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Oct
15

Raw Food Diet

Some people say that a raw food diet is a way to perfect health. Its devotees assure that eating unprocessed, uncooked food contributes to clear skin, slim body, high energy, and many other health benefits. Others insist that these diets can result in undernourishment and different diseases. Who is right? Is eating raw healthy? Who can be a raw foodist? You will find the answers below.

How Does It Work?

The basic principle behind any raw diet (rawism, raw foodism) states that uncooked and unprocessed natural plant foods are the most salutary for the human body. Initially, raw food diets are not intended for losing weight though they can produce such an effect.

Being a raw foodist is not always easy. Dieters have to spend much time cooking. They cook food using special dehydrators which work with temperatures that do not exceed 118 degrees. Rawists believe that this way of cooking helps to keep vitamins and enzymes1 necessary for proper digestion. Raw food dieters are not allowed to consume refined sugar, caffeine, or alcohol. Many of them are vegans2.

What Are Health Benefits and Risks?

Are raw food diets really healthy? As stated above, the opinions differ. There have not been many studies conducted but a few of them have showed that rawists have low triglycerides3 and cholesterol. Raw foodists usually have enough vitamin A and carotene4. They come from fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

At the same time, many raw dieters have deficiency of vitamin B12 which is naturally found in animal foods and is very important for red blood cells and nerves. Its deficiency can provoke neurological worsening and anemia5.

Some dieticians say that raw food diets can lead to low bone mass and interrupt menstrual flux though more scientific research is necessary to prove these risks.

What Foods Should Be Eaten?

A raw food eating plan is pretty rich in various nutrients. It has much fiber but is low in sugars and fat. If you are going to follow this diet make sure that you get enough calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and iron, because naturally they can be found only in animal foods.

According to the recommendations of the American Dietetic Association, raw foodists should eat almonds, tofu, cashews, legumes, cabbage, figs, soybeans, nutritional yeast, fortified soy milk, breakfast cereals, walnuts, flaxseed, canola, and tempeh.

Raw food dieters are also recommended to eat sprouting and soaking grains, beans, and seeds. They should consume much bean and soy products.

If you do not eat dairy foods or meat, you should provide your body with enough vitamin D. You will find it in rice and soy milk, margarines, and breakfast cereals. You may need to add vitamin D supplement to your diet.

What Foods Should Be Avoided?

Of course, raw food dieters are now allowed to eat cooked or processed food. Alcohol, caffeine, and refined sugars are prohibited either. As stated above, most rawists do not eat dairy, fish, meat and eggs.

Bottom Line

Should you follow a raw food diet? The answer depends on what objects you pursue. If you just want to lose weight, you’d better choose some other diet. This one is a lifestyle choice for those who believe that uncooked and unprocessed food will help them to feel better, who are ready to give up many products, who do not drink alcohol and coffee, and who are ready to spend many hours in the kitchen.

A raw food diet is not recommended for infants, children, pregnant and nursing women, and people with various diseases. Consult your doctor before you start eating raw.

Raw Food Diet Plan

Eating raw foods is not a weight loss diet. It should be your lifestyle choice. Of course, there is no special plan for it. You just need to acquire certain eating habits.

Here is a sample one week menu plan for those who want to try eating raw foods.

Monday 

  • Breakfast – eight ounces almond milk and one cup granola
  • Snack – two cups green smoothie
  • Lunch – ½ cup broccoli salad, ½ cup herbed couscous, ½ cup beet salad, and two ounces cashew cheese
  • Snack – ½ cup nuts and seeds
  • Dinner – Leaf salad and two slices pizza (cheese, sauce and toppings)
  • Snack – one cup protein shake6

Tuesday

  • Breakfast – one rawkalicious cookie and two cups green smoothie
  • Snack – two ounces cashew cheese with crackers
  • Lunch – one taco wrap
  • Snack – ¼ package kale chips
  • Dinner – ½ cup beet salad, ½ cup broccoli salad, ½ cup herbed couscous, and two slices pizza
  • Snack – one cup chia pudding

Wednesday

  • Breakfast – one cup cereal and one cup almond milk
  • Snack – two cups green smoothie
  • Lunch – two nori rolls
  • Snack – ½ cup nuts and seeds
  • Dinner – ½ cup herbed couscous, ½ cup beet salad, ½ cup broccoli salad, two cups leaf salad, and one nutmeat patty
  • Snack – one cup protein shake

You can eat nori roll for lunch.

Thursday

  • Breakfast – two cups cereal and one cup almond mild
  • Snack – two cups green smoothie
  • Lunch – two cups leaf salad, crackers, and two ounces cashew cheese
  • Snack – ¼ package kale chips
  • Dinner – two slices pizza, ½ cup broccoli salad, ½ cup herbed couscous, and ½ cup beet salad
  • Snack – one rawkalicious cookie

Friday

  • Breakfast – one rawkalicious cookie and two cups green smoothie
  • Snack – two ounces cashew cheese and crackers
  • Lunch – one taco wrap
  • Snack – one cup nuts and seeds
  • Dinner – zucchetti from one zucchini, one cup leaf salad, and one cup marinara sauce
  • Snack – one cup chia pudding

Saturday

  • Breakfast – one cup almond milk and one cup granola
  • Snack – two cups green smoothie
  • Lunch – two nori rolls
  • Snack – ¼ package kale chips
  • Dinner – two cups leaf salad, one nutmeat patty, two ounces cashew cheese, and cracker
  • Snack – one cup protein shake

Sunday

  • Breakfast – one rawkalicious cookie and two cups green smoothie
  • Snack – two ounces cashew cheese and crackers
  • Lunch – two cups leaf salad with walnuts, hemp seeds, and avocado
  • Snack – one cup nuts and seeds
  • Dinner – zucchetti from one zucchini, one cup marinara sauce, one cup leaf salad
  • Snack – one cup chia pudding

Raw Food Diet Success Stories

Jennifer Thompson

In 1994, Jennifer had an irritable itchy rash and doctors could not diagnose it. Finally, she understood that it was caused by a very popular food additive contained in a salad dressing. Jennifer decided she would not eat such stuff anymore and went on a raw food diet.

Six years have passed since then and now Jennifer has no problems with her health. She is about forty but she feels better than she did when she was twenty. Her skin is very clear and she feels great. What is more, Jennifer has lost her excessive weight and looks beautiful.

Her diet consists of more than 95% raw food and she does not want to get back to cooked or processed products. Jennifer is sure that raw foods are the best fuel for her body and advises everybody to try eating them too.

Audrey Walker

For a long time Audrey had a number of health problems. It took her just a couple of weeks of eating raw to notice great changes and forget about constant pains. Within the first month on the diet she got rid of irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and depression.

Audrey has changed her lifestyle by going on a raw food diet and this has helped her to get emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental well-being. Now she is positive and relaxed. She is full of optimism and positive about the future. What is more, Audrey Walker has managed to lose sixty pounds of excessive weight and looks beautiful.

Vinit

When Vinit decided to go on a raw food diet his weight was over 145 pounds. He has always been an athlete and has never gone heavily overweight, but due to his medium metabolism level he has tendency to corpulence. Vinit suffered from acnes and no medications could help him to cure them.

After six months of eating raw and training in a gym, Vinit weighs 130 pounds and has no excess fat any more. His skin is clear now and his muscles are much harder. His daily diet is pretty simple: salad, two raw bars, five fruits, and either a raw protein smoothie or one green juice.

Vinit says he is getting stronger with every week on his diet and advises everybody to try eating raw.

Jenna Norwood

When Jenna was younger she was so slim that even worked as a model. But when she got older she got some excess weight. One day she tried on a show girl costume and realized that it was time to change her lifestyle. Jenna’s friends advised her to try a raw food diet and this eating plan helped her to become slender again.

Moreover, when Jenna understood that a raw food diet really works, she decided to switch her career from PR consultant to raw food chef and health educator. Now she helps other people to start eating raw.

Britanie

The story of Britanie is really inspiring. When she was sixteen - eighteen years old, she weighed from 185 to almost 200 pounds and was size 18. Now she is twenty two. Her weight is less than 130 pounds and she is down to size 7/8. She managed to do it thanks to eliminating gluten, refined sugars, dairy, grains, and rice from her diet and eating raw. But the greatest victory that she has achieved is over her diseases.

At the age of nine, Britanie was diagnosed with a Hiatal Hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). For thirteen years, she remained on acid blockers which provoked numerous allergies, malnutrition, candida, and bacterial infections.

Later Britanie found out that she was intolerant to dairy, grains, rice, and gluten. It was very difficult for her but then she got to know about a raw food diet and decided to try it. Since then she feels much better. She enjoys eating much fruits and vegetables and is full of energy.


  1. Enzyme is a chemical substance which is produced by living creature and produces various changes in many other substances but does not changes itself.
  2. Vegan is person who never eats animal products, like meat, fish, milk, eggs, etc.
  3. Triglyceride is a neutral or lipid fat that consists of glycerol and three fatty-acid molecules. Most natural oils and fats are triglycerides. In the bloodstream, digested fat is carried in the form of triglycerides.
  4. Carotene is a red or orange plant pigment contained in carrots and some other plants. It is very important for people as a precursor of vitamin A.
  5. Anemia (anaemia) is deficiency of hemoglobin or red cells in blood. It results in weariness and pallor.
  6. The protein shake is cooked from one scoop protein powder mixed with water.