People who practice this type of diet are known as “raw foodists”. From having great skin, a lean body, and more energy to having better overall health with a lower risk of developing diseases, the claims of this diet are many. In order to get these results, the diet must be followed exactly. The best way to follow the diet is to only consume food in its most natural form, which is unprocessed and uncooked. You must be fully committed and have plenty of time to devote to this diet. Raw foodists log many hours each day peeling, chopping, blending, and dehydrating food.

Seventy-five percent of the diet is comprised of fruits and vegetables. The remaining twenty-five percent of the diet can be made up of beans, nuts, grains, seaweed, and sprouts. Even though animal products are typically not included on the diet, some forms of cheeses made from raw milk or raw eggs are allowed. Foods such as refined sugar, all forms of refined products, caffeine, and alcohol are not allowed.

Traditional cooking methods are not allowed on the raw food diet. The main “cooking device” used is a food dehydrator, not a stove or oven. No more than 115 to 118 degrees of heat is used by the dehydrator to dry food. Raw foodists believe enzymes and vitamins necessary for digestion are destroyed when food is heated above 118 degrees.

There are several studies being designed to back up the claims of the raw food diet, although one early study found that consuming cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts may lower the risk of developing certain types of cancer. These vegetables contain isothicyanates, which have been shown to modify protein in cancer cells. Cooking vegetables reduces the concentration of isothicyanates, which reduces the health benefits. A second completed study regarding the raw food diet found that regular consumption of raw vegetables may in fact lower the risk of esophageal, laryngeal, oral, pharyngeal, and gastric cancers. Further studies have shown that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, as well as those that are vegan or vegetarian may lower cholesterol levels, and regulate blood glucose levels.

Be careful though, you should always contact your physician before starting this or any type of diet. You should determine if the diet will supply you with all of your health needs, as well as if it is safe. Adequate nutrition for growth and development is not provided on the raw food, so it is not recommended for infants or children.

If you don’t fancy a raw food diet then you might want to consider the Diet Solution Program instead.

One day I came across a little paperback volume called “Raw Vegetable Juices” by N.W. Walker. Dr Walker was an amazing man, who pioneered around the turn of the century, the Norwalk Juicer (still being marketed today) and really the whole concept of extracting the juice from vegetables and fruits. In this way, he sought to get at the “essence” and dispose of the residual pulp, (basically just cellulose) thereby reducing the energy required to digest the foods. That would allow the body to obtain all the rich vitamins and minerals it needs for health and vitality.

Walker also made a deep study of the effects of these juices on the bodies of sick people. He found that the food enzymes, which are complex substances that enable us to digest food properly, are hidden in the plants, and are released through the method of juicing in abundance.

The juicing method, and consuming mainly raw plant foods(uncooked-non proccessed) caught on with many Americans in the 60′s and 70′s, soon after influencing Britain and Western Europe, and claims of all kinds of healing benefits were soon becoming apparent.

I will spare you a more detailed analysis of all that Dr Walker discovered. You can easily obtain his writings on the Internet, or via Amazon.

As a Christian, and a firm believer in the power of God to heal, naturally I sought prayer from my friends and church family. I also decided to give juice therapy a try, too as my part.

I stopped eating an almost completely cooked diet, the usual “meat and two veg.” British meals regime, and introduced my sick body to several pints of carrot juice daily, in tandem with green leafy salads , with tomatoes, celery, cucumber various peppers and so forth.

All this nutrient rich raw food, began to markedly improve my health, and very quickly too. The pain began to ease, and my energy levels shot up. At no time did I take any kind of medication, pain killers or anything of that ilk.

Within 5 weeks, all pain had long gone and my prostate problem was history. Other benefits such as clearer skin, glossier hair, and better quality sleep were delightful unexpected bonuses!

I was blown away with the results! From that time on (25 years ago now as I write this) I have settled on a mainly 70 per cent raw food lifestyle.
My overall health is good, and my appearance, so I am told, is that of a man 10 years younger than my true age.

For that I thank God, whom I truly believe led me to the understanding and practice of a diet that could really be called the “original”. You can find it in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, (which means “the beginning”) where Adam and Eve’s diet is “the herbs of the field…”and fruits. Nothing cooked, no animal flesh.

So, that is my brief testimonial. Today, I write extensively about the whole subject of raw foods and healthy living on many online magazines, and on my blog. To obtain my FREE e-book just click the link. Good Health!

Good Health!

Kenneth Eden is a nutritionist, who specialises in Raw Foods. He and his wife Paula have been practitioners of raw foods and testify of amazing results in their health and vitality.You can explore numerous articles on his blog and download free ebook on raw food lifestyle, and its power to heal.
http://rawfoodsforever.blogspot.com
http://therawfoodscoach.com

As a kid, I really loved watching “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” I bet you a million bucks that I have seen that movie close to twenty times!

Like many kids, my favorite scenes of the movie showcased the Oompa Loompas and their awesome songs. Whoever came up with those catchy tunes is a marketing genius!

Well, the movie was on TV not too long ago and I just had to watch it. You know what I realized?

The Oompa Loompas Had It Right!

Check out these lyrics:

“What do you get when you guzzle down sweets;
Eating as much as an elephant eats.
What are you at getting terribly fat?
What do you think will come of that?
I don’t like the look of it.”

The Oompa Loompas sing this after the junk food lover Augustus Gloop falls into the chocolate river and gets sucked up the pipe.

The only thing I would change would be “sweets” to “yucky processed crap.” It doesn’t rhyme, but it makes the message crystal clear!

Are You Guilty of Guzzling Sweets?

So many Americans are addicted to sweets. And no wonder, when every holiday or tradition that is celebrated here is associated one way or another with sweets!

What do you give someone for Valentine’s Day? Chocolate. What do you take with you to a Christmas party? Candy and cookies. What is expected at a Birthday party? Cake and ice cream.

And what about TV? Did you know that the average American watches close to 4 hours of television per day? That’s about 24 3-minute commercial breaks, the majority of which are centered on food!

Of course, this isn’t healthy raw food that’s being advertised. It’s processed, fatty fast food. It’s nutrionally bankrupt frozen entrees. And let us not forget the candy, candy, and more candy!

All of which are brimming with refined sugar!

The Sweet Solution

What so many people just don’t understand is that the craving for sweets is not the issue. We all crave sweets because our natural diet is one high in simple carbohydrates. A high-carb diet is the diet that humans are anatomically designed to eat and so it is the diet that our bodies thrive on.

The issue arises in our attempt to manage these cravings. When we are hungry or looking for something sweet, many of us turn to refined products like cakes and cookies to satisfy our cravings. What we should be doing is turning to the best sweet tooth satisfier of all… fruit!

That’s right. If you treat your body right by eliminating (or at least reducing) processed junk from your diet and replacing it with lots of healthy sweet fruit, you will achieve amazing health results.

And because you are still eating “sweets,” you will no longer crave sugary junk food!
It’s a win-win situation!

Where to Start?

That’s easy! Simply replace some of your sweet food staples (i.e. chocolate, cookies, ice cream, etc.) with fresh, raw fruit. This is an easy step that you can take *today* to beat your refined sugar addiction and get started on the raw food path.

So listen to your Oompa Loompa friends: stop gorging on junky sweets and get down with your fruity side.

Okay, I added that last bit.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/are-you-guilty-of-guzzling-sweets-1070470.html

About the Author:

For more information on the best raw vegan diet, be sure to visit Fit On Raw and subscribe to Swayze’s newsletter Peachy Keen Ezine. By subscribing, you will also receive the free report The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet as well as the 5-week mini-course The Fool Proof Transition to Raw.