A raw food and juice diet aids in weight loss and detoxification, creates alkalinity in the body and can have a corrective effect on diseases, according to Dr. Ann Wigmore, a naturopathic and homeopathic doctor. Raw plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds contain all the vital nutrients lost during processing and cooking. Raw plant foods are high in enzymes, vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants and phytonutrients.
The History of Raw Food and Juice Diets
Humans have been foraging for leaves, fruits, seeds and roots at least as long as they've been hunting. A raw food and juice diet mirrors the nutrient-rich foods and careful preparation methods of our ancestors. People choose a raw food diet to avoid the cooked, processed and refined foods of modernity, which some believe are the cause of many diseases.
Types of Raw Food Diets
The most common raw food diet is vegetarian--abstaining from any animal products, although it may sometimes include bee products, such as honey or pollen. Other raw food diets add raw dairy products and certain raw meats, fish or eggs. Some raw food diets encourage only eating fruits or leaves, and not the entire plant, as in a root vegetable such as a carrot or beet, which kills the plant.
Raw Juice Diets
For immediate weight loss or detoxification, a raw juice diet is recommended by Angela Stokes, founder of RawReform.com. Vegetable and plant juices provide vitamins, minerals and nutrients, which are more easily absorbed in a liquid form. A juice diet gives the intestines a rest from the daily work of digesting bulky foods, aiding in the detoxification and elimination process.
Benefits
People who eat a raw, or mostly raw, food and juice diet report long-term benefits including increased energy, weight loss and healthy weight management, and glowing skin. Raw food and juice diets are also linked to reversal of some serious diseases, such as diabetes, in as little as 21 days, according to Dr. Gabriel Cousens, a homeopathic doctor.
Raw Food and Juice Preparation
Raw food dishes and juices can be prepared in many ways. Gourmet raw chefs and restaurants create meals such as raw lasagna and ravioli and raw desserts such as tiramisu, cheesecakes and even ice cream. Raw food and juice diet preparation cookbooks cover a variety of meal-planning options and recipes from the simplest salads and cleansing juices to more comprehensive dishes.
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