Benefits of Raw Food | Health & Wellness

by: Kelly Roberts | Farm Foodie Fitness

Society is making a conscious effort and has begun to move farther and farther away from meats and other animals bi-products. We are turning our focus to more plant-based foods for our safety, health concerns, and disease prevention. Raw foods are beginning to play a major role in American diets and everyday meal planning.

As a certified Raw Chef, I’ve seen the benefits in myself, family, friends, and clients I’ve worked with by just incorporating one raw meal a day into their diet. The objective is to eat organic raw foods since you’re directly consuming these products and you want the least amount of chemicals and pesticides entering your body.

Raw foods consist of fruits, vegetables, flowers, nuts, seeds, sprouts, roots, and sea vegetables. Eating raw foods allows you to absorb nutrients and antioxidants, detox the body, and some are also cancer fighters.

Green leafy vegetables are the most important foods, since our culture tends to avoid them and most Americans are lacking them in their daily diets. They are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, calcium and iron. They are an anti-inflammatory agent and may help fight diabetes. Not a fan of how they taste? Try juicing them with bananas, apples, and a lime. You can disguise the taste with sweeter fruits and drink your greens everyday without tasting them.

Raw foods give you more energy, while using less energy for digestion so you have more energy for your daily tasks like exercising or working. Raw foods are also easier and faster to digest. They have living enzymes which help to break down the foods and assist with digestion. Foods cooked over 116 degrees Fahrenheit destroy these enzymes, which explains why we feel so tired and sluggish after large cooked meals.

Eating raw foods aid in weight loss! Yep that’s right! Since they are pure foods, they have no hydrogenated oils, no empty calories and are low in fat. They help you lose weight and quickly. Another fabulous benefit… they also prevent aging. Raw foods reduce free radicals, reducing the signs of aging. Who wouldn’t love that? Painless and good for you!

Raw foods also have more nutrition than cooked foods. After foods are cooked above 116 degrees they start to lose their nutrients, minerals and vitamins. And if you eat raw foods you may need less sleep, since the body doesn’t need the energy for digestion, you continue to conserve your energy. Who knows? You may actually get that extra hour in the day you’re always searching for to get those things done that never seem to cross of your to do list! 🙂

I’ve noticed a glow to my skin and hair, feeling lighter and not so weighed down, more energy, and I even eat a lot less since I’ve incorporated raw foods into my daily diet. You don’t have to become 100% raw to reap the benefits. Just replacing one meal a day or a couple of times a week can make a huge difference in your health and you’re guaranteed to see all the benefits of raw foods.

Kelly Roberts is a Certified Raw Chef and Holistic Health Coach. For more information on what she has to offer please visit her website or if you’d like to set up a raw food demo you can contact her at Roberts.kellyh@gmail.com or follow her on her blog www.farmfoodieandfitness.com.