Raw Food for Beauty

There are so many products and pills out there that we look to to make us feel and look our best. But what about what we are putting into our bodies? I have found that both men and women pay less attention to the food we eat. I think one reason is that it is hard to fully see the connection between how we feel and what we are eating. Eating is often a thoughtless activity in America and therefore we are clueless to what and how much we are consuming each day. It is something that takes a switch in our awareness and lifestyle. Until you change these things it will remain a mystery as to why we are getting sick and feeling toxic. The world is so obsessed with medicine and healing, that we have forgotten to look to the source of these illnesses. The more connected we are to ourselves and bodies the more we will know what our bodies really need. About four years ago I was introduced to the raw food lifestyle through a couple of friends.
I have always grown up surrounded by health food as my mom raised my sister and I on a macrobiotic diet, which is vegetables, grains and no meat or poultry. Like every college student however, I ate all the shit that comes along with partying and studying all hours of the night. At about 20 years old I felt unhealthy and exhausted from life. Raw food was a complete awakening for me. The basic philosophy of raw food is that by not cooking the fruits and vegetables the nutrients in these foods remain nutritionally dense and unprocessed. The food cannot be cooked above 118 degrees but instead remains basically raw.  The reason consuming raw food is like a health bolt for the system is that it alkalizes the body. Most diseases such as cancers, high blood pressure, skin disorders, liver failure, obesity, etc are attributed to acidic conditions.

Most foods in the all american diet are acidic which is what creates disease in our bodies. The raw food diet is an alkaline diet, which creates harmony and balance inside our cells. It does this by allowing the nutrients we consume to be utilized through the body as well as facilitating oxygen from the blood. One main benefit of raw foods is that the diet is filled with antioxidants which can protect our cells from free radicals. When free radicals are created in the body they can often lead to mutated cells.These are created when toxins build up in the body causing disease, cancer is one disease that is created from cell mutation. By keeping food raw  alive we are also keeping the enzymes alive to be digested by the body. Enzymes are essential for processes in our body especially digestion. When we cook these foods we kill the enzymes, which also kills the level of nutrients that it started with. Raw foods boost so many aspects of our health as well as our beauty. The raw food diet is primarily made up of greens which contribute the most amount of minerals to our systems.

The greens deliver both the optimal amount of minerals and vitamins needed for our biochemistry. This is what give us the 'raw glow' that is so evident when eating raw food. There are endless benefits of eating this way but the main ones I experienced were, glowing skin, better digestion, weight loss, better sleep and more energy. This is not to say I eat this way a hundred percent of the time or that anyone needs to in order to experience these benefits. I like a good steak and ice cream as much as the next person. Just having the awareness of adding more raw fruits and vegetables into your diet is enough to drastically change your health and energy levels. Everyone's body is different and therefore different things work for each individual, I think however we can all agree that adding more unprocessed fruits and vegetables is good for anyone's health. Here is my favorite raw food book that is the best of the best for anyone that is interested.
http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Food-Real-World-Recipes/dp/0060793554