Certain nutrition can be good for one person, while it might harm another. For example, dairy and milk products are said to be very healthy and essential, but some people do totally fine without them. Similarly, people who eat meat often might feel weak and un-nourished if they don’t get it, while vegetarians feel totally energized with their diet. So you see how various concepts are true and false in their own respective ways.
Every person is made individually and has his own nutritional requirements which he needs to keep himself healthy. Various factors like age, gender, lifestyle, level of activity, genetic background, metabolism and type of blood have an influence on the food you eat. Each person has a different body and different way in which it works. Food for one can be poison for another. No food is suitable for every person.
Raw Food Diet
The Institute Of Integrative Nutrition (IIN), study the pros and cons of food for around 100 dietary theories and they help people understand what kind of nutrition is required by their bodies. In recent years, the study of raw food diet has gained quite a bit of popularity. Raw food diet is nothing but the practice of eating unprocessed and uncooked foods. It consists of raw fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables. It is usually vegan, i.e. excluding animal products, but a lot of people eat raw fish, meat and dairy products which are not pasteurized.
What Are The Benefits Of Raw Foods?
People believe that cooking food destroys vital vitamins, nutrients and enzymes which are present in the raw form. All of us know that thousands of years ago people ate only raw food and lived for many years. Bodies had got adapted to eating raw food like fruits, grains and vegetables. Therefore, proponents say that eating raw uncooked food, or food which is closest to its natural form is the best because it allows us to get maximum vitamins and nutrients from it.
A number of people say that raw food helps them become energetic, keeps their health good and they feel stronger and better. A couple of celebrities like Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore also follow this theory of having raw food.
Some health experts and enthusiasts believe that the micro-organisms and bacteria which are found in raw food help in building a stronger immune system and fill some good gut flora in the digestive system. This is a controversial statement made by them, by quite a few enthusiasts have agreed to it. This statement is controversial because some experts say that people started cooking food only because of the presence of bacteria in it. Consumption of raw food, especially the likes of fish, meat, dairy and eggs could cause food borne diseases and they could be very harmful.
Common Misconceptions About A Raw Food Diet
Some common misconceptions which come up while talking about the raw food diet includes their cost, protein content, low in vitamins and minerals, not possible for children to follow it and eating meat substitutes instead.
Critics argue that people who follow a raw food diet are prey to nutritional deficiencies. They say that raw food diets contain less protein, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, iron and calories. While all these perks will seem great for a person who is seeking a weight-loss program, others think that raw food diets are extremely restrictive.
One important tip for people following raw food diets: If you feel unsure and scared about the risks involved, consider taking nutritional supplements in order to avoid them.
While this diet is not for everybody out there, those who follow it can definitely benefit from it. Unprocessed fruits and vegetables can be quite good for people who eat them. You don’t need to be scared in order to follow this diet. The changes which you make to your diet can be quite simple to hang on to. Just keep a check on the misconceptions. You can read more about healthy unprocessed foods and learn more about them. Food is one thing which you can learn a lot about. You probably know just 1% about food, than what is actually there!
Chris, who often spends time experimenting with raw food diets, believes in having a party every now and then with his friends. They simply order a pizza online with the healthiest toppings and enjoy!