WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING RAW?
What Is Raw Food?
The basic raw food diet focuses on not cooking food above 118 degrees F. It contains fruits, vegetables, sprouted seeds, soaked grains, dried fruit, nut-based cheeses, rolled grains, nuts, and seeds. This diet is quite close to what most health professionals advocate for a healthful eating plan.
Eating raw or living food is not a new concept. Human beings have consumed food in this state for most of the history of our race. Cooking food products is a relatively new phenomena in human history. It’s interesting to note that many serious health concerns such as obesity and heart disease have worsened since processed cooked foods became the norm.
THE BENEFITS OF EATING RAW
When you start to eat raw, the first thing you might notice is a little extra spring in your step. Increased and sustained energy levels are definitely a benefit. That mid-afternoon slump will be a thing of the past, and all you will need is a little fruit to provide a quick recharge. On top of this increased energy, you might also notice you sleep better and need less sleep to be alert all day. Very likely, you’ll wake up without feeling groggy and tired.
Along with all that energy, most people who eat raw food report less mental fog. You might be able to focus longer and with more clarity throughout the day. This sharpening of the mind could be due to the energy boost, or it might be connected to less toxin buildup in the body. Either way, you can devote your mind to things that are important and stay alert while doing so. This mental clarity can often have a positive impact on mood as well, so don’t be surprised to find yourself smiling more.
Another benefit of eating raw is an improvement in skin appearance and tone. Diet has a huge impact on skin, and your skin will often reflect what’s going on inside your body. Our skin is usually the last organ to get nutrients, because it isn’t a vital organ. This means if your diet is deficient, your skin is left without vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to repair damage and thrive. Typical fat-laden processed foods can clog capillaries and produce metabolic waste, creating acne and in the long run aging the skin prematurely. Raw food provides an overabundance of vital nutrients without the harmful elements. The result? Skin that simply blooms with health.
One of the most important health considerations when eating a raw food diet is a significant lowering of LDL or “bad” cholesterol, triglycerides, systemwide inflammation, and blood sugar levels in the body. This means a reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This reason alone should convince people to at least try a diet made up of 75 percent raw foods.
Cancer has been the focus of many diet-based research projects, and raw foods area lifestyle choice of great interest to many scientists. A raw food diet has been found to reduce the risk of many types of cancers, including prostate, bladder, laryngeal, oral, gastric, and breast cancers. Even adding just one raw meal a day can impact your risk for certain types of cancers.
The main reason many people prefer eating raw foods is because they believe cooking leaches the vitamins and other nutrients out of the products. Vitamins are essential to good health and can be either water- or fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins are found in fruits and vegetables, which have a high water content, while fat-soluble vitamins are often found in dairy products, oils, and fish. Fat and water-soluble vitamins are impacted greatly by cooking methods that involve either fat or water. For example, placing vegetables in boiling water can leach the vitamins out of the food. The extent of vitamin loss is also affected by the length of time the food is exposed to heat.
