claimed the body has to work harder to process cooked foods. He also advanced the popular raw food theory that food enzymes play an important role in digesting food. • The 1960s: Viktoras Kulvinskas and Ann Wigmore founded the Hippocrates Institute, which is devoted to the practice of eating raw foods for health and spiritual wellness. This institute continues its work today. • The 1970s and 1980s: The raw food movement started to make its way into the mainstream population. Books such as Survival into the 21st Century by Viktoras Kulvinskas and The New Raw Energy by Leslie Kenton inspired interest in this type of diet. Several raw food chefs introduced delicious raw meals that further peaked interest. Many well-known celebrities joined the raw food movement, creating buzz in the media, and soon raw food was touted as the magical solution to increased health, beauty, and youthfulness.
DO ANY CULTURES EAT ONLY RAW FOOD? Raw food diets have appeared throughout history in many different cultures. No single culture stands out as consuming only raw foods, although some are known to follow a partial raw food lifestyle, most often out of necessity or lack of means to cook rather than for health benefits. One group of people linked to raw food is the Hunza, who live in a remote region in Pakistan. These long-living people apparently do not exhibit many of the diseases found in more industrialized societies. Researchers theorize that the Hunzas’ largely raw diet is a major contributor to their good health. While these claims of longevity may be true, the lack of birth records and other records make it very difficult to verify. Another culture with similar claims and similar issues relating to absent statistics is the Okinawans of Japan. One of the few documented examples of a culture that ate a majority of raw food is the Eskimo. The word Eskimo literally means “one who eats raw.” When looking at this group, some revealing health statistics become apparent. Eskimo people who still follow their traditional diet present no arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, or heart disease. These Eskimos also rarely suffer from minor ailments such as digestive problems, sinus issues, headaches, or fatigue.
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