Can Raw Foods Replace Your Anti-Aging Creams?

The following information is for education only and is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or treat illness.

Saturday, January 28, 2012 by: Lina Trivedi, contributing writer

A raw food diet has undeniable health benefits that are plentiful and almost innumerable. It really all boils down to common sense. In a nutshell, eating foods in their raw form results in more energy, less calories, and more vitamins and nutrients. Those that transform their diet in full to only eat raw foods proclaim other benefits that are seemingly unrelated, but are they?

A 64-Year Old Woman Passing For 40

Oprah recently interviewed a woman named Karyn Calabrese, who swore by her raw food diet. Her vibrancy and youthfulness made it seem like she jumped into the fountain of youth, however in all reality, she attributes her energy to her raw food commitment. Her youthful appearance and her raw food diet are no coincidence. There are very clear raw food benefits that relate to skin renewal.

When the array of raw food is considered, the range of ingredients will be foods that have not been heated over 104 degrees. It is known that cooking results in eliminating enzymes that are essential to our body's health. Without these particular enzymes, a meal may not deliver the full myriad of benefits that a body requires. Shifting to a raw food meal allows the body to receive the enzymes and over time, hair grows stronger, nails grow harder, the inner energy seems more synchronized and yes, skin seems more elastic and overall more youthful looking.

The Raw Food Secret is in Plants

As the raw food benefits are studied in the sciences, it is argued that the very enzymes that are preserved in the consumption of food are still unraveled through the acidity of digestion. So the question arises, is the raw food hype really factual, or is there another factor that needs to be considered with these benefits? The China-Cornell-Oxford Project studied 6,500 subjects over 20 years and concluded that the secret is really in the increased consumption of plants. By adhering to a raw foods diet, it is necessary to consume more leafy foods and that is the real secret to raw food benefits. Regardless, the overall benefits are undeniable; those that consume raw foods generally maintain more youthful appearances.

Doctors Comment on Raw Food Benefits

Dr Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat To Live, argues that the benefits are not necessarily solely rooted to the existence of this particular enzyme that raw-foodists seem to capture in their diets, but rather the vitamins and nutrients that are lost in cooking that they manage to consume.

So although science seems to argue over where the true benefits can be credited, it is clear that raw foods will result in better overall health and yes, more vibrant skin. It is an excellent natural resource to augment your anti-aging regimen, and based on the feedback of those that swear by the diet, the results will be an increased appreciation for the various flavors of food, and looking good in the process!

Sources for this article include:

http://www.oprah.com/food/Should-You-Go-on-a-Raw-Food-Diet-Raw-Food-Diet-Benefits

http://webarchive.human.cornell.edu/chinaproject/index.html

Lina Trivedi, contributing writer Lina Trivedi is a vegetarian and consistently in search of new ways to be healthy without a lot of effort. Raw food options are right up her alley because she does not particularly like cooking anyway. She has been a freelance-writer, designer and Web developer since 1995 and has had the pleasure of working with individuals and companies throughout her career that support healthy life choices. Find her online at LinaTrivedi.com, or follow her writing projects on Facebook. View All Lina's Articles Subscribe To Lina's Article Feed