Raw food diet: All about the new trend of the year

We often hear about trends, whether in the world of fashion, sports or food. Indeed, magazines, websites and television programs are constantly suggesting to us new diets to test. Although some of these food trends are healthy, some of them leave much to be desired. A new diet that you have probably heard about is raw food.

A healthy diet based on fruits and vegetables

The raw food diet, contrary to what many people think, does not consist in eating only raw foods. In fact, this dietary plan is based on a diet made up mainly of fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, germinated seeds and cereals. The products consumed in this diet must be:

• Organic,
• Unrefined,
• Unprocessed,
• Uncooked or barely cooked.

What are the restrictions of this diet?

The first obvious rule to follow if you are on the raw food diet is to eat raw or uncooked foods. When you start cooking, make sure that your food does not reach more than 47.8°C (118°F). Why? Because heating up ingredients causes a loss of many enzymes and nutrients, two essential things for the proper functioning of your body and its digestive system. Therefore, the popular dishes that make up the raw food diet will often be simple recipes such as vegetable juices, raw vegetables, fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies, a whole grain dish, etc.

Another important thing to remember if you decide to try the raw food diet is that you can’t eat foods with added sugar. So it’s better to say farewell to chocolate chip cookies and other such treats! Coffee and tea are also banned from this regime, as are animal products (such as animal protein and dairy products).

Health benefits

It would be sad if a diet did not have any health benefits. Fortunately, this is not the case for this diet! Indeed, raw food has several health benefits. In addition to helping you consume more nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants through low cooking temperatures, you consume less saturated fat. Another advantage of adopting raw food is that it helps you to have more energy on a daily basis and even a more radiant complexion! Since this diet prohibits industrially produced foods, you can easily lose weight and improve your cardiovascular health. This diet is, therefore, a good way to make positive changes in your daily life.

Although the raw food diet has many advantages, be sure to consult a doctor or dietitian before incorporating it into your lifestyle. After all, you need to be sure that you are meeting all your nutritional needs to be healthy. It is also important to know that you will probably need a dehydrator and a food processor to properly cook your food.

Cover photo: Dose Juice | Unsplash