RAW FOOD WEIGHT LOSS benefits of steaming and other raw food tipsRaw food weight loss and other rapid weight loss ideas might not be the best answer to weight problems.
OFTEN VEGETABLES ARE OVER-COOKED It's a good idea to have at least a small variety of raw fruits and vegetables on a regular basis(perhaps for snacks)as they do tend to lose some of their nutritional value when cooked. When I was training religiously for races, I preferred "lightly steamed" vegetables as opposed to the raw option. I believe raw food weight loss is possible if eating raw food is incorporated into your diet at certain times, but light steaming is great as well. Like most fad diets, many people are getting swept up in the idea of eating "all" raw foods as a way of life. It's not unlike the way people went crazy over the Atkins diet only to find out later that it was not so great after all. BENEFITS OF EATING RAW FOOD Often you can eat large amounts of raw food without risking weight gain. For instance many diets will claim that you can eat "unlimited" amounts of salad.
There are actually five or six types of fiber and one of the types of fibers that are found in abundant supply in raw foods are called "cellulose" fibers which are necessary for losing weight. Apparently there is some scientific evidence that raw food will be beneficial to having clear skin. Raw vegetables are high in vitamins as they are not lost in the "over-cooking" process. It's pretty much a given that most raw food is very low in saturated fats or other fat for that matter. SOME NEGATIVES OF EATING RAW FOOD First of all, the claims that raw food will do all sorts of amazing things like give you more energy, improve your sex life, make huge improvements to your immune system, or simply make you healthier than people who eat cooked foods are mostly unsubstantiated. There are also many foods that become "more" beneficial once they are cooked. For instance beans are far more nutritious once they are cooked. Personally, I really enjoy steamed beans(perhaps "el dente" or lightly cooked) with a little butter or coconut oil and sea salt and pepper as opposed to eating them raw. It even makes it more enjoyable to know that it is actually better for you.
When you cook tomatoes an extremely healthy compound called lycopene is produced. Far more lycopene than you will find in raw tomatoes. Lycopene is a great weapon against prostate cancer. I don't know about other people, but whenever I eat a large amount of raw vegetables, it just does not sit well in my stomach and they really create digestive problems. Everyone has to make their own decisions of course, but personally I know I would never enjoy or benefit from an "all raw food diet". I think it makes far more sense to steam, bake or lightly saute' vegetables rather than eat them raw all the time. I'm 5' 10" and about 155 pounds at 60 years old, and when I was 25 I was 150 pounds. I think the biggest factor is that since I was in my late twenties I have embraced fitness as a way of living so my body weight was pretty well been the same all my life. To me it seems this is the key to making any diet work better for you. It simply makes more sense to include fitness as a way of life and then most diets will be more successful including raw food weight loss.
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