By now, just about everyone has heard about the raw food diet. It’s become so popular these days, it seems everyone from Hollywood stars to the guy in accounting has made the switch. And of course, by the name, it should be fairly obvious what the diet consists of – most of the food that you eat should be raw, or in as close to it’s natural state as possible.
Now it’s not necessary to eat 100% raw food on this diet, and we certainly don’t expect you to eat raw meat! What we do aim for is to have at least 75% of our diet consisting of raw, living, organic fruits and vegetables, nuts and grains. So that’s what the diet is – but why is this manner of eating winning over so many converts? What has convinced so many people to change their habits and start eating this way?
While many people look at the raw food diet as a way to lose weight, that’s not really the biggest reason to make the switch. What a lot of people don’t realize is that foods in their raw natural state are optimized for use by our bodies. Not only do they contain the vitamins and minerals that we need, they contain enzymes that help our bodies digest food more easily. Cooking foods at high heats breaks down or removes these nutrients, and actually makes it harder for our bodies to digest the food. Your body becomes less efficient at digesting food, and gets less nutrition from it, meaning you have to eat more.
Since cooked food is more difficult to digest, it causes some upset in the natural processes of our bodies. It hangs around in the digestive tract longer, and because digestion is less efficient, we end up with more waste product in our intestines gumming up the works with problems like bloating, gas and constipation – and possibly some types of cancer. Raw fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are full of fiber and water which help our bodies digest and pass foods more efficiently. Foods pass more quickly, with less waste and our bodies absorb more of the vitamins and other nutrients we need for our well being.
The benefits of the raw food diet may start with digestion, but they don’t start there. Because your body will be absorbing more nutrients while process the food with less work, you’ll have that extra energy to use in other ways – you’ll soon start feeling less sluggish and more active. Also, because the foods you’re now eating contain more nutrients and less toxins, your hair will be shinier, and you’ll have less skin breakouts. Healthy appearing hair and skin on the outside are a good sign of your improved health on the inside.
As mentioned before, you will quite likely lose weight, and will find it much easier to manage your weight, as this healthier way of eating is naturally lower in fat and calories than most people’s regular diet. Most of the fats that you will eat are healthy, from nuts and other plant sources. Because of this, there’s less fat in your body to clog up arteries or to hang around on your hips – that means you’ll be at less risk of developing deadly heart disease.
Learn more information regarding raw food diet foods. Stop by Kelly Cannon’s site where you can find out all regarding eating raw foods and how you can make a change in your health now.