| The Raw Food Diet
Is this diet just another fashion fad with hyper-celebrities lining up to crunch on carrots? Or, is this back-to-nature menu really everything it's cracked up to be?
The raw diet, as its name implies, is based on consuming unprocessed, preferably organic, whole plant-based foods, at least 75 per cent of which should be uncooked. It consists of:
Raw and living foods are believed to contain essential food enzymes (living foods contain a higher enzyme content than cooked foods). The cooking process (i.e., heating foods above 116°F) is thought to destroy food enzymes. People who follow the raw diet use particular techniques to prepare foods. These include sprouting seeds, grains and beans; soaking nuts and dried fruits; and juicing fruits and vegetables. The only cooking that is allowed is via a dehydrator. This piece of equipment blows hot air through the food but never reaches a temperature higher than 116°F. Other techniques needed to prepare raw food are blending, juicing and chopping. Proponents of the raw diet believe that enzymes are the life force of a food and that every food contains its own perfect mix. These enzymes help us digest foods completely, without relying on our body to produce its own cocktail of digestive enzymes. It is also thought that the cooking process destroys vitamins and minerals and that cooked foods not only take longer to digest, but they also allow partially digested fats, proteins and carbohydrates to clog up our gut and arteries. Followers of a raw diet cite numerous health benefits, including:
Dr Gina Shaw, raw foodist and author of Nutrition and Emotions: How to Transform your Life through Optimum Nutrition (GLS Publications, £7.99) says that some detoxification effects may be experienced as your body attempts to shed some toxicity. This may include occasional headaches, nausea sensations and mild depression. Dr Shaw says that these symptoms are short-lived. If these symptoms persist, you should seek the help of somebody who is experienced with detoxification symptoms. What do the nutritionists think of this diet? The raw diet is nutrient dense, there is little or no saturated fat, it is low in sodium, high in potassium and fibre-rich. These factors are important in helping to reduce the risk of certain diseases such as heart disease and some cancers. Dr Sarah Schenker, Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation has some doubts. She says, 'eating only raw foods can considerably limit the variety of foods that can be included in the diet, such as meat, potatoes and other cereal products, which in turn can limit our nutrient intake. This could lead to nutritional deficiencies - for example, iron and calcium - if followed for any length of time.' 'Also, people often think that fruit and vegetables are better for you if they are raw. However, research has shown that some of the phytochemicals present are more easily absorbed by the body when the vegetable has been cooked or processed, for example, lycopene in tomatoes and carotenoids in carrots'. Tips on what you will need to go raw
More tips: build up to eating raw and delicious recipes. |