Autumn, Harvest, Healthy Lifestyle

Autumn is here in the Northern Hemisphere, the countryside has dressed in shiny, vibrant colour and the trees are proudly holding their ripe, yellow, red fruits. It is time for harvesting, removing fruits, vegetables from their growing places and moving them to another location for consumption or storage. So this time of the year the nature appetisingly offers its wealthy plate of fresh fruits and vegetables. You can collect fruits and veggies from the nearest organic farm and consume them without cooking.  Raw food, consist of enzymes, phytonutrients are enzymes, so the digestion of raw foods are easier then cooked foods. Raw food has high efficiency, the energy from food goes to every cells because does not contain any toxins. They reinforce immune system. Balances the sugar level, control weight.  Raw foods make the pH of the blood higher, slightly alkaline, helping to prevent disease.  Raw foods also enhance oxygenation. They have anti- ageing effect. They improve mental health. This diet may include a selection of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, meat and dairy products. Do not forget that organic farmers use animal manure as the major source of fertilizer for their food crops.  Animal manure is the biggest reservoir of nasty bacteria, so use a water –and- vinegar solution to wash fresh veggies and fruits. If the days are getting colder you want to consume warm, cooked food. Using these fresh ingredients you can make wide variety of soups and roasted fruits and veggies. Keep this in your mind; your daily diet should consist of minimum 75% of raw fruit and vegetables.

The autumn scenery invites you for walk or cycling. Walking is the best form of physical exercise for all age groups. Being in nature and breathing fresh air helps maintain an emotional well- being. It also gives an opportunity to meet other people. The main benefit of doing outdoor activities, even for a short period of time is being able to absorb the sunlight, which generates vitamin D.  Vitamin D is necessary for brain, bones, muscle and cognitive functions.

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Benefits To The Raw Food Diet

By Sandra Kim Leong

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

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Raw Food Weight Loss - What It Is and Why It's Not a Bad Idea

By Cornell Dayne  

  

Years ago, if you told someone you were only eating "raw food," or that you were on a "raw food diet," they probably would have assumed that you were a blood sucking vampire. But today, with society being a lot more knowledgeable about the benefits of eating raw foods, those same people would likely pull up a chair and trade raw food weight loss tips with you.

If you're interested in weight loss with a raw food diet, take a look at the FAQ below and see if it is a good fit for you and your lifestyle.

What is raw food?

Raw food dieting is a life styles choice, and it has absolutely nothing to do with eating cold, bloody lamb shanks with dry pasta. Instead, it's a diet that centers on unprocessed, organic plant foods eaten in their natural form. Advocates of the raw diet lifestyle believe that consuming foods in their natural form gives the dieter access to the full benefits of the food's enzymes and nutritional value, which is otherwise, believed, lost once they are cooked.

Why is raw food good for weight loss?

It's good because the diet is extremely fruit and vegetable based. That means that your fiber intake will skyrocket and it will also mean that you cut out processed food, junk food, complex sugars, alcohol, and a lot of other stuff that encourages weight gain. By changing the way you eat and incorporating raw foods more into your daily diet, your body is going to be able to get rid of all the toxins and excess fat you're carrying around.

So... everything is, like, cold?

Not necessarily. You're not eating straight out of the fridge-unless of course you want to. You can allow refrigerated foods warm to room temperature, and you can warm up foods to no more than 104 °F (40 °C). Any hotter than that, and you won't be getting the full nutritional content that the food has to offer. You can also have some herbal tea, or pair hot spices like cayenne and garlic with your meals to warm them up.

Is it just about eating a plate of uncooked vegetables for every meal?

Absolutely not! Well, not unless you decide to extricate guacamole, lasagna, cheesecake, smoothies, and pancakes from your diet. Raw food diets are enormously popular, and there is no lack of delicious recipes you can use to create amazing meals that won't leave you hungry, or dissatisfied.

How do I get started on a raw food weight loss plan?

Well, there are a couple of ways you can start. You can throw out everything in your house that's not raw and replace it with the food and ingredients you need to make the change. You can gradually eliminate non-raw foods, and work your way to an all-raw diet. You can also choose one day a week to "go raw", and increase that weekly until you're eating raw foods seven days a week. Couple this with some intense cardio, and you'll be dropping weight in no time.

Be among the few women this year that will actually lose weight and live longer, healthier lives.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Cornell_Dayne/242391

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