Raw Food Weight Loss vs Obesity

by Surama
(Kolkata, India)

I was suffering from health problems because of my obesity. My doctor advised me to reduce weight by eating sensibly rather than going in for a crash diet.

Crash diets are short-lived and do not provide sufficient nutrition. The most sensible way to lose weight is by combining a low fat diet with regular physical activity.

So now I have a regular four meals a day. Apart from a heavy breakfast and light dinner, I eat lots of raw salads during lunchtime. Evening snacks are mainly sprouts, which are very healthy. Raw vegetables that I eat in salads include cucumber, carrot, tomato and leafy green vegetables like spinach. Sometimes I add lettuce and capsicum to my salad. I avoid salad dressings and instead opt for a tablespoon of lime juice with a pinch of salt.

My health has improved because of the extra nutrients I'm getting from raw food. Cucumber has high water content in it, is low in calories and also very good for the skin. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene and contain fiber. It's better to eat raw as most of the nutrients are destroyed while cooking. Leafy vegetables are rich in nutrients but low in calories. Iceberg lettuce has a crunchy texture so I add it to the salad to give it crunchiness.

Everyday I have a habit of eating a salad containing cucumber, tomato, carrots and onions occasionally tossed up with lettuce and capsicum. In the evening I prefer to take sprouts prepared from green pulses and varieties of other pulses. These are soaked overnight and kept in a sprout maker.

This rich nutritious diet which is low in calories, along with regular walking, has helped reach my goal of eating healthy and losing weight. It took me more than 6 months to lose 5 kg weight, as I could not do much walking because of my health.

I still follow the same routine today and stick to healthy food choices. When you are sick and not in good mood you never know what to do. After reducing weight and deciding to eat healthy food I've realised that staying healthy is the best option and that has kept me motivated.