Raw food detoxification
Following a raw food detoxification diet is a good way to not only cleanse the digestive system but also restore much-needed vitamins and minerals to a body which has been depleted and weakened by chemical toxicity. Here are some important factors concerning the whys and hows of a raw food detoxification regimen. When we discuss raw foods, we mean organic raw foods, not raw foods which have been grown with the use of pesticides or other synthetic agrochemicals. Feeding chemically-altered raw foods to the body will negate the healthy effects of the food. Why are raw foods important? They are foods in their natural, complete state. Cooking foods under high temperatures often alters their molecular structure and can remove certain enzymes which are required for digestion. We are by no means knocking cooking -- we are just explaining the benefits of eating raw foods.
GRAPEFRUIT DIET INFORMATION
An important point about raw foods is their ability to stimulate the intestinal villi, little finger-like structures in the intestines that move food through the digestive tract. Cooked foods are softer and do not have the same kind of a scraping effect on the intestinal wall. The coarseness of raw foods provides a natural cleansing.
Raw foods are an excellent source of fiber, which we need in our digestive tract to bind food residue so that it is more easily excreted from the body. Soft, sticky foods tend to clog up the intestines and form a sticky paste which adheres to the intestinal wall. Fibrous foods have a scraping action which prevents foods from getting sticky and adhering to the intestinal wall. Raw foods rich in fiber are cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, broccoli rabe, cauliflower, celery, radish, squash, brussel sprouts, fruits such as apples and pears, and grains such as spelt, millet, oats, bran, wheat bran and oat bran. If you eat a diet rich in raw foods, purified water, and lean meats like chicken, seafood and lamb -- broiled, baked or steamed -- you are on a raw food detoxification program! This type of diet will yield plenty of energy, a clear mind, sound sleep, normal blood pressure, healthy heart, liver and kidney function, and a fortified immune system.
Do you know about the healing benefits of apple cider vinegar?
A useful article about raw food detoxification diets
Here is a useful article about raw food detoxification diets:Gaining Better Health Through A Raw Food Diet by Lee Dobbins
Chances are that you've probably heard people talk about a raw food diet and how healthy it is for you, but did you ever wonder exactly what it is they're talking about? Perhaps you envisioned raw oysters and beef on your dinner table. That doesn't sound too appealing doesn't?
In fact, a raw food detoxification diet is simply eating food in its natural unprocessed state. You probably already are on part of a raw food diet. If you snack on fruits and vegetables without cooking them, then you've eaten raw food.
Raw food, or unprocessed food is much better for you because the act of processing the food strips it of a lot of its vital nutrients. You've probably heard that cooking vegetables can leach out a lot of the vitamins and it can also destroy the important food enzymes as well. Packaged foods, that you find in the grocery store like potato flakes to make mashed potatoes and other foods that have been processed in some way to make an easy package meal not only have little nutritional value, but your body simply isn't made to process these foods.
If you think about raw food detoxification as being the natural foods the way that they come from the earth, then it makes sense that these are easier for our bodies to process as these of the foods are great ancestors ate and there really hasn't been that many generations since grocery stores, and therefore prepackaged foods, were invented.
Raw foods are packed full of vitamins, minerals and food enzymes. These food enzymes are important, although you don't hear a lot about them. One of the things they do is help you digest your food and getting enough enzymes can help your body with the digestion process which takes a lot of energy, and if your body is spending less energy on digestion it will have more energy for you to do the things you like. Did you ever wonder why you feel so tired after you eat a big meal of cooked foods? One of the reasons is because food enzymes are destroyed by cooking, so there are no enzymes to help your body digests that big meal you just ate.
People in a raw food diet eat about 75% of their food as raw and whole foods. This includes fruits, vegetables, sprouts, raw nuts, seaweed and other foods in their natural form.
Raw foods can be prepared in a couple of ways. One of the most popular is juicing. Many people go on a juice fast where all they do is drink the juice of raw organic fruits and vegetables. Even just drinking fresh juice in the morning can give your health a boost.
Another way that people eat raw foods is to use a food dehydrator. This takes all the moisture out of the fruits and vegetables so they can be easily stored for long periods of time without going bad. A food dehydrator uses hot air to dehydrate the food but it keeps the temperature under 116°F so that the vital food enzymes are not destroyed.
Of course, you can simply eat your fruits and vegetables the way nature intended picked straight from the tree. Nuts can be a great raw food that you eat for snacks as well, but be careful because most of the nuts you find in the grocery store are cooked. You need to make sure you get raw nuts which you probably will have to buy either online or from a health food store.
You don't have to all of a sudden start eating 75% of your foods as raw foods in order to enjoy the health benefits of the raw food diet. You can gradually increase the amount of raw foods you eat as time goes on and you will notice how much more energy you have and how healthy you feel. Remember, you are what you eat!
About the Author: Lee Dobbins writes for Natural Health Buzz where you can learn more about your natural health and find out more about the raw food diet.
Article Source: NewAgeArticles.com
|
