What are raw foods? What is the raw foods diet? About Raw and Living Roods

Question: What are raw foods? What is the raw foods diet? About Raw and Living Roods

Answer: A raw foods diet consists of unprocessed raw vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). "Raw foodists" believe that foods cooked above this temperature have lost their enzymes and thus a significant amount of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body, whereas uncooked foods provide living enzymes and proper nutrition. Proponents of a raw food diet claim that there are many benefits to eating raw foods, including weight loss, more energy, clear skin, improved digestion and improved overall health. Many people clarify that they eat a "high raw" or a certain percentage of raw foods in their diet, such as "75% raw diet". A few people include raw, unprocessed dairy products in their diet, but most follow a raw vegan diet. The raw diet has seen an increase in popularity in recent years with raw food restaurants opening in several major cities. It still remains to be seen if this trend is here to stay or is merely another passing fad.
See also: Six Myths About the Raw Food Diet

What do raw foodists eat?

A raw food diet includes:

• all raw fruits and vegetables
• nuts and seeds
• sprouts
• roots, root vegetables and squashes
• fresh herbs and raw spices
• seaweeds

The raw foods diet includes these foods in their unprocessed and uncooked state and omits most other foods. Raw foodists also drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices and most people include a limited amount of foods that have undergone some processing, as long as the processing involves does not involve heating the food over 115 degrees. Some of these processed raw foods include:

• cold pressed oils
• raw nut butters
• Raw nut "milks"
• fermented foods such as miso, kimchee and sauerkraut
• pure maple syrup
• raw soy sauce (nama shoyu)
• dried fruits and vegetables
• vinegars and foods cured in vinegar

See also: Raw Food Recipes

There is some debate as to whether certain items are in fact, truly raw and thus suitable for a raw foods diet, and many people prefer to exclude some processed foods from their diet, even though they may be raw. If you are preparing food for others, its best to err on the side of caution, and prepare a dish that you know is 100% raw, such as a salad or fruit dish.
See also: Almost Raw Recipes

How do raw foodists prepare their meals?

Raw food preparation is often light-heartedly referred to as "uncooking". While many raw food recipes require lots of processing and preparation, many meals require little or none, such as a salad or fresh fruit. If you are exploring the raw food lifestyle, you'll probably want to have a blender and a food processor at the minimum and may want to invest in a food dehydrator as well. Many recipes use a dehydrator to make raw crackers, breads and cookies. You may also want to purchase a juicer for making fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

Concerned about raw food nutrition? You may want to consult a vegetarian RD.

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