Look younger raw food diet
We all want to look young. There is something in youthfulness that we spend hundreds of dollars on anti-aging treatments. But do you by making changes to your dietary habits can make you look younger than your actual age. Yes eating certain foods and leaving certain foods can make you look at least 10 years younger. Raw foods when consumed can have a positive effect on your skin.
Can a raw food diet reverse aging?
Eating raw foods may not be able to reverse aging altogether but it can surely slow down the aging process. This happens as your body absorbs more of the antiaging vitamins and minerals. In raw form food puts less stress on the body which leads to a healthy complexion. This is probably the reason why vegans have a healthy skin complexion.
But then what are the reasons why raw food is good for anti-aging. What benefits does raw food have as far as your skin is concerned? We have written this post to address all these questions. By the end of reading this article you will surely include more raw food in your diet. This will definitely make you look younger.
Raw food and AGEs
AGEs means advanced glycation end products. When AGEs are formed collagen becomes rigid. Collagen is the protein that is responsible to keep the skin firm and wrinkle free. Due to AGEs it loses its ability to strengthen the skin and keep it free from wrinkles. The more AGEs you have the more wrinkles and saggy skin you will have.
When you cook your food the amount of AGEs shoots up in the food. For e.g. raw salmon has only 528 AGEs. After you’ve cooked it, AGEs shot up to 3083. Now you will have to cook some of your food on a regular basis. But when you consume cooked food do eat raw foods like carrots, cucumber and apples. These foods are high in anti-oxidants and can counter the effects of AGEs.
Raw foods have higher water content
In our blog we have always mentioned the importance of water to stay young. Drinking eight glasses of water is a must. As we drink water our skin becomes hydrated and plump. But a lack of water will make the skin dry. Dry skin is more prone to wrinkle formation.
Now along with drinking water you can also consume foods which are high on water content. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with water. Think of watermelon and cucumber. Such foods can supplement your need for water in raw form.
But when you cook such foods they lose their water content as it will get evaporated due to the high temperatures.
Therefore eating the foods in raw form will give improve the hydration level of your skin and make you look younger.
Raw foods contain more anti-oxidants
Various factors like the sun’s UV rays, pollution and smoking generate free radicals in our skin. These free radicals damage the protein collagen in our skin. Which results in skin aging. To protect our skin we need to have anti-oxidants. Theses anti-oxidants neutralize free radicals and end up protecting your skin from sun damage.
Now when you cook your food at high temperatures there are chances that you may lose some of the anti-oxidants in your food.
Thus you must consume your vegetables which are a natural source of anti-oxidants in a raw form. But in case of some vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower which can’t be eaten raw you can cook them at slow temperatures so that the anti-oxidants are preserved.
Raw food aid in weight loss
When you are overweight you tend to have a bulging stomach. This is a sign that will make you look older than your actual age. You must get rid of the extra fats in your body to look younger. You can try to exercise but then it is a difficult thing to do. You can go for the easier option on eating raw foods.
A raw food diet is low in calories. It is also high in fibre. This is the reason why it can help you to lose weight. But you need to supplement it with other protein rich foods. Therefore eating raw foods will help you to lose weight and make you look younger.
Clear toxins for glowing complexion
When you cook your food in oil a lot of toxins end up entering our body. The meat that we eat fried or roasted is tasty but creates a many harmful chemicals in our skin. By eating raw foods you help your body to get rid of all this toxins and chemicals. This will help to clear your skin blemishes and bring out your skin’s natural beauty. Therefore consuming raw foods will give your skin a glowing complexion.
Which raw vegetables are good for skin?
Vegetables are rich in anti-oxidants whose importance in protecting the skin from sun damage is mentioned above. Therefore consuming a diet of raw vegetables will surely help you in your efforts to look younger. Though you will need to cook some vegetables, there are some that can be eaten in raw form.
The best vegetable that can be eaten in raw form is carrot. This vegetable is rich in Vitamin A which helps to improve skin elasticity and help you in maintaining a youthful glow.
I personally prefer a salad to be eaten in raw form than any single vegetable. You can go for salad of carrot, cabbage, tomatoes, red bell peppers and pepper powder. All these vegetables are rich in anti-oxidants and can help you to look younger.
How much of raw food is needed?
You can’t just consume raw food all the time. As mentioned above you will have to cook certain vegetables. Also meat and fish can’t be consumed in raw form and you need them for their protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
But you must try to eat as much as raw food as possible. Any food that can be consumed raw must be consumed raw. Take for example egg whites are a huge source of collagen and can be consumed without cooking. But chicken which is also a huge source of collagen can’t be consumed raw. The same applies for chicken broth. Fruits which are rich in anti-oxidants on the other hand can be consumed raw.
How much of raw food is actually needed I will say as much as possible. So cook your foods only when necessary.
In conclusion
Raw foods have their own benefits as far as anti-aging is concerned. You must include as much as raw food as possible in your diet. So whenever it is not possible to consume food in a raw state then only cook and eat it.
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