HEALTH BENEFITS OF RAW FOODS
September 5th, 2008
A raw food diet, based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods, can include fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. Raw food diets, although often vegetarian or vegan, may also include meat and dairy products.
Raw plant-based foods which have never been heated retain crucial nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Once food is cooked, at a cooking temperature that approximates 118F or higher, these healthy compounds start to change or degrade and the food loses its health-giving properties. Cooking lightly retains nutritional value; steaming, stir-frying, low-heat baking, and broiling are acceptable cooking methods.
Eating highly cooked foods requires the body to work harder to digest them. This can deplete the digestive system. A depleted digestive system does not break down food and absorb nutrients as efficiently, leading to nutrient deficiencies.
Raw vegetables are more nutritious and contain higher levels of enzymes than cooked vegetables. Including salads is a way to increase the amount of raw vegetables in your diet. The nutritional quality of vegetables can often be determined by color and flavor.
Fresh fruit should also be incorporated into your daily diet. A high nutrient content is indicated in fruit by natural sweetness. At least one fruit meal should be included in your daily diet.
Enzymes enable the body to use vitamins and minerals. In food that is cooked, vitamins and other nutrients alter in their molecular structure and cannot be used by the body as easily as raw foods that contain these nutrients in their natural states.
Health benefits of a raw food diet may include: Weight loss, increased energy, enhanced well being, and improved skin appearance. A raw food diet can also aid in the prevention and treatment of many common ailments and chronic diseases and heal digestive problems like ulcers and acid reflux.
A raw food diet is high in potassium, folate, fiber, and magnesium and low in sodium and saturated fat. Health-promoting plant chemicals, or phytochemicals, along with these vitamins and nutrients, are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. A raw food diet can also decrease levels of harmful cholesterol.
A raw food diet that contains organic whole foods can ensure you body gets high quality nourishment without the toxins found in conventional produce. Such raw foods may include: Raw fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, freshly juiced fruits and vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds, nuts, beans, seaweed, and coconut milk.
Many adverse health conditions are caused from nutrient deficiencies in the foods included in the diet or may be caused by a strained digestive system. Eating raw foods provides the body with the nutrition it needs to heal and rebuild itself and cleanses the digestive system.
If you presently have a diet that incorporates many high cooked foods, add raw foods gradually into your diet. After eating raw foods for a few weeks you should notice a feeling of enhanced health and increased energy.
For information about nutrition for health and wellness call Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician, at (305) 595-9500.
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