Is this what you picture when you think of "Raw" Food?
When I first heard about the so called “Raw Food Movement”, I pretty much pictured a plate full of cold vegetables that were dull and tasteless. I mean, how many things can you make with un-cooked vegetables? ICK.
Well, it turns out that Raw foodism (or rawism) is the practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet.
However, raw food doesn’t have to only be vegetables. Depending on the type of lifestyle and results desired, raw food diets may include a selection of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds (including sprouted whole grains such as gaba rice), eggs, fish (such as sashimi), meat (such as carpaccio), and non-pasteurized/non-homogenized dairy products (such as raw milk, raw milk cheese, and raw milk yogurt).
Okay, so whats the point? Why take out dairy, gluten & stop cooking food altogether?
What’s the point of all of this and won’t food just be dull and flavorless?
Well, until a few weeks ago it’s something I never really considered. The only knowledge I had came from the episode of Sex in the City where Samantha meets Smith when he’s working at a raw food restaurant. The show did a GREAT job at making it seem like the most unpleasant experience you could ever have.
Then my lovely friend and yoga teacher Dawn Mauricio introduced me to a Montreal restaurant called Crudessence (which is now my new favorite restaurant I might add).
Crudessence is known for it’s living foods and their approach is much more than just “raw” it’s also completely vegan (contains no animal products) and organic AND GLUTEN FREE!
Yes, I’m excited here.
I’ve now tried the Spaghetti, the Om Burger, the key lime pie, MANY of the smoothies and juices, hmmm… I could go on here.Think about that for a second though, what could a gluten-free, vegan, organic burger taste like and what the heck is spaghetti made from? Well, i’m still figuring that stuff out but I can tell you that it’s amazing.
So again, what’s the point of all this – well, with a little research online this is what I discovered about “Rawism” from Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s leading holistic nutrition and health experts.
Why Eat a Raw Food Diet?
If you’re reading this article, you may be wondering about the benefits of a raw food diet, right? Well, the benefits of eating more raw foods are numerous and once you understand them you’ll probably wonder why you haven’t eaten more raw in the past. You’ll also think twice about eating dead cooked foods ever again.
Raw Foods Give You More Energy
I don’t think I know of a single person who eats at least 80% raw foods who doesn’t enjoy far more energy than the average person. I know that when I transitioned away from eating a diet made up of breads, dairy, and cooked foods, and adopted more of a raw foods diet, my energy went through the roof. And I’m not talking about the quick surge you would get from an espresso but rather long-lasting energy that enables you to do more with less.
For instance, eating raw will allow you to sleep less and have far more energy than you ever thought possible. When I’m eating at least 80% raw, I can easily function on just 4-5 hours of sleep. I literally bounce out of bed and don’t require any naps throughout the day. Oh yeah, did I mention that I workout every single day as well? Sometimes, even twice!
Energizing Enzymes
There are several reasons why a raw food diet will give you more energy. First, raw foods are rich in food enzymes. Enzymes are required for every single reaction in the body. Unfortunately, our bodies only have a finite number of these enzymes, so when we run out, we run out of life! To add to this, when you heat foods above 118 degrees fahrenheit, you destroy the food enzymes that are naturally present in all raw foods. Therefore, if you eat a predominantly cooked foods diet, you’re not getting enough food enzymes, which means that your body will have to produce and use more of its own to digest and metabolize your foods.
The more energy your body needs to divert towards digestion, the less energy you will have for other activities. You will feel more lethargic and tired as your body is trying to breakdown “dead” foods and figure out what to do with them.
So, the food enzymes inherent in raw foods are a big reason for boosting your body’s energy. They are the spark plugs and are intricately related to the next property that make raw foods so energy-boosting.
Life Force
When raw foods are left intact, they are also known as living foods. They are called “living” because they carry an incredible amount of life force.
Now, since every living being has an aura or energy field illuminating from their body, which foods do you think would enhance yours? High energy raw foods or cooked foods that dead? I think we both know the answer.
As I like to say, “eat alive and you will thrive”.
Weight Loss and Beautiful Skin
The other highly sought-after quality of a raw foods diet is its ability to help you lose weight and beautify your skin. Almost all raw foodists have reported losing weight they could never lose. At the same time, they notice an instant improvement in their skin. They look younger and have a natural glow that comes about because of the “living” nature of raw foods, their abundance of enzymes, and of course the plethora of nutrients that are ingested when eating more fruits and vegetables.
You will find it easier to lose weight on a raw food diet because your getting more nutrients and, therefore, your body won’t crave “dead” foods. Second, the enzymes help to breakdown the foods you are eating and excess energy and fat stores in your body. Third, raw foods are water-rich, which helps you feel more satiated, as well as hydrated.
Many of these reasons also help us explain why living foods make you look younger and beautify your skin. Enzymes, life force, water, and high quality nutrients all play a role in natural skin care.
We could talk about the benefits of a raw food diet for hours but the only to truly understand them is to experience them for yourself. So why not take action today and enjoy the health, the body, and the vitality that you deserve!
About the Author
Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s leading holistic nutrition and health experts. If you want to lose weight and live your healthiest and most energetic life ever, then you can learn more about his raw food diet book, Eating for Energy and get started with a FREE 6-part Energy Secrets e-course by visiting EatingforEnergy.ca today.
Eating for Energy by Yuri Elkaim
