4 Principles Healthy Raw Diet
4 Principles Healthy Raw Diet
4 Principles Healthy Raw Diet
Copyright 2009 Fit On Raw All Rights Reserved. Published by: Fit On Raw P.O. Box 38122 Germantown, TN 38183-0122 www.tonraw.com
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To receive Swayzes raw health and fitness newsletter Peachy Keen Ezine, as well as lots of practical information on going raw and being fit, go to: www.fitonraw.com
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Table of Contents
FEELING CONFUSED? 5
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MACRONUTRIENTS DEMYSTIFIED THE PROBLEM WITH TOO MUCH FAT HOW MUCH FAT?
#3:DONT NEGLECT YOUR GREENS
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Feeling Confused?
If you are reading this special report, it probably means that you are brand new to the raw food diet. Perhaps you encountered it somewhere on the web or heard about it from a friend. Regardless, Im sure you are very excited and cant wait to get started!
With that said, you might be a little confused about exactly how to get started. Okay maybe really confused! Thats completely understandable.
I remember when I first heard about a raw food diet. Not only did I have no clue as to what exactly to eat, it seemed that no one else in the raw food movement did either! There are so many raw philosophies and gurus out there that it can be overwhelming for any beginner.
Luckily, I found myself on the right raw path fairly quickly and I have been following it ever since. After reading The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet, you will be armed with the tools you need for raw success!
Why Raw?
Why go raw in the first place? Is there really a difference between foods that are cooked and foods that are raw? Arent raw foodists just a bunch of crazy tree-huggers?
On a more serious note, there is a huge difference between cooked and raw foods. Here are just a few ways in which raw foods excel:
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The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet Raw food is more nutritious - Cooking food, whether you steam or fry it, removes much of the water from the food. Just look at the difference before and after a pound of spinach is cooked! This water is necessary for both hydration of the body and assimilation of many important nutrients by the body.
Raw food is not altered Cooking food completely changes the chemical makeup of the food. For example, heating proteins fuses the basic amino acid chains together in a process called denaturing. The human body cannot dissolve these unnatural bonds and so the food becomes useless to the body, not to mention toxic. Also, cooking carbohydrates results in carmelization of the sugars and heated fats quickly become rancid.
Raw food contains fewer calories per bite --- A pound of bananas contains only 400 calories with 3% fat. Compare that to the same amount of broiled steak and you get a whopping 1251 calories, 64% of which is fat! And thats with the excess fat trimmed off.
Raw food is much more satisfying Because raw foods retain their water and fiber, they are higher in volume. On a healthy raw vegan diet, you can eat a very large amount of food and you will still lose weight!
Okay, so raw foods are inarguably better for us. But what about the effects of eating this way? What benefits can you expect from a raw food diet?
Benefits of Raw
Here are just some of the awesome results you can experience on a healthy raw vegan diet:
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The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet Great hair Smooth, soft skin Healthy teeth and gums Mental clarity And so much more!
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Remember the comparison I made between a pound of bananas and a pound of steak? The steak contained over half the amount of calories as the bananas. This means good things for you. To meet your caloric needs, you get to eat substantially more calories on a raw diet than you do on a cooked diet.
I say that you get to eat more calories because I see this as a plus rather than a minus. Im sure you do too! How many diet programs have you been on that have insisted on calorie restriction? Personally, Ive been on far too many to count.
With that said, the average raw foodist has a problem with the calorie concept. Unlike most Americans, many raw foodists do not eat enough calories! This has all sorts of consequences, such as severe cravings, binges, unwelcome weight loss and overall fatigue.
Believe it or not, there is a simple explanation for why the average raw foodist does not eat enough.
I find that for most people on cooked food diets, fruit is not an issue. We have all heard since childhood the importance of eating your fruits and veggies. While it might seem rather strange to eat a lot of fruit, most people are pretty open-minded. It is usually the
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The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet raw foodist that regularly shuns fruit.
To get to the bottom of this misguided fear, lets take a look at the most common fruit myths.
Fruit is the cause of sugar metabolic disorders --- Many people, not just raw foodists, believe that disorders such as diabetes and Candida are directly related to fruit consumption. It is not fruit that causes these disorders, but an excess of fat. Too much fat in the bloodstream blocks insulin from the pancreas from reaching the sugar. The pancreas becomes fatigued from producing extra insulin and the blood-sugar level becomes elevated because the sugar cannot be transported out of the blood by the insulin.
Simple carbohydrates do not provide adequate nutrition --- The fallacy here simply lies in equating sugar with refined sugar. There is no question that processed junk foods like sugary cereals, donuts, and candy offer no nutritional value whatsoever. In fact, these foods do a lot of harm to our bodies. However, raw fruit is not part of this category. The simple sugars glucose and fructose found in fruit provide easy-to-access fuel for our bodies in their natural states.
You simply cant eat a meal of fruit --- Oh, really? While it may be hard at first to eat an entire meal of fruit, it gets easier with time. In fact, eating a large fruit meal is extremely enjoyableand completely guilt free!
Benefits of Fruit
Now that weve discussed some of the problems with fruit, I want to talk a little bit about the benefits of fruit.
Fruit is easy to digest --- Fruit is very easy to digest because the sugars in fruit are already in their simplest forms. The body does not have to do any extra work. It literally takes minutes for the body to digest a simple meal of fruit! Fruit is water rich --- Fruit is full of water. Even dense fruits like bananas
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The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet contain much more water than any cooked food. This leads to easy digestion and satiation, not to mention comfortable elimination. :)
Fruit is packed with vitamins and nutrients --- The various vitamins and nutrients in fruits are necessary for adequate nutrition. For example, fruits are high in vitamin C, an essential vitamin for human health; we do not produce this vitamin like carnivores. Just about everyday a new scientific study is produced linking the consumption of fruits to healthy living. Im sure you have heard of the connection between fruits like grapes and pomegranates and the antioxidants they contain. Its the big to-do right now.
Fruit is full of fiber --- Fruit in its whole state provides lots of fiber. Fiber is necessary for digestion, satiation, and elimination. Unlike the fiber in complex carbohydrates, the fiber in fruit is water-soluble. This means that it is easy-todigest and does not harm the soft walls of our digestive tracts.
Fruit is appealing to everyone --- Everyone loves fruit! No one can resist the beautiful colors and aromas of fruit. I bet you have noticed that whenever a fresh fruit tray is offered at family or friendly gatherings, people flock to it.
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grains contain insoluble fiber, which is very tough and can actually leave
If you find yourself hungry an hour after a meal, you did not eat enough fruit.
For those of you who need direct guidelines, 80-90% of your daily consumption should come from sweet fruit. This actually closely mimics the dietary habits of our closest primate relatives.
This means you will get to eat a substantial amount of fruit to meet your caloric needs. Lets return to the banana. One medium banana has about 100 calories. To eat 2000 calories, you would get to eat 20 bananas.
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The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet Again, I say get to eat because it really is a pleasure to be able to eat as much as you want. By eating a diet comprised of mostly fruit, you will be getting the best nutrition and fueling your body right.
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However, there is one group of eaters who like to scoff at these facts about fat. You guessed it, the raw foodists. The average raw foodist eats 65% of his or her calories from fat! Thats more than the average American.
Macronutrients Demystified
There are three macronutrients that provide our bodies with the calories we need: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. While it is thought that protein provides a lot of calories, this is unfounded. Many supposedly high-protein foods are actually high-fat foods. For instance, one ounce of pecans is only 5% protein, but 87% fat!
Did you know that the average American consumes only 16% of his or her calories from protein? On a diet of 2000 calories, that means only 320 calories come from protein.
We already established that the average raw foodist does not eat enough simple carbohydrates. That only leaves us with fat, in the form of nuts, seeds, oils, and avocados. These are the foods that provide the calories in most raw diets.
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protein is to eat a healthy raw vegan diet predominated by fruit, along with moderate amounts of vegetables and limited nuts and seeds. Still not convinced? What about a human child? One would think However, that growing children need the most protein of all, right? human milk contains only 5-6% protein.
Yes, its true that raw fats are much better than cooked fats. Cooked fatty foods have had the majority of the water removed and many necessary micronutrients along with that water. And lets not forget all the nutrients that are destroyed by the heat alone.
Once fats are cooked, they quickly go rancid and produce harmful carcinogens. The more oxygen that these foods come into contact with, the more rancid they become and the more dangerous carcinogens they produce.
However, too much fat in any form produces a host of problems for the consumer.
Excess fat interferes with sugar metabolism --- As discussed in Principle #1,
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The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet fat takes a much longer time to digest than fruit. This excess fat keeps insulin from reaching the sugar, resulting in sugar metabolic disorders like Hypoglycemia and Candida.
Excess fat interferes with transportation of oxygen --- Too much fat in the bloodstream also interferes with the red blood cells ability to transport oxygen. A low oxygenated body is a perfect environment for cancer cells to thrive. Excess fat is linked to various conditions --- These include heart disease, atherosclerosis, breast cancer, prostate cancer, arthritis, and even depression.
In practice, this means 1-2 ounces of nuts/seeds or half to one medium-sized avocado. This amount may seem rather paltry, but remember that you will also be eating a great deal of delicious sweet fruit. You will hardly have room for anything else!
And if you feel the need to include more fatty raw food in your diet, you simply need to increase your consumption of sweet fruit at meal times.
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The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet When to consume fatty foods Because fat digests so slowly compared to fruit, I suggest eating fatty foods during your dinner meal. If you eat fat before a fruit meal, you will experience complications in your digestion. The best way to do this is to begin dinner with a fruit meal and then continue with a vegetable salad, soup, etc. in which you can add some avocado, nuts or seeds. Just make sure to wait at least 30 minutes between your fruit and vegetable meal so that the fruit is fully digested before you consume any fat. You also do not have to eat fatty foods everyday. have gone weeks without eating any fatty foods. fruits as well. from fat. Personally, I You will not become
deficient in essential fatty acids because these can be found in sweet On just fruit alone, 3-5% of your calories will still come
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Adding vegetables into your diet also adds great variety. There are so many different types of greens and non-sweet fruits available all year round.
All vegetables are not created equal Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are acceptable once in a while, but should be limited as they are a little bit harder to digest. The best vegetables are tender leafy greens such as romaine and iceberg lettuce. These foods are easily digested by the body and, A good therefore, provide for great nutrient absorption and assimilation. becoming more available. effort! Non-sweet fruits, what I like to call vegetable fruits, are also excellent. Botanically, these foods are fruits. Culinarily, they lack a lot of sweetness and have a higher mineral content similar to vegetables.
variety can be found in most supermarkets and organic is steadily You can even grow your own with very little
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The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet nutrition and calories to meet your needs.
While it may seem a bit difficult to eat a meal of fruit, it will not stay this way forever. If you give it your all and really make the effort, you will find yourself eating pounds of fruit and enjoying it!
Many people find it hard to eat this much vegetable matter in one sitting. An easy way to increase your vegetable consumption is to blend your greens into a smoothie with fruit.
Called green smoothies, these are very popular within the raw movement. And with good reason! Blending your greens does the chewing for you, making it much easier to increase your consumption. Not to mention the great combination of sweet fruit and refreshing greens!
See my 7-day menu plan for examples of some awesome green smoothies. :)
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Here are a few of the lifestyle factors that have a direct influence on your wellbeing.
Adequate exercise Adequate rest and sleep Fresh air Sunshine Mental stimulation Healthy relationships
There are many more, but these are the factors that people tend to miss. If I had to pick, I would say many people disregard sleep all together. This is a shame because even the best efforts put towards diet and exercise can be affected for the worse without enough sleep. Never forget the power of a good nights sleep.
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Eat Enough Calories Make sure to consume enough nutrient rich sweet fruit to satisfy you, between 80-90% of your daily calories, so that you are completely satisfied between meal times.
Limit Fat Consumption Limit fat consumption to 1-2 ounces of nuts/seeds or one half to one medium sized avocado per day (based on a 2000-calorie diet).
Dont Neglect Your Greens --- Eat 1-2 pounds of mineral rich greens a day, along with non-sweet fruits like tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper.
Take a Well-Rounded Approach --- Being healthy is more than just diet. Clean air, exercise, sunshine and sleep are all necessary to experience optimal health.
Day 1
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The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet Dinner --- Salad of 2 heads of red leaf lettuce, 1 medium cucumber, and 5 medium oranges (480 calories)
Day 2
Breakfast --- Smoothie of 5 bananas, 1 pint of strawberries, and 1-2 cups of water (670 calories)
Dinner --- Course 1) large cantaloupe, Course 2) Half a pound of tomatoes, half an avocado, squeeze of lime over a huge bed of greens (560 calories)
Day 3
Dinner --- Salad of 2 heads of butter lettuce, 1 medium red bell pepper, and 8 medium grapefruits (700)
Day 4
Breakfast --- Fruit salad of 3 medium papaya, 3 medium oranges, and 3 medium kiwi (700 calories)
Lunch --- Smoothie of 5 mangoes, 4 oranges, 1-2 cups of water and 10 romaine
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The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet leaves (960) Dinner --- Course 1) 1 medium pineapple, Course 2) Soup of 4 medium tomatoes and a handful of basil (330 calories)
Day 5
Dinner --- Salad of 4 medium kiwi, one fennel bulb, and 1 ounce of raw pistachio nuts (416 calories)
Day 6
Dinner --- 2 medium zucchini sliced into pasta with sauce of 3 mangoes, 1 pint of cherry tomatoes and basil to taste (560 calories)
Day 7
Lunch --- Smoothie of 5 bananas, 1 pint of blueberries, and 1 bunch of spinach (790 calories)
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Dinner --- Course 1) 2 pints of raspberries, Course 2) 12 medium stalks of celery with 2 tbsp of raw sesame tahini (567 calories)
This menu contains much more variety than what most people eat in a day, or even a week. I just wanted to show you what is possible. You will likely only use a few of these fruits during the week, depending upon what is in season and available in your area.
For instance, if it is autumn, you will probably be eating lots of grapes and persimmons. During the summer, melons, stone fruit, and berries are in season.
Of course, some fruits like bananas and papaya are available all year round. Bananas are known to be a staple in a high-fruit diet because they are calorically dense, easy to eat, and cheap.
I also tried to use fruit that is available in most grocery stores. Feel free to include more exotic fruits like cherimoya, rambutan, durian, and jackfruit. They are regarded as extremely delicious and add great variety throughout the year.
Counting Calories
At first, I recommend to keep track of your calories on a daily basis. This will ensure that you are eating enough sweet fruit and not overdoing it on fat.
The source I recommend for this is www.nutridiary.com. Its free and easy to get started.
Once you are more comfortable with this way of eating, you will no longer need to track what or how much you eat.
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Conclusion
I hope The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet has shown you how simple it really is to go raw. You can literally get started today by simply starting your next meal with as much fruit as you care to eat.
Swayze
What are your thoughts on this report? Did you love it? Hate it? Have you already forgotten what you read? Please send your comments to [email protected] or stop by the Fit On Raw Blog and leave a comment: www.fitonraw.com/blog
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