{"id":2141,"date":"2015-04-04T14:49:22","date_gmt":"2015-04-04T14:49:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vivehealth.com.au\/blog\/?p=2141"},"modified":"2015-04-04T14:51:40","modified_gmt":"2015-04-04T14:51:40","slug":"raw-food-isnt-a-raw-deal-heres-why-we-love-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.vivehealth.com.au\/blog\/2015\/04\/04\/raw-food-isnt-a-raw-deal-heres-why-we-love-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Raw Food Isn’t A Raw Deal – Here’s Why We Love it!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Raw<\/a>If you\u2019ve heard about raw food and assumed it\u2019s just uncooked food. You are correct. Sort of.<\/p>\n

Raw food is<\/em> uncooked food, but technically speaking, it is food that hasn\u2019t been heated above 46 degrees centigrade (115 degrees Fahrenheit). So while it can<\/em> mean uncooked foods, the more accepted definition is that raw food is food in its natural state.<\/em><\/p>\n

It is also not just about salads and smoothies although these are the most common types of raw food consumed. You will find that because the definition of raw food encompasses food that has not been heated above 46 degrees centigrade, this can also mean food bars, pizza bases and even chocolate. In fact, jump on Pinterest and do a search \u2013 the search results will bring up so many wonderful food creations that you would never think are raw.<\/p>\n

More Australians are \u201cgoing raw\u201d and an increasing number of celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Demi Moore are embracing this way of eating.<\/p>\n

So why do we recommend increasing your raw food intake? Here are the two main reasons:<\/p>\n

Improvement in health<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you begin to incorporate more raw foods into your diet, you start to reduce your intake of processed and unhealthy food such as refined carbs, refined sugar and harmful fats. As you consume more \u2018clean\u2019 energy for your body you begin to see an improvement in your overall health and well-being.<\/p>\n

Megan Crockart, qualified nutritionist, recommends eating more raw fruits and vegetables as this is often lacking in our Western diets. \u201cWe overcook and process most of our foods which take away a lot of the nutrition,\u201d says Crockart. \u201cDefinitely a good balance of raw and cooked foods is optimal with a minimum of 50\/50. There are now some great healthy raw foods that are there for that convenience factor such as dips, crackers, pizza bases and chocolates, so it is much easier to eat raw foods than just eating salad all day long.”<\/p>\n

Some of the health benefits that can occur when you eliminate processed foods and replace them with more raw food are:<\/p>\n