Important minerals, vitamins, healthy omega three fats, fiber, protein, enzymes, that are hydrating and easy to digest!
RAW – Important every day foods that include most fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grasses, sprouts, fermented foods (eg sauerkraut), fresh and dried herbs, seaweeds, ‘The raw food diet is based on the belief that the most healthful food for the body is uncooked. Although most food is eaten raw, heating food is acceptable as long as the temperature stays below 104 to 118 degrees Fahrenheit’
or according to Wiki – “Raw foodism (or rawism) is the practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet. Depending on the type of lifestyle and results desired, raw food diets may include a selection of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds (including sprouted whole grains such as gaba rice), eggs, fish (such as sashimi), meat (such as carpaccio), and non-pasteurized/non-homogenized dairy products (such as raw milk, raw milk cheese, and raw milk yogurt).”
Superfoods – These foods include foods that have a dozen or more unique properties, not just one or two. They comprise a specific set of edible and incredibly nutritious plants that are neither classified as food nor herbs. They are both food and medicine as they have elements of both. They are a class of the most potent, super-concentrated and nutrient rich foods on the planet. They have the ability to tremendously increase the vital force and energy of one’s body and are the optimum choice for improving overall health, boosting the immune system, elevating serotonin production, enhancing sexuality and cleansing and alkalizing the body. Superfoods meet and exceed all our protein requirements, our vitamin and mineral requirements, essential fatty acid requirements, immune system requirements and much more. Eg Spirulina or Maca.
Superherbs – These include herbs that have super tonic and adaptogenic properties as well as many other unique gifts such as supporting the immune system, heart, lungs and kidneys. Eg. Reishi mashroom or Cat’s Claw (uña de gato).
Cooking at temperatures higher than the cutoff temperature is thought to destroy the enzymes naturally present in food. According to raw foodists, enzymes are the life force of a food, helping us to digest food and absorb nutrients. If we overconsume cooked food, our bodies are forced to work harder by producing more enzymes. Over time, a lack of enzymes from food is thought to lead to digestive problems and nutrient deficiency. More that that we do not have an unlimited amount of enzymes – so when they are busy digesting food – we succumb to viruses and bacteria that are otherwise destroyed by the enzymes…
How are Foods Prepared?
On the raw food diet, specific methods can be used to make foods more digestible and to add variety to the diet:
- Sprouting – Grains, seeds and small beans and legumes are soaked and sprouted.
- Soaking – Nuts and seeds are often soaked.
- Juicing – Fruits and vegetables can be juiced.
- Dehydrated – Foods can be heated, never above 116 F, using a piece of equipment called a dehydrator.
- Pickled
- Blending – Foods can be blended or chopped using a food processor or blender, to make recipes for pesto, soup, hummus.
There are many processed raw food products available at health food stores, natural grocers and online, such as:
- Cold-pressed oil
- Raw nut butters
- Raw nut “milks”
- Fermented foods such as miso, kimchee and sauerkraut
- Dried fruits and vegetables
- Vinegar
- Raw chocolate
- Raw crackers, chips and snack foods
What Equipment is Used?
- Dehydrator, a piece of equipment that can blow air through food at low temperatures.
- Juicer
- Blender
- Food processor
- Large containers or trays to soak and sprout seeds, grains, and beans
- Mason jars for storing sprouts and other food
What are the Benefits of a Raw Food Diet?
People who follow a raw food diet believe it has numerous health benefits, including:
- Increased energy
- Clearer skin
- Weight loss
- Reduced risk of disease
The raw food diet contains fewer trans fats and saturated fat than the typical Western diet. It is also low in sodium and sugar and high in potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber, vitamin A, and health-promoting antioxidants.
These properties are associated with a reduced risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. For example, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that consumption of a raw food diet lowered plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.
The raw food diet is also thought to have a favorable acid-alkaline balance, being low in acid-forming food. Too much acidity in the body is thought to result in disease.
Besides the immediate benefits, the raw food diet may theoretically slow the aging process and reduce inflammation, because it contains fewer advanced glycation end products and other potentially damaging compounds, such as oxidized cholesterol.
oh Baby, I like it Raw! 