Fat Gone

Even though the raw food (also known as “raw foodism” or “rawism”) diet is not new, it is gaining a great deal of popularity. Followers of the diet believe strongly in the claims that eating in this manner will lead to the best possible health. All of these claims may have left you wondering: what is the raw food diet?

People who practice this type of diet are known as “raw foodists”. Raw foodists claim that the diet promotes many health benefits including: better general health, lower disease risks, greater energy, blemish free skin, and a lean physique. In order to get these results, the diet must be followed exactly. The best way to follow the diet is to only consume food in its most natural form, which is unprocessed and uncooked. You must be fully committed and have plenty of time to devote to this diet. Many hours a day are spent preparing food by chopping, blending, peeling, and dehyrdating.

The main component of the diet, usually about seventy-five percent, is made up of vegetables and fruits. The remaining twenty-five percent of the diet can be made up of beans, nuts, grains, seaweed, and sprouts. Animal products are usually not consumed on the diet, however some chesses made from raw eggs or raw milk may be permitted. All refined products, refined sugar, alcohol, and caffeine are prohibited.

Traditional cooking methods are not allowed on the raw food diet. A food dehydrator is the main cooking device, rather than a typical stove or oven. No more than 115 to 118 degrees of heat is used by the dehydrator to dry food. Raw foodists believe enzymes and vitamins necessary for digestion are destroyed when food is heated above 118 degrees.

Much more research is needed to support the claims of the raw food diet, however an early study concluded that consuming cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale on a regular basis may reduce the risk of developing cancer. These vegetables contain isothicyanates, which have been shown to modify protein in cancer cells. Cooking vegetables reduces the concentration of isothicyanates, which reduces the health benefits. A second completed study regarding the raw food diet found that regular consumption of raw vegetables may in fact lower the risk of esophageal, laryngeal, oral, pharyngeal, and gastric cancers. Additional data shows that vegan, vegetarian, and diets rich in vegetables and fruit help to promote lower cholesterol, and more regulated glucose levels.

Be careful though, you should always contact your physician before starting this or any type of diet. You should determine if the diet will supply you with all of your health needs, as well as if it is safe. The raw food diet is not suitable for children or infants as it does not provide enough nutrition for development and growth.

If you don’t fancy eating raw food all the time then check out this Weight Watchers review instead.