The raw food diet consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
These four main food groups are great because they are essential in revitalizing
the body’s immune system. These are whole and unprocessed foods. And it should
not be heated above 118 Fahrenheit to preserve its nutrients and enzymes.
Enzymes are vital to help us digest and absorb nutrients properly. Without
it, our body has to use its own limited supply to digest our food.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh juices, nuts and seeds, sprouted beans
and grains, fermented and cultured foods, and low dehydrated crackers, breads and
treats are what constitute the wide cornucopia of raw living foods.
What
are the benefits for eating completely raw?
When you are eating
completely raw foods, you automatically eliminate most of the unhealthy stuff. Because raw food is devoid of preservatives, harmful
fats, refined starches and sugar. Not to mention that the vitamins, minerals
and photo-nutrients that are more available from it’s raw state.
Raw living foods have the
energy life force. Since life force is the essence of energy, it is what
activates chemical energy in our bodies affecting our cells, tissues, bones and
blood.
Generally it will improve
your total health and well being. It gives you more energy and a sense of well-being.
Thus, weight loss is a naturally occurring benefit when you eliminate processed
foods.
Consuming more raw food
is also good for the environment. Since animal products contribute a large
percentage to our greenhouse gas emissions as well as water and land use.
Following
a raw food diet has some definite benefits that can now be backed up through
scientific research. For instance, according to a study found in The Journal
of Nutrition following a raw food diet long-term can help lower the risk of
cardiovascular disease, and lower the levels of total cholesterol and
triglycerides. Another study conducted by Dr. Luigi Fontana and his team found
that followers of a raw food diet have low body mass index (BMI), high Vitamin
D levels, low levels of C-reactive protein, and lower levels of IGF-1. Vitamin
D level is important because it is closely related to bone strength. C-reactive
protein is "an inflammatory molecule that is becoming linked with the risk
of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic disease," which means that a
low level should indicate less risk. IGF-1 is "a growth factor linked to
risk of breast and prostate cancer," which again means that a low level
should indicate less risk.
To conclude recent mainstream scientific studies have shown that following a
raw foods diet can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer,
prostate cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases while aiding with
maintaining a healthy weight, BMI, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and
strong healthy bones.
Why do we need to eat more raw food? How
about cooking lots of vegetables?
We need to eat more raw foods because it contain
their full complement of nutrients and are complete with the enzymes needed to
turn the food into energy that the body can use. They make optimal assimilation
of nutrition easy, provide pure, clean energy for the body and do not require a
lot of energy for digestion.
There are several reasons
why a raw food diet will give you more energy. First, raw foods are rich in
food enzymes. Enzymes are required for every single reaction in the body.
Unfortunately, our bodies only have a finite number of these enzymes, so when
we run out, we run out of life!
To add to this, when you heat
foods above 118 degrees fahrenheit, you destroy the food enzymes that are
naturally present in all raw foods. Therefore, if you eat a predominantly
cooked foods diet, you're not getting enough food enzymes, which means that
your body will have to produce and use more of its own to digest and metabolize
your foods.
The more energy your body
needs to divert towards digestion, the less energy you will have for other
activities. You will feel more lethargic and tired as your body is trying to
breakdown the cooked foods and figure out what to do with them.
Cooking lots of vegetable
could not equal the benefits of consuming raw foods even in small amounts.
Because cooking dramatically reduces food’s phytochemical content. Research
also indicates that cooking reduces the ability of antioxidants in food to do
their job. Therefore, raw living foods is an optimal peak, it requires minimal
energy from the body to get maximum benefit. Less work, more yield. Everybody
wins !
What about getting the
right amount of protein?
Protein is a very
important part of a well-balanced diet. Unfortunately, there are a lot of
misconceptions out there about how much protein is needed in order to be
healthy. To receive the right amount of protein in your diet, you need to make
sure that you are including enough amino acids in your diet. If you are on a
raw food diet, there are several easy steps you can take to ensure that you are
getting all of the protein that your body needs in order to stay healthy.
The main source of
protein in raw food are sprouted nuts, seeds & grains. Green algae (like
spirulina & chlorella) and green leafy vegetables are also an excellent
source. But seeds, nuts and grains needs to be germinated to make the protein more
absorbable.
Does that mean no rice
?
In the raw food diet,
sprouted wild rice is use to make a pilaf. It can also be made as a salad or
toss into one if you miss your rice. A
raw imitation or mocked fried rice can be made from cauliflower and sesame seeds
with herbs and condiments. It is crunchy and even a bit juicy, with a
hint of toasted sesame and just enough saltiness from the tamari to provide a
satisfying contrast to the neutral cauliflower. It’s incredibly easy to make
and comes together very quickly through a food processor.
Since “we eat first with our eyes…” Mock
rice has the look of white rice and when topped with sauce, you’ll hardly
notice a difference. The subtle, natural earthy-sweetness is downright tasty
even! Before you know it, you will forget that this is your healthy moment. So
just relax, turn off the brain and let the eyes, mouth and body enjoy the
experience.
This mock rice ‘trick’ is beneficial for weight
loss because cauliflower has a much lower glycemic load than rice and only about
one quarter the calories of rice. It has fewer carbs and more protein.
What is an easy first step to eating more raw foods?
Start your day
with 16 oz of pure water and a squeeze of fresh lemon or calamansi juice. Then
have a powerful, nutrient-packed green juice or smoothie made with any talbos
and fruits in season.
A powerful
step to begin with is to set an intention and fall in
love with the idea of the raw food
lifestyle. Include a clear vision of how healthy and happy starting a raw food
diet will bring you. Get educated to learn about the different approaches to
nutrition and health for the your changing needs. It will also help you create
a common sense approach to this natural diet of fresh organic living foods. Experiment
and have fun using simple and readily available ingredients in creating meals.
Is it alright to go
half and half, half raw food, half regular eating?
Typically followers of a raw food diet consume at least 75%
of their diet as uncooked and otherwise unprocessed plant based foods. But it
is alright to go half and half specially if you’re just starting. Example of
50% raw and the other half cooked like a green juice with energy bar and big
salad with warm soup.
There’s a lot of food combination that you can adapt and
include in the raw food lifestyle. You just have to start somewhere.
What is your go-to, easy to make raw food
snack?
You never need to go hungry on the raw food lifestyle. In fact, it's much
better if you don't. When you're hungry, you're far more likely to give in to
temptations and make poor food choices. Plus, if your calorie intake falls too
low, your body slows down your metabolism to keep you from possibly starving.
Raw food snacks can be as simple as grabbing an apple or banana, or as
complicated as a gourmet raw food dessert recipe. Easy to go to snack are raw granola
and trail mixes with fruits (fresh, dried or dehydrated). Guacamole with Chips and energy bars
done the raw food way is also a good idea. You can even make a raw food
smoothie to go as a snack or veggie sticks with a raw dip like honey with
tahini. Use your own creativity and
substitute different ingredients for even more variety.
What stories have you heard where people's health has benefited from
changing to raw food?
When your diet consist of more than 75% raw foods, here are just some of the
improvements likely to happen to you.
- More energy
- Weight loss
- Clear, younger looking skin
- Clarity of mind and better
memory
- Improved immune system
- Improved digestion
- Prevent some chronic disease
from severe acne & candida to diabetes and cardio vascular problems
When you go for a healthy raw food diet weight loss is effortless.. You
could eat as much raw food but still your body fat percentage can substantially
drop to an ideal level.
What benefits have you enjoyed since eating raw?
I was diagnose with a bad case of
endometriosis. It is a case of hormonal imbalance that I experience terrible
cramps. So I tried everything from different pain reliever, medication,
laparoscopy operation, exercise, accupuncture, etc.. Most of which just gave me
temporary relief. I did a lot of research and found out that I'm glutten
sensitive, yeast, soy and lactose intolerant.
When I finally turned into raw the pain went away, improve my total
health and shed all the unwanted pounds for good..
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