First let’s explain what these numbers mean, they represent a ratio our diet should consist of: 80 % carbohydrates – 10 % protein – 10 % fatty acids. Consisting mostly or entirely of raw food (that’s an individual’s choice).
With 80/10/10 it’s not about renunciation. Nutrition is a constant effort and is easy to missinterpret or missunderstand. When bringing change into life it’s good to think in the mannor that something less good is always replaced by something better. It is always better, but not always easier to remove the cause, than to add to the problem, or even surpress it.
The general view point of a diet is: diverse and a little of everything. This should be changed to: nutritious foods should be ingested in moderate amounts, but the edibles that are harmful should absolutely be avoided – no small quantities, no quantities at all.
When going raw, there is sometimes a mistaken belief that one must thus ingest more food, more fruit. There’s no need, our bodies will tell us what and how much of it they need. By having fruit as a primary food source, we naturally come close to the 80/10/10 ratio.
Fruits consist mostly of carbohydrates. But eating fruit is not the cause of high blood sugar, it’s not that simple. Do you personally know anyone who would produce diabetes or any chronic desease because of a fruit diet? Processed sugar is without exceptions bad for the body and general health, but taking in too much natural sugar because of fruit is close to impossible. It’s also important to eat whole fruits in their natural form and not ingest them as juices, because by juicing the amount of fibers is reduced. Fibers are the main factor for slowing down the absorption of sugars.
Elevated blood glucose is caused by too much ingested fats, not sugars. Explanation follows – the path of sugar through the body:
- entry into the digestive tract with food
- entering the bloodstream
- entering the cells from blood
By ingesting high fat foods, the sugars remain in the blood for longer, they cannot enter the cells as fast because the fat molecules take up a lot of time to be taken in by the cells, a lot more that sugar molecules. Thus the latter remain in the blood much longer and contribute to elevated blood glucose. Fatty acids take 12 to 24 hours to enter the cells from when they were first ingested, while sugar molecules in a clean, clear tract take less than an hour.
pH
The primary factor which affects whether certain food will trigger an acidic or alkaline reaction in the body are the minerals the food contains. Body cells function best in neutral and slightly alkaline environments (pH between 7 and 8). Even when we eat and live healthily, the cells often become more acidic through daily acivities. Too acidic blood causes for the body to use the mineral stocks (primarily calcium) for neutralisation. Raw foods neutralise these acids, alkaline minerals predominate in fruit, while in heat treated foods it’s the opposite.
Water
Is the most important molecule in our bodies. By heat treating food, it loses water. Water in fruits and vegetables is the best water the body can obtain. It is naturally filtered and full of nutrients the body needs.
Our understanding of actual nutritional value of food is still very poor. The biochemical and biological structure is so complex that we don’t know how many different molecules a single fruit or vegetable contains. By applying heat we may destroy countless useful nutrients. Heat treated edibles are nutritionally inferior, which causes for humans to eat cooked food in higher quantities. The stomach is full, but the cells are malnourished.
Detoxification
Our bodies are the perfect machines which know very well how to remove toxins in the most effective and least damaging manner.
The truth about detoxification: we tend to use the words, »heathy« or »unhealthy« foods. But there’s no such thing. Only the body itself has healing and detoxifying capabilities. All foods are a burden to the body. The point is to give the body the best possible nutrients which it can use most efficiently and with least toxic byproducts possible.
Raw food in itself is not »purifying« and/or »detoxifying«. This is simply the food that our bodies are meant, built for and best capable to ingest and digest. Ingesting raw food provides the body with the energy it needs and enables it to excrete the toxins through water with mechanisms running smoothly: digestive tract –> blood –> cells –> kidneys –> liver –> excretion.
By eating raw fruits we ingest enough water for all these processes to flow smoothly. There’s hardly any need to drink extra water as the toxins flow through and out with no obstructions. If the situation is different and the digestion and metabolism are overloaded with toxins from heat treated ingestives, then the body needs more energy and water in order to remove more toxins that are produced in such manner. Notice how you feel thirst when eating processed food in comparison to when only eating fruits.
Food must look inviting, delicious, must smell nice and must draw us in. If not, the food is not good, we are not healthy or it’s not food. If the »food« cannot be ingested in its natural form, meaning uncooked, unprocessed or changed in any way, then it’s not our food, doesn’t belong in the human diet.
The goal is to give the body all the best options to digest and make use of all the molecules the food has to offer. A wide range of nutrients doesn’t cover it if we combine them wrongly, which obstructs the digestive system and metabolism. We can disable the digestion to a point where the body cannot obtain all of the nutrients that it could from the foods provided, even if consited mostly of fruit.
About the proteins
Energy consumption differs with every individual, depending on basic body features and lifestyle, but the ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats remains the same. The human body metabolism needs its clean 80 % of carbohydrates, 10 % of proteins and 10 % of fats.
The primary role of proteins is growth (which is infinitesimal in adults), healing injuries and replacing of used cells. Meaning it needs very little of these molecules – that sums up to the 10 % and we can obtain the lot from fruits and vegetables. Protein rich food in general acidifies the body (legumes etc.).
Why mostly or fully raw?
By observing nature we realise, that every being is born with everything they need to provide food for themselves and possibly for others. No homo sapiens specimen has thus far been born with a stove on their back and tractor keys in their hands.
It’s best to go fully raw, but given the system we live in, that’s not always easily achievable, it may take some effort. One can still have a proper diet ratio including some heat treated food. The main thing is that we do our researech, compose our diet and eat mindfully. The body can then much easier take care of all our needs.
Proper diet leads to improved health, but it must be emphasized, that’s it’s the body that creates health, not the food. The body grows and heals, not the food. When we give the body proper building blocks and energy molecules, then it can be the most efficient. Health is thus a consequence of the healthy lifestyle. Diet is only a part of it. An important part, but to be healthy, we firstly need enough and quality rest, regular intensive exercise, a lot of fresh air and sunlight, optimism, a happy and grateful way of life.
A healthy life includes healthy relationships, respect and compassion to all life. To achieve a goal for a fulfilling life, one must act positively in the direction of the desired result.
The facts are taken from the book 80/10/10 Diet and personal experience. While I don’t agree with the book and the writer’s drastic measures completely, I highly recommend it. It gives useful facts, advice and definitely broadens one’s horizon. What is written here is a concentrated form of what I’ve taken from the book and I have indeed improved my life with it.
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