How To Get Started On A Raw Food Diet

Posted on 1.6.11 at 6:00 am

If you’re thinking of starting a raw food diet, you aren’t alone. More a lifestyle than a diet, raw food is proving to be incredibly popular among those looking to improve their health through eating whole, natural foods that are as close to their living state as possible.

Switching to a raw diet isn’t hard to do, but you will need to do some shopping to get started. How much preparation you do ahead of time will depend on you and your tastes. Not only that, but as you make the switch, you’ll need to listen to your body as it adjusts to this healthier way of eating.

Before making such a drastic change in your eating habits you should check with your doctor or nutritionist. This is true before starting any diet. Make sure that you don’t have any underlying health problems to deal with first. Because the raw food diet is such a different way of eating, your body will take time to adjust, and any underlying problems could be impacted as it goes through these changes.

While there are some people who eat a near 100% raw diet, most eat somewhere between 75% and 90% raw. No matter how much raw food you plan on incorporating into your diet, it isn’t a good idea to switch completely in one day. Your digestive system has been processing cooked foods all your life, and having so much raw food thrown at it all at once can cause gastrointestinal distress. It’s better to make a gradual move into eating raw food, and start with one raw meal each day. Gradually increase the amount of raw food over time until you’re eating raw food for every meal.

Eating raw food will help to detoxify your body, cleansing it of toxins. Because of this, you might experience some uncomfortable side effects for a short time. Diarrhea is common when starting the diet, simply because of the amount of fiber that you’ll be adding to your daily meals as you eat more raw fruits and vegetables. As the toxins are cleaned from your body, you may develop a slight headache or even a very mild depression. These symptoms should pass quickly; if they persist or are particularly bothersome, consult your doctor.

When your body is more accustomed to raw food, you’ll find that it’s actually easier to digest. This is because living food contains enzymes that help your digestive system. These enzymes are destroyed by the heat of the cooking process. Because of this, it’s not a good idea to mix raw foods and cooked foods in the same meal. Doing so defeats the purpose of eating raw foods. Mixing the two raw and cooked foods in your meals can actually cause your digestive system to work harder.

As you progress in your diet, have fun discovering new ways to eat raw! Sure you can eat whole, raw fruits and vegetables, but you can also chop, dice or blend your foods to create new combinations. Try julienned zucchini in place of pasta with a blended raw tomato sauce or enjoy a raw fruit and spinach smoothie for breakfast. Just because you aren’t cooking, doesn’t mean you can’t be creative.

One of the best books for getting started on raw foods is the one below:

12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food

Why do we overeat time and time again? Why do we make poor diet choices while we want to be healthy? What makes losing weight so difficult? These and many other vital questions are addressed in 12 Steps to Raw Foods in an open and sincere dialogue. Based on the latest scientific research, Victoria Boutenko explains the numerous benefits of choosing a diet of fresh rather than cooked foods. This book contains self-tests and questionnaires that help the reader to determine if they have hidden eati

Price: $ 6.57

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Raw Food and Healthy and Glowing Skin

Posted on 1.3.11 at 6:00 am

Were you aware that your skin is the largest organ in – or on – your body? Its job is to provide protective cover for all the other organs in your body, and because of that it’s vital that you keep your skin healthy. The skin also works to help your body maintain and regulate its core temperature, through perspiration. Generally, looking at someone’s skin will give you a good indication of their general health. Pale, oily or sallow skin can all be signs of a less than healthy body.

The irony is that so many people spend so much of their hard earned money buying creams and lotions to put on their skin, trying to improve its appearance. We buy bronzers, acne creams, moisturizers and so much more, all trying to make our skin look healthier. What if could quit spending all that money on ointments to put on the outside of your skin, and could start making it look better from the inside? That’s what the raw food diet can do for you. By eating a diet based on healthy and organic raw foods, many people find that their once pallid and unhealthy looking skin begins to glow with a new vigor.

As you eat a diet consisting of raw fruits and vegetables, you’ll be adding more of the minerals and vitamins that your body so needs for healthy skin. Raw foods also contain higher moisture content than cooked foods, and that added moisture shows in your skin. The increase in fiber, vitamins and minerals will lead to better health for all your organs on the inside and that improved health will show in your skin.

You see, your skin is like a window into what happening inside your body. As your organs begin receiving the nutritional food that they need to perform, it shows in your skin. Not only are you receiving more of the nutrients that you do need, you’ll be cutting out the toxins and impurities that you don’t need. One of the ways that your body removes impurities is through perspiration. That means that all those bad chemicals pass through the skin, causing problems like dry skin or acne breakouts. On a naturally healthy organic raw food diet, you won’t be consuming all the impurities and toxins found in so many processed and cooked foods. That leads to better looking skin and healthier hair. There really is something to that phrase “an inner glow”!

As you reduce the amount of cooked foods in your diet and replace it with raw foods, you’ll find you’ll have more energy and better health – and it will show on the outside. As your body receives optimum nutrition through uncooked fruits and vegetables, you’ll begin to look and feel your best, naturally.

Living Raw Food: Get the Glow with More Recipes from Pure Food and Wine

Picking up where the bestselling Raw Food/Real World left off, Sarma Melngailis invites us inside her glamorous restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, with dozens more recipes for fresh and vibrant juices, shakes, soups, simple dishes, main courses, desserts, and cocktails. Whip up an antioxidant-rich Goji Tropic Shake or a sweet, cleansing Cilantro-Pineapple Shake for delicious nutrition on the go Cool down with a Cucumber-Mint Gazpacho Soup and an Heirloom Tomato, Fennel, and Avocado Pressed Sa

Price: $ 17.76

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What is Raw Foodism?

Posted on 1.1.11 at 12:48 pm

There are a variety of alternative diets available for those looking to lose weight and improve their health. The raw food diet, also known as raw foodism, is one of them and is growing in popularity every day. It is generally a vegan diet, based on the idea that fruits and vegetables eaten in their raw, living state provide the greatest nutritional benefit. Not only is food eaten uncooked, most raw foodists make efforts to eat only foods that are unprocessed and organic. While there are some who eat one hundred percent raw food meals, it’s generally considered that a daily menu consisting of 75-80% raw foods is sufficient for you to benefit from the diet.

People who are dedicated to the raw food diet say that they have more energy and feel healthier. Part of that is because raw food is high in fiber and better for the digestive system. As toxins and back-up is cleaned from your system, you’ll begin to feel more energetic. A second benefit is healthier skin and hair, again attributed to the removal of toxins from your body. Of course, weight loss is much easier while eating a raw food diet, as is maintaining a healthy weight. The fruits and vegetables consumed are naturally high in fiber, minerals and vitamins, while they’re low in “bad fats” and sodium, leading to better health and vitality.

Of course, like anything, there are some side effects and disadvantages to eating a raw food diet. There are some nutrients not found in large abundance in most plants, like iron and calcium, so you may need to take a vitamin supplement to be sure you’re receiving sufficient amounts. If you’re at risk of osteoporosis or anemia, the raw food diet might not be right for you; you should check with your doctor. Likewise, the raw food diet might not be a good choice for pregnant or nursing mothers. Be aware that starting a raw food diet may initially cause side effects like headache, nausea or gastrointestinal upset, as your body cleans itself of toxins and adjusts to the higher fiber content.

But the majority of folks who have converted to raw foodism have found that the lifestyle and eating habits they’ve developed have made them feel healthier and more energized. Weight loss has been simple, since they can eat all the vegetables they like, and feel full without consuming too many calories. Meals can be quite simple to prepare, although there are also a variety of “non-cook” books that provide recipes for more elaborate dishes. If you’re looking for a diet that will help you lose weight, feel great and have more energy, consider giving the raw food diet a try.