I have been trying to change my lifestyle in some areas, food being one of them. My diet consists of about 60% of raw food, but I need to increase it to 75%. I have already noticed that my acidity levels are much lower after increasing my raw food intake - it really used to bother me. I also feel much lighter. Are there any raw-foodist here? Do you have any suggestions for me?
No, sorry - it just doesn't appeal to me. I eat quite a lot of raw fruit and vegetables anyway. but I wouldn't want to eat a mainly raw food diet. Some nutritionists are saying there are no obvious benefits to a raw food diet. However, if you feel the benefit, carry on. I found a nice recipe siteLog In. There are lots of healthy recipes for other diets there as well.
Some girls were talking about this topic in the locker room at my yoga studio a few days ago. They said that eating a raw diet helps with mental functions as you get older (not a problem for me yet) and that it was recommended to them by their psychologists as well as their nutritionists. They also lamented the loss of hot food in the wintertime. That in and of itself is a pretty good reason for me to never be a raw food-ist, haha!
Yes, I have read reviews both ways, but my health has improved since I seriously decided to eat more raw food. I know of many ways of making raw food appetizing. I would have loved to check out that link, unfortunately that doesn't work. Thanks all the same.
I could see where it would indirectly help in some ways. If you are steering towards more vegetables rather than meats because of the raw diet, then of course that's going to improve your health. But I don't think eating raw in and of itself is the real reason.
I can't do raw food. Isn't that supposed to make you sick? I mean other than Sushi, I just can't see it being feasible.
Raw food is generally going to refer mostly to veggies, fruits, etc. You're not going to be eating raw meat, for example, because yes, that might make you sick. That doesn't mean they're all vegetarians by any means, but it is more common to make the vast majority not meat-based. Log In <--- You can read more about it here.
I wouldn't mind eating just raw food for awhile. I love veggies, fruit, nuts, etc anyway. I'm sure a lot of people would benefit from a raw food diet. Such as, people that don't eat enough fruits and veggies, or people who eat way too much meat, fatty foods, microwave meals and fast food. Even people that don't have time to cook so they end up choosing an unhealthy meal like fast food. If they could get out of that habit and realize that raw food takes very little time to prepare they might develop better eating habits. And then there's the benefit of helping your wallet if you generally spend a lot of money eating fast food and buying meat and such.
You need to do your research. You're not going to find an indepth answer here. You should go to Barnes and Noble and thumb through various raw food cook books and decide if the meals are easy enough for you to prepare. You also need to research what you should be taking in daily (vitamins, calories, what to avoid, etc). Living a raw lifestyle is a pretty serious decision and it requires serious research. Your health depends on it.
I have done my research before starting on raw foods. I have slowly increased the quantity of raw foods in my diet. I find this very helpful. I was only looking for experiences of others on a similar lifestyle. Often it helps to know from others who have made similar changes. It may be worth the effort. Thanks.
I agree that you should research it, but I imagine that if you're eating a variety of raw foods then you should have a balanced diet. If you're not eating a wide variety of things then you might be lacking certain vitamins and minerals. I also think that even people who don't eat raw foods should research what they need for a balanced diet. More than likely it's people that are eating too much processed foods and not a variety of things that are lacking in their diet.
Raw food can be great, but keep in mind that there are lots of foods that need to be cooked in order to get the nutrients from them. If you go raw....increase your water consumption in order to keep things moving.....and be sure to wash all veggies and fruits really well.
You make a couple of great points there. I do dice and steam some veggies which need cooking. I always soak my vegetables in salt water for a couple of hours before I prepare them for eating - I use rock salt. This is also true of fruits, I generally soak them and wash them well before use. I mostly buy organic fruits and vegetables and all go through the same process. There is more risk with raw food than people care to think.
That's true. I used to always think that fresh fruits and veggies are the healthiest and that cooking them removes enzymes and other nutrients, which is true, but cooked can also be really beneficial. I remember several months ago hearing that cooked and canned tomatoes have something in them that can help prevent cancer. I can't remember why now but apparently fresh tomatoes don't have whatever cooked/canned tomatoes have that can help prevent cancer.
