Is this diet just another fashion fad with hyper-celebrities lining up to crunch on carrots? Or, is this back-to-nature menu really everything it's cracked up to be?
- What is the raw diet?
- Why go raw?
- Are there any side effects?
- What do nutritionists think of the diet?
- Tips on what you will need to go raw
What is a raw diet?
The raw diet, as its name implies, is based on consuming unprocessed, preferably organic, whole plant-based foods, at least 75 per cent of which should be uncooked. It consists of:
fresh fruits and vegetables nuts seeds beans grains legumes dried fruits seaweeds sun-dried fruits other organic or natural foods which have not been processed freshly made fruit and vegetable juices purified water (not tap) milk from a young coconut
Raw and living foods are believed to contain essential food enzymes (living foods contain a higher enzyme content than cooked foods). The cooking process (i.e., heating foods above 116°F) is thought to destroy food enzymes.
People who follow the raw diet use particular techniques to prepare foods. These include sprouting seeds, grains and beans; soaking nuts and dried fruits; and juicing fruits and vegetables. The only cooking that is allowed is via a dehydrator. This piece of equipment blows hot air through the food but never reaches a temperature higher than 116°F.
Other techniques needed to prepare raw food are blending, juicing and chopping.
Why go raw?
Proponents of the raw diet believe that enzymes are the life force of a food and that every food contains its own perfect mix. These enzymes help us digest foods completely, without relying on our body to produce its own cocktail of digestive enzymes.
It is also thought that the cooking process destroys vitamins and minerals and that cooked foods not only take longer to digest, but they also allow partially digested fats, proteins and carbohydrates to clog up our gut and arteries.
Followers of a raw diet cite numerous health benefits, including:
increased energy levels improved appearance of skin improved digestion weight loss reduced risk of heart disease
