Crunchy Benefits of a Raw Diet
Margaret Mead once said, “It’s easier to change a man’s religion than to change his diet.” Sadly, I have found this to be surprisingly true, even when health is at stake.
The fake food revolution has more people addicted to plastics (non-dairy whip, cheese foods, imitation butter spreads) and chemicals (canned soups, frozen dinners, bottled salad dressings) than you would believe possible. Our health status as a whole is deteriorating as obesity rates are climbing while sugar and gluten are infesting all of our purchased foods.
Incorporating raw foods into your daily diet may be a pivotal step in improving your overall health. For one, it is easy — no cooking involved.
People who eat more than 50% of their daily food intake in the raw form have more energy and better health. Raw fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, enzymes and oxygen which all contribute to slowing the aging process.
When food is cooked above 118 degrees F for three or more minutes, its protein becomes denatured, its sugar becomes caramelized and natural fibers are broken down which means that it will take longer to creep through your digestive tract. Up to 90 percent of minerals and vitamins have been altered or destroyed and just as important, all enzymes are destroyed. This is even worse if the food was microwaved.
Cooked food depletes our body’s bank of enzymes that should have been used to maintain and repair tissue and other organs instead of bailing us out of bad food choices. Instead of supplying the body with energy, cooked foods actually deplete the body. Productivity and alertness is diminished. Cooked foods suppress the immune system.
Raw foods are easily digested (because of the enzymes they contain), and require about 24 hours of transit time to pass through the digestive tract. It can take 40-100 hours for cooked foods to get through. This delay in transit time leads to complications of constipation and putrefaction.
Raw foods provide the body with more stamina, energy and strength. Raw foods contain the best balance of water and nutrients. The brain functions at a higher state of alertness and allows for a more restful sleep.
Pay attention to how you feel after eating a cooked meal. Tired? Bloated? If you are like most individuals, you answered yes to all of the above. Now eat a meal of raw foods. I will almost guarantee that there will be no need for a nap.
I have the perfect example. I was working at the hospital on my birthday this past summer. The girls surprised me with a basket of goodies! Hot dogs, diet soda, cool whip, canned soup and a Twinkie. All my pet peeve foods beautifully wrapped — uuuggg! After the laughing subsided, each of my co-workers had made a different salad. The majority of the food was raw. Not only beautiful, but the salads were delicious. It was a busy 12-hour shift and what everyone noticed was that we were just as energetic at the end of our shift as we were at the beginning of our shift. No one felt sluggish or bloated. Employers may want to consider this as a key to productivity and the health of your employees.
The options are unlimited and the food is amazing. I have a few great raw food cookbooks and the results could easily be served in a gourmet restaurant
One of my favorite snacks is to soak raw almonds overnight in pure, room temperature water. Drain the next day and refrigerate what you are not taking with you. You will find they are easy to chew and they are loaded with protein, fiber, omega -3 and 6 fatty acids, Vitamin E, magnesium, calcium and zinc. When you soak them, you have essentially put life back into the dormant seed, which will then put living energy into your own body.
Shoot for at least 50% of your daily intake to be raw, then attempt to go up from there. I am fortunate in my practice to see the difference between those who consume a diet high in raw food as compared to those who do not. There is no contest. Hands down, the raw food consumers look and feel better by a landslide.
The fake food revolution has more people addicted to plastics (non-dairy whip, cheese foods, imitation butter spreads) and chemicals (canned soups, frozen dinners, bottled salad dressings) than you would believe possible. Our health status as a whole is deteriorating as obesity rates are climbing while sugar and gluten are infesting all of our purchased foods.
Incorporating raw foods into your daily diet may be a pivotal step in improving your overall health. For one, it is easy — no cooking involved.
People who eat more than 50% of their daily food intake in the raw form have more energy and better health. Raw fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, enzymes and oxygen which all contribute to slowing the aging process.
When food is cooked above 118 degrees F for three or more minutes, its protein becomes denatured, its sugar becomes caramelized and natural fibers are broken down which means that it will take longer to creep through your digestive tract. Up to 90 percent of minerals and vitamins have been altered or destroyed and just as important, all enzymes are destroyed. This is even worse if the food was microwaved.
Cooked food depletes our body’s bank of enzymes that should have been used to maintain and repair tissue and other organs instead of bailing us out of bad food choices. Instead of supplying the body with energy, cooked foods actually deplete the body. Productivity and alertness is diminished. Cooked foods suppress the immune system.
Raw foods are easily digested (because of the enzymes they contain), and require about 24 hours of transit time to pass through the digestive tract. It can take 40-100 hours for cooked foods to get through. This delay in transit time leads to complications of constipation and putrefaction.
Raw foods provide the body with more stamina, energy and strength. Raw foods contain the best balance of water and nutrients. The brain functions at a higher state of alertness and allows for a more restful sleep.
Pay attention to how you feel after eating a cooked meal. Tired? Bloated? If you are like most individuals, you answered yes to all of the above. Now eat a meal of raw foods. I will almost guarantee that there will be no need for a nap.
I have the perfect example. I was working at the hospital on my birthday this past summer. The girls surprised me with a basket of goodies! Hot dogs, diet soda, cool whip, canned soup and a Twinkie. All my pet peeve foods beautifully wrapped — uuuggg! After the laughing subsided, each of my co-workers had made a different salad. The majority of the food was raw. Not only beautiful, but the salads were delicious. It was a busy 12-hour shift and what everyone noticed was that we were just as energetic at the end of our shift as we were at the beginning of our shift. No one felt sluggish or bloated. Employers may want to consider this as a key to productivity and the health of your employees.
The options are unlimited and the food is amazing. I have a few great raw food cookbooks and the results could easily be served in a gourmet restaurant
One of my favorite snacks is to soak raw almonds overnight in pure, room temperature water. Drain the next day and refrigerate what you are not taking with you. You will find they are easy to chew and they are loaded with protein, fiber, omega -3 and 6 fatty acids, Vitamin E, magnesium, calcium and zinc. When you soak them, you have essentially put life back into the dormant seed, which will then put living energy into your own body.
Shoot for at least 50% of your daily intake to be raw, then attempt to go up from there. I am fortunate in my practice to see the difference between those who consume a diet high in raw food as compared to those who do not. There is no contest. Hands down, the raw food consumers look and feel better by a landslide.
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