Raw Food

It is true - cooking food actually causes one to consume more food than is necessary. Foods that are processed (bottled, packaged, canned) are usually modified from their original state - a living state. This is accomplished through the application of additives, preservatives, artificial coloring, salt, sugar, and heat. In essence, all of these added ingredients are not necessary and actually prove harmful to your health! These ingredients are not added for your benefit, but for the benefit of the manufacturer's profit margin. Foods that last longer shelf, look appealing, and have a strong odor are great for selling a product.

The process of cooking food denatures functional enzymes that assist in the digestion and absorption of foods as well as chemically altering the food. The application of heat to a food source causes the production of carcinogens, mutagens, free-radicals, and other toxins that lead to the majority of modern diseases - heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Enzymes are known as the "energy" or "life-force" of food. As they are consumed, the bring "living energy" into the body and thereby can create "living tissues." After all, it is impossible to create something "living" from something that is "dead." Only life can beget life. Foods that are void of enzymes are usually inadequately digested and utilized, thus becoming toxic (just think of what happens to food that is left on the counter for a day). This toxicity must then be diluted and/or eliminated from the body.

Original foods are living - growing on plants, shrubs, and trees. Their nutrients are produced over many months and provide a harmonic sequence of nutrients that function symbiotically to give one energy, vitality, and strength. As one lives by eating the majority of their foods in the raw form (75-100%), they will experience weight loss, healing, and reversals of chronic disease.

Eating raw foods is, once again, a growing trend. In fact, raw food was the original food source. Only as man has evolved have we began to cook and alter our food from the original form. A food is considered raw as long as the food has not been exposed to a temperature above 118°F. Thus, even dehydrated foods can be raw as long as the temperature was controlled during the drying process. A raw food diet is based on eating uncooked, unprocessed, live, and whole foods - vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and seeds. Yet, a raw food diet is not eating just salads. The concoction of raw food ingredients can yield a delicious and gourmet lifestyle!

Some common misconceptions about raw food are that it takes a long time to prepare and it is expensive. To the contrary! Raw foods can be simply prepared as they need little modification from their original form and do not require "cooking time." In addition, raw foods contain more dense nutrients, thus requiring smaller amounts for the individual to obtain the needed nutrients.

If you want to begin eating more raw, remember, Rome was not built in a day. Begin the process by making some gradual changes. First, eliminate all processed foods from your diet. Clean out the cupboards and the refrigerator of all processed foods. Second, begin adding in more fresh salads or fresh snacks of fruits and vegetables. Third, explore the fun possibilities with raw foods - Mango Cobbler, Apple Granola, Blueberry Parfait, Green Smoothies, and more! Fourth, be patient with yourself. It takes time to get rid of old habits and food addictions.

Over time, you will feel more energy, clarity of mind, more vibrancy, improved digestion, increased connection to nature and to others, better health, and more life! Do not become disheartened if you ever feel a little "sick" at first - after all, your body is detoxifying all of the preservatives, additives, and artificial colors you use to consume.