Benefits To The Raw Food Diet
The raw food diet is
gaining much attention and press lately. After all, it has strong supporters
from high profile celebrities such as actor Woody Harrelson, model Carol Alt,
designer Donna Karan, and Chicago-based celebrity chef Charlie Trotter. The raw
food diet sure sounds like a healthy diet. But is it only a fad? What are the
benefits to the raw food diet?
The raw food diet is
one that is about the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed and largely organic
foods. This means that foods are not allowed to heated above a certain
temperature. What this temperature is depends on the type of raw food diet you
are on. Yes, there is more than one to choose from. But typically, maximum
temperatures range from 92 degrees farenheit to 118 degrees farenheit.
If you equate raw food
to only vegetarian food, then this is not entirely true. For some raw food
diets, only vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts are allowed. In others, it can
also include fish, meat and unpasteurized dairy products such as raw milk,
cheese or yoghurt. This will help ensure that you get much needed protein from
other food sources as well.
There are many
benefits to the raw food diet. One of the main reasons why people go on a raw
food diet is because they believe that raw food can heal or treat several
diseases. Raw foods contain live enzymes, thus aiding in digestion. It frees
the enzymes of your own body to work on its various metabolic processes.
Unfortunately, most enzymes in foods are destroyed through heating when we cook
and through processing for preserving them for sale.
Another benefit to the
raw food diet can be on your weight. This is simply because raw food usually
has fewer calories than other types of food. A raw food diet can help you
achieve weight loss as you will have to cut out all junk or processed foods.
Raw foods also contain
bacteria and other micro-organisms that are said to be helpful for the balance
of your intestinal flora. They can help stimulate your immune system and
improve on the digestive process.
Another benefit to the
raw food diet is that you can find yourself having loads of energy. This
happens because your body can more easily digest and use the fuel from raw
foods rather than meats and refined foods. Also, raw foods have higher
nutrients than foods that are cooked, since they are not all destroyed via
cooking.
However, to be on a
raw food diet means that you should refrain from eating even the smallest
amount of cooked food. Your body will find it more difficult to process the raw
foods, because the acid levels in your stomach will be increased.
You also need to
ensure that you take supplements especially if you are on a vegetarian-only raw
food diet. Vitamin B12 is one supplement that many vegetarians are deficient
in, because it is found in meats and other animal products. It is difficult to
get this in raw vegetables and fruits. Some other supplements that are normally
needed are zinc and copper, because they are primarily found in meats. Eating
seeds and nuts may help you to get some of the vitamins, because they are a
very good protein source that can help you to rebuild your tissues and create
new ones. Calcium and protein deficiency must also be looked into, with a raw
food diet.
You may find that your
appetite increases with a raw food diet. You can eat a lot of food and still be
hungry and will be tempted to eat more. Although raw foods contain less
calories, you may find that you undergo more severe detoxification side effects
such as headaches and mild nausea, if your stomach cannot take too much raw
foods suddenly and all at one go.
The raw food diet is
also not suitable for those who are pregnant, young children, anemic people or
those at risk with osteoporosis. Those who go on a raw food diet tend to have
lower bone mass.
Also, implementing a
raw food diet takes up considerable time, effort and commitment. You need to
make many of your foods from scratch. Not all food ingredients are as readily
available as the ones catering to a normal diet.
Despite the various
criticisms, the raw food diet movement is gaining popularity. The many benefits
to the raw food diet is tempting: balanced body weight, clear skin, more energy
and less sickness. It is also much easier to find restaurants offering raw food
meals in large cities now across the world. A raw food diet is not boring
either. There are several cookbooks published with appetizing recipes that you
can easily follow if you want to go on this diet.
Sandra Kim Leong is
the author for the book Detox Diet Secrets. She also writes about diet fads and
food cures [http://www.food-diet-remedy.com] for all kinds of diseases. Gain
access to her free tips and research here at [http://www.food-diet-remedy.com].
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sandra_Kim_Leong/13814
