What is Raw???

“Raw is cuisine in its real form: organic, from the earth and uncooked. For food to be considered RAW it can be chopped, blended, pureed, juiced, dehydrated, or combined into infinite variety of flavors, but whatever the end result, all RAW recipes are vegan (totally vegetarian: no meat, fish, eggs, or dairy) and “living”. Ingredients grown from the earth are naturally and aren’t harmful to the body; basically, they’re about as raw as you can get. Animal products, on the other hand, carry parasites and bacteria and are injected with hormones, antibiotics, and steroids. Organically raised animal products are out too, because they are just too difficult for the human body to digest and do not fall under the second requirement, which is RAW cuisine is also “living” foods. Living foods are fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, roots, and seeds-virtually everything edible that grows from the earth that has not been cooked.” (Juliano, RAW The UNCook Book, p. IIX)

A raw/living foods diet is ‘exactly that’: raw and living foods. This means no cooking, no grilling, no application of heat of any kind. A raw foods diet is predominately raw vegan. The foods may be dehydrated, fermented, or frozen, but they are never heated over 100-108 degrees (f). This keeps the enzymes and nutrients intact. If one were to plant and water these foods (in their whole form) in the soil, many of them would sprout.

Raw foods have more nutrients and fiber than cooked foods do. Enzymes in raw foods are active (not having been deactivated through applying heat) and therefore they are more supportive to the health of the body. Raw foods take an average of (only) 24-36 hours to digest. Cooked foods take between 48-100 hours for digestion. Cooked foods lose their enzymes, which begin to be destroyed at 116 degrees (f).

A diet of cooked food requires the body to devote energy towards digestion and elimination. The eliminative system (pores, lungs, kidneys, secretions, and bowels, etc.) become congested and overworked from cooked foods. This leads to disease states. Cooking depletes the nutrients in foods and therefore it becomes difficult to feel satisfied after eating cooked foods; this leads to overeating, fatigue, groggy-ness, hunger, and eventually obesity. The free radicals, toxins, and loss of nutrients that result from cooking contribute to aging, bloating, depression, weight gain, cellulite, hair loss, wrinkles, anxiety, puffiness, and dark circles under the eyes.

Many people are concerned that when adjusting to a Raw/living foods diet, they will not be able to get enough (complete) proteins. Proteins that contain all eight essential amino acids are called ‘complete proteins’. Generally speaking (with a few exception), vegetables have a higher percentage of protein per caloric content than nuts, and nuts have a higher percentage of protein per caloric content than fruits. These are found in the following foods: Alfalfa leaf; Blue-green algaes; Buckwheat; Clover blossoms; Fruits (most); Garbanzo beans; Leafy green vegetables; Lentils; Millet; Mung beans; Nuts (all except hazelnuts); Pumpkin seeds; Quinoa; Sesame seeds; Soy foods; Sunflower greens. Other good sources of protein include: Apricots, avocados, bananas, beans, berries, blue-green algae, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cherries, coconut, corn, cucumbers, dates, durians, eggplant, grapes, hemp seeds, melons, okra, oranges, papayas, parsley, peaches, pears, peas, peppers, spirulina, sprouts (including sprouted grains), string beans, summer squash, sun-cured olives, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnip greens, watercress, zucchini.

A raw foods diet strengthens the immune system assisting the body in overcoming ailments while improving health. A raw and living foods diet has been used to improve the health of clients with arthritis, cancer, asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, digestive disturbances, menstrual challenges, obesity, skin diseases, depression, hormonal imbalances, immune challenges, degenerative diseases, halitosis, depression, weight imbalances, heart disease, and so on. In addition, on a raw and living foods diet, ones memory and concentration may improve, eyesight becomes more clear, energy improves, and people often need less sleep.

As we have seen, living foods are more than just fruits and vegetables. Living foods consists of the most nutritious and nourishing foods in the easiest form available for digestion. “Only healthy completely balanced nourishment can enable us to overcome deficiencies which cause disease.” (Ann Wigmore, Rebuild your health, p. 66)

When one begins a raw foods diet, one may experience a “detoxification reaction”. “This reaction is an indicator of the health-endowing powers of raw foods…You might look worse before you look better; you might feel worse before you feel better. Sometimes we must first get sick in order to get well. The detox reaction usually kicks in a few months into the raw diet…signs of the detox can include fatigue, coated tongue, cold or flu like symptoms, muscle soreness, phlegm, low libido, sore throat, headache, bad breath, body odor, cough, sinus congestion, depression, nausea, darkened urine, sweating, fever, skin breakouts, stomachache, diarrhea, and irritability. Rest and sleep facilitate the detox process. Mild exercise such as walking and low-impact aerobics is also helpful, but you should avoid anything strenuous. Drink plenty of water. Focus on supporting the channels of elimination. Spend time in the fresh air and sunshine when possible. Soaking in hot mineral springs, going to a sauna, or practicing dry-brush skin massage can assist in the cleansing process. Enemas and colonics can help toxins leave the body through the bowels rather than the skin.” In addition, when one embraces a ‘lighter diet’ repressed emotions may surface. This can be a good time to let go of ‘stuck energy’ and release…clean your house, journal, meditate, laugh, cry, give someone a hug, pet your kitties, dance, do a back-bend, un-clutter, celebrate!!!

How to get started:
Begin by including a raw dish with each meal. Next, make one meal per day completely raw/living. Gradually increase the amount of raw/living foods and decrease the cooked food in your diet. Eliminate first the heavier, fried unhealthful foods you know you shouldn’t be eating. (Eat baked or steamed foods rather than friend foods). Eliminate pre-packaged, instant, frozen, and other ‘ready-to-eat’ refined foods. Replace eggs, dairy, meat, with avocados, nuts, and seeds. (Eventually) remove all the cooked, canned, and sugar-and-flour-rich foods from your cupboards. Shop at natural foods markets and stores. Eat only organic or wild-crafted produce, and avoid ‘regular’ grocery stores. (As much as possible) eat foods that are in season.  Visit your local farmer’s market or grow your own vegetables.

The closer one gets to a raw and living foods diet, the closer one gets to protecting the earth. Good health is not simply freedom from disease, but is also physical, mental, and emotional vitality. (Brigitte Mars, Rawesome!, p. 14)

I encourage you to embrace this precious opportunity to take radical personal responsibility for your health.