It's World Vegetarian Month and many people are going meat-free for their health, but others are taking their diets to a whole new level — going raw. A raw food diet consists of consuming unprocessed, preferably organic, whole, plant-based foods, at least 75 percent of which should be uncooked.
A raw-food eater might enjoy uncooked veggies, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, seeds, seaweed, soaked dried beans, young coconut milk, and sprouted seeds and breads. The other 25 percent of a raw foodie's diet includes foods that are lightly cooked in a dehydrator, but foods can't be heated above 116° F, because it's believed to destroy valuable enzymes that help our bodies digest and absorb our food. If the good stuff is destroyed, what's the point of eating healthy foods?
Here are some reasons I've heard people give for deciding to go raw:
- It's a simple, natural diet, devoid of artificial and processed foods.
- For increased energy.
- To improve appearance of the skin.
- To improve digestion, and prevent constipation.
- For weight loss.
- To reduce the risk of heart disease.
- To eat in a humane way.
Going completely raw may not fit your lifestyle, but it can't hurt to add some raw meals and snacks into your diet. For some raw-food recipes, read more.
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Edamole (substitute minced hot pepper for hot sauce) |
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Mango Red Pepper Salsa |
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Mixed Nut Butter (use raw nuts) |
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Chickpea, Carrot, and Currant Salad |
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Corn and Black Bean Salad |
If you have a raw food recipe to share, post it in the Healthy Recipe group.
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Idk, it just seems like too much thinking about food. and I think my body cant handle this big of a change in my diet. I dont want to obsessed to much over what I am eating, so I pass on that raw diet. I will try to have 20 or 10% of raw food in my diet...like fruits, and some vegetables...but I think I cook them in 100 degress of celcius bc it bubbles
1It's hard for me to digest uncooked veggies. I like to blanch or steam them. I heard your body absorbs the vitamins better anyways when they are slightly cooked.
2I feel better when I eat raw food, but I definitely wouldn't say it is for everyone. And I think I like it mostly because I've always liked things better when they are cold and crunchy.
3I think everyone would benefit from eating more raw foods, but I'm not convinced that everything in our diet has to be raw. There were several studies released earlier this year that demonstrated that some vegetables, like carrots, zucchini, and broccoli, are actually better for you overall when they're cooked. And what about vegetables that you can't properly eat when they're raw, like tubers, eggplants, and some root vegetables? It doesn't make sense to go without them just to be able to say you're 100% raw. It's so arbitrary.
4Hmmmmm, there are some pretty scary studies out there showing that raw food diets can be very bad for your long term health (but may be a way to treat serious disease short term) We all need to eat raw food, for the enzymes, but going to the extreme is probably not advisable!
5I eat mostly raw food, but I'm not a total raw foodie. I like hot soup too much to ever convert totally.
6Wouldn't the chickpeas be cooked though?.. same with the corn.. you can't eat raw corn..
7biarose - the chickpeas need to be soaked instead of boiled, and you can eat raw corn, although most people enjoy theirs cooked.
8I love making a sort of salad with all kinds of colorful fresh fruits and veggies for my work lunch. Dip them in some olive oil and it's even better. Of course, going completely raw would be hard and nearly impossible. Some foods do need to be prepared, and I think everyone is better off getting a variety of items, whether it be fresh or cooked foods.
9Lol yeah I realised you can eat raw corn right after I'd clicked post.. but you can't delete which is annoying. Hmm I tasted a chickpea after I'd soaked it but not cooked it and can't say I enjoyed it too much.
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