It’s all about the enzymes and phyto-nutrients. Heat destroys the enzymes, vitamins, minerals and many of the nutrients found in raw, living food, making it harder to digest and diminishing the nutritional value.
All raw foods come with their own enzymes which are used to digest them. If the enzymes are destroyed, by heating food over 42°, we have to draw on the digestive and other enzymes which are stored in our body and used for building and repairing and many other metabolic functions. This means that cooked foods need more energy for digestion than they provide, whereas raw foods add more energy to our bodies. Heating food over 42° also destroys its life force.
We are all living, energetic beings, so we need the energy that a plant-based diet will provide. If we eat food that is alive, we give our bodies the optimum nutrition needed to build and restore cells.
Did you know? The word, enzyme comes from the Greek word, which means “to cause change”. Enzymes are responsible for every metabolic action in the body. They are the catalysts that enable cells to work and chemical reactions to happen without themselves being consumed in the process. From Living Cuisine by Renee Underkoffler
Going 100% Raw is not for everyone but it is possible to include 50% raw foods in your diet (and aim to increase to 70/80% on some days) – especially if you see the delicious recipes available. The good news, is that if we add more organically grown, raw, living foods to our diet the balance is restored. A helpful tip, is to always begin your meal with raw food which brings with it , its own enzymes for digestion. read more about Intro to Raw
WHAT’S RAW?
Most people associate a Raw Food Lifestyle with salads and fruit. Do you believe that eating food from Nature’s Pantry and enjoying delicious, indulgent desserts like cakes, pudding and creamy ice-cream are not mutually possible?
Well, I’ve got the greatest news for you! How was I, a wheat and sugar junkie, able to go 100% Raw, lose 20kg in 10½ months (and keep it off for more than 2 years)? Because for the first time in my life, eating healthy did not mean starving or depriving myself of delicious foods. I learnt that on a healthy raw diet, I could enjoy guilt-free treats like ice-cream and chocolates! All made without wheat, dairy, or refined, processed sugars.
One of nature’s most amazing Superfoods, Raw Cocoa powder not only provides the chocolate that we, especially women crave, but is also full of magnesium (the reason for our cravings) and choc-a-block with antioxidants. Eaten in its raw , pure, natural state, it’s GOOD for us! read more about Divine Desserts
Why does Raw work?
Why should your daily intake of food consist of at least 50% raw vegan food? If you want to enjoy vibrant health and abundant energy, you have to look at what energises you and what de- energises you.
Eating cooked, especially heated fats and fried foods or processed and refined foods depletes your body because every system in your body is called on to deal with these substances which were never designed to be ingested and which are very difficult to digest and assimilate, creating toxins that build up in your system and providing a lot of work for your liver.
Whereas eating raw food direct from Nature’s pantry, will feed your cells with all the nutrients they need, enabling the systems and organs in your body to function as nature intended them to. No longer will your organs be so busy trying to fix things because of the toxic substances in your body. Now they will be able to devote themselves to maintaining and building.
Energy Generates Energy
Life on earth is all about energy. Without our source, the Sun, we could not survive – plants would not grow; we would not grow! It makes perfect sense then that if we eat dead, denatured food where there is no sun energy, we will not be providing our bodies with the fuel we need to grow and thrive. In addition, most of the cooked and processed foods consumed today, are full of chemicals, hormones and other substances that our bodies find difficult to digest. Consuming “dead” food, leaves us feeling de-energised and “dead”
Raw Works will show you how eating living foods (sprouts J read more ) and raw whole foods straight from Nature’s Pantry, will energise you. Click here for more information about the Introduction to Raw.
When you eat foods that are high in nutrition, your hunger is decreased whilst your energy is increased. When you eat foods that completely satisfy you, because they are full of protein, minerals, vitamins and other phyto-nutrients, you don’t feel deprived. You will come away from a meal feeling so satisfied that you never have to go searching again for that “something else” or continue nibbling to fill the empty space.