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Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The raw and living food diet: What is it?
Posted by Katie Machol on Tue, May 19, 2009 at 5:26 PM
The Raw/Living Food Diet is actually not some new-fangled crash diet trend. It's been on the organic food scene for awhile and seems to be growing in popularity. So what exactly is it, you ask? It doesn't just mean eating raw veggies all day, there are some stipulations to this way of eating raw and living food.
First of all, yes, the food is raw. The practice actually very close to veganism, except that everything is uncooked or barely cooked: the food cannot be heated above a certain temperature, generally between 92-118 F, or 33-48 C., thus keeping its "raw" state. Raw foodists believe this also keeps all those nutrients and enzymes in the food, enzymes that our bodies need to aid in digestion and metabolic processes. According to this article from Life Extenstion Magazine, "Cooking of food, particularly if heat is prolonged and over 118 degrees Fahrenheit, destroys enzymes in that food, leaving what is commonly consumed by the modern person - an "enzymeless" diet." "Eating food without enzymes makes digestion more difficult, deprives the body of enzymes, and leads to toxicity in the body, and to excess consumption of food, which leads to obesity and to chronic disease." (Green Living Ideas) Those nutrients and enzymes will also naturally detoxify your body, leaving you with clearer skin, lots of energy, and can even help you lose weight.
People who are proponents of the organic raw and living diet believe we should be eating like out pre-historic ancestors who ate almost an entire raw, vegetarian diet and, when they consumed meat, it was rarely cooked.
Here are some yummy looking raw food recipes I've found from We Like It Raw:
-Soft Corn Tortillas with Spicy "Beans," Avocado-Corn Guacamole and Tomato-Lime Salsa
-Raw Ravioli with Sundried Tomato Sage Sauce (pictured at right)
Photo credits: top- "Examining the Raw Diet". ChickAdvisor.com; middle- "Promoting a New Way of 'Life' in Turkey". TreeHugger.com.; bottom- "Raw Ravioli with Sun dried Tomato Sage Sauce". WeLikeItRaw.com
Comments (7)
Showing 1-7 of 7
Are you suggesting I check with a medical doctor before I change my diet? Are you joking? I know a lot about health. I have lived on a diet of raw fruits and vegetables for 10 years now. I use spirulina and chlorella for my protein and Vitamins, such as B12. I don't know anything about medicine. Doctors know NOTHING about health, nor do they know anything about a proper diet. They are not trained in it, which is why they have the shortest lifespan of ANY professional, 58 years old. The doctor is the LAST place to look for HEALTH advice. Bob McCauley, CNC, MH
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I am merely suggesting that someone who does NOT currently practice this way of eating (i.e.: the majority, who mostly eat fast food and crap) and those with medical issues check with a physician or nutritionist before making a total switch to eating only raw foods. This article clearly does not favor either side of the raw food diet argument. Take from it what you will. To each his own...
Down Boy... Like most raw food advocates, you are passionate about your diet and present your own experience as the best evidence. Ok. But I am in the health field and let me tell you a few things. First of all, doctor's are trained to study disease and disorders, and if you need anyone to intervene in the case of serious trauma (let's say a mva) you want a Western-trained physician at your side. More and more, physicians and nurses are promoting health and wellness also, it is a process. You might be surprised how many m.d.s are advocates for health. I've tried a raw food diet myself in my college years (for 1 year); read all the books, had friends who swore by it, etc. By the end of the year, I felt like crap and felt like I had an eating disorder more than anything else. A disproportionate amount of my time went towards thinking about and preparing my meals. In Eastern medicine (which has been around for thousands of years longer than Western med.) a raw diet is considered excessively "cold" and "eliminative." You decide, but try to keep an open mind: Both Sides!
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Down Boy 2 One man`s poison is another man`s panacea. Maybe MDs have a shortlife span because they spend years of stressful education, rotation and fighting insurance companies so they cna treat ungrateful urchins like you who say one thing but end up in the ER demanding help. ONe must step away form backing diets like a religion. raw produce is a great addition to any dietary habit..so is fats and red meat. Additionally the jury is still out on absorption levels of supplements, the best place to get some of our essential vitamins and coenzymes is nature`s produce and not the pills at the health food store. She is right one should consult advice, why should we take anyone`s word for it. Too mnay people jump on diets without and advice nor long term consideration. Look at the amount of people now who bounce on and off low carb diets only to have their weight balloon up and down several times a year
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