Being healthy is difficult because we live in a world that is quite impure. So how does one become pure in an impure world? Basically, how do you become healthy in a world that is ultimately unhealthy? This is a question that plagues all of those wishing to change their lifestyles for the better. They want to eat right, exercise, and eliminate the bad things from their lives. However, they find that they’re surrounded by ads for fast food restaurants, they have such demanding schedules that they can't exercise, and that eliminating the bad things from their lives is much easier said than done in a world that is consumed with bad things. We are all surrounded by them, tempted by them, and the problem is that we succumb to them even if we don't want to.
Evaluation of Theories and Facts
The balanced diet theory is a theory that suggests that on a daily basis we are to eat 2-3 servings of dairy products; 2-3 servings of meats, eggs, and nuts; 3-5 servings of vegetables; 2-4 servings of fruit; and 6-11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pastas. But is this theory making individuals sick? The truth is that it is because some of the food groups need to be modified. They need to be modified because they allow too much room for sweets to squeeze in. Not every person can abide by the balanced diet theory because of health problems they may have and nutritional deficiencies that they may experience.
The body needs 16 vitamins, 12 amino acids, 60 minerals, and 3 fatty acids in order to survive. There are also instances of foods that the balanced diet theory shuns that are actually very healthy. That includes the fact that the limit of vegetable servings is 5. There are many people leading a healthy diet with diets that consist of 60% to 100% of raw foods and they are perfectly healthy. They are thin, according to research, but there is nothing wrong with their health, in fact it is superior to most people.
A diet that consists of 60% to 100% of raw foods is a diet that consists of foods that are unprocessed and uncooked. Foods that can be considered great for a diet that consists of raw foods is sprouts, vegetables, seeds,, sprouted beans, sprouted grains, nuts, seaweed, and dried fruit. It is proven that any food that is cooked above 116 degrees will lose its nutrients and enzymes. This means that the human body will not get those essential nutrients needed for survival. The ideal percentage of these foods to include in a diet is around 75% to 100%.
Research has been conducted on raw food diets and it has been found that individuals have increased energy, the appearance of their skin improves, weight loss, and digestion is better. These are changes that can be noticed in 2 to 3 weeks of consuming raw foods. As far as the long-term, there has been evidence for many years that a diet that consists mainly of raw foods reduces the risk of heart disease and many other diseases for a matter of fact.
Solving the Problem
A great example is a man who had a heart attack. He had a very unhealthy lifestyle beforehand, which is what contributed to his clogged arteries. He did not exercise, he drank alcohol every Saturday and had massive steak dinners with his family on Sundays. Years of this added up. He had put on an incredible amount of weight and at 56 years old looked like he was 65.
When lying in the hospital, the doctor talked to him about his lifestyle and how he needed to make changes. Those changes consisted of regular exercise, eliminating the alcohol, and watching what he ate. He said that he could not imagine not having a drink with his friends on Saturdays and having his steak dinners on Sundays. His doctor was blunt and told him he would have to have water or soda with his friends and would have to limit the quantity and the type of red meat that he consumed.
Taking the doctor's orders seriously, this man made the difficult decision of taking a walk with his wife every night, completely doing away with his alcohol consumption, and eating raw foods. His wife had done research on the effects of raw foods on individuals with heart conditions. She found that they had cholesterol lowering effects and could provide him with the nutrition he needed.
By his 57th birthday, he had taken off 25 pounds and his heart was very strong. He had blood tests completed that showed he had no deficiencies and that he was as healthy as a man of 40 to 45. He did this by continuing his walking routine, having a water while his friends consumed alcohol, and eating what his wife prepared for him.
Summary
It is easy to see what is healthy but everything around us unfortunately is not. It seems that to maintain health in this world we have to draw a bubble around ourselves that allows us to lead the right lifestyle through exercise, eating raw foods, and incorporating other positive lifestyle changes. What will result is a healthier individual inside and out.
By TTS Cofounder Botanical Chef Omid Jaffari
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