Living Foods: Adopting a Raw Food Diet

Many yogis and yoginis the world over are joining the raw food revolution, that is preparing and eating meals centered around raw foods. Foods are raw if they are uncooked – never heated above 42 C/118 F degrees, unprocessed – as fresh and to their true form as possible, and organic – with no irradiation, preservatives or pesticides.

A raw food diet is a good way to detoxify the body. When practiced properly, it can eliminate toxins or other contaminants that are stored in the body’s fat and cells. Raw foods are also nutrient packed and are alkaline. In general, our bodies are too acidic and alkalis will neutralize them and introduce more oxygen into the blood, lack of which causes many diseases. Raw foods are also low in fat and sugars and can help one lose weight or just become healthier. Other benefits include less mucus in the body, better skin and hair, more energy, improved clarity of mind, better muscle and joint function and prevention of cancer and heart disease.

One of the disadvantages of raw food however, is that it’s hard to get the required energy (calories) from a purely raw lifestyle. Another problem with being 100% raw is that it takes more effort than preparing regular meals and meals or ingredients are harder to acquire all the time like when on the move, at work or spending time with friends.

So while we would never advocate a completely raw lifestyle, we know that incorporating raw foods into your diet can bring about significant changes to your physical and spiritual self.

But why not cook?

• Cooked foods are low in digestive enzymes, as heat destroys them but they are required for proper digestion.
• This will make you tired and sluggish, like you feel after a heavy cooked meal and sends your body into overdrive trying to make its own enzymes for digestion.
• Destroys life force. Raw foodists believe that raw food is live food with energy, while cooked food is dead. Similar to how a raw fruit or seed continues to grow or ripen, but a cooked one decays.
• Applying heat to food changes its ph balance it acidic. Acidic bodies are poorly oxygenated and therefore disease prone.
• Destroys vitamins, nutrients and turns minerals inorganic and therefore hard to absorb.

So if you’re thinking of adopting a raw diet into your lifestyle, consider these and choose foods that have straightforward ingredients, are easy to digest, full of nutrients and vitamins, and are not highly processed or complex.

• Start with buying organic. The difference food grown without added preservatives, hormones or chemicals will make in your life is magnanimous.
• Be gradual. Make healthier choices. Begin making and eating salads and sorbets and smoothies, lettuce wraps, dips and slaws.
• Get juiced. Jampacked with enzymes, organic minerals and vitamins, fruit and vegetable juices will give you vitality. Your immune system will be boosted. Don’t buy the bottled stuff either, squeeze your own and make different healthy variations. Plus you can take it anywhere with you for bursts of energy throughout the day.

Avoid poisoning by getting informed. Some foods must not be consumed raw as they can be toxic. Remember, awareness about the benefits and risks of the raw lifestyle are important as you take up the challenge but relax, eating raw is good for you, your body and your surroundings, it oft endorses the compassion aspect it shares with yoga as most raw foodists are also vegan and it is an excellent way to purify and simplify your life and diet.

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*Photo credits: Wild Tofu, su-lin, massdistraction, Food Thinkers, on flickr