Why you should eat raw food!
There are about eighty million species on earth, nearly 700,000 of which are animals. All these species survive on raw food, except humans who use fire to cook their food. Humans have reduced the duration of their lives to about half of their potential life span due to chronic diseases that are largely diet and lifestyle related.
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Domesticated pets also suffer human-like chronic ailments including cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases. This is basically the result of feeding them cooked, processed and packaged food. The average potential human life span, in robust wellness, is actually in the range of 120 to -140 years.
However, this is never actualized due to the effects of applying excessive heat to foods and not learning to skillfully handle psychological stress. As per the Dr. Bettle P.S. the Dietitian &Wellness Consultant says that burnt nutrients are silent killers. Slowly and silently as the years pass, the harmful effects of these accumulated toxins start showing up.
Let us see what goes wrong when food is heated:
Proteins coagulate (harden)
Protein molecular structure is altered and it leads to destruction of some essential amino acids
Carbohydrates caramelize (become sticky)
Fats generate numerous carcinogens when overheated, including hydrocarbons, nitrosamines, acrolein and benzopyrene (one of the most potent cancer-causing agents known)
50% of vitamins and minerals are damaged or lost
100% of enzymes are destroyed
Natural fibers break down. Thus, the cellulose loses its ability to sweep the alimentary canal clean
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Proteins coagulate (harden)
Protein molecular structure is altered and it leads to destruction of some essential amino acids
Carbohydrates caramelize (become sticky)
Fats generate numerous carcinogens when overheated, including hydrocarbons, nitrosamines, acrolein and benzopyrene (one of the most potent cancer-causing agents known)
50% of vitamins and minerals are damaged or lost
100% of enzymes are destroyed
Natural fibers break down. Thus, the cellulose loses its ability to sweep the alimentary canal clean
are eating even those things that are inedible in raw form, for example, wheat, rice, kidney beans, soy beans and so many other things. This tendency makes cooking important because many foods we eat are either inedible or contain substances that are harmful for our bodies.
Soybeans and kidney beans, for example, should always be cooked before eating. Uncooked soybeans contain a substance that inhibits trypsin, a key enzyme required for protein digestion. Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) is a compound found in many raw beans but is especially high in uncooked red kidney beans. This chemical can make you ill if ingested even in small quantity, causing nausea and vomiting before inducing a wave of diarrhea.
Peanuts naturally contain a mold (a type of fungus) called 'aspergillus flavus' which releases 'aflatoxin', a known carcinogen. Aspergillus flavus usually invade peanuts...
Studies have shown that long-term exposure to aflatoxin has been linked to an increased occurrence of liver cancer. The roasting process does not kill the mold and it continues to grow over time. This mold is not visible to the eye. The longer the mold grows, the higher the aflatoxin levels, and the more dangerous the peanut is. It is due to this mold that you cannot keep peanuts around for long periods of time.
What do we conclude then? Well, to be honest, there are three options:
1. The first one is to live on an uncooked raw diet and choose only the foods that our stomach agrees
2. The second one is to continue the way we are going.
3. The third option is to decrease the amount of highly cooked and processed food and increase raw, uncooked fruits, vegetables and sprouts in our diet.
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The first option might not be practical for most of us. The second one is not good for us. So, the third option is the one to choose. Apart from fruits and raw vegetables, sprouts are the best way to include raw food in your diet. Sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritious foods. Sprouts are rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes. Their nutritional value was discovered by the Chinese thousands of years ago.
Vegetables and fruits start losing their vitamin content as soon as they are harvested. They are often transported hundreds of miles and have to remain on store shelves for many days before they reach our kitchen. During this time their vitamin contents keep on declining. Sprouts, on the other hand, are 'alive' food. Even after you refrigerate them, they continue to grow slowly and their vitamin content actually increases.
There are many reasons to eat sprouts. In addition to providing the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes per calorie, sprouts provide them in a form which is easily assimilated and digested. So, in a way sprouts improve the efficiency of digestion. It is also a very effective way to add raw foods to your diet.
Growing your own sprouts in your home is easy and takes only a few minutes of care per day. You only need a jar, the seeds and some water. Dip the seeds in water for a few hours. Drain the water, rinse them twice a day and they will be ready in 2 to 6 days depending on the weather. Common seeds for sprouting include wheat, alfalfa, fenugreek, peas, lentils, radish and mung beans. Wheat sprouts are among the healthiest foods available, but they might not be suitable for many of us for many reasons ranging from digestion problems to lack of taste. Alfalfa and mung bean sprouts are the best choice, keeping in mind their wonderful taste and health benefits.
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Do not cook, boil or steam your sprouts, take them raw. Add onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, boiled potatoes, rock salt, lemon juice and other ingredients of your choice to your sprouts. You will get a delicious salad for your meals. Enjoy your sprouts and great health benefits that they provide.