The Benefits of Eating a Raw Foods Diet

Looking at the current state of health in the United States, you can really see that we are in need of a diet and nutrition overhaul. The increase of viruses, parasites, cancers, and chronic health problems are clear warning signs, and perhaps we would all find that fountain of youth if we turned back the clock on our food preparation methods. Highly processed foods lack the nutritional value and benefits of raw foods, which add a healthy host of beneficial micro-organisms to our diets. These micro-organisms make foods easier to digest, and increase healthy flora in our intestinal tracts and help to kill the bad bacteria that can leave us looking as sluggish and weak as we feel.

Both raw natural foods and certain fermented foods provide the body with soluble fiber, which prevents constipation by stimulating peristalsis, increases the balance of good bacteria (such as E. Coli) in our gastrointestinal tract, and helps the body eliminate toxins, acting like a broom to sweep our colons clean of waste residue and fecal matter.

So what is the main reason it’s so important to eat raw foods? Most vitamins and micro-nutrients are either damaged or destroyed when heated above 130 degrees. Many of these are newly discovered micro-nutrients, and quite possibly preventatives to cancer and other harmful diseases. Eating fresh, raw fruits and vegetables increase the vitamins and micro-nutrients in your diet. Enzymes are the most sensitive, and are damaged or destroyed when heated above 118 degrees. Enzymes are an important part of digestion and without them the body must work harder to process the foods you take into your system. Eating a diet made up of mostly raw foods will increase the enzyme levels in your body, and help eliminate toxic buildup in the gastrointestinal system, improving your overall health, as well as keeping your immune system healthy and strong, reducing the incidence of illness and the likelihood of developing chronic diseases.