Have you started hearing about the Raw Food Diet? It’s gaining popularity and buzz, not just as a diet to lose weight, but a diet for a long and healthy life. We eat so much in the way of processed food that we don’t even stop to think about what we’re putting into our bodies, and how far we’ve come nutritionally from our ancestral, agrarian roots.

A raw food diet means consuming food in its natural, unprocessed form. There are several common-sense rationales for why this is a good idea. Processing and cooking food can take so much of the basic nutritional value away. Think of some of the conventional wisdom you’ve heard about for years, such as: If you cook pasta just to the al dente (or medium) stage, it will have more calories, yes, but it will have more the nutritional value in it than if you cooked it to a well-done stage. Or you probably remember hearing not to peel carrots or potatoes too deeply, because most of the nutrients and values are just under the surface.

The raw food diet means eating unprocessed, uncooked, organic, whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, dried fruits, seaweeds, etc. It means a diet that is at least 75% uncooked! Cooking takes out flavor and nutrition from vegetables and fruits. A raw food diet means eating more the way our ancient ancestors did. Our healthier, more fit ancestors. They cooked very little, and certainly didn’t cook or process fruits and vegetables. They ate them RAW. Their water wasn’t from a tap; it was natural, spring water. Maybe they drank some coconut milk on occasion.

Doesn’t it just make sense that this is how our bodies were meant to eat? It’s a way of eating that’s in harmony with the planet and in harmony with our own metabolisms. Our bodies were meant to work, and need to work to be efficient. That means exercise, certainly, but it also means eating natural, raw foods that require more energy to digest them.

Why The Raw Food Diet

Because cooking takes so many nutrients and vitamins OUT of food, you automatically start feeding your body what it needs when you stop cooking food and start eating uncooked, nutrient-rich foods. A raw carrot has exponentially more nutrition than a cooked carrot.

Cooking also alters the chemistry of foods, often making them harder to digest. Why do we have so many digestive problems in this country? Because we’re putting foods into our bodies in a form that we weren’t designed to absorb. High fiber, high water content fresh produce abolishes constipation of the bowels, cells and circulatory system. Obstructions are cleared and blood flow increases to each and every cell in the body. Enhanced blood flow is significant for two reasons: as mentioned above, blood delivers nutrients and oxygen to living cells, and carries away their toxic metabolites.

Obesity is endemic in this country. The diet industry is more profitable than the oil companies. Why? Because the way we eat and prepare our food practically guarantees that we’ll overeat. Psychologists tell us that we overeat because our souls are hungry. But in reality, our bodies are hungry, even though we may feel full. When you start giving your body the nutrients it craves, overeating will cease.

Eating raw foods is a boost to your metabolism as well. It takes a little more energy to digest raw foods, but it’s a healthy process. Rather than spending energy to rid itself of toxins produced by cooking food, the body uses its energy to feed every cell, sending vitamins, fluids, enzymes and oxygen to make your body the efficient machine it was intended to be.

You’ll naturally stop overeating, because your body and brain will no longer be starving for the nutrients they need. A starving brain will trigger the thoughts that make you overeat. The brain and the rest of your body don’t need quantity; they need quality.

Gaetane Ross
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-raw-food-diet-what-is-it-107496.html

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts, shredded 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 egg white 1 teaspoon corn flour 4 spring onions (scallions) cut diagonally to 1 inch lengths 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root 1/4 cup chicken stock (broth) 2 garlic cloves, minced small cup baby corn 1 teaspoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons black bean sauce vegetable or ground nut oil as needed

Preparation:

1. Blend the soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, egg white and corn flour in a small bowl. Add the chicken and set aside to marinate for 15 to 20 minutes. 2. Heat the wok to high and stir-fry the chicken for 2 minutes or until white and almost cooked, then remove. 3. Add the spring onions and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the garlic, baby corn and ginger. Stir-fry for a further minute. 4. Add the chicken to the wok again, then add the black bean sauce. Mix well through and add the chicken stock/broth. Sprinkle sesame oil near the end of cooking. Serve hot with rice or noodles.

Versed in different styles of cooking, but mainly Asian and Italian, Marty is webmaster to http://www.tastes-ofchina.com, a new and growing site, with an Increasing list of chinese recipes.

Marty
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/healthy-shredded-stir-fried-chicken-and-spring-onions-89233.html

If you find yourself right at home in the kitchen, perhaps a chef career would be right up your alley. For more detail go to:www.camping-outdoors-recipes.com.When the thought of a chef career comes to mind, it may project thoughts of slaving over a hot, smelly grill, flipping burgers and hearing endless orders shouted through a loud speaker. While that may be the scenario for some chefs, there are actually many different options for this occupation.
Cooks for fast food and restaurant chains are always in demand because quick employee turnover is almost guaranteed. Many high school students take on these less-paying jobs solely as a summer gig. Others use the opportunity to bring in income until a more profitable job is found. However, restaurant, fast food and short order cooks are still categorized within the chef career spectrum and having the skill of producing high quality, tasty food is a talent that not everyone has. For more detail go to:www.bread-machine-cookbook.com.Everyone has to begin somewhere, and working for one of these kitchens provides cooking experience, looks good on resumes, and can act as a jumping off point for beginning a chef career.
If baking will be your forte in your chef career, perhaps a job at a cafeteria or nursing home would be a good job selection. While fast-food workers are constantly frying up and scooping out the same food products daily at a lickety-split pace, an institution kitchen is a more relaxed atmosphere where a variety of traditional, slightly more healthy dishes are prepared.
For instance, many cafeteria kitchens designate two or three items in which an employee is responsible for preparing and baking daily, such as a cook who makes bread products, one who creates casseroles, and others who hand-bread and roast chicken. Having a set food prep schedule gives a cook or chef the opportunity to ease into their specialty and, over time, perfect their craft.
After a few years of experience, it may be possible to advance to a head chef position at a prestigious eatery, such as a steak house or hotel restaurant. This chef career is a bit more stressful, as you are not only in charge of a kitchen full of employees; you are also required to insure the food going out to the paying customers is first-rate and superlative. A chef career at this high status will pay a higher income because cooking skills must be paramount and management skills proficient.
Possibly the most sought-after chef career is as a personal or private household chef. To be selected as a personal chef because of your impeccable cooking skills, creative dishes and flawless meal presentations is the height of honor for a chef after years of hard work and practice.
If you are considering a chef career, knowing how to cook is not enough. You must perfect your craft and stand out from all the rest who are your competition. Enrolling in a vocational school which provides cooking instructions or even a specialty college or institution could help mold you into the cooking expert that will send you on your way to the world of chef careers.

SMITH BLINT
http://www.articlesbase.com/recipes-articles/cooking-and-choose-chef-career-695349.html

If you go out to a restaurant to eat, you probably

watch your calories very closely. To assist you

with your calorie watching when dining out, these

tips will help you make the most of it.

- Always order salad dressings or sauces on the side,

as this way you have control over how much you add

to your meal.

- When you order grilled fish or vegetables, you

should ask that the food be grilled without butter

or oil, or prepared with very little or either or.

- Anytime you order pasta dishes, be on the lookout

for tomato based sauces instead of the cream based

sauces. Tomato based sauces are much lower in fat

and calories, and tomato sauce can even be counted

as a vegetable!

- You should always try to drink water, diet soda,

or tea instead of soda or beverages that contain

alcohol.

- If you order dessert, share with a friend. Half

of the dessert will equal half of the calories.

- When you choose a soup, remember that cream

based soups are higher in fat and calories than

other soups. A soup can be a great appetizer, as

most are low in calories and you fill you up pretty

fast.

- When ordering a baked potato, ask for salsa instead

of sour cream, butter, cheese, or even bacon. Salsa

is very low in calories and provides a healthy

alternative with plenty of flavor and spice.

- When you are full, stop eating. Listen to your

body and what it tells you.

- If you get full, take half of your meal home.

The second portion of your meal can serve as a second

meal later. This way, you get two meals for the

price of one.

- If you’re looking to eat less, order two appetizers

or an appetizer and a salad as your meal.

- If you get a choice of side dishes, get a baked

potato or steamed vegetables instead of french

fries.

- Always look for food on the menu that’s baked,

grilled, broiled, poached, or steamed. These types

of cooking use less fat in the cooking process and

are usually much lower in calories.

- Plain bread or rolls are low in both fat and

calories. When you add the butter and oil, you

increase the fat and calorie intake.

- As key ingredients to your meal, choose dishes

with fruits and vegetables. Both fruits and

vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber as

well as many vitamins and minerals.

- Choose foods made with whole grains, such as

whole wheat bread and dishes made with brown rice.

- If you crave dessert, look for something with

low fat, such as berries or fruit.

- Always remember not to deprive yourself of the

foods you truly love. All types of foods can fit

into a well balanced diet.

Ginger Malone
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/healthy-eating-tips-when-eating-out-100795.html

Let’s face it, cooking is not a top priority in the lives of every man, woman, or child on the planet. In fact, far too people have made learning to cook a priority in their lives. This means that we often exist on convenience foods and boxed mixes rather than taking the effort to prepare healthy meals for our families and our own personal enjoyment.

The same holds true for lunches when we often resort to a can of soup or box of macaroni and cheese or some other such product rather than putting our creative efforts into making a quick and easy yet delicious lunch. You will see many ideas in this article and the hope is that these ideas will not only get you off to a great start for ending the lunch rut we all seem to find ourselves in at some time or another but also to try new things on your own.

First of all, not all great lunches require actual cooking in order to prepare. Some of them will require the use of the microwave and some of them will need to be cooked or at least prepared before hand and reheated. The choices are virtually limitless once you understand the creative concept that must be in place. You should also find that many of these ideas are so simple you will wonder why on earth you have never thought of them. I certainly hope that some of these ideas will become main features within your own home.

Lettuce wraps. These mike delightfully delicious lunch treats and the filling can be prepared ahead of time, which leaves only reheating the filling and wrapping when you’re ready to eat. This is a fun lunch to share with your little ones and it teaches them that lettuce is much more versatile than people often give it credit for being. Some people choose to go with a teriyaki inspired filling; my family likes taco inspired fillings for our lettuce rolls. You are perfectly free to come up with a favorite filling of your very own.

Try sandwiches with different breads. Believe it or not, my children love trying new things. It’s a rare trait for which I am extremely grateful. Believe me I understand all too well how fortunate I am. My youngest however, has a little difficulty with thick or crusty bread. Her favorite sandwich choice has become Hawaiian sweet rolls. We put the meat, cheese, mustard, and pickle in her roll as if it were a bun and she’s thrilled. Other great ideas include hollowing out crusty rolls and filling them with roast beef and cheddar. You can broil this in your oven for a few minutes for a rare sandwich treat. The cooking part is very minimal and you do not have to have in depth knowledge of anything to prepare or enjoy these simple treats. Other great bread ideas include croissants with ham and cheese or chicken salad, taco pitas (another great favorite in our household), and paninis (this works really well if you have a George Foreman grill or a panini press).

While this is by no means the end all be all guide to cooking quick and easy lunches it is good food for thought. The hope is that this will get your own creative juices flowing so that you can prepare wonderful lunches for your family without needing to do too terribly much heavy cooking in the process.

Jackson Sloat
http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/how-to-cook-lunch-for-the-challeged-744964.html