Raw Food Diet: Balanced Review

 

The raw food diet is - just like it sounds - based on unprocessed and uncooked foods. Plant foods, to be exact, including fresh fruit, vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, nuts, dried fruits and seaweed. A "true" raw food diet is considered that in which 75% of foods consumed are living or raw.

So now you ask....why? The generally held theory asserts several things. One, that heating food above 116 degrees F destroys the enzymes in food that assist in the digestion and absorption of food, and diminishes its nutritional value. The corresponding "new agey" perspective also asserts that cooking destroys the "life force" of food.

A raw food diet - obviously - contains substantially less fat and sodium than the typical Western diet. This is a good thing. It's also high in potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber and other vitamins and minerals beneficial to health. These elements are associated with a reduced risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer - and nobody can argue the merits of that. Raw food advocates tout increased energy, improved skin appearance, improved digestion and weight loss.

So - how can you go wrong? First: it's not totally healthy. You need animal proteins for a balanced diet, and if you go raw food you will be dependent on pills for B12 and zinc. Also - if you're off of animal protein then beware of a propensity to serious fatigue. Note also that raw foods are not necessarily any safer than cooked foods. Cooking kills bacteria and parasites. Major sources of food-borne illness, however, include raw sprouts, nuts, tomatoes and lettuces. Regardless of your diet parameters, always remember to thoroughly wash your vegetables before consuming them raw. With regard to dairy - don't even think about consuming anything unpasteurized. Pasteurization is legally enforced for a reason.

On the science side, the claim that cooking heat destroys the enzymes in the food that are good for digestion is misleading. Human digestive enzymes are used for human digestion. These enzymes in the food are plant enzymes - which were necessary for the plant's health, and are not needed for human digestion. Not cooking plant enzymes doesn't save them from being destroyed and rendered useless by the acids in the stomach. 

Will you lose weight on a raw foods diet? Absolutely. How could you not - you're eating next to nothing. But does this seem remotely realistic to you as a lifestyle? It is, for some. I personally know a woman who has been a committed raw foodie for years. She is painfully thin but will be the first to admit that the demands of the lifestyle are huge. There is significant social impact - on the people in your household, and the people with whom you do or would dine. Bear in mind that it takes MONUMENTAL discipline and dedication.