Chapter 4-Getting Started On a Raw Food Diet
Understanding Raw Food Proper Definition and One Should Get Started
Before committing yourself to the raw food diet you must understand what it is exactly. Basically the raw food diet consists of “live” or “living food” also referred to as raw food. Speaking from a technical point of view, raw food is any food item that has not been processed, exposed to GMI, preservatives, additives, pesticides, or exposed to high temperatures in any way.
It means simply that you eat foods that are organic and in their natural state. When food is heated over 118 Fahrenheit or 42 Celsius it is no longer considered to be raw food as the enzymes within it become denatured and inactive.
Also the nutrients in the food that are chemicals undergo reactions to high heat and end up becoming volatile in nature. When you cook food it loses all of its vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Harmful carcinogens are released when the food is heated, as well as mutagens and free radicals that disrupt your body’s internal environment. People that eat a diet of raw foods, also known as “foodists”, will steer clear of foods that have been exposed to high temperatures.
Foodists are generally people that include three to four raw fruits and vegetables in their daily diet. Basically foodists rely on raw fruits and vegetables, germinated nuts, germinated seeds, and sprouts. Their main goal is to eat organic foods, whole foods which are full of vitamins, nutrition, fibers, and natural enzymes.
Now that we have gone through what the raw food diet basically is you may now move forward and try to bring change into your diet. You will have some important choices to make ahead of you, but when you are making food choices remember the benefits that you will receive from a raw food diet. Also, keep in mind the unhealthy aspects of eating a diet filled with cooked foods that are only offering you a higher risk of developing serious health issues such as diabetes and heart diseases.
You need to make a plan involving replacing the unhealthy foods in your life with healthy raw food choices. This important choice is going to make your life a much healthier one. It can be challenging living in a junk food filled world, but making an effort, such as making sure that you have your own healthy snacks, will pay off in so many health benefits.
Having foods around that are not healthy food choices will make it easier for you to fall off the raw food diet. You must plan ahead, use up the foods that you have, and empty your kitchen of the junk foods. It is also a good idea to have a start date for beginning a diet, it helps prepare you emotionally. It will become more of a commitment when you actually put it on your calendar.
When you shop for your foods during the raw food diet make a shopping list of the foods that you will need to start out. Stick to the grocery list. Most of the items on your list will be located in the outer aisles of the grocery store where the fruits and vegetables are kept. Stay away from the inner aisles that store the junk foods such as chips and cookies. Stay focused on what you are at the grocery store to pick up. If it is a food item that is not on your list, then you probably do not need it. Try not to get distracted when you are in the grocery store, and only focus on the items that you are there to purchase.
Even though you now know the basics of what you are to eat on the raw food diet it still can be very challenging for you to stick with the raw food diet in a world that is based on junk food. It can be a bit overwhelming when making changes in one's life even if they are healthier changes. Do not be too hard on yourself if you fall off the wagon, just keep moving forward. The main thing to keep in mind is that you are making positive changes and that every bit will help. You may want to slowly introduce more raw foods into your daily diet. The choice is up to you, but whatever you decide is a positive action that you are taking to improve your life. You must do what will work for you personally.
You need to decide what your personal goal is going to be as the diet you choose is going to vary according to your personal goals. There are basically three major diets directed at weight loss, detox, and overall health to have more energy. If your aim is weight loss, then you need to add more raw and alkaline food to your diet. If you are looking to detoxify your body, you are going to have to rely more on juices that are extracted from organic fruits and vegetables. For your good health you should be aiming to consume more organic, raw, alkaline foods.
If you do not like the idea of sticking fully to a raw food diet you could try to include 60% raw foods and 40% vegan cooked foods. Then, later as you get used to the change in diet you can decide whether you want to convert 100% to a raw food diet.