Feb 03 2009
The Health Benefits of a Raw Food Diet
 |
|
Recently, somebody forwarded me an article from USA Today titled Stripping the Diet Raw, which featured the many benefits of eating foods raw.
The article commented on the fact that if we look at the natural world, we would never find any other living creatures that are overweight (unless its our overfed pets). It’s almost hard for our minds to conjure up the image of an overweight plant or an overweight lady bug.
This may be due to the fact that all other living creatures consume a steady diet of raw foods, while humans are eating more cooked, processed foods and artificial toxin containing foods. Thanks to irresponsible commercial farming techniques that depend on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, genetic modification and hormones to grow crops on already overworked land, a large percentage of today’s food supply has become saturated with toxins and has very little nutritional value.
Why Organic Raw Foods?
In todays world even the majority of raw foods may contain harmful toxins. If we can’t count on raw fruits and vegetables to be pure sources of nutrition, how are we supposed to obtain the energy necessary for life?
The answer lies in choosing organically grown or locally grown foods. Even better, you should grow your own food organically in a backyard garden, provided you don’t live near sources of pollution such as refineries, heavy industry, or freeways.
It’s becoming increasingly common to see organic fruits and vegetables at many grocery stores. Most likely, you can find a local farmer’s market in or near your city, especially near rural areas. A farmer’s market is the best place to buy your food because it is grown in your local environment and picked ripe, plus it supports your local, small-production farmers.
What Is A Raw Food Diet?
It is a way of eating that involves a huge dietary increase in the number of unprocessed and uncooked fruits and vegetables, as well as seeds, nuts, grains (mostly sprouted) and beans. A food is considered raw if it is uncooked or “prepared” below 116°F, as above this temperature range, food begins to loose its essential nutrients and enzymes, or its “vital life force.”
The more we can eat foods that maintain that aliveness, the more “life force” we ourselves will be able to embody. Remember Life=Life and Death=Death. More than half a century ago in his book Prescription for Energy, Charles de Coti-Marsh explained, “By eating live foods you create a live body. Live foods contain essential nutrients the body needs to create and maintain energy. Dead foods advance age, decrease ability, and decrease energy … they are useless when dead…”
The best way to approach raw foods is to gradually incorporate more and more raw fruits and vegetables into your diet. A good start is to try to eat 75% raw and 25% lightly cooked (especially in regard to whole grains). More detailed information on a general daily raw diet plan can be found here. Although I personally do not condone eating meat, I have added the safest meats to eat (upon request from consumers) in this general raw diet plan so some people can make a gradual transition to a 100% raw diet.
Dangers of Cooked Food
When we cook foods, we inevitably destroy some of the enzymes, vitamins and minerals necessary for good health. If we eat too much overly-cooked, microwaved and processes foods, it can clog our colon, which may lead to a whole host of problems, including, cancer, heart-disease, diabetes and many other degenerative diseases.
Cooking may actually upset the natural structure of food, robbing it of its essential nutritional value. Ed Douglas, the director of the American Living Foods Institute, believes that the human body was never meant to eat cooked food. Stephen Arlin, co-author of the book Nature’s First Law: The Raw-Food Diet, even goes so far as to state that, “Cooked food is poison.”
Health Benefits of Eating Organic Raw Foods
If you slowly begin to eat in this fashion, you will be amazed at your increased energy levels, youthful appearance and decreased visits to the doctors office. Increasing raw food intake has also been linked to a decreased need for sleep, with many reporting that they have more energy when they wake up in the morning, and that they find it easier to get out of bed!
Other benefits of increasing our raw food intake include improved skin appearance, excess weight loss, improved digestion, the reduction of many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as many other health debilitating ailments. Raw foods typically do not have as many trans and saturated fats, as compared to most cooked foods, especially fast food, junk food and any other processed foods.
Raw foods are also extremely high in nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, fiber and plant phytochemical. A report from the Journal of Nutrition stated that increased use of raw foods in our diet lowers both cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body, some of the main indicators for heart disease, obesity & high blood pressure.
Furthermore, raw foods usually involve less packaging and less use of energy sources for cooking, thus making raw foods the near perfect solution for eco-friendly eating. Raw foods also do not usually come in cans or plastics, thus reducing our intake of the harmful chemicals that can be emitted through canned and packaged containers . Don Weaver, author of “The Survival of Civilization,” states that an increased raw food diet is the “most healthful diet for humans and the Earth as a whole.”
If you are beginning to eat more raw fruits and vegetables, make sure to buy only organic or locally grown, as many of the toxins present in non-organic foods, such as pesticides, will not be eliminated with raw eating. Also, avoid eating raw meat, as it can be a host to a wide range of bacteria and parasites.
There is so much information regarding raw foods and personally I believe the best raw food diet is the fruitarian diet. However, everyone is different and you should always do thorough research before radically changing your diet. For your benefit I recommend reading the following information below which will give you further proof that the human body is designed to eat live foods.
Resources: Raw Food Diet
- A great free E-book explaining the benefits of eating raw foods is called “Are Humans Omnivores” by John Coleman and is available here.
- Another great article I would recommend people read is “How humans are not physically created to eat meat“.
- I also explain in details the damaging effects of cooked foods and toxic food ingredients in my book “Health Begins in the Colon“
Please feel free to post any helpful comments to expand on this topic, I would love to hear your ideas.
Related Blogposts:
- The Health Benefits of Olive Oil
- The Health Benefits of Pomegranates
- The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
May 20th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Thank you for the great raw food article and info.
Great looking website.
Thank you
[Reply to this comment]
April 15th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Wow,this is what I’m looking for,,Healthy eating doesn’t mean that we change all of our eating habits. First things first, try to cook at home more often. For your daily eating habit, pay more attention to the nutrition fact of each food product. a healthier lifestyle is important to support our Healthy Food Recipe
[Reply to this comment]
April 14th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Nice article! This could be a good reference for everybody who wants to live healthier! I think, if we want to live healthy we must consume the healthy food also such as organic foods.
[Reply to this comment]
April 10th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Nice post and very interesting article,,Making healthy food choices that are good for your heart can dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease. Heart Diet will help us to reduce our fat in normal way and also to avoid us from another heart attack,,
[Reply to this comment]
March 31st, 2009 at 5:01 am
Hi
How funny to think I have actually never seen a fat tree! I live in the poor country called Botswana. The food industry has done our people great harm that even our last monies are spent on junk and even hospitals supply 90%+ processed foods to patients! I am in a campaign for raw organic foods and your article has added stature to mine.
Thanks and God bless you all
[Reply to this comment]
Gaofose replied on August 7th, 2009:
I support you 101%
God gave us the right food to eat from the beggining.
[Reply to this comment]
March 28th, 2009 at 12:04 am
good post. it is very interesting review. i also had an experience with a raw food diet. trust me, its really works. just take a look for a moment in my own site.
[Reply to this comment]
March 27th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Good post. I think that do raw food diet will help us to lose our fat naturally. I have a wonderful experience with this diet in my review. Just take a look for moment in my own site.
[Reply to this comment]
March 27th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
It’s really useful information for anyone who wants to run diet. They will have this information useful in choosing the kind of food that suit best for their diet
[Reply to this comment]
March 26th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
i will like to find a diet for my mother,so that she can stop talking high blood pressure medication.THANK TOU
[Reply to this comment]
March 26th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Please send me information regularly.
[Reply to this comment]
March 25th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Nice post.. I agree with you… The raw food diet will help us to lose weight fast and healthy.
[Reply to this comment]
March 12th, 2009 at 7:44 am
I love organic raw food like fruits and veggies. I’m on my five months since I started this diet and, boy my body never had it this good.
[Reply to this comment]
March 8th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Raw food diet is the best way to give your body the nourishment it needs. Being overweight does not mean you have all the nourishment that your body needs, as a matter of fact overweight individuals usually crave for the essential nourishment that their body needs. The reason that they are overweight is because of the processed foods that they consume and the way the foods served.
[Reply to this comment]
March 4th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I agree with you, that raw foods are the best nutrient source.
Can you suggest the easy way to avoid “cooked” food temptation?
[Reply to this comment]
March 4th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I agree with the points above.
But i must admit that it’s hard to resist the “cooked” food though
[Reply to this comment]
February 26th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Hi,
I am new to the world of the raw food lifestyle and am having a hard time finding recipes that I like aside from plain fruits and veggies. Can anyone suggest some good raw food recipes??? (no nuts please.)
Lisa
[Reply to this comment]
Sandra replied on March 26th, 2009:
Here are a few good resources –
Raw Food made Easy by Jennifer Cornbleet
Eating without Heating by Sergei and Valy Boutenko
Optimum Health Institute’s cookbook – includes great ‘pizza’ and ’sushi’ recipes, may have to order from their San Diego bookshop.
If you are in NCY, the Plant has classes.
Sandra
[Reply to this comment]
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:19 am
apple good for reflux disease……I love natural foods
[Reply to this comment]
February 20th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Raw food diet is the best way to give your body the nourishment it needs. A raw food diet is no longer an underground trend. The underlying theory is that raw food contain a higher source of nutrients and that cooking food reduces the nutrient values found within the food.
wayan tulus
[Reply to this comment]
February 18th, 2009 at 2:58 am
Hi,
I have tried mixing various fruits for making juices that are really tasty and healthy. From here I got various others information for being healthy.
Thanks for sharing such good things.
Joseph
[Reply to this comment]
February 16th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
The most highly revered diet loss herb is green tea. Other types of herbs usually come with serious side effects, so it is usually best to stick with green tea. You add in healthy meals of veggies and low-fat proteins, and you have a week-long, healthy detox that is a terrific way to jumpstart a diet loss plan. I do this detox several times a year, just to help keep my system balanced. If you took good notes, then you’ll be able to use the review process as a learning experience to fine tune your rapid diet loss.
[Reply to this comment]
February 16th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
very good article thanks for the info. i also found more good stuff on a site called RawPeople.com, they are very helpfull.
[Reply to this comment]
February 16th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
I’ve never imagined this being a successfull method but it’s nice to see people interested in it.
[Reply to this comment]
February 16th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Great post! I do alot of cooking. I’ve always been told that eating raw foods are best, it’s just kinda hard eating it all the time.
[Reply to this comment]
February 11th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I want to recommend another resource, a great book oneating raw,
“The Live Food Factor,” by Susan Schenck. She’s covered the raw food diet, nutrition, health, natural hygiene and anti-aging — plus has written the first comprehensive guide to the raw food diet. This is SUCH a worthwhile resource — it’s got it all! There are testimonials, research and my favorite — the recipes. It’s the raw food bible. It’s that good.
[Reply to this comment]