When one becomes aware of the harms of cooking, especially starches, compared to the many benefits of consuming raw plants, it is legitimate to wonder why ancient medicines, such as Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, recommend rice cures and the consumption of cooked vegetables while discouraging many people, depending on their profile, from consuming raw fruits and vegetables.
I propose below some lines of thought to explain this apparent paradox…
At the origins of Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine
Just as the ancestor of allopathic medicine is Hippocratic medicine, the ancestor of Ayurvedic medicine is Jain medicine, which already advocated raw plant consumption, and the ancestor of Chinese medicine is bigu medicine (with the same recommendations as Jain medicine). For proof, there are still in India Ayurvedic centers where plant-based and raw food is recommended. However, these ancestral medicines have all evolved over time and have become increasingly symptomatic. This means that there is more concern about stopping discomfort related to symptoms than addressing their true causes.
“When someone desires health, one must first ask if they are ready to eliminate the causes of their illness. Only then can they be helped.” Hippocrates
Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine are often regarded as the new bible by Westerners, with the pitfalls that blind faith can lead to. There is much to gain from these teachings, but there are also significant elements to discard. Separating the wheat from the chaff remains a principle of discernment valid at all times. Even if these medicines are effective health systems, they remain tied to a given cultural & environmental context where cooked food is consumed, particularly grains. Why choose grain cultivation over fruit cultivation when the yield of orchards is higher than that of a field? Perhaps, this is a hypothesis, for economic, demographic, or even political reasons. Indeed, we are largely influenced by what we eat. Eating meat tends to lead to predation. Eating grains tends to lead to domestication (like well-aligned wheat stalks all of the same caliber). That is why I am convinced that the consumption of cooked starches promotes, through the presence of colloidal waste (see the article on starches), the submission of peoples and the establishment of castes. An idea found in the book “Zomia or the Art of Not Being Governed” by James C. Scott, where the author explains that the Chinese administration classifies as “raw” those who refuse to submit to Chinese administration and as “cooked” those who submit to authority…
Why must traditional medicines evolve?
If, as was the case centuries ago, we still lived in a natural, unpolluted environment, without stress, in contact with the elements and with a physically active life, then a so-called “Mediterranean” diet, that is to say, primarily plant-based (but not only) would be fully satisfactory. The blue zones of the world where healthy centenarians live (increasingly rare despite population growth) are proof of this. If we lived in that same context, we would not be asking all these questions about lifestyle and ideal nutrition. All of this would flow naturally, and traditions would only need to repeat themselves for the greater good of all.
However, in our modern context with various sources of pollution, over-medication and vaccination, industrial food, and sedentary lifestyles, ancestral health practices that were valid at one time prove insufficient to regenerate our contemporary, devitalized, demineralized, and toxin-saturated bodies. Hence the necessity to evolve hygiene practices and traditional medicines to respond to the modern characteristics of our environment and the human beings that compose it. The precepts, even if relevant, dating back a few thousand years or even just a few centuries, must be updated.
We are also at a time (the Age of Aquarius) where we can no longer apply precepts without understanding them and without reconnecting to our feelings. One can feel, for example, that Ayurvedic dietary advice that emphasizes cooked foods with very precise dietary protocols no longer makes sense for more and more people. All animals on this planet eat raw and thrive, so by what divine intervention should we cook our food to be healthy? Why would it be contraindicated for certain individuals to eat raw? Practitioners of natural health do not seem to truly consider that naturopathic, Ayurvedic, or other profiles are primarily profiles of diseases and not of people, and that these profiles can evolve with the improvement of the terrain.
Whether you are a proponent of traditional medicines or not, are you truly satisfied with your state of health? If so, you probably ignore the principle of optimal health. And if you are not satisfied with your health despite all your efforts, you likely believe that this is due to various forms of pollution. In both cases, your reflection is at an impasse. On one hand, the true capabilities of the human body are underestimated, and on the other hand, pollution represents the tip of the iceberg. In our contemporary society, becoming a centenarian (often bedridden) seems to be a half miracle. Yet, we are far from imagining what the human body can offer in terms of health and longevity when we use our bodies with the right manual. In reality, when one is not satisfied with a health model, one must know how to question its foundations. Personally, the model that speaks to me is that of optimal health, living nutrition, and what is called “regenerative” medicine, this wonderful legacy left to us by Irène Grosjean.
Regenerative medicine VS balance medicine
Hippocratic, Ayurvedic, and Chinese medicines are sometimes called “balance medicines” because they primarily seek organic balance through cures, detoxes, phytotherapy, hydrotherapy, massages, etc., which, in themselves, are effective but are manifestly insufficient to treat modern pathologies and deeply regenerate our organisms. Simply because we have strayed too far from simple and natural living.
When a problem arises, life (being perfect) always provides a solution. In my experience, getting as close as possible to a plant-based and raw diet (see the article “What is the right % of living foods for each?”), the use of certain purgatives (see this article on purges), vegetable juices, essential oils, the regular practice of hormesis (see this article on the law of hormesis) and any other powerful practice like active fasting can be seen as biohacking techniques: antidotes suited to our modern ailments.
“It should be noted that the common concept is to balance the energies in the body for good health:
- yin/yang and humidity/fire of Chinese medicine
- cold/hot and humid/dry pairs of Ayurveda
- feminine/masculine and water/fire principles of hermeticists and alchemists
- acid/base and oxidizing/reducing pairs of our modern chemists
All these viewpoints highlight a balance between two forces, energies, or concepts with complementary properties. For us, these two opposing forces are represented by glues and acids. Our modern minds have forgotten that the balance sought by Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, alchemy, and hermeticism is internal balance, – regardless of what comes from the outside. ” The Zen Detox Cure Aromatic, Volume 1, Miguel Barthéléry
Example 1 : If there is an excess of fire (or acidity) in the human body, one of the approaches of traditional medicines would be to restore balance by bringing in more humidity (or mucus) through, for example, a rice cure. Why? Simply because starch buffers acidity and generates glues (a source of humidity) that will temporarily restore internal balance. But what do we do when an organism is already saturated with toxins? Do we add more glues to balance the fire (or acidity) or do we choose to reduce acidity? This is the revolutionary approach of what is called “regenerative” medicine! We are now seeking balance by reducing toxicity levels through biohacking techniques inspired directly by the natural environment that gave us life.
“In TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), for Qi (chi) to enter and circulate in the body, one must balance the humidity and fire that clutter it. Experience shows that one can just as well make them disappear. Hermeticists and alchemists teach us that “uniting” opposites means making them disappear. This is what we must understand.” The Zen Detox Cure Aromatic, Volume 1, Miguel Barthéléry
Example 2: Domestic animals (dogs & cats) develop the same diseases as we do because they are given toxic and addictive kibble (cooked foods containing, among other things, grains and dairy products unsuitable for their digestive system), and also because they unfortunately serve as “doudous” and emotional sponges for their “master”. What solutions will we implement to heal these poor animals? An Ayurveda for dogs and cats based on powders and cures based on profiles (the Eastern version)? Operations and chemical treatments (the Western version)? Or should we return to common sense and give them the foods that are made for them (the hygienist version)?
Returning to common sense and reclaiming one’s health
Our teacher is above all nature, and it shows us that no animal resorts to a dietitian or therapist to feed itself. How do they do it? It’s simple, they only eat raw and unmixed foods that they can catch and that they like. First, they look at the food, then they smell it, and then, possibly, they taste it. If the feeling is good, they eat until a natural sensory stop manifests. And sometimes, they voluntarily eat foods that make them sick when they feel the need to purge. Certainly, modern humans cannot return overnight to this ideal & instinctive diet, but any sensible hygienic & dietary advice should guide towards a gradual return to this natural & physiological approach.
We are all made to nourish ourselves with appetizing foods that can be grasped by hand and eaten as they are. Any other theory on the subject is just pure fantasy of the mind.
The ongoing changes in civilization also seem to involve the rejection of any form of more or less arbitrary authority meant to explain how we should live and nourish ourselves. Even if it is stamped with Ayurveda or another renowned school. Schools are stifling and marked by the limits and ego of those who created them. The great hygienist principles are there to provide directions and possibly a framework but in no case to be followed to the letter as if the truth could be found outside of us. The essence of the hygienist approach is to reconnect with our feelings and learn to give love (consciously) to our body.
Comparisons between naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurveda
In the West, we have naturopathy which classifies beings as follows:
- Their constitution (between dilated and contracted) which mainly depends on bone and muscle constitution.
- Their temperament: bilious, sanguine, lymphatic, or nervous.
There is also a simplified way to classify beings, taking into account the distribution of accumulated toxins (acids and glues). According to this representation, there are 5 categories:
- The acidified (excess acids)
- The colloidal (excess glues)
- The mixed
- The mixed with an acidified tendency
- The mixed with a colloidal tendency
This model was shared by Irène Grosjean in her workshops. In Ayurveda, beings are classified according to the Doshas (energies each with their characteristics) which number 3: vata, pitta, kapha. This creates 7 possible constitutions: in addition to the 3 previous ones, there are pitta-vata, pitta-kapha, vata-kapha, and vata-pitta-kapha.
Here are the equivalences between Irène’s approach and that of Ayurveda:
- Vata = acidified
- Kapha = colloidal
- Pitta = mixed.
Note: Adjustments to the profile are to be expected based on the element related to the person’s astrological sign. The water and earth elements will strengthen Kapha, the air element will strengthen Vata, and the fire element will strengthen Pitta.
The common biases in naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurveda are:
- Classifying a being into a category is too reductive even if it provides indications. Moreover, very often the specialists in these disciplines do not agree in their evaluations, which skews the advice given afterwards.
- They believe that one is born with a specific temperament and constitution and that one must deal with it for life. Ayurveda then speaks of pacifying or balancing one’s doshas to maintain health. This is a good first step.
- The colloidal (kapha) is systematically associated with a strong constitution while one can very well be colloidal without being massive.
Experience shows, from those who truly practice Living Nutrition, whether they are acidified, colloidal, or mixed, that it is possible to modify one’s constitution and birth temperament to move towards the ideal Ayurvedic profile: vata-pitta-kapha, when the 3 primary energies are balanced. This is what Irène referred to as regenerative medicine, unlike naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurveda which are balance medicines. This is the wonderful legacy that this great lady has left us! Few have understood the depth of her teaching and vision until now. Balance medicines had their reasons for being at a time when civilization was evolving steadily. Eating raw makes one “raw” and that is why Living Nutrition is incompatible with the decorum of our current society. It breaks down barriers one after another as long as one is ready to move forward… Isn’t it an urgent necessity to free oneself from the known and bring life back into oneself?!
Why does Chinese medicine recommend a small amount of raw food to preserve digestive fire in some?
Digestive fire refers to the energy that the digestive system has to digest and assimilate food. Experience shows, indeed, that in people with a so-called “nervous” naturopathic temperament, digestion is often painful or difficult. Both Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) then advise limiting the consumption of raw foods to preserve digestive fire (Agni) and thus facilitate digestion. Let’s look at the reason for this divergence of opinion by briefly comparing the advantages and disadvantages of cooking:
- Cooking softens insoluble fibers which become less irritating for the intestines in an inflammatory state; moreover, vitamins, minerals, and other phytoactive principles (which have the property of sticking to fibers) are released, and the digestive system exerts less effort to recover them.
- On the other hand, it destroys certain micronutrients as well as the enzymes naturally present in the food (the body must then produce them itself) that allow for their assimilation. To learn more about the harms of cooking, click here.
The “nervous” temperament corresponds to the “acidified” profile (or Vata in Ayurveda). Since acids have the property of burning, their digestive system (among others) is on fire. That is why fibers tend to irritate their intestines. Moreover, an acidified person will tend to be more attracted to vegetables that are rich in minerals (as they neutralize acids) rather than fruits (which mainly contain soft soluble fibers and are much more digestible). They will therefore be led to consume a lot of fibers if they listen to their raw cravings, which will cause digestive problems.
This is one of the reasons why TCM and Ayurveda advise certain constitutions to cook foods. In this regard, TCM recommends steaming vegetables for a short time so that they remain crunchy. Just enough time to soften the fibers a bit.
There is a second reason, rarely mentioned. A person who is advised against raw food will naturally turn to cooked starches that are rich in starch. And it turns out that starch is a very good antacid. Moreover, potato juice is recognized for its anti-ulcer properties. For this reason, the consumption of cooked starches will soothe a “nervous” person by acting as a balm. Furthermore, these cooked starches will, in turn, generate glues (see this article on starches) that the body will store around acids to buffer them and make them less harmful.
We find this notion of balance medicine: there are too many acids, so we will add glues to balance the whole. This gives results but does not regenerate the terrain or health. The other approach, that of Irène and the so-called “regenerative” medicine, simply consists of eliminating acids if there are too many! Even if fibers pose problems for the aforementioned reasons, there are nowadays juice extractors (which remove insoluble fibers) and blenders (which mix fibers) that preserve this famous digestive fire and give the intestines a chance to regenerate!
