Are there benefits to a raw food diet?

By Healthy Palate

Ah,  this week has given way to the warm loving kisses of Spring. With these wonderful warm days and cool nights many people start looking at ways to boost their energy after the long cold winter.  If you are one of those people you may want to think about adding more raw foods into your diet.  Now don’t get me wrong I am not telling you to go ahead and stop eating anything in cooked formed but the benefits of adding some fresh uncooked foods especially fruits and vegetables can help your body feel rejuvenated.    For clarification a raw foods diet consists mainly of uncooked foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains that haven’t been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

Many raw foodist  believe that cooking destroys enzymes that are vital to our health as well other essential vitamins and minerals. The more raw foods in our diet, the healthier we will be.  “There is some magic in raw fruits and veggies,” says specialist in nutritional medicine, Joel Fuhrman, MD. He recommends consuming a mix of cooked and uncooked foods to get maximum nutritional benefits, since some nutrients in foods like tomatoes can be made more absorbable after being cooked.

One of my favorite ways to start incorporating more raw foods in your diet is to make a salad the main dish during meals.

Here are some of the benefits of eating raw foods:

High Fiber—Fiber rich foods like vegetables, fruits, seeds, and beans are associated with a number of health benefits including: weight control, cardiovascular health, disease fighting phytochemicals, and digestive health among many more.

Weight loss—Raw foods are low in calories, so incorporating more raw foods in your diet can help aid weight loss and help detoxify our bodies. However, our caloric needs cannot be met through fruits and vegetables alone. To make sure you’re maintaining a healthy weight on a raw foods diet, it’s important to consume a large amount of nuts, seeds, and avocado. For those of us who are not completely raw make sure to add lean proteins such as wild caught fish and
organic chicken.

Vitamins and minerals—Some vitamins in foods such as vitamin C and folate are destroyed by heat. Research shows that cooking certain foods like broccoli destroys its cancer-fighting properties.  To help keep vitamins and minerals in tack try steaming vegetables till they just start to turn bright green and quickly
drop them in some ice water this will stop the cooking process, still give your
veggies a little crunch and keep most of the nutrients intact.  

Cooling and hydrating—Raw foods contain a high water content which help to keep your body cool and keep you hydrated. Snack on fresh fruits and vegetables like watermelon, grape tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, pears, and leafy greens to stay hydrated and energized during the hot summer months.

Increased energy—Since they are closer to their live natural states, raw foods can provide us with a higher quality of energy to help us feel more alive and ready to take on the day.

Remember a good mix in your diet will keep you healthy all year around. Combine raw and cooked foods to keep up optimal health.  Avoid packaged and processed foods as much as possible and don’t forget to read your food labels.  The fewer ingredients, the less sodium, and less sugar the better it is for your body and the closer you eat to nature the more your body will thank you. See How Delicious Life Can Be!™

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