Raw Foods Are A Big Deal

Looking for another "diet" plan? Have you considered eating raw foods? After the birth of my third child in 2010, I was looking for the quickest way to lose the baby weight until I came upon a new lifestyle adjustment: my diet. We only refer to what we eat as a diet because it tricks our minds into thinking that we need to have some sort of name to call whatever food program or meal planning we are committing to in order to give us motivation to stay consistent although it isn't a diet at all, it's a way of life. 

A raw food diet was the easiest meal planning that I've done in the past because it allowed me to go grocery shopping without the hassle of figuring out what I could eat and what I couldn't eat. 

What To Eat

The raw food diet consists of eating lots of fresh fruit, vegetables (especially leafy greens), nuts, seeds and sprouted grains and legumes. While some raw foodists eat raw meat, eggs and dairy, most people who follow the raw foods lifestyle are dietary vegans.

It’s not like other diets that emphasize restricting calories or carbohydrates or counting “points”. In fact, if you want to do well on a raw food diet, you’re best bet is to simply chuck most of what you learned about the food pyramid and food groups and start with a clean, dietary slate. Let your body guide you.

Depending on which version of the raw food diet you end up following, you will get the majority of your calories from either fruit or fats (avocados, coconuts, nuts and seeds). You cannot base your diet around greens or vegetables because these are very low calorie foods. You can’t live on salad so you’ll need to experiment with different versions of raw diets to choose the one that works with your body and lifestyle goals.

From my experience (and a large body of research that supports this), I have found that the healthiest and most optimal raw food diet is rich in fresh, ripe, organic sweet fruit and low in fats like nuts, seeds, avocados and coconuts.

What Not To Eat

For the diehard raw foodists, all cooked, processed and non-fresh foods are off limits (that includes coffee, tea, beer and liquor too) while others consider themselves raw when they eat more than 75% raw foods. Your raw food diet should be based on abundance and you should not focus on depriving yourself of the foods you love. At first glance, it can feel like this diet is restrictive, but there is an abundance of delicious foods and recipes available.

The raw food community not only has some of the smartest, most imaginative chefs but information is freely shared online and at raw community pot lucks. You will find lots of ideas for making yummy meals and treats that will help you stick to this lifestyle choice long term.

It is important to remember, however, that a lot of these gourmet raw food recipes are loaded with fat and contain processed and refined ingredients (like oils, agave nectar or cacao powder) that can be detrimental to your health when eaten regularly. Many raw foodists call the Standard American Diet “SAD”. Well, it’s just as easy to eat a “SAD” raw food diet. I did use fancy recipes to transition to a raw food diet and lessen the cravings for “normal food”, but pretty soon, simplicity and whole foods won me over and I am much healthier and happier for it.

The majority of people who follow a raw lifestyle are dietary vegans so animal products including sushi are avoided. There are some raw foodists who do consume unpasteurized dairy, raw honey, eggs and meat. You do need to carefully source animal ingredients from local, sustainable farms if you wish to include them in your raw diet plan.

I recommend the raw vegan diet which provides ample nutrients and protein (provided you consume sufficient calories) to be healthy with proper supplementation with vitamin B12 and other nutrients as needed. You do not need animal-sourced foods for optimal health, as is clearly evident from many thriving and healthy raw food vegans who understand proper nutrition and balanced health.

The Temperature Thing and the Enzyme Theory

Most raw foodists do not heat foods above 118 degrees Fahrenheit because of the belief that vital enzymes are lost when foods are heated above this temperature and that these enzymes provide health benefits. However, the “enzyme theory” is controversial because your body produces it’s own digestive enzymes and most enzymes in food are denatured or destroyed once they enter your stomach. Still, most raw foodists go to great lengths to preserve the enzymes in their food by avoiding heat.

Using low heat to dehydrate foods is considered okay as long as you use a dehydrator like the Excalibur brand which has an adjustable thermostat. Most commercial dehydrators heat foods beyond 118 degrees. Same goes for dried foods in grocery stores. Most commercially prepared dried goods are heated, toasted or baked dry and are not really raw.

Since I eat a simple, fruit based diet and do not make complicated recipes that might destroy or denature enzymes, I don’t worry about enzymes, whether they are beneficial or not.

Which Version Of The Raw Diet Is Best?

There are so many different versions of the raw food diet out there and so many “gurus” proclaiming the benefits of eating a certain way and warning about the impending health catastrophe if you don’t eat the way they do. When you are new to raw foods, my advice is to ignore most of this. Simply work on transitioning to a high raw diet, then experiment with different versions of a 100% raw diet for 30-days at a time until you find a path that works for you.

You know it will work for you if you feel healthy, alive and full of energy. It will be a diet plan that comes easily and naturally. It should not be a struggle after the initial detox and cravings period is over with (anywhere from two weeks to a month).

Once you are in tune with your body and have found a diet path that works for you, then you can consider what the experts say. But don’t feel that you need to overhaul a diet that works simply because some Internet expert says you should only eat two meals each day while hanging upside-down after blessing your plate with a crystal.

You can learn something from everybody, so take what makes sense, put it into action and reject the rest if it doesn’t resonate with you. That includes what you read on this website as well. I write about what works for me. It may or may not work for you. Take it slow, take it easy and focus on enjoying healthy food. Don’t get caught up in the nitty-gritty details of the so-called “perfect way to eat” that is simply unattainable for most people who don’t wish to live off the grid. Become your own guru!

I will just say, based on my experience and to save you some potential health risks, Ihighly recommend looking into the low fat version of the raw food diet. Pick up a copy of Dr. Douglas Graham’s excellent book,The 80/10/10 Diet, and read it with an open mind. I can say, in all honesty, that I wish that I had head this book first when I got interested in raw foods.

High Raw vs. 100% Raw

Another thing to keep in mind is that your goal is total health. It is not “total raw”. While 100% raw might be the goal, your diet doesn’t need to be an all or nothing law that you must follow – or feel devastated, depressed and shameful when you break it. While you transition, aim for a high-raw diet, preferably eating 80% or more raw foods. Don’t worry so much at first which raw foods you eat as long as you eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables with some nuts and seeds.

After doing one or two 30-day 100% raw experiments, you might decide to stick with 100% for a while or for the rest of your life. You might choose to return to a high-raw diet and reintroduce some cooked, whole foods like brown rice, quinoa or sprouted grains. There is nothing wrong with that at all. If you feel at your absolute best on a high raw diet, then that is the correct way for you to eat! You can still call yourself a raw foodist and I will still respect you for your decision because you made it consciously.

Overnight Raw or Transition Over Time

You don’t have to be a hero and go 100% raw overnight. It took me an entire year to slowly transition from omnivore to vegetarian to vegan to 100% raw. Take your time, it’s not a race. I found that slowly making the lifestyle shift made it a lot easier for me to maintain a raw diet and gave me a much better chance of success. It became nearly effortless to go from high-raw to 100% raw and now eating raw is second nature.

Start with eating one raw meal each day. Then try eating all raw until dinner. Eat all raw one day each week and then try going two or three days in a row. Go raw for a week and then try it for two weeks and work your way up to a 30-day period. You’ll learn a lot by doing this and you can use these raw food strategies if and when you do make the plunge and go 100% raw.

Raw Food Preparation

One of the greatest benefits of eating raw foods is that food preparation can be quick and easy or elaborate and fancy. Fruit, nuts, smoothies and salads are great grab-and-go items that don’t take long to prepare. Plan your meals out in advance to ensure you’ve got everything you need when you want them.