Health Benefits of Raw Food Diet

There are huge health benefits to be gained by eating healthy portions of fresh fruit and vegetables each day. Diets high in fruit and vegetables are known to help keep our hearts healthy, and help protect us from diseases.

It is recommended that we eat a minimum of five to nine portions of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. But while we all know that we should eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, it is often easier said than done. This is where juicing and blending can help.

Blending and Juicing for Health and Vitality

Juicing and blending make eating healthy portions of fresh fruit and vegetables much easier.

Juicing and blending create nutritious easily digestible drinks rich in digestive enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Not only do we eat more fruit and vegetables, but we eat them as living foods.

Fresh uncooked fruit and vegetables are full of nutrients. Heating food above 120°F (48°C) is said to destroy all the enzymes, half of the protein, and 70-90% of the vitamins.

The health benefits of raw food diet include:

increased energy
enabling the body to detox and heal
improved athletic ability
greater awareness
being able to maintain your ideal weight
leaping out of bed in the morning
softer clearer skin - get the glow!
increased spiritual awareness
signs of premature aging such as liver spots and gray hair are often reversed
feeling vibrantly alive

Healthy Fats

Cooking with unsaturated fats is especially bad for us as the heat creates free radicals and carcinogens. I recommend reading the book Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill (link opens in new window) for information on healthy fats.

Superfoods

A wide range of superfoods can be added to juices and smoothies to provide interesting flavors and extra nutrition. These include:

Wild Edible Greens such as nettles and dandelions
Raw Cacao Nibs or Powder (Treat yourself to some cacoa nibs here!) I love adding cacao nibs to my smoothies along with some soaked dates for a delectable treat.
Freeze-dried Bee Pollen
E3Live (a type of algae)
Spirulina. An excellent source of protein - you can make swamp juice and green smoothies with this! Really useful if you want to chelate heavy metals such as mercury from your body (Oh those pesky fillings)
Marine Phytoplankton
Hemp Protein Powder
MSM Powder
Lucama Powder
Mesquite Powder
Pure Synergy Powder - My favorite green powder to take travelling:)
Purple Corn Powder
Freeze-dried Acia Berries
Organic Maca Powder
Raw Honey
Green Superfood Powder with enzymes and probiotics.

My favourite superfoods

Fresh wheat grass juice is an amazing superfood. I love to grow my own wheatgrass which I then turn into a seriously potent green drink with my lovely Samson juicer. However it is definitely an acquired taste!

You can also learn to grow your own superfoods for pennies by learning how to grow sprouts. Sprouts can be juiced, blended, snacked on, added to salads, or lightly steamed.

What about Fish? Meat? Dairy?

While all the recipes on this website are meat and dairy free, you don't need to be vegetarian or vegan to benefit from the superb nutrition provided by eating, juicing, and blending raw fruit and vegetables.

Mediterranean diets that are high in fruit and vegetables, and low in refined carbohydrates, are known to contribute to permanent fat loss.

The website Natural Healthy Eating has a wealth of information on the healthiest meat, fish, and dairy to eat, plus lots of info on the benefits of organic fruit and vegetables.

How do I become a Vegetarian?

Are you interested in becoming vegetarian? Vegetarians don't eat meat, fish, or poultry. Click here to discover some excellent books, and vegetarian websites to help you gently transition to a vegetarian or vegan diet.

How do I become a Vegan?

Are you thinking of becoming a vegan? Strict vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, do not eat milk, eggs, or honey. A healthy vegan diet is tasty, nutritious, and probably easier than you think!