Posts Tagged ‘water’

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Why Raw Foods Give You More Energy

May 3rd, 2010

You have heard the term “eat for energy” as it applies to a raw food diet, and sure, it sounds wonderful. But when you stop to think about it, does it make sense to you? For most of us, “energy” foods are sometimes the least healthy options, and we pull our fuel from the caffeine, sugar and fats that we consume on the go as a quick option to get something into our stomachs.

Is that what energy has meant for you in the past? Have you felt the low, hungry craving for something sweet and filling? Have you felt the lack of energy that you thought could only be rectified by devastating a box of doughnuts?

Many of us have felt this way, and that is why the idea of a raw food diet being a high energy diet can sometimes sounds like a misdirection at best, and an outright lie at worst. But the truth is, someone who eats raw foods is going to get more energy than the rest of us.

Take, for instance, that essential “energy” food, the morning cup of coffee. Many of us swear by it, and fortunes have been made on our dependence on it. Yes, it gives you energy – the caffeine gives you a boost in attention and focus, and the sugar spikes into the bloodstream to give you the extra pep. But that caffeine kick fades fast, and the sugar jolt quickly becomes a deficit. Coffee leaves you worse for wear.

Compare that to the eating for energy alternative for a morning pick-me-up, the all-powerful and ever-popular green smoothie. There is no caffeine to be found here, and no processed sugars. Instead, you have great natural fibre to fill you up and keep you full for hours; tons of vitamins to provide your body with the elements needed to keep you running in optimal health; and enough healthy calories to give you the fuel you need to operate until lunchtime.

Another example is the energy bar. This candy-bar-in-disguise has been marketed to us as the best possible thing you could eat after a hard workout, but that is only true if you want to undo all of the hard work you just performed. Energy bars are empty calories and sweet nothings, and their “energy” comes from processed sugars and other additives. If you really want a healthy – and energizing – snack after a hard workout, nothing beats the raw rush of a handful of raw almonds and a tall glass of cold water. The water is essential to keep your body hydrated after sweating away a good deal of your fluids, while the almonds provide you with fats to feed your fatigued muscles and living food enzymes to help with the digestion of the fibre they contain.

A raw food diet may sound far-fetched to some, but rest assured, it can give you much more energy than the products you have seen in commercials that promise easy energy. Raw eating gives you more flavor, more vitamins, and more energy to live your life.

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Posted in Food For Thought, Raw Foods

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How Does Water Help to Lose Weight?

April 28th, 2010

If you are looking to lose weight, one great way is to replace some of your usual beverages. Many people enjoy the occasional tumbler of soda, the odd bottle of beer or glass of wine, a cup of coffee in the morning, or even an energy drink after a workout. Of course, in an effort to make the switch from these less-healthy options, you have probably tried all sorts of fancy and expensive drinks. But for the largest effect on your efforts to be less large, you might want to consider the ultimate raw food.

Yes, a glass of water, as part of a raw food diet for weight loss, might sound too simple to do much of anything, but water is an essential part of a better diet and a healthier lifestyle.

Yes, water can be used as a straight-up replacement for your regular unhealthy beverages. You might think that you simply cannot start your day without a cup of coffee – but that caffeine only gives you a quick hit of energy, followed by an equally rapid crash. Not only that, but coffee is a diuretic, which means that you will end up more dehydrated than had you drank nothing at all. But a glass of cold water in the morning, you may be surprised to find, can be just as energizing as your coffee. The cold will bring your body to full alertness, unlike the soothing warmth of a hot beverage.

With a meal, you can replace sugary sodas and calorie-laden alcoholic beverages with as much water as you like. Not only is water free of calories, it also helps you to feel full faster when consumed with food – meaning, you will eat less when you eat that raw food diet with a few glasses of water, and still feel satisfied. That reduced calorie intake will help to keep the inches down. Another added benefit of water over alcohol is the lack of the usual intoxication. The usual “beer belly” is sometimes less about the actual beer that is consumed, and more about the poor food choices we make after we have downed a few drinks.

Water will also help to keep you hydrated before, during and after any athletic endeavors. Energy drinks might be full of helpful minerals, but they are even more full of sugar and stimulants that can render all of your hard work calorie-burning neutral. And don’t forget that you have replace what you sweat out, and a well hydrated body is also better able to work, meaning that you will be able to go harder and burn more fat just by keeping a water bottle handy.

Water really is one of the most important features of an effective raw diet plan. And for those of you who can’t stomach the thought of plain water, don’t be afraid to add other elements from your raw food diet – a slice of citrus –lime, lemon or even orange – can really liven up your boring old water!

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Posted in General Nutrition, Weight Loss

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Bananacavo Energy Smoothie

March 24th, 2010

Let’s say you’re an athlete. You’re not a professional by any means, but you get out there a few times a week and really build up a sweat. Maybe you run, maybe you play a team sport, or maybe you just hit the weights and give your muscles a good thrashing.

Regardless, you come home happy but tired. You’ve left it all out on the court or the path or the gym floor, and you have no energy left. You know you should eat something, but man, it’s tempting to just flop down in the chair and relax. Who wants to spend a bunch of time in the kitchen preparing a tasty snack at that point?

So, maybe you reach for one of those chocolate bars that tosses a bit of protein into the mix and calls itself an “energy bar”. Sure, you get some fuel for your system, and it’s easy, but is it really what you want to put into your body? What if I told you there was a simple and easy snack that would take less than three minutes to prepare, but would give you an amazing amount of energy, help repair those overworked muscles, and taste great to boot?

That, my friends, is the beauty of the Bananacavo Energy Smoothie. Not only does it have a great name, it has a taste to match, and benefits beyond your expectations.

First of all, let’s go through the ingredients…

First, you have bananas. If you have seen a marathon or even run in one, you know that pretty much the only solid food they hand out at the water stations are bananas. Not only are they nice and mushy (so very easy to eat), but they are full of all sorts of things that a hard-working runner needs – right now. There is a ton of potassium in bananas, and potassium goes straight to your poor muscles, helping to break down the pockets of lactic acid that build up in your overworked muscles.

That lactic acid is what brings the pain, so bananas are like aspirin for your legs on a long run, and you’ll be thankful for it later. But on top of that, bananas contain natural sugars that help to fuel your body right now, rather than later. The mushy texture means that those sugars are digested quicker, and are available to your body faster. All good things, when you’re working that hard.

The other main ingredient in this smoothie is avocado. This fleshy green fruit might not be your first choice to pair with bananas, but the fats contained within are truly beneficial to the hard working body. These healthy fats are essential to maintaining proper health, and besides, they taste great.

To make the Bananacado Energy Smoothie, combine a whole, peeled banana with a half of the flesh of an average sized avocado in a blender. To complete the mix, add in a cup of cold water, the juice of half of an orange, a pinch of salt and a handful of previously soaked and softened almonds. Blend until smooth, and consume immediately.

I guarantee you, you’ve never tasted anything like this before, and once you go Bananacado, you’ll never go back.

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Posted in Raw Food Recipes

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Energy Boosting Raw Foods

March 18th, 2010

When people think about foods that can give them a boost of energy, they don’t often think about non-processed and uncooked foods. You can blame the media if you like – there are no ads out there on television telling you about the benefits of blueberries, but there are plenty of advertisements to tell you about the newest blueberry-flavored energy drinks, with all the nutrients and benefits of real blueberries in every bottle.

Don’t you sometimes stop to wonder – if the ingredients are so good, why don’t we just skip all the other stuff, and eat the good stuff, without all the sugar and extra stuff that we don’t need? Here are three of the most heavily advertised energy-boosting items of the day, and a raw food alternative that will give you the same benefits, but with the added bonus of nothing else added after the fact.

Number one on most people’s stimulant list is the simple cup of coffee. Despite all the negatives associated with caffeine, many people still flock to this hot beverage every morning. Some studies have shown that the effects of caffeine may be more psychosomatic than actual, and we may just believe that coffee works, which makes caffeine seem all the more potent.

But if you want to avoid the boiling bean juice, and still want to get that jolt when you wake up, consider giving your body a burst of cold instead of hot. A glass of water can have the same invigorating effect as caffeine, without the chemicals, and it’s ready to serve much quicker. But don’t let that be your whole breakfast. Caffeine is to the body as nitrous oxide (or NOS) is to a race car’s engine: it gives a quick hit of power that burns out almost immediately and it can do real damage to the system. Instead, give your body a tank full of good fuel, and you’ll drive all day.

Another go-to food item for people looking for extra energy is that thinly disguised chocolate bar that they call an “energy bar”. Again, most of the energy comes from refined and processed sugars – hardly good fuel, but it does burn quick and bright. Instead of these heavy hitters, consider a handful of raw almonds. These nuts are just as portable as that chocolate bar, and will give you the calories your body needs to burn in order to operate, as well as some essential fats to help your body function.

The third item on this list resides on the ever-growing shelf of energy drinks. These caffeinated, sugar-enriched, chemical concoctions are full of all sorts of powerful but unhealthy additives, and in the long run, you are far better off going with a natural “energy drink” – the fresh fruit smoothie. They taste a thousand times better, give you much needed vitamins, and some natural sugars to burn in your engine. And compared to the high prices on the shelves, a smoothie will cost you pennies on the energy drink dollar.

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Posted in Raw Foods

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Water – A Great Way to Start the Day

March 10th, 2010

Recently, I’ve been really paying attention to my water consumption. Especially first thing in the morning.

Do you ever wake up with a dry mouth? Do you ever wake up feeling groggy? Do you have bags under your eyes when you get out of your bed?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, then your body is crying for more water.

Since we lose quite a bit of water when we sleep – or at least I do because I sleep with my mouth open, which means I lose water through breath vapor – it’s helpful to replenish your body’s water stores first thing in the morning.

My morning routine now sees me polish off 1 L of water before I do anything else. It’s amazing how good it makes you feel shortly thereafter and it really hits home the point that many of our fatigue and energy issues can be solved by drinking more water.

So go ahead, try it for yourself and feel the difference.

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Posted in Food For Thought

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