Raw Food Diet

Raw food benefits: a beginner's guide to the advantages and dangers of what you eat while going raw, raw foodism.

It is easy to see why people are attracted to raw food nutrition as there are several benefits for general health such as weight control as it is difficult, if not impossible, to become obese on a raw food diet plan.

• ♥ Better digestion, increased energy, a stronger immune system, mental clarity and creativity, and improved skin condition are among other advantages.
• ♥ It is also believed, and other studies have proved, that eating a raw food plan (raw foodism) can play a significant role in the fight against certain heart diseases and other chronic illnesses such as diabetes, and that cancer can be prevented.
• ♥ There are fewer trans fats and saturated fats in raw food nutrition than in the typical American diet, and is low in sodium, high in potassium, magnesium, folate, and fiber.

The Review

Raw Food Nutrition Review

It is an intriguing concept, that heating food above 116 degrees Fahrenheit destroys essential enzymes that assist us in the digestion of the food we eat, and that the very act of cooking food diminishes the nutritional value and “life force” of food.

The irony is, the body creates its own enzymes for digestion, and the act of cooking makes certain phytochemicals easier to absorb, such as beta-carotene in carrots.

The List

The List of Raw Foods to Eat

• ♥ Fresh fruit and vegetables.
• ♥ Nuts, seeds, beans, grains, legumes, dried fruit, seaweed.
• ♥ Unprocessed organic or natural foods.
• ♥ Vegetable juice, purified water, and young coconut milk.

The Risks

Risks of Going Raw Food, Raw Foodism

The trouble is, sticking to a diet such as this can be difficult, as is the time and preparation it takes to make raw food appetizing.

Another drawback to the raw food menu is the unsuitability of the diet for children, nursing mothers, and pregnant women.

One of the more serious risks for anyone looking to achieve weight loss on a raw food menu is that they may find themselves becoming fanatical about it and subsequently develop an eating disorder called orthorexia nervosa, which is a term applied to someone who succumbs to a pathological fixation to eating proper, pure, or superior foods to a point where it takes over their lives.

♥ However, it is also the considerable lack of dietary nutrients that may result from adhering to such a diet that could have the most negative impact on the body.

While it is undoubtedly true that many of the foods on the raw food list would be generally wholesome, certain nutrients such as protein, B vitamins, calcium, and iron would be seriously lacking.

The Science

Raw Food Nutrition Research, Raw Foodism

For instance, a report for the American Society for Nutritional Sciences concluded that a very low dietary intake of B-12 that could occur because of adopting a diet as extreme as Raw Foodism could be harmful in the prevention of coronary heart disease, as opposed to the known positive effects of vegetables in a less extreme diet regimen.

In another study published by the Journal of Nutrition, Metabolic Diseases and Dietetics it was discovered that 30% of the women under the age of 45 participating in the tests had partial to complete amenorrhea as a result and that 90% of those eating high amounts of raw food were affected more frequently than those on a moderate raw food regimen.

♥ It was also found that although raw food nutrition could lead to significant weight loss, many of the raw food dieters became underweight and suffered from amenorrhea.

♥ The researchers concluded that a very strict raw food plan was not recommended for long term health.

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