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Monday, May 16, 2011

Raw Food - Getting Started Simple and Healthy Way

As you can see this blog talks about a type of food tha for many may seem "weird" and completely different from what most are accustomed to consume on a day-to-day basis. Many people ask me how to improve the diet to solve the most varied conditions, health problems, lack of energy, obesity, etc...






I'm no doctor but from my experience and a lot of information I have collected over time I am able to draw some lines that could contribute to a healthier lifestyle, starting with the eating changes. 

The benefits of eating raw can be a lot since our natural diet should be as similar to the one practice by wild animals in nature. 
Those animals do not process the food (baking, roasting, etc.). They eat them the most natural way - raw.  And they don't suffer from diseases like we do.

Many people throughout the world has reversed  various conditions / diseases by turning to Living Foods. It was my case. But a radically change to this type of diet can have consequences that one can not always understand and make us give up. Here are some tips for those who want to change. 

For those who want to start Living Foods is Important 


  • -Simplify
  • -Start slowly introducing more raw foods
  • -Use spices and seasonings we like in the adapted raw versions 
  • -Cut products that harm us as sugar, animal products, processed foods, refined, etc.
  • -Avoid liquids with meals
  • -Use quality salt (Himalayan, fleur de sel or unrefined salt)

Meals throughout the day 

The ideal is to start by replacing food. In the morning - fruit until midday, before the other meals eat a raw salad - do not  mix cooked with raw. Lettuce is an exception that can be mixed. First eat carbohydrates and protein after. If you eat meat, fish, cheese or eggs eat them at the end of the meal. Do not eat desserts. If you want leave the fruit or desserts for after digestion. 


The breakfast  can be three pieces of fruit, eg bananas, apples. Do not mix  acidic fruit with sweet fruits. You can add a few almonds, walnuts or sunflower seeds, shelled seeds (soak in water over-night) to the fruit or salads. Or make a juice / green juice. 


According to some hygienists as Harvey Diamond, Vivian Vertrano, and others the Circadian Rhythm  is as follows: 

12:00-20:00 Digestion ... 
8:00 p.m. to 4:00 ... Assimilation 
4:00 to 12:00 ... Cleansing / Detoxification 


In reality there is controversy on this matter and the positions differ according to the authors and the line of nutrition they follow, but the circadian rhythm is there and it interferes with the metabolic processes, sleep and all body functions. 


Each one must discover how it feels better with different types of food at different times of day but usually these hygienists  theories give good results in the choice of foods that we eat throughout the day. The ideal is to eat more pure (fruit, etc.) until noon and then eat the cooked (for those who eat cooked).


Personal Choice 

I personally eat a Raw Diet and basically when there is no another possibility I eat some cooked food. In the morning I feel better  eating only fruit, if possible without great mixes. Eventually I also use some super-food in my smoothies or juices. Raw cocoa/cacao(antioxidant and much more), spirulina (Queen of protein), wheat grass or barley powder (a source of many nutrients), sprouted seeds, maca, chlorella, chia (rich in fiber and omega 3) and others (not mixed everything at once - of course). 


Raw vs Cooked 

The fact that we eat raw food before cooked benefits greatly because we are consuming foods rich in enzymes and our body takes them in a natural way. When we eat processed foods (cooked, etc.) the body attacks them as something strange also is forced to spend enzymes that could be used in cleaning and maintenance. An example of this condition happens when we have  blood tests - we have to  fast so that there is no huge count of leukocytes (not only). If we are not fasting seems almost like we have leukemia because of the great quantity of white blood cells that the body produces to attack the cooked food. 


Digestive Track Exercise

On another side, who's going to start this type of diet is important to note that our digestive system is not sufficiently in order to digest and process raw food. After many years of eating cooked food the body has lost capacity, as someone who is sedentary will have difficulty in making a forced exercise. Moreover with the introduction of raw the body begins to detoxify, the toxins go through the bloodstream, various symptoms may arise as headaches, nausea and fatigue. Hence the importance of starting slowly to avoid these 
conditions and train properly the digestive tract. 


If however we have possibilities as free time (vacations, etc.) we can force a little bit the process. Yet the ideal is to do it with counseling and other methods of cleansing and detoxification. 


Following these tips and other articles from the blog will be possible to greatly improve our well being and reverse eeventualmente more serious conditions. The choice is personal ... 


Endnotes 

The most important thing is to keep the joy of living and believe that we can change for the better. No need to enter into radicalism or dietary obsessions but listen to the body and adapt. 



Peace


Luis Guerreiro

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