Raw Food Diet

Goal:

The Raw Food Diet is more of a lifestyle change than a diet for weight loss; although you can lose weight on a raw food diet. People begin eating raw food for health reasons. It’s cleansing to your body and mind to eat this way.

Summary:

A raw food diet is eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. Fresh picked, washed and chopped is all the preparation you need to eat raw. Raw foods have living enzymes that help your body with digestion, absorption and elimination. Eating like this is the best way to make sure you digest all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Raw food is anything uncooked or cooked/dehydrated under 115 degrees F. Depending on how long you cook your foods, anything above 115 degrees can kill all the living enzymes and will diminish 50-100 percent of the nutrients in your food.

Eating a fully raw food diet will lead to weight loss, clearer skin, clearer sinuses, more energy, mental clarity, less depression and balancing other emotional issues, plus it even improves regular bowel movements. Those are just to name a few – you’ll also be reducing your risk of many health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and many other debilitating problems our society deals with.

Rules:

Raw Food consists of all vegetables & fruits. You can also eat some grains and legumes raw by soaking and sprouting them first.
Food must never be heated/cooked/dehydrated over 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

Exercise:

Exercise is definitely recommended. Keep it simple at first, as you might notice a lack of energy in the beginning from lack of the heavy carbs many are used to. Some might not notice anything at all and exercise will be fine. Watch your body and apply exercise accordingly.

Rating:

Short-Term Quick Fix:
Lifestyle Change Diet:
Simple Diet to Follow:
Good For Your Health:

Positives:

Eating this way will lead to weight loss and many other health changes for the better.
There are many “Happy Ending” stories out there of people who have completely reversed health issues such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, etc. from going on a raw food diet.
The energy you will feel when you change to a raw food diet, is a feeling like no other.
Not having to cook can be awesome for many who don’t like to cook. Just chopping veggies for a salad or throwing veggies/fruits into a blender for a soup or smoothie is super simple and pretty much anyone can do it!
There are so many resources out there to help you start living Raw. You can start off by trying a Raw Food Cleanse or detox to see if you like it. Below are links to a 3 day cleanse, 7 day cleanse, 14 day cleanse or 28 day cleanse. These might be just what you need to get on the road to Going Raw!

Negatives:

It might be hard at first to not eat warm/hot foods.
Changing your whole way of eating might take some getting used to. Check out apps for the iPhone to help, below. You can take the app with you to the grocery store to help you shop.
Some might experience detox symptoms when starting a Raw Food diet from eating unhealthy foods in the past. Just know that this will pass and you will soon feel awesome.