Raw food diet benefits and harm to the human body. Raw food harm

Why is a raw food diet useful - is it such a fashion or is it a vital necessity? If you lead a healthy lifestyle or are fond of a kind of medicine, then of course you understand that a raw food diet is completely unrelated to eating cheese and the like. This is such a kind of diet, where foods are consumed only in raw form. The raw food diet is very similar to vegetarian food, only much stricter and tougher. There are a number of areas where everyone eats raw foods at their discretion. For example, raw grains or fruits, or maybe eating herbs or tops, but this is already an extreme way of a raw food diet.

People who eat raw food will never buy food in the store because, for example, dairy products have already been cooked and contain preservatives. The same applies to other products. So what is so useful in a raw food diet and why are many people addicted to this type of food?

The raw food diet becomes especially popular every year and attracts more and more people.

Raw plant foods are unprocessed and are "alive" and healthy food. Studies have shown that those who eat a lot of vegetables and fruits very rarely get cancer and various diseases associated with the heart. Only fresh vegetables and fruits have a beneficial effect on the entire human body. If vegetables are boiled, then almost fifty percent of the beneficial elements that determine the specific taste of cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, horseradish and other vegetables, are destroyed. These substances create not only excellent taste sensations, but also protect against cancer.

Yellow and red vegetables, as well as green leaves, contain carotenoids, which protect your body from chronic diseases and prevent the development of various tumors. If vegetables are cooked, then some of these substances are destroyed. Particularly sensitive to processing are biological substances that are found in celery, cabbage and cherries. Garlic also has a beneficial effect on our body if consumed fresh. It kills disease bacteria and improves blood circulation.

Undoubtedly, a raw food diet brings many benefits to our body.

Some of its advantages include a good preventive cleansing of the body. Such prevention is not as powerful as fasting, but with frequent use gives amazing results. A raw food diet is of great benefit in constipation, sluggish bowel disease and hemorrhoids, due to the increase in dietary fiber. Raw food treatment reduces a number of various diseases. For example, it gives a positive result for gout, and also frees the body from uric acid. For those who suffer from kidney disease, a raw food diet is a way of treatment as well as prevention. For skin diseases, rheumatism and much more.

If you suffer from hypertension, then the use of a raw food diet can improve your health, due to the fact that table salt is sharply limited in food. Many people switch to a raw food diet in order to lose weight and buy things they like in the store. In such cases, it is better to eat vegetables raw. This is not only because the percentage of useful elements in the products decreases, but also in the raw form, the products give the greatest saturation. Unboiled food fills your stomach faster than boiled food. If you decide to go on a raw food diet, then you need to remember a few things. Foods that are high in calories, such as dates, a variety of nuts, and so on, should be avoided. By the way, scientists have proven that with a raw food diet, the treatment of obesity is faster than with starvation.

If you look at it, fresh vegetables and fruits bring more benefits than soft foods. It also helps to strengthen your gums. Fans of raw food, if the diet is properly composed, do not deprive themselves of proteins at all. A large amount of protein is found both in various nuts and in legumes. Also in wheat, cauliflower and cabbage with the interesting name kohlrabi. So, we know why a raw food diet is so useful, but doctors are convinced that there are also disadvantages. In both cases, it can adversely affect your health. But still, raw food in your diet should prevail. Raw food, as a treatment for many diseases, according to some, does not justify itself, but this does not mean that it should be abandoned. To become a true raw foodist, you need to have a healthy stomach and good willpower, as well as endurance and knowledge. The best and most necessary way to prevent a raw food diet is to use courses that last about two to three weeks.

With a raw food diet, there are several rules that will be useful to beginner raw foodists, I have an article on this topic. Eat less to begin with, as moderation sets your body up to accept raw food. Drinking water should be clean, and preferably mineral. Products must be at room temperature. You need to try to eat when hunger appears. If you follow all the rules, then a raw food diet will be not only healthy for you, but also tasty.

An excellent motivational video about the benefits of a raw food diet.

Many talk about the benefits of a raw food diet, but every thing in our lives has not only positive but also negative sides. Eating uncooked foods is no exception. With the wrong transition to a raw food diet and nutrition, quite serious health problems can arise.

A raw food diet is good for the body, but with the wrong approach to the nutrition system, it is dangerous. Problems can be not only for beginners, but also for experienced raw foodists.

This method is harmful to the vast majority of people who are irresponsible about the process of transition and eating foods that have not been subjected to heat treatment.

The root cause of harm is an excessive passion for raw food according to the old systems. For a harmless start and further nutrition, you need to know the rules and follow them step by step.

The reasons that harm the health status of raw foodists include the following points.

Wrong start

Having learned about the benefits of a raw food diet, many people try to give up processed foods as soon as possible. As a rule, such people do not stay in the ranks of raw foodists for a long time and are divided into several groups:

• Those who refuse a raw food diet immediately.
• Those who eat raw foods from a few months to a year. Such people will have a long recovery process after giving up raw food.
• Those who eat raw foods properly. There are few such people.

There is no need to accept the words of people who talk about the benefits of a raw food diet as a myth, but you should not unconditionally believe in it either.

Many reviews on the forums are left by people who themselves have not fully understood all aspects of nutrition. Some people may return to their usual way of life very soon, and their feedback will negatively affect the health of raw food beginners.

Studying such reviews and impeccably following the advice read on the forums leads to breakdowns, mood swings and a deterioration in well-being. Therefore, reviews and comments on sites should not be treated as truth and based on them, build your transition and nutrition plan.

You should not unconditionally believe raw foodists with experience who have ruined their health with malnutrition.

Such people are fanatical about the postulates of a raw food diet and will never give it up, thinking that their illnesses will go away on their own. As a rule, they hide their real well-being from others and are afraid to admit even to themselves that they are really doing something wrong and to the detriment of their own body.

Some "experienced" raw foodists, while talking about transition methods and dietary rules, have never tried to apply them in their lives.

Nutrient deficiency

Many novice raw foodists worry about the lack of vitamins and minerals in the body, because now they will have to give up foods that contain protein: meat and milk.

To bring the level of protein back to normal, raw foodists try to replace animal fat with vegetable fat. They begin to intensively eat foods saturated with vegetable fat - this entails a lot of unpleasant consequences:

• Problematic skin;
• The appearance of visceral fat in the abdomen;
• Decreased potency in males;
• Amenorrhea in women;
• Confused mind;
• Tired look.

Such people do not pay attention to the opinions and advice of others who talk about the poor appearance of a raw foodist. They attribute this appearance to temporary troubles at work or in the family, which negatively affect the nervous system, well-being in general, and claim that this phenomenon will soon disappear.

To the aid of such raw foodists will come a plan for a proper balanced diet, which is compiled individually for each. It is formed based on the needs of the body, the taste preferences of a person and the speed of transition.

The right individual diet increases the benefits of a raw food diet and protects against health problems. It helps both beginners and experienced raw foodists.

Wrong combination of ingredients

The vast majority of raw foodists incorrectly combine products with each other, not even suspecting the dangers of such a neighborhood - this leads to an inevitable return to eating foods that have been heat-treated.

More than 95% of online recipes for raw foodists include incompatible ingredients, which after a few months will show their negative impact on the body.

The consequences may be as follows:

• Heaviness in the stomach;
• Slow metabolism;
• Gluttony;
• Crises;
• The emergence of new diseases.

Not a single author of a recipe for a dish made from products that have not undergone heat treatment will tell his reader about their incompatibility. Some raw food chefs are not even aware that the ingredients they use to prepare the dish are incompatible.

In order to avoid problems with a raw food diet, it is worth combining products correctly.

There is another mistake raw foodists. If it is not possible to refuse the wrong combination of products, they switch to mono-nutrition, eating one type of food at one meal. With such nutrition, the required number of microorganisms that form the microflora is not produced. It is unbalanced.

Wrong daily routine

Leafing through articles about raw foodists, one may come across the assertion that such people can afford to sleep many times less than meat eaters and this will not adversely affect their health.

Experienced raw foodists sleep 4-6 hours a day. This amount of sleep is enough for them to feel cheerful. Beginning raw food eaters, following their experience, reduce sleep time to a minimum level, thereby harming their body.

A decrease in the ratio of sleep to wakefulness will lead to the following consequences:

• Drowsiness;
• Clouded mind;
• Fatigue;
• Irritability.

When switching to a raw food diet, the body is exposed to stress and heavy loads, requiring even more energy, so you need to rest a lot.

Improper hygiene

Many people are sure that their body is cleansed with raw foods or not clogged at all, so there is no need for them to take a shower. They believe that if their body does not emit unpleasant odors, you can not swim.

In fact, after a few years of proper nutrition, the body stops emitting odors. But this is not a reason to abandon hygiene procedures.

All the dust, tar and other particles in the air stay on the body, clog pores and lead to skin problems. Also, raw foodists often face problems with their teeth. They spoil much faster than people who eat meat. Acids and other components found in the fruits of fruit trees lead to this.

If you do not brush your teeth and do not properly conduct oral hygiene, you may encounter the following problems:

• Caries;
• Hypersensitivity of teeth;
• Destruction of tooth enamel;
• Loss of teeth.

Fanaticism

People who are overly fond of a raw food diet often encourage others to this way of eating. Their open and veiled calls for a raw food diet are fashionable to meet in many forums. Usually their reviews and comments are in the nature of devaluing food that has undergone heat treatment, calling it slag and garbage.

After reading fan reviews, beginners try to quickly switch to raw food, no matter what it takes. They are not afraid of the harm that can be done to health, the possibility of diseases and the deterioration of well-being.

The apogee of the influence of fanatics is the zombification of people who begin to zealously persuade their relatives, friends and work colleagues to a raw food diet.

Under the influence of fans, people with an unstable psyche turn into the same madmen who try to impose their nutrition system on others.

Because of this behavior of fanatics, comments of doctors appear on the forums who do not consider vegetarianism and raw food to be the right rational diet, and their supporters are full and healthy members of society.

The transition must be gradual and correct. The body must be given the opportunity to get used to the absence of certain foods in the human diet, and the brain needs time to realize the benefits of eating them.

What conclusions to draw

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that there are plenty of reasons leading to harm from a raw food diet.

The main reason for harming your body is the lack of knowledge in this area and the use of the advice of fanatics.

For a harmless raw food diet, you need to use a nutrition system designed just for you and the right transition tactics.

Adhering to the rules, it will bring you much more benefits than all kinds of diets and will give you the strength to achieve high results in any area of ​​life.

THESE ARTICLES WILL HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

To be or not to be a raw foodist?

The raw food diet is gaining more and more supporters every year, confident that it is the optimal nutrition system for the body. Is it so? What are the benefits and harms of a raw food diet? And what principles underlie it?

What is a raw food diet?

Raw food diet - food without heat treatment, primarily vegetables, fruits and berries. The diet also contains a variety of legumes, nuts and seeds. However, some raw foodists eat animal products: unpasteurized milk, raw eggs, dried meat and fish. Although true adepts replace meat with the same beans, dried eggplant and mushrooms. And they even prepare milk themselves from soy, grain and almonds.

Various cereals and cereals are allowed to be consumed in sprouted and soaked form. Raw food products include honey and any cold-pressed oils. At the same time, they drink exclusively raw filtered or mineral water, as well as freshly squeezed juices.

The energy of nature

Ardent supporters of this system are sure that a raw food diet is the path to immortality. In their opinion, raw food treatment allows you to permanently get rid of all existing diseases, and "living food" helps to live in harmony with nature. What is the real benefit of such nutrition?

Most of the vitamins, minerals and amino acids found in fresh foods are not destroyed by heat treatment and enter the body in full. Consumed in large quantities, fiber improves digestion. A raw food diet is a healthy diet also because it allows you to cleanse the body of toxins and other harmful substances in a short period of time. There is an opinion that raw foodists are less prone to heart disease and the risk of developing cancer. It is impossible not to mention that a raw food diet for weight loss is one of the most effective methods due to the low calorie content of products and the almost complete absence of fats and harmful carbohydrates.

Side effects

At the same time, one should not forget about the harm that a raw food diet causes to the body. Problems can begin already at the first stages, because the transition to a fundamentally new nutrition system is always associated with stress. Headaches, diarrhea, irritability, general weakness and poor health will definitely make themselves felt with a sharp change in eating habits. This is why the raw food diet for beginners carries some risk.

Nutritional deficiencies are the main disadvantage of a raw food diet. Deficiency of vitamin B12, found only in animal foods, negatively affects the condition of nerve fibers and the production of red blood cells. Lack of iron leads to the development of anemia and is especially dangerous for women. With such a system, vitamin A, zinc, iodine and magnesium are poorly absorbed.

inventive menu

How to start a raw food diet? Refusal of familiar products should be smooth. Meat, semi-finished products, canned food and smoked meats should disappear from the diet gradually. They are followed by other products of animal origin, flour products, sweets, tea, coffee and alcohol. Food processing in the first stages can be carried out at 45°C. A higher temperature, according to raw foodists, makes the food "dead". It is better to soak nuts in clean water for 4-8 hours. So excess bitterness will leave them, and they will be quickly absorbed by the body.

With a raw food diet, the menu may well include oatmeal. To do this, pour the flakes with water overnight, and in the morning add pieces of fruit or berries. Tomato and similar cold vegetable soups can also be added to the diet. Vegetable cutlets are also allowed. True, for their preparation you will have to get a dehydrator. In addition, at your disposal - the abundance of vegetable and fruit salads.

Among the raw food recipes there are quite interesting snacks. Using a powerful blender, beat into a homogeneous mass 300 g of walnuts, 250 g of honey, 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice and 1 tsp. cinnamon. We form balls and roll them in sesame seeds.

You can also make almond cheese. Soak 2 cups of almonds in water overnight. In the morning we wash it and grind it in a blender, gradually pouring in 1-2 glasses of water. The resulting mass is transferred to a gauze bag and suspended for 8-12 hours at room temperature. In such a "cheese" you can add garlic, lemon juice and seasonings.

Remember how to switch to a raw food diet without risk to health, only a specialist knows! Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to enlist his recommendations and undergo the necessary examinations.

Raw food is the propaganda of American scientist Hervard Carrigton. He lived at the beginning of the last century and is the progenitor of this trend. But if you delve far into past centuries, then you can find a raw food diet in the world of the Slavs. Our ancestors were famous for harvesting forest food without the use of heat treatment.

A raw food diet is a meal based on eating food in an unprepared, namely without heat treatment, form. People who are accustomed to raw food cannot eat food that has been betrayed by fire. Essentially, a raw food diet is a diet. Raw food lovers think that, together with such food, people receive the energy and warmth of sunlight, which plants are saturated with during development.

Raw meat and fish products are no exception. The raw look does not scare people, but on the contrary, they are sure that it is very useful. But most people who are of the raw food type are. Others don't like animal products. Indeed, in their opinion, in order to process such food, the body will need a lot of effort.

There is an opinion among raw foodists that the human body should digest only plant foods, since the gastrointestinal tract of people is very similar to the tract of animals that eat only plants.

There are a number of varieties of this approach to food:

omnivorous raw food diet. This way of eating involves the use of all raw foods. In the daily menu of a person, absolutely all raw food. But often food is exposed to temperature to avoid getting bacteria inside a person. Everything that can be boiled is usually boiled here;

vegetarian raw food. There are no meat and fish ingredients in the daily menu. And the benefits are taken from raw eggs, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and legumes;

vegan raw food diet. There is no animal food here. Instead, dried fruits and cereals appear in sprouted form;

carnivorous raw food diet or raw meat diet. Complete absence of grains, beans and milk. There are also no vegetable oils. In their place come animal-type products and seafood;

fruitarianism. Vegetables are forbidden (carrots, beets, potatoes, radishes, cabbage). Fruit and berry diet is the main source of energy and nutrients.

A person can, without knowing it, get harm from a raw food diet. Eating certain types of foods usually leads to a shortage of other substances that are most beneficial to humans. Therefore, lovers of raw food should know what they need to eat to make up for this lack. And for this they need to constantly monitor their diet so as not to harm their health.

According to scientific studies, raw foodists are prone to severe erosion of tooth enamel and they have a reduced circulatory level of vitamin B12 (which is responsible for blood formation, growth and the nervous system). Unlike plant foods, there is much more of it in animal foods. Animal products are a source of such a substance, and raw foodists are simply deprived of it.

People who eat raw meat and fish products are at risk of contracting infectious and helminthic diseases. Everyone knows that along with such food, bacteria enter the human body that can kill. You can even die.

The protein that a person loses by eating only raw food is replenished by eating legumes. But you can not use them very often, because they contain a number of poisonous harmful elements that are neutralized only with the help of elevated temperature.

A large number of plants such as sorrel and spinach should also not be eaten, as their compounds carry a compound that reduces the amount of calcium that has been absorbed by the body. If you do not eat oxalic acid according to the norms, then this can adversely affect the kidneys: stones form. These plants should be scalded with boiling water or boiled before use. For children and the elderly, such raw food is very harmful, but it is especially dangerous for people suffering from kidney stones.

The raw food diet is often harmed by fruits and vegetables bought in supermarkets. After all, such a product is affected by a lot of negative factors. For example, so that the product does not deteriorate and looks the right way, it is affected by various chemical reagents. But besides this, during cultivation and transportation, it is also affected by various chemicals, and those who eat only raw food run the risk of “eating up” enough chemistry.

The systematic eating of fruits by raw foodists leads to the fact that the human body is overloaded. This can cause pathology in the digestive system, which will be very difficult to treat.

The principles of eating raw food exacerbate some chronic diseases:

pancreatitis - with such a disease, a person has a lack of hemicellulase;

gastritis, colitis;

allergic effects are intensified.

The lack of proteins, fats and carbohydrates comes from the fact that the hormones that control our body during diets cease to be produced. The thyroid gland suffers more from this. Therefore, failures in the hormonal background are a very common problem that occurs among lovers of a raw food diet.

If a person eats little food, this is called malnutrition. With a vegetarian diet, this can cause a breakdown, brain damage or malnutrition. A strict diet in some cases can even lead to death.

There are also benefits to the body from a raw food diet:

preventive diet helps cleanse the body;

the formation of oncological and cardiovascular diseases is prevented;

raw fruits and vegetable products retain useful substances, while most of them are lost when exposed to fire;

the body's defenses are stimulated;

raw foodists spend less time sleeping than usual. For a good rest, a person will need 4-5 hours. He is easy-going and feels great, his mood rises and his complexion changes.

What are the health benefits of a raw food diet?

Nutrition of this type in a short period benefits people. Those who, for preventive purposes, engage in a raw food diet, have a lower predisposition to heart disease and cancer. It can also be noted that it benefits those people who suffer from rheumatism and kidney diseases. Hypertensive patients also benefit from such food, since salt practically does not get into food and water metabolism reaches the norm.

Raw food helps cleanse the body. Dietary fiber stimulates the intestines, removes toxins from the body and treats constipation.

The benefits of a raw food diet for women: weight is reduced and normalized. A raw food diet contributes to the treatment of obesity and weight loss. This is better than fasting, because a person feels full, not hungry. After all, eating plant foods, the human body is saturated faster.

Raw food diet - food system

This approach to nutrition has both pros and cons. Raw foodists need time to develop their own methodology for scheduling meals using their body criteria. These include indicators such as weight, height, gender, diseases, etc.

Vegetarians should take into account the fact that they do not absorb vitamin B12. To reduce the deficiency, it is necessary to take this vitamin orally daily, or to inject it intramuscularly once a month. Because the consequences of vitamin deficiency are very serious: the nervous system can be disturbed.

Harmful raw food diet for the elderly, pregnant women and preschool children. They must have adequate nutrition. Scientists believe that intracellular substances are more useful and absorbed better if they are released during nutritional exposure.

Raw food began. To become a temporary raw foodist, you must gradually abandon the standard food. Boiled food should be reduced in quantity and gradually disappear from the daily diet of a person, and meat should be replaced by vegetarian food. Boiled food is replaced with natural, which is not processed by fire. This contributes to the adaptation of the body to a change in diet.

It should be noted that drinking during meals has a very negative effect on the body during a raw food diet. Raw food also needs to be warmed to room temperature during the cold season. And raw food prepared for a meal should not be left for a long time.

Summer and autumn are the time when vegetables and fruits are more accessible and contain the required maximum number of vitamins. It is also necessary to abandon spices and salt, but gradually. Therefore, the path to a raw food diet is simple for some, but long and thorny for others.

When you change your diet, you need to monitor your health. If a person feels that the nervous system is failing, there is a chill, a sharp decline in strength, or the menstrual cycle is disturbed, then you should immediately abandon the raw food diet. It is also difficult to tolerate a raw food diet when a person is engaged in physical activity. Possible problems with the digestive tract.

Most raw foodists, who were vegetarians in the recent past, noticed that such a meal brings benefits in the first 3 months, then only harm. Nutritionists have come to the conclusion that a period of 2-3 weeks is sufficient for the prophylactic and cleansing period. After that, you need to rest and eat as before.

Some raw foodists, in their comments about the benefits of a raw food diet, reviews talked about their successes, they were even able to get rid of kidney stones.

The benefits and harms of a raw food diet, on the one hand, remain one of the most resonant, and on the other, controversial topics. In order to decide on the attitude to the raw food diet as a method of recovery, it is important to get acquainted with different points of view and compare its pros and cons.

What is a raw food diet

The Swiss naturopathic doctor Max Bircher-Benner is considered the founder of the raw food diet system, who in the 19th century formed the concept of "live" nutrition. It is based on the fact that in nature a living organism needs live food that does not require heat treatment of more than 45 ° C, since heating above this threshold threatens to damage the destruction of vitamins and valuable enzymes in products.

The development of technologies for the production and storage of products has led to an increase in refined food with a depleted nutritional composition, which leads to the harm of a constant deficiency of vitamins and macro- and micronutrients: people forget that a person "is what he used to eat."

Types and features of a raw food diet

From the variety of existing varieties of raw food diet systems, its main varieties can be distinguished:

• Veganism. A "pure" type of raw food diet that excludes all animal products and leaves only plant foods for the benefit of a healthy metabolism.
• Vegetarian. This system excludes meat and fish, but allows you to use the beneficial nutritional properties of eggs and dairy products.
• Omnivorous. In the diet of this type of raw food diet, in addition to plant foods, there is any raw and dried food, including meat, fish, seafood, eggs, and in some cases milk.
• Fruitarianism. This raw food diet involves eating fruits, berries and certain types of vegetables, which in some cultures are classified as fruits - tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.
• Raw meat diet, or carnivorous raw food diet. The least common type, whose adherents believe that the beneficial properties for the body are found in seafood, as well as meat, fish, with the inclusion of eggs and milk: all the nutritional benefits that can be obtained from animals.

Depending on the diet planning methods, there are also:

• Raw food. With this type of diet, the principle works: one product at one meal.
• Mixed raw food. The food intake system is based on the ratio of nutrients in their composition. For example, a separate food system establishes a combination of the most compatible types of products: proteins with non-starchy carbohydrates, and so on.
• Monotrophic raw food diet, or monofood. The regularity of this system: one method - one product, excluding heat treatment.

In a broad discussion, mixed veganism received the greatest response as the most beneficial for healing the body. In the context of this type of raw food diet, we will discuss further.

The benefits of a raw food diet

The main position of the raw food diet system is to recognize the harm of thermally processed food. To learn more about the benefits and harms of a raw food diet for the body, it is important to get acquainted with the rationale for this system in terms of biology and medicine.

1. In nature, hot food is not present in principle.
2. Morphologically and functionally, the digestive apparatus of the human body does not have mechanisms designed for the digestion of hot food. In contact with the gastrointestinal tract, hot food causes protein breakdown and can damage the gastric mucosa and disrupt sap secretion and fermentation, resulting in an ulcer.
3. Vitamins and enzymes of thermally processed products are partially destroyed. At the same time, the content of beneficial enzymes involved in autolysis decreases: this inhibits the digestion of food at the intracellular level and leads to difficulty in its absorption and pollution of the body. The raw food diet excludes such energy-consuming and metabolically disturbing digestion of food.
4. In thermally processed food, the structure of healthy complex carbohydrates is disrupted, and the content of minerals is also significantly reduced.
5. The bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties of such food for the body are lower, which negatively affects the disinfection of the oral cavity and creates conditions for the development of dental diseases. In the raw food diet, fiber is not changed, as in boiled food, therefore it promotes blood flow to the oral cavity during chewing, creates an alkaline environment and increases the absorption of calcium: as a result, it excludes its compensation by washing out of bone tissue, including teeth.
6. The low bactericidal properties of processed foods, in turn, enhance the mechanism of food leukocytosis, the essence of which is to suppress the harm of hazardous substances that enter the body. At the same time, agents hazardous to health activate leukocytes that suppress them within 1–1.5 hours. A raw food diet reduces the regular activation of this protective mechanism, which significantly strengthens the properties of immunity.
7. High temperature disrupts the alkaline reaction inherent in most plant foods, as a result of which the acid-base balance of such food is shifted to the acid side. The benefits of a raw food diet therefore lie in the alkaline properties of plant foods, on the one hand, and on the other, in the content of biologically active components already in its composition that destroy the harm of pathogens, which serves as a significant savings in the body's immune defense.
8. In such products on a raw food diet, as in cabbage, lettuce, yellow and red fruits, garlic, etc., all antioxidants and other substances that are active in properties are preserved, which are almost completely destroyed during heat treatment - and cooking is almost indispensable without it .
9. A raw food diet increases the content of vitamins, enzymes and other useful biologically active substances in the body, which reduces the load on the liver in a situation of their deficiency and is a prevention of both the pathologies of this body filter and general health.
10. Such a nutritional system turns into the benefits of regulating the body's water balance, which brings a beneficial effect of a raw food diet on kidney function, helps in the treatment of rheumatism and skin problems.
11. The intake of useful highly active natural complexes in the raw food diet stimulates the synthesis of hormones and the function of the endocrine glands.

The main benefit is that it helps to strengthen the body's immune properties, which, with the help of a raw food diet, can eliminate existing diseases - both seasonal colds and chronic ones. Improving the overall quality of life automatically manifests all the secondary beneficial effects: normalization of weight, increased energy, elimination of inflammatory and activation of regenerative processes in the body.

Changes in appearance

People who profess such a system as a way of life are easily distinguished by their good physical shape, clear skin and radiant eyes.

Above all, the benefits of a raw food diet will be appreciated by women. In addition to a beautiful figure, the raw food system will eventually manifest itself in improving the condition of hair, skin and nails.

It is also interesting that over time, the benefits of a raw food diet in strengthening the gums and teeth are also noted - due to the active stimulation of the oral mucosa and increased blood flow.

With regard to tooth enamel, the transition to a raw food system may initially have a negative effect on it by acid and a change in the chemical properties of the environment in the mouth, but subsequently the teeth are restored and strengthened. In the early stages of a raw food diet, therefore, it is especially important to rinse your mouth after eating.

About the experience of restoring teeth on a raw food diet - a story in the video:

Improving the functioning of the digestive tract and increasing physical activity

Thermally processed food loses its ability to stimulate peristalsis. The raw food diet system, thanks to the beneficial properties of the remaining fiber pectins in products, also eliminates the effect of intestinal lethargy and the associated harm of hemorrhoids, constipation, colitis, polyps, oncology and other intestinal diseases.

In addition, the health benefits of switching to a raw food diet system is that in a short time it helps to cleanse the body of toxins and toxins.

With a raw food diet, foods are more quickly absorbed and excreted from the digestive tract, causing less fermentation, gas formation, inflammation, and the harm of excreting toxic decay products. As a result of prolonged decay of heavy products, the intestinal mucosa suffers, harm can manifest itself in intestinal permeability and leaky ("leaky") gut syndrome.

The normalization of water metabolism in the body is one of the beneficial effects of the raw food diet, which makes you forget about the problems associated with the harm of kidney, skin diseases, as well as rheumatism.

Under the influence of high temperatures, the bioplasma of products is disturbed, as a result of which they lose their energy potential.

The properties of plant foods that are easy to digest also reduce the energy costs of the body for its digestion, as a result of which an unlimited amount of energy appears in the process of practicing a raw food diet, and activity increases. The elimination of heavy meals is beneficial in eliminating states of lethargy and drowsiness.

A lot of controversy is also being held on the impact of the raw food diet on the properties of enzymes vital for the body. During the heat treatment of products in the digestive tract, in particular, in the pancreas, digestion assistants are produced - enzymes (endogenous). On the other hand, foods with a temperature of up to 44 ° C, consumed on a raw food diet, have the ability to give the body from the outside exogenous enzymes that help digestion, thus removing their own enzymatic load.

Change in taste preferences

Harmful consequences of addiction to unhealthy refined food with the inclusion of artificial components entail a significant change in taste habits. For example, sweetening fruits with sugar dulls the sensation of their natural sweetness, distorts the perception of the entire flavor bouquet that nature has so generously endowed the fruits with.

The benefit of an alternative nutrition system will be the opportunity to train your taste analyzer on a raw food diet to enjoy the variety of natural tastes, a new perception will be formed, the ability to hear and understand your body more deeply: how it reacts to certain foods, how it signals hunger or oversaturation. All this will gradually rebuild the habits of preference for a healthier set of products.

Such a reconfiguration to a natural taste occurs due to a change in chemical reactions against the background of an improvement in the quality of the microflora in the intestines and the release of the body from toxins on a raw food diet.

Influence on the psyche and memory

The activation of powerful recovery processes during the transition to the concept of a raw food diet is manifested by a beneficial effect on both consciousness and brain function. The properties of concentration of attention, memory improvement are increased, the functioning of the nervous system as a whole is restored.

The benefits of the influence of the raw food diet system will be manifested precisely in a systematic approach, in which the harmony of the needs of the mind and body is observed.

Short-term use of a raw food diet as a diet can, on the contrary, reduce the quality of brain functions due to the natural stressful impact of changing the daily set of products and the need for a period of adaptation of the body, which should be taken into account when deciding to switch to a new system.

Effect on appetite

A diet rich in fiber on a raw food diet promotes rapid satiety and improves the functioning of the digestive tract. However, there may be problems with maintaining a feeling of satiety: at the stage of adaptation, there is an increased appetite, when the body out of habit requires something “heavier”, and you just need to get used to saturating with raw food.

In this regard, it will be useful to balance the diet on a raw food diet towards the content of nuts and cereals. For example, adding 6 pieces of high-calorie nuts and dates to one of your meals will help keep you feeling full for much longer.

There may be rashes on the skin due to the cleansing of the body.

Raw food for weight loss

Food on a raw food diet contains bioregulators - plant hormones, enzymes, vitamins, which include a sense of proportion in the amount of food consumed. Their absence in thermally processed foods affects the harm of overeating.

Studies of women on a raw food diet for 7 months have shown a stable weight loss of 3.8 kg: the benefits of such a diet are in the gradual nature of body weight loss, in those who have it above the norm - according to body mass index (BMI), which is healthier dietary approach.

This indicates the beneficial properties of a raw food diet as a system that, unlike diets, gives a gradual decrease in body weight, without discomfort, affects the body deeply, and not superficially, minimizing stress.

On such a nutrition system, food is easier to digest, the body is saturated faster. The digestive process itself is normalized, the feeling of hunger is less common.

Inflammatory processes in the oral cavity disappear, due to which the effect of bad breath is eliminated, the face acquires a healthy color.

And most importantly, the transition to a raw food diet system will benefit from a powerful cleansing of the body from the harm of blockages as a result of a long consumption of meat, bakery and sugar-containing products. With such a natural removal of toxins, the useful energy that was previously spent on the digestion of food masses remains at the disposal of the body, which is manifested in a feeling of a surge of strength and activity.

At first, practicing a raw food diet, you may need more food, which will not affect body weight. Then, as the body adapts, saturation will increase with a decrease in portions to the point that a small amount of food will be enough for the whole day.

The menu consists of vegetables, fruits, cereals, legumes, nuts, herbs.

Attention! When switching to a raw food menu, a moderate exercise regimen will be useful.

It is also important to maintain a sufficient water regime of the body: at least 2 liters of still water per day, plus freshly squeezed juices or smoothies, which can be used to replace meals if desired.

In terms of the volume of products per day of a raw food diet, one and a half kilograms will be optimal, in various combinations.

Important! It is better to start practicing the raw food diet system with the setting of a “long-range goal” - improving health, which will automatically bring those extra pounds back to normal.

It is such a promising approach, in contrast to the manic desire to lose weight, that will help create a useful motivation that will lead to a qualitative restructuring of the body.

When choosing a menu on a raw food diet, it is important to “listen” to your body: monitor its reactions and general condition, and, depending on this, adjust the composition of the products.

An example of a daily menu for weight loss:

• For breakfast: smoothies made from banana, wheat germ or buckwheat and greens, such as spinach. The properties of a beneficial combination of proteins and vitamin and mineral composition in a gene-active form will be an excellent nutritional resource for the day.
• For lunch: vegetable salad with fruits and finely chopped greens to taste. You can add sprouted legumes, for example,. All products will be useful to fill with light cold-pressed oil.
• For dinner: fruit salad with vegetables. Can be flavored with cold pressed coconut oil.

It will be useful to drink purified water, half an hour before meals, as well as fresh juices or coconut milk.

Raw food diet as a nutrition system for a child

Due to the lack of research on the benefits or harms of a raw food diet for children, the concern of parents seeking to improve the child's body is understandable.

On the other hand, the experience of families practicing a raw food diet gives grounds for statements:

A raw food diet brings unequivocal benefits to the body of a child whose parents practice an appropriate healthy lifestyle and raise the baby in accordance with it, starting from birth. In such cases, raw food children:

• have proper eating habits and an unspoiled gastrointestinal tract;
• not affected by diathesis, allergies, constipation, iron deficiency anemia, colds, gastritis, appendicitis;
• in adolescence, hormonal changes do not have skin problems;
• as a result, they receive strong immunity as a guarantee of maintaining health in the future.

Attention! It is not worth retraining a child from a traditional food system to a raw food diet. Any change in the products of the usual diet should be under the supervision of a physician.

Raw food and pregnancy

During pregnancy, a raw food diet is theoretically allowed. The conclusions drawn by women practicing the system boil down to the following tips:

If before pregnancy there was no experience of a raw food diet, then during the gestation of the fetus, starting to eat according to the new system will be a radical decision, from which it is better to refrain. Changing the composition of food, even to a very healthy one, during a period of hormonal changes can lead to harm in an unexpected reaction of the body.

The desire to help the body with the beneficial properties of plant foods on a raw food diet will be very correct, and a sense of moderation and the ability to distinguish body reactions will come in handy here. If the addition of raw foods does not cause a negative response, then you can practice.

On a raw food diet, the inclusion of germinated cereals will benefit, since they contain a concentration of useful vitamins and enzymes at a biologically active maximum.

Harm of a raw food diet

A properly organized, balanced menu on a raw food diet is not capable of harming those who have no contraindications.

Relative harm can be called a temporary deterioration in health, the so-called crisis of healing, which for the body can manifest itself:

• dizziness;
• skin itching and rash;
• cracked fingers;
• urine change;
• slowing the heart rate to 60 beats per minute.

These effects are natural, caused by the harmful effects of toxins during cleansing of the body. Armed with an understanding of this mobilization reaction, it is necessary to remain calm and drink more for the benefit of accelerating the elimination of harmful substances.

Anyone who can survive such a period of recovery and adaptation on a raw food diet will be generously rewarded with healing at the cellular level.

That is why the raw food diet should not be approached as a fast diet: the process can stop at the dangers of intoxication and exhaustion. The change in the power system should take place slowly, gradually.

A quick transition to a new health system increases the likelihood of a subsequent breakdown and the harmful effects of stress on the body.

The biggest harm to the body from a raw food diet will be a thoughtless and fanatical entry into the nutrition system, following an unbalanced decision based on data analysis, but from the desire to easily achieve immediate results, following fashion or agitating acquaintances.

It is this kind of motivation “without clear rationalization” based on uncontrolled drives that even the World Health Organization refers to disorders of habits and drives. The line between harm and benefit here is very conditional, and the key lies in the awareness of the application of the raw food diet system and the literacy of the approach.

Raw food contraindications

Absolute contraindications to a raw food diet are problems:

• insufficient digestion of thermally unprocessed food;
• gastritis;
• colitis;
• allergies to proteins;
• in some cases - hyperthyroidism (as a reaction to cruciferous plants that block thyroid function).

The opinion of doctors and specialists

With all the diversity of opinions of supporters and opponents of the raw food diet system, official medicine tends to consider a complete transition to raw foods as an extreme for the body. Given the benefits and harms of eating fruits and cereals, it would be reasonable to choose the "golden mean". Doctors recommend staying at a percentage ratio of 60 to 40: the predominant part will consist of plant products, balanced with cooked traditional food. Such an approach to a raw food diet would be reasonable, especially in those climatic conditions, when out of season the possibility of eating plant foods is sharply reduced.

In the practice of the raw food diet system, following the following useful rules will also be beneficial:

1. The use of salt should be minimized. To compensate for its absence, seaweed known for its beneficial properties, which is poured with water, kept for 5 minutes and added to food, will help.
2. It will be useful to chew all food well: maximum soaking of the food mass with saliva accelerates its absorption and helps to get satiated in smaller quantities.
3. In winter, when the possibilities for a variety of raw food menus are reduced, you should not worry about this and use the advantages of mono-eating, for example, on germinated cereals, which compensate for the lack of all vital substances.
4. Benefits for improving metabolism on a raw food diet system will bring sufficient physical activity, walks in the fresh air.
5. Try not to mix sweet and sour foods.
6. Such a daily regimen will also bring benefits, in which you should start the day no later than 7 hours, go to bed no later than 22, and after 20 hours refuse to eat.

How to switch to a raw food diet

The main guarantee of entering the raw food diet system without harm to the body will be a reasonable analysis of its pros and cons, taking into account the state of health. The main criterion is the need of the organism itself: the approach should be purely individual, with the advice and support of a practicing specialist.

Attention! A proper transition to a raw food diet can take about one year.

For the benefit of such a transfer of the body to a raw food diet without harm to health, recommendations will be valuable:

1. The first step is to study information about the raw food system.
2. The next step is to prepare the body by cleansing the intestines, liver - at home or in a hospital - for the benefit of minimizing discomfort as a result of further natural cleansing of the body on a new raw food nutrition system.
3. The next step is to define a strategy for transitioning to a raw food diet. For example, start with the recommended scheme of 60% raw food - 40% cooked. You can reduce the percentage of plant products - to comfortable for the body and increase their number gradually, taking into account its needs - this will create conditions that are useful for rebuilding the microflora.
4. It is better to start a raw food diet at the beginning - the middle of summer, while it will be necessary to think over the organization of your "winter" set of products for the future.
5. The calculation of a set of products must be done based on the balance of BJU.
6. The diet on the raw food diet system is determined individually, starting from the standard scheme of three meals a day.
7. If possible, it will be useful to try cooking at temperatures up to 40 ° C, using steam, sprouting, steaming.
8. Vegetable fats on the raw food diet system must be included as dressings for dishes, but they should be replaced with healthy “light” ones: unrefined, cold-pressed.

   Interesting! Sunflower oil is considered one of the heaviest among vegetable oils: when eating a raw food diet, it is better to replace it with lighter options for the body - olive, hemp, linseed, coconut, milk thistle.

9. When compiling a menu for a raw food diet, special attention should be paid to starch-containing products: rice, zucchini, etc. Their quantity must be strictly controlled.

   Important! A well-known specialist in naturopathy A. Chase emphasized the harm of the influence of simple sugars, which are saturated with starchy foods, on the weakening of the mucous membranes and, as a result, the occurrence of inflammatory processes in the body.

10. Sugar must be obtained from fruits: apples, pears, grapes, peaches, various berries, as well as dried fruits, honey.

    Attention! Honey, figs, dates, raisins contain a concentrated amount of sugars, so it is important to maintain moderation in their use.

11. Start your morning on a raw food diet by drinking water alkalized with lemon or honey. During the day, between meals, drink 2 liters of pure water in sips.

Examples of dishes and menus for beginner raw foodists

In order to organize your menu from a large variety of raw foods - vegetables, fruits, beans, and so on, depending on the preferred type of raw food diet - you will need to get acquainted with various recipes that will help you combine foods into complete nutrition for the body.

The simplest options for entering such cooking will be:

• Oatmeal. Nothing special, but on a raw food diet, it should be cooked without boiling and pouring boiling water. Oatmeal is soaked in water or milk until it swells, and then crushed fruits and dried fruits are added. Later it will be possible to experiment with different types of cereals;
• Vegetable soups. Unlike traditional ones, they also do not require cooking. Vegetables and herbs are chopped and interrupted with a blender, spices are added and decorated with herbs;
• Cutlets from vegetables. They can also be included in the raw food diet as an intermediate option. To prepare them, you will need a dehydrator - a special dryer for vegetables and fruits with a temperature controller and various food modes: bread, marshmallows, pies and even pizza. Vegetables, selected according to individual taste for cutlets, are crushed and placed in a dehydrator. The result is a healthy dish with a crispy crust and tender core;
• Vegetable and fruit salads on a raw food diet. The intended ingredients are crushed and sprinkled with vegetable oil or lemon juice.

For a winter raw food diet, it will be useful to make preparations, observing the precautions and rules for the preparation and storage of products, in order to avoid damage to them.

Conclusion

The degree of passion in the discussion of the benefits and harms of a raw food diet continues to be high, despite the fact that the concept originated more than a century ago. Analyzing all the pros and cons, we can conclude that the raw food diet should be treated, first of all, as a long-term nutrition system, which should also be a philosophy aimed at improving the quality of life. The experience of people practicing this approach to a raw food diet, taking into account contraindications with the obligatory consultation of a doctor, confirms the undoubted benefits of this nutrition system in improving the whole body.