What’s inside matters

Many people walk around feeling bloated or tired, or lack lustre, yet do not think to examine what they eat, or take a look at their life and change elements. 

Food sensitivites often go unnoticed, particularly given that many of us lead quite stressful lives, rushing here and there, with pressures from work and family, it is easy to put tiredness down to this. 

How do we take a step back ? 

Firstly take a holistic approach to life 

What we eat matters…

At Raw Gorilla several of us suffered food sensitivity all our lives and it is was not until we started reading a bit more on the food chain and farming that we understood how chemicals, processing and refinement of ingredients could often change the very nature of food. 

We went back to basics, examining everything we ate , where the food had come from, how had it  been changed. 

Organic food 

The first step was making the choice to go Organic. Organic farming yields such vital benefits as preservation of soil's organic composition. Organic farmers utilize practices that: Maintain and improve fertility, soil structure and biodiversity, and reduce erosion. Reduce the risks of human, animal, and environmental exposure to toxic materials. The organic process is environmentally conscious.

As we read more we realised how many animals bred for meats are pumped with hormones we found it alarming what people were eating without realising it. 

Summary of why Organic 

• Organic produce contains fewer pesticides. ...
• Organic food is often fresher because it doesn't contain preservatives that make it last longer. ...
• Organic farming is better for the environment. ...
• Organically raised animals are NOT given antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal byproducts.

Plant based diets 

We made the choice many years ago to go Vegan for the animals, but feel a lot better energetically for it , yet always cognisant of the fact that this is a personal choice of the individual. 

However so many of our customers are trying to eat more plant based diets, reducing the amount of meat and fish. 

Unprocessed & Unrefined 

Eating natural based products full of healthy raw wholefood ingredients is a great way for improved health. It is also more filling. When ingredients have been refined often refined or simple carbs have had most of the nutrients and fibre removed. Eating refined carbs is said by many to drastically increased risk of many diseases, including obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. 

Many favourites in a house are white bread, pizza dough, pasta, pastries, white flour, white rice, sweet desserts, and many breakfast cereals.They are all processed and refined .  They digest quickly and their high glycemic index causes unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels. They can also cause fluctuations in mood and energy and a build-up of fat, especially around your waistline.

When you eat refined carbs, your bloodstream is flooded with sugar which triggers a surge of insulin to clear the sugar from your blood. All this insulin can leave you feeling hungry soon after a meal, often craving more sugary carbs. This can cause you to overeat, put on weight, and over time lead to insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. Diets high in refined carbs and sugar have also been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, hyperactivity, mood disorders. 

“ The physical body is made of and depends on food. 

The quality of food eaten basically determines the state of the body, emotions, and thoughts. 

The “food-principle” is the fundamental basis for all physical healing. “

Adi Da Samraj 

What we do  with our time matters

Examining how we spend our time is an interesting exercise. Television many find affects our nervous system. Whether you believe this or not , it is good to find some time for yourself. 

Too Much TV Really Is Bad for Your Brain. ... The people in the study who watched more than 3 hours of TV per day on average over the next 25 years were more likely to perform poorly on certain cognitive tests, compared with people who watched little TV, the researchers found.

Excercise has been shown to produce positive endomorphs, we feel happy, and stress is released. Ideally with regular body work such as yoga and meditation we start to take a more holsitic view to life. 

Yoga is a great activity for you if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease. It gives you strength, flexibility, and mind-body awareness. ... Yoga can help you stay flexible and strong without putting added stress on your joints.

The fundamental purpose of yoga is to foster harmony in the body, mind, and environment. Yoga professes a complete system of physical, mental, social, and spiritual development.

Meditation can help you deal with stress and negative emotions. Multiple studies have shown that meditation can help reduce levels of depression and anxiety, along with helping people tolerate pain better. Meditation reduces blood pressure and heart rate, which alleviates unnecessary pressure on your heart and arteries. ... Meditation boosts the immune system. As we reduce our stress, the immune system is boosted and so is our general wellbeing. Meditation causes muscle relaxation.