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5 reasons to eat raw foods and how you can eat raw foods easily
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Suto Norbert/dreamstime.com
If you’re a food lover like me, chances are you’ve stayed away from the whole raw food movement. After all, what could replace the flavorful aroma of a simmering pot of chicken soup on the stove or the tangy spiced tomatoes in a homemade marinara sauce? But what if you could enjoy the best of both worlds—cooked and raw? I’ve found it’s very easy to do by following a simple mantra: everything in moderation.
Technically raw food is unprocessed, uncooked, plant based foods such as dried and fresh fruits, veggies, sprouts, nuts, grains and seeds. Some of these can be slightly cooked as long as they’re not heated over 116 degrees F.
Why bother eating raw? What’s in it for you?
1. Short prep time and easy cooking
No stove or microwave needed. No messy pots and pans. No grease to clean up. No cooking time.
2. More nutrients and enzymes
Heat destroys many naturally occurring vitamins, nutrients and enzymes. If you’re getting more from raw, you may not need an entire shelf full of vitamins and supplements.
3. Weight Loss
Raw food contains more volume, takes longer to eat and fills you up. You’ll be replacing unhealthy food with healthy food and feeling fuller. Sounds like a good weight loss plan to me!
4. More Fiber
Think regularity, cleansing, better immune system, lower cholesterol, weight control, heart disease and diabetes prevention. Enough said here.
5. Taste
Once you start eating whole, fresh raw foods more often, you’ll realize how delicious they really are. And, I guarantee you’ll be craving them more than junk food!
How can you incorporate raw foods in your diet easily?
I’ll bet if you look in your fridge or pantry, you already have a supply of raw, ready-to-eat foods.
Try to incorporate as many raw foods as you can in your breakfast and lunch. Here are some suggestions:
Breakfast: Mix fresh and dried fruit with nuts and seeds in plain yogurt. Add raw granola (available at stores like Whole Foods) to your regular cereal.
Lunch: Think salads! Add anything you have on hand—lettuce, arugula, herbs, spinach, raw veggies, nuts, fresh fruit and dried fruit.
Dinner: Start with a salad. It will fill you up and kick start your digestion!
Snacks: Nuts, seeds, carrot sticks, celery, dried fruit.
Lastly, if you’re going to eat raw, I also suggest you buy as much of it organic as you can. Your body will always do better with fewer chemicals.
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