Raw Food Diet
What Is The Raw Food Diet?The raw food diet is a diet composed mainly or entirely of raw and living foods. These foods include mostly raw vegan food, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. This is thought by raw food eaters to be a healthier diet, full of beneficial effects. There have been some stories of dramatic weight loss occurring while on the raw food diet. This diet has been supported by several celebrities, while nutritionists do have hesitations. Raw food advocates point out that raw food diets have been common in several cultures throughout history.There are several subtypes of people who eat raw food diets, called raw
foodists:
There are also a range of raw foodists, who simply make sure to eat mostly raw food. Some will eat a small percentage of cooked foods, while others will not even use juicers or blenders, preferring to eat food in a state as close to nature as possible. The raw food diet can include any foods which have not been cooked, frozen, or treated with chemical preservatives. Common raw foods include fruits, vegetables, seaweed, nuts, sprouted grains, and seeds. With care it is possible to get all of the essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from this diet. Raw foodists will drink: Raw food diets can be time consuming and restrictive, but they can also be healthier. How to StartThe Raw Food Diet
Going on a raw food diet can be similar to detoxifying your body, and there can be some side
effects. So when considering the raw food diet, you should start slowly, with one or more raw meals per day, and one or more meals
with a raw main dish and a small cooked side dish. This can be easier on your body as well as your habits.
You will need to change the way you shop and the way you cook. For this, you may need to purchase a few new kitchen appliances, as well as begin shopping around for different places to buy produce. You will need to form a meal plan to make sure you are going to be eating enough foods to meet your body's need. At this point, it may be best to consult a nutritionist who is familiar with the raw food diet. To prepare raw food, you first need to have chosen a wide variety of foods to meet all of your dietary needs. There are many raw food recipes available in books and on the internet, and it will be easier for you to continue on this diet with a variety of recipes. Most raw foods are easy to prepare. You often just need to cut up the food. For other foods, you will need to prepare them the night before, by soaking grains in water so they sprout, or by dehydrating previously sprouted sprouts to make breads and/or crackers. Raw food preparation can be time consuming, so a plan in advance is the best way to make sure you are being as efficient as possible.
Organic foods are the best kind of raw food for raw foodists, because they are foods which have been prepared without using chemicals. Organic foods are now available in a wide variety of products, not just fruits but even cookies. While organic foods can be more expensive then regular foods, they can also be more convenient, as there are many companies starting in cities that will actually deliver organic fruits and vegetables to your front door. This makes organic produce an easy choice, as raw foodists must eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and you may not be comfortable with the idea of pesticides on your fruit. Whether or not you choose organic produce, always wash your produce. Raw grains may be more difficult to find. Most foods in grocery stores have already been frozen or otherwise processed in some way. If you live in a bigger city, you may be able to find a specialty store catering to raw foodists, where it will be easy to get all food raw. Otherwise, you may be limited to bulk food sections of grocery stores or online ordering. Fortunately, nuts and seeds will be easy to find. Almost all grocery stores have bulk and bagged nuts and seeds available, and you only have to make sure that these foods have no chemical additives. Another concern you may have is that nuts often have added salt, but if you choose bulk nuts, salt or other flavorings have rarely been added. As vegetarianism, veganism, and the raw food diet grow more popular, there is a greater variety of foods available both online and in grocery stores for you to choose from. Another option is to grow your own guaranteed organic foods in your own backyard garden. The Advantages Of The Raw Food DietWhile many of the benefits of a raw food diet can be obtained with other diets, there are many reasons why raw foodists believe that eating primarily raw food is best for them. They believe it causes:
Many raw foodists also believe that cooking, freezing or otherwise processing foods can destroy vitamins, bacteria, and enzymes.
They also believe that cooking food makes food harder to digest, partially due to destroying enzymes which are acting as catalysts
in the digestion of food.
A major advantage for many who are considering a raw food diet is the stories of dramatic weight loss that many who have gone on the raw food diet have had. This can be an important factor in choosing the raw food diet, although many diets also have similar stories - the important thing is the long term health benefits of a carefully balanced raw food diet, such as the lowered risk of heart disease. The raw food diet as a lifestyle can be better for the environment, as few raw foodists eat meat, which is better for animals, and less electricity is used if you don't cook your food in an oven.
Many nutritionists would not recommend the raw food diet for most people, as they say it is too restrictive. Humans need a lot of different foods in order to ingest all of the essential nutrients required by our bodies. A diet missing important nutrients can be hazardous to your health in the long term. An important concern in a raw food diet is the lack of animal proteins. While this is not a concern for those raw foodists who also eat raw meat, most would be raw foodists will have to be very careful to be sure to get all the essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are called essential because our body can not produce them on its own. Therefore, each of these amino acids must be obtained through the food we eat. A carefully balanced raw food diet can contain all of the essential amino acids, although you may wish to consult a nutritionist just to be sure. For those raw foodists who will eat raw meats and unpasteurized milk, this is a concern because most meats need to be cooked in order to kill any bacteria present. For most raw foodists, the main concern is that it can be a lot of work to eat enough to get all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and amino acids each day. A nutritional supplement may be necessary. It can be time consuming to do all of the work necessary to fulfill all of the dietary needs of a raw food diet, as even without cooking, food preparation takes time and foreplanning. A raw food diet, while it can have many health benefits, such as a lower risk of heart disease due to low trans-fats, can also have many disadvantages, such as deficiencies in protein and vitamin B12. I also run a web site called http://www.aloeveraexpress.com |
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