There is a group of people for whom it is normal to consume only raw natural foods, mainly fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and honey. And this is not just a whim, but a necessity, a way of life. These people know that obesity and a lack of vitamins and trace elements give rise to a number of serious diseases, especially in conditions of constant stress and stress. Therefore, they try to protect themselves as much as possible from this. On how to eat properly when raw food, and what are the main advantages and disadvantages of natural products, and will be discussed below.
People who eat raw food are called naturists. They stick to a diet consisting exclusively of raw foods. Their usual menu includes fresh raw or dried fruits and vegetables, nuts, sprouted wheat, grains, seeds and honey. They consume freshly squeezed juices, and also never drink coffee, do not smoke, and alcohol is also taboo for them.
Raw food - a cure for all diseases?
Lovers of natural products believe that one can not eat what has been thermally treated or frozen in one way or another, as these processes destroy any valuable substances, vitamins and minerals contained in food. Only drying is allowed, but only in a perfectly natural way.
This trend has quite a lot of supporters who say that, first of all, the use of drugs, the impact of stress and electromagnetic waves of various devices, pollution of the environment and water significantly shortens life. And it's hard to argue with that. Naturists try, at least by consuming natural products, to reduce the negative impact on the body of all kinds of "chemistry". But this current has its pros and cons.
You heard the proverb: "We are what we eat"? This is not meaningless, because a smart person who values his physical health, regularly engaged in sports and leading a healthy lifestyle, of course, excludes from his menu fried foods, sugar, salt and preservatives. They abstain from bad habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption and increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seafood and liquids.
So, by eating correctly when you are raw, you will not only improve your health, but it can also become a safe prophylaxis for the most serious diseases of our century, such as heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis, cancer, etc.
Skeptics say that the abuse of the use of natural products can also be unsafe. Examples are given of people who, for many years consuming only fresh food, died of terrible diseases. There are frightening statistics about people with a metabolic disorder who denied themselves all "unnatural". Perhaps, to some extent these statements have the right to life, taking into account the fact that most of the pathological diseases are caused by a metabolic disorder. But on the other hand, the usefulness of heat treatment can hardly be completely rejected. It is true that during the frying of food products carcinogens are formed, and in the process of baking, by the way, too. But modern man at the expense of these negative consequences and tried to avoid using this type of food.
An alternative in this regard is a method of cooking food for steaming, in which most of the nutrients in food are stored. The benefits of this method of cooking are obvious - the method is very useful for people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, as well as for young children and pregnant women.
It is important to note that thermal processes destroy many harmful substances for the body. This should not be forgotten, because it's not for nothing that people began to cook food on fire. In addition, the human body simply needs animal protein, which is only in meat. Will you eat raw meat? Well, then you are depriving your body of this valuable compound. And the fish is also no less useful. And it will not be raw, not everyone, and this is not safe, even in the form of fashionable "sushi" today. So you do not have to go to extremes and eat right - raw food in this case will become an ally, not an evil enemy.
The menu for raw food includes:
- HONEY. It is more preferable if it is combined with wax, that is, in honeycombs. According to the canons of raw food, honey is dissolved in water in combination with freshly squeezed lemon juice. It is an ideal tonic for maintaining good health and mood.
In ancient times, Avicenna recommended honey as a food product, which increases the tone of the body and prolongs life. We can not recognize or deny the correctness in this respect, but it's like the truth. However, honey has its drawbacks - it often causes allergies. So if the body shows signs of an allergy to honey or any of its components, you should exclude it from your menu. - NUTS. Completely consumed in raw form, the exception is only almonds, which need to be further processed and cooked. Nuts are good in themselves, but in combination with honey and garlic they are the best way to maintain immunity and fight diseases.
On the other hand, they are especially useful for vegetable salads. Added crushed raw nuts in them - a real cocktail of vitamins and minerals, containing also such nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, substances with antioxidant activity. From a culinary point of view, it is better to combine vegetables with peanuts and walnuts. But it is appropriate to improvise. Even if other nuts are combined with other vegetables, this will not reduce their usefulness to the body.
A study conducted in 2003 shows that consuming a handful of nuts a day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 30%. This is because most fats in nuts are mono- and polyunsaturated, so they reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the body. - ROOTS AND KORNEFLODES. Here the question is somewhat different. It is true that they should be in raw form, but some of them can lead to adverse effects in the body. Potatoes are a typical example.
- Wheat, rye, barley, soy beans and corn. These products should be used only in kind. Only in this case all nutrients remain in them. They are here in high consistency due to the oils contained in these products, sugar, etc. Even physicians recommend the use of raw salads from the germs of cereals, but you need knowledge about their preparation and about what kind of grains can be used for food.
Raw food slows down the aging process! But how?
According to experts, when consuming fresh products, the body spends only ¼ of the capacity of internal organs, while consumption of foods that have been heat-treated requires up to 4 times more energy. And this greatly complicates the work of the human digestive system.
It was proved that the use of natural products slows the aging process through several basic mechanisms:
- is connected to carbon dioxide;
- reduces the number of free radicals, which are the main "culprits" of the aging of cells;
- consumed a large number of biologically active substances;
- improves the work of the urinary system;
- the body is cleansed of toxins, as a result of taking a large amount of vitamin C.
The problem is that most of the canons of raw food are not compatible with the concepts of nutrition of modern man, but, on the other hand, they can find their place in the food system of any healthy organism. Many products can not be taken in raw form, but there is a significant part of those that are not only allowed, but even necessarily eat raw. Because such a living product is valuable in itself and contains everything necessary for life as a whole.
If you decide for yourself to choose a food style, according to the raw diet, you should definitely seek the advice of a specialist. It is necessary to study the material on how to eat correctly when raw food is used. Also, doctors will need help, because before starting the procedure, it is necessary to conduct a course of purification from toxins from the body, again under the constant supervision of competent specialists.