The Low-Down on LIVING Foods

A RAW FOOD, also commonly called a living food, is a food that is NOT heated or cooked at temperatures greater than 115 to 118 degrees. By keeping the temperature below this threshold, you are consuming food in its most NATURAL form, while also diminishing the ENERGY used in the cooking process and PRESERVING nutrients and enzymes.

Raw foods evoke a minimal response from our immune system after we eat them, while consuming cooked foods tends to elevate white blood cell levels and induce a mild stress response by the body. Metabolically speaking, raw foods require us to chew for much longer durations, and therefore, the body must do more work in order to break down and properly digest the food we consume. The enzymes found in raw foods act as catalysts for detoxification and the absorption of nutrients.

WHY EAT RAW & LIVING FOODS: + focused mind + clear skin + improved bowel movements + higher quality sleep + enhanced energy + body fat loss

A raw food diet is our most natural diet, as it represents what we would have eaten in the wild, before developing agriculture, domesticating animals and creating processed foods. When you abide to a raw foods lifestyle your diet is typically centered around fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted or soaked grains and legumes. Most raw foods are 100% PLANT-BASED, however, some fish, meat and dairy can also be included. Plants are rich, natural sources of ANTIOXIDANTS and other nutrients, therefore, have properties that are both nourishing and healing for our MINDS, BODIES and SOUL.

RAW FOODS SUMMARY & BENEFITS:

+ LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES - green leaves are the greatest source of ALKALINE minerals and the best source of chlorophyll. They also contain high levels of fiber and have many calming and ani-stress properties.

+ ENZYMES - when you eat, the body tries to break down food as quickly as possible by increasing the content level of saliva. Raw foods contain enzymes of their own, making salivary enzymes not as strongly needed for digestion. Without proper enzymes to break down foods, we begin to accumulate undigested materials into our system, which can lead to weight gain, inflammation, stagnation, digestive distress and fatigue.

+ ORGANIC FOOD - organic produce contains at least twice the nutritional mineral content of conventional supermarket produce, and has far less pesticides and dangerous heavy-metal residue such as aluminum, lead and mercury.

+ SUPERFOODS - superfoods are the most potent, concentrated and nutrient-rich foods on the planet. They ability to tremendously increase the vital force and energy of your body and are the optimum choice when in comes to improving your overall health, boosting immune function, elevating serotonin production, enhancing sexuality, lowering inflammation, cleansing and alkalizing the body.

TOP 10 SUPERFOODS:

1. CACAO

2. GOJI BERRIES 

3. MACA

4. HEMP SEEDS

5. SPIRULINA & BLUE-GREEN ALGAE

6. BEE POLLEN, HONEY, & PROPOLIS

7. CAMU CAMU BERRY

8. SEA VEGETABLES

9. MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS (REISHI, CHAGA, LION’S MANE, etc.)

10. NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS (MSM, DIGESTIVE ENZYMES, PHYTOPLANKTON, etc.)

Allow yourself the time and space to explore the idea of a raw foods lifestyle by simply working to incorporate more organic, plant-based whole foods. Be kind with yourself and learn to not only listen to your body as you go, and remember, everything is a process. What matters most is learning to give yourself grace, have patience and prioritize progress over perfection.

Xx, Leah Kutsch P.S. Keeping IIN Touch