Eating More Raw Foods Is The Key To Weight Loss, Improved Health, Beauty And Longevity

Nov. 20, 2009 - PRLog -- So, what are raw foods?  Is it, like, sushi or raw meat or something?  Not exactly.  The three main food groups are fresh fruit, vegetables (esp. green leafy veggies), and natural fats such as avocado, nuts and seeds.  So then, does one munch on carrot sticks and celery all day long?  Not entirely.  For some, it’s surprising to find that with these main food groups, the most delicious meals can be created.  Chocolate Pecan Tart, Curried Carrot Soup and Gardenburgers are only a few of the Raw Food Diet favorites.

Raw foods are uncooked and kept below 115 degrees, preserving the maximum nutrition of these foods, the way nature intended.  Cooking food above 115 degrees destroys vitamins, phytonutrients and enzymes.  Essentially, cooked food is dead and provides little nutrition.  Most Americans are overfed and undernourished.  When eating foods that are nutritionally devoid, such as in the Standard American Diet or S.A.D., the brain tells the body that it is not getting the nutrients it needs to function properly and thus eating more is necessary.  When eating nutritionally dense raw foods, however, we feel satiated with much less food.  This is why many people experience weight loss while eating more live foods.  If weight gain is the goal, supplementing the diet with additional shakes or smoothies will raise caloric intake.

It is no surprise that eating raw has been termed the “health and longevity diet” as these foods are full of oxygen, vitamins, enzymes, phytonutrients, energy and life force.  Cancer and many other chronic diseases cannot thrive in a highly oxygenated environment.  Many chronic conditions thrive on an acid environment and most Americans have too acidic of a diet.  Processed food, cooked food, meat, dairy , sugar, pollution and stress can be very acid forming.  Fortunately, raw foods are highly alkalinizing and easily digestible.  So say “no” to cancer and illness and “yes” to raw foods!

Eating more raw foods doesn’t have to be all or nothing.  Most people don’t go 100% raw overnight.  More is better and adding any amount is fabulous.  Eating between 50% and 75% raw can greatly improve health and vitality.  Raw foods, really, are not a radical concept.  Most nutritionists agree that we need to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables everyday.  The Raw Food Diet simply suggests that these foods should be most of what we eat.

What about protein?  To start, our culture is way over-proteined.  Second, it is a misconception that protein is found only in animal products.  Green, leafy vegetables are incredibly high in protein, at about 60%.  When eaten together, fruits and vegetables provide about 15% of their calories from protein.  Add nuts and seeds to the mix and it’s even higher.  The RDA suggests that 20% of caloric intake be from protein.  Yet, it is important to remember they are also allowing a buffer due to cooked animal proteins not being easily absorbed by the body.  Adding a handful of green leafy veggies to a shake or smoothie is a great way to sneak in your greens because you won’t even taste them!  

Here are a few helpful tips for incorporating more raw foods into your diet.  Start with fresh juice, a smoothie or fruit for breakfast.  Next, begin lunches and dinners with a salad.  Eat raw vegetable sticks or green juices between meals as your snacks.  Taking these simple steps will result in an intake of about 50% raw foods.   Patti Jayne’s Raw Cuisine offers a Nationwide Weekly Raw Food Meal Delivery Service featuring gourmet raw cuisine, and at $100 a week, is very convenient and affordable.  This service makes eating delicious healthy meals easy, as the food is already prepared.  Visit http://pjsrawcuisine.com for more information.  By giving the body what it needs, raw food is the ideal fuel for radiant health and beauty.

Patti Stevens is founder and owner of The Raw Express –Weekly Raw Food Meal Delivery Service.  The Raw Express is available for shipping throughout the U.S. and can be purchased at http://pjsrawcuisine.com or by calling 831-324-0707.  Patti is a graduate of Living Light International, Raw Culinary Arts Institute.  She is a certified Chef and Instructor and is passionate about sharing the living foods lifestyle with others.

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The Raw Express~ Nationwide Raw Food Weekly Meal Delivery Service. At an affordable $100 a week, customers can have healthy, organic, pepared gourmet raw food all week long! Eat Raw - Feel Great! http://pjsrawcuisine.com 831-324-0707 ~ 831-444-5565