Month: April 2015

If you want to rejuvenate, find new energy and bring a sense of well being into your life, plus lose a few pounds, what better way than through undertaking a raw food cleanse?

How good is a Raw Food Cleanse?

Raw food is almost always healthier than the foods that most of us are choosing every day. If you eat only fresh, unprocessed foods, you will automatically cut out all refined sugars and flours and most fatty foods. During a raw cleanse, you will eat very simply and your body will thank you for that!

The raw food cleanse can last from 7 to 10 days. You will need to do some planning ahead of time.

Social occasions can be difficult when you are eating raw so if you want to make your detox as easy as possible, try to pick a period of time when you do not have any business lunches, restaurant meals or visits to family.

If people are visiting you that’s fine because you can control what you eat. It is possible to take your own food when eating at somebody else’s house but it can be hard for them to understand so it will be much simpler if you can find a clear week in your diary for your cleanse.

Preparing For Your Raw Food Cleanse

The day before your raw food cleanse begins, try to eat as simply as possible with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Avoid eating a lot of meat or fatty, sugary foods and stay off alcohol.

If you drink more than two cups of coffee/tea per day, cut down gradually in the days leading up to the cleanse to avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches during the cleanse.

Then begin your raw food cleanse with a 24 hour fast, starting from the time that you finish your evening meal on the last day before the cleanse. So imagine I am starting a cleanse on a Saturday.

I eat dinner on Friday evening, finishing at 7.30 pm. I don’t eat or drink anything else after that except water, until 7.30 pm on Saturday, day 1 of the cleanse. Then I will have my first raw food meal.

Fresh Food on a Raw Food Cleanse

During the raw food cleanse you will eat anything that is the fresh, non-fatty fruit, leaves, stem or roots of a plant, without cooking it. This includes salad, vegetables and fruits. You can have as much of these as you like, whenever you like, but do be sure to include at least one pound of green vegetables each day. This will give you a broader range of minerals than if you eat fruit only, which means you will have fewer cravings. Celery is great if you have cravings for salty foods.

Be sure to have a wide variety of ripe fruits and vegetables in the house at all times during your raw food cleanse. It is important to be able to have whatever type of fruit or vegetable you feel like eating.

Foods to Avoid on a Raw Food Cleanse

There are a few fatty fruits that you should avoid. These include avocado, coconut and durian (jackfruit). You will also avoid nuts, seeds and oils. There is no need for any dried herbs or seasonings, although you can use fresh herbs in small quantities if you want.

You will not need any drinks other than water. Be sure to wash all foods well.

You can make a simple salad dressing by blending equal quantities of tomato and cucumber in the blender. Add a few herbs or red bell pepper if you want.

If you want to continue eating a raw food diet after the end of the cleanse, you can add some fats in the form of nuts, avocado, unpasteurized cheese etc. The cleanse program does not contain all of the fatty acids and other nutrients that are needed for a long term diet.

Be aware that you may have some detox symptoms in the first few days of the cleanse and in some cases these can be quite severe. Check with your medical adviser before going on a raw food cleanse, especially if you are pregnant or nursing or have any pre existing medical conditions.

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Many people take B Complex Vitamins to try and improve their health including me. I thought I would do a bit of research so that we could all be a bit more aware of what the B Complex Vitamins are for, how much B Complex to get, and the problems with deficiencies.

What are the B complex vitamins?

The B vitamins are: B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6, B7 (biotin), B12, Folic acid. When we refer to B Complex it tends to be a supplement that contains all of these vitamins.

One of the issues with all of the B complex vitamins is that they are water soluble, this means that you will pee them out if unused and your body does not store them.

This also means that you need to always be taking your B Complex vitamins or have a diet rich in them to stay healthy.

What are B Complex Vitamins Needed For?

The B Complex vitamins help the process your body uses to get or make energy from the food you eat. Many people (me included) also take a supplement of Vitamin B Complex which includes all the B Vitamins to improve energy, stamina, and stress handling.

Although it is routinely taken for these reasons I am not sure how much real evidence there is that it is actually doing this as opposed to just anectodal stories from people saying it helps for stress.

B Vitamins also help form red blood cells. You can get B vitamins from proteins such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs, and dairy products. Leafy green vegetables, beans, and peas also have B vitamins. Many cereals and some breads have added B vitamins.

Where do B Vitamins Come from?

“Vitamin B” was once thought to be a single nutrient that existed in extracts of rice, liver, or yeast. Researchers later discovered these extracts contained several vitamins, which were given distinguishing numbers.

Unfortunately, this has led to an erroneous belief among non-scientists that these vitamins have a special relationship to each other. Further adding to confusion has been the “unofficial” designation of other substances as members of the B-complex, such as choline, inositol, and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), even though they are not essential vitamins.

Each member of the B-complex has a unique structure and performs unique functions in the human body. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, and biotin participate in different aspects of energy production, vitamin B6 is essential for amino acid metabolism, and vitamin B12 and folic acid facilitate steps required for cell division.

Each of these vitamins has many additional functions. However, contrary to popular belief, no functions require all B-complex vitamins simultaneously.

How much B Vitamins do I need?

Human requirements for members of the B-complex vary considerably from 3 mcg per day for vitamin B12 to 18 mg per day for vitamin B3 in adult males, for example. Therefore, taking equal amounts of each oneas provided in many B-complex supplementsmakes little sense.

Furthermore, there is little evidence supporting the use of megadoses of B-complex vitamins to combat everyday stress, boost energy, or control food cravings, unless a person has a deficiency of one or more of them.

Again, contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence indicating people should take all B vitamins to avoid an imbalance when one or more individual B vitamin is taken for a specific health condition.

Most multivitamin-mineral products contain the B-complex along with the rest of the essential vitamins and minerals. Since they are more complete than B-complex vitamins alone, multiple vitamin-mineral supplements are recommended to improve overall micronutrient intake and prevent deficiencies.

What Is Wrong With Vitamin B Deficiency

As with other vitamin classes, a deficiency in the B vitamin can result in several different conditions such as weight loss, weakness, stress, diarrhea, dementia, anemia, and other things.

A deficiency in B vitamins isn’t good for anyone, as the entire family contributes to your body. If you have a deficiency of any of the variation of this vitamin, you should always do something about it just as fast as you can.

As a whole, the B vitamin family will work to give you healthier skin, a faster metabolism, and an overall better immune system. They can also help you to fight back against depression and stress as well, which is something we could all use.

Are there any side effects or interactions To Taking Vitamin B Supplements?

Vitamin B-complex includes several different components, each of which has the potential to interact with drugs. It is recommended that you discuss the use of vitamin B-complex and your current medication(s) with your doctor or pharmacist.

Vitamin B1 Thiamin – 1.5 mg a day

Thiamin (vitamin B1), one of the B Complex Vitamins, is widely available in the diet. It is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates (to produce energy) and for normal nerve and heart function. Thiamin is not toxic.

Thiamin deficiency often occurs with other B vitamin deficiencies. People whose diet consists mainly of highly processed carbohydrates (such as polished white rice, white flour, and white sugar) are at risk of thiamin deficiency.

Polishing rice removes almost all of the vitamins. Alcoholics, who often substitute alcohol for food and thus do not consume enough thiamin, are at high risk of developing this deficiency.

Thiamin deficiency may also result from disorders or conditions that increase the body’s need for thiamin. Examples are thyroid disorders, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fever. Liver disorders may interfere with the processing (metabolism) of the vitamin.

Some of the best sources of thiamin are pork, ham, dark green leafy vegetables, fortified whole-grain cereals and baked goods, wheat germ, enriched rice, green pea, lentils and nuts

Vitamin B2 Riboflavin – 1.7 mg a day

Riboflavin is one of the B complex vitamins.  Riboflavin (vitamin B2) works with the other B vitamins. It is important for body growth and red blood cell production and helps in releasing energy from carbohydrates. Because riboflavin is destroyed by exposure to light, foods with riboflavin should not be stored in glass containers that are exposed to light.

Lean meats, eggs, legumes, nuts, green leafy vegetables, dairy products, and milk provide riboflavin in the diet. Breads and cereals are often fortified with riboflavin.

Deficiency of riboflavin is not common in the United States because this vitamin is plentiful in the food supply. Symptoms of significant deficiency syndromes include sore throat, swelling of mucous membranes, mouth or lip sores, anemia, and skin disorders.

There is no known poisoning from riboflavin.

Vitamin B3 Niacin –  20 mg a day

Niacin is used with diet changes (restriction of cholesterol and fat intake) to reduce the amount of cholesterol and certain fatty substances in your blood. Niacin is also used to prevent and treat pellagra, a disease caused by inadequate diet and other medical problems.

These B Complex Vitamins assists in the functioning of the digestive system, skin, and nerves. It is also important for the conversion of food to energy. Niacin is water-soluble, which means it is not stored in the body.

Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and the body very quickly which mean you can and need to always be getting them. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine.

That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet.

You need about 20 mg of Niacin a day. It is found in dairy products, poultry, fish, lean meats, nuts, and eggs. Legumes and enriched breads and cereals also supply some niacin.

Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid – 5-10 mg per day

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is essential to all life and is a component of coenzyme A (CoA), a molecule that is necessary for numerous vital chemical reactions to occur in cells. Pantothenic acid is essential to the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, as well as for the synthesis of hormones and cholesterol.

Pantothenic acid deficiency is exceedingly rare and likely only occurs only in cases of the most severe life-threatening malnutrition. Most individuals likely obtain sufficient amounts from dietary sources.

The best sources of these B complex vitamins are eggs, yeast, poultry, meat, fish, liver, milk, sunflower seeds, soya beans and bean flour, peas, peanuts, peanut butter, legumes, broccoli, collard greens, bananas, oranges, mushrooms, whole grain products and wheat germ.

Pantothenic acid has been used or studied for numerous health conditions, but has not been clearly demonstrated as beneficial for any. Oral, topical (on the skin), or injected forms have been used.

Vitamin B6 – 2 mg a day

Vitamin B6 exists in three major chemical forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine. These B Complex Vitamins performs a wide variety of functions in your body and is essential for your good health.

For example, vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism. It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism. The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B6 to function efficiently, and it is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin (a vitamin).

Hemoglobin within red blood cells carries oxygen to tissues. Your body needs vitamin B6 to make hemoglobin. Vitamin B6 also helps increase the amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin.

A vitamin B6 deficiency can result in a form of anemia that is similar to iron deficiency anemia.

Vitamin B6, through its involvement in protein metabolism and cellular growth, is important to the immune system. It helps maintain the health of lymphoid organs (thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes) that make your white blood cells.

Animal studies show that a vitamin B6 deficiency can decrease your antibody production and suppress your immune response.

Vitamin B6 also helps maintain your blood glucose (sugar) within a normal range. When caloric intake is low your body needs vitamin B6 to help convert stored carbohydrate or other nutrients to glucose to maintain normal blood sugar levels. While a shortage of vitamin B6 will limit these functions, supplements of this vitamin do not enhance them in well-nourished individuals

What foods provide vitamin B6?
Vitamin B6 is found in a wide variety of foods including fortified cereals, beans, nuts, meat, poultry, fish, liver, and some fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin B12 6 µg (micrograms) a day

Vitamin B12 is an essential B Complex Vitamins that is commonly found in a variety of foods such as fish, shellfish, meat, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is frequently used in combination with other B vitamins in a vitamin B complex formulation.

It helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells and is also needed to make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Vitamin B12 is bound to the protein in food.

Hydrochloric acid in the stomach releases B12 from protein during digestion. Once released, B12 combines with a substance called intrinsic factor (IF) before it is absorbed into the bloodstream.

The human body stores several years’ worth of vitamin B12, so nutritional deficiency of this vitamin is extremely rare. Elderly are the most at risk.

However, deficiency can result from being unable to use vitamin B12. Inability to absorb vitamin B12 from the intestinal tract can be caused by a disease known as pernicious anemia. Additionally, strict vegetarians or vegans who are not taking in proper amounts of B12 are also prone to a deficiency state.

A day’s supply of vitamin B12 can be obtained by eating 1 chicken breast, 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt, or 1 cup milk and 1 cup raisin bran.

Folic Acid or Folate – 400 µg (micrograms) a day

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements and added to fortified foods. Folic acid is on of the B complex vitamins. It helps the body make healthy new cells. Everyone needs folic acid.

For women who may get pregnant, it is really important. When a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can prevent major birth defects  of her baby’s brain or spine.

Folate helps produce and maintain new cells. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells.

It also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia. Folate is also essential for the metabolism of homocysteine, and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.

Foods with folic acid in them include leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas and nuts. Enriched breads, cereals and other grain products also contain folic acid.

If you don’t get enough folic acid from the foods you eat, you can also take it as a dietary supplement.

As you can see there is very little chance of overdosing on B Complex Vitamins although it is critical to make sure that you are taking them, or getting them in your diet everyday. As I find out more I hope to resolve this idea that B Complex Vitamins supplemented are good for helping stress, energy or stamina.

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If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, then it might be time to look at raw food diet loss plans.

Supporters of raw food diet loss programs say that it is virtually impossible to gain on a raw food diet, especially if you are overweight to begin. For that reason there is no particular food plan to follow when you go raw.

Strawberry and banana smoothie

The only rule is that you do not eat anything that has been cooked or processed using heat over 115 degrees Fahrenheit. This automatically rules out almost anything that you would buy in a package or a jar.

Even people of normal who switch to a raw diet usually lose weight. The exception might be people who eat a very large amount of nuts. Even then, you will probably find that you lose in the beginning.

Arguably one of the healthiest eating plans on the planet, the Raw Food Diet is anything but “casually applied.” This particular way of eating is more a way of life than it is a diet.

If you’re considering taking the plunge yourself, be sure to read every word of this article, as it will reveal what this diet entails, and what is required of you to have success with it.

Raw Food Diet – Do You Think You Can Handle It?

The Raw Food Diet is exactly what the name suggests. It is a diet that consists primarily (75% – 100%) of raw vegetables, herbs, sprouts, nuts, seeds, and fruits. You can have basically any variety of these things, but they must never be heated to over 116 degrees fahrenheit, as this will end up destroying valuable enzymes and fiber.

You are encouraged to own and utilize a juicer. In fact, it will become one of your very best friends on this lifestyle plan, as you can end up drinking several glasses of juice each day. Fresh fruit and/or vegetable juice makes the absolute ideal breakfast, as it provides a mega burst of healthy energy, yet requires almost zero energy to digest.

Raw Food Diet

Commitment to Raw Food Diet

As you can imagine, this diet takes an incredibly strong commitment. In addition to changing the foods you consume, you will most assuredly need to transform the way you think.

Your relationship with food will change, as well. You will no longer be eating for comfort or to get full, but to fuel up and energize your cells.

Yes, the commitment is huge, but if you are one of the few who are able to make the transformation into the Raw Food Diet, the rewards will absolutely astound you.

For one, you will feel happier, more vibrant, and ambitious. Naturally, the pounds will just melt off your body, creating a leaner and lighter you.

Your mind will become crystal clear, your memory enhanced, and your skin radiant and blemish-free.

Several men and women suffering from hair loss have reported hair regrowth by going raw.

The Raw Food Diet also frees you from fear. Your chances of becoming seriously ill go way down, as your immune system becomes stronger and stronger. And while I’m not here to make any medical claims of any kind, most professionals agree that a diet high in raw, fiber-rich, water-rich foods can actually extend your life… possibly by a lot!

Obviously, the Raw Food Diet won’t appeal to everyone. It’s one of the most “extreme” eating plans on the planet, even beating out veganism (essentially, this is a vegan diet, but even more extreme, as the vegan lifestyle still allows for the cooking process).

If you think you can hack it, though, I would highly encourage you to do some serious research and learn as much as you can. Prepare yourself. And then give the raw food diet your very best effort!

If you hit a plateau where you stop losing weight for a while, you might want to consider your nut consumption and reduce it if it is very high. The raw food diet is sometimes criticized for having a high level of fat and the culprit is usually nuts.

Nuts and Raw Food Diet

Raw Food Diet

Many nuts are anyway subject to heat processing to remove the shells so are not really raw food diet items when they are available commercially.

It is best to buy nuts in their shells. Cashews, macadamia nuts, brazils that you buy shelled and many other types of nuts are not really raw even if you buy them unroasted. The nuts in nut butters have also usually been heated in the processing.

When you do buy raw nuts such as filberts, it is best to soak them overnight before eating, to reactivate their growth enzymes. The same is true of seeds although seeds only need to be soaked for 2-4 hours. Pre soaking your nuts and seeds will help you avoid eating too many.

You can eat sprouted grains as well as many beans and lentils on the raw food diet. These should be soaked overnight before sprouting in a jar or purpose made sprouting trays.

What should not be eaten uncooked?

Red kidney beans should not be eaten raw because they are toxic. There are many other foods that contain some toxins which may or may not affect people depending on the quantities consumed and your sensitivity.

These include buckwheat greens, alfalfa sprouts, cassava, peas, eggs in large quantities, apricot kernels, brassica vegetables and parsnips. Raw milk and raw meat may carry microbial disease including tuberculosis.

However, any raw food including lettuce can carry microbes that can give you food poisoning. Nobody cooks lettuce. Therefore raw foodists say that there is no point in stressing out about the idea of microbes on raw food.

Advantages of a Raw Food Diet

 

They believe that the body is better equipped to deal with any disease, including food borne illnesses, when it is fed on a raw diet. Still, it is a good idea to always wash your food well.

If you do not plan to eat 100% raw food, then whatever cooked food you eat should be natural, whole, healthy foods. Avoid refined grains like white rice and anything made with white flour including white bread and pasta.

It is best to avoid refined sugars and anything containing them.

Getting some raw food information is almost a must if you want to follow a raw food diet. Most people start out with a lot of enthusiasm but the same old salads and smoothies grow boring pretty fast. When you lose interest in what you are eating, you can easily be tempted into unhealthy choices and even binges.

Raw food information can help you avoid these traps by giving you many more options for your meals and snacks. But where can you find the kind of information in raw food preparation that you need?

Raw Food Information Resources

The answer is to look online. There are plenty of people providing workshops and courses in raw food preparation, so you just need to find one in a location that is convenient for you.

Raw Food Information

A raw food preparation workshop will usually show you how to prepare two or three dishes that you may not have thought of for yourself. That already can be interesting and motivating, but even more important is having the chance to ask questions.

In a question and answer session you can find out how the presenter copes with cravings and temptations, for example. You can also learn a lot from the questions that other people ask.

Many of the ‘raw food gurus’ start out by offering raw food information.

One way to track them down is to look for raw cookbooks on a site like Amazon and then search for the author’s website.

In some cases you will find that they offer workshops. Other times, if they are not doing this themselves, they may recommend somebody who does.

Online raw food forums and message boards can be another good way to find raw food information in your area. If you can find a group or forum that is specific to your country or state, you will be chatting with people who probably know what is available for you.

If not, start your own thread by heading it something like ‘Raw Food Training In Alabama?’ But always be sure to run a search on the forum before starting a new thread, because it is irritating for regular users if new people keep asking the same questions that have already been answered elsewhere on the forum.

You can also find information in books themselves. A raw cookbook will give you a lot of ideas. However, most people who are looking for raw food information want something more personal than this.

One of the best ways to get your raw food information in a fun way is to attend conferences and gatherings.

These are held in many countries over a weekend, week or even longer. One example is the Raw Spirit Festival in the USA. Even if you live at a great distance, you could still attend by making this your annual vacation.

Festivals can be an amazing opportunity to network with other raw food enthusiasts. This can bring new energy to your raw food diet in ways that go far beyond other forms of raw food information.

This is my recommendation for a cheap and easy book to learn the essentials of the Raw Food Diet. Whether you want to start today doing Raw completely or if you just want to test out the Raw Food waters this book is a must. This specific easy to use Raw Food diet will help you lose , look younger, and have great energy. Learn more about Raw Food here now.

The majority of your cooked food should be vegetables and perhaps some brown rice and low fat meat such as skinless chicken breast. For example in winter you might want to have vegetable soup with some chicken.

Have salad as a first course before your cooked dish and finish with fresh raw fruit instead of any other type of dessert.

If you follow this plan then even on 75% raw you should have no trouble losing weight in a healthy way. Raw food diet weight loss plans do seem to work for anybody who is able to stick to them.

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