Raw Food Consumption: 7 Health Benefits

HeadlinesPH | Raw Food Consumption: 7 Health Benefits | Raw Food Consumption: 7 Health Benefits | The “raw-food-movement” was initiated by Dr. Ann Wigmore in 1970. She thinks that a raw food diet could improve health and prevent a lot of ailments.

Ever since then, eating raw foods has been the standard worldwide. You may find nutritious raw foods at most restaurants and health food shops these days. It has even caught on among famous chefs.

Every day, our bodies require a certain amount of raw vegetables and fruits, regardless of whether we want to participate in the “raw-food-movement” or not.

Eating raw foods has several advantages, including:-

1. Healthier Nutritional Content: Organic vegetables as well as fruits have a much higher content of nutrition than frozen or canned and even cooked  vegetables. The important (minerals, enzymes, vitamins) qualities of food are retained, instead of wasted by the process of cooking them. 
2. Improved Digestion: Because raw fruits or vegetables are crunchier, we have to chew them longer and harder than cooked variations. Chewing is important as it breaks the food down smaller, it also mixes the saliva (which contains digestive enzymes) with the food before it goes to the stomach. This helps the digestive process.
3. Improved Alkalinity: The alkalinity in our bodies is connected to the foods we consume. Consuming only cooked foods can result in an acidic condition inside your body. This impairs the immune-system, thus leading to more illnesses. 
4. Energy Levels are increased: Raw foods are full of energy straight from the sun. They also contain large amounts of minerals, enzymes, vitamins, etc. A combination of these two things maintains your energy levels during the course of the day.
5. Clarity of thoughts: Raw fruits as well as vegetables clear your mind and help you to think more clearly. 
6. New flavors: If you don’t eat enough raw foods, you should add some into your diet, this will help your meals to be flavorful and bring in a new texture.  It will pull you out of your rut and inspire you with new cooking ideas. 
7. Weight Loss: Adding raw foods to your diet will help you to lose weight, whether you are starting a new diet or just trying to maintain a healthy weight, eating raw foods will help. 

Raw fruits and vegetables should make up around 40 to 80 percent of your daily caloric intake. Raw foods can be enjoyed in colder climes in the late spring, summer and early autumn. Cooked dishes can then be enjoyed during the cooler months.

Here are a few simple strategies to improve your raw food consumption:

• Drink a vegetable smoothie at breakfast, at lunch, as a healthy snack or just on your way to work.
• Eating big salads for either your lunch or your dinner is a good idea. Mix fresh greens and any other vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers. If you want to get creative there are many options, green beans, celery, mushrooms, avocado, radishes etc. The list is endless. 
• For a healthy snack, you can have vegetables and a dip.
• Try new things. You can make a wrap stuffed with all kinds of delicious vegetables. Tomato, sprouts, lettuce, cucumber and guacamole. 
• For dessert, try eating some fruit salad. 

If you want to avoid gastrointestinal distress, it’s best to ease into this new diet gradually at first. The benefits of eating raw foods will become apparent after a while, so build up to it gradually.