• Top 5 reasons to add raw foods to your diet.
• What are bio-photons? <-- You need to know about this!
• The physics of health.
• Where to get the BEST vitamins.
• What are LIVE minerals?
• Antioxidants clearly defined
• At a minimum you want this percentage of your meal to be raw veggies.

• The 3 key elements that you need to look for to get the most energy and stamina from your food (Chapter 3).
• The #1 food in the world for weight loss that so few people are taking advantage of right now (You get to find all about it here! Chapter 14)
• How to AVOID the big pitfall that most people fall into of constantly gaining and losing their results (Chapter 2)
• The 3 critical things to avoid in any food that you eat, that are actually disrupting your genetic expression (Chapter11).
• The #1 key to getting rid of chronic weight and health issues and HOW it actually works (Chapter 12)
• How to RADICALLY increase your energy and stamina everyday (Chapter 3 and 14)
• And MUCH MUCH More

Dogs are often believed to be purely social animals who enjoy interaction with humans and other animals alike.

What has emerged, however, is data suggesting that some dogs suffer from social disorders in a manner similar to humans. Among these is anxiety, which appears to be the most prominent of canine behavioral problems.

According to veterinarians, an estimated 15 percent of household dogs have anxiety. Some of these canines react strongly to a thunderstorm, others are afraid of humans and still others have a condition known as separation anxiety.

The origins of such disorders are largely debatable and vary considerably. Some dog trainers argue that certain dogs are simply predisposed to such a condition, while others state it is a result of former abuse. In any case, anxiety is a serious disorder that requires prompt treatment.

Using Foods to Remedy Anxiety

The controversy over prescription medications extends well beyond humans and into the arena of pets. For this reason, a large number of canine professionals recommend using foods rich in nutrients to help relieve symptoms of anxiety. Certain vitamins and minerals have proven to work beneficially with the brain and body, thereby calming dogs and providing them with daily essential nutrition.

Some commercial dog foods provide a degree of nutrition, but processing often damages a number of important vitamins. An example of this is found in vitamin B6, which often loses its nutritional significance before it is even provided to dogs. The best way to nourish dogs, therefore, is with raw foods.

Listed below are some essential nutrients, in what raw food sources they are found, and how they help dogs cope with anxiety.

• Thiamine: plants, fruits, vegetables, milk and meat are all good sources of thiamine, or vitamin B1. This facilitates neurotransmitter synthesis, converts food carbohydrates to energy and promotes healthy functioning of nerves. All of these activities are beneficial for relieving canine panic and anxiety.
• Riboflavin: found largely in organ meats and dairy products, riboflavin, or vitamin B2, works to break down other B vitamins into useful forms. This allows the body to function properly with the aid of important nutrients, thereby reducing the impact of anxiety.
• Vitamin B6: this is found in a variety of foods, including chicken, sweet potatoes and bananas. Vitamin B6 is valuable for anxiety because it helps in the manufacturing of neurotransmitters, like serotonin. Such chemicals are essential to the body for coping with anxiety. Moreover, vitamin B6 is thought to support the immune system during stress.
• Folic acid: found in organ meats, turkey and asparagus, this member of the vitamin B family likely helps relieve depression, which is often linked to panic and anxiety.
• Niacin: meat and meat by-products often contain niacin, which stabilizes blood sugar and helps the nervous system function properly.
• Pantothenic acid: meats and vegetables both contain pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5. This assists the production of stress hormones when they are most needed during psychologically difficult times. It also supports the body’s natural response to anxiety.
• Calcium: found in such foods as yogurt, salmon and broccoli, calcium assists normal communication between nerve cells. It also aids muscle contraction, all of which support the body during times of anxiety. It is also suggested that calcium may lower blood pressure, which likely raises during stress.
• Magnesium: green vegetables like spinach contain magnesium, which is beneficial during anxiety because it helps relax overwrought muscles.

Additional Benefits of Raw Food Diets for Dogs

While stress and anxiety may likely be controlled with a wholesome regimen, the raw food diet poses a number of other health benefits as well. Veterinarians believe that proper nutrition is essential to all aspects of a healthy dog. Moreover, when dogs are nutritionally satisfied, they are far less likely to undergo negative behavioral changes that include aggression, anxiety and fears.

While treatment is certainly necessary for dogs with anxiety, the root of the problem must also be explored in order to entirely eliminate it. According to veterinarians, diet is a viable first place to start because it can likely control physical symptoms. From there, additional training exercises may be required to get a pet back on track.

UPDATE: Based on some of the comments we want to make it clear that we are in 100% support of eating raw foods, our previous post on the topic (Part 1) explained the Benefits of a Raw Food Diet.  Our goal here was to explore the flip side. Lets stay open to the fact that everyone is different and at various levels of health. There are indeed dangers to any kind of extreme.

Raw foodism, widely trumpeted to be the best dietary approach ever by its advocates, has been a rage across the world, especially in the United States. Staunch advocates of raw foodism have even claimed that a 100% adherence to raw foodism ushers in multiple benefits for your body.

However, the validity and the extent of raw food benefits are being widely debated, and on the other side of the table are the followers of the cooked food approach. Expectedly, the other group fiercely contests the claims of the raw food proponents.

Obviously, the debate is polarized between two diametrically opposing groups, but there are a lot of people who just want to stay healthy and fit and want to find out how good raw food really is. You are not an expert on raw food and thus can be vulnerable to persuasion.

Therefore, it is important to know that a 100% switch to raw foods may not be suitable for your body. Raw foods, as its advocates claim, have many advantages, and if harnessed properly, can help you lead a healthy life. Balance is the key here, and you must know your body well. Raw foodism, just like any other dietary approach, has its disadvantages, and it is worthwhile to take a look at some of them.

• According to an article by a food and nutrition expert from Cornell University, you get more nutrition when certain eatables are cooked. Cooked tomatoes, for example, contain more lycopene, a compound that helps fight cancer, than raw tomatoes.

• According to Donna Gates, the author of Body Ecology Diet, one needs to have a robust digestive system to absorb raw foods all the time. This effectively reduces the universal acceptability of raw foods.

• According to researchers at the Rutgers University, at least 37 of 48 sampled vegetables are easily digestible when they are stir-fried, boiled, grilled, or steamed.

• Experts opine that while raw foods like vegetables and fruits are great for your health, it may not be wise to go for a 100% raw diet, as that can cause a deficiency in a variety of nutrients like Vitamin B-12, iron, calcium, and protein.

• The incidence of food poisoning due to contaminated raw food has risen as much as 10 times since the 1970s. People have been found to suffer from food poisoning and other problems due to the consumption of raw lettuce, salad, melons, and berries.

• Certain categories of raw foods are said to contain anti-nutrient factors (ANF) that are destroyed by cooking.

• According to other dietary approaches (for example: Ayurveda and Macrobiotics), a raw dietary approach may not be suitable for regions with extremely cold climates.

• Critics of raw foodism point out that though cooked foods can lose some enzymes, the body enzymes are enough to help absorb the consumed food. Also, cooking helps you absorb certain phytochemicals (for example: beta-carotene in carrots) better.

• A study by Washington University found that people on a raw diet had a low bone mass.

A raw diet is certainly better than the Standard American Diet (SAD). However, empirical data suggests that many have just jumped into the raw diet with the expectation that they are going to be among the fittest people on the planet. They forsake cooked food totally in favor of a raw diet, only to realize after some time that the diet was not what their body wanted.

Needless to say, one needs to think hard before deciding on the proportion of raw foods. A blood test would be a wise thing to do for just about every raw food aspirant. It makes sense to be aware of one’s health condition and one’s needs before you take any hasty decision.

As stated earlier, balance is the key, and this holds true especially if one is coming off a Standard American Diet (SAD). A gradual transition to raw food habits is always preferable over a sudden and a total transition from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to a raw food diet.

A raw diet brings along with it multiple advantages, and one needs to carefully harness the power of a raw diet strictly in accordance with his/her health condition. One need not abandon cooked food, as that may give rise to other problems. Ideally, one should plan a diet with around 60% to 80% raw food depending on individual needs.

Talk to your doctor to specifically identify the kind of raw foods (for example: vegetables and fruits) that will be suitable for the body.

To sum it up, balance, a full awareness of your body, and a careful identification of healthy raw foods are the keys to leading a healthy life.

Note: Thank you all for the feedback and openness in having a discussion on the topic. We've received lots of negative comments and most people misunderstood us. We never said that raw food is bad for you! We've explained last week the advantages of raw foods and in this article we were just trying to educate people about downfalls. We of course encourage people to eat 70-90% raw. Our point was that a 100% raw diet switch may not be for everyone and people on a conventional diet may harm themselves doing a full switch.

References
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/08/01/eating_raw_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_according_to_various_experts.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodism#Potential_harmful_effects_of_cooked_foods

Raw foodism, also known as rawism, is a lifestyle that promotes consumption of unprocessed, uncooked, and organic foods as part of your diet. The advocates of raw foodism for a long time have presented it as an alternative and a superior dietary approach, relative to other diets.

Obviously, the supporters of raw foodism claim that this approach brings about multiple benefits that cooked or processed foods can’t. Raw foods are said to support our natural physiological processes without modifying them or intervening into their working style. In other words, raw foods are totally compatible with our body requirements.

Raw foods have been found to improve immunity to sickness and prevent many diseases. These foods contain essential nutrients which can be lost if they are cooked.

Raw food advantages

• Since raw food is primarily sourced from nature, your body is strengthened naturally and can stave off diseases for a longer duration.

• Raw foods are believed to contain enzymes, such asamylases, lipases and proteases that aid digestion. These enzymes are lost if food is cooked over 104 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Raw foods contain micro-organisms and bacteria that perform many useful functions, such as fermenting energy substrates that are unused, preventing harmful and pathogenic bacteria growth, and bolstering the immune system for your body.

• These foods are believed to have higher nutrient values than those of cooked foods.

• Raw foods do not contain excitotoxins, such as for example, flavor enhancers and do not cause excitotoxicity.

• They are high on antioxidants and help fight aging.

• They contain fewer trans fats and saturated fats than a typical Western diet. A typical raw food diet is also low on sodium and high on potassium, fiber, magnesium, and folate. Obviously, raw food is considered an excellent way to prevent heart disease and cancer.

• Raw foods, as its proponents claim, can increase the immunity levels in human beings. As such, you have increased protection from flu, cold, and measles. You can also prevent problems such as gas, indigestion, heartburn, and constipation.

• Studies over the years have shown that a raw diet has helped reduce and ward off obesity, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis.

• According to a study by German researchers in 2003, women can significantly lower the risks of breast cancer by including a large amount of raw vegetables in their diet.

• According to another research carried out in Germany, raw foods consumed on a long term basis has been found to cause favorable plasma beta-carotene and low plasma lycopene concentrations.

• A research found that the consumption of unpasteurized milk can significantly reduce allergies.

• Raw foods naturally have more flavors than cooked foods and therefore, don’t have to add salt, spices or any kind of condiments that can cause irritation to your organs and digestive system.

However, if you are thinking of becoming a raw foodie, step back and think a while. You need to exercise some care before you embrace raw foods and see how far your body is going to accept them. Fred Bisci, a renowned nutritionist and food scientist has been a raw foodie for the last 40 years and believes that a raw vegan diet can be the healthiest diet one can ever follow. However, Fred Bisci adds that one needs to follow a vegan diet correctly and monitor their nutrient levels regularly.

Indeed, the emphasis must be correctness and more importantly, on customization. No two human bodies are same and their requirements will vary widely too. Therefore, you should not be swayed by what the confirmed raw foodies say about raw foodism and must stick to what is beneficial for you. Consulting your doctor and taking a few medical tests to ascertain the suitability might be a good idea.

You need to watch out for certain deficiencies that may occur if you have been on a prolonged raw vegan diet. Vitamin B12 deficiency may eventually set in and those living in a cold climate may suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Taking a blood test and nutrient profile will be really helpful in determining the extent and nature of deficiencies. According to Fred Bisci, a raw vegan diet works wonders when one complements the diet with vitamin B12, vitamin D and other mineral supplements. In a nutshell, balance is the key to staying healthy and energetic with a raw food diet.

References

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/Raw_Food.htm

http://www.rawfoodhowto.com/ten-advantages-to-eating-raw.cfm

http://fresh-network.typepad.com/fresh_network_blog/2010/01/the-rise-of-raw-but-not-vegan.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gut_flora

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodism

We've tried so many different superfood powders over the years and I can confidently say that HealthForce products are the only products that I have found that honestly live up to the claims. We travel a lot and this is the easiest way to add so many amazing superfoods to your smoothies.

HealthForce Nutritionals  is the #1 Source for Raw, Vegan, Bio-compatible Nutritional Superfoods. HealthForce Nutritionals is a 20+ year 100% hardcore vegan therapeutic superfoods company.

In my opinion, Vitamineral Green is the highest quality raw superfood blend on the market. Jameth Sheridan is a man of high integrity and intelligence. He has devoted his life to producing the highest quality nutritional products available. And there so many of them!

Let me tell you more about each product.

Vitamineral™ Green, Vital Healing SuperFood Powder

Vitamineral™ Green is a superior, nutritionally dense therapeutic green superfood powder. Vitamineral™ Green nutritionally supports blood sugar, detoxification, the immune system, liver, kidneys, blood, bones, colon, regularity, circulation, and longevity.

Every ingredient, including how it is grown and processed, is therapeutic.  It is an extremely potent & comprehensive array of nature’s most nutritive and cleansing superfoods, grown and processed to maximize their benefits.  Contains a full spectrum of naturally occurring, absorbable and non-toxic vitamins, minerals, all the essential amino acids (protein), antioxidants, chlorophyll, soluble and insoluble fibers, tens of thousands of phytonutrients, and a plethora of other synergistically bound, organic nutrients.  Contains no synthetic or isolated nutrients (not excreted as expensive yellow urine or stored as toxic deposits).  Vitamineral™ Green is Actual Food™.

Ingredients:

From the Land
• Nettle Leaf • Shavegrass (Horsetail) • Alfalfa Leaf Juice • Dandelion Leaf Juice • Barley Grass Juice • Oat Grass Juice • Barley Grass • Wheat Grass • American Basil • Holy Basil/Tulsi • Moringa Leaf • Yacon Leaf • Nopal Cactus • Chickweed • Ginger Root • Broccoli Juice • Kale Juice • Spinach Juice • Parsley Juice • Carob Pod • Amla Berry

From the Waters
• Spirulina • Chlorella

From the Oceans (Mineralization)
• Icelandic Kelp • Dulse • Nori • Alaria • Bladderwrack

Enzymes (optimum absorption +) • Protease • Amylase • Lipase  • Cellulase • Bromelain  • Papain • Alpha-Galactosidase

Energetics
• Shilajit + • Magnetic • Homeopathic • Energetic & Vibrational energies

Zeoforce™ Zeolite Detoxify Daily Powder

ZeoForce™ is a non-toxic, deeply detoxifying, & alkalizing dietary supplement from Earth Clay (zeolite is formed when volcanic magna hits fresh or salt water) that can be used internally and externally to help rid the body of toxins such as heavy metals, ammonia and other harmful chemicals and environmental substances*.  
Benefits increase with continued usage.  
ZeoForce™ naturally holds a negative charge and will bond with toxins for safe and effective removal*.  It can also be used externally for face & body masques, or added to your bath water for a detoxifying soak.
ZeoForce™ is Clinoptilolite mineral CONCENTRATE – micro reduced to the size red blood cells for optimum absorption and potency that diluted liquids simply cannot match.

Earth, a Sacred Healing SuperFood Powder

Earth™ is the grounding superfood powder with the best sources of essential fatty acids, cleansing and highly nutritive roots, barks, and colon detoxifying and supportive foods.

Earth™ can be used on its own as a grounding superfood blend, or ideally taken in the same day as  Vitamineral™ Green for a balance of yin and yang.

• Smoothies:  Will thicken and nutrify.
• Broth or Tea:  Add to warm water or make a tea (virtually all natives made teas of healing herbs with hot water).  Hot water tea produces a totally different flavor (with more phytonutrients). Drink all at once or throughout the day.
• Savory Dishes:  Add to foods such as soups, salads, dressings, casseroles, etc.

Ingredients:

Earth Below: Astragalus Root , Burdock Root, Nettle Root, Marshmallow Root, Yacon Root, Dandelion Root, Carrot, Ginger, Rhubarb Root

Earth Above: Red Clover Blossoms, Slippery Elm Bark, Watercress, White Oak Bark,  Corn silk, Kelp, Cinnamon Bark, Blessed Thistle, Sheep Sorrel.

Earth Seeds: Sprouted Flax Seeds, Sprouted Chia Seeds,   Milk Thistle Seeds.

Earth Broth: Miso, Chili Powder, Paprika, Sage Leaf. Providing essential organic sodium and grounding spices of life.

Earthbiotics: Massive array of both implantable lactobacillus species and NSOs™ (Natural Soil Organisms™)

Actual Food™ Nutrient Array: (containing 100% organically  bound: Chromium, Selenium, Molybdenum, Manganese,  B-Vitamins, Beta-Glucans, and all necessary cofactors)

Energetics: Shilajit + Magnetic, Homeopathic, Energetic, & Vibrational Enhancements. Magnetically sanitized and purified.

This is an amazing recipe that you will love!
Crust

2 cups raw, finely ground almonds (grind prior to use)
3 cups diced, crimini mushrooms
1 cup spinach leaves, chopped
¾ cup diced, broccoli crowns
½ small, red bell pepper chopped
¾ cup diced, white and green onions (combo of both)
5 pieces, softened sun-dried tomatoes
1/8 cup olive oil
¼ cup tahini (or a little less)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried tarragon
1 TB Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 TB lemon juice
½ cup water (to help blend)

In food processor, combine all of the crust ingredients. Process until it forms a ball. Spread out on parchment paper lined dehydrator screen. Dehydrate until firm.

Spicy Red Pepper Spread

1 small red bell pepper
6-9 (depending on size) softened sun-dried tomatoes
1 clove garlic, pressed
½ small white onion, chopped
sea salt
ground cayenne pepper

Blend until thick and creamy.

For this pizza I topped it with zucchini that marinated in a small amount of Nama Shoyu, paprika, and just a pinch of ground chipotle chili pepper. Sliced onions, fresh parsley, and raw pine nuts helped finish the toppings list. You can put on whatever you like.

After pizza crust is firm spoon the red pepper spread on thick.
Top with zucchini, onions, pine nuts and parsley.

Found at http://irawvegan.blogspot.com/2009/06/veggie-pizzaraw.html