changes at higher temperatures, making them more difficult for the body to digest and metabolize. Because cooked food passes through the digestive tract much more slowly than raw food, fermentation and putrefaction can occur, causing a buildup of gas and heartburn. Cooked food causes the body to work much harder for less nutrients.
Because there are few enzymes present in cooked foods, the body is forced to use its own limited reserves. Eventually, the body’s own enzymes are depleted. Low enzyme activity has been found to contribute to chronic conditions such as diabetes, allergies, skin disorders, and cancer. It also results in weight gain, digestive disorders, lethargy, inflammation, and loss of both skin elasticity and muscle tone. Enzyme depletion and aging go hand-in-hand. Eating enzyme-less foods can also place a burden on your pancreas and other organs, which eventually exhausts these organs.
Studies conducted by the Hippocrates Health Institute drew direct links between a raw vegan diet, immune system recovery, and the healing of catastrophic illnesses and diseases.
Aside from eating high-quality foods, eating less food is one of the best things we can do for our bodies to achieve optimal health. Instead of having a huge dinner, for example, you can break it up into smaller, more frequent meals and take the load off your body.
Studies have found that the majority of centenarians around the world typically ate much less than the average population. They avoided overtaxing their bodies and refrained from all kinds of overindulgences. All centenarians surveyed were moderate eaters throughout their lives.
Even the healthiest food, if eaten in excess, can make us unwell. The amount of food each individual needs depends on various factors such as gender, activity level, genetics, metabolism, growth rate, age, and climate. Try to tune in to your body and recognize your own true hunger needs. Genuine hunger is recognizable!
For optimal digestion, do not eat more than you can hold in two hands. Watch your portions, and eat only until you feel satisfied. If you aren’t hungry, then don’t eat. It’s that simple. Be aware of realistic portion sizes and recognize that you may need to eat a bit more at first when transitioning away from a cooked diet as your body adjusts. Follow the three-quarters rule: stop eating when you are three-quarters full. The less food you eat all at once, the less hungry you feel because the food is more efficiently digested and utilized. Try to eat smaller meals and eat light to stay healthy!
Overeating
Overeating puts an enormous amount of stress on all the organs—especially the digestive system. In order to process a meal, the body must produce hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes, bile, and other digestive substances. When we overeat, the digestive system cannot meet the demands placed upon it. This causes food to break down poorly, which leads to poor assimilation and absorption. Undigested excess waste also creates gases in the digestive tract that are absorbed into the blood, leading to a toxic body.
Studies show that overeating is one of the main causes of many degenerative diseases. In fact, overeating can poison the whole body. It diverts our energy towards processing food, instead of repairing, regenerating, and healing. Overburdening the body with food (even if it’s “healthy” food) is not only a cause for obesity but other illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. It also accelerates the aging process.
Most of us eat much more than we need. We are living in a very indulgent society where portions are huge, and we are conditioned from an early age to eat three meals plus snacks each day whether or not we are truly hungry. Our body wastes energy by trying to metabolize excessive amounts of food, leaving little energy to maintain health.
Most of us can easily reduce our food intake and be much healthier as a result. The best foods for us to eat are those that supply the maximum nutrition but require the least amount of work for our bodies to digest and assimilate. These are the high-water-content, chlorophyll-rich living foods.
If you must eat a large meal, make it lunch rather than dinner, as our bodies usually stop digesting soon after 8 p.m.
One of the first things people notice when eating a diet of nutrient-dense foods is that they don’t have to eat as much to feel satisfied, and the cravings often go away. The cleaner your body, the more efficiently it will be able to function and thrive on less food, provided that it is high quality, nutrient-dense food.
Eating when stressed
Eating while stressed or rushed is one of the worst things we can do, as our digestion becomes compromised. Anything eaten during an aggravated state will either just sit in your stomach undigested or pass through the digestive tract undigested, causing diarrhea. Additionally, eating while stressed can trigger emotional eating, as we are not truly conscious of what we are doing during stressful times. This, too, can lead to further overeating.
Before and during eating, make sure you’re relaxed. Avoid confrontations, serious discussions, or worries during meal times. Also avoid eating while driving, working, or watching television—especially the news. If you’re stressed around meal times, allow yourself to slow down and relax before eating. Give yourself at least five minutes to unwind and take your mind off your worries. A few deep breaths in silence can greatly help reduce anxiety and tension. Light a candle, relax, and enjoy the act of eating away from the pressures of the world.
Mindful eating
Always eat with awareness. Ask yourself how hungry you are before, during, and after each meal. Sit at the table, take the time to look at your food, give thanks, and chew each mouthful thoroughly. Being mindful and listening to your body leads to a healthy relationship with food. It takes approximately twenty minutes for your brain to receive the signal of satiation during a meal, so eat slowly, and recognize the nourishment you’re giving your body with every bite. If you eat just enough to satisfy your hunger, you’ll remain alert, relaxed, and feel your best.
The importance of chewing
Digestion is the foundation of our health. The process of breaking down food into nutrients and absorbing these nutrients into the cells is critical to our health. If our food isn’t completely digested, everything we do to try to attain optimal health will be less effective. Poor digestion is often at the root of health problems such as flatulence (intestinal gas), heartburn, burping, abdominal bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and nutritional deficiencies.
Digestion begins with chewing and mixing food with saliva in the mouth. We need to chew our food thoroughly, breaking it down into smaller particles and mixing it with our saliva. Human saliva contains enzymes. These enzymes (amylase) are produced by the salivary glands and break down starches into smaller molecules. The smaller the particles of food swallowed, the better broken down they will be in the stomach and the better nutrient absorption will be in the small intestine.
To get the most out of your food, you must be able to break down and effectively absorb the nutrients from the food. This means chewing food until it is completely liquefied. Why invest extra time and more money into preparing high-quality organic foods if you eat them hastily and forget to chew?
Maintaining a healthy weight
Often, people following a raw lifestyle do not lose weight, and some even gain pounds. This is usually due to overeating the wrong type of raw foods, such as nuts, seeds, and dehydrated foods, which are dense in calories and lacking in water. A nut-and-seed-based diet is between 70 to 90 percent fat. All fat is difficult to digest—more so than protein and carbohydrates. Cooked fats are even more difficult. Additionally, when excess calories are consumed beyond the body’s needs, the body has to work harder.
