Raw Diet – The Mantra of Healthy Diet. Everyone has to adopt eating raw foods. While adopting the raw diet one has to get committed with the healthy aspects and should not compare it with already habituated cooked diet
Raw diet means Niragniya Aahar or uncooked. They can be called as “Instant, Sun-Cooked Foods” which is provided by nature to the mankind for benefits. But, we often neglect, to eat all these highly nutritious foods (all fruits and vegetables with some exceptions like aaloo, arbi, yam etc) in their original form. Everyone has to adopt eating raw foods in various forms like chutneys, grated salads, thick juices not discarding their roughage, sprouts and salads designed into mouth-watering recipes with various combinations and garnishes. It is necessary to include at least 25% of diet with raw foods in the beginning and gradually increase it to 60-75%.
- Raw foods have lot of micro-nutrients, which is very important for good health.
- These foods have anti-oxidant properties, hence, the healing is accelerated and life is sustained and regenerated.
- Vitamins and enzymes are retained in the foods.
- They are easy to digest and cost-effective – considering the over-all aspects involved in the cooking i.e. time, cost of cooking medium, loss of nutrients, over eating due to palatability of cooked foods and acquiring discomfort/diseases due to over-eating and lack of nutrition.
- Vitamins are key chemical substances found in fruits, vegetables and sprouts, which helps the body to gain energy and health but are destroyed while cooking.
- Enzymes are a magnetic and cosmic energy involved in each and every activity of cells. It controls all the vital activity of human body. But, if cooked they are totally destroyed.
- Cooked foods can only sustain life, but raw foods have the capacity to regenerate and restore life. Hence, it is highly advisable in chronic disease like diabetes, coronary heart diseases, high blood pressure, arthritis, obesity, allergies, autoimmune disorders, cancer etc.
- It contains lot of fibre (roughage) which is very essential for digestion, assimilation and elimination.
- It helps to fill stomach, bring satiety and contentment and yet, you would have consumed less calories but high in nutrition.
- Raw foods are alkaline foods, even the citrus fruits are alkaline-ash, hence is a very good anti-acid, anti-cholesterol and anti-inflammatory in nature.
- Those who do not take raw diet suffer from severe vitamin deficiencies and synthetic vitamins are not a substitute for natural vitamins.
- Human body is designed for vegetarian food and 60-75% of human body should get natural, fresh, organically grown seasonal fruits and vegetables.
- Raw diet is live diet and is very essential for living beings. It is full of pranic energy or vital energy.
- Raw diet can bring better digestion, elimination and sleep because it brings acid-alkaline balance. For acid-alkaline balance we should consume 25% -30% of cooked foods and 75%- 80% raw foods. Cooked or over foods generates acid reaction and putrefies in the gut whereas raw foods generate alkaline ash and ferments less.
- Raw vegetable juices contains chlorophyll molecule, which stores the energy of the sun. It acts with the vitamins and minerals, the hormones and amino acids to produce the red pigment of blood cells. It strengthens the cell structure and protects them from harmful bacteria.
- The main components of foods are – Carbohydrates – found in cereals also found in vegetables; Proteins – found in nuts, seeds – sprouts; Fats- nuts, oils, milk/ curd, soya milk, coconut milk. Vitamins & Minerals – Vitamin A, B ,C, K, B2, B12, Biotin, Folic acid, Calcium, Magnesium, zinc, sodium, iron, potassium, copper etc, all are available in raw diet.
- While adopting the raw diet one has to get committed with the healthy aspects and should not compare it with already habituated cooked diet. Taste develops over a period of time with raw diet also.
- Raw diet has anti – ageing properties, very well for the elderly, growing children and adults especially to control the chronic diseases and prevent the acute diseases.
- It boosts the immune system, improves the resistance power to fight the diseases.
- Use good garnishes which are herbs like – coriander, curry leaves, rosemary, lemon grass, fennel, ajwain, chamomile, bay leaves, parsley, mint etc; nuts and dry fruits soaked overnight; spices – pepper, green chillies; oils – coconut, olive (all cold pressed), etc which enhances taste and digestibility.
Prof. Dr. B.T. Chidananda Murthy
N.D. (Hyd.), D.Y., DPPHC, Ph.D. Former director,
Ministry of Ayush Government of India,
Bengaluru Mob: 91 9655591855
