Raw Food Diet

A raw food diet is one in which at least 75% of the ingredients are raw, though there are many who claim that a raw food diet should be 100% raw and uncooked. To prepare a raw food diet, cooking methods which do not destroy the nutrients of the food are used. Most of the food however, is consumed either raw or very lightly cooked.

The proponents of raw food believe that there are many health benefits of consuming a completely raw diet. The biggest advantage of consuming such a diet is that there are several improvements in the overall health of a person. The individual’s weight begins to normalize since several uncooked foods are low in fats.

These foods are also not processed so a person’s consumption of chemical preservatives and additives is drastically reduced. The raw food diet provides the individual with plenty of essential nutrients without significantly increasing the calorific content of their meals. When we cook foods, the heat and the acids alter the composition of the food, making part of it difficult to metabolize. Therefore, a part of the cooked food we consume is not assimilated by the body. The raw food diet, on the other hand, consists of natural foods and therefore the body is equipped to completely metabolize the food. Raw food can break down into several components which are then sent to be metabolized by various different cells in the body. This not only aids in the proper digestion of food, but also allows a person to remain healthy and energetic.

One of the greatest improvements of a raw food diet is enhanced digestion. The human digestive system is able to completely digest raw foods and this decreases common digestive problems such as acid reflux, acidity, diarrhea, and constipation. Raw foods also help to stabilize stomach acid production and this helps to aid the digestive process and strengthen the digestive system.

Though some raw food diet enthusiasts allow adding a small portion of cooked foods to their diet, most agree that adding even a little bit of cooked food to a raw food diet can alter the balance that the raw foods create in the body. If there is even a small amount of cooked food in the diet, it can cause the production of acids as well as bile. There are even residual effects of digesting the cooked foods and, therefore, the cooked food diet does not offer respite from gastric problems. It is believed that if you add cooked foods along with raw foods, the resulting acid which is produced, can cause the raw foods to create indigestion. If you do desire to eat cooked food as well, it is best to separate the cooked foods and the raw foods into two separate meals.

Most raw food recipes for a beginner will consist of large portions of fruit. Lunch can consist of a raw food salad recipe and finally have cooked food in the last meal of the day. However, be careful to wash all your raw foods well so that you get rid of any residual pesticides and similar chemicals which may have been used while farming these raw foods. You may also go in for organic raw foods, if they are available.

There are a few additional nutrients that you may have to consume along with your plant and raw food diets. Vitamin B12, copper and zinc are three micro-nutrients that are not completely provided by a raw food diet. Therefore, to fulfill the dietary requirements of these nutrients, it is best to add nutritional supplements to your diet. It is important to talk to a doctor before you decide on a nutritional supplement.

When it comes to other nutrients, raw foods cater to the needs of the human body and does not hinder the digestion and absorption of food. It is important to ensure that you receive all the nutrients that your body requires on a daily basis. In many cases, people on a raw food diet do not consume an adequate amount of iron rich foods. In addition to this, several plant based foods do not have very high iron bioavailability. This can cause or aggravate conditions like anemia and so it is important to ensure that your diet has an adequate amount of iron-rich foods and you can also include iron supplements. Before you begin taking these supplements, it is important to check with a medical professional and find out how much of nutrients you really require and then fix the dosage of the supplements accordingly.

Eating raw, though healthy, does not come very easily to most people. Like in any other diet, it is important to start slow with the raw food diet as well. When you start introducing raw foods to your diet, there is a likelihood that your system will react to it. As explained earlier, raw and cooked foods, when consumed together, can cause indigestion. Therefore in the initial weeks of switching over to the new diet, you will not only experience slight digestive discomfort, but may also experience cravings for cooked food. To make the raw food physiologically more beneficial for you, you can include a little salt in the food as well. Since both fruits and vegetables digest differently in the body, it is best to eat fruits first and vegetables later, in a different meal. So your raw food diet plan should be made accordingly.

Raw food diet weight loss is considered to be one of the safest and healthiest way of losing weight. Since raw foods work on your digestive processes and metabolism, the weight loss caused by a raw food diet is completely natural. Apart from this, the raw food vegan diet is full of natural enzymes which help you lose weight and simultaneously make you healthy as well.

The raw food detox diet is also very beneficial for the body. Raw foods can help in the detoxification of the human body.

Can Raw Food Cure Cancer?

Raw food to cure cancer is a treatment option that has only recently been tried, with some surprising results. A number of individuals following the diet of raw food to cure cancer have shoes significant improvements in their conditions. Experts believe that a lot of this has to do with the fact that raw food is still considered to be live as far as any enzyme activity is concerned. This high nutritional content goes a long way into building up the immune system of the body – which is the primary route of fighting cancer. However, simply using the diet of raw food to cure cancer is unlikely to prove successful on its own and it is highly recommended that you consult your doctor about any other treatment options that may prove to be successful.

What Should Raw Vegan Diet Contain?

There are a number of different raw vegan diets that are known to be especially beneficial to the human body. Any raw vegan diet plan will constitute an assortment of nuts, vegetables, seeds, nuts, sprouted seeds and grains as well as herbs and spices. The guidelines of the raw vegan diet are to maintain a ration of about 85% raw foods and 15% cooked foods. The raw portion of the diet will include nuts, fruits, vegetables and fresh fruit, along with olive oil and flax oil; while the 15% portion will be made up of soy cheese, rice milk, steamed or stir fried vegetables, steamed or baked potato and whole grain breads.

Submitted on January 16, 2014