Have you ever wondered why so many people rave about raw food?

I had some friends over on Sunday for a raw food lunch and of course everyone was very curious as to what they were going to be served!

I’m sure they all thought it was going to be carrot sticks and hummus!

But they were genuinely blown away by the food and it got them curious and excited… and one of the common questions that got thrown up was – why is eating raw good for us?

Well one of the reasons (amongst many) is that a raw food diet is very alkaline.

Now some of you may know this but for our blood cells to remain alive they must be kept in a constant alkaline state – 7.3 on the pH scale.

So our bodies are constantly working hard to maintain its alkaline state. From the foods we eat to the lifestyle we lead can alter our pH level. Most foods on the Standard Australian Diet (SAD) are acid forming as is our lifestyle / daily stress living in the modern world.

When thinking acid think: Dairy, meat, coffee, soft drinks, wheat, and all refined flours, frozen foods, canned foods, biscuits and many more.

When thinking alkaline think: Sea vegetables, green juices, green leafy vegetables, vegetables, cultured vegetables, sprouts, fruits, some nuts and seeds such as almonds, chia and many more.

So what happens when we are too acidic?

Well, a couple of things, acidic environments are anerobic and that’s a welcome mat for bad bacteria, fungus and parasite overgrowth.

Plus our body starts to leech minerals from our bones to help the blood maintain its precious alkaliine state to keep blood cells alive. Organs become sluggish, and over time, this can lead to serious disease.

An alkaline state is however the opposite, our internal environment is oxygenated, keeping out the bad guys, every cell is functioning at 100% and humming with energy = health & vitality.

I know which diet of the two I would choose!

I’ve included a chart here for you from energiseforlife.com – its a handy reference to have if you are out shopping and want to know what’s acid or alkaline.

Keep in mind its ok to have some acid in your diet, just stick to the good ol’ 80/20 rule, 80% alkaline, 20% acid.

Be sure to check out my Sprout Salad with Asian Miso Dressing (pictured) in my “Easy Raw Food Recipes to get you Started” eBook. Guaranteed alkaline!  //therawfoodkitchen.com/e-books/

Namaste

Amanda