Thursday

Noteworthy People

Brigitte Mars is an herbalist and nutritional consultant. She has written several books on herbs as well as the newly released books Rawsome!, Sex, Love and Health and Addiction Free Naturally. Brigitte has contributed this article titled Nine Reasons to Go Raw.
"Many readers have been hearing about raw food diets. For the uninitiated, it might seem like a daunting task. However, for those that make the raw transition, the benefits are many.
Spiritual. Eating raw helps one better tune in to the universal plan, and experience lots of synchronicity. If all our actions are of the highest possible vibration, God can more easily work through us. Living food promotes clarity, and higher consciousness. Emotional stability and happiness increase, as depression is dispelled. A raw food diet helps one feel emotionally healthier, with a sense of well-being and vitality.
Environmental. It requires less land to produce fruits and vegetables than animal products. Animals aren't exploited when one eats a raw vegan diet. Think of all the energy saved from not cooking; less fuel, packaging and pollution1. Most of what gets thrown away can be composted back to the earth. In many countries, cooking fires contribute to deforestation.
Flavor. Flavor is vibrant, requiring fewer additives such as salt, oils and sweeteners. There's more nutrients and fiber in raw food. Minerals are not leached out into the cooking water.
Any recipe enjoyed as cooked can be even better raw. An apple by itself is delicious. When baked, it then needs sugar, butter and spices to be tasty.
Beauty. Raw food diets slow down the aging process. You'll feel better, have more energy and need less sleep. Bad breath and body odor go away. One can easily normalize their weight without dieting. Eyes become brighter, voices more clear. Skin and muscle tone improve.
Save Time. Once you get into the flow of raw food preparation, you will spend less time in the kitchen. Many raw fooders ascribe to the "5-5-5 rule:" No more than $5, five minutes or five ingredients to prepare a meal.
However, it is totally possible to make raw food cuisine an art that requires the same amount of time, meditation and preparation as cooked food, yet you never burn anything (including yourself)!
Nutrition. Every national health group (American Cancer Society, American Heart Institute, etc.) suggest we get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. There are more nutrients in the food raw, rather than cooked. Some vitamins lose potency at 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Vegetables are usually steamed at 212 degrees. The fat -soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K, are destroyed in cooking. High temperatures cause the destruction of Vitamin C and most of the B complex. Vitamin B1 loss from cooking can be from 25 to 45 percent. Loss of Vitamin B2 can be from forty to 48 percent. Cooking disrupts the structures of DNA, and the anticancer compound, indoles. Cooked food loses enzymes, which begin being destroyed at 114 degrees.
Health. A raw food diet can help one overcome annoying ailments. The raw path has been used to improve the health of those with allergies, arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, digestive disturbances, diverticulitis, fibromyalgia, heart disease, weakened immunity, menstrual problems, multiple sclerosis, obesity, psoriasis, skin conditions, and hormonal imbalances.
It is more difficult to camouflage spoiled raw foods than cooked foods.
One is unlikely to get food poisoning from eating fresh fruit or vegetables. No bottled supplement or prepackaged food can compare with the life force of fresh raw food. Raw food requires more chewing, thus providing exercise for the teeth and gums.
Energy. Most will experience better work productivity and require less sleep when raw. Memory, ability to concentrate, and reason become sharper Rather than getting fatigued from breaking down hard to digest foods, one will have more energy, be happier, more beautiful and dynamic.
Economy. Raw foods cost less, with most raw fooders spending bet ween twenty-five to eighty percent less on food. Better to spend money on good food, rather than doctors, hospitals, medicine, vitamins, and even recreational drugs. Getting sick is expensive. A raw fooder spends lots less in restaurants. It takes less food to satisfy nutritional needs. Raw prevents overeating, however, you get to eat as much as you want, within reason. A big spinach salad, when cooked, becomes a measly portion.
Easy cleaning. Imagine never having to clean the oven. Dirty dishes can simply go in the dishwasher after a simple swoosh. No more baked on grease requiring soaking and scrubbing! Grease won't collect on the walls, stovetop and ceiling. You'll find that gentle biodegradable cleaners really work. Never again leave the house and wonder, "Did I leave the stove on?"
The raw movement is the future. If one can experience a higher state of consciousness, better health, more beauty, eat more delicious food, save time, money and the planet's resources, why not say yes to raw?"

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