In the Raw: To Cook or Not to Cook?

Imagine never again savoring the smell of baking cakes or charbroiled steak. Could you? Why would you? Yet some people worldwide are turning away not only from meat and processed food, but also from cooking. Welcome to the raw food diet. As the Standard American Diet becomes more fat-laden, sugar-sated, and processed, the prevalence of metabolic disorders, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are soaring. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity now affects nearly 35 percent of the population of the United States, over 29 million people have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and heart disease is the number one killer. High levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides and low HDL (good) cholesterol have all been linked to atherosclerosis, the main cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Most scientists would agree that less saturated fats, lower sugar and salt intake, and more fresh fruit and vegetables go a long way to avoiding a range of "lifestyle diseases." National health guidelines recommend at least five portions, or 400 grams, of fruits and vegetables a day. Some studies suggest that one extra portion of fruit or vegetables daily could lower the risk of ischemic stroke by 6 percent. Others go further. To be healthy, they say, a person should eat only raw food. The principle of a raw food diet is that, just as the human body cannot tolerate temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahr...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news