| Food and diet play an important role in health. Every | | | | protective mucus will form in excess and build-up on |
| day, research in fields such as epidemiology and | | | | bowel tissue, similar to the age rings we see in the |
| nutritional biochemistry teach us more about this | | | | trunks of trees. |
| relationship. Through scientific investigation and | | | | As a result of faulty eating, nature's protective coating |
| effective consumer communication, functional foods | | | | -- which was designed for occasional use only -- |
| are becoming an important tool in promoting health. | | | | becomes enraged and inadvertently contributes to ill |
| According to Health Canada, a functional food is | | | | health. |
| "consumed as part of a usual diet that is similar in | | | | Consequently, the immune system is taxed and the |
| appearance to, or may be, a conventional food, and is | | | | presence of this excess mucus creates a perfect |
| demonstrated to have physiological benefits and/or | | | | medium for the multiplication of bacteria, viruses, |
| reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic | | | | parasites and worms. Autoimmune diseases may |
| nutritional functions." | | | | develop due to the fact that the immune system has |
| Functional foods may come from plants or animals. | | | | begun to attack the body, rather than invading |
| Active ingredients effective in promoting human health | | | | microorganisms. |
| include amino acids, fats, dietary fibres, antioxidants, | | | | Continually eating "lifeless" foods -- cooked, refined or |
| pigments, vitamins and minerals. | | | | processed foods devoid of fibre and enzymes -- |
| If you follow the studies that document the stress put | | | | over-stimulate the immune system in a way that |
| upon our digestive tracts when processed and refined | | | | compromises its function. As a result, the animal |
| foods are eaten, you will then realize how the body | | | | becomes susceptible to every virus and bacteria. |
| has to respond in a completely unnatural way to digest | | | | Raw food is living food. It's food that has not been |
| food matter that the body does not recognize. | | | | processed or heated above 118oC (244oF). It's food |
| Interestingly, when cooked foods are eaten, large | | | | that contains the enzymes necessary for digestion as |
| amounts of mucus are secreted. Foods that are | | | | well as all the natural vitamins and minerals inherent in |
| particularly mucus forming include all processed and | | | | the specific vegetable or fruit. Raw food is probably |
| refined foods. | | | | the only basis for optimum nutrition. In an article in |
| When cooked food is eaten, the T-cells, which are so | | | | "Alive" magazine in May of 2000, nutritionist Dr Paavo |
| vital to immune function, increase in the gastrointestinal | | | | Airola stated that an optimum diet must be at least |
| tissue to protect our system from certain foods, which | | | | 75-per-cent to 95-per-cent raw. And that was a |
| are interpreted as foreign matter. If we consume | | | | reference to human diets. That would leave little room |
| cooked and processed food day after day without | | | | to doubt that canines and felines should be consuming |
| adequately eating raw food and fibrous foods, | | | | at least that much raw food. |