Posts Tagged ‘healthy fats’

High Energy Diet

July 30th, 2010

There are a lot of people out there who could greatly benefit from a change in their diet to a plan that would give them a lot more energy and some great health benefits. If you are an athlete, for example, a high energy raw diet might be just the thing you are looking for to give you an added edge in your sport of choice. And while you might be thinking that this sort of dramatic change to one’s lifestyle would only be for those elite athletes who earn their living in their sports, think again. Every person who is active can benefit from eating for energy. It does not matter if you are a weekend warrior, a part-time participant, a rec league roller or someone who simply goes out to have some fun and stay active. It does not matter if you run, jump, stretch, hit, shoot or catch. If you are active, there are ways to change your diet – some of them more involved, and some with more obvious results – that will improve your performance. It’s all about the raw power.

A high energy raw food diet can provide you with new sources of energy and personal power that you might be able to find in other, more expensive and more artificially produced foods, but the power of the rawness in this eating plan will give you more of the good stuff, without all the by-products.

For one thing, eating a raw high energy diet will likely include a lot of nuts and seeds. In traditional diets, these are food items that many people deprive themselves of, due to their high fat content. But the natural fats found in many nuts and seeds are incredibly beneficial to your body, and the calories they provide are important for those who lead an active lifestyle. Their naturally high fiber also helps to regulate your body’s digestion, meaning less energy is wasted in the processing and elimination of foods, leaving more power for your next athletic endeavor.

Another important aspect of eating a high energy diet is the hydration factor. Normal diets will tell you to drink plenty of fluids, but for someone who is about to lose a lot of water weight in sweat, the normal amounts will not suffice. And rather than subjecting yourself to another high sugar sports drink, why not take advantage of an option you can make yourself, using only raw ingredients, that will help to push you , provide you with energy, keep you well hydrated and cost just pennies a glass?

Tribes in Mexico have been consuming iskiate, also known as chia fresca, for a very long time, and it has helped to power then through runs that can last all day long, over very difficult terrain. This drink is simple to make – simply combine two teaspoons of chia seeds, the juice of one half of a fresh lime, and a half teaspoon of honey in a glass of cool water. Stir and enjoy – it’s as simple as that. It might not be in the recipe book for any diet you have ever tried before, but there are a lot of things about a raw high energy diet that are likely to be completely new for you.

How to Prevent Losing Weight on a Raw Food Diet

September 10th, 2009

One of our readers recently sent me this message…

“Hi, my brother and myself have just started on the raw food diet and he is an athlete and trains 5 days a week. Presently he is dropping weight and feels that he cannot afford to lose weight because of his lean structure. Any ideas on how to maintain his weight?. Thanks, Faye.”

Considering that I’m a slender individual and avid exerciser I can definitely appreciate the nature of Faye’s concern.

Here’s the key to help you prevent losing weight on a raw food diet…

Eat lots of good calories!

Weight loss boils down to burning more calories than you’re consuming. 

It’s generally a bit tougher to get in lots of calories eating raw foods compared to processed foods that are packed with tons of calories and little nutrition. But it can be done.

With that in mind, here are a few pieces of advise to maintain your weight while eating raw foods:

  • Increase your intake of calorie-rich whole foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and coconuts. These foods are generally higher calories because of their “good” fat content. My favourite foods in this category include cashews, pine nuts, brasil nuts, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, avocados, and coconuts.
  • Prepare smoothies throughout the day that can be enjoyed immediately after your training sessions, games, or workouts. Smoothies are a great way to get tons of nutrition and easy to digest calories.
  • Strength training workouts are key! Too many people think they can maintain their weight without building muscle. You need to strength training at least 3 days a week to keep your muscles strong and to prevent your body from wasting away. This is especially true for the ectomorphs in the crowd.

Based on these recommendations you would think that your diet would become a high fat diet, wouldn’t you?

Well, what’s the problem with that? Especially for someone whose already fairly slim?

You need to remember that as humans need healthy fats for a number of reasons which include: 

  • improving cardiovascular health
  • building strong bones
  • improving lung function 
  • better liver health
  • maintaining a healthy brain and nervous system, and
  • strengthening your immune system

If these sound counter-intuitive to what you’ve been taught then that’s great. 

It’s the truth – fats are essential for our health and for your ability to maintain a healthy weight.