The Raw Food Diet

Since the dawn of time humans have been Raw Foodists and many people believe we function best on a raw food diet. Before humans discovered fire, raw foods were the only foods that humans consumed. Foraging for berries, seeds, leaves and nuts is probably how humans lived for thousands of years. When and why humans decided to first cook food is a complete mystery but we are the only species on the planet that cooks our food.

Throughout history, ancient cultures have eaten predominately plant based diets. Even in ancient Greece, Hippocrates and Pythagoras were believed to have lead raw vegan lifestyles. ‘Let food by thy medicine and medicine thy food’ Hippocrates said- today we are starting to understand the importance of this message and the importance raw foods can have on our health and vitality.

At Raw Blend we are not strict Raw Foodists, we are simply about trying to incorporate more Raw Foods into your diet: more greens, kale, spinach, herbs and superfoods! Notice the amazing health benefits raw foods can have on your body.

Health Benefits of Raw Food

A raw food diet can increase your nutrient intake, your energy level and help you lose or maintain and ideal weight.

Raw food contains enzymes which aid digestion. These enzymes, which regulate the body’s metabolic processes, are thought to be destroyed when food is heated above 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because eating food without enzymes makes digestion more difficult, the resulting toxicity is considered to be the cause of obesity and chronic disease.

Digestive Leukocytosis

Studies show that if you even simply heat your food you will lose the disease fighting enzymes contained within the food. When you cook food your immune system reacts to it as a toxin. Your body goes through a process called Digestive Leukocytosis.

Digestive Leukocytosis is a white blood cell count above normal that usually indicates illness, but a startling finding is that eating cooked food also produces this condition, and is yet another good reason to eat more raw foods.

Leukocytosis means there is an increase in the number of leukocytes (white blood cells) in the blood. This can be triggered by any number of things, such as fever, infection, inflammation, etc., and is most commonly found in physically ill persons with conditions such as cancer or viral and bacterial infections.

In fact, a person’s white blood cell count is often a laboratory finding used in order to diagnosis disease. Conditions, such as those mentioned warn the body that something is wrong and help is needed.

Why cooked food triggers Digestive Leukocytosis

Aside from viruses and bacteria causing a higher white count, there is another culprit: cooked food. For a long time this condition was considered to be a normal occurrence after eating. Doctors and researchers thought this was a normal response during digestion. However, sometime later Dr. Paul Kouchakoff found that leukocytosis mysteriously did not occur when only raw foods were consumed.

The only inference we can gain from this discovery is that the body’s immune system is activated after eating cooked food. But why does the body feel the need to defend itself from cooked food? The answer is actually very logical. When we cook our food, we change it drastically. Not only are nutrients lost, but they are denatured on a chemical level and even deemed unrecognisable to the body in such a way that it actually responds as if the food were a foreign invader. Your body fears for your safety and promptly sends white blood cells to your rescue.

Raw food, however, is in the form nature intended and is useable and recognisable to the body. It nourishes instead of causing distress and confusion. Cooked food not only looks like a threat to the body, but actually is a threat. It takes a great deal of time and energy to digest and gives off toxins and leaves waste behind in its wake. This is even more reason that the white count in a person’s body would be high due to eating cooked food.

Ways to avoid Digestive Leukocytosis

If you eat a raw foods diet then you have nothing to fear but even if you feel you can’t possibly commit fully to a raw foods diet, there are many ways to easily replace cooked foods with raw ones to prevent leukocytosis symptoms without depriving your taste buds.

Dr. Kouchakoff himself even stated that eating 10% of your meal raw can prevent leucocytosis. Of course if you are eating 100% raw you are going to look and feel a whole lot better. At Raw Blend we recommend to eat at least 51% raw food at all times to maintain optimum health and to avoid Digestive Leukocytosis.

Raw Food and Vitamix

The right equipment can make living a raw food lifestyle a breeze. The Vitamix is an essential tool in any raw foodist kitchen.

Vitamix Blenders makes smoothies, blends beautifully, grinds nuts for nut butter, chops vegetables, makes frozen fruit desserts and can even warm food to just the right temperature. The powerful motor combined with stainless steel blades and a specially designed container enables this appliance to perform dozens of difficult kitchen tasks in a matter of minutes — with no need for any attachments. 

View just some of our raw food recipes.

Start Your Raw Food Lifestyle!

Raw Blend stocks a wide range of fantastic books designed to help you get started on the path to a raw food diet, search our books product category for more information.

Raw Blend also provides an array of quality Raw Food appliances including Food Dehydrators, Cold Press Juicers and Sprouters, to help make your Raw Food and healthy eating journey much easier and a load more fun! Shop our huge range of Raw Food products today!