Raw food weight loss is the best way to not only lose weight, but a raw food diet is also among the best ways to increase health, strength and energy.
Raw Food Diet Definition
A raw food diet is characterized by at least 75% of a person’s diet consisting of uncooked and unprocessed foods.
On the rare occasion that food is processed in a raw food diet, it is typically so that the food or herbs can be dried and enjoyed as dry food snacks and seasonings.
Causes
One of the best reasons to consider a raw food diet is to lose weight. Weight gain is caused by a variety of different factors. The most common reasons for excessive weight gain, however, are an imbalanced diet where the wrong foods are being consumed and a sedentary lifestyle. When more calories are consumed than the body needs for fuel, the excess calories are stored away as fat.
Another cause for concern in excessive weight gain are bodies that have become acidic, which creates a pH imbalance that makes maintaining average weight or losing weight difficult.
Weight Gain Symptoms
The symptoms of excessive weight gain go beyond additional poundage. It is the effect that excess weight bears on the body that makes it so dangerous. A few of the most common symptoms include:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Joint swelling and inflammation
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Thyroid issues
- Impaired mobility
- Fatigue
- Heart burn
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Breathing difficulties
- Skin conditions
Raw Food Weight Loss Diet
When food is cooked, many of the enzymes that it contains, which are beneficial in absorbing nutrients and aiding in digestion, are destroyed. Cooking literally removes the supportive life in food and significantly reduces its nutritional value in the process.
Conversely, a raw food weight loss plan will retain all of those useful enzymes, while significantly reducing the amount of unhealthy fats consumed and while lowering sodium levels. There is no need to search for low fat varieties, since raw food diets are already naturally low in fat, calories and vitamins by nature. They are especially rich in folic acid, fiber, magnesium, potassium and phytochemical nutrients, which are plant-based nutrients that boost immunity, mental clarity, energy and good health when consumed by humans.
Besides helping a person reduce calories and pounds, a raw food weight loss diet can assist in proper digestion, reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes, and reduce heightened risks of heart disease associated with obesity.
Foods consumed in a raw food weight loss diet feature a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, a few of which are categorized accordingly:
- Raw vegetables
- Raw fruits
- Grains
- Sprouts
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Seaweed
As part of a raw food weight loss diet, seeds, grains and beans are often sprouted to make them more digestible and to infuse a raw diet with a little variety. Other fruits and vegetables can be blended together to form a refreshing, healthy juice drink. Still, other foods, such as herbs and fruits, may be dehydrated and enjoyed as snacks or used in raw food recipes. While foods do maintain their original nutritional value, these very minute processes can be applied to raw foods to widen the selection of preparation options.
Raw food weight loss also addresses the troubling issue of imbalanced pH levels that lend to obesity, and a variety of other illnesses and diseases. Because a raw food diet encourages raw green vegetable and fruit consumption and because many of these are alkaline foods, natural pH balances are more easily restored as oxygen levels circulated throughout a body’s cells are strengthened to fight disease.
A person consuming a raw food weight loss diet is often surprised to discover that, with all of their body’s nutritional needs being met, they actually require less food to feel satisfied. Initially this may not be as apparent, since eating is often a habit used to pass time, soothe feelings or simply something that one becomes accustomed to at certain times of the day. Over time, however, the body realizes that all of its needs are being met, which causes the brain to achieve a more relaxed state and hunger lessens.
When starting a raw food weight loss diet, organic fruits and vegetables should be consumed as much as possible. With organic options, produce that has not been exposed to harmful herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers mean that fewer toxins that have the potential to harm the body are consumed. However, if organic food isn’t available, a heavy rinse with cold water should be applied to produce in order to remove any of the surface residues some of these toxins may have left. Of course, some of the toxins have been absorbed into the flesh of the produce and cannot be removed by rinsing, but if this is all that is available, there are still plenty of nutrients that make even inorganic produce a better choice than cooked produce and other foods.
Depending upon how toxic one’s system is when beginning a raw food weight loss plan, a person may experience headaches, nausea, irritability and intense cravings when first beginning. These reactions are completely normal and are a part of a detoxification process. This reaction is particularly present in people who had addictions to sugar, caffeine and diets that were rich in meat.
The raw food weight loss diet is highly recommended for people whose body weight is more than 20% higher than what their ideal weight should be. However, the following people may have particular difficulties adjusting to a raw food diet:
- Pregnant or nursing women
- Children
- People with anemia
Studies indicate that people who adhere to a raw food diet also tend to have lower bone mass. However, these levels also were comparable to those of people who consumed a regular diet filled with junk and processed foods. Still, people who have osteoporosis or who are at risk for osteoporosis may want to consult a physician before starting a raw food weight loss plan.
With raw food selections, better meal planning and discipline, a raw food weight loss plan is an ideal approach to losing excess fat and regaining optimal health at the same time. Unique and exciting raw food recipes abound as more and more people have come to discover its benefits and its usefulness to better health strategies. By empowering yourself with knowledge about the foods that your body needs as opposed to the unhealthy foods you may crave, a raw food weight loss plan can be individualized and used to assist in dropping pounds without the use of costly diet aids and dangerous fad diets.
