The majority of Americans have become dependent on take out foods and processed foods because it’s quick and easy but sadly addictive. That frozen broccoli with cheese sauce and that hamburger and fries at the take out window are quick, but they’re lacking in nutrients and are full of preservatives.
As a consumer it is valuable to understand the foods we eat and the hazards or benefits of each. Refined grains, Trans saturated fats, salt and high fructose foods are best avoided for a healthy diet. If continually consumed these unhealthy diets can cause cancer, high cholesterol and even heart disease. The introduction of raw foods, unprocessed natural fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds to your diet will bring many benefits. Here are just some of them that pose great health risks.
Overall Improvement to Health
The benefits of adding raw foods to your meals can help reduce cholesterol levels, as well as decrease the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancers. Raw foods also helps increase your immune system which in turn helps fight common ailments like colds, flu and also decrease aches and pains that can be debilitating. Generally speaking, going raw will help you live a longer, healthier life.
Energy Boost
Raw food contains loads of natural vitamins and minerals and zero preservatives. According to one of the best rehab centers in Florida, adding raw food to your diet and removing processed foods will benefit the amount of energy you have. Your body is like an engine. If you feed your engine a better quality fuel, it will perform better.
Weight Loss
Remove foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients and replace them with raw, high fiber foods that are full of nutrients and you will find your digestive system works more efficiently. Your appetite will naturally decrease when you continue to eat good foods because your body is getting what it needs and not continually craving something. You are destined to lose weight as a result of changing your diet.
When you live off of microwave-ready dishes and fast-food, you may feel like you are eating and getting full. However, your body is actually not getting the nutrition it needs due to the poor health content of many of these foods. You put on weight while essentially starving your body of the nutrition it needs because you aren’t actually eating nutrient-rich foods. When you eat raw foods, you do just the opposite. You are then consuming low-fat, high-nutrient foods that give your body exactly what it wants without leaving excess fats and oils floating around in your digestive system.
Better Skin
By adding raw food to your diet your skin condition will improve. Acne can be a problem at any age and is caused when the pores of the skin become blocked with oil and bacteria. Acne is caused by hormones, poor diet, stress and genetics. Raw food helps you detoxify your body, helps balance the hormones and slows down the insulin growth factor. It also increases the cell turnover rate which decreases clogged pores, and makes your skin look radiant.
Many studies have supported the fact that cooking vegetables can kill important nutrients, and by eating raw foods such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and kale may reduce the risk of bladder cancer. Increasing your raw food intake is easier than you think.
Eating raw can also be a healthy and tasty experience. Why not try this easy to make Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad?
Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
This salad serves 6
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 small garlic clove –finely grated
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 pound in total), discard center stem and slice leaves thinly
12 ounces of Brussels sprouts which are trimmed and shredded or sliced thinly
1/3 cup almonds with skins, sliced
1 cup diced pear, apple or pomegranate seeds
Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix in the sliced kale and shredded Brussels sprouts, and then add the dressing and toss until dressing is evenly distributed. Garnish with the fruit and nuts.
Another great way to introduce raw to your diet is to drink a smoothie. There are many different recipes which contain fruit, and or vegetables and a smoothie is a great way to get those really good nutrients into you in a quick tasty drink.
Here is a smoothie recipe worth trying:
Sunrise Smoothie
Serves 2
Ingredients:
½ cup ice
½ banana, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh pineapple roughly chopped
1 orange peeled
½ cup coconut milk
Put all of the above ingredients in a blender and blend on high until the contents are smooth. Then enjoy.
Eating raw does not necessarily mean that you must become vegan if this is not your desire. You can add raw to your omnivore diet and still be rewarded by the benefits of it.
Enjoy crunching and blending your way to better health!
