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Table of Contents What is Raw Foodism?................................................................................................3 Why go Raw?............................................................................................................ ...5 Doing the Raw Food Right……………………………………………………………………….7 Eating Raw Plant Proteins Animal………………10

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Nutrients

Finding the Ingredients Diet……………………………………………..12

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as

Diet

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Raw

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How to Get Started On Diet……………………………………………………….15 Human vs.

Ape in the Diet…………………………………………………………….17

Raw

Food

Heat the Enemy Nutrients……………………………………………………………………….20 Getting the Acid-Alkali Diet…………………………….22

Balance

Fruit or Fat – How Diet………………………….25

get

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Nutritional Value of Raw it?..........................................27

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Calories

Food

Diets

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of Raw Raw

How

Food Food

Good

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Raw Is Good!........................................................................................................... ...29 Raw Food Diets Children…………………………………………………………………………31 Debunking the Raw Myths…………………………………………………………….34 A Tasty way to Do the Diet………………………………………………….37

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A Raw Diet Aging……………………………………………………………………………………39 A Good Raw Diet Health………………………………………………………………….42

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and Your

10 Reasons to Eat Foods…………………………………………………………………………44

Raw

You don’t need to be a Rabbit to Benefit from a Raw Food Diet……………………….47 Why You Need A Diet………………………………………………………………….49 The Health Benefits of Diet…………………………………………………………51 The Healthy Way to Diets…………………………………………………………53 To Cook or Not to Means………………………….55

Cook:

Heating

Raw

a

Raw

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Raw

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Foods

Recipes for a Raw Diet………………………………………………………………………….58

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What is Raw Foodism?

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Alternative diets have been present since time began. Today, when human beings have a greater understanding of the environment and their own bodies, there are several alternative diets that have been embraced on a worldwide basis. Raw Foodism, better known as Rawism or the Raw Food Diet, is just one of the many alternate diets around today. It has grown in popularity because of the great health benefits it is said that one can derive from eating in this way.

The raw food diet arises from the concept that fruit and vegetables, when eaten in their raw state, are more beneficial for the human being. Some individuals believe that the food eaten in its raw state is more beneficial to the human body as well as making them more energetic. Therefore, the people who follow a raw food diet will largely eat uncooked food. These individuals also eat unprocessed food or organic foods. Usually eighty per cent of the raw food diet is commonly consumed its natural state. It’s a popular misconception that everything you eat on a raw food diet must be totally raw. Most experts who support the raw food diet say that you can get all the benefits of the raw food diet from eating eighty per cent of your diet in the raw state.

Benefits Apart from the benefits like energizing the body, there are several benefits that are attributed to raw foods. For example, having a raw food diet is claimed to work wonders for health conditions like diabetes and skin diseases. A raw food diet is also known to be instrumental in helping individuals achieve that ‘glow’, which is basically a healthy skin. Raw food diets are also known to help people in good digestion. Raw food diets are also known to be instrumental in the weight loss of an individual. Raw food diets have a lesser quantity of sodium. Also, they are high in potassium and fibers, which add to the health of an individual.

Side Effects Just as the raw food diet has advantages, there are some disadvantages of a raw food diet. However, these raw food diets Home

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may cause the individuals to have a detoxification-like feeling if their previous diet was quite heavy in caffeine, meat and sugar.

Also, some individuals may face side effects like nausea, cravings for the food and headaches. Also, individuals who have a risk of anemia, osteoporosis, and pregnant women should not adhere to a raw food diet. Also, there are chances of some nutritional deficiencies in calcium, proteins and iron.

There are several recipes for raw food. These recipes can be easily found on the various websites that cater to raw food and individuals who follow the raw food diet. A simple search on any search engine will give you the links to all the major websites that cater to the raw food diet and have the recipes for the same.

If you are thinking of trying a raw food diet, break yourself in gently, gradually increasing the proportions of your diet comprised of raw foods. If you try to do it all at once it will be too much of a change for you and you will almost certainly give up and return to your old eating habits. That would be a real shame as then you will never realize the great health benefits that you can get from following a raw food diet.

Why go Raw? The raw food diet is becoming very popular these days. It is obvious what the raw food diet is. Most of the food that you eat on

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a raw food diet needs to be raw or as close to its natural state as possible.

Now don’t go getting all squeamish on me. We’re not talking about eating raw meat here. The raw food diet is a largely vegan diet.

There is also some room for maneuver in the raw food diet too as the people who support it say that to get the maximum health benefits from the raw food diet you only must make sure that approximately eight per cent of what you eat needs to be raw.

People who support the raw food diet as a healthy lifestyle argue that foods on their natural state contain the optimum balance of enzymes, vitamins and minerals that we need. They argue that the enzymes contained in raw food and which are killed off by cooking, will help people to digest their food more fully and so derive more nutritional value from it. That places less stress on the body to produce its own digestive enzymes.

Raw food supporters also believe that the cooking we normally do to our food destroys their natural vitamins and minerals and that food takes longer to digest in this cooked, unnatural state. The cooked food therefore hangs around longer in the gut while the body attempts to digest it. The proteins, carbohydrates and fats which have not been fully digested therefore become waste products. These waste products slow down the food’s transit through the gut, causing constipation, bloating, stomach cancer etc.

While the fats tend to clog up the arteries. A raw food diet, which is higher in fiber too, pushes the food more quickly through the gut and there are fewer waste by-products which are left around to cause problems to the body.

Basically, a raw food diet makes your whole digestion process a lot more efficient. It delivers more of the essential vitamins and nutrients which our bodies need and leaves behind fewer waste products which can become harmful to our bodies.

The health benefits of the raw food diet include an increase in energy as your body is maximizing the amount of nutrients it actually gets where it needs it; plus, the body has to work less hard in order to process the raw food.

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You should find that your skin looks clearer on the raw food diet.

That is because your body is taking in fewer toxins which would cause skin eruptions. The raw food diet is a good detox!

Your digestive system will work more efficiently on the raw food diet. Food will pass through the gut more quickly and waste will be expelled regularly. That is great for avoiding health problems like IBS and stomach cancer.

You may also find that you lose weight and manage your weight more effectively on the raw food diet. It is lower in fat that most people’s eating habits. There is less fat hung around in the body to clog up arteries and pile on the pounds. That in turn reduces your risk of contracting heart disease.

All in all, then, you can see that eating a diet that is comprised of at least eighty per cent raw fruit and vegetable sis great for your health. You will lessen your risk of serious diseases and generally look and feel better while you follow the raw food diet.

Doing the Raw Food Diet Right Raw food diets have advantages over eating cooked foods. For one, because raw foods are not cooked, they retain much more of their original nutritional value than if they were cooked. Second, raw foods are frequently much easier for the digestive system to process. And third, because of the previous two points, the body’s energy level is much higher. However, there are some precautions to consider along with the advantages.

Although raw food diets are good for most people, they are not good for everyone. Children, for one, may not benefit as much from a raw food diet as an adult would. Children are very Home

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energetic. Their growing bodies need many nutrients that are not found in many raw foods and they need more of these nutrients than an adult does. Children can get their salts and sugars, to sustain their energy, from fruits and vegetables, but they also need large amounts of calcium and protein as well.

Raw foods, to include raw milk, don’t have the amount of calcium needed to grow strong bodies. Also, children need other nutrients and minerals to help them grow. The amount a child needs may not be able to be provided from a purely raw food diet. If you are considering putting your children on a raw food diet it is strongly suggested to consult with your child’s pediatrician before you do.

You may also want to think about adding vitamin supplements to the children’s diet once you do start the raw food diet.

Raw food diets may also not be appropriate for pregnant women and those who are nursing too. Here again, many raw foods don’t possess the necessary nutrients for a child body growth and development. In fact, the wrong raw food diet can deplete a woman’s body of required nutrients for her fetus or suckling child.

Once again it becomes important to consult your doctor before starting a raw food diet.

People who have osteoporosis, or who are at risk for it, should also be careful about raw food diets. And those that suffer from anemia are another group of people that need to use caution when putting together their raw diet plans. The best advice to anyone with a health condition is for them to talk with their doctor before actually starting a raw food diet. Even including a dietician or

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nutritionist into your raw food diet plan is a good idea for everyone.

All people considering a raw food diet should be aware that there are certain nutritional deficiencies inherent in all raw food diets.

As was indicated earlier there is no raw food that provides calcium.

Some raw foods such as fish do have a certain amount of protein in them, but many fruits and vegetables certainly lack this needed nutrient. Iron and vitamin B-12 are other minerals the body needs but is difficult to acquire from a raw food diet without supplements. In fact, the Journal of Nutrition found that those on raw food diets have higher levels of homocysteine because of B-12 deficiency.

It is true that some raw foods can be more expensive than other diets. There are some prepackaged raw foods that will be expensive. But your best raw food buys will always be found in your grocer’s produce section. Fruits and vegetable are a bargain when compared to the money you were spending on meats such as a steak. If you find your raw food shopping bill getting a little too high, adjust and modify it.

Many people might think that once they start a raw food diet that all their meals must be eaten at home because there are no restaurants that prepare raw foods. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Since more and more people are recognizing the benefit of raw foods many restaurants are adding raw foods to their menus.

In addition, many restaurants, especially in the big cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago are catering specifically to the raw food crowd. And a crowd it is becoming because the numbers of people eating the raw food diet is increasing.

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Eating Raw Plant Proteins and Nutrients as Opposed to Cooked Animal When people think of protein, the word ‘meat’ usually springs to mind. We were always told that a steak or chicken or pork chop was the best source, but animal proteins have some inherent problems. First off, eating meat raw can be downright hazardous!

Animal meats can contain bacteria and other pathogens that are dangerous, and even lethal if left untreated. As a result, cooking is required. However, this process contains difficulties as well.

Proteins are assemblies of amino acids. When they are heated, links form between these acids, and they resist the efforts of digestive enzymes to break them down. When this happens, the body can not absorb the proteins, and they thus become waste.

This thus has two negative affects on your body: first, you are deprived of the proteins you need, and your body is now saddled with material that must be eliminated. The proteins can accumulate in the lower intestine, and become a breeding ground for bacteria and other harmful organisms.

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This is where eating vegetable proteins is preferable, and eating them raw is the best means of assuring you get the full benefits of the proteins. Now, some vegetables – most notably lima beans and soybeans, have some natural toxins in them that are made safe by cooking, but they are the exception as opposed to the rule. By and large, cooking of any sort damages the nutritional benefits of most fruits and vegetables; the higher the temperatures, the more detrimental the effects. This is yet another reason to only steam vegetables – if you insist on cooking them at all, or maybe lightly boiling or grilling them.

The key benefit of many fruits and vegetables is that they can be safely ingested when raw. Normally, just washing them is enough, and then you can eat them as-is. In doing so, you get the full benefit of their amino acids.

Along these same lines, vitamins are very susceptible to damage by heat. Vitamins such as thiamin, Vitamin B, C, and others loose much of their potency during the baking process. Others, the lipid soluble ones like K, E, D, and A suffer nearly a fifty percent drop in their effectiveness. For some vitamins, it has to do with the pH of the compound they are contained in. As an example, thiamin does not do well in anything with a pH higher than six. Above that level, nearly all of that vitamin breaks down, and is rendered useless to your health. That is why baked goods such as crackers and cookies have essentially no thiamin.

Beyond that, there’s also the argument for eating fresh fruits and vegetables, as opposed to canned. The canning process has been shown to be very damaging to vitamins such as B6.

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Heat is also the enemy of fats. If cooked at too high a temperature, the lipids are changed, and they bond with the walls of the body’s cells. This causes blockage for the cell, and makes it difficult to function properly. Over time, this can boost your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Of all the forms of cooking, deep-frying has got to be the worst!

Any food deep-fried: chicken, French fries, and so forth have a huge amount of these damaging lipids. Given the popularity of such foods in the United States, it’s little wonder that cancer and heart disease are so common.

Finding the Ingredients for Your Raw Food Diet Raw food diets have become very popular with many people throughout the world. This kind of diet provides many health benefits and advantages to all who use it. However, getting started in a raw food diet can be a bit of a challenge, not only in the actual transition from a traditional diet to a raw food diet, but also where to go to find the foods for it. The aim of this article is to help you find those foods.

Because of the interest and growth in raw food dieting there are some raw food specialty markets available in some locations. This is especially true for the larger cities where there are more people, all with different eating interests. Some people, who live in big cities, may be fortunate enough to have one of these stores in the city in which they live. If you don’t have a raw food store near you, do not worry.

Your local grocery store has always carried many types of raw foods, and many of these stores are expanding their raw food Home

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inventories to meet the ever-increasing demand for raw food products. Raw foods that have always been stocked in your grocery store are all your vegetable needs, which are in the produce section. Often, this section will also carry bagged nuts, including sunflower and pumpkin seeds. In addition, you should be able to find sprouts and organically grown produce. Farmer markets are another hot spot for finding practically any raw produce that you might like.

Around many cities, out in the country, are farm lands owned by private farmers. Many of these farmers sell portions of their crops, at a stand along the road side of their farms. The good thing about these vegetables sold at these stands is that they are very fresh and the variety is often larger than what you would get at the grocery store. The down side is that the pesticides are generally unwashed of pesticides.

Raw grains can sometimes be a little more difficult to find, especially those of a specialty kind. However, many grocery stores do carry a limited type, such as raw oats. If you don’t have an alternative foods store near you or can’t find that special you want you may be able to go on-line and order them.

One advantage of a raw food diet is the costs. Because you have basically eliminated meat products from your shopping list and are not buying prepackaged foods you could easily find your bill at the checkout counter to be much less than it has been in the past.

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Another advantage of raw food diets is that many raw foods can be grown right in your own backyard. Most vegetables and some fruits are easy to grow, especially if you have a green thumb. Carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries, green beans, are examples of raw foods that can be grown in the back yard and some of these can even be grown in pots on the patio. Both tomato and strawberry plants grow very well in pots and do look attractive placed in the right spot.

An advantage of growing your own is that you don’t have chemicals and pesticides. Many foodists seek an organic raw food diet and growing your own is one sure way to get organically grown foods.

As the grower, you can control what you use to help your garden grow and protect your plants from the invasion of insects. And besides garden can be nice places to hang out. Toiling the soil of the garden is very relaxing, gratifying, and fun for many people.

“Raw foods are all around us and available for our use and our health.”

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How to Get Started On A Raw Food Diet Getting started on a raw food diet is not all that difficult but does require some attention to your body to the foods you will be buying and preparing. For some people, there really isn’t much preparation involved, while for others there is more. Preparation will basically be a matter of taste and choice.

However, in starting a raw food diet there are some things you should know about it before you do. First and foremost, being new to the raw food diet you should talk to your doctor or nutritional advisor for guidance. Switching to a raw food diet will cause your body will go through changes initially and some of those changes could impact your overall health.

A raw diet consists of seventy to ninety percent raw foods. But to switch over from a cooked diet to an uncooked diet from one day to the next can shock your body, especially your digestive system.

For years you have consumed cooked foods and your body has become accustomed to processing those types of foods. As a rule of thumb for beginners, you should start out gradually, maybe eating only one raw meal a day, and then slowly work your way toward eating raw at each meal.

One very important thing to note is that a raw food diet has a detoxifying effect on the body. Eating raw foods will cleanse the body of toxins and your digestion will improve. However, there are some possible side effects as your body adapts to this new raw food diet. You could experience headaches and nausea, as well as a mild depression. Have no fear as these are only symptoms of your body planning. If these symptoms persist over a long period of Home

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time you should decrease the amount of raw food you are consuming and talk to your doctor or nutritionist.

An important part of raw food dieting is to plan your meals. This especially important in the beginning because your body will be craving certain foods as you change your dieting habits. Sugar and salts are a good example of such cravings because our body doesn’t make these on its own but needs them. Many raw fruits and vegetables have natural salts and sugars in them. The point is to monitor your bodily changes and adjust your dieting plan according to your body’s needs.

If you find it difficult to accommodate your body’s needs with the raw foods in your diet plan you might want to consider adding dietary supplements to your diet. Aloe Vera gel is a good example of a dietary supplement. However, there are many more supplements available at your local health food store. It is important for you, as you create your raw diet plan, to research raw dieting options. The purpose behind a raw diet is to improve your health, not make it worse.

Another important point about raw food diets is not to mix it with a cooked diet. This doesn’t mean you can’t eat cooked foods while on this diet. But it does mean that, during a meal, you don’t want to mix them. The reason for this is that cooked foods, when mixed with a raw diet, will neutralize many of enzymes and nutrients in the raw food, basically defeating the whole purpose of being on a raw diet. Also, mixing these two types of diets can make your digestive system work harder, again defeating the purpose of the raw food diet.

As you get further along in your raw food diet don’t be afraid to try eating your raw foods in different ways. Some people on raw food diets prefer eating their foods in their natural state and don’t cut or blend. On the other hand, there are some who slice, dice, chop, and even blend their raw foods. It’s all pretty much a matter of Home

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personal preference, as neither way diminishes they nutritional value of the food.

Human vs. Ape in the Raw Food Diet Some people say that a raw food diet is not right for people. They say we were meant to eat meat; so, we should eat lots of it. Yet, evolutionary biology tells us that we have a lot in common with the great apes. In fact, in a comparison of our DNA, scientists kept finding identical genes again and again. The joke around some labs was that they were going to find out that the only difference between us and the apes were social! Eventually, they did find differences. Yet, we still share about ninety-nine percent similarity with the great apes. So, following a diet like what they eat can be quite healthy for us.

With all the apes – chimps, baboons, orangutans and gorillas, they eat diets rich in raw fruit, raw leaves, and shoots, insects and nuts.

The idea of eating cooked foods and lots of different kinds of grains is something unique to people. Many dieticians, doctors, and scientists believe that if we stick to a diet that is more like that of our ape relatives, we would see major benefits to our overall health. After all, they argue, it is the diet we are best adapted to.

But, the diet of the great apes does have some important limitations; we need to be mindful of this, and compensate for it.

First off, this type of diet is lacking in a source for B12. Now, the apes compensate for this being eating insects along with the fruits, shoots, leaves and nuts. Chimpanzees love to collect and eat termites, and they are high in B12. Of course, as vegan diets go, insects are definitely not on the menu! Vitamin B12 comes from bacteria, so not having the insects in your diet is not something to Home

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worry about. Not that I imagine you’re at all disappointed by that fact! You can simply get B12 from and commercial fortified foods and supplements.

Next, exposure to sunlight is important; as that is a source of vitamin D. modern humans tend to remain indoors a great deal, especially during the winter. So, while our ape “relatives” bask in the African sun, we need to be sure to get our vitamin D from foods fortified with the vegan form (ergocalciferol, D2). Doing so will make up for our limited light exposure. Another means of compensating is to take a trip to a sunnier clime during the winter.

That way, you can get more vitamin D naturally. Be sure to keep an eye on infants and small children. As they have a lot of bone growth going on in their bodies, they need plenty of vitamin D. Some advocates for breast feeding say it’s the best way to insure infants get enough vitamin D. But, that only works if the mother has enough vitamin D in her diet.

It’s also said that food processing, including cooking, has led to a big change in how our digestive systems operate as compared to the great apes. Some argue that we’ve adapted to relying on processed foods. In some cases, cooking and other processes are good. They eliminate some toxins, and release some nutrients.

What’s truly best is what’s known as conservative cooking: steaming food or boiling it. They improve some nutrients, while do only minimal destruction to others.

One food group to try to avoid are the refined grains. There’s a lot of research to support the assertion that they increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. On the other hand, whole grains do just the opposite; they reduce that same risk of heart disease and diabetes. Now, this does not mean you should necessarily add whole grains to your diet. Some people are allergic to gluten,

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which is in many grains. If that is the case for you, consider adding whole grain rice to your diet; it lacks gluten, and is very nutritious.

So, while we may have differences from our ape “cousins�, following a diet like theirs can be nutritious, beneficial, and require little to no cooking. Granted, you must insure you get adequate vitamins, and avoid anything you might be allergic to, but the overall long-term health benefits are outstanding.

Heat - the Enemy of Nutrients Home

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From the time we’re small children, we’re taught to be careful with matches. Why? Well, beyond the obvious concern of burning the house down, our parents don’t want us to get burned! Even just going to the beach for the day; what do we do? We apply sunscreen, lest we get burned. Anyone who has ever had a sunburn knows how much they sting. So, if heat, fire, and the sun can be so detrimental to our bodies, what about the foods we eat?

Now, some would argue against eating too much raw foods, or even under cooked foods. We’ve all seen stories in the news about children getting sick from eating hamburgers that weren’t cooked long enough. But, those were nearly all about meat that was contaminated by E. coli, and the heat would have killed those bacteria. On the flip side, that same heat destroys so much of the nutritional benefits of that same food. When compared, a diet that is rich in raw or minimally cooked foods, as opposed to baked or deep-fried foods, is much better for you.

The best types of cooking are steaming, boiling, and grilling. The reason is that they generally accomplish one of the following: the food isn’t cooked at an overly high temperature, and they aren’t cooked for long. It might surprise you to know this, but all it takes is cooking a food at a temperature higher than 117 (Fahrenheit) for more than three minutes, and the negatives impacts begin. Here are just some of the things that happen to foods kept at high temperatures for a long time:

The amino acids in the proteins essentially coagulate! They form strong links between the acid chains, and become very difficult for your body to digest. The carbohydrates become caramelized, and are rendered virtually useless to your body. This is much like the Home

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process of baking bread when the crust forms. In the old days, we were always told that the best nutrients were in the crust, and that we should eat it. Well, turns out that old wives’ tale was wrong.

Other than a bit of roughage, the crust does you no good. And this is what high temperature and a long cooking time does to all carbohydrates!

Then there are the fats. Your body needs fats for metabolism and the construction of new cells. Excess fats are either metabolized or stored in the body. This is how we get the so-called spare tire and love handles. The thing is, too much heat and time breaks down with lipids in the fats, and you end up getting a host of cancercausing chemicals in your body. Things with fancy names like acrolein, nitrosamines, and benzopyrene, which is one of the worst of the cancer chemicals known to exist!

Many people eat vegetables for the fiber, which is very good for you. Here again, the cellulose in fiber is severely damaged by heat.

Many of its vitamins and minerals are destroyed, and the fiber’s effectiveness in helping to keep your colon clear is reduced substantially.

As if that isn’t bad enough; it’s been found that some pesticides – while destroyed by cooking, are still dangerous. The heat causes their molecules to form new compounds, which are just as bad for us to be eating! So, rather than fill up your diet with a lot of baked goods, consider the raw foods. The health benefits are innumerable.

Getting the Acid-Alkali Balance Right on the Raw Food Diet Raw food diets are a natural way to help us maintain good health, increase our energy, avoid some serious health risks and enjoy Home

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earths’ bounty in the way that Nature intended. There are many different raw foods available for us to eat too. There are many different fruits, nuts, vegetables, and meats for us to incorporate into our raw food diet. However, with all these choices we can make mistakes in our consumption of these foods. This article is written to help us avoid making one of the most common mistakes on the raw food diet – eating too much acidic food.

In this article, you will learn why too much acid in your diet can be bad for you and how to avoid that common mistake on the raw food diet – or any eating plan.

Raw fruits provide us with many needed vitamins, nutrients and they taste good. But there are some types of fruit that, when eaten in quantities which are too high, can cause us more health issues than they help to prevent. We are speaking of fruits of the citrus type such as oranges, grapefruits, pineapples, and lemons to be specific. Each of these four fruits has high acidic levels and while they are good in moderation on the raw food diet, too much of them can be a bad thing.

Citrus fruits are good for the body because they also contain high levels of vitamins like vitamin C and the acid within these fruits are great at breaking down toxins. Despite these advantages though, they can create other problems.

As we have just seen citrus fruit acid does have its benefits, but the benefit is only when the fruits are consumed in moderation.

Because of these fruit’s high level of acid, over-eating them can create stomach problems and can even make existing problems worse. When there is too much acid in the stomach the body must

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get rid of it and fast, usually eliminating it in the form of diarrhea, before the acid begins deteriorating the stomach lining.

And this is another point about too much acid in the stomach. Too much acid, to include what our body produces itself, can eat away at the stomach lining which in turn can cause some very serious health issues. If a person has stomach ulcers for example, acid can irritate the ulcer, possibly causing it to bleed even. Most physicians would recommend controlling the acid intake so as not to cause the stomach further damage is there is already existing damage.

Another point about citrus fruit acid is that, in large daily quantities, the acid can soften the enamel that makes our teeth hard, to the point that the teeth can break. It is obvious that this is not healthy, especially for eating reasons.

The above is not to discourage anyone from including citrus fruits in their raw food diet. In fact, citrus fruits in the diet are highly suggested, but in reasonable moderation and in accordance to with the amount of acid your body can handle in a healthy way. After all, isn’t a raw food diet about getting and staying healthy?

Earlier we touched on vitamin C and it recalls something important about vitamin intake. We all need vitamins to strengthen our bodies and bolster our immune system. However, too much of any one vitamin can put the body into a state of shock and even poison it, like in an overdose. As you develop your raw food diet plan find out what levels of vitamin intake is good for your body and then design your raw food diet plan accordingly.

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The key point in this whole article is the thought of moderation and balance, just as in all things in our lives. And balance is the key principle to establishing and maintaining a healthy raw food diet. And any nutritionist will support that principle.

Fruit or Fat – How to get your Calories on the Raw Food Diet We have gotten phobic about fat in these health-conscious days.

The Holy Grille of diets seemed to be the elimination of all fat.

There are two facts about that which make it a bad idea: 1. You can’t avoid fats altogether – it is impossible.

2. On the good side, you should know that some fats are good for you.

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The raw food diet helps you to eat the right kinds of fats that give your body what it needs without clogging up your arteries. Too much fat thickens the blood and that leads to clogged arteries, strokes and heart attacks.

Calories are units of energy. We have grown so used to seeing calories as the enemy that many of us have lost sight of the fact that we need to consume a certain number of calories each day. On the raw food diet, you will be getting most of your calories from fruit or fat; sure, you’ll be eating a lot of vegetables too but they are so low in calories that you would need to eat an awful lot of them to get all the calories that you need. Most vegetables don’t have very many calories in them and those that do, the starchy ones, aren’t very nice to eat raw.

Your raw food diet won’t be very high in protein, because high protein vegetables like avocado and nuts tend to be high fat too and that isn’t very good for you. So, to get the bulk of your calories on a raw food diet, concentrate on fruit and fats. You will much more successful in sticking to the diet and in deriving all the health benefits from it.

A diet which is rich in fruit is, overall, healthier than going down the high fat route. It is a good idea to limit fat to no more than fifteen per cent of your overall diet. Five per cent of your calories should come from vegetables. That means that apart from fatty fruits such as avocado and coconut, around eighty per cent of your calories comes from fruit in a healthy balanced raw food diet. Fruit have a lot of vitamins; vegetables have a lot of minerals and so together they are a powerful combination.

You’ll be eating a lot more food than you did before you started the raw food diet since fruit and vegetables are low in calories.

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That’s why a lot of people find the raw food diet an effective way to lose weight, but you still need a certain number of calories each day. Bananas and mangoes are among the fruits highest in calories, which just one piece of this fruit averaging at just one a hundred calories. The great thing about including fruit in your diet is that often it needs little or no preparation such as peeling etc.

There is good, sound, scientific argument that states that a diet high in fruit is the best way for humans to eat, and that has caused a big increase in the popularity of the raw food diet. Think about what nature is telling is here – our nearest biological relatives are gorillas, chimps and orangutans. They eat an awful lot of fruit!

A raw food diet high in fruit tends to allow people to reach their optimal weight for their height and build. They also increase their energy levels and boost their immunity so they get sick less often.

Nutritional Value of Raw Food Diets – How Good is it?

A raw food diet is a diet that consists mainly of uncooked vegetables, fruit, legumes and seeds. The raw food diet may also contain eggs and other food that can be eaten raw but not everyone does it that way and there are some risks associated with eating raw eggs and raw meat. As a result, most people who do the raw food diet follow a vegan diet.

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The raw food diet is argued to be beneficial to the human body in more ways than one. The main concept of the raw food diet lies with the fact that many vegetables and fruits lose a major chunk of their nutrients once the food is cooked or overcooked. To counter this loss, the concept of raw food diets is fast becoming popular.

However, with advantages, the raw food diet has its own disadvantages. Some critics have argued that a raw food diet is not a complete nutritious diet for people. Therefore, people should ensure that they have the require substitutes for the nutrients that they would not be getting once they adhere to a raw food diet.

Also, bear in mind that most experts who support the raw food diet say that only eighty per cent of the diet needs to be raw to get all the benefits.

The diet may be lacking in vitamins like the vitamin D and vitamin B12 if you ONLY eat raw food. Also, vitamins that are present in meat, like the B6 vitamin, may not be available for people who are adhering to the raw food diet 100%. Also, a raw food diet does contain very less zinc, protein and iron. Be sensible about it, listen to your body and include pulses and some protein and you should do well on the raw food diet. A totally raw food diet is not suggested for a pregnant woman or even a growing child. Many medical authorities believe that a raw food diet does not have the necessary calories to feed a pregnant woman or a growing child.

Also, recent tests have shown that a completely raw food diet cannot be followed by any person because of the essential nutrients that are not present in a raw food diet. Remember the 80-20 guideline and get a balanced diet.

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The most important aspect of any diet is the enzymes. The body needs enzymes to perform a variety of the daily functions.

Therefore, enzymes like amylase and protease are quite important for the healthy living of a human. The raw food diet you are following should have the essential nutrients you need for your daily life. Many of these enzymes are destroyed by cooking. The enzymes are also necessary for the body, because they help in increasing the immunity as well as decreasing the fatigue levels of the body.

Therefore, it can be safely said that raw food diets offer advantages over cooked food, but for it to be embraced as a full-time diet, you should also include whole grains which have of course been cooked, and a good source of protein. There are several raw food diet recipes available, what with the many cookbooks related to the raw food diets. Also, the Internet is a good place to look for the raw food diets. Just a simple search on any of the major search engines will give you a list of all the websites that cater to raw food recipes and raw food diets.

Raw Is Good!

Raw! That’s the way many of us like it. Just plain raw! Give us raw and we are happy campers. We like raw sports, relationships with a rawness to them, raw sex, and kind of living our lives on a raw edge. Those of us who are raw oriented also know the value of eating raw. And believe it or not when we eat raw vegetables we provide our body with some very essential vitamins and nutrients that are not found in the can.

When we are single and living by ourselves we do have a tendency to live out of the can. We eat canned foods because it is quick and easy. Pour the can contents into a bowl and throw it into the microwave. Within a few moments we have something warm to fill our bellies with. However, when we live out of the can our bodies are not getting the nutritional value it needs to function at its best.

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The body functions at its best when we do raw. That is when we eat vegetables that are raw or near being raw. But for many of us eating raw vegetables can be a little repulsive, and depending on the vegetable, a little difficult to eat. Regardless, raw vegetables, or as near to raw as possible, have many nutritional values and advantages for our bodies.

All vegetables contain enzymes. Enzymes help the body break down many of the other nutrients we might consume so that those nutrients are more effective for our body’s use. The bad thing about canned products, especially concerning vegetables, is that those enzymes we need for healthy living have been cooked out of what’s in the can.

The basic principle here is that the more a vegetable is cooked the more enzymes within it that are lost. That’s right, and it is something to be remembered when we cook vegetables. The more a vegetable is cooked the less its nutrient quality becomes.

Unfortunately, most of us are not chefs or doctors who know about the nutritional value of vegetables. Even on the raw food diet, certain vegetables do need to be cooked before they are consumed, primarily for digestive reasons. It’s hard for the body to process raw asparagus for example. Asparagus, although tremendously high in nutritional value, is real tough to eat raw and when eaten raw is hard on the digestive system to process. That is OK, though, as most raw food diet experts say you only need to make up eighty per cent of your diet with raw foods to get the health benefits.

For many chefs and nutritional advisors, the advice given for cooking the vegetables you have to cook is to cook them as briefly as possible. Nutritionally scientific evidence does show that boiling vegetables does make them softer to eat, but the nutritional value of those veggies is lost in the water that the vegetables were boiled in. However, when you cook your vegetables gently and for a short period it is a different story.

Is raw good? It depends on the kind of raw you want, as we have seen. It does seem that eating our raw vegetables raw, however, has Home

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more of a health benefit than does boiling them. Maybe there is something to be said about being a little raw.

Raw Food Diets and Children Many people within the medical community, as well as those outside of it, are seeing the positive benefits of raw food diets.

People and their doctors are seeing rapid weight reduction, a balance in blood pressure levels, and other health benefits. With such positive results, many families are looking to incorporate raw food diets into their children’s diets. However, because children are children this can be easier said than done.

Many children can be rather picky about the things they eat, and vegetables are a funny truth of this fact. As many parents know all too well their children often leave the vegetables on their plate to be eaten last. And even then, it can be a parental challenge to get the child to eat their veggies before leaving the table.

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For children, the issue is largely about taste and texture. And quite frankly, and in agreement with the child’s viewpoint, many raw foods can taste somewhat odd and have an equally odd texture when eaten. For most anybody many raw foods do take some getting used to, and a child is no different. However, the question is how you get your children interested in a raw food diet. Here are some possible strategies.

All young children like to help their parents because they see it as doing grown-up things. It’s also one way they learn socialization skills, although it can be more of a game to them than it is an awareness of learning. However, the parent can use this ‘helping’ behavior to their advantage by bringing the child into the preparation of the raw food meal.

Raw food preparation is a safe thing to do because there’s no cooking involved and therefore the parent doesn’t need to worry about the child burning or scalding themselves. Even though there may be some cutting involved, which would require the use of knives, something young children probably shouldn’t do, there are still other things they can do to help. For example, after you cut a food the child could place the cut pieces in a bowl or plate, or if the meal will include leafy raw foods children can wash these under cold water for you. What’s important here is to get your children involved in the preparation as means of introducing them to a raw food diet.

Another way to get children to embrace a raw food diet is provide them with fresh fruits like grapes, berries, and bananas for example. Most children enjoy these fruits and the more variety you can provide them with the better. Watermelon slices or apple pieces are a treat to almost any child. If you provide more types of these healthy choices they are more likely to be less inclined to ask for candy or cookies. There is a significant difference of taste in Home

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natural sugars from processed sugars, and children even seem to know this difference and go for the healthier choice.

For the family picnic or trip to the zoo fill the picnic basket with raw foods. Children enjoy outings because they are fun. When children are having fun, they will be more open to new food experiences. Especially after running around and burning up energy they will be hungry and ready to eat practically anything.

Be a good example. This fact applies to any part of child rearing, as well as it does to introducing your child to a raw food diet. All young children watch they parents as examples of what to do or not to do. The things they see you do they’ll want to do the same, including eating the same foods as you do.

The main point in this article, as you introduce your child to a raw food diet, is to make it a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone. And remember, children are children and can be picky about what they eat. If they don’t care for one type of raw food, try another.

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Debunking the Raw Food Diet Myths As of late, the Raw Food Diet has gained a reputation that has taken it from a diet to a popular lifestyle choice. Celebrities such as Demi Moore, Robin Williams and Alicia Silverstone swear by the raw food diet, and every day more and more people are joining the ranks of those who believe that eating raw fruits and vegetables as the key components of a health regimen is the healthiest way to live.

There are those people, however, who shy away from it, believing that the diet is inconvenient, or expensive or unhealthy. There are many myths out there as to what the Raw Food Diet is and what it isn't. By separating myth from fact, you will be able to properly assess and understand the benefits and drawbacks of the Raw Food diet, and you will be able to decide for yourself whether it is the right lifestyle change for you.

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Let's talk about what the Raw Food diet is NOT. The Raw Food diet is not a diet consisting of 100% raw foods alone. For a person to reap the benefits of raw food eating, he or she needs to eat at least 90% to 95% raw foods. That doesn't mean that you are not able to eat foods that are cooked or heated. It also doesn't mean that you can't deviate from the diet every occasionally. Of course, as with everything else, dedication and discipline is key in obtaining all you can from developing healthier eating habits. However, there are those who practice an almost raw food diet instead of an entirely raw food diet. Recipes are available all over the Internet that support that.

The Raw Food diet is also NOT an expensive diet. It's true that it appears lately, diets that are easy on the body are not so easy on our wallets. One only needs to look at the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, Nutrisystem’s, Jenny Craig, diet pills, drugs, juices...the list goes on and on. But think about it: a diet consisting of mostly raw fruits, vegetables, seeds, sprouts, grains, seaweed, nuts and other cold pressed raw oils and fermented sauces is not only good for your stomach, but it costs very little. A raw food diet means that you spend your fast food money -- the money that you would have spent on that cholesterol-riddled, high-fat cheeseburger-- on a healthful salad, packed with nutrients that can help your body Home

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release toxins, help you stay trim, and ultimately improve the quality of your life.

Finally, the Raw Food diet is NOT a boring diet, meaning there is no variety. No, this has nothing to do with the health or the vegan aspect of the diet. It does have everything to do with the mentality that you have in approaching a new lifestyle. It's just like every lifestyle change you make; you wouldn't decide to go green without first researching what it means, right? Likewise, you wouldn't make the decision you change your eating habits from one thing to another without checking out how to do it. When you research the Raw Food diet you will find that there are hundreds and hundreds of recipes, food combinations, and methods of preparation that make it not only a diet filled with variety, but one brooding with many, many options on how to go through it. There are completely raw food eaters and there are also those who opt for an almost raw form of dieting. Regardless of the choice made, education, research and a positive, open mind make all the difference in the way that you approach any new and different lifestyle.

Debunking some of the myths regarding this increasingly popular raw food lifestyle is the first step in educating yourself and ultimately deciding whether the Raw Food life is the right choice for you.

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A Tasty way to Do the Raw Food Vegan Diet Many people see the raw food diet as being healthier and giving them more energy, despite the lack of any long-term analyses of the successes of a raw vegan diet as compared to other types of raw food diets. To try a raw vegan diet for yourself and see what it can do for you, these are the three food groups you can partake of: high-fat plants, sweet fruit and leafy green vegetables. As to the portions of each, opinions vary. Some say as little as two percent of your daily calories should be from leafy green vegetables; others think it should be as high as around thirty. With the high-fat foods, eat things like olives, nuts, avocados, seeds and cold-pressed oils.

Again, some recommend anything from a tiny amount to as high as forty per cent.

To be honest, it’s unlikely you can get as high as thirty percent of your daily calories from green vegetables. That would require eating a lot of big salads! Fortunately, such a massive intake is not necessary to derive the benefits of a raw food diet. The green leafy vegetables have plenty of calcium, protein, vitamin K and zinc. All you need to do is eat around 500 g a day to get the recommended amount. If you’re sure to get things like carrots and peas in your meals, you’ll get plenty of calcium, zinc and protein.

Now, when it comes to striking the correct proportions between sweet fruit and fatty foods, that’s where your personal tastes and health come into play. It’s common for people to have troubles with their teeth if they eat a lot of fruit, especially young children.

On the other hand, if you have a high metabolic rate, you may need more high-fat foods in order to maintain your weight in the Home

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optimum range. Just one caveat: do not have more than ten percent of your diet made up of polyunsaturated fats. Instead, get monounsaturated fats in there. By eating olives, avocados, almonds, hazelnuts and macadamias you can get the fats you need.

Depending on how much energy you need each day, you can make up to forty percent of your diet from these foods. Also, you need to include omega-3 fats; they’re very good for you. So, eat things like crushed flax seed. Flax seed oil is also great for salad dressings. There are soils in the world that are low on selenium, and you can’t be sure where your foods were grown. So, an easy way to get around that issue is to include even just Brazil nut a day.

In terms of what sorts of fruits to eat, you don’t have to go with ones that are unusual or exotic. The banana has energy; it’s rather low in fiber, and plenty of potassium. Oranges are great to get calcium, folate, potassium and vitamin C into your body. One of the real pluses of a raw vegan diet is that it reduces calcium loss, and thus reduces your blood pressure; it will also reduce your risk of having a stroke.

Finally, there is vitamin B12. Some health experts recommend that you don’t take vitamin B12 supplements unless symptoms of a deficiency manifest themselves. And even then, some further say you should avoid taking any pills. Instead, there are some excellent natural sources such as wild plants, nori and spirulina. Now, if those are not available, eat fermented foods or a probiotic, and just be sure to include a B12 supplement.

Follow these steps, and you can eat a healthy diet that is in keeping with the vegan dietary guidelines.

A Raw Diet and Aging Home

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The Baby Boomers are obsessed with keeping young and vital. In their day, the motto was: don’t trust anyone over thirty. Well, now they’re all well over thirty! Yet, they want to grow old gracefully, and stay as healthy as they can. Well, that’s where a raw diet can help. It’s said that the chemicals we pour into our bodies have a cumulative negative affect on us. You may have heard of someone being allergic to an artificial sweetener, and getting terrible migraines every time they try to drink diet soda. Or maybe you or a family member has a food allergy. They can lead to stomach troubles, rashes, and a host of other maladies. Sometimes it can be as simple as gas; and other times you can be struck down with terrible pains and diarrhea.

When you switch to a raw diet, nearly all these issues disappear.

Now, granted, whole grains are not something you can tolerate if you have a gluten allergy; you must substitute whole rice instead, but that’s a minor point. When implemented properly, a good raw diet is said to increase your lifespan, boost your energy and even ward off diseases like cancer, diabetes and others.

So, what do you eat if you can only eat raw food? It means sticking to only natural foods, which, ideally, should be grown organically and locally. That way, you can be sure of the soil they were grown in, and they’re unlikely to have herbicides and pesticides. It also means you’ll be eating very little meat; certainly, no red meat. The diet shuns things such as pork, lamb, and beef. Some seafood is allowed in some variations of the raw food diet, but beyond that, the diet is essentially vegetarian, even vegan. Many people even prefer to go further, and eat a strictly vegan raw diet al the time.

Also, typically, you eat certain foods only in specific seasons, as we used to eat, generations ago, and it’s pretty much a common-sense approach. As an example, if you live in the United States, corn is Home

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only available locally in the summer. So, if you eat some during the winter, it can’t have been produced locally, and is therefore not something you’d want to include in your diet. Your daily diet is a function of where you live, the kinds of foods that are grown in your area; and at what times of the year those foods are grown and produced.

Now, when setting up your food for the day, here are the critical points. First, you need grain, a protein, a variety of vegetables and then a dessert of some fruit. Depending on your health and weight, you may want to forgo the dessert. To be honest, no matter your health, you should not have it with every meal.

The next item to consider is the different textures of foods. You want a blend to keep your raw food diet interesting. That means having something soft, smooth, crunchy and even sticky. Also for a variety of tastes - sweet, sour and so forth. Many people call this the yin and yang of the diet. So, when looking at a winter diet, you could have something like the following for dinner: For the grain, go with whole rice, especially if you do have a problem with gluten. Remember that you can cook up to twenty per cent of your food on most raw food diet programs.

For the vegetables, you could have some beets. If you’re hungry, try a bowl of sweet winter squash for dessert.

On the flip side, a summer menu could be:

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For your serving of grain, try a dish of polenta made with fresh corn. For your protein, whip up some rich and creamy red lentils.

Next, to get your serving of vegetables, and make a green salad with sunflower seeds, diced chives and carrots. Chop up some Chinese cabbage with lemons and red radishes.

In every way, these meals create the proper blending of foods and sensations. So long as you maintain a raw diet that has this balance, it’s said that your health will be maintained, and you can battle the negative affects of aging.

A Good Raw Diet for Your Health These days, we’re seeing more and more instances of a variety of autoimmune disorders. Diseases like MS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and a host of others seem to be on the rise. Some say that it’s merely due to better diagnostic tools; and others say that it’s environmental factors: pollution and the foods we eat that are leading to more people being hit by these maladies. In response to Home

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this, many people feel that a raw diet, one that shuns the processed foods, the refined sugars, the high fructose corn syrup, and other additives is the key to good health.

Now, an important point to remember here is that the diet is not necessarily made up solely of raw foods. The goal of the diet is for you to eat the foods in as close to their whole state as possible.

That means either eating them as they are, or using boiling or steaming to prepare them. In every instance, you want to avoid foods that are highly processed. So, if you want to eat rice, as an example, go with brown rice as opposed to white rice.

In terms of what food, you’ll want to eat, here’s just a partial list of foods that are okay to eat on this diet: whole grain cereals, legumes, fermented soy products, fruits, vegetables, sea vegetables – like seaweed, brown rice, soba noodles, all types of beans, and tofu. You may have noticed a lack of meats listed; this is deliberate. By and large, a raw diet does not include meats; only fish and other seafood are allowed.

This diet believes in the concept of properly combining your foods. The belief is that this ensures that your food digests properly. The phrase often used is calling it the: yin and yang of the digestive process. So, a key aspect of this diet is that you do not eat too many yin foods. This means not overloading your meals with too much of the following: peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, beets, avocadoes, and eggplant.

Here again, you can see the heavy vegetarian aspects of this diet. In addition, you need to not partake of beverages that have stimulants like caffeine. So, don’t drink a lot of soda or coffee. Instead, certain teas and lots of water are the best drinks.

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Another to remember about this diet is how you eat each meal.

Keep your portions small, and you must chew your food well; this is most helpful in aiding your digestion. Not only does it break the food up into small manageable amounts for your stomach and intestines to handle, but it thoroughly drenches the food in saliva, the first step in digestion.

So, when looking to determine what sort of portions you want for your meal, here’s a rough outline: first, make about half your meal of whole grains, and that includes brown rice. This is especially important if you have an allergy to gluten, as rice doesn’t have that.

Next, you’ll want about a third of the meal to be vegetables.

Beyond that, some beans and legumes can be about ten percent, and then five percent for some kind of soup. To round things out, toss in some nuts, fish, juices and seasoning as you see fit. You really want to avoid red meat as much as possible. If you really like meat, and want some, at least aim to buy local, and thus avoid those with chemicals. In fact, when it comes to all of your foods, try to get only local produce.

Follow these guidelines, and you’ll see a real improvement in the state of your overall health.

10 Reasons to Eat Raw Foods Prehistoric man learned thousands of years ago that it was a good idea to eat meat that was cooked, rather than raw. Since then, humans have gone crazy, applying that same cooking idea to all foods. You can have too much of a good thing! Except for a salad, most people eat very little raw food. But in recent years, the focus on healthy eating and lessening the chances of contracting diseases like diabetes, heart disease and strokes has thrown the focus on raw foods.

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What we’re talking about here is eating fruit, vegetables and nuts that taste good just as Nature intended them: in their raw state.

That is quite a change for most people, so to make that change you need to know exactly why you should do it. You need to know why your raw food diet is good for you.

1. Foods have a higher nutritional value when they are raw.

Cooking food destroys vitamins, protein and fat. It even breaks down the enzymes which are naturally in the foods and would help you digest them.

2. You will fuller more quickly in eating raw foods because they contain more water and more fiber and so fill you up more successfully. Your hunger will be satisfied so you can eat less on the raw food diet and that is one reason why people find the raw food diet helps them to lose weight.

3. Raw food is more flavorsome than cooked food is. That means that you have less of a need to add flavorings like salt and spice, all which flavorings can irritate your stomach and other parts of the digestive system and be too stimulating for internal organs like the liver, which valiantly struggles to detoxify the body pf these seasonings which it sees as toxic.

4. The raw food diet is so low maintenance! People who hate spending hours in the kitchen preparing meals will love the simplicity of the raw food diet. You can even involve your children in preparing raw food; that way, they are more likely to eat it! That gives you a break and builds the child’s self-esteem.

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5. You won’t burn your fingers, mouths, tongues or lips with raw food! Also, you won’t burn your house down in a kitchen fire because you won’t be cooking much!

6. There is less cleaning up after making a raw food meal. You can put any leftovers right on the compost heap and give back to nature, and you won’t have any greasy dishes with baked on food to deal with.

7. A raw food diet is great for your overall health and has even been shown to have a positive effect on serious chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. This is because with the raw food diet one doesn’t have the problems caused by free radicals which are created in the cooking process. Fewer free radicals means less risk of cancer.

8. A raw food diet is rich in nutrients and so it gives you great natural protection against common illnesses like colds and flu and even less common illnesses such as measles. Raw food helps to keep your body fit and working well. You are also less likely to suffer from digestive disorders like gas, heartburn, constipation and indigestion.

9. The raw food diet is environmentally friendly. It encourages organic farming and we would use fewer energy resources because we wouldn’t be cooking the food or transporting it as far as we do now. Emissions of carbon dioxide would be reduced and there would have to be new orchards planted to keep up with the demand for fresh fruit. This would release more oxygen into the air and we’d help to minimize the Greenhouse Effect.

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10. The raw food diet will enable you to save money. You will not only save money on food bills but also on energy bills, and also stoves, pots, pans – and medical bills!

The raw food diet is a great way to save your body, save your money and save the planet.

You don’t need to be a Rabbit to Benefit from a Raw Food Diet It’s been said that a raw food diet program is the most influential diet trend to hit the scene in years. For many people, they hear that term: raw, and they figure they know exactly what’s involved in it. However, you’d be surprised as what it really encompasses.

Of course, a raw diet is nothing new. Looking back over the history of humanity, primitive man ate a raw diet prior to the discovery of fire. In modern times, at the beginning of the 20th century, a number of people began to advocate a return to such a diet as being the healthiest way for people to live.

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Your mouth is – quite naturally – the means by which food enters your body. A key benefit of raw foods is that you have to chew them well before swallowing. No doubt your parents may have told you to chew your food a certain number of times before swallowing! The reason for this is that the digestive process starts in the mouth. Chewing releases saliva, an enzyme that helps you digest your food better. In the case of starches, it begins the process of breaking it down into its component sugar molecules.

Some people wonder if a raw food diet means you eat raw meat.

No, that is not the case. For the most part, a raw diet is a vegetarian diet. In general, your diet will be composed of things like fresh fruit and vegetables (and their juices), nuts, seeds and sprouted seeds, purified water and unpasteurized dairy products.

There are other foods included in the diet, but it’s important that they be unprocessed and free of any chemicals or preservatives.

Typically, a raw food diet means that about three-quarters of the food you eat is raw. The remaining components of your diet are usually dehydrated fruits and vegetables. You can either buy them that way, or get yourself a dehydrator specially made for food. The one caveat with such a device: be sure that it operates below 116 degrees Fahrenheit; a good dehydrator functions best at this temperature.

Now, once you start eating the raw food diet, you’ll start to see some of the benefits and then you won’t miss those steaks and chops you once ate. A raw food diet will lower your risk of developing heart disease or diabetes, give you more energy, improve the glow to your skin by erasing some of the signs of aging, diminish your digestive troubles, help you to control your weight loss, and even get rid of some of those illnesses and chronic health conditions you may be suffering from. So many processed foods have so many chemicals that we still don’t know the longterm health impact of. By purging your body of these things, you can see a real improvement in your overall health.

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Of course, deciding on a raw diet isn’t as simple as starting to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet, and that’s it. No, you should always meet with a doctor or dietician to design a diet just right for you. For one thing, you may have a food allergy that can cause you trouble are you lactose or gluten intolerant? If so, you must avoid dairy and/or some grains. Gluten is present in most grains; so the doctor will tell you to substitute whole grain rice. Then there are certain vitamins and minerals that you need on a daily basis. If you don’t eat certain foods (maybe you don’t like certain vegetables), then you’ll need to take supplements.

A raw food diet isn’t ideal for everyone, but with the basic information contained here, you now have enough knowledge to discuss it with a specialist in the field, and see if it’s something you want to pursue.

Why You Need A Raw Food Diet Those who do not really know what a raw food diet is might think it’s a diet that only rabbits might like. These same people might think that a raw food diet is equal to a vegetarian diet in that a person on a raw diet eats nothing but fruits and vegetables, hence the thinking a raw food diet is for rabbits. It is true that rabbits eat fruits and vegetables, but a raw food diet has much more to it than eating just eating carrots, lettuce, or apples.

What is meant by a raw food diet? This popular eating habit is a diet consisting of not only the eating of fresh fruits and vegetables.

But it also includes eating nuts, seeds and sprouts. It includes drinking purified water, and dairy products that are not pasteurized. In addition, a raw food diet can include the consumption of any unprocessed food that is free of chemicals. In a nut shell, this is what a raw food diet is, no pun intended.

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Raw food dieting is in no way a new, quirky idea. Mankind as a whole has been a raw food eater since the dawn of time. In fact, raw food is all our early ancestors ate, primarily because at that time in our existence we were rather nomadic, moving from place to place from day to day. We hadn’t invented fire yet. It was easier just to pick and eat berries, nuts, fruits, and vegetables as we moved about the earth’s surface.

Today the raw food diet has a well established following and has even attracted many celebrities to its followers like Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore to mention just two. There have also been many books written and published on the subject to guide anyone interested in raw food dieting. There are even specialized classes in colleges and universities for the nutritionist to study in the raw food diet.

To be a true raw food dieter the diet consists of between seventyfive to ninety percent raw foods. That is, foods that are not cooked by any means. The balance of the diet might consist of foods that are sun-dried or dehydrated, but with this done at temperatures below 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The key element of a raw food diet is not to eat any foods that are cooked, baked or microwaved.

It is believed by advocates and followers of raw food dieting that preparing foods by any form of cooking damages the food and cooks out many valuable nutrients. And there is considerable scientific evidence to support this belief. There are many foods that when cooked, have some nutritional elements that become neutralized and therefore of no real value for the body and when consumed the body must then waste energy to eliminate them.

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There is also medical evidence that suggests the body benefits from a raw food diet. Studies indicate that those people who are on a raw food diet have greater energy and are at a lower risk for blood pressure and heart issues. In addition, there are fewer complaints about digestive issues, not to mention reports of significant weight loss from raw food dieters.

The raw food diet, although good for most, may not be good for everyone. In considering any diet plan, which does include a raw diet, it is always best to consult your physician before getting too far along in the diet.

The Health Benefits of a Raw Food Diet A raw food diet is just that, eating your food uncooked. Believe it or not there are many people throughout the world who live on a raw food diet. Because of the socialization of some of us we may find this fact a little repulsive when we think about it, but it’s true.

We can look into every culture and find the consumption of some type of raw food within it. Many Asian cultures, for example, consume raw fish along with raw vegetables with their meals. In the western parts of the world those who maintain a raw food diet are known as foodists.

A raw food diet will increase one’s energy. Often, when we cook food, many of the vitamins and nutrients that give us energy are lost in the cooking process, not to forget that whenever we cook food, major chemical changes take place in the food. What often happens is that the good stuff is cooked out and is replaced by toxins. Upon consuming the cooked food the immune system then produces more white blood cells to fight off these toxins. The end result is a weakening of the immune system because it is working over-time to rid the body of invaders. Moreover, because the body

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is doing more work to process cooked foods, there is a loss of essential energy.

Eating raw foods can help reduce and even eliminate diseases and illnesses. In the eating of raw foods the vitamins and nutrients in those foods are left intact and are not lost or converted into toxins.

The body can then use these vitamins and nutrients more efficiently and effectively to combat diseases and illnesses. And this is another reason why those who eat raw foods have more energy.

It’s because the body does not have to work as hard to process the raw foods into a usable resource.

Many people who eat raw foods are also able to maintain a more normal and balanced body weight. Often when we cook foods we use cooking oils, lard or butter. The body has a very difficult time breaking these fats down and rather than waste energy the body will store them within itself. After a period of time these fats build up, thus adding weight to the body. Not only does fat affect the shape of the body, but it also causes the body to burn more energy to move about because of the extra weight.

There are a large number of diet plans and weight loss programs that suggest the consumption of raw foods. Eating raw foods is believed to be healthier because the enzymes in those foods are not lost as they are if they were cooked. Enzymes break down macromolecules into smaller building blocks the body uses to grow and maintain itself. Enzymes also help the body with basic house cleaning and the elimination of toxins.

Moreover, when we eat cooked foods the stomach produces more acid than if we to eat raw foods. The acid that is generated by the stomach to break down cooked foods can create indigestion, heart burn, and other unpleasant stomach problems. With a raw food diet the generation of stomach acid is greatly reduced and even nearly non-existent. Because of the reduction of stomach acids the digestive system functions much better. A raw food diet can certainly be an advantage for those who do suffer from stomach or digestive issues.

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Raw food diets have also been shown to reduce the risks of circulatory and heart disease. As we have mentioned before, the vitamins and nutrients are not cooked out raw foods. These vitamins and nutrients are what help the body fight cancerous type cells. Additionally, many raw foods, like some vegetables for example, help dilate blood vessels so the blood flows more easily throughout the body. Again, it not only becomes an issue of health, but an issue of energy as well. It takes energy to pump blood through the body. The harder it becomes the more energy the body must expend to get blood to where it needs to be.

The Healthy Way to do Raw Food Diets In recent years, much has been said about the positive effects of a raw diet. Book after book, and article after article has spoken of the negative impact that too much heat can have on foods.

Vitamins break down, carbohydrates loose their nutritional value, fats become toxic, and proteins are rendered virtually indigestible.

Still, that doesn’t mean you just eat any food at all that you want raw. There are some measures you do need to follow to ensure you stay healthy on the raw food diet. Like anything else in life, the key is moderation. Too much of anything, even something good, can be detrimental. As an example, years ago people were touting the grapefruit diet as a great way to lose weight. The idea was, you ate nothing but grapefruit (hence the name). You could eat as many as you wanted, so long as that was all you ate. Well, that’s not good for you! Fruits contain acid; too much acid can upset the pH of your body, and will also damage your teeth. On top of that, fruit is lacking in terms of some of the nutrients you need for good Home

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health. You need balance. So, point one: meet with a doctor or dietician and set up a good, healthy raw diet suited to your needs.

Next, be sure you eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and that it’s locally grown wherever possible. Now, this does mean that you’ll have to do without some fruits for some periods of the year, but it’s best for your overall health. Too much dried fruits can give you stomach and/or intestinal troubles (sometimes as simple as just gas), and be bad for your teeth. Or, eating fruit that’s not grown locally means you don’t know under what conditions it was grown.

What sort of pesticides and chemicals were used on it? What sort of soil was it grown in? These days, with the global economy, you could eat fruit from any place on earth! That gives you variety, sure. But wherever possible it really is better to stick with what you know, and learn to do without when some things are out of season.

Nuts make up a large part of a raw food diet. Here again, moderation is called for. Too many people start in on a raw diet, and start eating too many nuts. Nuts are naturally high in fat. Now, your body needs fat as part of its normal biological processes, but only a certain amount. If you load up your diet with avocados, nuts, and oils, that’s not healthy. Not only is there the issue of the fat, but some people have trouble digesting nuts. Here again, this is why meeting with your doctor to discuss a raw diet first is the key to adopting a healthy lifestyle. If you find yourself getting very tired after eating some nuts, your body is having trouble metabolizing them, and you should stop. Ironically, if your body has trouble with nuts, this can lead to you suddenly craving a host of other foods; some you may have never been interested in before!

Finally, there’s the issue of knowing your source. Not for the foods you eat, but the advice you get. Your best friend may tell you how great their raw food diet is, and that you should do the same. Well, thank them, and then go see your doctor. Something as simple as a Home

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food allergy can undo all the sincere advice your friend gives you.

As an example, if they’re eating a diet rich in whole grains, and you have an allergy to gluten, your doctor will tell you to substitute whole rice for grain.

Just follow a few simple steps, and you can be sure that your raw food diet is perfectly suited to your needs. Why not give the raw food diet a go and see how you can benefit from it?

To Cook or Not to Cook: Heating Foods and What It Means Did you know that human beings are the only creatures on Earth that heat up their food before eating it? Think about it: do you know of any animals that cook anything that they eat in any way, shape or form? Not only are we the only species that applies heat to what they consume on a regular basis, but in relation to the life span of other species, human beings have some of the shortest life expectancy rates of any other living creature.

Only species that cooks food; shortest life expectancy compared to the rest of living things. Coincidence? Think again.

Humans, like other species on Earth, are biologically adapted to eating raw foods. The human body is built to be able to break down raw foods into the most basic nutrients, vitamins, minerals and proteins that are needed to survive, using them as effective body fuel for everyday living. Heat breaks down the chemical and nutritional makeup of food, eliminating important nutrients that our bodies crave and need. Add to that harmful toxins and pesticides, preservatives and artificial additives, and it becomes so

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much more evident why humans don't live as long as they should.

In essence, we are killing our bodies by feeding them inappropriately.

By contrast, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has many countless benefits. It is widely known that a diet that focuses on raw foods is great for the skin, for example. Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins that help your complexion stay soft, supple, and healthy, and, not surprisingly, they are a wonderful source of hydration and energy. In addition, grains, legumes and other raw produce are high in fiber and protein, helping with digestion and functioning of vital organs.

One of the most exciting and significant benefits found in eating uncooked foods is how it encourages the body to break down foods properly and efficiently, significantly decreasing and in some cases eliminating harmful toxins that are secreted out of our bodies. As a result, out bodies are able to maintain much healthier chemical levels. The human body then becomes a well-oiled machine, breaking down harmful chemicals, boosting the immune system and eliminating harmful excesses from the body.

It is no coincidence that conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension have all been linked to dietary habits, which is exactly why it should also come as no surprise that studies show a significant decrease in these illnesses among people who practice raw food and vegan lifestyles. But did you know that scientific studies now show that people who are on raw food and extreme vegan diets are at a lower risk for developing many types of cancers, including breast and colon cancers? Or that they are Home

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also at a lower risk of developing heart disease? In addition, those who practice raw food diets are less prone to mental conditions like depression and anxiety, all the while maintaining sharp reflexes and great memory.

These are just some of the ways that the human body is predisposed to the Raw Food lifestyle, and why in the long run it may be beneficial to you to consider changing your eating habits to a more natural, organic, and ultimately healthier way of living. By joining the ranks of those who are switching over to the raw food diet and ditching unhealthy eating practices, you will be helping both your body and your mind become the best that they can be.

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Recipes for a Raw Food Diet It’s been said that stars and celebrities are flocking to the raw food diet in the same way as they once shifted to Kabala. Well, they’re not the only ones. More and more, people are seeing the value of a diet rich in good, wholesome foods, low in meat, and one that avoids processed foods. Some people claim it’s a curative for almost everything that ails you, it improves your appearance, and it extends your life expectancy.

Now, some people hear: raw diet, and they immediately think rabbit food. They think they’re going to be eating sprouts and carrots, peas and rice, and broccoli and nothing more. Or they expect to have to squeeze mango juice or kiwi pulp, or some other exotic fruits and vegetables; all of which may be quite expensive.

True, a raw food diet is essentially a vegetarian or vegan diet, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be tasty and it doesn’t have to be made of up foods you don’t know and love.

Advocates of the raw food diet sat it will prolong you life expectancy, clear and improve your skin, decrease the risk of you getting strokes, heart disease or diabetes; give you more energy and allow you to control your weight in a natural manner so that you don’t have to count calories and monitor the grams of fat in your daily diet. You might think this is all too good to be true, but it’s been shown that many of the chemicals and preservative in processed foods cause a host of problems for people. Food allergies can lead to rashes, stomach and gastrointestinal troubles, even anaphylactic shock! Many people are lactose intolerant or have a gluten allergy. Eliminating these from your diet is far better than spending your life taking medications.

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For some people, the idea of a raw food diet summons up images of eating like some sort of prehistoric being. Yes, as stated above, a raw food diet is vegetarian. So, that means eating a variety of fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, unpasteurized dairy products and freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices. Now, if you have a gluten allergy, you can substitute whole rice for the grains; it’s an excellent, healthy food.

While you may look at that list and see it as rather limited, there is plenty of variety available to you. As with any foods, some are easy to prepare, and others take some time and planning. So, something like the dish listed below, vegetables topped with raw vegetable sauce, is a fine example: Cut up some zucchini into strips. Then, use your food processor to blend 1lb fresh tomatoes, half a cup of chopped white onion, some basil (vary it depending on your personal preference), a clove of garlic (minced), some chopped and seeded red peppers, and a couple teaspoons of dried herbs. Once they are all blended together, pour this sauce over the zucchini strips, and start eating.

It’s a tasty and healthy meal!

Now, that’s just one recipe. Let’s look at what you could expect for a typical day. First, for breakfast, have some raw fruit juice or whole fruit and have all you want. The fiber and natural sugars will keep your energy levels up, and help keep your “pipes” clean. You body will process this quickly; so long about mid–morning, you’ll need a little boost. The same is true in the afternoon. Have a snack of a handful of nuts or some avocado. For lunch, a salad made up primarily of salad greens; add to it some vegetables like cucumber or red peppers. Now, many people make the mistake of putting a lot of heavy dressing on a salad. Instead, go with some fresh lemon juice or maybe just oil and vinegar. Finally, for dinner, go with a Home

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nice spinach salad with some almonds, and one to two avocados.

Again, no processed dressing; go with orange juice. Then wash this all down with some fruit or vegetable juice which has been freshly squeezed.

Now, this is but one example of a daily menu. Don’t think you have to stick with it. The point is, you can see that a raw food diet is easy to make delicious. To improve your health, boost your energy levels, and maybe increase your life expectancy, give the raw food diet a try.

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