If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, then it might be time to look at raw food diet loss plans.
Supporters of raw food diet loss programs say that it is virtually impossible to gain on a raw food diet, especially if you are overweight to begin. For that reason there is no particular food plan to follow when you go raw.
The only rule is that you do not eat anything that has been cooked or processed using heat over 115 degrees Fahrenheit. This automatically rules out almost anything that you would buy in a package or a jar.
Even people of normal who switch to a raw diet usually lose weight. The exception might be people who eat a very large amount of nuts. Even then, you will probably find that you lose in the beginning.
Arguably one of the healthiest eating plans on the planet, the Raw Food Diet is anything but “casually applied.” This particular way of eating is more a way of life than it is a diet.
If you’re considering taking the plunge yourself, be sure to read every word of this article, as it will reveal what this diet entails, and what is required of you to have success with it.
Raw Food Diet – Do You Think You Can Handle It?
The Raw Food Diet is exactly what the name suggests. It is a diet that consists primarily (75% – 100%) of raw vegetables, herbs, sprouts, nuts, seeds, and fruits. You can have basically any variety of these things, but they must never be heated to over 116 degrees fahrenheit, as this will end up destroying valuable enzymes and fiber.
You are encouraged to own and utilize a juicer. In fact, it will become one of your very best friends on this lifestyle plan, as you can end up drinking several glasses of juice each day. Fresh fruit and/or vegetable juice makes the absolute ideal breakfast, as it provides a mega burst of healthy energy, yet requires almost zero energy to digest.
Commitment to Raw Food Diet
As you can imagine, this diet takes an incredibly strong commitment. In addition to changing the foods you consume, you will most assuredly need to transform the way you think.
Your relationship with food will change, as well. You will no longer be eating for comfort or to get full, but to fuel up and energize your cells.
Yes, the commitment is huge, but if you are one of the few who are able to make the transformation into the Raw Food Diet, the rewards will absolutely astound you.
For one, you will feel happier, more vibrant, and ambitious. Naturally, the pounds will just melt off your body, creating a leaner and lighter you.
Your mind will become crystal clear, your memory enhanced, and your skin radiant and blemish-free.
Several men and women suffering from hair loss have reported hair regrowth by going raw.
The Raw Food Diet also frees you from fear. Your chances of becoming seriously ill go way down, as your immune system becomes stronger and stronger. And while I’m not here to make any medical claims of any kind, most professionals agree that a diet high in raw, fiber-rich, water-rich foods can actually extend your life… possibly by a lot!
Obviously, the Raw Food Diet won’t appeal to everyone. It’s one of the most “extreme” eating plans on the planet, even beating out veganism (essentially, this is a vegan diet, but even more extreme, as the vegan lifestyle still allows for the cooking process).
If you think you can hack it, though, I would highly encourage you to do some serious research and learn as much as you can. Prepare yourself. And then give the raw food diet your very best effort!
If you hit a plateau where you stop losing weight for a while, you might want to consider your nut consumption and reduce it if it is very high. The raw food diet is sometimes criticized for having a high level of fat and the culprit is usually nuts.
Nuts and Raw Food Diet
Many nuts are anyway subject to heat processing to remove the shells so are not really raw food diet items when they are available commercially.
It is best to buy nuts in their shells. Cashews, macadamia nuts, brazils that you buy shelled and many other types of nuts are not really raw even if you buy them unroasted. The nuts in nut butters have also usually been heated in the processing.
When you do buy raw nuts such as filberts, it is best to soak them overnight before eating, to reactivate their growth enzymes. The same is true of seeds although seeds only need to be soaked for 2-4 hours. Pre soaking your nuts and seeds will help you avoid eating too many.
You can eat sprouted grains as well as many beans and lentils on the raw food diet. These should be soaked overnight before sprouting in a jar or purpose made sprouting trays.
What should not be eaten uncooked?
Red kidney beans should not be eaten raw because they are toxic. There are many other foods that contain some toxins which may or may not affect people depending on the quantities consumed and your sensitivity.
These include buckwheat greens, alfalfa sprouts, cassava, peas, eggs in large quantities, apricot kernels, brassica vegetables and parsnips. Raw milk and raw meat may carry microbial disease including tuberculosis.
However, any raw food including lettuce can carry microbes that can give you food poisoning. Nobody cooks lettuce. Therefore raw foodists say that there is no point in stressing out about the idea of microbes on raw food.
Advantages of a Raw Food Diet
They believe that the body is better equipped to deal with any disease, including food borne illnesses, when it is fed on a raw diet. Still, it is a good idea to always wash your food well.
If you do not plan to eat 100% raw food, then whatever cooked food you eat should be natural, whole, healthy foods. Avoid refined grains like white rice and anything made with white flour including white bread and pasta.
It is best to avoid refined sugars and anything containing them.
Getting some raw food information is almost a must if you want to follow a raw food diet. Most people start out with a lot of enthusiasm but the same old salads and smoothies grow boring pretty fast. When you lose interest in what you are eating, you can easily be tempted into unhealthy choices and even binges.
Raw food information can help you avoid these traps by giving you many more options for your meals and snacks. But where can you find the kind of information in raw food preparation that you need?
Raw Food Information Resources
The answer is to look online. There are plenty of people providing workshops and courses in raw food preparation, so you just need to find one in a location that is convenient for you.
A raw food preparation workshop will usually show you how to prepare two or three dishes that you may not have thought of for yourself. That already can be interesting and motivating, but even more important is having the chance to ask questions.
In a question and answer session you can find out how the presenter copes with cravings and temptations, for example. You can also learn a lot from the questions that other people ask.
Many of the ‘raw food gurus’ start out by offering raw food information.
One way to track them down is to look for raw cookbooks on a site like Amazon and then search for the author’s website.
In some cases you will find that they offer workshops. Other times, if they are not doing this themselves, they may recommend somebody who does.
Online raw food forums and message boards can be another good way to find raw food information in your area. If you can find a group or forum that is specific to your country or state, you will be chatting with people who probably know what is available for you.
If not, start your own thread by heading it something like ‘Raw Food Training In Alabama?’ But always be sure to run a search on the forum before starting a new thread, because it is irritating for regular users if new people keep asking the same questions that have already been answered elsewhere on the forum.
You can also find information in books themselves. A raw cookbook will give you a lot of ideas. However, most people who are looking for raw food information want something more personal than this.
One of the best ways to get your raw food information in a fun way is to attend conferences and gatherings.
These are held in many countries over a weekend, week or even longer. One example is the Raw Spirit Festival in the USA. Even if you live at a great distance, you could still attend by making this your annual vacation.
Festivals can be an amazing opportunity to network with other raw food enthusiasts. This can bring new energy to your raw food diet in ways that go far beyond other forms of raw food information.
This is my recommendation for a cheap and easy book to learn the essentials of the Raw Food Diet. Whether you want to start today doing Raw completely or if you just want to test out the Raw Food waters this book is a must. This specific easy to use Raw Food diet will help you lose weight, look younger, and have great energy. Learn more about Raw Food here now. |
The majority of your cooked food should be vegetables and perhaps some brown rice and low fat meat such as skinless chicken breast. For example in winter you might want to have vegetable soup with some chicken.
Have salad as a first course before your cooked dish and finish with fresh raw fruit instead of any other type of dessert.
If you follow this plan then even on 75% raw you should have no trouble losing weight in a healthy way. Raw food diet weight loss plans do seem to work for anybody who is able to stick to them.