Raw is In

Raw foodists believe many health problems are caused by what we eat. Today the average American diet is over processed and over cooked, lacking vitamins, minerals, and enzymes—the primary nutrients raw foods supply in abundance. A raw food diet consists of uncooked, unprocessed, organic fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains, legumes, and sprouts. Cooking utensils are replaced by blenders, juicers, food processors, and dehydrators.

Why Eat Raw?

Raw food followers express they have more energy, vitality, and health with their diets. They believe that cooking food above 118 degrees destroys enzymes and other necessary nutrients. "Not only does cooking destroy vitamins and minerals," says Stephen Ariln, co-author of Nature's First Law: The Raw Food Diet, "but cooked foods clog the intestines and colon, leading to ills such as cancer and diabetes. The raw food diet is the natural diet of all creatures, from amoebas to humans; raw is simply the natural way to nourish your body." It takes longer and requires more energy for the human body to process and assimilate cooked food. This extra energy provides more mental clarity, physical stamina, and even a greater sex drive. And there are statistics on those who have healed their bodies of everything from allergies and asthma to diabetes and depression on a raw diet. Many cancer patients have actually reversed their condition using raw food!

Additionally, weight loss seems to be a bonus of switching to a diet of at least 75% raw foods. "The raw food diet works because of a synergy of many factors," says nutritional biologist Michael Donaldson, PhD. The extra vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fiber in raw foods along with reduced calorie consumption and a more balanced blood sugar aid the process of healthy weight loss.

Here's how it works: Disease loves acidic environments. Everything from wrinkles to headaches and weight struggles to cancer is all a result of too much acid in the body. When we're eating cooked, processed foods, we're creating an acidic internal environment. Raw, living foods alkaline the body, achieving a more balanced internal environment. NO DISEASE EVER has been found in an ALKALINE state! Studies have shown that not even cancer cells can exist in an alkaline environment. The key to optimum health is to alkaline your body. The best way to do that is to incorporate more raw foods into your diet.

You may be wondering "so where do I get my protein?" Believe it or not, adequate protein is supplied by vegetables and grain sources. Most people think protein has to come from an animal source but there are lots of raw/ vegan options. Seeds, nuts, and grains have plenty of protein. We don't need nearly as much protein as most people think. The average American is eating over 200% more protein than they really need! An excess of protein in the diet can actually leach calcium from bones, create osteoporosis and slow down the digestive system.

As more people are getting more serious about their health and weight through their diets, the raw food trend is becoming more mainstream through websites, natural food stores, gourmet restaurants, upscale food festivals, trade shows, airline menus, and big-name cookbooks. And of course, celebrities who are going raw, such as Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson and Alicia Silverstone. (Read the article "Everybody's Doing It" on our website to learn more about the Hollywood raw food movement.)

"When you eat raw foods, you are more aligned with your true nature and naturally feel compelled to do what you love," says David Wolfe, raw food expert and enthusiast. He explains in his book, Eating for Beauty, that by eating foods that are alive and unprocessed, we are ingesting a higher frequency into our bodies. One starts to have more energy, feel healthier, and more alive when they're eating live, raw foods. He suggests starting out small; start out by juicing every day. By learning how to juice and experimenting with different types, you're learning what you like and what feeds your soul. He says 80% of those who have made the transition to raw food, started out with juicing.

Call Radiance Health Solutions today at 408-213-9599 to find out how to switch to a raw food diet. We'll offer suggestions as to how to gradually add more raw foods to your diet. We can also help you plan the right detox program for your body. Visit us at www.RadianceHealthSolutions.com for more information.

"You can set yourself up to be sick, or you can choose to stay well."
—Wayne Dyer