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Well Women Guide to The Raw Food Diet
Raw food. Sounds unappealing? I admit that I have only tried this briefly for a day and not completely either. Yet I am intrigued that it's benefits are so many and I can see how, long term, this could enhance our health to quite an extent. I am trying it properly (50 per cent raw, the week commencing Monday 11th Feb 08) I have been reading all about Living and Raw Food here. Think of it this way. Most animals eat uncooked food, or living food, as it is known. We, as humans, cook our food to make it more palatable. However, is it really more palatable? Certainly, I personally would not east raw meat, although some do. The living food diet is not about eating raw meat and is an entirely meat free diet and transcends all diets such as Vegetarian and Vegan. Evidence shows too, that those who consume a living food diet, are virtually free of illness. Living food is about eating food that is fresh and natural as nature intended. Many start this diet because they have suffered from CFS (M.E) or Fibromyalgia and begin as vegetarians going on to being vegan and progress to totally raw. Apparently, when your body becomes very depleted, you are drawn towards this healthier way of eating. It may be something I will consider, as I stumbled upon it by chance whilst researching for the website, and whilst I had watched programmes about it before, was not convinced at that time. Time and time again, I find myself looking at Jess Michael's site and Shazzie's site, intrigued by the Raw food idea and also able to associate with them as people. Both suffered illness which resulted in them changing their diet to totally raw. Their ethos is similar to mine regarding chemical free, ecological and organic. All that is missing from mine is the totally raw way. Am I ready to be a raw food goddess? Hmmmmm.
When food is cooked, it starts to be destroyed. Furthermore, after we eat a cooked meal, our white blood cell count increases. Since white blood cells are our first line of defence this shows that cooking food causes our immune system to go into "defence mode" What's more the cooking process not only destroys vitamins present in the food, but it causes the activation of possible carcinogens within the food. Whats wrong with cooked food? click here to find out Heated fats are probably the most dangerous as they cause an increase in free radicals within the body. What are the benefits of eating "Living" Food over cooked food? Living food has the following benefits: 1. Better Sleep 2. Heightened awareness and improved brain function 3. Clearer thinking 4. Weight loss (sometimes extreme when combined with exercise) 5. Detoxification of the body 6. Improved general wellbeing and performance 7. Improved ability to cope with stress, anxiety and tension 8. Improved energy 9. Drastically improved immune function 10. Drastic reduction in illness 11. reduction in blood pressure Click to read 101 reasons to eat raw 12.Eating raw foods can even reverse or stop advancement of chronic illness and even cancer. The reason for this is that by eating raw, you are lowering the amount of free radicals in your system. Free radicals are the major cause of cancer. 13. Reduction in Fibromyalgia symptoms 14. Reduction in Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms. Think of it this way, Cooked food is dead food. Basically, living food is uncooked fruits, vegetables, salads, fruit and vegetable juices, sprouted seeds and wheatgrass juice is said to be one of the most powerful sources of nourishment on earth (according to an article from the Ann Wigmore Foundation) and extremely cleansing and not NOT dairy produce or meat. It stands to reason that it should also be Organic There are many many celebrities that follow the Living food ethos such as Alicia Silverstone, Darryl Hannah, Demi Moore, model Iman and her husband David Bowie, Pierce Brosnan, Barbara Streisand, Brian Adams, K.D.Lang (singer and musician), Seal (musician), Lou Reed (musician), Prince, Sting, clothing designer Donna Karan and many more. So what will I be eating?Mainly Fresh Fruit and Vegetables either themselves or in the form of juice, smoothies or cold soups and Fresh Sprouts which you can grow yourself and eat while living!! With the addition of: Nuts and Seeds preferably purchased in a shell. Young coconuts as a source of fat and calcium, Dried fruits (only sun dried as most dried fruits have been cooked), organic dates (sun dried), Sea Weeds (sun dried), Herbs and spices, Olives, Green powder (blue green algae which has been dried and sun dried wheatgrass etc, raw honey as a sweetener. Cut out salt, sweetener or any processed sweetener, apple cider vinegar. Vinegar contains a toxic chemical called acetic acid. Acetic acid is also used as a pesticide. Even frozen vegetables can not be considered raw as they have been "blanched" prior to freezing. What problems will need to be overcome?Well having existed for so long on cooked foods there may be some alarming detox symptoms such as headaches, nausea, diarrhoea, upset stomach, acne, rashes, strong body odour, feeling weak and tired, so easy does it. Similarly you can stay raw but increase things like advocado and coconut. Feeling hungry. This can be alieviated by eating more sprouts and grasses and expanding the variety of raw food. Cravings If sugar is the craving, eat sweet fruits like mango and sweet vegetables like carrot juice. Also honey in moderation. I am losing too much weight!! Weight training and yoga, increase advocado, coconut, sprouted sesame, and nuts. Teeth may also suffer so it is recommended that you brush with baking soda after eating lots of fruit including juices and smoothies. For further information about the problems associated with a Raw food diet Please Click HERE
My Opinion? (for what its worth) Certainly, I can see the objective here. I can see how this kind of living could make you very healthy, especially as I am so adverse to chemicals in food and the diet, cleaning and beauty products. However, I can also see problems with a digestive system that is also not used to this kind of change, if it was implemented too quickly. I can also see that this would be temporary. I think that it would be worth doing long term but with me, it would have to be a very gradual process and that is what is recommended by many raw Gurus. For more about this
You start off with introducing more fresh fruit and salads into your diet. Then after a week or two, you replace one meal a day with a raw meal, such as breakfast. You could have a huge raw smoothie. After another week of this you then replace 2 meals, then go raw for a whole weekend, then permanently raw. It would probably take around 6 to 8 weeks before you go totally raw. Equipment is needed such as dehydrators, Juicers and smoothie makers or blenders, so you may well have some of the equipment already.
Please click here to see some of the equipment used.
Perhaps another way to go would be half and half. Indeed Shazzie on her website states that it can be done 25 per cent, 50 per cent, 75 per cent and then 100 per cent. You could also opt to still eat some cooked food and stay at around 50 to 75 per cent raw. Certainly some of the recipies are totally gorgeous. Shazzie has written books on the subject of raw food. Click here to read about her in a Woman magazine article. You can use the zoom-in feature to read the article. She also has two websites Shazzie.com and Detox Your World and is a wealth of information on the subject of raw food. Also, another raw food goddess, Jess Michael Who is a raw lifestyle coach . Check out her short video clip here But whatever you decide is for you, Good Luck and Good Health.
Please click here to go to Shazzies site and buy her book Detox Delights
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