One of the latest diet crazes in today’s modern world is a throwback to the way our ancient ancestors ate food – uncooked. The Raw Diet is a lifestyle diet where 75 percent of the food eaten is uncooked. Proponents of the Raw Diet point to raw food’s higher levels of nutrients and the fact that man evolved while eating mostly uncooked foods. However, there are some studies that show there can be some health risks involved in such a limited diet and that sometimes food is better for you if it is cooked.
The Raw Diet consists of unprocessed, organic and, of coarse, uncooked foods. These foods include vegetables, fruits, nuts, seed, grains, legumes, seaweed, purified water and coconut milk. There are some proven benefits to the Raw Diet including lowered cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood and a reduced risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes. People on the Raw Diet also report other benefits including weight loss, increased energy levels and healthier skin.
Raw enthusiasts make the claim that cooking foods removes many of the nutrients from foods, especially from vegetables. Nutrients found on the skins of vegetable such as carrots and squashes and vital to our health. In addition cooking green vegetables removes many of the phyto-nutrients many scientists believe help fight diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.
In a Raw Diet, foods are prepared without heat (anything cooked above 116 degrees F is considered a cooked food). Instead, food is prepared using blending techniques, sprouting seeds and beans (to be eaten while they are still soft) and by juicing fruits. There are a growing number of cookbooks for the Raw Diet and a small number of chic raw food restaurants available as well.
There are critics of the Raw Diet, however. Because the Raw Diet is a vegan diet, certain nutrients and proteins are often missing from meals. Calcium, B-12 and iron are often found in deficient levels in people on the Raw Diet. In addition to a lack of protein, the overall number of calories a person needs to stay healthy may fall below safe levels. The Raw Diet is discouraged for pregnant or nursing women, children, people with anemia and people with osteoporosis.
Because it is a relatively new diet and not a common one, many of the ingredients needed to successfully stay on a healthy Raw Diet are scarce or hard to come by. This makes the diet difficult to maintain. If you are considering a Raw Diet, be sure to read as much literature as you can find and consult a nutritionist about its benefits and risks. Also, if ingredients are scarce for recipes, be sure to get the nutrients you need for health, even f it means eating cooked food.