Chances are that you’ve probably heard people talk about a raw food diet and how healthy it is for you, but did you ever wonder exactly what it is they’re talking about? Perhaps you envisioned raw oysters and beef on your dinner table. That doesn’t sound too appealing doesn’t?

In fact, a raw food diet is simply eating food in its natural unprocessed state. You probably already are on part of a raw food diet. If you snack on fruits and vegetables without cooking them, then you’ve eaten raw food.

Raw food, or unprocessed food is much better for you because the act of processing the food strips it of a lot of its vital nutrients. You’ve probably heard that cooking vegetables can leach out a lot of the vitamins and it can also destroy the important food enzymes as well. Packaged foods, that you find in the grocery store like potato flakes to make mashed potatoes and other foods that have been processed in some way to make an easy package meal not only have little nutritional value, but your body simply isn’t made to process these foods.

If you think about raw foods as being the natural foods the way that they come from the earth, then it makes sense that these are easier for our bodies to process as these of the foods are great ancestors ate and there really hasn’t been that many generations since grocery stores, and therefore prepackaged foods, were invented.

Raw foods are packed full of vitamins, minerals and food enzymes. These food enzymes are important, although you don’t hear a lot about them. One of the things they do is help you digest your food and getting enough enzymes can help your body with the digestion process which takes a lot of energy, and if your body is spending less energy on digestion it will have more energy for you to do the things you like. Did you ever wonder why you feel so tired after you eat a big meal of cooked foods? One of the reasons is because food enzymes are destroyed by cooking, so there are no enzymes to help your body digests that big meal you just ate.

People in a raw food diet eat about 75% of their food as raw and whole foods. This includes fruits, vegetables, sprouts, raw nuts, seaweed and other foods in their natural form.

Raw foods can be prepared in a couple of ways. One of the most popular is juicing. Many people go on a juice fast where all they do is drink the juice of raw organic fruits and vegetables. Even just drinking fresh juice in the morning can give your health a boost.

Another way that people eat raw foods is to use a food dehydrator. This takes all the moisture out of the fruits and vegetables so they can be easily stored for long periods of time without going bad. A food dehydrator uses hot air to dehydrate the food but it keeps the temperature under 116°F so that the vital food enzymes are not destroyed.

Of course, you can simply eat your fruits and vegetables the way nature intended picked straight from the tree. Nuts can be a great raw food that you eat for snacks as well, but be careful because most of the nuts you find in the grocery store are cooked. You need to make sure you get raw nuts which you probably will have to buy either online or from a health food store.

You don’t have to all of a sudden start eating 75% of your foods as raw foods in order to enjoy the health benefits of the raw food diet. You can gradually increase the amount of raw foods you eat as time goes on and you will notice how much more energy you have and how healthy you feel. Remember, you are what you eat!

Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/gaining-better-health-through-a-raw-food-diet-106764.html

Duration : 0:0:27

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As more and more baby boomers begin to consume health food, the need for more business people opening up a vitamin supplement store whether it is an online or brick and mortar location is ever increasing.

There is no distinct training or knowledge required. If you order your supplements online, you could be purchasing them from even a sixteen-year-old in New York or even Vegas or from a seventy-year-old man on a wheelchair.

Do not worry too and this should not concern you? After all, it’s safe as long as it’s sealed, right? Then again, it is wrong!

There are many people who do not realize that these vitamin supplements are not regulated like drugs, but they are regulated like food.

What that means is that unless and until a problem arises, the only thing we’re going to know about the product is what the manufacture wants us to know.

Although the FTC and the FDA work together on issues such as false claims, they usually don’t get involved until after there’s a problem. In addition, unlike drugs, vitamin supplements don’t have to be tested or offer any proof before marketing.

What other stores are doing? Beware of them.

There are some unscrupulous, unethical vitamin supplement stores whom have marketed dietary supplements that were actually fakes and not the product they claimed to be.

Also, there are others stores who had ingredients that were not disclosed on the label. However, between 2002 and 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had seized more than nine million dollars worth of dietary supplements including vitamin supplements that were either labeled with false claims or were unapproved drugs disguised as supplements.

There are even supplements that claims to be all natural, which can even interfere with medication you are already taking or a medical condition you have.

Sometimes a vitamin supplement is necessary. My doctor has recommended certain supplements to me. When he does however, he writes down exactly what they are and recommends the same store every time, of which he has no affiliation.

The most important thing I know and understand the vitamin health supplement store. I’ve gotten to know the person who owns it and familiar with the brands he or she is selling. There is a consistency there that helps me to feel safe when I shop there.

What you need to do?

In order to get a good quality vitamin supplement, that doesn’t mean that the store has to be a brick and mortar store in order to be considered safe. However, you can still do your homework before you purchase from an online store.

For one thing, if you can’t find any phone number or physical address for that online store you are surfing, just simply walk out of their virtual door! That’s simple and there goes for any online company. There are no strings attached.

Any legal vitamin store company will definitely display their contact information. In this way, not only can you contact them, but you can do some research about them.

Why you need to check on them?

Once you know a vitamin supplement store’s name and physical address, you can check with the Better Business Bureau in that city to see if any complaints have been filed with them and if so, if they have been resolved.

This way, it is also easier to search the FTC and FDA websites for any disciplinary action when you have their contact information.

Another reason is to shut them down virtually when you are visiting a vitamin supplement store online is if they are making any ridiculous claims. Claims such as this, “this cures everything, buy it now, it won’t last,” etc. is simply too good to be true.

In fact, once a supplement claims to cure or treat an illness or condition, it ceases being marketed as a dietary supplement and has become marketed as a drug. That’s when the FDA and FTC start sending out warning letters that can lead to more serious legal action against these operators of the store.

Please note that before making any purchase from any vitamin supplement store, whether online or brick and mortar, use your common sense and do your homework to ensure your safety.

Check the FDA and FTC websites if you have further questions or concerns about vitamin supplements or the stores in which you purchase them.

Now, you may now know how to identify and understand why you need to know your vitamin store when buying vitamins.

However, even we know how to choose a reliable vitamin store, but without a proper understanding of using and getting good vitamins to treat many chronic diseases, there will not be much disease free lifestyle to crave for.

anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/do-you-require-to-understand-your-vitamin-health-supplement-store-when-looking-for-vitamins-133224.html

Any store gathers a community of like minded people. A feed store attracts the agricultural community, and an auto parts store gathers those interested in motor vehicles. People make political and social choices when they shop: they “vote with their dollars,” deciding who and what they will associate with and support.

Healthy eating is a way of life, something that you can do to enhance your body or your lifestyle. If you’ve thought about making your life better, healthy eating is just the place to start. You’ll make life easier for yourself, those around you, and even your family. So why is the health store so important to the community?

A health store first and foremost offers a community another way to make informed consumer choices. It can gather people from many walks of life around the issues of environment, agriculture, health, social justice and economy. It creates community health on many fronts. It recognizes the value of offering a community food with organic certification, high nutritional value, proven health benefits, and lower levels of processing, as well as foods which are necessary for special diets and produced relatively locally, providing environmental and economic stability.

Becoming a health store shopper requires you to become both educated and smart about what healthy eating actually is. Being food smart isn’t about learning to calculate grams or fat, nor is it about studying labels and counting calories.

Shopping at the health food store is all about balanced and moderate eating, consisting of healthy meals at least three times per day. Health Store shoppers buy many different types of foods, not limiting themselves to one specific food type or food group.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and health store experts is time. If you’ll invest a little more time in reading, you’ll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to health store.

Health stores can support holistic health and healers through education and by helping people make connections. People shopping at health stores make lots of connections. Perhaps most obviously, they connect the environment to farming, farming to food, and food to their own health. The accepted point of view is that ingesting vitamin and mineral supplements, super foods, whole and organically grown foods, and herbs and herbal preparations can positively affect one’s health.

A health store can purchase more locally produced food and other items than a large grocery chain with greater volume needs, it can be more responsive to individual customers’ needs, and it can serve as a focal point for community education and activism on food related issues.

Health stores can support an agriculture whose methods do not deplete soil, water, air, wildlife, or human community resources, as opposed to methods that rely heavily on petroleum products (like gasoline, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides) and/or exploited labor. In a time of political instability in the region where the greatest percentage of the world’s oil reserves lie, and at a time when the U.S. is realizing the implications of its illegal and exploited (farm, amongst others) labor force, health stores can offer valuable markets to farmers who practice more sustainable methods.

A healthy eater is a good problem solver. Healthy eaters have learned to take care of themselves and their eating with sound judgment and making wise decisions. Healthy eaters are always aware of what they eat, and know the effect that it will have on their bodies.

Farmers markets can be supported and promoted by health stores. Many of these stores do not offer produce themselves, but even if they do, it does not need to be considered a conflict of interest. On Farmers Market days, farmers can often sell their “leftovers” to the local groceries and health store. If a farmers market is located within city limits, many businesses will benefit from the influx of customers on what otherwise might be a slow day or time of day. Tourists are also attracted to farmers markets.

The issue of food is closely tied to our environment, health, social justice and economy, and thus, a health store can contribute to community health in many ways.

Now that wasn’t hard at all, was it? And you’ve earned a wealth of knowledge, just from taking some time to study an expert’s word on health store.

Keith Woolley
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-health-store-a-very-important-store-for-any-community-89489.html

Duration : 0:0:37

Technorati Tags: food, Harvest, health, Nature's, store

Hopefully I get an answer… I’ll be choosing best answer if that helps.

Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that humans and other animals must ingest for good health because the body requires them but can’t make them from other food components. The term refers to fatty acids required for biological processes, and not those that only act as fuel.
There are only two EFAs: alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid. Some researchers consider gamma-linolenic acid (omega-6), lauric acid (saturated fatty acid), and palmitoleic acid (monosaturated fatty acid) conditionally essential.

Omega-3 (Linolenic Acid)

Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) is the principal Omega-3 fatty acid, which a healthy human will convert into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and later into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and the GLA synthesized from linoleic (Omega-6) acid are later converted into hormone-like compounds known as eicosanoids, which aid in many bodily functions including vital organ function and intracellular activity.
Omega-3s are used in the formation of cell walls, making them supple and flexible, and improving circulation and oxygen uptake with proper red blood cell flexibility and function.
Omega-3 deficiencies are linked to decreased memory and mental abilities, tingling sensation of the nerves, poor vision, increased tendency to form blood clots, diminished immune function, increased triglycerides and "bad" cholesterol (LDL) levels, impaired membrane function, hypertension, irregular heart beat, learning disorders, menopausal discomfort, itchiness on the front of the lower leg(s), and growth retardation in infants, children, and pregnant women.

Found in foods:
Flaxseed oil (flaxseed oil has the highest linolenic content of any food), flaxseeds, flaxseed meal, hempseed oil, hempseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, purslane, mustard greens, collards, etc.), canola oil (cold-pressed and unrefined), soybean oil, wheat germ oil, salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, and others.
One tablespoon per day of flaxseed oil should provide the recommended daily adult portion of linolenic acid, although "time-released" effects of consuming nuts and other linolenic-rich foods is being studied, and considered more beneficial than a once-daily oil intake.
Flaxseed oil used for dietary supplementation should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer, and purchased from a supplier who refrigerates the liquid as well.
Canola oil is often used as a cheaper alternative to the healthier virgin olive and grapeseed oils. Although Canola has at least some linolenic content, supermarket varieties of canola oil are often refined and processed with chemicals and heat, which destroy much of its linolenic acid. Cold-pressed, unrefined Canola oil is a healthier type of Canola (sometimes pricier than virgin olive oil), and found primarily in health food stores and specialty markets. The word "canola" is derived from "Canadian oil", as Canola was developed in Canada from the rape plant. Rape is a plant in the mustard family, and its rapeseed oil has at times been illegally blended with olive oil, particularly in Europe, to cheapen olive oil production costs. Although rapeseed oil is high in linolenic acid, it can make humans seriously ill if enough is consumed, and olive oil cheapened with rapeseed oil has a history of severely sickening its consumers. (Every feel itchy after eating commercial brands of peanut butter? Check the label — it probably contains rapeseed oil.) Canola was developed to eliminate chemicals toxic to humans in rapeseed oil, thus creating an inexpensive oil with linolenic acid. Unlike olive and flaxseed oil, both known to the ancients and used as mankind evolved, Canola is a recent oil, and its long-term effects on humans are not yet known.
Unripe flaxseeds contain a natural form of cyanide, and home gardeners should be cautious if trying to grow flax. The seeds must be ripe before harvesting. If attempting to grow flax at home, consult an experienced grower.

Omega-6 (Linoleic Acid)

Linoleic Acid is the primary Omega-6 fatty acid. A healthy human with good nutrition will convert linoleic acid into gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which will later by synthesized, with EPA from the Omega-3 group, into eicosanoids.
Some Omega-6s improve diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, PMS, skin disorders (e.g. psoriasis and eczema), and aid in cancer treatment.
Although most Americans obtain an excess of linoleic acid, often it is not converted to GLA because of metabolic problems caused by diets rich in sugar, alcohol, or trans fats from processed foods, as well as smoking, pollution, stress, aging, viral infections, and other illnesses such as diabetes. It is best to eliminate these factors when possible, but some prefer to supplement with GLA-rich foods such as borage oil, black currant seed oil, or evening primrose oil.

Found in food
Flaxseed oil, flaxseeds, flaxseed meal, hempseed oil, hempseeds, grapeseed oil, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds (raw), olive oil, olives, borage oil, evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, chestnut oil, chicken, among many others.
Avoid refined and hydrogenated versions of these foods.
Corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, and cottonseed oils are also sources of linoleic acid, but are refined and may be nutrient-deficient as sold in stores.

Omega-9 (Oleic Acid)

Essential but technically not an EFA, because the human body can manufacture a limited amount, provided essential EFAs are present.
Monounsaturated oleic acid lowers heart attack risk and arteriosclerosis, and aids in cancer prevention.

Found in foods:
Olive oil (extra virgin or virgin), olives, avocados, almonds, peanuts, sesame oil, pecans, pistachio nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, etc.
One to two tablespoons of extra virgin or virgin olive oil per day should provide sufficient oleic acid for adults. However, the "time-released" effects of obtaining these nutrients from nuts and other whole foods is thought to be more beneficial than consuming the entire daily amount via a single oil dose.

Food tips

High heat, light, and oxygen destroy EFAs, so when consuming foods for their EFA content, try to avoid cooked or heated forms. For example, raw nuts are a better source than roasted nuts. Don’t use flaxseed oil for cooking, and never re-use any type of oil.
Replace hydrogenated fats (like margarine), cholesterol-based fats (butter/dairy products), and poly-saturated fats (common cooking oils) with healthy EFA-based fats when possible. For example, instead of margarine or butter on your warm (not hot) vegetables, use flaxseed and/or extra virgin olive oils with salt. (This tastes similar to margarine, as margarine is just hydrogenated oil with salt.)
Sprinkling flaxseed meal on vegetables adds a slightly nutty taste. Whole flaxseeds are usually passed through the intestine, absorbing water only and not yielding much oil. Also, it’s best not to use huge amounts of flaxseed in its meal (ground seed) form, as it contains phytoestrogens. The oil is much lower in phytoestrogens.
In many recipes calling for vegetable shortening, replacing the shortening with half as much virgin olive oil, and a very small pinch of extra salt, often yields similar results.
Adding flaxseed and/or virgin olive oil to salads instead of supermarket salad oil is another healthy change.
Replace oily snack foods, like potato chips and corn chips, with nuts and seeds.
Extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil are best to use for cooking oil, as they withstand high heat well.

Health food stores have always been mysterious places. Back in the late 1970’s, early 1980’s, health food stores occupied a small niche in society that was close to being underground. They came along on the heels of the hippy movement of the 60’s and often served as a place for communes to sell their homegrown wares. The health food stores smelled of herbs, incense and a few other things that generally defied description. There were strange and exotic foods from all over the globe, all of them claiming to be organic or free range. There were things like granola, soymilk, goat’s milk, tofu and wheat grass juice. You could find books on such subjects as natural healing, crystal therapy and composting.

Wild Oats is a franchise in many cities and when you go into the store, you can tell right away that the basic Mom and Pop operation had changed. This particular chain began eighteen years ago in Boulder, Colorado and has expanded over the years to include more than 110 stores in 24 states and British Columbia. It is clear to see how this company became the standard for the organic market industry.

At first glance, their store looks like any other large grocery store, and you can probably find many of the same items that you would in a standard grocery store – but with one twist. Everything is organic. Usually when you hear the word organic, you might think two things; bland and expensive. However, with all the options and improvements in the way of organic foods are produced, there are many items that are very tasty, and the prices have become comparable to those of a conventional grocery store.

The overall concept of the health food store hasn’t changed. They still offer a wide range of organic foods and herbal remedies. They are filled with all kinds of products to heal the body, mind and spirit. You can find aromatherapy candles, essential oils, books, tapes, and DVD’s on meditation and yoga. You can take cooking classes and learn how to make your own herbal remedies. There are still aisles dedicated to environmentally safe products for household cleaning and recycling.

Some additions are a pleasant surprise, though. There can be four different “deli” counters. There is usually a butcher counter with free-range chicken and beef and a plethora of fresh seafood. Another counter may display an array of amazing baked goods (bagels, cakes and pastries), and in many stores there is yet another section that caters full meals for a quick healthy lunch or a dinner party. The modern health food store also had a section for wine and beer, an astounding array of cheeses, and an extensive frozen foods section.

It is good to see how far the basic health food store has come. Sure you can still find the small ones if you look for them, but like so many other things these days, big corporations have taken over and created franchises that offer more for less. Buying in bulk allows the stores to get better discounts and pass the savings on to the consumer.

Jeff Clare
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/visit-a-health-food-store-today-100583.html

Alternative natural sweeteners are
Xylitol – low GI of 7 (same sweetness as sugar, looks and tastes the same)
Stevia – Calorie free (300 times sweetness of sugar, as a liquid or tablet)
Erythritol- Calorie free (70 percent sweetness of sugar)
You should be able to buy these from health food stores or the internet

Duration : 0:7:48

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The approach that Markus Rothkranz takes toward the raw food lifestyle is that everything that we need, and all of the foods that our bodies need to heal themselves, is growing around us all the time. From dandelion greens to nettles to edible wild weeds, Markus Rothkranz explains how nature will magically grow what we need, when we need it, where we need it.

Markus Rothkranz says that there is no need to spend so much money at the health food store to get healthy when nature is providing us with so much healthy foods right in our backyards!

Markus has come out with a 9-hour DVD set empowering your to learn how to harvest natural and wild foods in your own backyard, and beyond!

Get the DVD set at http://www.freefoodandmedicine.com!

Also, here are a few other links to some of Markus Rothkranz work:

http://www.healyourself101.com

http://www.freefoodandmedicine.com

http://www.gorawnow.com

GO RAW NOW VIDEO:

Thanks so much for watching!

With gratitude for you,

Kiumars Imandel aka “Kiu”
The Guru of You TV Show

http://www.theguruofyou.com

http://www.facebook.com/viberider

Duration : 0:10:45

Technorati Tags: conscious, fittest, food, foraging, guru, healing, imandel, interview, kiu, kiumars, lifestyle, markus, medicine, of, raw, rothkranz, show, superfood, survival, the, tv, Vegan, Vegetarian, wild, you

The approach that Markus Rothkranz takes toward the raw food lifestyle is that everything that we need, and all of the foods that our bodies need to heal themselves, is growing around us all the time. From dandelion greens to nettles to edible wild weeds, Markus Rothkranz explains how nature will magically grow what we need, when we need it, where we need it.

Markus Rothkranz says that there is no need to spend so much money at the health food store to get healthy when nature is providing us with so much healthy foods right in our backyards!

Markus has come out with a 9-hour DVD set empowering your to learn how to harvest natural and wild foods in your own backyard, and beyond!

Get the DVD set at http://www.freefoodandmedicine.com!

Also, here are a few other links to some of Markus Rothkranz work:

http://www.healyourself101.com

http://www.freefoodandmedicine.com

http://www.gorawnow.com

GO RAW NOW VIDEO:

Thanks so much for watching!

With gratitude for you,

Kiumars Imandel aka “Kiu”
The Guru of You TV Show

http://www.theguruofyou.com

http://www.facebook.com/viberider

Duration : 0:10:1

Technorati Tags: conscious, fittest, food, foraging, guru, healing, imandel, interview, kiu, kiumars, lifestyle, markus, medicine, of, raw, rothkranz, show, superfood, survival, the, tv, Vegan, Vegetarian, wild, you