Why a Raw Foods Diet?

By Willow Aureala, Ph.D. & Allan Jensen, NH

Anima Journey

One of the major reasons for considering making a shift from eating primarily cooked and/or processed foods to raw foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds) is enzymes. Enzymes are the catalysts for every chemical reaction and bodily process. Without them, there can be no cellular division, immune system functioning, energy production nor brain activity. Vitamins and hormones can not do their work without enzymes. Our body’s store of enzymes is depleted through eating a diet high in cooked and processed foods. E very fresh food contains exactly the perfect mix of food enzymes to break it down completely. But cooking our food above 115 degrees destroys these enzymes, leaving our bodies to generate the enzymes necessary to digest it. Unfortunately, our bodies cannot produce enzymes in the perfect mix to metabolize food as completely as those created by nature. This results in partially digested fats, proteins and starches and means that we don’t get the nutrients we need. Incorporating more fresh raw foods will support your body’s delicate enzyme balance.

What else happens when you cook food? The first thing that is lost when you cook something is the water content. Our bodies are between 60% and 70% water. Vegetables and fruits are also 60-80% water. Cooking also denatures the proteins in our food, rendering them harder to digest and utilize. Between 50 and 80 percent of the vitamins and minerals are also destroyed. Pesticides break down and are more easily assimilated into our bodies. Oxygen is lost and free radicals are produced.

Raw foods provide better quality nutrients; therefore, you eat less to satisfy your nutritional needs and tend not to overeat. Overeating and eating a diet of highly processed and cooked fast foods are two of the reasons for the explosion of obesity in our nation. To counteract this problem, eating fresh fruits and vegetables can reduce the desire to overeat because your body is receiving the enzymes and nutrients it needs to properly function.

As your percentage of raw foods increases you feel satisfied and have more energy with smaller meals.

A diet containing more raw foods reconnects you with nature, vitality, life and the abundant positive energy around us! You’ll feel healthier, vibrant, positive, and more attuned to the richness of the planet when you eat juicy ripe oranges, apples, mangos, papayas and fresh salads!

Anima Journey provides support, coaching and workshops on making the transition to a more balanced lifestyle.