Fruits and Vegetables Can Be Life Savers

The power of nutrition could save your life. We are at war and in a battle for our health. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables and an active lifestyle is the key to healthcare reform. If we are feeding the brain properly, we can eradicate many chronic illnesses. Ninety percent of diseases are preventable. Disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Trying to eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables everyday is almost impossible. In most families we have both parents working full time and do not have the time to prepare home cooked meals on a regular basis. Our children are at risk because of the choices that we make. Junk food is cheap and easy, but can lead to so many problems. 

We are in charge of what our children eat. Three things that is important to stay away from is high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and dyes such as red #40. Sugar feeds cancer cells and suppresses the immune system. Cancer rates go down when eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Eating more fruits and vegetables will lessen your chances of any chronic illness. We need to color our plate with the many varieties of fruits and vegetables. The power of synergy prevents disease.

Everyday we should be eating apples, cranberries, oranges, papayas, peaches, pineapples, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, kale, parsley, spinach, tomatoes and a variety of berries and grapes. Do you eat those fruits and vegetables every single day? Poor nutrition reflects the number of people going to fast food restaurants, increased supplement use that are synthetic vitamins, the marketing on television that our children are subjected to, portion size, too much sugar and inadequate intake of fresh fruits, vegetables and grains. America's health crisis today is high calorie malnutrition. 

People are grossly deficient in the protective micro-nutrients that can come only from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Research shows that our bodies cannot absorb a lot of synthetic multi vitamins. Our bodies can only absorb things in its natural form and that is raw fruits and vegetables. The decisions and choices we make create our future. Lifestyles control our body. Our health is our number one asset. Investing in your health is the best choice that we can make. What is the gift of health worth to you? Research shows there are ways to bridge the gap between what we eat and what we don't eat.Learn about how to get more fruits and vegetables into your families diet.

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Want to Lose Weight? Don't Cook Your Food!

We all know that there are several weight loss programs that exist on the market to today but very few are as simple as eating a raw food diet. Many foods become much more calorific when cooked, especially if they are seasoned prior to cooking or cooked in a way which is high in fat, such as frying. A meal which is fried or baked using butter or oil can have as much as 25 per cent more calories than the uncooked ingredients alone.

Eating raw foods, in particular raw vegetables, can help you limit your weight loss efforts, as you can eat relatively high amounts of raw vegetables throughout the day taking in a lot of calories. This not only makes you feel fuller all day but it does not have the negative impact of you piling on those pesky pounds.

Forbes magazine documented a study conducted by a group of scientists who analysed lab rats over a forty day period. One group of rats were give raw foods to eat while the other group were given cooked foods. The results suggested that raw food consumption does result in greater weight loss then cooked foods.

What kinds of Raw Foods Should I be Eating?

a.) Ensure that you are drinking a lot of water: Start your day off with water (lemon water is also a good alternative) and try to drink as much water as you can throughout the day. Sip slowly to increase your absorption rate. Pure fruit juices and smoothies are also a good option.

b.) Go Green: Dark and leafy greens are perfect for lunch times. Try eating lots of raw vegetables such as broccoli, sprouts, carrots, salad (rocket leaves are a good example) and sprouted chickpeas. Vegetables, especially dark green veggies are packed with vitamins and nutrients which have a large variety of nutritional and weight loss benefits.

c.) Watch what you are eating before bed time: Many nutritionists do not advise eating after 8PM, with some even saying that it is not advisable after 6PM. This is because it is difficult for your body to digest large quantities of food while you sleep and as a consequence, the food is more likely to turn into fat and weight gain.

The benefits of eating uncooked foods may not stop there however. Studies have suggested that people who eat raw foods are less likely to suffer from skin conditions such as acne and also tend to have healthier, vibrant, longer hair. There is also some evidence which suggests that a raw food diet increases your libido.

There are many benefits of eating uncooked foods but always remember to ensure that you wash your vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating them. Cooking food kills any bacteria which may cause illness so in order to ensure that you are not consuming any unwanted bacteria or pesticides always remember to wash your raw food thoroughly.