Independent Articles & Videos About:

1. The Raw Food Diet Plan
2. Changing to a Diet of Raw Food
3. Raw Foods, Health & Beauty

Beauty and Raw Food

One of the best ways to improve the appearance of your skin is by incorporating raw food into your diet. Beautiful skin starts from the inside out. People who switch to eating mostly raw food often see an improvement in their skin and look younger.

Heating food above 105 degrees Fahrenheit destroys the enzymes as well as 50% of the protein and 70-90% of the vitamins and minerals. Eating cooked food overtaxes the body's enzyme reserves. Eating more raw food decreases the amount of digestive enzymes your body has to produce. Raw foods are foods in their natural state with the enzymes left intact. Enzymes are needed to perform many functions in the body including digestion, assimilation and elimination of food. A drained enzyme supply can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, premature aging and low energy. Raw foods high in enzymes include sprouts, papaya and pineapple.

Free radicals damage your skin and interfere with collagen production causing premature aging. Antioxidants counteract free radicals that age the skin. Berries, especially blueberries, are potent antioxidants that promote collagen which reduces wrinkles. Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit help rid the body of free radicals keeping the skin looking young. Foods high in the antioxidant beta carotene including carrots and apricots protect the skin against sun damage.

CoenzymeQ10 is an effective antioxidant involved in the energy process and present in every cell in the body. CoQ10 levels in the body diminish with age. CoQ10 destroys free radicals and slows aging. Spinach, broccoli and peanuts are foods high in CoQ10.

Alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that boosts the strength of other antioxidants such as Vitamin C and E, and assists the body's energy production. Alpha-lipoic acid can be found in spinach, brewer's yeast, broccoli, tomatoes and peas.

Sulfur is a mineral present in every cell in your body. It is needed in collagen production and for healthy skin, hair and nails. Organic sulfur levels in food are lost when processed, heated or dried. Sulfur is known to help improve skin conditions such as acne. High sulfur content foods include asparagus, broccoli, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, red pepper, garlic, onion, watercress and kale.

Silicon is an essential trace mineral needed for healthy skin, hair, nails and bones. Silicon levels decrease with age. Fruits and vegetables are the richest source of silicon including apples, oranges, cherries, grapes, strawberries, beets, cucumber, carrots and green leafy vegetables.

Phytochemicals are plant chemicals that help the body defend against damage and are said to have anti-aging properties. Phytochemicals can be found in berries, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, spinach, carrots, cocoa and bell pepper.

Raw nuts and seeds are high in Vitamin E which is beneficial to the skin. Selenium keeps the skin elastic and can be found in garlic, onions and shallots.

When the body rids itself of toxins, it passes through the skin which is the largest elimination organ. Raw food increases your detoxification rate. Drinking water helps the body rid itself of toxins. Seaweed is high in vitamins and minerals beneficial to the skin and also helps rid the body of toxins.

To achieve a healthy complexion, drink plenty of water and eat plenty of raw food. What goes into your body is reflective in your overall appearance.

Elizabeth Kiely is the owner of EK Shower Caps.

Healthy Eating, the Natural Way!

In the past few weeks, Gram has been weeding through, throwing out, organizing - probably the most hateful task of all, the chore for which there never seemed to "be enough time." Well, the truth is, time is always of the essence. But limited energy should probably have taken top billing. Admiring the neat appearance of her closet, Gram wondered, "What gives with me? Why the sea change?"

Then, with one glance at the gleaming new juicer sitting at the ready on the kitchen counter, it became Obvious. All the claims about the benefits of juicing must be true!

You might have heard about Juicing, and the trendy juice bars in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other major cities. But for some, juicing has become a way of life. And now Gram understands why. Energy, weight control, restful sleep, no indigestion (not even one bout of acid reflux) - the overt bonanza of juicing, even in the early stages. And this, during a stressful period on the Day Job! "My, my," thought Gram; "Like a natural tranquilizer in a glass."

And is it tasty! Never mind all the health benefits - terms like natural enzymes and phytochemicals purported to fight disease/ dis-ease in the human body. Well, those, too. Who among us wouldn't like to be healthier and feel better, less lethargic and out of sorts?

But having a background in human services, Gram has long known that a client's mood swings and even a teen's unruly behavior can be improved with a sound, nutritious diet. More people have various food allergies than one might suspect. So it stands to reason that what we eat or don't eat can affect the way we feel. If we think of our bodies as efficient machines, then we are more likely to think of food as fuel.

Since the juicer arrived, Gram has assembled a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables at least once a day. Scrubbing produce with a stiff vegetable brush, lining up the items to go into the juicer, we've aimed for a quart of juice at each session. Some super vegetable combinations: cucumber, celery, spinach, green pepper, a small apple (nothing peeled, mind you - just core the apple and seed the pepper); carrots, apples, yellow squash, celery, lemon (again, nothing peeled except for removing the lemon rind); tomato, carrot, celery, kale. Fruit juices that are very good: cantaloupe, apple, carrot; watermelon, lemon, celery; blueberry, honeydew; pineapple, orange, lemon. Each juicing experiment has resulted in another "favorite." In the vegetable combinations, we've added a tablespoon or two of wheat germ or brewer's yeast, to add protein. Also, an assortment of sprouts - but keep reading for more about sprouting.

In the meantime, we'll be juicing. Is there really a Fountain of Youth? Our juicer just may be the closest thing.

All you need for a kitchen powerhouse of fresh foods and unparalleled nutrition during the winter months: a few Mason or mayonnaise jars, several 4" x 4" squares from old pantyhose (the top part is best), and some rubber bands. You also need a safe source of seeds and dried beans, most likely your local health or natural foods store -- because whatever you use must be organic, e.g., not treated with chemicals.

It's all about enzymes -- and how freshly sprouted foods are loaded with them. It's about vitamins and fiber, too. Here are some choices: adzuki beans, alfalfa, barley, beans of almost any kind, buckwheat, broccoli, clover, kale, chive, chickpeas (or garbanzos), chia, cress, mung beans, fenugreek, lentil (must be whole to sprout, not halves), radish, soybean, triticale, wheat.

Then you place a 1 to 2" layer of seed or bean in a Mason jar, cover the jar with the nylon square, and secure the square over the mouth of the jar with a rubber band. Fill with water a few inches above your layer, and let soak for 2 to 8 hours or overnight (the larger beans need a lot longer than small seed such as alfalfa or clover). Drain the jar and invert at a 45 degree angle in your dish drainer (or in a large plastic margarine tub in your kitchen sink). Rinse with water and drain several times a day. When sprouted in the next few days (again, depending on the size of the bean or seed), rinse and drain, put a lid on the jar, and refrigerate. Use within 3 to 5 days.

What can you do with these dietary nuggets? Use mung beans in eggs foo yung, and certainly in stir-fries. You can toss into soup during the last few minutes, put alfalfa sprouts into an omlet, even make bread. Incorporate in meatloaf or burgers. Throw the sprouts into your juicer with either fruit or veggie blends, for a beverage so loaded with nutrients it might even add spring to your step! But the quickest, easiest way is to include them in a big green salad.

With fast food and packaged frozen dinners which comprise so much of the American diet, people simply aren't getting enough fiber. Our foods are mostly processed. When was the last time, other than salad or an apple, you enjoyed anything raw?

There are many websites on raw food diets. Researchers say that the best course is a combination of foods, both raw and cooked. There are even some who advocate a completely raw diet, including raw fish and meat. http://www.rawpaleodiet.org/ "Say It with Sprouts" is an article devoted to mung bean sprouts: http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa092101a.htm "Types of Raw Food Diets" discusses the variety of diets, at http://www.living-foods.com/articles ypesofraw.html The Raw Food Directory has a wealth of resources to guide you: http://www.buildfreedom.com/rawmain.htm And don't miss a colorful, whimsical site with over 400 pages of sprout information: http://www.sproutpeople.com

The other detail we'd like to include: sprouts are probably the all-time best nutritional value you can obtain for the negligible price. True, you can forage for wild foods, but you have to be able to identify what you're bringing home to eat. I priced alfalfa sprouts at my local grocery: $1.99 for 4 ounces. You can sprout your own at home for a few cents, and know they are fresh and wholesome.

Dr. Ann Wigmore was one of the first raw foods proponents. She recommended Energy Soup, the base of which is sprouts. Even your children can develop a taste for sprouts. Mix a half cup of alfalfa sprouts with peanut butter for sandwiches. "Mmm! What's this crunchy stuff?" they'll say, as the natural vitamins are helping their bodies to grow strong. Toss sprouted garbanzo beans (chickpeas) into your next taco filling. Sprinkle clover sprouts into breakfast cereal, omlet, or pancake batter.

Up for a new/nutritious eating adventure? Try sprouts!

Stephania is a human services professional with nearly 40 years in the field. She publishes a monthly, content-rich ezine, "Tidbits from the Pantry," to over 10,000 subscribers.

Juicing For Health - Fifty Fascinating Facts

1. If you are juicing for health, it is useful to remember that fresh juice starts to lose nutrients as soon as it is made. If you want to retain the full benefit of your effort, drink the juice immediately or as soon as possible.

2. Some juice extractors, such as the centrifugal-ejection type, generate enough heat during operation to do some damage to the delicate structure of the juice. The resultant oxidation destroys nutrients.

3. Masticating juicers use a more gentle process, preserving more of the valuable nutrients. This also enables you to store the juice for a longer period.

4. If you have to store the juice for a while, make sure that the container is airtight, add a few drops of lemon juice, and keep it refrigerated.

5. When juicing for health, a clever gadget named PumpNseal can be used to vacuum seal juice in any jar. Removing the air enables you to store the juice for longer periods without nutrient loss.

6. In general, masticating juicers offer extra features, such as accessories you can use to mill, grind, puree, to make pasta, and to come up with the most delectable frozen desserts. When juicing for health, these extras will give you a fairly varied repertoire in the kitchen. A raw food diet will become more feasible in the process.

7. If you are concerned about a high noise level, rather choose one of the masticating models.

8. Remember to remove hard pits from fruit such as peaches. You won't eat these and neither will your juicer! Don't ruin the blades! Apple seeds contain small amounts of cyanide. Be sure to remove these before juicing.

9. Most body-building, leafy greens have strong flavors. Cucumber is a terrific disguise for this, and has the added advantage of containing important nutrients. Maximise the benefit by using one that doesn't need peeling.

10. If you are juicing for health, use organic produce as far as possible. Otherwise wash everything thoroughly.

11. Often the greatest concentration of nutrients lie just beneath the rind or skin.

12. Don't peel carrots, but do remove their greens. Rhubarb greens also need to be removed. There may be a problem with toxicity if you juice these.

13. Do peel citrus, mango and papaya. These peels are not usable and may even be harmful to you. The skins of oranges and grapefruits contain toxic substances. However, the white, pithy part just below the skin, contains valuable bioflavonoids. Aim to retain as much of this as possible.

14. Soft fruits such as peaches, melons and strawberries will produce a much thicker juice than harder textured fruit such as apples. Combine the two to improve the results.

15. Rather blend banana and papaya. They don't juice well. If you have one of the masticating juicers with added features, you can try these as a frozen dessert. Juicing for health isn't suppose to be a punishment, after all! Enjoy something sweet regularly.

16. Follow soft fruits with harder textured produce, to facilitate clearing the pulp.

17. Juicing leafy greens becomes much easier if you roll the leaves into a little ball, before feeding it into the machine.

18. Wheat-grass is exceptionally nutrient-rich, and has a taste strong enough to equal its value! If your juicer can manage it, start with tiny amounts and increase the quantity slowly.

19. It is claimed that the benefits of drinking wheat grass juice includes cleansing the lymph system, building the red blood cells, removing toxic metals from the cells, nourishing the liver and kidneys, and restoring vitality.

20. Wheat-grass needs to be consumed in juice form, as the body cannot process the plant fibres.

21. Wheat-grass is gluten-free, in spite of its name. Gluten is found only in the seed kernel, and not in the stem and grass leaves of the young plant. It should therefore be safe for individuals with a gluten intolerance.

22. Drink freshly made juice daily and concentrate on using as wide a variety of produce as possible, to ensure that your body receives a bit of all the most beneficial micronutrients.

23. Your need for expensive supplements in the form of vitamin and mineral tablets, will diminish significantly, if you are juicing for health on a daily basis.

24. Many ailments will improve if juice forms a regular part of your diet. For example, cabbage juice is one of the most healing juices in case of ulcers. In this case, use under medical supervision.

25. If you experience water retention, juices such as celery, cucumber, cranberry, and watermelon are extremely helpful.

26. A general rule is that a pound of produce will give you about a cup of juice.

27. One cup of carrot juice is equal to about four cups diced, raw carrots. Carrots are much easier to consume in liquid form. Your body is also able to assimilate them better.

28. Vegetable juice is a low-calorie snack and contains no fat. Use it as part of a sensible eating plan, and experience the wonderful results.

29. Fresh juices act as a healthy, harmless appetite suppressant, and craving curber.

30. Vegetable juice can also help to stabilize blood sugar levels. It has much less sugar than fruit juices and about 50% less calories, yet it will satisfy that sweet tooth every time. Try carrot or a combination of carrot and parsley juice when a craving hits you, and the juice jolt will give it a knock-out before you know it!

31. A water fast may leave you feeling drained, while a vegetable juice fast will give you an energy surge. Fasting should always be done under supervision.

32. If you really don't like the taste of certain vegetables, try juicing these and adding them to some of your favorites. You probably won't even notice the difference in taste, but your body will certainly notice the difference in nutritional value!

33. Your skin may become slightly yellow if you consume large quantities of carrot juice. This effect is harmless and will disappear once you reduce your consumption.

34. Juicing for health is more beneficial if you consume juice that is at room temperature.

35. Ginger gives a bit of a bite to juice. Try it! It has anti-inflammatory properties. Stomach irritations, nausea and motion sickness can be relieved by taking ginger.

36. The nutrients in the juice you drink, is taken up immediately by all the cells in your body. Your juicer magically transfers the produce into pre-digested food. This means that your body is able to make maximum use of all the enzymes, vitamins and minerals.

37. Juices help you to maintain the proper PH in your body, which is important in preventing diseases like cancer.

38. The phytochemicals in the juice also helps to remove carcinogens from your body.

39. The properties in many vegetables, such as cucumber and carrots, will improve your skin, hair, and nails. If you up your intake of fresh juice, expensive beauty treatments may become a thing of the past.

40. Juicing for health is anti-ageing and puts the spring back in your step.

41. Children love the sweet taste of carrot juice. It is easy to add other, perhaps detested veggies to the juice, without them noticing it.

42. Remember that, it you have kids, they may be more willing to try the juice at first if you turn it into a smoothie. Try apple, carrot and grapes or strawberry. Put ice-cubes in a blender, and pour in your juice mixture. Add some frozen yoghurt or sherbert if you want, and blend to the desired thickness.

43. A good way to add extra flavor and sweetness to juice, is to use fresh or shredded coconut.

44. You can also add some cranberries if you like the taste. Cranberries have an extremely high antioxidant content. In addition, they may help you to avoid urinary tract infections.

45. Scientists recommend 8 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables to be consumed per day. A substantial portion of the population don't even reach 20% of the ideal. Juicing for health is the easiest way to bring you closer to this goal.

46. Although juicing removes some of the fibre, the process allows you to ingest a much more concentrated, easily assimmilated form of enzymes, minerals and vitamins. Just be sure to boost your fibre intake, by eating fibre-rich foods such as cereals and whole grains.

47. It is believed that sugar cane juice has properties that help to prevent tooth decay. In contrast, eating sugar cane often, will result in frequent visits to the dentist.

48. There is also evidence that there may be some wound healing and immune strengthening properties in sugar cane. In addition, the juice has a soothing effect on the digestive system, especially when combined with fresh ginger.

49. Juicing for health isn't a cure-all! If your lifestyle is unhealthy in general, don't expect juicing to magically wipe out the negative effects of all the things you know you probably shouldn't do!

50. If you are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, nursing or have any illness, you need to get medical advice before starting a juicing for health program. The same rule applies to small children. Some juices are quite potent and may do more than good under certain circumstances.

For more information visit www.Best-Juicing.com

For more information visit www.Best-Juicing.com Rika Susan researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web. Copyright of this article: 2006 Rika Susan.

The Raw Food Diet: Will It Work for You?

A relatively new food trend has appeared on the diet landscape. It's known as the raw food approach, and from California to Connecticut, the trend appears to be gaining strength. The centerpiece of the diet is uncooked, highly nutritious foods. The idea behind the diet is that a number of foods lose nutritional value when they are cooked. For the most part, those who subscribe to the raw food diet eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Beverages consist of unpasteurized milk, water, juice, and tea, but the diet excludes beer and liquor. It is a revolutionary way to eat, and many of those who use it say it keeps them thin and healthy.

However, while the raw diet is rich in some nutrients, it lacks others. For instance, it tends to exclude such vitally important nutrients as protein, iron, and calcium. Therefore, it may not be an appropriate diet over the long term. Also, one disadvantage to the raw food diet is that the food tends to be loaded with pesticides. Therefore, it might be best to consume only organic raw food.

For health reasons, the diet is not recommended for children, women who are pregnant, people suffering from osteoporosis, and those who are anemic. Critics of the diet also note that it can be extremely time consuming trying to prepare food with all the chopping and blending that's involved. As a result, a raw food diet isn't for everyone.

If you decide to turn to a raw food diet, you may have to have supplements to make up for the nutrients you are not getting. These supplements include vitamin B12, zinc, copper, and chromium. Also, since proteins from plants do not have as many amino acids as animal protein, you'll have to consume a number of different raw foods in order to remain healthy.

Some medical experts have suggested that a raw food diet is a good antidote to eating disorders. This is because such food provides nutrition without creating fat. Eating raw foods can give you a positive outlook on food in general, enabling you to combat psychological addictions to fatty and high sugar foods.

Some supporters of the raw food diet believe that some raw foods are superior to others. These experts recommend focusing on fruits and vegetables and eating only minimal amounts of nuts and seeds. They also say that the fresher the food, the better. In other words, the best raw foods come from your own garden rather than from a supermarket.

At this point, it might be helpful to say some additional words about proteins. According to the World Health Organization, people need to consume five percent of their calories from protein. Interestingly enough, five percent of the calories in fruit are derived from protein, while as much as half of the calories from vegetables are protein-based. Beans and grains derive about a quarter of their calories from protein. Backers of the raw food diet insist that raw foods provide a better source of protein than cooked foods, since the cooking process itself may make as much as half of all protein unusable.

Some medical experts see great benefits in the raw food diet. In addition to enabling weight loss, the diet can ostensibly increase one's metabolism, making calorie burning easier. One's immune system can become stronger, and the body may rid itself of harmful toxins while following the raw foods program.

The raw foods diet is also advertised as a stress-reliever and a method for enhancing digestion. The diet may enable you to balance your PH level and lessen your risk of heart disease. Some dieters even claim that the raw food regimen improves the look of their skin. Finally, the diet is seen as a healthy way of responding to hunger.

If you decide to try the raw food diet, you should attempt to plan your meals in advance. That way, you can assure yourself that you are receiving the maximum amount of nutrients. Also, those who follow the diet recommend eating fruit early in the day in order to boost your energy level and improve your digestion.

As a Teacher of Sport and Physical Education, Tony Robinson has a keen interest in Health and Weight Loss issues.