The Living Food Diet

The Living Food Diet, also known as the raw food diet, is one of the greenest diets around, according to a 2007 article in "Ecologist" by Laura Sevier. Followers of this diet are usually vegetarian, and they eat mainly locally grown organic food, which is great for the environment. However, this diet can cause some health concerns if you follow it strictly for more than a short time.

Features

Those who follow the Living Food Diet eat only food that has not been cooked or processed, including raw fruits, vegetables, sprouts, herbs, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds at least 80 percent of the time. Some people try to increase the nutrients they get through eating raw dairy or meat products as well. Food can be heated up to about the temperature of a warm bath and still be considered raw, according to Sevier.

Possible Benefits

Besides the environmental benefits, proponents of the Living Food Diet claim that this diet will help to prevent some diseases, help you look younger, cure depression, help with weight loss and give you more energy. They recommend eating raw food to prevent the natural enzymes in food from being killed before consumption.

Research Results

A study by C. Koebnick published in the Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism in 1999 found that women who followed a long-term raw-food diet were likely to suffer from amenorrhea and be underweight, and the article recommends people do not follow this diet strictly for long periods of time. A study by L. Fontana, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2005, found that those who ate a raw-food vegetarian diet were more likely to have low bone mass, even without suffering from low levels of vitamin D or having higher bone turnover rates. Research results show potential benefits to include a lower risk of breast cancer and hypertension, fewer symptoms for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and weight loss, according to the Ecologist website.

Considerations

Registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner says that following the Living Food Diet strictly makes it difficult to get sufficient iron, calcium, vitamin B12, protein and zinc. Although eating raw meat and dairy products can minimize the chances of these deficiencies, doing so increases the risk of food poisoning if this food is not produced and stored properly.

Potential

Blatner recommends seeing a health professional before beginning to follow the Living Food Diet. A registered dietitian could help you to come up with a diet plan that meets most of your nutrient needs and recommend appropriate supplements to make up for any deficiencies. Or, you can choose to get some of the benefits of this type of diet without the risk by incorporating more raw foods into your diet while still eating some cooked foods.