In today’s world, the foods that we buy from supermarkets are highly processed, full of artificial flavours and laced with preservatives. Eating grains, animal products and processed foods in excess can lead to an improper diet. It may also lead to excess or lack of essential nutrients. In most cases, heating and freezing food essentially means that a lot of nutritional value is lost. Some exceptions do exist. For example, cooked tomatoes, asparagus and squash give you more antioxidants than raw ones.
On the other hand, eating raw makes the body feel clean and light, not bogged down and sluggish. Thus, it only makes sense that so many people are taking a more natural and healthier approach.
What is a raw food diet?
Adopting a raw foods diet can be tricky. It takes effort and motivation but provides great results. It involves consuming uncooked, unfrozen, unprocessed plant- based foods which have never been exposed to temperatures above 115 degrees.
Think raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains. You can use blenders, food processors and dehydrators to prepare foods. In fact, your food can be cold or even a little bit warm, as long as it doesn’t go above 115 degrees.
Benefits of a raw diet
The perfectly balanced diet
A raw food diet is a great choice. It consists of enough carbohydrates, protein and fats for a healthy, balanced diet. Moreover, it has the right kinds of foods for each of these categories.
Helpful in losing weight
Since a raw diet consists primarily of carbohydrates and protein, it is extremely low in fat. This is beneficial if you are trying to shed those excess pounds. The fats that are consumed on a raw food diet are unsaturated fats. They come from nuts, seeds and avocados. Unsaturated fats are much healthier and are less likely to lead to weight gain.
Heart-healthy
A raw diet is immensely helpful in maintaining good heart health. Without any animal products or added salt, the raw food diet is very low-cholesterol and low-sodium. This reduces the risk of heart diseases. It also allows your heart to pump more efficiently and increase the efficiency of blood flow.
Unaltered vitamins
You cook it, you kill it.
That’s what a majority of raw diet enthusiasts believe, and rightly so.
Foods lose a big chunk of their nutritional content when they are cooked or frozen. The full potential of plant-based foods is unlocked when they are eaten fully raw. This diet is not only lean, but it is also extremely healthy as it is more packed with vitamins and nutrients than any other diet.
Aids Digestion
Raw foods contain plant products that are easily and efficiently digested by the body. For instance, when your body digests food in 24 hours instead of 72, it reduces the quantity of food sitting and rotting in the digestive system. Quick digestion is necessary for proper digestive system health.
DISCLAIMER
The priority, in this blog, is to supply the reader with clear and unambiguous information. However, neither The New Me nor Gagan Dhawan makes promises, or guarantees regarding the completeness of the information found here. The content is not a replacement for advice of a licensed professional. The opinions expressed in this blog are solely that of the writer’s.
