| The raw food diet is as much a life-style as an eating | | | | accelerate the aging process. |
| plan; a naturalistic approach which excludes, in addition | | | | Enzymes |
| to cooked and animal foods, processed and refined | | | | Cooking destroys enzymes in our food. These delicate, |
| ingredients. | | | | heat sensitive proteins can destabilise at temperatures |
| In the ever-hungry quest for new fads and health | | | | as low as 115 degrees Fahrenheit, hence even light |
| panaceas, the raw food diet, with adherents such as | | | | steaming can render them inactive. |
| Woody Harrelson and Donna Karan, is growing in | | | | Enzymes, so abundant in a raw food diet, are highly |
| mainstream popularity. Unlike many other bandwagons | | | | functional catalysts involved in various health-regulating |
| however, raw foods (also referred to as 'living foods'), | | | | tasks in the body, such as breaking down food in |
| offer unarguable health benefits and one can reap | | | | digestion, delivering nutrients, carrying away toxic |
| rewards even as a 50% dabbler. To be a 100% | | | | wastes and strengthening the endocrine and immune |
| extremist takes commitment, discipline and education | | | | system. All living cells contain enzymes which function |
| and is best introduced gradually to avoid the | | | | in cooperation with other minerals. As there is not an |
| overwhelm of inevitable detoxification. | | | | unlimited supply of enzymes, eating them in our food |
| A food is essentially 'raw' if it is kept below 115 | | | | lifts the burden off organs to produce digestive |
| degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature above which | | | | enzymes which allows a greater use of enzymes for |
| enzymes are destroyed. Eating raw food ensures an | | | | other metabolic purposes, freeing up more energy for |
| opulent intake of nutrients, fibre, healthy oils and | | | | the performance of other tasks. |
| life-giving enzymes. Raw food is much more easily | | | | Nutrients |
| digested, taking half to a third of the time of cooked | | | | In cooking food we can loose up to 97% of |
| food, around 24-36 hours compared to 40-100 hours. | | | | water-soluble vitamins (B and C) and 40% of |
| Raw vegetables and fruits, are also predominantly | | | | fat-soluble vitamins (namely A, D, E and K). |
| alkaline so help to optmize the pH balance of the body | | | | Proteins |
| (around 60-80% alkaline foods being recommended | | | | Heat denatures proteins, modifying their molecular |
| for a healthy internal environment resistant to disease). | | | | structure and rendering them unusable. The bacteria in |
| Sprouts, raw juices and superfoods are favoured in a | | | | the gut feeds upon undigested proteins that tend to |
| raw food diet, and dehydrating 'ovens' effectively | | | | putrefy, giving rise to toxins. Raw foods provide |
| concentrate the flavour of certain raw foods to assist | | | | healthy, readily available protein in greater supply |
| in the creation of a mind-boggling array of as-cooked | | | | without unwanted residue. |
| dishes. I've eaten a raw food pizza that unbelievably | | | | Fats |
| contained no wheat, no cheese and no cooked | | | | As oils are heat, light and air sensitive, heating can |
| ingredients! It tasted delicious and I was stumped to | | | | destroy the goodness of the and can alter molecules |
| figure out what it was actually made of! | | | | generating toxins and free radicals. Unrefined oils that |
| Raw Power | | | | are cold-pressed contain all their natural healthful |
| Raw plant foods are healthy, regenerative, cleansing, | | | | substances (olive oil for example is rich in |
| energising, predominantly alkaline, and packed with | | | | phytonutrients, flaxseed oil a great source of omega-3 |
| vitamins, minerals, healthy oils, enzymes and | | | | fatty acids and so on). They should be kept |
| antioxidants that promote health, beauty and longevity. | | | | refrigerated in dark sealed containers. |
| As well as enhancing digestion and protecting against | | | | Fibre |
| aging and disease, a raw food diet has noted weight | | | | Fibre is essential for health and helps to flush out the |
| loss benefits and promotes clear, beautiful skin. | | | | intestines, scrubbing them clean and aiding elimination. |
| The benefit of raw food becomes even more | | | | With cooked food fibre becomes a soft substance, |
| apparent in view of the effects cooking can have on | | | | loosing its brush-like quality. It can partially rot, ferment |
| constituents in food | | | | and putrefy in the gut, causing toxins, gas and |
| The Effects of Cooking | | | | heartburn. |
| Arthur Baker writes in Awakening Our Self-Healing | | | | Super Raw |
| Body, 'Overly cooked foods literally wreck our body. | | | | Eating superfoods enhances a raw food diet even |
| They deny needed nutrients to the system since heat | | | | further. Superfoods are the most potent, antioxidant |
| alters foodstuffs such that they are partially, mostly, or | | | | rich, nutrient dense, disease fighting, anti aging, |
| wholly destroyed. Nutrients are coagulated, deaminized, | | | | beautifying, mood enhancing, immune boosting foods |
| caramelized and rendered inorganic and become toxic | | | | on the planet. Raw superfoods ensure an optimum |
| and pathogenic in the body.' | | | | intake of nutrients and phytochemicals for ultimate |
| The indigestible end products of cooked foods can | | | | health, beauty and longevity. |
| linger in the gut, clogging the intestines and interfering | | | | Raw Food Diets For Dogs and Cats |
| with healthy elimination. They can cause a build-up of | | | | A raw food diet for dogs and cats is natural and |
| toxins, mutagens and carcinogens. Carbohydrates | | | | species-appropriate. Not only does it provide a rich |
| ferment, proteins putrefy and fats become rancid, | | | | supply of nutrients, antioxidants and enzymes, but |
| creating free radicals that enter the blood stream. | | | | ensures a move a way from low grade, inappropriate, |
| Lipufuscin, the 'aging pigment', is an example of a | | | | highly processed and toxic ingredients found in |
| waste product created from damaged proteins and | | | | commercial pet foods that can damage your pets |
| fats. It accumulates in the skin and nervous system | | | | health. If embarking on a homemade raw food diet for |
| and is visible as brown 'liver spots' on the skin and | | | | your pet (sometimes referred to as BARF - |
| eyes. | | | | Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), thoroughly |
| Toxic by-products and excess free radicals from | | | | research the area first as nutritional balance is |
| cooked foods can weaken the immune system and | | | | essential. |