Some people turn to a raw diet to lose weight. Others turn to it as a way to improve digestive issues and alleviate certain health conditions. Indeed, there are several reported benefits to eating raw––clearer skin and eyes, and more energy are just a couple.
It's no surprise to discover that when a particular lifestyle or way of eating is good for our health, it's usually better for the health of the planet too. It reflects the harmony inherent within nature.
The raw food diet, also known as the raw vegan diet, is composed primarily of raw and unprocessed foods. It also includes foods that do not contain any pesticides or have been treated, pasteurized, or refined. In most cases, a raw diet is plant-based, but some people choose to consume raw eggs and fish. The raw diet is also easier to prepare and less impactful on the environment.
Is Diet A Lifestyle?
The raw food diet has its own culture. In past travels, I've met many “raw foodies” ––networks of people who have made a lifestyle out of eating clean "live" food. They're usually environmentally-conscious folks too. In many cases, they are people who traded in a “fast-food life,” in which they consumed a lot of meat, processed food, and alcohol for a diet-turned-lifestyle primarily consisting of raw, wholesome, plant-based foods.
The impetus behind the switch, in many cases, was the start of an illness, or a realization that as the body ages, it has to work much harder to maintain balance when its fed substances that aren't in harmony with nature, ie. commercially-processed pseudo foods. People report that "going raw" has reset their body's metabolism, cured an autoimmune disease, eradicated skin issues, solved chronic fatigue, and more. Those who have been strict raw foodies for a while have a certain luminescent quality in their skin and eyes.
What about raw food makes it so powerful as a diet choice?
Enzymes: Our Vital Life Force
Every living plant and animal cell contains enzymes––substances that holistic nutritionists call our vital life force energy. Enzymes assist digestion, build muscle, support important chemical reactions, help fight disease, and maintain an overall state of health.
The human body is a composition of different chemical reactions and processes. Enzymes are the proteins and RNA and the vital force that drive these processes. They help break down macronutrients into small enough particles so our body can more easily absorb them through the small intestine. They also help eliminate toxins from the body.
There are three types:
Food enzymes are present in raw food, and they begin the process of digestion.
Digestive enzymes are produced by the body to break food down into small enough particles that they can penetrate the intestinal wall.
Metabolic enzymes are also produced by the body, and they perform several different biochemical processes.
When we cook food, many of these enzymes are destroyed, so food loses its life-giving essence. There are certain foods we need to heat to kill harmful bacteria or because our digestive system is no longer tolerant of them in a raw state, such as potatoes. In some cases, cooking releases certain nutrients, so a light steam can actually power up your food. But in most cases, raw is more nutrient dense.
If you follow an Ayurvedic diet, you may know that raw food doesn't agree with every constitution. For example, a vata dosha diet should contain a higher ratio of cooked to raw foods.
Raw food maintains critical enzymes that begin the process of digestion about an hour before our body's digestive enzymes begin to work. Without them, our bodies have to work harder to produce the necessary enzymes to break food down.
Raw Foods List
In addition to organic, unprocessed, unrefined, and unpasteurized, food is considered raw if it has not been heated over 104–118°F (40–48°C).
A raw food diet is about three-quarters raw or very lightly cooked food:
- Uncooked fruits and vegetables
- Dried fruits and vegetables
- Cold-pressed juices from fruits and vegetables
- Soaked and sprouted grains, seeds, beans, and legumes
- Raw (not roasted) nuts and seeds
- Raw (not roasted) nut and seed butters
- Nut milk, such as almond or cashew milk
- Coconut milk
- Cold-pressed oils (olive, coconut, or sesame)
- Nutritional yeast
- Seaweed & algae (such as chlorella or spirulina)
- Green food powder
- Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha)
What Foods Are Not Considered Raw?
Cooked, boiled, baked, grilled, heavily-steamed, sauteed, or otherwise heated food (ie. by a microwave)
Refined oils (safflower, sunflower, and peanut oil)
Processed foods
Table salt
Refined sugars and flours
Coffee, tea, alcohol, and other heated beverages, including herbal teas
Pasta
Raw Food Diet Essentials
As the list shows, the foundation of a raw food diet is fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. These foods offer a wide spectrum of color and texture.
One of the best ways to pack in raw food nutrition and experience immediate shifts in your health is to juice. Raw vegetable juices and green smoothies deliver key nutrients to your bloodstream, and they're particularly useful if you're just beginning to introduce more raw food into your diet. Your body needs time to adapt to consuming primarily raw foods––too dramatic a shift may cause some digestive discomfort. Try adding one organic raw smoothie or juice to your diet every day. You'll notice improvements in digestion, mental clarity, protein absorption, muscle recovery, and a more enhanced state of wellness.
Preparing Raw Foods
Preparation methods include juicing, blending, dehydrating, soaking, and sprouting. It's inherently vegan too because it's plant-based and consists primarily of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. However, in some raw diet versions, raw dairy, eggs, fish, or meat are consumed.
Raw Food Benefits
Eating a diet that consists of 75% raw foods can alleviate heat retention at sites of chronic inflammation, and it also helps balance menopausal symptoms.
Raw food is more nutrient dense. As mentioned earlier, cooking kills certain water-soluble nutrients, such as vitamin C & thiamin (Vitamin B1) (1, 2).
Raw foods take the pressure off your liver––your body's primary detox organ. When we eat food that's loaded with preservatives or other toxins, hormones, or antibiotics, the liver has to work extra hard to metabolize these substances. Raw foods contain abundant water, fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients––gifts to the liver. The liver's health is reflected in the eyes and skin, so as you include more raw foods in your diet, you'll notice an enhanced complexion and brighter eyes.
Who doesn't want more energy? Raw food is highly bioavailable, which means your body can recognize and use it easily. We don't need to eat a lot to get the nutrients we need. In most cases we just need to eat more effectively. Overeating unnatural food can rob your body of energy because it has to work so much harder to extract whatever nutrients exist and eliminate the rest. Raw food gives your body energy, rather than takes from it.
As you adapt to raw food nutrition, you'll notice that your digestion improves with the increased intake of water, fiber, and other key nutrients. And when your belly is happy the whole body benefits.
From our kitchen to yours, may all your food endeavors be rawarding!
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