The Raw Food Diet

A raw food diet sounds exactly like it is defined – an intake of uncooked fruit, seeds, grains, beans, nuts, seaweed etc. Note that the term "uncooked" also means unprocessed since most processed foods have additives that take away from the potential positive impact of this diet. The reason most people try a raw food diet is because it's said to improve digestion and the healthy acquisition of nutrients while also supporting the goals of loosing weight and toning up.

A raw food diet keeps 75 percent of all foods consumed in their organic/raw state or under 116 degrees F. That's the temperature where some feel the positive enzymes in food get destroyed. While at first this may seem a small thing, eating raw foods seems to improve a person's energy, complexion, and overall well-being. It also seems to deter various health risks, like those for heart disease.
There's no question that a raw food diet has far less saturated and trans fats, as well as higher vitamin and mineral compounds including those that fight cancer.

When Raw Isn't Really Raw

Many people when they first hear about a raw diet can only imagine picking up celery, carrots, peaches etc. and just eating them as they are – no change in flavors, no blending, etc. This is not the case. With the raw food diet you can juice various items together, dehydrate items (for snacks or to preserve them when on sale), chop foods together for varying textures and flavors etc.

Is It For You?

The raw food diet isn't for anyone. In particular it's not recommended for children, nursing mothers, anyone suffering from low iron contents, and those at risk of bone loss.

Additionally everyone considering this diet should be aware that there will be a period in which you'll have headaches, feel ill, chills, bad breath, find yourself weary, experience sexual dysfunction, or have incredible cravings. Basically your body is detoxing and that can take upward of two weeks depending on your previous eating habits. Even then you may have moments when the cravings return out of habit.

With this in mind, you may wish to slowly transition into a raw food diet by adding more raw foods in daily over several weeks and likewise decreasing cooked and processed food. This usually eases detoxification symptoms too.

Getting Started

No one who has embarked on a raw food diet will tell you it's easy. You have to make a lot of things fresh, and shop fresh too. Some of the recommended components of raw diets aren't always easy to find either. Have you seen date sugar on your supermarket shelf lately? Beyond this, remember that you'll have to supplement with B12, protein, iron, and calcium to stay healthy.

What to Expect

There is a lot of eating on a raw food diet that doesn't seem to translate on a scale. You can eat 8 pounds of food in a day and still find you lose weight by the next day. Part of this is because raw food is fiber rich. Another part is the low fat content.

If you decide after giving the raw food diet time that it's not quite right for you, don't jump back into the Twinkies and steak! You'll find your sensitivity to sugar and cooked food has grown to the point where it can make you terribly ill. Just like you started the diet, you need to back out of it in stages.

By the way, it's ok to linger at various stages to see if they're more reasonable for your lifestyle and physical needs. Give each at least two weeks to see how you feel. You may find a happy medium rather than returning to your previous patterns.

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