Foods to Avoid On A 50 Percent Raw Food Diet

When you’re in a raw food diet, your food choices will be limited. But if you are dedicated to getting and staying healthy, this will not be a problem.If you want to venture in a 50% raw food diet, you will be replacing 50% of your foods with raw foods. If for instance, you are now eating only 10% of raw food a day, you only need to increase its volume and give up some unnecessary foods that are not helpful for your body.

In this article, we will discuss the foods that can cause a huge amount of damage to the human body, and simply removing them can help repair your body and replenish lost nutrients as you focus on consuming healthier foods. The damage unhealthy foods can cause can range from acne-prone skin to lack of energy, to hypertension, diabetes, cancer and eventually, death. So if you want to live long and adapt a 50 percent raw food diet, here are the foods you must avoid:

1. Carbonated sodas

If you care about health and fitness, for sure you are aware of the horrors of carbonated sodas and soft drinks. They are one of the worst foods to include in your diet. They have way too much sugar that you need to avoid. A single, 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains a whopping 39 grams of pure sugar. Too much sugar is the cause of obesity, and the consumption of soft drinks can lead to high blood pressure and other risks of heart diseases. Sodas also have lots of caffeine, which can further elevate blood pressure, heart rate and impair concentration.

By the way, store-bought juice drinks aren’t healthier than sodas also. They are packed with sugars and artificial chemicals that improve taste. It’s better to make your own juice out of fresh fruits.

Diet sodas that have no sugar are no better than regular sodas. The artificial sugars like aspartame can open yourself to risks that can lead to metabolic syndrome. Yes, it doesn’t have calorie content, but it’s linked to digestive problems, headache, dizziness, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and some cancers. There is no reason to add these to your diet.

2. Deep-fried foods

If you’re going to avoid one type of food, go for deep fried foods. Deep fried foods are high in calories, which leads to weight gain and obesity. These are the most fattening foods in the American diet. Sometimes, fried foods have hydrogenated fats from being basted in boiling oils, which contain damaged fats. These trans-fat can increase cholesterol levels and the risk of coronary heart disease. Eating too much deep-fried foods, especially French fries, chicken nuggets and other processed foods can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The joy of their taste is not worth it in the long run. If you are a fan of these foods, gradually lessen your consumption of them until you can completely eradicate them from your diet.

3. Processed meats

Fresh, lean meat can contribute to a healthy diet because they are rich in protein – an essential macronutrient for the body. But processed meats are not healthy. It takes more nutrients away than it adds. Meats are processed to have a longer shelf life, but it doesn’t do any good to prolong your life. Generally, processed meats like hotdogs, ham, luncheon meat, sausages, salami, pepperoni and bacon are made of collection of meat that would otherwise be thrown away. These meat pieces are combined with chemicals, preservatives, flavors and artificial fillers that ensure that the new concoction of meat is palatable, flavorful and visually appealing. But you don’t know what kind of meat was used and it has already lacked in nutritional value.

Among the processed meats, bacon is probably the worst of them all. It has a palatable taste and is universally loved, but when you look at its content, it’s pure fat, cholesterol and salt.

4. Sugar

Sugar, when consumed in large quantities, is very destructive to human health. It’s present in almost every food – drinks, desserts, cakes, breads, spreads, processed meat, processed fruits, sauces, and even vegetable dishes. It boosts flavor and makes food and drink taste good, but too much sugar is the major cause of obesity and chronic diseases, one of which of course is diabetes. Sugar can cause weight gain, increase risk of heart disease, acne, dental problems and certain cancers. It can also increase cellular aging and skin aging and even lead to fatty liver. So as much as possible, avoid all sugar and sugar-filled foods like pastries, cookies, candies and the like. Let your taste buds adjust until eventually, the only sugars you consume are those naturally existing in fruit and other natural foods.

5. White flour products

White flour products are some of the unhealthiest foods you can consume, as it drives the risk for diabetes. Flour is made of grain, and when refined, it becomes white because the fiber-rich bran and the vitamin-rich germ in the whole grain is removed, leaving only the starchy part that is mostly carbohydrates. Refined flour is stripped of nutrients, with no vitamins and minerals. It is what makes up most breads, pastas, cakes, cookies, pretzels, muffins, pizza and pie crust, crackers, cereals and doughnuts. As you can see, most of these foods are “junk foods” that can also contain other harmful ingredients like sugar, artificial flavors, unhealthy oils and preservatives.

White flour is the main component of “bad carbs” that is the culprit in obesity epidemic in America. Eating large amounts of white flour (or including it to your diet every day) can cause weight gain and obesity, spike in blood sugar and diabetes, risk of cardiovascular diseases and inflammation. Also, when you eat white flour, you aren’t receiving fiber that aids in your digestion.

6. White rice

White rice isn’t really unhealthy, but it’s best to avoid them. Just like white flour, white rice can make you pile on the pounds easily when eaten regularly. White rice is missing the hull, bran and germ because it is highly processed. It’s considered as empty carbs because it has lost its sources of nutrients. It also has a high glycemic index (GI) score that leads to increased risk of diabetes.

Should you eat rice, choose brown rice as it’s the healthier option. It has a lower glycemic index and it contains a wider variety of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and plant-based compounds. It’s also a better option for people watching their weight.

Foods you can avoid

Since we’re talking about a 50 percent raw food diet, you can still eat cooked foods. But if you’re thinking about what to avoid if you want to eat pure raw food for a specific meal, here are some foods to avoid. These foods and drinks may be cooked, subjected to heat or cooking when they were processed, or needs hot liquids to be prepared – which makes them disqualified under the category of “raw”.

Cooked meats, grains, vegetables and fruits
Roasted nuts and seeds
Refined oils
Pastries and baked goods
Pasteurized juices and dairy
Cheese
Canned goods
Instant noodles
Table salt
Coffee and tea
Alcohol
Pasta
Chips
Biscuits
Mayonnaise, ketchup and store-bought dressings
Other processed foods and snacks
Anything that needs to be microwaved
Genetically-engineered foods
Foods exposed to pesticides or herbicides