Natural diets go back to our roots

A natural diet usually refers to eating foods the way they occur in nature, without chemicals or preservatives added. It is composed of foods that are unprocessed and retain their nutritional integrity. For some, a natural diet means eating only raw foods. Followers believe that humans are naturally herbivores and should only eat fresh plant foods.

The natural diet mimics the diet of our ancestors. Components of this diet followed over the course of human evolution includes five basic groups:

• Vegetables - any vegetables that can be eaten raw
• Meats - mostly lean, wild meat including fish
• Fruits - eaten raw
• Nuts and Seeds
• Water - including herbal teas

The diet excludes grains and breads but includes oils such as coconut and olive oils. For foods to be eating naturally, they are consumed raw. Complicated technologies to cook and prepare food is discouraged in this diet. High heat is believed to destroy beneficial enzymes. Preparation methods include dehydration, blending and juicing.

A diet of natural foods is considered beneficial to your health because it avoids exposure to carcinogenic substances and chemicals that are found in some processed foods. Organic foods are encouraged, which allow you to avoid the pesticides and insecticides that contaminate many foods. Additionally, the diet is high in nutrients and low in fat. Besides weight loss, benefits of a natural diet or raw foods diet include better digestion, healthier skin, more energy and a decrease in the risk of heart disease.

The raw food diet has faced criticism for omitting essential parts of a healthy diet. For example, vitamin B12, iron, calcium and zinc are hard to obtain from this sort of diet. It is not recommended that children, pregnant women, individuals with anemia or those with a risk for osteoporosis should follow this diet. To play it safe, always consult a physician before embarking on any new eating plan.

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