We've all come to the realization that we are a nation of unhealthy, overweight beings and we are going to stay that way until we also realize that the diets we were raised on is the very thing that is killing us. It was shortly more than 100 years ago that the first known heart attack was recorded. It was no coincidence that the refining of man made foods began along with the industrial strength breeding of livestock also began shortly more than 100 years ago. The best suggestion possible is that you eat raw food for weight loss. If you research the ingredients in so called diet foods, low calorie foods, and light foods you will find that a lot of the ingredients are keeping you overweight or propelling you to such great cravings that you overeat. When you eat raw foods for weight loss, you will find that you appropriate the nutrients your body needs without going hungry. Oh, you may have cravings for some of your comfort foods but you'll find that it takes less to satisfy those cravings until they are gone altogether.
If you toss out all the food in your kitchen and go out and replace it all with fresh fruits and vegetables you're making a big mistake. What you want to do is transition gradually. Be sure you eat three meals a day having your midday meal consist of a cooked meal and your other two meals raw; one including a large salad. One thing you want to keep in mind is that you want to maintain a nutrient rich diet. You will get little or no nutrients from processed foods. In fact, you will find harmful additives in processed foods. Following are some foods that will eventually end up getting as the raw food diet progresses. Plenty of raw fruits, vegetables, roots, herbs and grains.
I would say it's up to you in which order and to which degree you choose to cleanse the toxins from your body. I will caution you not to try becoming 100% raw over night. You can suffer fatigue and/or nausea. You don't want to make yourself feel sick instead of healthy. If you're craving a cookie, by all means eat a cookie; just don't eat 20 cookies. Eventually you'll find that those cravings are only memories.
Since your body is in its natural cleansing cycle in the morning some fresh fruit or freshly squeezed fruit juice is a good way to start your day. Fruit is a cleaning food and when you have it in the morning it is best to stick to one type of fruit. If you're accustomed to eating protein at breakfast and feel that the fruit isn't enough, try eating some raw nuts or seeds.
Though your transition to raw foods should be done over time, the elimination of processed foods should be more immediate. Eating processed foods is the reason our bodies are full of poisonous toxins to begin with and no one wants to replenish those toxins while trying to cleanse the body. A lot of published information will suggest using sea salt, but sea salt is still salt; it is still sodium chloride. Every dash of salt equals higher blood pressure. Nutrient rich foods contain all the natural sodium a person needs. For sweeteners you can use honey or raw dates to replace sugar if you're not getting enough sugar from fresh fruit.
Whether you eat raw food for weight loss or for any other reason, if there's any confusion, remember that anything that is manufactured is processed; anything that comes from the earth is natural. You want at least 70 percent to 80 percent of your diet to be natural.
If you're concerned about protein, there is lots of protein in fresh leafy green vegetables, raw seeds and nuts. If you find it hard to completely eliminate meat, maybe you should try to cut it down to once or twice a week; or less if you can. There are many reasons meat should be cut from your diet, mainly, the animals are poorly treated and you're eating sources of unhealthy saturated fat and a cholesterol-laden, super-stimulating and toxic, nutrient-poor food. Fish come from one of the most polluted environments you can imagine and no matter how you wash them and cook them some of that pollution is passed on to you.
Our bodies were not meant to digest dairy products beyond a very young age. Dairy products form mucus and create allergies, sinus problems and intestinal problems. Enzymes that are necessary for the digestion and assimilation of dairy foods are destroyed during processing and homogenizing. You've always been told that you need the calcium from milk, cheese and yogurt. You can get high volumes of calcium in fresh leafy green vegetables, raw seeds and nuts.
It is difficult for the body to digest grains like rice and whole wheat without processing (cooking); if you prefer you can sprout your grains. Grains, especially bread, may be the hardest foods to eliminate for a lot of people.
When converting to a 100 percent raw diet even cooked vegetarian and vegan dishes like steamed vegetables and hot soups are eliminated. But keep in mind, 70 percent to 80 percent raw is a phenomenal accomplishment. You may even be inspired to push for 100 percent.
Lifestyle changes can be devastating, especially when you try to make several changes at the same time. Drugs, alcohol, tobacco and caffeine are probably going to be even more difficult than the grains. We seem to form dependencies on these things sometimes without even realizing it. As your body goes through the detox process you'll find the strength of theses dependencies decreasing until you no longer have a need for them. It can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to become 100 percent raw.
Many people eat raw food for weight loss or for other health conditions. Many people don't find raw foods appealing but it would be greatly beneficial to your health to increase your raw food intake to 50 percent to 75 percent of your diet.
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