Have you ever wondered, What is a raw food diet? Are there really any health benefits of eating raw food vs cooked?

The Raw Food Diet – Just Another Diet Fad?

Eating raw is not just another Hollywood trend that will disappear overnight, and for good reason. It works. And if you’re in a hurry to reach any kind of fitness goal, it may be one of the safest ways to lose weight, increase lean muscle, sharpen the mind, and boost energy levels.

The idea is to base your diet around raw plant-based foods. Organic and fresh whenever possible. But if it is cooked, steamed, baked, boiled, grilled, and especially fried, processed, or microwaved, it is likely not doing your body as much good.

Yes, steaming vegetables is much better for you than deep frying them. But whatever cooking method is used, the enzymes that naturally exist in raw food become “denatured” when that food heats up beyond about 117 degrees farenheit / 47 celsius. Some say the change occurs after three minutes, others say it takes even less time.

The importance: these active enzymes play a critical role in the digestion and assimilation of nutrients from any food you eat. Once they’re cooked, they’re rendered useless and your body has to draw upon its own supply of enzymes to break down the food and absorb its nutrition. Unfortunately the human body isn’t able to manufacture new enzymes, so as you age your body becomes more and more depleted of this precious resource. Let that sink in.

“the human body isn’t able to manufacture new enzymes, so as you age your body becomes more & more depleted of this precious resource.”

So you need as many active enzymes available as possible in every single meal! If you don’t supply it, your body works harder and uses its own reserves.

You can eat a typical meal of cooked meat, rice, and steamed veggies and your body will digest it. But it will be a struggle, making you feel tired because of all the work involved. Your energy levels will drop and your immune system will be compromised as extra blood is drawn to the stomach to work overtime on breaking down this cooked food.

To make matters worse, if there are 24 grams of protein in a piece of chicken, your body isn’t necessarily able to fully utilize 24 grams because the molecular structure of animal protein doesn’t really match human cellular structure. So your body isn’t even able to utilize everything in that food.

But the amino acids in raw plant based foods match up well with the human molecular composition, enabling a more seamless absorption and assimilation into your bloodstream, cells, and bodily tissue.

Benefits of a raw food diet.

So if your food is raw and plant-based, you get more nutritional value out of it and with less digestive effort.

Less digestive work equals more blood & energy available for your brain function, muscle repair, immune system, and more…meaning you’ll be more productive after lunch instead of looking to crawl under your desk for a nap! (I literally used to do that.)

In your raw food the enzymes are potent, helping your digestive system break down the food and use what it needs for energy, muscle building, cell function, and so forth. This proper nourishment delivered to a healthy digestive system fosters a clean, functional environment where it is difficult for bad bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, and other pathogens to flourish or make any significant progress.

What raw foods should I be eating?

The bulk of plant based foods are simply fruit, vegetables, seeds/nuts/sprouts, and oils. At first this list doesn’t seem very exciting, but the possibilities are endless and some of this stuff, either on its own or prepared in certain combinations, tastes as good as anything out there. And after you’ve been eating it for a few months, it may even taste better than what you were used to because you develop an appreciation for the inherent goodness of natural food. One thing is for sure, 20 minutes after a meal you’ll be glad you ate something that was easy to digest!

• Fruit.  Quick energy. Vitamins. Amino acids. Antioxidants. Eat a variety of what you like. People who find that fruit makes them feel bloated or gaseous can often eliminate these unwanted side effects by eating fruit on its own and only on an empty stomach. When fruit is eaten on its own (or with most raw vegetables) it is easily digested and usually passes through the stomach in roughly 30 minutes. But when mixed with cooked foods it ends up in the stomach for longer than it needs to be, sometimes for hours, and begins to ferment, causing a sour stomach, gas, and so forth.  So watch out for fruit with yogurt, fruit with your cooked dessert, fruit with regular (non-raw) cereals & toast, etc.

• Raw vegetables.  Especially look for green leafy plants such as spinach, rocket (aka aragula), silverbeet, kale, and even cos & romaine lettuces. These are high in mineral content, fiber, and amino acids. Chew them well or blend them in a smoothie to get the full nutritional value.

• Seeds & Nuts.  Full of amino acids, good fats, and minerals. These foods are especially critical for proper protein & fat intake when on a primarily vegetarian or vegan diet. The fat found in nuts & seeds is the helpful polyunsaturated and monounsaturated kind rather than the dangerous trans fats…this is why nuts are considered healthy despite their high fat content.

Soaking nuts & seeds. Be sure to soak your seeds and nuts as most have enzyme inhibitors to protect the seed/nut from the destructive elements found in nature. In general most need to be soaked in clean water overnight. Seeds need a little less time (2-3 hours for sunflower seeds) and almonds need a little more time (12-24 hours), but in general soaking them overnight in a glass bowl or cup with a paper towl over the top to protect from flies, etc, will release the enzyme inhibitors. After soaking, simply rinse them with clean water and enjoy. They can be dried in a dehydrator, or by laying out on a clean towel and blot them with another clean, dry towel. Best to let them air dry, then place in a sealed container in the fridge. Or after the initial rinsing, just store them in the fridge in fresh, clean water, and replace with fresh water once a day. This way you have them on hand for whatever recipe calls for them.

• Oils.  Cold pressed, extra virgin, plant-derived oils such as olive oil, flax seed oil, and coconut oil prevent destructive free-radical formation in your body’s cells. They are extremely good for the skin, hair, & joints. They are high in essential fatty acids and greatly benefit the immune system, circulatory system, digestive system and more.

Similar to the function of other types of oil in the “outside” world of gears, cogs, bicycle chains, and moving engine parts, these aforementioned natural oils quite literally lubricate the human body and keep everything functioning the way it should. Some studies have focused specifically on olive oil and show that its use may reduce cardiovascular risk factors by decreasing plasma triglycerides, total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) bad cholesterol, platelet activation, inflammation and oxidative damage. It is also thought to increase high density lipoprotein (HDL) good cholesterol and antioxidant status.

If your diet is lacking any one or more of these raw food groups, your body is paying a heavy price. Your immune system will be less than effective. Your muscle gains will be sub-par. And you will more than likely be storing unwanted fat that is keeping you from a firm, lean, muscular physique.

As a first step, just start incorporating them into your daily diet. A morning smoothie is often the easiest way to begin as it can taste more like a treat than a mere nutritional boost. Then eat a nice salad with your lunch and dinner, and you’re on your way!

Weight loss will become easier. Building lean muscle will become a reality. Energy levels will be high and stable. And your immune system will be better equipped to defend against attacks. Base your meals on natural, organic, delicious raw food and your body will reward you in ways you never thought possible.