What is the cruciferous diet?

Have you ever heard talk about the raw diet or diet crudífera? Have you been intrigued with the many Hollywood stars who follow and who are twenty years younger (like Demi Moore)? Would you like to lose weight, reverse all chronic diseases, feel younger, full of energy and vitality? Have you been diagnosed with cancer and has heard that the raw diet can cure?

The raw diet has become very popular lately, and more and more people want to know what it is and how to follow a diet as well. rumors of people who have been healed of all kinds of evil following a diet of raw fruits and vegetables are heard, and abound videos, cookbooks and websites dedicated to this lifestyle so peculiar.

Eating a raw diet means eating only foods that have not been cooked or heated to over 118 ° Fahrenheit or 47.8 ° Celsius. At this temperature the food enzymes begin to degrade, so that food is no longer considered "alive" if exposed to higher temperatures. Besides raw foods contain all the vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals in its intact form while cooking food, many of these nutrients, but most are destroyed.

Because raw foods retain all their nutrition in the most optimal way, they are the most suitable food for human consumption. It would appear, according to the anatomical, biological and medical evidence, that the human body was designed to eat mostly raw fruits and vegetables, with small amounts of other foods only as a supplement. People who eat well can achieve a level of health and well being virtually unknown in our society today.

Risks associated with raw diet

But is it possible to feed it? Many wonder if it is not dangerous to eat only raw foods, not including diet foods that we are more accustomed to consume, such as meats, dairy products, grains, etc. Do not nutritional deficiencies occur if you do not eat anything cooked? Well, the answer is that they can produce nutritional deficiencies siguendo any diet, if we do not plan our food properly. For example, the most common nutritional deficiency is iron deficiency, which can cause anemia, and has nothing to do with the vegetarian diet or raw diet, since the vast majority of people who are diagnosed with anemia are not vegetarians far crudíferos.

Can one suffer from protein deficiency following a raw diet? The truth is that human beings need much less protein than conventionally thought. The period of greatest growth durate all human life is during childhood, before the first year, yet breast milk, which is more suitable for this stage of life food, contains less than 10% total protein . Almost all foods contain some protein, even in small quantities. Most fruits, for example, contain from 4 to 10% of their calories from protein. The plant can have up to 30% protein, especially green vegetables, which are also very high in calcium and iron. Nuts and seeds are also an excellent source of protein, plus healthy fatty acids.

In my view the only risk of following a raw diet, is the same we have to follow the typical modern diet, ie eat a lot of fat. Many of the recipes from cookbooks, videos, and demonstrations of raw cuisine, contain very high amounts of seeds, nuts, almonds, etc., as well as lots of olive oil, avocado (avocado), or coconut oil and its derivatives . Although many advocate the use of these foods because they contain "raw" and therefore healthy, the truth is that fat is fat, no matter whether it is raw or cooked fats. Of course saturated fats and trans fats are more harmful than mono or polyunsaturated fats found in vegetables, but too much fat of any kind is harmful to the human body because it prevents proper metabolism of carbohydrates and can lead to diseases.

Do you need to consume a 100% raw diet?

The truth is that all human beings need to consume more raw foods, but maybe not everyone can get to eat 100% raw, and probably not necessary either. The more we get closer to the original diet, the better for our health and wellbeing, but any changes we make for a healthier diet is better than nothing. If you are a person who follows a conventional diet and think that eating a raw diet is something too extreme, try eating more salads and fruits, and perhaps leave the meat and dairy products. We all have different goals and different cultures, and perhaps not everyone is ready to make a drastic change. Many people prefieron gradual changes toward a healthier diet, and that's fine too.

However, my opinion is that if we are interested in improving health and functioning of our bodies, we should set ourselves the goal of a diet at least 50% raw, and the other 50%, although cooked food, is also the most healthy as possible. You eat at least 50% crude help us eat enough fruits and vegetables, which the vast majority of people in the United States and Latin America, do not. The US government previously recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Over the years, the same experts have realized the importance of plant foods, and now recommend 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. However, over 75% of Americans do not consume even 5 a day.

So, if you think a raw diet is very extreme, then aim for eating more fruits and raw vegetables at least 50%. If you eat 50% or more of raw foods, set a higher goal, as 60% or 70%.

If you would like to eat a 100% raw diet, but is afraid that it can be dangerous, do not worry, because the raw diet is probably the best diet for humans. Be sure not to eat many nuts, seeds, avocado (avocado), or oils. An ounce a day (approx. 28 grams or 1/4 cup) of nuts or seeds is ideal, or 1/4 of an avocado a day. Eat lots of variety of fruits and vegetables, and start to enjoy the best health of your life!