There are a number of reasons to go raw, that is, adopt a raw food diet. As the name suggests, with a raw food diet, you do not cook any of your food, but eat all of it raw.
Greater Nutrition
The reason for a raw diet is the assumption that cooking destroys many of the nutrients from the foods you eat, so a raw diet is supposed to give you more of the vitamins and minerals contained within each food.
Better Digestion
The raw diet is also supposed to aid in digestion, helping the human body by eating foods that are completely unprocessed in any way. Raw foods have more amino acids, enzymes and fiber than cooked foods. Better digestion means better elimination and excretion of bodily wastes, which means detoxing and cleaning out the system and enjoying less constipation and greater regularity.
Weight Loss
Fiber helps you feel full longer. If you are trying to lose weight, a raw diet that is also calorie restricted can help you trim down faster. When we say calorie restricted, you can eat huge amounts of raw vegetables when you are dieting. You just have to be careful of raw foods that are higher in fat, such as nuts and seeds, and those higher in carbs, such as fruits.
Feeling fuller means you are less likely to overeat. A raw diet also means less time in the kitchen and less fixation on food. Most of the preparation will be washing, peeling, unless you are eating organic, slicing and dicing. It also means fruit for dessert, not complicated confections.
A raw diet also means that your body needs to burn more calories in order to digest it, which means overall that you are eating fewer net calories even if you are eating more than ever before.
Heart Health
A raw diet is relatively fat free. The main fats are going to be found in nuts, seeds and sashimi (raw fish such as salmon and tuna) if you decide to include fish as part of your raw diet. Other sources of fat will be dairy if you consume raw, unpasteurized milk, cheese and yogurt. You can usually find these at local health food stores and farmer’s markets.
Brain Health
Better digestion and heart health often means better brain health. A raw diet will be free of processed sugar, which has been linked to cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
If you’ve been feeling run down, a raw diet could be just the right eating lifestyle for you.
