We take pride in the fact that we choose to buy only organic vegetables. We bring them home, toss them in a pot or skillet, cooking them and believing we are doing a great thing for ourselves and our families.

SURPRISE! What we've actually just done is cooked all of the vital nutrients OUT OF THEM, actually changing the molecular structure of the food and rendered it TOXIC.

I know, hard to believe, right? But it's true. And here's why.

Raw or living food, which is food that has not been processed or cooked, contains enzymes. Enzymes assist in the digestion of foods. They are known to be the "Life-Force" and or "energy" of food.

From Wikipedia:

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze (i.e. accelerate) chemical reactions. In these reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process are called substrates, and the enzyme converts them into different molecules, the products. In order to occur at significant rates, almost all processes in the cell need enzymes. Since enzymes are extremely selective for their substrates and speed up only a few reactions from among many possibilities, the set of enzymes made in a cell determines which metabolic pathways occur in that cell.

That's a BIG definition, I know. To put it simply, enzymes help our bodies to digest and absorb food. Without them, our bodies function less efficiently by not properly utilizing the food we do eat, and even causing toxicity in the body. This is said to be a major reason why so many Americans are overweight.

SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?

Raw or living food is a very viable way to ensure we are getting more enzymes and minerals into our bodies. Raw food is just as the name implies, living food that is never heated above 115 degrees, give or take 10 degrees, and is NEVER processed in any way.

True "rawists", as they are called, or "raw foodists", believe in eating only an uncooked, unprocessed and organic plant based diet. So what would a raw foodist grocery list look like?

Organic, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts, grains and legumes in sprout form, seaweeds, microalgae (spirulina, chlorella, etc…), and fresh juices.

Some say a true raw food diet is 75% of the above raw foods, others argue it's 100% or nothing.

But….as you know….here at Moms Organic House we don't do "all or nothing", we do practical, every day. That means that if we incorporate even 1 raw food into our daily organic lifestyle, we are doing something healthy. When we do that something healthy, consistently, we are doing even better.

Organic fruits and vegetables are the obvious place to start if you are interested in exploring the benefits of raw food.

SO WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Raw foods are easy to digest, and they provide the maximum amount of energy with minimal bodily effort. Studies have shown that living foods have healing powers that can alleviate many illnesses from low energy, allergies, digestive disorders, weak immune system, high cholesterol, candida, to obesity & weight problems (weight normalization), etc.. Research and real life experiences have also shown that a person can prevent a body's healthy cells from turning into malignant cancerous cells by consuming mostly a raw food diet & whole organic foods!

Sprouts, according to happycow.net, are a great way to add fresh and vital nutrients to your diet. The sprouting process brings out many enzymes in the germinated seeds, legumes, and grains which makes them easy to digest. Raw sprouts, otherwise known as living foods, are full of pure vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll, as well as a good source of protein. Some sprouts also contain essential amino acids.

Sprouts are an EASY way to incorporate raw food into your organic lifestyle. You can eat them as a snack, use them in salads and put them on wraps or sandwiches.

Organic, raw vegetables and fruits is another very easy way to increase your raw food intake. Eating them raw, or juicing is something you can easily add to your daily routine and it will yield you huge health benefits.

RAW FOOD SAFETY

Raw foods are by their very nature, more perishable. There are some general guidelines to follow to ensure your safety:

* Wash your hands thoroughly before handling raw foods.

* Wash the raw foods thoroughly. Soaking in water with a tbsp. of vinegar and then 2-3 rinses is highly recommended, especially for store bought raw foods. Fresh from the garden are generally safest, but even then a few thorough rinses won't hurt.

* Remove any rotted or blemished parts of the raw food. If organic, leave the skins on as there are significant nutrient value in them.

* When juicing, prepare and drink immediately rather than storing them in the refrigerator. They quickly lose their nutrient value and they tend to spoil much quicker than you think.

You can easily and effectively add raw food to your practical, every day organic lifestyle and get some great nutritional value from it with a little less cooking and a few safety steps.