10 Best Raw Foods to Add to Your Diet Today - A Bountiful Love

10 Best Raw Foods to Add to Your Diet Today

With so much information available to us today about what to eat or not, is adding raw foods to your diet something to consider? Certainly for several reasons, but don't go overboard as some may be better for you cooked than raw. So, whenever making strong changes to your eating habits, do your homework about the ramifications. Here's some 'food' for thought.

Why Eat Raw vs. Cooked

Often, eating vegetables and fruits may prove to be a better option. But, some are sensitive to the heat and may lose portions of their nutritional content from cooking. Other concerns may also be that heating food often destroys enzymes that are desperately needed for proper digestion. As cooking reduces the nutritional value of many foods, heat can also cause changes to the chemicals that create mutagens, free-radicals, and carcinogens and toxins that are often associated with many diseases found today.
On the other hand, eating a good variety of raw foods can benefit you with:
  • natural cleansing
  • enzymes to help nutrient absorption and digestion
  • better use of any available antioxidants
  • better complexions
  • more mental clarity and increase energy
By adding these to your diet regularly, you may just find that you have reduced your chances of developing cancers. As we age, we suffer from so many maladies that often adding these raw foods to your diet, eliminate the need for any additional such as those used as menopause supplements or other anti-aging remedies.

What to Eat?

  1. Leafy Greens – When eaten raw leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collard, chard, and others will increase the benefits overcooking. These provide your body a great support team of chlorophyll, antioxidants, enzymes, amino acids and (specifically) vitamins E and C.
  2. Seaweed – Extremely high in minerals and are probably one of the easiest assimilated food sources to get these into the bloodstream quicker and easier. They support the lymphatic system, detoxify, improve liver and thyroid functions and more.
  3. Nuts/Seeds – Eating these raw will give your body a boost to help fight the bad LDL levels of cholesterol. They are an excellent heart-healthy food being high in fiber, unsaturated fats, and vitamin E.
  4. Bee Pollen - This one food contains over 96 different nutrients essential to basic human life. It consists of over 40% protein and combined with all the other nutrients this food packs, provides you with an amazing amount of energy. Due to the fact that bees gather pollen from local sources, studies have shown that many get serious relief of seasonal allergies when local is consumed.
  5. Chocolate (Raw cacao nibs) – Wow! Chocolate is a superfood, . What more could you want? But, it's not the typical chocolate bar sitting on the shelf a the grocery store. Those have added sugars and are processed too much. In order to get the full benefits of magnesium and antioxidants, raw cacao nibs will serve you best. Or, if you can't find those, a bar of dark chocolate with no added sugar will give you a degree of benefits.
  6. Fermented Vegetables – Fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut or kimchi are digested easier due to natural processing. These provide a great source of enzymes and probiotics that improve your digestion and help build your immunity.
  7. Chia Seeds – People are putting Chia in almost everything today. These are packed with heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Chia seeds have a capacity to absorb liquid as they expand, thus making them a great source for hydration to the system as they breakdown in the digestive system. Good news for weight loss!
  8. Coconut – Much has been learned about the outstanding benefits of coconut oil over the past few years. It is a naturally hydrating food, packed with healthy coconut fats that help lower cholesterol and increase brain function.
  9. Sprouts – These are high in phytonutrients and chlorophyll, providing you with needed antioxidant value.
  10. Blueberries - Heart-healthy brain food is the latest recommendation for this lovely little fruit. Preferably, eat these in the complete fresh raw state but if not available try frozen as these will be less processed. 

     

This is only a short list of 10 foods that have been found to be a health, nutritious and tasty. Do your own research and find the ones that suit you best, and pack a few aside for tasty snacks throughout the day. Most of all, enjoy yourself!


Meet the Contributor :



Ella James is an aspiring author who is pursuing Health Services Administration degree from St. Petersburg College. She is an active contributor to Consumer Health Digest, which is a leading Health News Website. Her interests include reading and writing about Health, Fitness and Weight Loss News. Get connected with her on Facebook and Twitter.








http://www.abountifullove.com/2016/01/turkey-chili-clean-eating-and-low-carb.html








1 comment

  1. The cost of bee pollen has made me wait to buy it, but with my spring allergies flaring, I'm ready to take the plunge and try it. I had a reaction to the over-the-counter anti-histamines, so I'm hoping to find something natural that will help. Healthier eating (like those raw leafy greens) has helped some, too.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by and know that all of your comments are appreciated !