People have always wanted to look and feel their best, something that is directly related to the diets that we consume. Over the years, there have been many new diets designed to help us consume the nutrients that we need, without eating any of the overly processed things that can pose a health risk. One of the latest diets to become popular as an alternative is the raw food diet.
The raw food diet involves eating mainly plant-based foods. These foods are never cooked or brought to a temperature in excess of 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The medical benefits of the raw food diet are numerous. It gives us extra nutrients, a cleaner body, and increased energy.
Added Nutrients
Studies have shown that eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods, which are a major part of the raw food diet, can help minimize the risk of chronic illnesses. As a result, many people who follow the raw food diet experience these benefits. Many people who follow the diet believe that cooking produce breaks down and destroys some of the nutrients that occur naturally in foods, making cooked food less healthy. By eating these foods raw, you can increase your vitamins C and B intake. Foods in a raw food diet also tend to be high in potassium, magnesium, fiber, and other nutrients, while lowering cholesterol.
Cleaner Body
One of the most important benefits of the raw food diet is the fact that you cut processed foods out completely. The foods that we eat can be full of pesticides, hormones, and other toxins. This can drastically decrease the nutritional value of what we are eating. The raw food diet, with an emphasis on organically grown natural foods, cuts back on all the toxins that are clogging up our body. Many companies, like Raw Food Magazine, offer recipes that are delicious and made with organic, raw foods. Even if you do not continue with the raw food diet, you can use it to cleanse your body and flush the toxins out.
Increase in Energy
Once they have a cleaner body, many consumers of the raw food diet report an increase in their energy levels. This is a result of both the added nutrients and the sharp decrease in processed foods you are consuming. The raw food diet also can help the environment because the packaging is different when the food is not heavily processed.
As with any other diet plan, there are both pros and cons. Some nutrients that you used to get from cooked foods will need to be replaced by raw foods, so be aware of that. A popular trend in the raw food diet is to eat eighty percent raw food and twenty percent cooked food. This helps keep those nutrients in your diet, while still cutting back on the processed foods and maintaining the goal of the raw food diet to live a healthier lifestyle. Whichever option appeals to you more, there are many benefits to the raw food diet.
Before beginning any new diet, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider to make sure the diet healthy for you.
