Why Eating Raw Vegetables Are Better for You than Cooking Them

Very few people I come across seem to have a grasp on the awesome nutritional value of raw vegetables. It seems that most people only know that they should eat vegetables because they remember

Raw vegetables are richly loaded in minerals, vitamins, trace elements, enzymes and natural sugars. All of these are things that your body needs to function properly and effectively, and the raw veggies will help stabilize and normalize your natural bodily functions. Raw veggies help pretty much all aspects of your natural bodily functions.

I’m sure at one point or another you may have heard about the necessity of vitamins and nutrients to the overall health of your entire life, but one concept that maybe new to you is the function of enzymes. Basically the function of enzymes in raw vegetables helps your body digest food, simple as that. This is one of the reasons that green vegetables are sometimes considered “nature’s laxative,” because they get your stomach working properly. I find this very beneficial when I’m having stomach issues.

Ok I’m sure by now you have a better understand of why vegetables are important to your health, but one question may remain is why raw? Good question.

All of our cooking methods have been shown in scientific studies to reduce the amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in vegetables. Of all the cooking methods available, steaming has been shown to retain the largest amount of vitamin content.

Everyone will agree that it is healthy to eat fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables every day, right? I mean this is not new news here. A raw food diet simply says that these foods should be eaten in its purest, rawest form. Here are some of the advantages raw veggies have over cooked veggies:

• Most vitamins and other micro-nutrients are damaged or destroyed at temperatures above 130 degrees. Many of these micro-nutrients are thought to help prevent cancer and other diseases. Eating lots of fresh, raw vegetables (including raw fruits) will increase the vitamins and micro-nutrients in your diet.

• Enzymes are the most heat sensitive of all nutrients, and are damaged or destroyed at temperatures above 118 degrees. Raw vegetables contain the necessary enzymes to complete the digestion process. Enzymes in your food aid the digestion of that food, and when they are absent, the body must work harder on digestion.

• Our bodies are 70% water, something I learned in grade school science. Raw fruits and vegetables are rich in pure water, and consuming a water-rich diet will keep you well hydrated.

• Natural fats are very sensitive to heat (think of avocadoes and flaxseed oil). Heated and processed fats no longer have antioxidant qualities, and can be carcinogenic. Cooked fats are also sticky (think of a lasagna pan), which can cause blockages in the arteries and digestive tract, inhibit the absorption of nutrients, and reduce the body’s ability to transport oxygen. Raw veggies help combat this problem.

• The soft, soluble fiber in tender green vegetables keeps you regular.

• Processed food, cooked food diets, pollution, and stress leave most people too acidic, which prevent optimal immune system functions, and leaches alkaline minerals from the body. Fruits and raw vegetables help keep you alkaline.

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**This site is designed for education and information purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice, professional services, or treatment of illness or disease. If you feel that you have a health problem, you should seek the advice of your Physician or health care Practitioner before pursuing an alternative health method.**