Friday, August 27, 2010

Raw Food: Why Raw Cacao Beans Are a Super Food

raw food Raw chocolate is one of the healthiest foods on the earth. Organic food research is continually proving that raw chocolate such as raw cacao nibs, raw cacao butter, raw cacao powder and other types of raw chocolate in their natural state is a super food. The problem is that most chocolate has been highly processed and heated, throwing away all of the vital nutrients.

According to raw food expert, many ingredients are added to chocolate which have a negative impact on our health. Sugar, for example, destroys the immune system and causes diabetes, premature aging and other serious health problems. Studies also show that adding milk to chocolate cancels out all of the goodness. Raw chocolate is chocolate that hasn't gone through any sort of heating or processing, so all of the nutrients are still intact says Organic food expert.

What are Cacao beans?

Cacao beans are the seed of a fruit that grows on the cacao tree. Cacao trees originated in the Amazon basin, and they will only grow in a very warm, moist, shady environment. Cacao beans were so highly valued by ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations, they were used as money. Cacao beans are naturally sugar free and taste somewhat bitter in their raw form.They contain many nutrients that are beneficial to our health in a variety of ways. Although eating raw cacao beans would provide you with the direct benefits of pure cacao, nutritionists agree that cacao found in dark chocolate is also very beneficial.

Raw chocolate contain high amounts of:

Anti-oxidants: more than any other food and helps greatly with healing skin.

Magnesium: helps with mineral deficiency Chromium: also helps with mineral deficiency

Vitamin C: important nutrient and helps assist the body in the production of collagen

Therefore if you include these little beans in your diet, you are getting a concentrated source on anti-oxidants, magnesium, chromium and high levels of vitamin C. Also, the phenylethylamine, or PEA contained in cacao beans affects brain chemistry in a very positive way. To say you "love" chocolate may not be too far off, since PEA produces a brain chemistry that's similar to that associated with falling in love!

 

Raw Food: Why Raw Cacao Beans Are a Super Food

raw food Raw chocolate is one of the healthiest foods on the earth. Organic food research is continually proving that raw chocolate such as raw cacao nibs, raw cacao butter, raw cacao powder and other types of raw chocolate in their natural state is a super food. The problem is that most chocolate has been highly processed and heated, throwing away all of the vital nutrients.

According to raw food expert, many ingredients are added to chocolate which have a negative impact on our health. Sugar, for example, destroys the immune system and causes diabetes, premature aging and other serious health problems. Studies also show that adding milk to chocolate cancels out all of the goodness. Raw chocolate is chocolate that hasn't gone through any sort of heating or processing, so all of the nutrients are still intact says Organic food expert.

What are Cacao beans?
Cacao beans are the seed of a fruit that grows on the cacao tree. Cacao trees originated in the Amazon basin, and they will only grow in a very warm, moist, shady environment. Cacao beans were so highly valued by ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations, they were used as money. Cacao beans are naturally sugar free and taste somewhat bitter in their raw form.They contain many nutrients that are beneficial to our health in a variety of ways. Although eating raw cacao beans would provide you with the direct benefits of pure cacao, nutritionists agree that cacao found in dark chocolate is also very beneficial.

Raw chocolate contain high amounts of:
Anti-oxidants: more than any other food and helps greatly with healing skin.
Magnesium: helps with mineral deficiency
Chromium: also helps with mineral deficiency
Vitamin C: important nutrient and helps assist the body in the production of collagen

Therefore if you include these little beans in your diet, you are getting a concentrated source on anti-oxidants, magnesium, chromium and high levels of vitamin C. Also, the phenylethylamine, or PEA contained in cacao beans affects brain chemistry in a very positive way. To say you "love" chocolate may not be too far off, since PEA produces a brain chemistry that's similar to that associated with falling in love!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Simple Steps To A Raw Food Diet

Raw food
Why Raw Food?

Raw food experts typically believe that the greater thepercentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health benefits. A raw food diet is usually equated with only eating raw plant foods. Depending on the type of lifestyle and results desired, raw food diets may include a selection of raw fruits, goji berries, pomegranate, vegetables, nuts, seeds (including sprouted whole grains such as gaba rice), eggs, fish (such as sashimi), meat (such as Carpaccio), and non pasteurized non-homogenized dairy products (such as raw milk cheese, and raw milk yogurt).

We have a limited supply of enzymes in our body and the only way to get more is via the food we eat. Without enough enzymes to run our body as well as digest our food, the body starts to degenerate and symptoms such as arthritis and other diseases occur.

There is also the fact that organic food tastes incredible. You need less food to be satisfied because the food is very high in the nutrients you need, so you don't need to eat as much to get what your body needs. This results in your body reaching the weight it was designed to be and it also causes your body to eliminate all the toxins it's been holding on to for most of your life.

Another advantage of buying raw food is that while the preparation time is slightly longer, once the food is prepared, it's ready to be eaten! There's no cooking time and usually very little cleaning up time either.

Simple Steps To Going Raw
Raw food is food that hasn't been cooked over 105F, although some foods can be cooked to slightly higher temperatures before the enzymes are destroyed.

Step 1: Make a commitment to having a go with raw food for at least 30 days. This will help you over any sticky patches in your first attempt. If you can get some support from your friends or family and support them in turn, this will help you enormously!

Step 2: One of the first things you need to do is read up about raw food. Find out exactly what you need to do to ensure the food you're eating is raw. There are loads of raw food books you can buy and there's even a list below for Amazon's top results to help your search.

Step 3: Get your kitchen kitted out with a blender, a sprouter and some receipe books. If you've got the money a dehydrator, a spiralizer and a top of the line juicer are well worth investing in. The juicer that most people love is by Greenstar because it juices very slowly so it keeps the heat down and makes sure the enzymes survive.

Step 4: Buy organic food. You'll be amazed at the difference!
Step 5: Start eating raw. To keep your interests up, try different recipes from your raw food books.