unnatural and destructive process. Different cooking methods destroy the food to varying degrees. If you were to have raw food and juices, then all the nutrients are preserved. The body directly absorbs and assimilates such food very quickly. Such food is very high in pranic energy also.
Q. You mean to say that cooking has some disadvantages also?
A. Yes of course! There are several disadvantages. Of the several forms of cooking, steaming or boiling seem to be the least harmful. Boiling should be done in minimum water and the water retained and used. Pressure cooking should be done only for optimum time. Deep frying is the worst form of cooking, as it renders the food almost indigestible.
Modern equipments like inframatic or microwave ovens are best avoided. The reason is that they heat up food by setting the molecules of food into vibration. Even after you remove food from the oven, this process continues for some time. This is likely to damage our gastro-intestinal lining, leading to diseases.
However to cure such diseases, requires a whole new approach to life. Patients are therefore advised to seek help from qualified and competent persons.
The Siddha Samadhi Yoga (SSY) Programmes have consistently proved to be the best training for changing lifestyles to the extent of even curing chronic diseases.
Q. How about milk? It has calcium and is a complete food. Should we not drink milk?
A. This is another peculiar characteristic of man. No other animal drinks milk after infancy, neither does it drink milk of other animals. Whereas man continues to drink cow/buffalo milk even after infancy. The nature of the calcium present in milk is such that it is not absorbed by the body. Every time you drink milk or eat meat, your body loses calcium regardless of how much calcium you take in. This can result in a decrease in bone density, thus leading to fatal disease called "osteoporosis".
Q. So why should we avoid drinking milk?
A. After the age of 4 years, the human system is incapable of fully digesting milk. The enzymes renin which helps in the digestion of milk is present only in children upto 3-4 years of age. Thus adults will find difficult to digest milk, and it will create mucus. In England, milk is called "mucus". Hence people with any problem related to the lungs or sinuses should stop having milk and milk products. They will find instant relief. Curd and butter milk are bit easier to digest than milk.
Over 95% of the people are lactose intolerant. Milk contains mainly lactose sugar. Thus drinking milk can lead to allergies or even diarrhea. Modern doctors realize these facts. They recommend sprouts and soya-milk as the vegetable source of calcium, which is vital for the body.
Natural food is the life giving food. Cooking food takes away their liveliness-imagine how alive you would be if you were cooked for half an hour! By eating such dead food man gets diseases, heart problems, hyper acidity, cancer etc. By eating dead food and stimulating oneself with spices, alcohol and drugs, man becomes corrupt, greedy and violent. On the other hand, the more man eats natural food, the calmer and creative he becomes.
-Guruji Rishi Prabhakar
(Founder of Siddha Samadhi Yoga- SSY)





