Raw Versus Cooked Food For Healthy Eating

 
Why should one cook? It seems like a waste of time if some people are to believed; it destroys nutrients and wastes energy. Eating raw is the natural way, the way nature intended the food to be eaten. It sounds fancily accurate enough to convince many people, but is it the truth?

Nature’s intentions

If we go according to what we know, it is presumptuous to assume that nature produces food to be consumed by humans, or that it does anything with the intention of benefiting us humans. We have been here on this planet for an infinitesimal fraction of time, nature was here much earlier, and it has produced a lot of stuff that will kill us if we consume it. Of course, this whole argument collapses if you don’t believe what the guys sitting in their fancy labs are proving.

Nutrient loss

Baking or frying food at high temperatures does indeed result in some loss of nutrients, a chunk of water soluble vitamins are lost when food is cooked, especially when it is overcooked. But then, in numerous cases cooking also destroys anti-nutrients that inhibit the process of absorption of nutrients in the gut. 

Also, the loss of nutrients is nowhere close to the high percentages proclaimed by the proponents of raw food diets. Take for example raw broccoli and steamed broccoli, close to 25% vitamin C and 20% selenium present in raw broccoli was destroyed during cooking, however, all the other common nutrients showed minimal change.

In case of some vegetables such as asparagus and carrots, and the red fruit tomato, cooking increases the availability of some the advantageous antioxidants present in them. Eating cooked asparagus will give you more ferulic acid than the raw ones; cooked carrots will provide more beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A. Cooking tomatoes breaks down the cell walls, increasing the absorption of lycopene.

Breakdown of enzymes while cooking

Another misconception of some of the raw food proponents is that the breakdown plant enzymes, which happens when they are overcooked, increases the amount enzymes required in digesting them. Even though the plant enzymes are beneficial for us, they do not speed up the process of digestion when consumed; they are absorbed by our digestive juices, like other nutrients.

In fact, vegetable soups and steamed vegetables are easier to digest; the cell structure of the plant is altered by cooking, cellulose is also broken down, which means that fewer enzymes are required to digest them.

Cooking meats

Not only is cooking meats essential in order to minimize the chances of food poisoning, research has shown that cooked meat, and also cooked sweet potatoes, provide more energy than the raw ones. The preference tests conducted on hungry mice showed that they had a strong preference towards cooked food. It is highly doubtful that that was because of the seasonings they put on the cooked food. It suggests that the subjects were aware of the energy benefits of eating cooked food.

So cooking is better than eating raw?

It is not possible to answer this question with a straight forward yes or no. Cooking meat, poultry and seafood is definitely beneficial and should be the preferred method. However, when it comes to vegetables and fruits, it essential to eat them in sufficient quantity. Some vegetables and fruits are better off cooked, some are not.

Unless you are open to put in the effort and make a chart for the better way to consume the common produce, or pay someone to do it for you, eating a variety of produce is what matters. If you have trouble eating raw broccoli, you will still gain a majority of benefits by eating steamed broccoli.

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Overeating addiction: Dos and Don’t's

Overeating addiction is a type of eating disorder where a person eats large amount of food in an uncontrolled manner. They may eat that large amount of food at one sitting or maybe snacking throughout the day. So what could you do to help alleviate this food addiction? Here are a few dos and don’t that you should know when dealing with an overeating addiction.

Five rules to go by:

1. Do eat slowly. Eating quickly encourages overeating. Chew your food slowly and take your time. What is your rush? You won’t be enjoying your food if you just swallow it all down in a hurry. Over eaters tend to eat very fast and are actually full before they realize it. So eat your food slowly!
2. Do eat right. Always eat a well balanced meal. You could plan your meals for every week in advance so that you can keep track of what you are eating. On the list, make sure there are balanced portions of meat, vegetables and fruits!
3. Do eat vegetables, fruits and grains. They are healthy snacks and a healthier alternative than all the fast food out there.
4. Do fill your weekly schedule with exercise. Plan family outings at the parks. Bring your bikes along. Go for a jog every evening or fill your nights with dance classes or yoga classes.
5. Do all these activities together with your family! A positive family support is the best way to keep your resolution going!

Five things you need to avoid:

1. Do not ever skip a meal. Skipping meals deprive your body of important nutrients and makes you weaker and more vulnerable to your body’s cravings.
2. Do not hoard food. Admit that you have a problem. If you are embarrassed about it, don’t compensate your guilt by eating in secret and hoarding food.
3. Don’t include deep fried food or fast food as part of your diet. Replace these with food that have been sautéed, baked, boiled or grilled.
4. Don’t rely on crash diets. If you are feeling guilty about your habit, seek professional help. There is always a better and healthier route for you to get rid of this habit.
5. Don’t procrastinate! Don’t start your new day tomorrow. Start it now for a better and healthier you! 

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   By the way, do you want to learn more about weight loss for women? If so, go to my website and download my free guide, how 10 Best Resources for Women's Weight Loss Report: http://rosacrumpton.com/

Food addiction: the psychology of it

What the exact cause of food addiction is, is not known. However, there is an emotional element attached to all food addictions. To make it clear, most people turn to something as a coping mechanism when going through a stressful or traumatic period in their life. For some it may be alcohol or smoking and for others, it may be food. If you chose the latter, you may be a compulsive eater or in other words, you are addicted to eating. Most food addicts suffer shame and depression because of their addiction. So how does food addiction start and what is the psychology of it?

Food addiction like any other addiction starts in the brain. Every time you feel upset or stressed, you think of ways to relieve your stress. So for some it may be chocolate for example. The brain will then make an association, that when you are stressed, you need food. The brain then concludes or rationalizes that eating food equals to relief. This association is normally made in the childhood where eating habits are formed. Compulsive over eaters have never learned an effective healthy way of dealing with their emotions and instead turn to food as a means to deal with their emotions.

Combined with the emotional element, food may also have a physiological addictive element as well. What food is to a food addict is like what alcohol is to an alcoholic. Therefore like the drug addict or alcoholic, when attempting to cut down on foods, they may experience both physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms.

Furthermore, during certain period of the year, we tend to have celebrations or occasions that centers on food. It is like an invitation to be the glutton that you have always wanted to be. Occasions such as new years or thanksgiving where you have food like the turkey. These events promote and encourage your food addiction even more. So how would you be able to cut it down when everybody seems to be just encouraging you to eat?

In conclusion, food addiction should not be looked on so lightly as compared to other addictions like alcohol and drugs. Food addictions come with its own long term health complications and professional help should be sought before it is too late. 

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By the way, do you want to learn more about weight loss for women? If so, go to my website and download my free guide, how 10 Best Resources for Women's Weight Loss Report: http://rosacrumpton.com/