RAW FOOD and DIET
WHAT – An exclusive raw food diet is based on unprocessed foods, usually “organic” and plant-based, and usually low in fat. Fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, beans, grains, legumes, either raw or dehydrated are the pillars of rawism. But some followers also include raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, raw fish, and raw meat.
WHY – Rawfoodists argue that raw foods are healthiest. They claim having more energy, clearer skin, better digestion, and reduced risk of heart disease. They believe that raw foods contain essential vitamins, minerals and helpful digestive enzymes that are otherwise destroyed in cooking. ?
A BIT OF SCIENCE – Digestive enzymes do not come from the food we eat, but come from the body’s hormonal response to food (mostly from the pancreas.) As for the vitamins and antioxidants in food, they can be either destroyed by cooking (i.e. vit.C) or activated (beta-carotene, lycopene.)
FOOD SAFETY – The greatest issue I see about rawfoodism is the risk for food contamination. Raw protein such as eggs, milk, and fish are a risk for bacterial contaminations with listeria, salmonella, vibrio, and e-coli (to name only a few.) Similarly, raw vegetables and fruits are at high risk of contamination by bacteria, pesticides and herbicides, even if organically produced. People with compromised immunity should not consider a raw food diet.
MY TAKE ON IT – Benefits of a new diet are relative to where we started. If we moved from an all-meat, all-cooked, high-fat or highly processed food habit to an all-raw diet, it is very likely that, after a period of adaptation, we’ll feel better and our arteries will thank us. But if we already eat a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable, healthy oils, cooked AND raw, I don’t see the advantage of going all-raw.
Going “exclusively raw” is an extreme way to go and, like all extreme diets, opens the door to nutrition deficiencies. This said, raw foods do have a place in our eating plans, in variety and moderation. Enjoy your fruits and veggies (after washing them), your quality sushi and your carpaccio.
ALTERNATIVE – Try stir-frying your foods: a quick flash of high heat will kill bacteria while preserving most of the vitamins, color, texture and taste!
EAT (safely) and be well!
RAW FOOD and DIET
WHAT – An exclusive raw food diet is based on unprocessed foods, usually “organic” and plant-based, and usually low in fat. Fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, beans, grains, legumes, either raw or dehydrated are the pillars of rawism. But some followers also include raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, raw fish, and raw meat.
WHY – Rawfoodists argue that raw foods are healthiest. They claim having more energy, clearer skin, better digestion, and reduced risk of heart disease. They believe that raw foods contain essential vitamins, minerals and helpful digestive enzymes that are otherwise destroyed in cooking. ?
A BIT OF SCIENCE – Digestive enzymes do not come from the food we eat, but come from the body’s hormonal response to food (mostly from the pancreas.) As for the vitamins and antioxidants in food, they can be either destroyed by cooking (i.e. vit.C) or activated (beta-carotene, lycopene.)
FOOD SAFETY – The greatest issue I see about rawfoodism is the risk for food contamination. Raw protein such as eggs, milk, and fish are a risk for bacterial contaminations with listeria, salmonella, vibrio, and e-coli (to name only a few.) Similarly, raw vegetables and fruits are at high risk of contamination by bacteria, pesticides and herbicides, even if organically produced. People with compromised immunity should not consider a raw food diet.
MY TAKE ON IT – Benefits of a new diet are relative to where we started. If we moved from an all-meat, all-cooked, high-fat or highly processed food habit to an all-raw diet, it is very likely that, after a period of adaptation, we’ll feel better and our arteries will thank us. But if we already eat a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable, healthy oils, cooked AND raw, I don’t see the advantage of going all-raw.
Going “exclusively raw” is an extreme way to go and, like all extreme diets, opens the door to nutrition deficiencies. This said, raw foods do have a place in our eating plans, in variety and moderation. Enjoy your fruits and veggies (after washing them), your quality sushi and your carpaccio.
ALTERNATIVE – Try stir-frying your foods: a quick flash of high heat will kill bacteria while preserving most of the vitamins, color, texture and taste!
EAT (safely) and be well!