YH Jan2018 | Page 87

The Benefits of the Raw Food Diet Many have healed from so-called “incurable” ailments on the raw food diet from diabetes, arthritis, fibromyalgia, cancer, asthma, and gastrointestinal disorders just to name a few. I can attest to the amazing health benefits of living the raw food lifestyle. Having suffered severe pain and fatigue for years from fibromyalgia I saw instant results in decrease of muscular and joint pain, energy levels began to soar, and my digestion improved, to name a few. Besides healing physical ailments, you will notice on a mental level that you have a sharpened memory and higher concentration level. That mental fog you may have once experienced will be lifted, you may even find yourself with more creativity and just feeling clear-headed being able to make decisions with clarity. Emotionally you will notice such an increase in positivity. Children with hyperactivity have also been known to be calmer and focus better. These are all a result of the fact that live foods feed and nourish the body richly. So the body no longer has to expend all its energy to rid itself of toxins from the Standard American Diet (SAD). It can focus on making or keeping you healthy! What Were We Designed to Eat? The diet we were designed to eat is made up of fresh, ripe, organic, and raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. These foods alkalize our body, which is so important for providing oxygenation. When we cook food it reduces the oxygen that is normally found in fresh food, and oxygen is essential in resisting disease. When you cook food at temperatures higher than 118 degrees, the vital nutrients, enzymes, minerals, vitamins, etc. are lost. In fact, up to 85% of vitamins and minerals can be destroyed in the process. Enzymes, which are the spark plugs of life, aiding in digestion and health, are destroyed forcing the body to produce more digestive enzymes than it was designed to. Eating only cooked foods you use up your enzyme producing capacity causing increased tiredness and aging. Eating raw, fresh foods not only spares the body of depletion of this limited enzyme potential, but it provides maximum nutrition filled with rich vitamins, minerals, etc. In fact, the body utilizes live enzymes and nutrients from raw food to enhance our vitality, tissue regeneration, body detoxification and self repair. Just when you think it sounds too good to be true there is more! Raw food enhances your beauty. Most raw fooders (those who eat at least 75% raw food) have a radiant glow about them. The skin just glows, cellulite vanishes, puffiness on the face or body disappear, extra pounds melt away and you just have an overall glowing energy about you. Last but not least, a raw food diet will save you time and money. There is much less food preparation before the meal and no greasy, sticky pots to wash after! You will save money on junk food and processed foods that you no longer buy. Plus, with all those live nutrients you’re getting from your food you will feel satisfied because your body isn’t starving for the nutrients it was lacking on a cooked food diet, leaving you feeling hungry. These are just