What is the Raw Food Diet?

Have you started hearing about the Raw Food Diet? It’s
gaining popularity and buzz, not just as a diet to lose
weight, but a diet for a long and healthy life. We eat so
much in the way of processed food that we don’t even stop
to think about what we’re putting into our bodies, and how
far we’ve come nutritionally from our ancestral, agrarian
roots.

A raw food diet means consuming food in its natural,
unprocessed form. There are several common-sense rationales
for why this is a good idea. Processing and cooking food can
take so much of the basic nutritional value away. Think of
some of the conventional wisdom you’ve heard about for
years, such as: If you cook pasta just to the al dente (or
medium) stage, it will have more calories, yes, but it will
have more the nutritional value in it than if you cooked it
to a well-done stage. Or you probably remember hearing not
to peel carrots or potatoes too deeply, because most of the
nutrients and values are just under the surface.

The raw food diet means eating unprocessed, uncooked,
organic, whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts,
seeds, legumes, dried fruits, seaweeds, etc. It means a diet
that is at least 75% uncooked! Cooking takes out flavor and
nutrition from vegetables and fruits. A raw food diet means
eating more the way our ancient ancestors did. Our
healthier, more fit ancestors. They cooked very little, and
certainly didn’t cook or process fruits and vegetables.
They ate them RAW. Their water wasn’t from a tap; it was
natural, spring water. Maybe they drank some coconut milk on
occasion.

Doesn’t it just make sense that this is how our bodies
were meant to eat? It’s a way of eating that’s in
harmony with the planet and in harmony with our own
metabolisms. Our bodies were meant to work, and need to work
to be efficient. That means exercise, certainly, but it also
means eating natural, raw foods that require more energy to
digest them.


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Foods For a Super Long Life

Recent research shows that specific chemicals in foods --
such as sulforaphane, a phytochemical in broccoli -- work
with your genes to ratchet up your body's natural defense
systems, helping to inactivate toxins and free radicals
before they can do the damage that leads to cancer,
cardiovascular disease, and even premature aging.
And the hope for the future is to be able to tell someone
what diseases or maladies they are might be genetically
predispositioned to early on, so their diets can be focused
accordingly. We’ll know which ones to add, which ones to
avoid, and be able to take a proactive role in preventing or
deterring a genetic disease. In the meantime, many foods
have been determined to pack a punch to the aging process.

Lycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red, also appears
to reduce risk for cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and
macular degeneration. It’s also been associated in greater
self-sufficiency in elderly adults. While fresh tomatoes
have a good hit of lycopene, the most absorbable forms are
found in cooked tomato products, such as spaghetti sauce and
soup and prepared salsas. Pink grapefruit, guava, red bell
peppers, and watermelon are also rich in lycopene.

Eating at least two cups of orange fruits like sweet
potatoes, squash and carrots boosts intake of beta-carotene,
which converts to vitamin A, essential for healthy skin and
eyes, and which may also reduce the risk of some cancers,
cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Lutein and
lycopene, also found in orange produce, also help reduce the
risk of macular degeneration and may protect skin from sun
damage and even reduce wrinkling as well. Mangos and
cantaloupes are also beta-carotene endowed.

And if you don’t do anything else to change your diet, eat
your dark leafy greens. They have been showed to
significantly reduce your risk for heart disease and may
also save your eyesight. Dietary guidelines advise at least
three cups of greens a week. Frozen or bagged is as good as
fresh.

Don’t forget the mental aging process either. The
heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids have also recently been
shown to keep your brain sharp. A recent study found that a
higher intake of fatty fish significantly reduced mental
decline. If fresh fish isn't an option, go for canned
tuna, salmon, and sardines.