Raw food consists of (usually plant) food that is uncooked and unprocessed, such food often termed "live" or "living". The raw food diet is based on the belief that a high-enzyme diet will ensure optimal health. Enzymes help us to digest food;
raw food contains enzymes already to assist this process. When we cook food, the naturally occurring enzymes are destroyed by heat (over 118ºF or 48ºC), and our own bodies need to produce the enzymes to digest the food. It is thought that this places too much pressure on our bodies, having to both manufacture the enzymes needed, and digest the food at the same time. Cooking is also thought to diminish the nutritional value and "life force" of food.
As well as this basic reason, other reasons for why people follow a raw food diet vary. Ani Phyo says that the range of reasons include losing weight, anti-aging properties, health benefits, physical performance benefits, and for a growing number of people, as a way of fitting in with a green lifestyle. Many
raw food diet followers are vegan owing to a personal belief that consumption of animals is unethical and unhealthy. A
raw food diet can be incredibly delicious and diverse. Provided also that you do adequate research, a raw food diet can be well-balanced in nutrients, providing for optimal health and ideal weight. This article provides some guidance for getting started on a raw food diet, including what to purchase for your kitchen and the types of foods to consider.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables, preferably organic
- Sprouts, seeds, nuts
- Beans
- Dried fruit
- Seaweed
- Seasonings
- Sweeteners (natural only)
Steps
- Become informed about the raw food diet. Understanding the purpose and philosophy behind the raw food diet is an essential part of becoming an advocate for and ensuring that you are enjoying it, as well as benefiting from it. There are some well-known advocates of the raw food diet you can begin by reading about, and there are numerous websites available to read.
- Read books on raw food diets. Either borrow or purchase quality raw food diet books to learn as much as you can. Good books to begin with include: Raw Family: A True Story of Awakening by Victoria Boutenko. The China Study by T. Colin Campbell includes alternative sources of protein. Many raw food recipe books will also include historical backgrounds, nutritional analysis, and philosophical underpinnings along with the recipes.
- Search online for relevant websites. Useful search terms include: "living foods", raw food diet, natural raw foods, raw, sprouting, dehydrator, juicing, blender, vita-mix, healing, enzymes, organic or raw food recipe, etc.
- Find community. Join a local potluck or start one of your own. It's wonderful to share food with others. Online forums provide a great resource to meet fellow raw foodists, exchange recipes and have questions answered. And there are a number of raw foodists using Twitter and Facebook to exchange messages, meeting events, and ideas that can spark your own knowledge and expand your group of raw food friends.
- Look for raw food festivals, get-togethers, cafes, and uncooking classes.
- Try it. If you're concerned that you don't necessarily agree with the rationale for eating raw food all the time, the best advice is to give it a good shot. You'll only know if eating raw food works for you if you try it and see how it makes you feel. Some suggestions for transitioning to a whole or partial raw food diet include:
- Don't agonize over the decision. Pondering the worth of raw foods from an intellectual point of view can be something you allow to bubble away at the back of your mind rather than serving as a hurdle to stop you from beginning at all. Moreover, what matters is how you feel on such a diet; you can gradually come to terms with the nutritional science as you proceed (subject to the warnings outlined below).
- Be flexible. It might be that you prefer to eat a partially raw diet for a length of time before advancing to a completely raw diet. In some cases, you may never fully transition to a wholly raw food diet but might mix it with 60 percent raw food and 40 percent vegan cooked food, for example. The need for freshness, unprocessed foods, and organic sources remains pertinent however you choose to mix it.
- Trust your tastebuds. If your head is bothering you with the whys and wherefores, trust your tastebuds first. They'll reassure you that raw foods are delicious.
- Appreciate the ease of preparation. Many raw foods are easy to prepare provided you select the right recipes. Indeed, sometimes there is no need to bother with recipes at all, but just prepare the foods simply and enjoy them in their raw state as salads or in their own right as a snack.
- Find recipes that don't ask for exotic ingredients that are hard to find. You'll give up easily if you feel that you have to trek across town or order online just to get hold of strange ingredients. An occasional use of these might be called for but keep most of your daily eating requirements to the ingredients that you can easily source locally.
- Acquire the appropriate kitchen equipment. Quality kitchen equipment makes following a raw food diet much easier and less time-consuming. Look for items that a simple, affordable, easy to clean, and will do the range of things needed. When preparing raw food, typical preparation techniques include cutting into chunks, chopping coarsely or finely, dicing, mincing, slivering, julienne, shredding, grating, tearing, and chiffonade. As a raw foodist, you'll benefit from using these helpful "must-haves":
- Sharp knives are essential, along with good cutting boards (either the more easily sanitized plastic boards, well maintained wooden boards, or - preferably - sustainably-farmed bamboo boards).
- A food processor can be very useful. A food processor is excellent for chopping and mixing various foods.
- A dehydrator removes moisture from food and thus preserves it for longer term storage.
- A blender Ani Phyo also recommends a Vita-Mix.
- Juicers are an excellent and easy way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into a diet. Use sparingly with fruit, as it is better to eat fruit than to drink it.
- Experiment with a solar oven. A solar oven uses minimal heat to preserve more nutrients. It can be used with a variety of dishes to make satisfying and delicious patties, hot and cold soup, dips, crackers, etc.
- Consider the source of your food. When switching to a raw food diet, the source of your food is important. Organic food is unburdened by the chemicals used for conventional crops. Even though the scientific arguments continue to rage over the benefits of organic versus conventionally grown from a nutrient perspective, it's hard to argue with the fact that placing undue chemical burdens onto the environment is harming our environment given that foods grown with excessive chemical loads are depleting soils, fouling up rivers and seas, and have questionable residues from pesticides on many of our foods. And it also pays to research who is funding the studies debunking the values of organic foods – trust in your own preference for organic foods and their value for your health rather than waiting for the paper debate to decide your health fate. Ways to help yourself include:
- Grow your own food. Experiment with sprouting seeds and herbs. A sunny window sill can be a good source of fresh food all year round
- Make your own compost. Your food will contain more nutrients. Try a compost bin or a worm composter.
- Buy the most important organic produce when possible. If price is a factor for you, at least purchase the organic foods most recommended for eating organic as the basis of a healthy diet. Some crops are more heavily sprayed and intensively raised than others – this is where doing your own research comes in handy.
- Know which foods form part of a raw food diet. There is a wide range of food available to the raw foodist, contrary to scoffing by those who dismiss the diet. What you will be losing is processed food but that's a bonus, not a problem! At least 75 percent of food consumed should not be heated over 118ºF or 48ºC. What you can eat are unprocessed, preferably organic, whole foods such as:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables – make sure it's the freshest and organic where possible. Always have a good variety of greens, root vegetables, and fresh herbs in your fridge.
- Nuts and seeds – always have two jar-sprouted items in your fridge at any one time and always have sunflower sprouts available. Keep a jar of almonds soaking in the fridge for ready use (change the water every day, for up to 5 days). Seed and nut butters are also important in a raw food diet.
- Beans, grains and legumes.
- Dried fruit such as dates, raisins, cranberries, goji berries, pineapple, coconut, apricot, mangoes, apples, etc., make a great selection. Dates make excellent sweeteners for raw food desserts.
- Fresh and dried herbs and spices – these add the flavoring variety to your food.
- Salts – these can bring mineral nutrients to your diet if you use sea salt, miso or nama shoyu, Bragg Liquid Aminos, or Himalayan salt.
- Oils – be sure to source your oil from a reputable place, and choose virgin cold-pressed olive oil, refrigerated flax oil, and refrigerated hemp oil.
- Vinegar – apple cider vinegar is considered to be the best because it is high in malic acid, aiding the digestion of proteins.
- Seaweed – this brings a wide range of minerals into your diet and lignans (anti-cancer properties). Look for hijiki, dulse flakes, nori sheets, and wakame.
- Young coconut milk
- Cocoa and carob – choose both from quality sources, organic, and store in airtight containers for freshness.
- Raw food pate – this is a great standby to always have on hand for immediate eating.
- Sauerkraut – make your own from cabbage or other vegetables for a long-term, fridge item that is healthy and spices up many raw food meals.
- For raw omnivores and carnivores, eggs, fish (sushi, sashimi), meat, milk and dairy products (non-pasteurized/non-homogenized) may also be included.
- Know how to store foods properly. Raw foods are more susceptible to spoilage and will not keep anywhere near as long as processed foods. Be prepared to consume raw foods quickly and to replenish them regularly.
- Use up fresh food within the times recommended for consuming them. Their quality deteriorates after this time.
- Harvest homegrown produce as you need it; that way you benefit from its growing, "live" goodness right up to the last possible moment.
- Freeze such items as shelled nuts, seeds, dried fruits, carob, coconut, grains, etc., for optimal retention of their health benefits.
- Transition. Introduce raw foods slowly into your current diet.
- Eat a variety of foods. Make a list of produce, herbs, nuts and seeds from A to Z that you would like to include in your raw food diet. Keep it seasonal but be sure to include as much variety as possible.
- Begin with fresh fruit for breakfast. Or try a fresh fruit smoothie every breakfast, minus dairy.
- Transition fresh, raw plant food into your remaining meals on a weekly basis. For lunch and dinner, have a large salad with the other items you're used to having. Include nuts, seeds, sprouted seeds, and sprouted beans.
- Use raw food plant-based pates, non-dairy seasonings, fresh herbs, etc., to season raw food meals. Hummus can add zap to many meals. Added flavoring is very important for food not broken down by cooking, and helps to transform a "salad" into a "meal".
- Use different food preparation techniques to add variety, such as sprouting seeds, grains, and beans, juicing fruit and vegetables, soaking nuts and dried fruit and blending.
- Learn to make raw food desserts. You don't need to abandon your sweet tooth; many raw food desserts are possible beyond simple chopped up fruit.
- Exercise and relax. Optimal health is about being healthy in a well-rounded way. What goes into your body is important but so is getting adequate exercise, relaxing properly to reduce stress, and thinking positively to ensure that you aren't bombarding your body with negative thoughts, emotions, and resentments.
Tips
- Remain aware of changes in your digestive system or overall well-being.
- Supplement your diet with Vitamin B12 to prevent anemia. Some products include this but beware of processed products that have been cooked or heated to preserve them.
- Raw foods and ingredients may include nut milk, pudding, smoothies and frozen banana cream.
- If you dine out, bring a few of your own ingredients, such as an avocado, lemon, herbs or natural salad dressing. Although, note that most health codes prohibit bringing your own food into a restaurant, so it's best to call ahead and ask for your needs to be catered for. If this isn't possible, have a drink and a salad and fill up later at home.
- Choose to buy organic if a certain type of produce is being treated with a large amount of pesticide. This data can be easily researched online.
- Be secure if you choose to eat raw animal products. Ask questions about their quality and source and be totally reassured that they have been handled hygienically and with the optimum of care.
- Did you know that young adults have thirty times the enzymes of the elderly? The older you get, the harder digestion becomes. Keep this in mind as you age; the benefits of a raw food diet for healthy aging can be enormous.
- If you've noticed that raw food diet is heavily dependent on modern equipment such as freezers, fridges, and electrical equipment, this doesn't need to be. You can have a raw food diet without these conveniences – it just requires more diligence, more daily preparation and daily harvesting or shopping for ingredients. It all depends on how much time you have available.
- Blended drinks can be better than juiced ones because the fiber is left intact. Naturally, the drinking experience is quite different, so keep this in mind when choosing.
- Some sources prefer the heating temperature of raw foods to be kept under 116ºF or 47ºC rather than the 118ºF or 48ºC suggested in this article. Ani Phyo defines living foods as food not heated over 104ºF or 40ºC. Do the background reading and decide for yourself which temperature for heating to settle on.
- Raw food blogs are a great source of raw food recipes, often including hints and tips of the blogger as they found what did and didn't work when they tried recipes in popular books.
Warnings
- Not everyone can be healthy on this diet; some body types are better suited than others. Listen to your body's needs and reactions. Speak to your doctor if you have any concerns.
- Not everyone appreciates the intensity of the work seemingly required for this diet if you follow the fussier food preparation examples. For example, Julie Powell of the New York Times felt that on a raw food diet she would have "spent an entire day doing nothing but trying to feed myself." It is advisable to leave the trickier, fancier raw food diet suggestions for special occasions if you find they consume too much of your time in preparation. A raw food diet should not add to your anxiety levels, nor turn you into a crazed martyr to a cause that's rapidly depleting your patience. Initially, expect some of the learning to be time-consuming as you switch preparation methods; after all, you are unlearning "cooking" and that can take some doing until it becomes second nature. After a time, it should become a lot faster, especially as you learn to prepare suitable items in batches. And, there is always the option of adding some raw food to your diet rather devoting your entire dietary habits to it.
- Speak to your doctor if you have any health conditions prior to starting a raw food diet. You're still the master of your ship but wise advice is worth heeding.
- Obtain enough protein and healthy fats for proper metabolism.
- Some people experience a detoxification reaction when they start the raw food diet, especially if their previous diet was rich in meat, sugar, and caffeine. Mild headaches, nausea, and cravings can occur but usually last for a few days.
- This diet is not recommended for children, pregnant or nursing women, people with anemia and people at risk for osteoporosis. If you have any sort of illness, immune disorder, or health fragility, discuss the options with your doctor. Even simply removing processed foods from your diet and increasing the amount of hygienically prepared raw foods can improve health, so don't dismiss the possibilities outright.
- Some foods need to be cooked to be safe, such as red kidney beans and cashew nuts. Always be aware of food that requires cooking for safety.
- Cooking can change the chemistry of some foods, making them easier to digest, or even possible to digest. Also, the body digests some foods more efficiently in cooked form.
Things You'll Need
- Raw food recipe books
- Food processor, quality knives, dehydrator, juicer, etc. (as outlined in the steps)
- Internet access
