Is it worth trying a raw food diet, how will the body react to it and how will it end. About this in our article.
Is it worth it to become a raw foodist?
Every year more and more people join the cult of the raw food diet, who are convinced that the raw food diet is the right path to "immortality" and the best way to eat. Is it true? What are the disadvantages and advantages of this method? Let's figure it out!
In such a system, products are by no means processed by thermal methods: fruits, berries and vegetables are the TOP 3 products that come to mind when a raw food diet is mentioned. Also, people of similar beliefs consume dried fruits, various legumes, seeds and nuts. Some raw foodists use a “softer” regimen of cured meats, eggs, and unpasteurized milk, but true followers of this lifestyle replace meat with soy and beans.
Raw foodists are allowed to consume fresh honey, cold-pressed oils, juices and pure water.
natural natural energy
According to raw foodists, such a way of life will help get rid of any diseases and live in harmony with nature. Is this true, and does such nutrition really benefit the body?
The lion's share of useful substances in food cannot be destroyed by thermal exposure and enter our bodies. And the fiber in such products improves digestive processes and helps cleanse the body of toxins and other harmful elements.
It is also worth noting that a raw food diet is one of the best ways to lose weight, since all foods are low in calories and contain almost no harmful carbohydrates.
Harm
You also need to remember about the harm that promises the transition to a raw food diet.
First of all, the rapid transition to a new eating habit can cause fatigue, nervousness, and even diarrhea.
It is worth mentioning nutritional deficiencies. Vitamin B12, which is found only in food of animal origin, will adversely affect the nervous system and the production of red blood cells. Hence the anemia and irritability.
It is difficult to say unequivocally whether it is worth switching to a raw food diet - this is a personal matter for everyone. But, the transition to such a way of eating is possible only under the strict guidance of a specialist. Have you decided? Be sure to get checked out by a doctor!
The raw food diet prohibits eating foods that have been processed at temperatures above 42 degrees or frozen. The main argument: without external influence, food retains all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals, many of which are destroyed during cooking. In addition, raw foodists are sure that in the natural conditions of the wild, a person could not eat cooked food, so raw food is the most natural. Dried or dried food without salt and seasonings, cold-pressed oil and germinated cereals are allowed. You can drink all this with clean water without gas or freshly squeezed juices.
Raw food as a diet
Recently, thanks to top model Carol Ault, who wrote the book "Eating in the Raw" about the benefits of a raw food diet, this food system is also used as a diet. Followers of Carol believe that temporarily maintaining the principles of a raw food diet helps to remove toxins from the body, lose weight and, in general, become more alert and healthier.
“Most often, people who go on a raw food diet for a couple of weeks or a month lose weight due to a calorie deficit, on which the vast majority of diets are built. Plus, a large amount of fiber improves digestion, and the almost complete absence of fats and sugar contributes to the fact that extra pounds go away, says Olga Larina, nutrition consultant and nutritionist. - However, do not forget that a sharp transition to raw and especially vegetarian food can cause disruption of the digestive tract, as well as a lack of vitamins and minerals, in particular the most important B12, which is mainly found in animal products. I recommend every couple of weeks to arrange fasting days for yourself, during which you practice a raw food diet. This will be enough to keep the body in good shape. ”
What to eat on a raw food diet
There are several areas of raw food diet: omnivore- when any food is consumed exclusively in raw or dried form, including meat, fish, seafood, milk, eggs, etc.; vegetarian, which excludes all products of animal origin, except milk and raw eggs; vegan(most common) - only raw food of plant origin; carnivorous- fish, meat and seafood plus a minimum of fruits and vegetables; fruitarianism- berries, fruits and some vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers), which, from the point of view of botany, belong to berries or fruits.
At first glance, raw foodists have an extremely limited diet, but in the season of fresh vegetables and fruits, and with a certain amount of imagination, you can make a good menu that will last for a month. Especially if you stick to an omnivorous raw food diet.
Breakfast: smoothies, fruits and vegetables, soaked oatmeal, berries, dried fruits.
Lunch and dinner: Nuts, vegetable salads, vegetable uncooked cream soups, raw and cured meat or fish dishes (without salt and seasonings!), sprouted soy sprouts, wheat and other seeds.
Snacks: nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, fruits and vegetables, fresh juices, berries, smoothies.
Read also Liquid diet: the secret of effectiveness and health risks
Personal experience
Kira, 23, lost weight in a month from 60 to 54 kg with a height of 162 cm
Even as a teenager, I realized that I did not like meat. I ate fish and seafood, but the meat seemed to smell bad. So I became a vegetarian. I have never been fat and almost never dieted, sometimes I just tried to limit sweets and alcohol. But the lack of sports in my life did its dirty work: “ears” appeared on the hips, my whole body became flabby, I began to get tired and decided to go to yoga with a friend to cheer up a little. A friend, among other things, practiced a raw food diet and persuaded me to try. It was quite easy for me to stop eating processed foods, I practically did not notice the transition, but the first two weeks my mood jumped terribly, sometimes I felt simply unimaginable hunger and was ready to break loose. Then she got involved, especially since she did not deny herself sashimi, tartare, ceviche and other raw seafood dishes. However, after a month I got tired of it, in addition, my teeth became more sensitive (as the doctor explained, due to the increased acidity of raw food), so I happily returned to my usual vegetarian menu. I haven't gained the pounds I've lost yet, but to be honest, I don't care.
Our expert - nutritionist Marianna Trifonova.
So, maybe throw away pots and pans and join the slender and energetic ranks of raw foodists? Let's try to figure it out, weighing all the pros and cons.
Argument #1
BEHIND. In raw food, all vitamins and minerals, as well as special living energy, are preserved in their original form.
AGAINST. Indeed, heat treatment significantly reduces the level of many vitamins. Especially a lot of vitamin C is lost. But there are also substances that, on the contrary, only benefit from culinary processing. For example, the powerful antioxidant lycopene, which is rich in tomatoes, is better absorbed not from fresh, but from stewed tomatoes. But even this is not the main thing. Worse, a limited selection of foods deprives the body of many important nutrients. After all, a person needs not only fiber and vitamins, but also fats, proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids. Therefore, the ideal balance of raw and thermally processed food is 60% to 40%, and not like most people: 10% to 90%.
Argument #2
BEHIND. Raw foodists do not eat industrially prepared food, full of preservatives, flavorings and other "chemistry", and this reduces the risk of developing all the diseases of civilization.
AGAINST. Yes, but not all foods are healthy to eat raw. Sometimes it's even dangerous. This applies primarily to water (in particular, spring), fresh milk (risk of brucellosis and mad cow disease), raw eggs (salmonellosis), fish and meat (bacteriological, infectious and helminthic diseases).
Argument #3
BEHIND. The "raw" diet has a lot of fiber, which removes toxins, improves immunity and intestinal motility and does not allow excess fat to accumulate. And little salt, which is good for the cardiovascular system.
AGAINST. The abundance of coarse vegetable fiber can provoke an exacerbation of gastritis, colitis, pancreatitis and other inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, such a food system can enhance allergic reactions, because the heat treatment of food reduces both the aggressiveness and the amount of many allergens. In addition, eating exclusively raw food can cause anemia and thyroid problems. An illiterate raw food diet is fraught with exhaustion, disruption of the brain and the body as a whole.
Argument #4
BEHIND. A raw food diet promotes the elimination of toxins and uric acid, therefore it has a therapeutic effect on acne, gout, and rheumatism.
AGAINST. Most of the beneficial effects of a raw food diet are temporary. When switching to a normal diet, all old sores return again. And it's good if there are no additional diseases. In addition, raw foodists have severe erosion of tooth enamel and a very low level of B12 in the blood (which promotes blood formation and improves the state of the nervous system).
Argument #5
BEHIND. Everything that a person needs is in plant foods. The lack of animal protein is easily replenished with the protein of legumes. Lack of calcium - sesame.
AGAINST. Consistently eating large amounts of raw legumes is not safe! In addition to useful substances in beans, there are so-called inhibitors that prevent the absorption of vital amino acids. So that they do not have time to harm the body, before cooking, many legumes, and especially soybeans, need to be soaked for at least 12 hours, and then, after filling with fresh water, boil, bringing the water to a boil. Red beans should not be eaten raw at all, as they contain toxic substances that can only be neutralized by heat treatment. As for sesame, it is an excellent source of calcium, but without vitamin D, it is not absorbed, and since this vitamin is not found in plant foods, a raw food diet can significantly worsen the condition of teeth, hair, nails, and bones. In addition, when using sorrel, spinach, rhubarb, even the amount of absorbed calcium can be reduced. In addition, the oxalic acid contained in these raw plants causes the formation of kidney stones.
Argument #6
BEHIND. A raw food diet gives an incredible boost of strength, a feeling of lightness and good mood.
AGAINST. This euphoria is temporary. In addition, there are side effects. The most frequent ones are a constant feeling of cold (you have to freeze even in warm clothes) and the skin of the hands cracking to blood. Also, many raw foodists complain about hair loss, nerve problems and the cessation of menstruation in women.
Argument #7
BEHIND. A raw food diet fosters discipline and respect for one's body. Having started this practice, a person will learn to distinguish real hunger from food licentiousness and will follow moderation in eating - after all, small amounts of food facilitate digestion. He will also get used to chewing food thoroughly (otherwise, raw food simply will not be absorbed) and not drinking before and immediately after eating in order to avoid grumbling in the stomach.
AGAINST. As a short-term measure, such a power system is fully justified. But it can be used no more than 2-3 weeks, and not in winter. But a raw food diet, like any drastic dietary restriction, is categorically not suitable for children, people with chronic gastrointestinal diseases and the elderly.
Personal opinion
Nikita Dzhigurda:
“From 1995 to 2002, I was a strict vegetarian, lived without meat, without fish, without dairy products, without food cooked on fire. It's all good as temporary cleansing treatments for the body and soul. But it’s not worth switching to a raw food diet forever.
Today it is becoming another of the fashion trends, which its fans present as a kind of panacea for all ills. But, as in any diet, there must be a golden mean, and for each person it is purely individual. From the past to the present
The raw food diet is far from a newfangled discovery. Our ancestors, in fact, ate a lot of food raw, without heat treatment. This number included nuts, berries, fruits, vegetables. A significant amount of vegetables were salted, fruits were dried in the wind or under a roof. The fish was also dried, dried or salted in barrels. It is clear that the products preserved in this way retained significantly more useful vitamins, proteins and minerals than those that were boiled or smoked.
In our time, the raw food diet has been divided into several currents. Some raw foodists are omnivorous - they can eat raw not only fruits and vegetables, milk and eggs, but also meat and even fish. In their opinion, raw meat undergoes a more complete decay compared to boiled or baked. To do this, they compare meat in different forms, filled with gastric juice. Indeed, it can be seen that raw meat dissolves into transparent fibers and simply disappears after a longer time. Boiled meat, unlike raw meat, after a while begins to emit an unpleasant odor, as the process of decay is underway.
A vegetarian raw food diet is based on fruits and vegetables, but allows the use of eggs, milk, curdled milk, but a vegan diet excludes even these products. The last type of raw food diet is fruitarianism, when only raw fruits and berries are eaten.
One variation of the omnivorous raw food diet is the carnivorous raw food diet, which is the least common. Then the food is mainly meat and animal products, and the consumption of vegetables and fruits is reduced to a minimum.
On the one hand, a raw food diet seems to have a good effect on the state of the body. But, taking into account the factor that animals are kept in industrial conditions with a high load of livestock per unit area, raw meat-eaters cannot exclude a high probability of infection of meat products with helminths, dangerous microorganisms and bacteria. Therefore, a raw food diet in this aspect threatens the life of the raw foodist himself, unless, of course, he eats exclusively organic products.
What do raw foodists and nutritionists say?
Proponents of a raw food diet claim that in this way they get as close to nature as possible, eating like distant ancestors. But, as nutritionists say, everything has its pros and cons. A raw food diet is not an ordinary diet that allows you to get rid of diseases, excess weight, and feel younger. Raw foodists become "by calling of the soul and body." The reason for this is the long-term addiction of the body to food that is unusual for it, which includes exclusively raw foods ().
There are different opinions about the raw food diet. Many raw foodists have various disorders during the period of adaptation - some note increased aggressiveness or tearfulness, apathy, others say that they had short-term bouts of numbness of the limbs. A smooth transition to a raw food diet should be completed within at least six months, the optimal period is a year.
There are also restrictions for those who plan to become a raw foodist: it is not recommended to do this for people of reproductive age, children, adolescents and the elderly. The former will have a worsening reproductive function, and there is a high probability of having weakened children. The rest are characterized by unstable immunity, which, combined with a restriction on the menu, will cause aggravation of health problems. It is clear that both future and lactating mothers should not switch to a raw food diet, especially if it is due to the exclusion of dairy and meat products from the diet.
The transition to a raw food diet and the results
What should be the beginning of a raw food diet? Someone decides to do it abruptly, quickly abandoning the usual boiled foods, soups, sausages, sausages. An organism, especially one that does not have a high margin of safety, will react to this immediately: dizziness, nausea, body odor and other factors will spoil the first weeks of the diet. What can you advise to those who have chosen a raw food diet? What would be the best place to start?
It is better for supporters of a non-violent transition to increase the proportion of fruits and vegetables gradually, slowly, abandoning the usual menu (). You should listen more to your body, using exactly what it asks for. For example, you can eat apples as long as you want. Someone will like citrus fruits, and who will gobble up carrots with walnuts with might and main. Each of us is individual, so craving for a product is a hidden clue of the body. A good start might be pairing fruits with type nuts.
The reaction of the body to a new diet is individual: for some people, a raw food diet gives results very quickly, for others - more slowly. It just all depends on the degree of slagging of organs and systems. Sometimes it takes a year or two to bring them out. But all those who have started a raw food diet notice a sharp improvement in their condition in just a couple of months. Energy appears, the need for sleep decreases, rejuvenation is evident - the skin becomes elastic, the eyes become bright, not to mention muscle tone and figure.
Some dishes from the raw food menu will completely decorate the festive table, so it’s good to introduce them to the menu not only for raw foodists, but also for people who eat traditional food (,). And, of course, we should not forget about those that have served our ancestors for a long time: about salted and dried mushrooms, dried fruits.
For some, a raw food diet is a way to cope with diseases, lose or normalize weight. But the true philosophy of a raw food diet is understandable to those who strive to live in harmony with nature and, feeling the needs of their body, correctly and adequately respond to them.
