Raw diet? How? Why?!
Raw diet? How? Why?
Can someone explain a raw diet to me?
Obviously I understand what the word Raw means, but what exactly is this diet? What can you eat? What can't you eat?
Have you ever tried it?
Pros/Cons?
Answers:
the diet is based on eating vegetables, fruits and uncooked organic food (also such as nuts, seeds, etc), and it basically cleans your system. what you can't eat (almost everything.. except what I just listed). as simple as that.
I will only tell you that one of my co-workers is a health food fad fanatic. He was out sick for over a week after going raw... the transition time is terrible.
The person who came up with that diet had anorexia (im not kidding)!!
You can eat anything you want, as long as the food does not reach over 140 degrees while cooking it. The only purpose of this is so that the body receives all of the nutrients that you eat, while none is being wasted through the cooking process. Meat can be consumed but it is usually smoked or preserved.
On a raw diet you eat veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains combined in an infinite variety of salads, soups, nut/seed milks, granolas, breads, crackers, cookies, smoothies etc. Most people use appliances like a food dehydrator for warmed entrees, flax crackers, granola, cookies; vitamix blender for soups; cuisinart for nut pates and dips, and a juicer. Many people have cured themselves of various diseases including cancer using this diet. I found that, after being veggie for over 9 years, eating mostly raw food makes me feel really good--energetic, cheerful, peaceful, content--whereas an excess of cooked food leaves me exausted and grumpy often with headaches and prone to harbor excess anger.
I am currently embarking on a raw diet. Have not yet made the transition, but I still have many personal questions pertaining to my specific situation. Aside from that, accroding to all the testimonies, eating at least a 75%(though some say 100% is best) raw diet will cleanse your body so that it works at its highest potential! Get some books from the library on the subject. You will find you can eat many variations of what you currently eat, but they are so much healthier. The ideal is to basically not cook your food above 110 and 120 degrees (different books give varying info...yet another thing to find the truth on) So keep your veggies and fruits at room temperature, eat salads with raw dressings, find some yummy recipes for larger meals. And enjoy the benefits (after the detox stage of course).
I'm not on a raw diet, although I eat raw as often as possible. I'm planning to look at the whole concept closely soon. Look at other animals, they only eat raw food, so I dont think it's some crazy human invention. Sounds a bit complicated though, but then again I dont really know yet. I'm sure it can be done if you find the right information and dedicate yourself to it. We are animals too, so I dont see why it wouldnt work in theory. What I do know is that the more raw vegs and fruit I eat, the better I feel.
Find some raw food sites, and see for yourself. Here is one: www.rawfoodtalk.com
Sunshine and Zaye gave some really good advise and information on raw diets. This is a serious commitment but is very healthy. I'm talking parasite, bacteria, disease free lifestyle.