5 Reasons Why Busy College Students Should Think About Eating Raw Foods

As a college student, you’ve probably heard about ‘the raw diet’; whether that’s through the internet, through word-of-mouth, or you might know someone who’s using it. If you have, the chances are you’ve heard of all the amazing health benefits this diet has and what it can do for your stress levels, your overall health and many other aspects of your life.

If you’re still on the fence, then you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re going to explore everything a busy college student should know about a raw diet, and why it could be one of the best choices you make this year.

What is a raw diet?

First, let’s get on the same page.

A ‘raw diet’ is exactly what you think it would be, and refers to the diet where you eat raw, uncooked foods. This includes food groups like fruits, legumes, vegetables, nuts, seeds and other similar food types.

When you cook food, a ton of the goodness, nutritional benefits and natural enzymes are destroyed by the heat, meaning you can’t fully benefit from the foods you’re eating. However, this is alleviated by eating the foods raw; ultimately doing wonders for your health.

Let’s explore some of these benefits;

1. You can save a TON of money

Grocery shopping can be one of the biggest expenses a student will face, especially when it comes to buying not-so-affordable foods; such as chips, sweets, branded goods and treats. Meats and other animal products are also one of the most expensive.

By switching to a raw diet, you can potentially save hundreds of dollars a month on your food bill, meaning you have more money to save or spend on other things. Being financially stable in this sense is also a great way to bring down your general stress levels.

2. You’ll do wonders for your skin

We’ve all been in a position where we’ve looked in the mirror and feel terrible about how we look. Dry skin, ache, pours and more; it’s just not ideal and can harm our self-confidence and self-esteem. However, this is the price we pay for eating foods with toxins in them.

Instead, switching to a raw diet minimises these toxins, especially when you’re eating organic foods without GMO, artificial preservatives and other chemicals, your skin will become wonderful without the extra toxins.

3. Optimising your health 101

As we mentioned above, raw foods don’t lose any of their nutritional value because they’re not being destroyed by heat. This means the food you’re eating contain all the goodness, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and more than your body needs to thrive.

Not only will this boost your energy levels, help you maintain a healthy weight, minimise the risk of health conditions, such as heart disease, organ problems and some cancers, you’ll also lower stress levels, boost your immune system and optimise your ability to sleep and function properly.

4. Get ill when?

Hand in hand with the point above, think about how quickly illnesses can spread around a common dorm, especially if you’re using a communal bathroom or eating area. If your diet isn’t on point, you’re going to have a weakened immune system which is far too susceptible to these diseases and illnesses.

Eating a proper diet means your immune system will be optimal, making it far more likely you’ll avoid falling ill, as well as all the negative side effects that come with it; such as not being able to attend class or social events, and falling behind on your college work.

5. Start getting creative with food

Let’s be honest, a lot of people are put off by raw foods because it’s ‘boring’ or ‘tasteless’, but in reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. After all, what’s exciting about eating pizza and chips all day every day; apart from the fact it tastes good because it’s pumped full of chemicals and additives?

Instead, eating a raw diet means you’ll automatically start to look online and in recipe books to see how you can spice things up, and once you start exploring this side of the raw food diet, your options become limitless.

From wraps and salads to dips and sauces, there are so many options out there just waiting to be explored; we can almost guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Get as creative as you like!

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