Eating Raw by Shazzie

The concept of eating raw food might seem a bit bonkers to you, as it did to me before I tried it, but when you look at the reasons behind it, everything starts to make sense.

All animals on this planet eat their food uncooked. The only exceptions are humans and animals in captivity. When about 60% of UK adults are over weight, when one in three of us will suffer from cancer, when it's considered normal to suffer with arthritis, heart disease, depression and diabetes, and when children are considered lucky if they don't have asthma or eczema, isn¹t it time we started doing something radically different?

Scientists in Sweden recently discovered that cooking carbohydrates creates a cancer-causing substance called acrylamide. As scientists continue to probe into the world of the cooked diet, we raw folks already know these facts:

A cooked diet fed to four generations of cats resulted in each generation becoming progressively weaker. The final generation suffered early death, all the common human diseases and infertility or inability to carry their young to full term.

When you bake a potato, over 400 new chemicals are produced in that potato. Your body wasn't designed to recognise any of them and so treats them as toxins.

hen you ingest cooked food, your body acts as if it has been poisoned. White blood cells to rush to your defence. This immune response is known as leukosytosis. If you eat raw food or at least 50% raw food in each meal, this doesn't happen.

Wheat contains peptides called opioids, when we eat wheat products the opioids make our bodies produce exorphins. Exorphins cause addiction, cause the appetite to increase and cause food cravings.

So what does the above mean in real terms? It means that we now have the knowledge to change our eating habits, for our own good.

Though the advantages of a raw diet are far more than physical, here are some of the effects you may feel: Relentless energy, becoming your natural weight with no calorie counting or weighing, having smooth and flawless skin and finally having the energy, motivation and joy to be able to live your life's passion.

It's up to you how much raw food you decide to eat. I've eaten 100% raw plant food for three years, yet others are happy eating about 50-75% raw food. However much raw food you add into your current diet, you will notice vast improvements in so many ways. So if you're ready for a change, and are willing to have a little faith in what you're reading, then try these easy steps to living raw. Do them at your own pace, and take weeks, rather than hours to change old habits:

1) Eat only fruit (or nothing) till noon. Your body detoxes the most at night. You can assist in this process by just eating fruit until around noon. Smoothies, juices, fruit and fruit salads are all fantastic! If you only make one change, this is the best one. You'll notice a massive increase in energy and you¹ll feel more positive.

2) Causing leukosytosis to occur at every meal seriously compromises your immune system. It's easy to prevent this: Just make sure eat about the weight of every meal is raw. Try a big tomato salad starter, guacamole and crudit's or a big green side salad. If you have weak immunity or feel low much of the time, this will perk you up.

3) Organic food is your right. Whenever possible, eat organic. Food grown with agrochemicals just puts more strain on your body. Because you will ultimately save money on pills and potions in the future, organic becomes a luxury that you can afford today.

4) Wheat. If you want to see your energy levels rise even more as well as lose any brain-fog, then bin your wheat. Consider how you feel when you've had a sandwich. Are you raring to go or calm, sedated and foggy? Listen to your body next time you eat wheat - it will amaze you. Corn pasta, flax crackers and rye bead are good transition substitutes for everybody.

So now you have your easy guide to going a bit, or a lot, more raw, here is a quick and easy recipe from Shazzie's detox delights to get you tingling all over.

Dark dream smoothie

2 bananas, peeled 1 punnet of blueberries 1 papaya, skinned and de-seeded 2 dates, stoned Chop the dates. Blend all ingredients and drink.

Shazzie is the author of Shazzie's detox delights and Detox Your World. She also has a series of raw food preparation videos, lectures regularly, is a raw coach and holds one-on-one detox retreats in her home.

To buy her products or enquire about her services, call Rawcreation on 08700 113 119 or visit www.shazzie.com.