Eating Raw Foods
Eating Raw Foods
“Raw Foods” is a popular phrase these days that is often misunderstood, yet represents a powerful, grass roots health movement. Some people shun the idea, not knowing what it means. Others embrace the idea, not knowing what it means. And that’s no wonder, since there are many different interpretations of what it means to be on a raw food diet. Personally, I advocate a plant-based raw food diet.
In other words, I suggest eating raw foods like green leafy vegetables, sea vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted seeds, and fruit. I like to help people to make the right choices for them, even when they are different from my own personal choices.
I was impressed both with him and his message. Soon after, I started a 100% raw food lifestyle, which I maintained for six months. My main difficulties were social. I loved how I felt, but with demands in my career, I ate fewer and fewer raw foods. About 8 years ago, I recommitted myself to a raw food lifestyle. I realized that a very important ingredient was missing in my earlier experience: information.
So I studied, read books, watched DVDs, listened to CDs, attended lectures, and have enrolled in a variety of courses. Overall, I maintain about 95% of my meals as raw foods. You’ll have your own set of reasons to eat more raw foods. A goal to “eat more raw foods” is a very worthy one. You can drop the percentages if they don’t work for you. It’s very easy to fail with a plan to eat raw foods 100% of the time. You don’t need any reasons to be hard on yourself. It’s far more important to find compelling reasons to consume more raw foods than to set an unattainable goal.
Here are a few of the many benefits, from which I hope you can find at least one compelling reason to start or maintain this way of eating raw foods.
Eating Raw Foods – 7 Benefits
1. Your body assimilates more nutrients from raw foods than the cooked or otherwise processed alternatives.
2. You digest raw foods more completely because they contain the proper enzymes. This helps to keep your immune system strong instead of depleting the limited number of digestive enzymes you were born with.
3. You naturally eat less. You don’t have to MAKE yourself eat less, you just naturally do. The reason is that raw foods are packed with nutrients that your body can use, so your hunger is not triggered as often. Eating cooked food often leads to overeating because of the smaller amount of nutrients.
4. Your body stabilizes itself. People who are too thin become stronger and more filled out; those who are too heavy become stronger and slimmer. Obstructions and toxins that collect in the body from eating cooked food clear themselves out with proper nutrients.
5. You feel more energized and vital. Raw foods not only boost your personal energy, they rejuvenate all the cells in your body.
6. You decline less as you age when you eat nutrient-rich unprocessed foods. You still age by the calendar, but raw foods keep you vital as you grow older.
7. The last reason is the best: You are better physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. And, yes, everyone else knows it, because you glow. And the list can go on, because there are many more benefits.
You’ll have your own list, but these 7 provide a starting place. As soon as you feed your body what it needs, your health improves. If you transition too quickly from a highly processed diet to mostly or totally raw eating raw foods, you might experience some symptoms that make it seem as if you’re getting worse, but this is a temporary
phenomenon.
If that happens, remind yourself that it’s simply your body detoxifying. Breathe deeply, drink lots of good water, and persevere. Whole foods that are high in fiber and water abolish constipation, revitalize your cells, and activate your circulatory system.
Toxins release more easily from wherever they have accumulated in your body. When toxins release, adverse physical conditions begin to reverse themselves. I don’t know how long your journey will take as you move from a devitalized state with cooked foods to a healthy state with raw foods.
But I do know that your journey begins with a single step. My suggestion is: Make the choice joyfully and then proceed at a steady pace. The speed does not matter as much as the direction with a positive attitude.
Practical Solutions to Eating Raw Foods
You may be wondering, what does it mean to be eating raw foods? This diet consists of eating raw foods, uncooked fresh raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Some people on a raw food diet will prepare food in a dehydrator, but the food is never exposed to temperatures above 116 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fresh raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds will have their enzymes destroyed above 116 degrees and will lose most of their nutritional value once cooked. Most people find it difficult to follow a 100% raw food diet. This diet is significantly different from the Standard American Diet, which consists of very little fresh fruits and vegetables and a significant amount of processed and cooked foods.
However, if you think about it the raw food diet is the most natural diet for our bodies. Food grown in nature is packed with nutrition that is perfect for the human body. Food that is processed and manufactured with artificial chemicals and additives is a foreign substance to the human body. Processed foods have to be enriched with vitamins and minerals because almost all of the nutrition is lost from food as it is cooked and processed.
Eating raw foods can be both fun and healthy. As raw food has been gaining popularity a variety of raw food recipe books are available. My local library has a number of book and resources on raw food so there is never a shortage of recipes. There are also numerous websites which have recipes and information on how to incorporate raw food into your diet. With a little planning it can be easy to start to incorporate unprocessed, uncooked fresh raw foods into your daily diet.
The First Step To Eating Raw Foods
The first step is to go to the grocery store or local farmer’s market and purchase some fresh raw fruits and vegetables. Consider buying something you have never tried before or haven’t had in a long time. If you are uncertain how to select fresh fruits and vegetables ask someone who works in the produce department for assistance. A quick simple breakfast is to eat several pieces of fresh fruit. Consider washing a cup of grapes and enjoying them for breakfast. Peeling a couple oranges or bananas and fueling your body with nutrient rich fruit instead of processed, refined food such as donuts, bagels or cereal which will not nourish your body.
As you start to eliminate processed, refined foods from your body and replace them with food from nature such as fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds you will notice significant improvements to your energy levels, your skin will become clearer, your mood will improve, you will lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and other inflammatory diseases, reduce the signs of aging and you will lose weight.
You may think it sounds radical to eat just fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and for some of you this may be very difficult. The good news is you don’t have to have a 100% raw food diet to receive the benefits from raw food. In the beginning if you eat very little fresh food start slowly and incorporate a little at a time. As you get in the habit of eating raw foods it will become easier to eat more fresh food than processed food. Set a goal for yourself to get your diet to 50% to 75% fresh raw foods within the next year.
Transitioning To Eating Raw Foods
As you transition to a healthy diet, it is helpful to eat 5 to 6 small meals per day instead of 2 or 3 large meals. Fresh fruits and vegetables are easily digested, to keep your blood sugar and energy levels at a steady state eat something every 2 to 3 hours. This will keep you from ever being too hungry and overeating.
To ensure you never get too hungry consider packing a cooler with some fresh fruits and vegetables to enjoy throughout the day. Another tip is to start keeping a food diary. This will allow you to be more conscious of when you eat, how much you eat and how you are feeling throughout the day. It is so easy to grab a handful of chips, candy from a dish, or a donut in the break room and not even realize you have eaten.
As you record what you are eating raw foods, you will start to see patterns in when and how much you eat as well as how what you eat affects how you are feeling. As you review your food diary, look for places you can replace fresh raw foods in place of your lower quality food choices. I encourage you to explore the benefits of eating raw foods and start to experiment with some new recipes. Your body will thank you for fueling it by eating raw foods.
