Benefits of Eating Raw Food
Why should certain foods be eaten raw rather than cooked? The eminent Russian sports scientist Dr. Alexei Shaternikov gives three compelling reasons, quoted by Vicki Peterson in her very popular book "Strategies of the Champions."
* Raw foods enhance the immune system
A Swiss research discovers an interesting and rather odd action when we eat cooked food. White blood cells, the leucocytes, perceive the food as an 'invader' and race to the intestine to deal with the attack putting considerable strain on the immune system. When raw food is eaten, first, white blood cells don't mobilise and race about, even when a cooked meal is eaten soon after.
* Raw foods are packed with enzymes
A human body has countless thousands of enzymes, busily at work, breaking down nutrients and assimilating them, building and helping the repair and maintenance of every part of the body. Enzymes in fruits and vegetables play an essential role to support the hard-working internal enzymes. Plant enzymes are valuable to hot and cold and are completely destroyed by cooking. Even vegetables that are lightly steamed lose their enzymes.
* Fresh, raw vegetables act as oxygen catalysts
Researchers have found that raw food has an energy-tuning effect on the oxygen. Researchers believe that this 'oxygen' catalysts' effect of raw foods at the cellular level lies at the very heart not only of improved physical energy but in defeating the ageing process itself. In Dr. Shaternikov's own phrase, "The chance to function, perform, feel and look younger for longer."
* Raw foods enhance the immune system
A Swiss research discovers an interesting and rather odd action when we eat cooked food. White blood cells, the leucocytes, perceive the food as an 'invader' and race to the intestine to deal with the attack putting considerable strain on the immune system. When raw food is eaten, first, white blood cells don't mobilise and race about, even when a cooked meal is eaten soon after.
* Raw foods are packed with enzymes
A human body has countless thousands of enzymes, busily at work, breaking down nutrients and assimilating them, building and helping the repair and maintenance of every part of the body. Enzymes in fruits and vegetables play an essential role to support the hard-working internal enzymes. Plant enzymes are valuable to hot and cold and are completely destroyed by cooking. Even vegetables that are lightly steamed lose their enzymes.
* Fresh, raw vegetables act as oxygen catalysts
Researchers have found that raw food has an energy-tuning effect on the oxygen. Researchers believe that this 'oxygen' catalysts' effect of raw foods at the cellular level lies at the very heart not only of improved physical energy but in defeating the ageing process itself. In Dr. Shaternikov's own phrase, "The chance to function, perform, feel and look younger for longer."
