sorry guys this is not a post on WWE.

Do you eat raw foods? Do you know the importance of raw food in your diet?

Over the many classes I have taken, to include the nutrition certification classes, raw foods can not be stressed enough. Many nutrients, not to mention fiber, is lost when it is cooked.

Raw foods are good for you, honest. Would I kid you on this?

Raw foods are important in the process of digestion. Raw foods have enzymes, which help our food to digest. Enzymes break down food particles so they can be utilized for energy.

However, because enzymes are proteins they have a very specific 3-dimensional structure and once they are heated above 118 degrees, the structure begins to breakdown. Once they have been exposed to heat the enzymes to contribute to the process of digestion for which they were made.

So eating a wide variety for raw foods is very important. A daily diet should consist of at least 50% raw foods for a proper functioning body.

Just how does one get a good amount of raw foods in their system?

Here a few simple ways to add 50% of raw foods to your daily diet:

• Eat a simple green salad with lunch and dinner. Make sure to eat it before your main meal because it aids in proper digestion.
• Cut up raw vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, green onions, and celery to go with your dinner. You would be surprised how delicious a raw tomato is with beans and rice.
• Make a salad with just avocadoes, tomatoes, green and black olives.
• Make a bruschetta spread with tomatoes, garlic, and green olives. Dice the vegetables; add olive oil, sea salt, and basil. Chill and eat over toast, crackers, or by itself.
• Pop a piece of fruit in your mouth. Yes, they are raw foods too!
• Make smoothie. Did you know a smoothie does not have to have milk? Just freeze the fruit, place in blender once it is frozen, add ice, sweetener of choice, some ground flax seeds, and blend.
• Juice it! Oh the benefits of having a juicer. Try a carrot, cucumber, and ginger blend for energy, focus, and clarity. Juicing is very beneficial to your over all health.
• Try sprouts. The most enzyme rich foods are sprouts. They are filled with some of the most potent sources of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and many B vitamins. Just about any vegetable or grain can be consumed from sprouts. Try alfalfa, broccoli, bean, or mung bean sprouts.
• Make a raw granola, trail mix, and raw fruit bars.
• Eat raw nuts. No, not the salted ones in the store. Find raw nuts in health food stores and crunch away. You can even add them you your salads.

Many people neglect the importance of raw foods and cook everything. In the long run you are risking serious health problems. Cooked foods are not the healthiest. The body cannot properly digest foods that have been fried, pasteurized, barbecued, dried or other over-processed and over cooked foods. If you have to cook foods, the best way to do so is to lightly stem, stew, or use a crock pot.