Not Getting Enough Chemicals In Your Diet? Eat Raw
Food To Make Sure You Do!
Are you getting enough chemicals in your diet?
Are you consuming enough chemicals like: Polyphenols, Phytates, Sulfides and
Thiols, Terpenes, Phenols, Isothiocyanates and Indoles, Saponins and Cyclic
Compounds? Sound Crazy? Believe it! The American diet is seriously deficient in
all of these phytochemicals.
So what are phytochemicals? Phyto comes from
the Greek word for plant. So phytochemicals are organic compounds from plants.
Many people prefer the term phytonutrient. It is said that Hippocrates used a tea
made from willow tree leaves to reduce fever. Plant extracts, from willow bark
and spiraea (meadowsweet) contain the active ingredient salicylic acid. In 1852
an early form of asprin was synthesized from salicylic acid. So, Phytochemicals
or Phytonutrients are organic compounds from plants like fruits and vegetables
thought to promote health and have been used in healing for centuries. More
recently population studies link eating larger amounts of raw fruits and
vegetables with lower risks of chronic disease, some cancers and heart disease.
Phytonutrients such as Carotenoids have been
linked to decreased risk of stroke and Flavonoids have been linked to lower
risk of heart disease. Lutein is concentrated in a small area of the retina
called the macula. The natural high amount of Lutein is believed to keep the
eyes safe from oxidation and damage from high--energy blue
light.Diindolylmethane is being tested as an aide against recurring respiratory
tumors, cervical dysplasia, and prostate cancer. A phytonutrient extract from
the Pacific yew tree eventually became an important cancer drug paclitaxel. So,
phytonutrients are important in medicine. Phytonutrient interest in the medical
field is building. More information on the positive benefits of phytonutrients to
human health is being discovered everyday. However, much more study will need
to be completed before increased consumption of phytonutrients will be accepted
as prevention for any disease.
Perhaps there is not enough established proof
for some that documents the health benefits of phytonutrient rich foods.
However for now, it appears that an effective strategy for reducing risk of
chronic ailments, cancer and heart disease could be to increase consumption of
phytonutrient--rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, legumes, grains
and teas.It is said, that many phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants that
can help fight the damage caused to our bodies' cells over time that lead to
premature aging and chronic disease. Sadly, Americans simply do not eat enough
fruits and vegetables or a large enough variety of fruits and vegetables, which
could be resulting in phytonutrient deficiencies causing serious widespread
health problems. The good news is that media and consumer interest in
phytonutrient--rich foods is way ahead of the curve.
A few phytonutrients have been studied.
However, estimates of the still undiscovered and unstudied phytonutrients are
in the tens of thousands. So, how can you improve your odds of eating a good
variety and quantity of these natural health--enhancing nutrients? Well that's
easy! Add fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables to your diet and explore foods in
all the colors of the rainbow. Phytonutrients are what give food their color.
So to get a variety of phytonutrients, eat a variety of colors. As an example,
did you know bell peppers come in red, yellow, green and purple? Choose green
and white teas and eat purple, red and green grapes. Even the phytonutrient
composition of fruits vegetables and nuts can change between different varieties.
Broaden your color spectrum, broaden your variety and broaden the types of
fresh plant foods and you will maximize your chances of getting more of the
phytonutrients you need.
Freshly harvested plant foods are loaded with
the nutrients you need. However, a word of warning, though there are a few
exceptions such as tomatoes, many phytonutrients can be destroyed or removed
from foods by modern processing techniques and even cooking. So what's the
answer? Eat raw! Eat raw vegatables, nuts and fruits to get the maximum
benefits from your phytonutrients. Eating raw foods of various colors, kinds
and varieties is your best bet to get the health enhancing, health protecting
and healing benefits of these remarkable natural foods.
My name is Bill Davis.
My hobbies were kickboxing, biking, running
and various outdoor sports. Arthritis ruined those activities for me. After six
years of research I've found the path to better health, which I want to share.
Go here for more info: [http://www.eatrawreview.com]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/William_Hugh_Davis/1178551
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