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Should You Go Raw?

Posted by Caley on March 2nd, 2009 at 06:54am

The Raw Food Diet is an increasingly popular choice for people wanting to lose weight and be healthier. On the raw food diet, at least 75% of your food is uncooked, with the exception of dehydrated foods made with a home dehydrator, which blows hot air on the food but never raises the temperature above 116 degrees F. Proponents of the raw food diet believe that cooking processes destroy most of a food’s enzymes and nutrients and make it harder for the body to digest food. They believe raw food is not only easier to digest, but can help prevent illness and even cancer.

Raw food is said to increase your energy levels and naturally maintain your weight. As a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and other low-fat foods, this is not surprising. These same raw foods are also said to improve the appearance of your skin. For another benefits, raw food is also popular with those looking to decrease their carbon footprint by using less energy to prepare food and eating un-processed foods. Before you launch into a raw food diet, here are some things to consider:

CON- While cooking can destroy some nutrients, such as Vitamin C, cooking also HELPS the body to absorb different nutrients, such as the carotenoids in carrots or the lycopene in tomatoes.
PRO- That tasty, charred taste on grilled or blackened food may cause cancer in the long-run. Fresh, minimally prepared foods are healthier overall.
CON- The diet can easily cause dietary deficiencies, such as calcium or iron. As a source of calcium, unpasteurized milk and other dairy products can be dangerous.
PRO- The diet is definitely high in fiber and potassium, and low in sodium and saturated fat, making it generally very heart-healthy.
CON- Plant enzymes are still destroyed by stomach acids, meaning they are not necessarily that beneficial to human digestion. Many raw plants can even be poisonous, such as sprouted kidney beans and rhubarb.

Overall, many nutritionists recommend a balance of raw and cooked foods to avoid any nutritional deficiences and maintain a healthy but enjoyable variety of foods in your diet. My opinion? I believe life is too short not to be able to enjoy the occasional BBQ.