Wellness and raw foods

Episode 39:  In this episode, host Angie Gust talks about raw versus cooked whole foods.  Generally, raw foods are whole foods that haven’t been either processed or cooked.  There is an upper temperature limit that defines raw. For a food to be considered raw, it shouldn’t be heated above 117 degrees F.  When fruits and vegetables are cooked over this temperature, the bioavailability of certain micronutrients, including vitamins and phytochemicals, are reduced.  On the other hand, for certain types of whole foods, cooking them may enhance the bioavailability of some nutrients, for example lycopene in tomatoes.  Turning to the environment, a recent article makes a case that health professionals have a unique and essential role to play as advocates for climate solutions. The authors say first, that health professionals are well suited in terms of their knowledge, skills, credibility, and access to important audiences—including policy makers, government officials, educators, patients, and the general public—both in and out of their own community. Second, many health professionals are aware of and concerned about the health impacts of climate change and have called for integrating climate advocacy as part of their professional responsibility. We need all sectors contributing  to the climate change solutions discussion, right?