Raw food diets have recently begun to gain popularity. There are a variety of different types of raw food diets and several reasons for sustaining them. While a raw food diet may be able to help you lose weight and get healthy, it can be very limiting and extremely hard to follow.
Raw Food Diet
Raw food diets are made up mostly of uncooked, natural foods, and generally include mostly plant-based foods. Generally, people who follow a raw food diet -- called raw foodists -- eat at least 75 percent uncooked food. Though some people who sustain a raw food diet eat raw meat, most adhere to a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Types of Raw Foodists
Though most raw foodists are vegetarians or vegans, some raw omnivores and raw carnivores exist. Raw vegetarians eat only plant-based foods, eggs and dairy, most of which is raw. Raw vegans eat mostly plant-based foods, and no animal products at all. Raw omnivores eat plant and animal foods, most of which are consumed raw; and raw carnivores eat vegetables and raw meat, eating no cooked meat.
Foods Included
Generally, people who follow a raw food diet eat raw beans and legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, grains, coconut milk, nuts, seeds, purified water, seaweed. Some people also include raw meat, dairy products and sushi or sashimi. Most raw foodists do include some cooked foods.
Reasons For Raw Foodism
Most people who follow a raw food diet believe that the more uncooked foods they eat, the healthier they will be. Raw food diets also can help you lose weight, and many raw foodists believe that eating raw food can help to fight diseases, including chronic diseases. The reason for this belief is that when you cook foods, you destroy many of the essential food enzymes. Raw foodists believe that ingesting the food enzymes in raw foods will give you more energy, as well as improve your digestive system and skin appearance.
Weight Loss
By switching to a raw food diet, you likely will lose a significant amount of weight. This is mostly because you will significantly decrease your caloric intake, and high-fiber foods -- many of which also contain a lot of water -- such as fruits and vegetables, make it hard to overeat.
Accuracy
Registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association Andrea Giancoli states that the philosophy behind a raw-food diet is scientifically inaccurate, according to an article published on cnn.com. While cooking foods may destroy essential food enzymes, Giancoli states that gastric acid in your stomach breaks down the same enzymes in your gastro-intestinal tract anyway. Some people who follow vegetarian diets may lack certain essential vitamins and minerals. However, including a significant amount of raw fruits and vegetables in your diet is very healthy.
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