A raw foodist is an individual who eats at least 75 percent of her daily diet as raw and living foods. Oftentimes this dietary regimen excludes meat and dairy products. Raw food refers to uncooked food or food heated to 116 degrees or less. Sprouts made from nuts, grains and beans as well as fruits, vegetables and seaweeds are considered raw foods.
Temperature
Raw foods contain significantly higher nutrient values than cooked food, according to information from the University of California at Berkeley. Not raising the raw ingredients to a temperature over 116 degrees F preserves the nutritional values and enzymatic activity. A raw foodist can use a common food dehydrator to prepare foods for dishes such as crackers and desserts, because it "cooks" the food at or below 116 degrees.
Enzymes
An enzyme is a protein that modifies or increases a reaction without being consumed in the process it enhances. Raw food contains enzymes, but cooking above 116 degrees destroys them. Enzymes help with food digestion and allow your body to absorb nutrients as your meal goes through your digestive tract.
Fats
Some raw foods are high in fat, such as nuts and avocados. A whole California avocado contains 25 g of fat, and 1 oz. of macadamia nuts contains 22 g of fat. These healthy fats provide your body with the oils it needs to lubricate your joints and help maintain the health of your bones and nerves. Fats from raw food do not cause your body to gain excess weight because they contain the enzyme lipase. Lipase, which is destroyed by the heat of cooking, allows you to digest rather than store fat.
Protein
It's common for individuals on a raw diet to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet as well. About 6.5 percent of your daily calories should come from protein, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. On a raw diet, these protein grams come from sources such as vegetables, sprouts, nuts and seaweeds. About 20 to 50 percent of the calories in vegetables and 10 to 25 percent of the calories in sprouted seeds, beans and grains comes from protein. An individual on a raw food diet who eats 2,000 calories a day from raw plant foods containing on average 10 percent of their calories from protein consumes more than an adequate amount of this nutrient, without eating animal products.
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