Raw food diets are based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods, preferably organic, such as a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, grains, dried fruit, fresh juices and purified water.
Why Uncooked Foods?
Basically a vegetarian diet, the raw food diet encourages eating and drinking ‘living’ foods. Living foods and juices contain the largest amount of fiber found in raw produce, fiber that can be destroyed in processing. Such foods are easily digested and tend to be lower in calories than the average diet.
Heating food above 116°F destroys enzymes in food that aid in digestion and in absorption of food, reducing its nutritional value.
Benefits of a Raw Food Diet
A diet of at least three quarters raw food offers numerous health benefits, such as increased energy, improved skin appearance, better digestion, weight loss and reduced risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
A raw food diet contains little or no saturated fats, is low in sodium, high in potassium, magnesium, and fiber.
Raw food diets are also awesome detox diets. Different combinations of raw foods and juices can be used for colon cleansing, liver cleansing, kidney cleansing and skin cleansing.
Raw Food Basics
Any fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, beans, nuts, legumes, young coconut milk – even seaweed – can be part of a raw food diet. Your choice of foods may depend on your reasons for dieting, for example:
- sprouted brown rice slows sugar absorption and improves the metabolism
- cabbage supports healthy cellular function; radish leaves act as an anti-oxidant,as does Shitake mushrooms
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