For optimal health nothing beats eating raw foods. The health benefits are nothing short of amazing. Raw foods are an important part of an optimal diet.
Raw Food face
Here are some key factors to keep in mind about raw foods:
- Many vitamins are heat sensitive. 20 – 60 percent of vitamin C is lost during cooking and 20 – 40 percent of minerals are lost and as most of us know that the food supply is already depleted in nutrients so why lose any more.
- An important part of a raw diet is enzymes. Enzymes break down and remove old, unhealthy cells and tissues from the body to support natural detoxification. But when our enzyme stores are low, unhealthy cells and tissue can remain in the body and wreak havoc. Food enzymes, for example, are found naturally in raw, uncooked foods and help in digesting those foods so that the nutrients can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Food enzymes can be destroyed, however, when heated to about 118 degrees Fahrenheit or above—which is why many of us don’t get enough enzymes in our diets.
- Avoid processed foods altogether—they make your body work harder and they are often devoid of key nutrients. Every bodily cell, tissue, and organ depends on nutrient absorption and assimilation of food through healthy digestion—therefore, you need to be intentional and choose your food wisely.
- Eat foods rich in Probiotics. Probiotics promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, which greatly supports healthy digestion, absorption of minerals, synthesis of vitamins, production of B vitamins and certain enzymes, immune health and much more. When there are not enough of these good bacteria (probiotics), the result is often felt negatively in the gut’s digestive process.
- Eating foods packed with enzymes or sprouted food is another way to ensure great digestion. Enzymes are found naturally in raw, uncooked foods and most raw foods contain the very enzymes your body needs to digest that food. You require an array of enzymes because different enzymes are necessary for full digestion. That makes enzymes an essential part of the digestive process. So eat plenty of raw fermented foods, fresh, raw organic vegetables and fruits, raw sprouted grains, raw seeds and nuts, avocados, sprouts, and unpasteurized dairy products.
- Include plenty of cultured dairy products like yogurt, kefir, hard cheeses, cultured cream and cottage cheese—from goats, cows, and sheep. Also, cultured and fermented vegetables like sauerkraut, pickled carrots, beets or cucumbers also supply probiotics and enzymes, including enzymes that break down food and increase digestibility.
- Don’t forget the fiber. Include foods like fresh raw vegetables and fruits, whole sprouted grains, nuts and seeds. Fiber creates a hospitable environment for friendly bacteria (but you also need enough of these good bacteria for maximum fiber benefits) and serves to normalize transit time—the time it takes food to pass through the digestive tract. Fiber also helps move foods’ nutrients through the digestive system so that your body can be properly nourished. That’s a pretty important role, too, because different areas of the digestive tract absorb different, essential nutrients.
Bob Bader’s Real World Personal Training provides group classes/bootcamps and one-on-one personal training in the North Colorado Springs/Tri-Lakes/Monument/Palmer Lake area. Please contact Bob at 719-232-4386 for a free consultation.
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