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Raw Food Diet

A raw food diet, as the name suggests, is a diet of raw food. Although many raw foodists are vegans, there are followers of this diet who incorporate raw meat, sushi, and/or non-pasteurized dairy. In order for the food to be considered raw, it is never heated higher than 115° F (or 118° F depending on who you ask).

Some obvious raw foods include raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. These foods make the foundation of many raw food diets. But raw food chefs have come up with inventive ways to prepare raw ingredients and re-invent conventional dishes. Since raw food can be heated, but only up to about 115°, many raw foodists use a dehydrator to make raw breads, crackers, and croquettes. Soaking, sprouting, and puréeing are also techniques used to make greater use of foods like nuts, grains, seeds, and beans. Some surprising raw food dishes include pizza, lasagna, veggie burgers, oatmeal, and brownies.

The justification for adopting a raw food diet is based on the presence of enzymes in raw foods. These enzymes help to aid digestion. Because of this raw foodists claim that it is less taxing on the body to eat raw food than it is to eat cooked food, which does not have its enzymes intact. Once the food is cooked at a temperature higher than 115° (or 118°), the enzymes are altered and no longer aid digestion.

In addition, raw food diets may help to maintain the body's pH. There is concern among some health professionals that when your body doesn't have a good pH balance, health problems arise. Raw food diets rich in green and leafy vegetables, can help get the body to a good pH.

Some raw foodists also point to the probiotics benefits of a raw food diet. They claim that there are beneficial microbes found in uncooked produce that can help to maintain good health.