The benefits of eating raw!

Many of us have grown up knowing and living in a world full of cheeseburgers, fried chicken, candy, and ice cream. These are the staples of many childhood diets, and unfortunately, this often carries on through adulthood, as diet habits are hard to break.

Although hard to break, these poor eating habits are not unchangeable. Whether it is through an illness or life-changing moment of your own, or just simply becoming aware of health and the information out there, lifestyles changes are one hundred percent possible.

There are many facets of health and eating well including vegetarianism, veganism, and a fairly new development in health: The Raw Food diet. According to WebMd, "The fundamental principle behind raw foodism, also sometimes called rawism, is that plant foods in their most natural state - uncooked and unprocessed - are also the most wholesome for the body. The raw food diet is a lifestyle choice. It is not a weight loss plan" (WebMD LLC).

People following the raw food lifestyle need not enter into it lightly, as it is a major commitment to your own food preparation, and your body itself. By not allowing themselves to cook their food, raw foodies must find alternative ways to prepare their food.

"Raw foodists do not cook using a traditional stove or oven. They use food dehydrators that lend crunch to vegetables and cookies.

Food dehydrators also dry out fruits for fruit leather and other raw food recipes. the dehydrator works with heat, but temperatures cannot be higher than 115 to 118 degrees.

Raw foodists believe high heat leaches enzymes and vitamins critical for proper digestion. The American Dietetic Association challenges this assertion. It says the body -- not what goes in it -- produces the enzymes necessary for digestion. The ADA also says cooking food below 118 degrees may not kill harmful, food-borne bacteria" (WebMD LLC).

Raw food diets consist of mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and sprouted whole grains. Most cooked items, baked goods, dairy, animal products, refined sugars, alcohol, or caffeine are not part of a traditional "raw" diet plan.

What are the benefits of eating raw? There are a number of them. Better digestion, healthier skin, improved resistance to illness, more energy, and weight loss are just a few of the numerous benefits of eating raw.

According to an article on the Benefits of Eating Raw, "Those who eat according to the raw food diet eat more whole fruits and vegetables, resulting in high intakes of vitamins A and C, as well as high levels of antioxidants. This boosts immunity from everyday illnesses; it also lowers risk for serious diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure" (Mork). According to another website, Healing Vibes, mental, emotional, and spiritual health also are improved through eating raw (Ament).

The raw diet has been shown to improve many aspects of a person's health. Through eating food in its purest form, the body can benefit greatly by improvements to both your mental and physical health. It has been studied that a raw diet can reduce the risk of certain disease and cancers, and inevitably boosts your immune system as well. Although a raw diet is a big life change, and takes a firm commitment to switch to all raw foods; the benefits of this lifestyle are incomparable.

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References:

Ament, Mark. "27 Benefits of Eating Raw Foods." Healing Vibes. 2006. 21 July 2009.
Mork, Rachel. "Benefits of Eating Raw Food." Life 123. 21 July 2009.
"Raw Food Diet." WebMD LLC. Ed. Brunilda Nazario. 26 Dec. 2008. 21 July 2009.

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