Is Being Vegan Healthy?

 

 
 
 

 
 
 

Do raw foods infuse the human body with more vital energy?

Many vegans and raw-fooders believe that uncooked foods have more prana (prana is a word from the ancient Sanskrit language that means “lifeforce”) and more enzymes that help the body to age at a slower pace.

Perhaps the best way to experiment with raw foods (to see if they’re helpful to you) is to start out with a few delicious raw food recipes and then, if you like the taste and enjoy the way your body feels after eating, you can gradually substitute these new foods in place of the standard, modern fare that you were eating before.

 
Whether or not being a vegan is healthy depends — in my opinion — on each person’s unique body chemistry. It’s probably safe to say that many people would benefit by following a vegan lifestyle (and it certainly would be great for the environment of the planet if everyone did). Still, an all-vegan diet is not for everyone. My suggestion is to consult with your doctor, get your blood work done, and discuss whether it might be worth trying. Keep in mind that there are certain nutrients you’ll need to keep a close eye on:

• ▸ vitamin B-12
• ▸ iron
• ▸ calcium
• ▸ zinc

You’ll need to find solutions for monitoring these nutrients in your diet and to make sure you’re getting enough. Again, your health professional can be helpful to you as you undertake to make these new lifestyle improvements in a safe and careful manner.

Raw Foods: Why 71 year-old Woman Has Physique of Teenager

This video — amazing, in every sense of the word — certainly illustrates why consuming more living foods into our daily diet might be a very good idea. I was astonished when I found out how old this woman really was!

What Is the Difference Between Raw Food and Vegan?

Today, when people say “raw food” they usually mean “raw food vegan.” However, when people say simply “vegan” they usually mean that they eat plant-based cooked foods, too, such as bread and pasta.

In other words, people who identify as “raw-fooders” are usually already vegans, but people who identify as vegans are not usually raw-fooders. In the sense, the raw food diet is more strict and zealous than general veganism.

Superfoods: Add Them to Smoothies and Salads

Superfoods are vibrant, nutrient-dense foods that are believed to be especially helpful to the human body. If you would like to experiment with adding more living superfoods into your own daily diet, two easy places to start are:

• ⊙ freshly made green smoothies
• ⊙ super salads

Here is one man’s example of a super salad! (I feel inspired by the way this gardener/chef just whips this magnificent salad up in a few minutes — the depth-of-knowledge some people have about edible plants continues to astound me!)

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Vegan Food Pyramid

There are a few good images available online depicting the raw food pyramid, but this one is my favorite so far. If your diet is made up of these foods in these ratios then I would venture to say you are probably a very healthy person!

Some Paleo enthusiasts (those who believe that the best diet is one that resembles how our ancestors ate before the era of agriculture) might take issue with a meat-free diet, and they have a valid point. On the other hand, some experts now believe that our ancient ancestors ate more plant food than we previously gave them credit for.
 
If you’re going to endeavor to follow the guidelines outlined in this pyramid, then I would encourage you to:

• ⊙ start visiting your weekly farmers market
• ⊙ get a good blender and a good food processor
• ⊙ discover green smoothies
• ⊙ make your own almond milk and hemp milk
• ⊙ consult periodically with your health professionals to make sure your body is responding positively

Between-Meals Snacks: Raw Food Nibble Ideas

As I first began attempting to incorporate more living foods into my daily diet, one situation I found perplexing was: what to snack on between meals?

“…superfoods are vibrant, nutrient-dense foods
that are believed to be especially helpful
to the human body”

Initially, I answered this question by chopping vegetable sticks each morning. These included…

• ▸ celery
• ▸ cucumber
• ▸ bell pepper
• ▸ carrots
• ▸ purple radishes

and taking them with me to work in a cooler/lunchbox.

However, while this worked great for curbing my between-meal peckishness, I found that some mornings I just didn’t have the time to clean and chop vegetables before leaving for the office. More importantly, on days when I exercise, I need more protein than what vege-sticks can provide.

My solution? Raw pumpkin seeds!

About half-a-handful of raw pumpkin seeds (the kind I buy are sprouted, and seasoned with Celtic sea salt) do the trick, because I love the taste and texture, they have ample protein, and they are remarkably effective for curbing hunger. When I’m done with my pumpkin seeds, I usually like to finish my snacking with some dried goji berries. In fact, I had some today!

Do you believe that eating more raw foods would be good for your body?

If you’re already successfully adding more living foods into your daily diet, let me know what they are and any tips you might have (comments section provided below)!