Return
to Paradise by David Wolfe
This
article was originally published in the magazine Just
Eat An Apple, issue #11, 2000.
Many have spent time
wondering what may have brought humans to disconnect from living in a natural
paradise, and into what we now have as a planet out of balance with Nature.
These thoughts are often triggered by study of the classical, legendary,
or religious stories of a former perfect age.
Every culture seems
to have a story about how human life began on Earth. Most describe a place
where humans lived in harmony with the plants and animals. While living
this way, the stories indicate that, humans experienced happiness and peace.
This is often what is referred to as "paradise."
The stories we mention
often indicate that everything was in harmony. That is, until something
happened. Some stories tell of a great flood, others tell of humans gaining
an understanding of good and evil, still others tell of a shift in Earth’s
alignment, or of some godly powers that drastically changed the state of
humans.
Those who follow a
raw food vegan diet, such as myself, believe that we have found an answer
to humanity’s apparent disconnection with Nature. I believe that a great
change in humanity’s attachment to Nature occurred after humans discovered
fire, and then began cooking the things that they ate.
The tremendous amounts
of time and energy humans spend to cook food, as well as the use of massive
resources to create the cooked food culture of today with its zillions
of restaurants and stores, factories and shops all churning out cooked
and processed foods, are the main cause of the end of human paradise.
Humans are the only
animals on this planet that eat cooked food. No other creatures on this
planet cook or tamper with their food in any way. All animals living in
the wild eat their food raw and, almost always, fresh. Only domesticated
animals eat cooked and processed foods, and these food items are served
to them by humans.
Cooked and processed
foods are a thing created by humans. The cooking and processing of foods
has become so common that most of us do not even question it. I believe
that cooked, and processed foods are not healthy, and should not be consumed
by humans.
Here is a visual experiment
to consider: Feed a tribe of gorillas a diet of coffee, donuts, and processed
foods for a few years to see what happens. Even a child would laugh at
the silliness of animals eating such concoctions. And anyone with the slightest
knowledge of nutrition would know that the health of the gorillas would
quickly deteriorate on such a diet. Having animals begin to eat like humans
would appear so strange that one would have to wonder why humans eat the
way they do.
What is it that constitutes
the basis of human nourishment? Is it pills and supplements flowing out
of the roaring jaws of factories? Is it the flesh of animals being churned
out by factory farms? Is it the milk of cows naturally intended for baby
calves? Is it cooked and processed foods containing dyes, flavors, and
preservatives?
No.
The basis of human
nourishment is obvious: it is RAW PLANT FOOD. And Nature presents this
to us in abundance. All this talk of humans getting nutrition from canned,
boxed, or otherwise processed foods is nonsensical. There is only one natural
and normal diet for humans, and that is a diet of raw plant foods. Any
other diet than that of a raw food diet leads to deteriorated health, dental
corrosion, and body organs impregnated with various residues of cooked,
died, flavored, and otherwise processed foods containing chemical formations
not found in Nature.
A human used to eating
the typical foods found in so-called "civilized society" who then changes
to a raw plant diet can discover health as they have never known. Eating
raw plants restores the body on a molecular level, building strong cells,
radically naturalizing the body, and grounding the person in the natural
world. As the months and years pass, a person switching to a raw vegan
diet may notice a greater awareness of the spiritual world, become more
intuitive, and feel natural powers that they had not experienced. When
one is aligned with Nature, they may feel more of a connection with Nature
to the point that they desire to be around that which is natural. Being
around plants and animals will feel most comfortable to them.
Every person is a work
in progress. Either they can become progressively worse, or progressively
better. Each action they take determines which of these two courses they
follow.
Eating is one way that
guides the path we are on. Eating determines what level of health our body
will experience. Each meal is part of what the person will become. Every
bite of food they put into their body will be adding to a strong, healthy
body, or to a sickly, weak body. Each meal becomes a part of the individual.
What they put into their mouth is their decision. What they become is up
to them.
"You are what you eat"
is a common statement, but is also a true part of the cosmic law. It is
a concept that has been known in every culture and civilization throughout
history. It is a simple law of Nature that should be remembered each day,
and at each meal. Those who wish to become healthier, or to maintain good
health, should always remember to eat that which is most natural and nourishing.
For me, "natural and
nourishing" means quality, organic foods in their most natural state. I
have found that following this principle is not only the most simple way
to choose what I eat, but is simply the best way to bring about good health.
Because of this, I have made my life’s work a study of how to help people
succeed and prosper with the raw food lifestyle. This has often been in
spite of the monotonous and routine pressure of others to conform to what
many feel is the most accepted way to eat, but what I see as what leads
to a life out of tune with Nature.
Just as the children
who would laugh at the site of animals eating processed foods, I often
find humor, but also disgust, in what humans choose to shove into their
mouths. As I have come to eat a natural, raw, plant-based diet, I find
myself experiencing everything one would expect from living in tune with
Nature.
I encourage anyone
who wishes to experience the bounties of Nature to delve into eating what
Nature provides to us. That is: raw plant foods. I encourage people to
learn about what plants are most edible, to learn a new way of living,
to experience the incredible health Nature will give to you by accepting
the foods she provides, and to live a life in harmony with the plants and
animals. By doing so, I believe you can experience your own little bit
of paradise.