Diet Food

A raw food diet is based on eating unprocessed and uncooked foods as 75 to 100 percent of your diet. The diet is based on the belief that cooked food forces us to take in toxins quicker than the body can get rid of them, causing a backup in the elimination system of the body and eventually disease. Those who commit to the raw food diet also believe that heating food above 118 degrees Fahrenheit tends to destroy vital enzymes that aide in digestion and promote good health.

Nutrients do not actually disappear when food is heated, according to raw foodists. Heat, however, forces foods to undergo chemical changes that produce carcinogens, free-radicals and mutagens that cause cancer and other serious illnesses that can lead to death. Eating raw foods makes positive chemical changes happen in the body. Because the food in a raw diet is organic and more nutritionally dense, your body can absorb more nutrition. As a result, the body is less hungry, and you tend to eat less. The benefit of eating less is stable weight loss without the worry of regaining the weight.

Some who choose the raw food diet also choose raw veganism, which means they only eat raw plant foods. Raw vegans can be fruitarians, sproutarians or juicearians. There are raw foodists who eat raw meats and animal products, as well. In general, this is a diet rich in nuts, fish, seeds, raw meats, raw fruits and vegetables, eggs and non-pasteurized dairy products.

Most of the food is fairly simple to prepare, though some foods like rice have to be soaked overnight so that they can be digested. Many raw foodists soak nuts and seeds before eating them because they believe this process activates enzymes. Some breads and crackers go through the long process of dehydration to be eaten. Many raw food recipes require a food processor, blender, dehydrator or juicer, though some raw foodists frown on the practice of preparation that imitates non-raw food diets.

Though the health benefits of a raw food diet have been touted by raw foodists around the globe, there are some precautions that skeptics suggest should be considered. The main risk for the raw food diet is food poisoning. Outbreaks of E coli and other foodborne illnesses have given plenty reason for concern. According to FDA statistics, food poisoning caused by raw produce is ten times what it was in the 1970s. Some scientists and nutritionists believe that cooked food offers some essential nutrients like vitamin D, B12, zinc and protein that are missing from a raw food diet. Just as raw foodists believe cooking food destroys enzymes, others believe uncooked food misses some vitamins and antioxidants that can only be released by cooking the food.

As with any nutritional regimen, a raw food diet has its clear advantages and disadvantages. There is probably a deal of truth in the notion that raw foods preserve enzymes, just as there is truth in the fact that certain antioxidants and nutrients can only be released when food is cooked. If you truly have a desire to try the raw food diet, it is best to start the transition for a short period of time and see how your body reacts. If you see no problems, gradually increase the percentage of your diet that is raw food and continue the diet. If you have some problems, try a healthy mix of raw and cooked foods. Your body will tell you what is best.

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