To understand the concept of using food as medicine, eating strictly raw foods may not be the only remedy your body needs to stay in harmony and balance. This is not a criticism of the living foods lifestyle. Keep in mind that ancient philosophy written about maintaining good health goes deeper than simply eating raw foods for strength and vibrancy.

Oriental medicine looks at the human body in a different way than Western culture. Internal and energetic conditions can be determined physically by examining the condition of the tongue, hands, skin color and pulse. Other considerations are cold, heat, damp, dry, etc. If your internal temperature is cold and damp, eating only raw foods might aggravate and perpetuate an inharmonious constitution. Simply adding some small amounts of appropriately cooked foods may bring the body back into balance. I will continue to teach and present variety.

I believe that a combination of both raw/living and cooked foods is the best way to go as demonstrated in my book. The percentage of raw to cooked foods is dependent upon certain conditions and always open to adjustment.

If healthy food can also taste delicious, why make any other choice? Education is the key to success. Transform your life through the gift of knowledge. Simplicity, quality and variety are key words. Fresh organic food preferably grown locally speaks for itself at the dinner table. Other cultures around the world consider their local traditional cuisine an important activity, not only for health reasons, but also for spiritual unity.

Healthy eating patterns promote a stable, peaceful lifestyle. Some professional counselors believe that negative behaviors, including anxiety, depression, anger and aggression stem from poor eating habits. More people now support a living foods lifestyle as their best choice, using foods that have not been so refined that the life force has been lost. High quality frozen or canned foods run second and third to enzyme rich fresh produce. If you have the luxury of choosing fresh market items, please spend a little more time in the kitchen. It is well worth the effort. Your body will reward you many times over in the years to come. Embrace the concepts of vegan philosophy if you are ready but understand this is not the only way to go. This choice is open to you. Do not pressure your loved ones.

In this increasingly stressful society we live in, the ability to think clearly and cope with daily situations is certainly more accessible when you live a healthy lifestyle. The old cliché for longevity (moderate exercise, adequate rest, daily fresh food and some form of spiritual unity) still remains a constant in today’s world.

I have never compromised my views about healthy food choices. My timely avant-garde book continues to demonstrate ancient truths about using food as medicine, a concept endorsed by Hippocrates, himself. “Let your food be your medicine.” Limiting the use of refined wheat, oil, corn, dairy and soy allow the body to heal and rejuvenate. Be careful. As the health food movement grows in popularity, the ingredients are becoming more gourmet, exotic, expensive, hard to get and inaccurately represented. Stick to the basics. Beware of the latest so-called super foods and remain true to diet based on local availability, ease of preparation, uncomplicated combinations of foods and simplicity of presentation. People who have lost their health soon realize its value. “When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot be expected, wealth is useless and reason is powerless.” Herophilies (physician to Alexander the Great)

Rita Romano, Living Foods Specialist