I love almonds, RAW organic almonds. They're nutritious, full of protein, and taste so good! Raw organic almonds are a "live" food. You can plant raw almonds and they will sprout, which indicates that they are vibrant and alive! Cooked or pasteurized almonds will not sprout if planted, which indicates a dead nut with no remaining life force.
Pasteurized almonds are inferior to real raw, organic almonds, and have lost their life force through the heating process. As far as I can tell, raw organic almonds have never been associated with a documented case of illness at any time in man's recorded history. Organic raw almonds are very safe in raw form.
Yet, in September of 2007, The Almond Board of California, backed by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), put into effect a Directive that requires all almonds to be pasteurized! This means that the almonds must now go through a heat process that kills microorganisms by exposing them to high temperatures. This high temperature process, better known as pasteurization, not only kills all bacteria and microorganisms, but also kills the enzymes and living qualities of the almond.
So if you purchase raw almonds at a local store or health food market, they are not raw. Not even if they are labeled as raw! Here we go again, truth in labeling. Because of the 2007 Directve, raw almonds that have been pasteurized still can be labeled raw! It is no longer required to disclose that in fact, these almonds have been pasteurized by either high heat, a nerve gas-like agent, or radiation. Is this not a deceptive practice? Does this maybe smell of corporate lobbying?
Thankfully, you can still find truly raw organic almonds. The Directive only applies to processors or ‘handlers’ of almonds. These companies normally buy from the growers and sell to retail chains and stores. But there is a loophole. If the grower sells directly to the consumer, they are not required to pasteurize their almond crops. In order to get truly raw, unheated and live almonds, you have to search for a grower that sells raw organic almonds direct to consumers.
Organic farming practices are truly more healthful than modern, non-organic methods. Sun rays light the open spaces of organically managed orchards, allowing grass, fungi, and other organic organisms to grow in the middle of the orchard floors. The resulting mycelium helps to decompose things such as animal waste and regenerate the soil.
Conventional orchards are densely planted, which interferes with sunlight shining through. With little sunlight, and heavy use of herbicides and pesticides, conventional orchards have virtually no growth of grass or biodiversity on the orchard floors. Thus, animal waste deposited by the random orchard visitor such as coyotes or other animals, does not decompose effectively. It makes sense then, that the conventional orchard is more susceptible to contamination than the sunlight drenched, bio-diverse living organic orchard floors where animal waste decomposes quickly.
The "sterile is better" theory of conventional farming increases the incidence of pathogenic bacteria making its way into the food chain. Organic farming practices reduce the incidence of pathogens being generated in the first place. Good beneficial bacteria join the food chain. Organic farming actually improves the safety of our foods, supporting the importance of ingesting organic, unprocessed whole foods. The way Mother Nature intended. Life is a full circle and our foods are meant to fuel us as well as boost our immune system and keep us healthy. Mother Nature's way protects our earth and helps to keep life in balance.
Whole foods build the immune system and provide the required building blocks of life. Conventionally produced farm products end up highly processed and modified from their original form. They no longer carry their nutritional and healthful values.
So once again, the American Consumer has been denied a choice in raw vs. processed food, i.e., almonds. Food freedom cannot exist when labels not only don't tell us the truth, but in fact tell a lie. Food freedom is health freedom. There can be no good health without the freedom to eat living whole foods.
I firmly believe that in order to stay healthy and prevent disease, we must take a stand against processed, sterilized, immune-depressing foods. We must be able to choose what we eat and not have it forced upon us by the government or greedy corporations. Additionally, we must insist on no more deceptive labeling of our foods! Until then I, for one, will no longer trust food labels.
To Your Good Health!
