"Raw Food Diet": Not Just a Salad

Lately, the raw food diet is increasingly echoed in Indonesia. In Bali, there's even one's own community, with several restaurants that specialize in providing raw food menu. Diet is increasingly popular thanks to a row of Hollywood celebrities who live it, from Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman, Alicia Silverstone, Cher, Lisa Bonet, Sting, until Jason Mraz. Besides losing weight, reportedly also can ward off degenerative diseases such as cancer and prevent premature aging. Want to know more about this diet?

Enzymes are living
Raw food diet originated from the theory of a biochemist from Finland, Artturi Virtanen. She found, when we chew food is not cooked, enzymes in food will be released in the mouth. Like a lock and opening the door, this enzyme will complement each other enzymes produced by the human body to digest food.

That's why raw food diet forbids process food by heating above 46 degrees Celsius, as it would eliminate food enzymes. Even in some degree, cooked food can harm the body. This was described by Arthur M. Baker, MA, MHE, the book Awakening Our Self-Healing Body.

Baker states, through excessive heating, creates a variety of foreign compounds in food that can not be digested properly by the body. Modern food processing not only eliminate the anticancer agents, but also form a chemical substance that has the potential to cause cancer itself.

Choose organic produce
If you got interested follow this lifestyle, there are three groups that can be selected. The flow of raw veganism eating only vegetables, fruits, and nuts raw. Meanwhile, raw vegetarianism still consume milk and raw eggs. Finally, the raw animal food diets include raw meat and other animal derived products into their diet.

However, with the controversy of harmful bacteria in meat and raw eggs, raw veganism or the number of adherents is often called raw foodist much more, than the two other streams.

"If you only eat gado-gado and Karedok every day and are calling themselves as a raw foodist, it's misplaced his name. Every day, eat only raw vegetables and fruit, we can be malnourished, and even fainting. Raw foodist must meet the needs of different types of multivitamins food. Vitamin B12 in almonds, for example, "said Dr. Susan Riani, ND, CT, naturopathy expert who has followed the raw food in the American camp.

Then, what about the risks attached to swallow pesticides on vegetables, fruits, and raw nuts? "It could be reduced to 70 percent with the use of organic apple vinegar, vegetable washing the last moment. Should we do choose organic products. Although more expensive, but this long-term investment. Try to compare the costs, if we had to be hospitalized, because of cancer or hypertension . If we can keep changing phones often expensive, why is hard to spend more for health care yourself? " Riani added.

Perform initial tests
According to him, the key to the successful running of the raw food diet is a strong determination, a thorough understanding, and exploration of various types of food.

She said, "Before doing this diet, determine the first goal. Do we only want to lose weight instantly, or to live healthier? Raw foodist is not true may be tempted at the sight of cheese cake or stop the diet immediately, because it is considered odd by friends his friend. "

Before running it are really committed, he recommends that we conduct initial tests of self. "Try a week, 3 or 4 days just eat salads, avoid gluten bread and food from throughout the day. If you can hold up to several months, that is ready to become a raw foodist. We recommend that, before starting first consult with health experts who understand the medical history You and the concept of this diet. Then, you have to run it with a happy heart, "said Riani.

Many roads lead to healthy living, and raw food diet is just one of them. Now it's up to you, which one should be selected?