The raw food diet is a very superior, high quality, healthy and sustainable diet that is totally geared for our bodies. It's clean, detoxifying, full of life force, and you know what's in it so there's no guesswork about harmful preservatives or additives.
Benefits to accompany such a lifestyle are numerous beyond belief! I know that within a few days of starting the diet myself, I began to very quickly see and feel the most amazing changes in my body that I've ever had with any kind of diet, or anything else, before. And believe me, I tried them all! With the rest, all that I could have hoped for was a little weight loss, without any real, lasting and profound change to my body and health as a whole.
As fabulous as the weight loss is, and the lightning speed by which it happens, it is only the beginning! There is so much more to be said for what you can experience, which is more than enough motivation to keep you on this path. Almost every single day or week brings with it new discoveries for what raw food can mean for you.
Some great things about raw food...
1. It's budget friendly. Most people tend to think this would be a rather expensive diet, and it certainly can be if you allow it, but there are many simple ways to keep it well within budget. The food is more than adequately nutritious, filling and satisfying so you just don't eat as much. I spend quite a lot less on groceries than I did prior to going raw. Also, nothing has to go to waste. Done correctly, you can use most everything. When I juice, a lot of times I use the pulp to make dehydrated crackers or dog treats instead of throwing it in the disposal. That way I get to use the same food twice and it serves both purposes very well. You can't ask much more of a vegetable than that! And... when you eat high-quality raw foods (because they are not all created equal!), you are amping up your immune system so you don't suffer from common ailments such as allergies, colds and flu, and other nagging health issues that are basically accepted as "normal".
2. It's nutritionally superior to cooked, and especially processed, foods. Since food is considered cooked when it reaches about 118ºF, at that point it begins to lose much of it's nutritional content and the enzymes needed to digest it properly. Some very important elements that are lost during the cooking process include hydrogen, water, Vitamins B, C, D and E, antioxidants, and natural digestive enzymes. Also, minerals such as sulfur are degraded by heat, and mineralization is important to all of us. With cooked foods we could be losing vital minerals, because as we lose sulfur we lose the deliverability of minerals.
When it comes to processed foods, you have no idea what you're really eating. It's a challenge to even try and pronounce everything on the ingredient list! Many of the additives and preservatives are very harmful -- artificial sweeteners (even those that say they are derived from real sugar), high fructose corn syrup, MSG, trans fats, food dyes, and many more. They can also cause some pretty serious side effects such as dizziness, migraines, and even seizures. They can raise the bad cholesterol level, contribute to the development of diabetes, increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, cause cancer and a ton of other things. So... those are some pretty compelling reasons to avoid processed foods even if you're not going to eat raw foods.
3. Improves appearance. Skin becomes much clearer. Even if you don't have skin issues and consider your skin to be clear, there's still a big improvement to be seen. Eyes are brighter, nail and hair growth, texture and strength improve, teeth are naturally stronger and whiter, and gums are healthier. Literally every part of your body responds positively to raw foods.
When the diet is compromised, it shows in your hair, skin and nails. Things like chemical skin treatments, and expensive, very promising, personal care items don't fix the problem. They only attempt to cover up the real issue. And a lot of them don't even do that job very well. Take for example the prescription creams that are supposed to get rid of brown spots on the skin. At best, those are only a temporary fix, and the spots will come back every time because it's not a surface issue you are dealing with. Rather it's a much deeper physical issue. When you are clean and healthy on the inside, an amazing glow shines through to the outside.
4. Gives you unstoppable energy. This is the very first thing I noticed when I started raw... with my first greed juice on the very first day! Boundless energy, from the time your feet hit the floor in the morning until late at night, you have a nice even energy with no ups and downs or afternoon slumps. We all know how that afternoon slump can take hold and render us useless! Go with raw foods and everyone will want to know your energizing secret!
5. It's uplifting and mood enhancing. As your energy is on an even keel, so are your spirits. An overall lighter, happier and more peaceful feeling takes over. You actually feel more "alive" and grounded, with sharper senses, a deeper connection spiritually and to that of your own body. Happily skating through the day with no frayed nerves is what you have to look forward to when you get back to nature with foods that efficiently nourish every part of the body.
Lifestyle naturally evolves into something simpler and much less complicated, and you start to figure out what you are all about and what you really need out of life. It's amazing... your eyes are suddenly open and you are looking at everything very differently.
6. Provides disease prevention and healing power. With a high-quality raw food diet, you are taking in everything the body needs to thrive. If at the same time, the foods that don't support good health and prevention of disease are removed from the diet, you are working toward creating the perfect environment for the body to heal itself.
There have been many studies done on people with chronic illness and the healing they have experienced through raw foods. For example, in the independent documentary film entitled Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days, six Americans with diabetes were monitored by a team of doctors who observed their health on a daily basis. Their blood sugar levels were checked regularly, and they followed a 100% organic raw vegan diet. At the end of 30 days they had all effectively reversed their diabetes. Impressive! Raw foods, along with heavy metal detox, have been known to prevent and also reverse the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Other illnesses which are believed incurable, to include fibromyalgia, psoriasis, colitis, cancer, obesity and many more... have been healed successfully through raw foods. The body is a very efficient machine, and when it is given what it needs it can heal itself very effectively.
All these benefits are achieved by doing nothing more than eating raw foods. Just doing that one thing can make the biggest difference in your life that you've ever seen. And you don't even have to follow a 100% raw food diet to experience life-changing benefits.
If this sounds too good to be true, trust me... it isn't! When you have a good plan, and practice everything with intent -- your food, self-care, creating the kind of environment that supports who you really are or wish to be -- things greatly improve beyond your wildest imagination. The great thing is that this is something anyone can have, as these results are very common. I see it literally all the time.
"Kathy Ashley, of Raw Body Transformation, is a holistic health & lifestyle coach who specializes in raw foods and natural health. She publishes a free eZine for those interested in learning more about raw foods, nutrition and the natural lifestyle.
Get your FREE gift and more at http://www.RawBodyTransformation.com
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