Could Eating A Raw Food Diet Improve Your Health?
You may have heard about the health benefits of eating a raw food diet and are wondering what just what a raw food diet actually is. Maybe you are wondering whether eating raw really could improve your health. Or maybe you are just a little curious? In this article I will examine exactly what eating raw means, how it could benefit you and how to get started.
What is a Raw Food Diet? A raw food diet consists of 100% raw uncooked ingredients. Although most raw foodists choose to eat a diet that is vegan, some include raw meat and fish. Some people decide to eat an exclusively raw diet, whilst others aim for a percentage of their diet to be raw. Other people may only eat a raw food diet for a short period of time, for example when they are going through a detox.
Why Eat a Raw Food Diet? Protagonists of a raw food diet claim that cooking our food is unnatural, which makes sense when you consider that humans are the only species on the entire planet who cook their food before eating it. In the long history of human evolution, humans have only been cooking food for a relatively short time. For thousands of years, before the discovery of fire, we all ate a raw food diet like every other animal.
In addition, the process of cooking causes major chemical changes to food; the natural chemicals are transformed into something the body no longer recognizes and is unable to use as effectively. In addition, because your body no longer recognizes these new chemicals, it views them as toxins and releases white blood cells to deal with the perceived threat. As the body is unable to deal effectively with these toxins, it stores them in the body in an attempt to keep them controlled. Over a period of time, as more and more toxins are produced and stored, this accumulation leads to ill health and the development of disease.
I’m sure it’s no coincidence that as our diet becomes increasingly artificial and processed diseases such as heart disease, cancer and digestive disorders are on the increase. Many of the diseases we suffer from today weren’t even known of a few decades ago!
In addition, every time we cook food we lose up to 70% of the vitamins, all of the enzymes and oxygen, and a large number of the minerals and water it contained in its original form.
In contrast, raw foods contain 100% of their enzymes, water, vitamins, nutrients and chemicals which the body recognizes as non toxic and is able to use.
What are the Benefits of Eating a Raw Food Diet? Raw foodists claim to experience the following benefits from eating a raw food diet;
- Increased health and vitality
- Increased energy
- Disappearance of the symptoms of disease
- Increase sense of well being and happiness
- Weight loss (or gain if needed)
- Increased spiritual awareness
There is also evidence to suggest that eating a predominantly raw diet can prevent disease from occurring and can extend your life span.
Isn’t it Difficult to Eat a Raw Food Diet? When people think about eating a raw food diet, they tend to imaging existing on fruit and vegetables and very little else. Nothing can be farther from the truth! There are a huge variety of raw foods available; raw pizza, crackers and ice cream can even be created!
If you are considering going raw, either fully or partially, or would just like to know more about it, then a great place to start is by visiting the Raw Food Coach website- Karen Knowler is the Raw Food Coach, and gives loads of great advice on making the transition to eating a raw food diet, and she is giving away a great free e-book ‘Go Raw for a Day’. Visit the Raw Food Coach here.
Source: http://universalhealthtips.com/raw-food-diet.html
