The Benefits of Eating Raw

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This week on the blog we had the pleasure of working with Raw Food & Vegan Chef and Owner of Healthy Living Inspirations Kerrie Cox. Kerrie specialises in offering Raw Food Workshops for the Lismore, Bangalow & Byron Bay Hinterland area from her property in Modanville. She and her husband Jeff also run a B&B from their property which enables people to come from afar for weekend courses and retreats.

Kerrie has written for our readers an article on the benefits of adding raw foods to your diet. Enjoy!

It is great to see so many people starting to think more consciously about their food choices which usually brings about an awareness that eating a diet rich in wholefoods is important if you are wanting to make long lasting changes to your health.

It used to be that when someone suggested eating raw food the first thing that would spring to mind is bland salads or carrot and celery sticks with dip.  However, today we have so many fresh wholefoods available to us, as well as access to a never ending supply of creative options via recipe books and the internet, when it comes to preparing delicious recipes using fresh raw foods.

This is not to say that you give up everything that you are now eating and go completely raw. It is simply about adding more fresh wholefoods to your existing diet and reducing the unhealthy processed foods that appear to have taken over many of our pantries. So if you are new to raw foods, then you may like to start off slowly by setting a goal to make one meal a day all raw, or add more wholefoods into each meal.

Nature has given each food its unique perfect balance and the vital enzymes in raw foods allow us to fully digest our foods, which also support our bodies nutritional needs to help fight chronic disease, and when food is cooked these enzymes are killed along with some of the essential vitamins and minerals.

“Many raw foods are alkalizing foods that help to detoxify the body and can also be natural medicines and anti-inflammatory agents, and they are all natural”.

For thousands of years’ and prior to the big pharmaceutical companies rise to power, raw herbs had been used to treat many health conditions such as mental illness, auto-immune diseases, skin conditions and digestive issues (to name a few).  Today we have the opportunity to easily research any vitamin or herb and there will be overwhelming evidence of the power in these natural foods.

Another benefit of eating more raw food in your diet is the potential for weight loss as most raw foods are low in calories, fat and sodium and high in fibre.  You will also get the nutritional benefits of raw foods being high in vitamins, minerals, fibre and disease-fighting phytochemicals.  Eating more raw foods can also increase your energy and reduce your cholesterol levels.

Inflammation is a very common symptom that appears to be causing many health issues and eating specific raw foods can assist to reduce inflammation.  Turmeric is one of those foods that has proven to have high anti-inflammatory affects. Blending some fresh turmeric in with your smoothies or pesto (adding some black pepper or good organic fats such as avocado, coconut oil or olive oil to help your body absorb the turmeric) is an easy way to support your health, especially if you suffer from inflammation.

Your skin can often have a much better appearance when eating raw foods and your digestion can also often improve when adding more raw foods into your diet. It has also been show that your risk of developing heart and cardiovascular disease can significantly drop when adding more raw foods to your meals.

Once you start experimenting with more raw food, you will be inspired with the huge variety of fabulous healthy recipes you can add to your repertoire. Raw pastas, raw pizzas, delicious desserts, easy nut milks and special treats that support your nutritional needs.

Remember, you don’t have to become an expert on raw food, just changing one thing at a time and sourcing some easy wholefood recipes can make a big impact on your health over time.

Yours in good health,

Kerrie Cox

Qualified Raw Food & Vegan Chef

Healthy Living Inspirations

Instagram: @healthylivinginspirations

Website: healthylivinginspirations.com.au