Does Eating Raw Food Help You Lose Weight

Of all of the nutritional theories out there, The Raw Food Diet is arguably the most restrictive and most different to everyday eating.

Simply because there are lots of constraints; notably that food shouldn’t be eaten if it’s cooked, and cooked is equal to anything heated above 118 degreesFahrenheit or 40 degrees centigrade.

On top of that, most processed foods, including refined carbs are out, which means that pizza, pasta, bread and lots of similar products are out too! Oh, and there’s no dairy either which means forget cheddar cheese sandwiches, ice-cream and tallmilky coffees.

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But before you leave me at this point, and go away with the impression that a raw foodist and Bugs Bunny eat very similar diets, let me have your attention for just a few moments more and, you’ll find out:

Let me start by being purist and explaining the principles of the strict Raw or Living food diet, a diet that connected well with me when I first stumbled upon it in 2005.

The first question most people ask a Raw Foodist, is: What do you eat? And this question is usually asked with a puzzled look on the face of the questionner! The answer is nicely summarised by the Raw Food Pyramid above, so let me lookat the pyramid in a little bit more detail:

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At the bottom of the raw food pyramid isfresh water, in contrast to paleo which is meat, and the promoted standard diet – which has bread, cereals and grains. It’s not just any water too, but the best quality water you can find. Here’sa link to a post I wrote on waterif you interested in what I mean by ‘the bestquality water’.

Next upare all of the leafy green vegetables that are so wonderful for the body, including kale, spinach, cabbage and many more. You’ll be amazed at how many green leafy vegetables there are.

The living foods part includes water soaked and ‘sprouted’ beans and seeds like alfalfa or chick peas which you may have seen in the vegetable section of your local supermarket. It also includesregular nuts (soaked) and seeds – but not roasted, salted or with any added flavours–which are full of nutrients and healthy fats and have slow releasing energy so that they keep you going for longer.

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Closer to the top come herbs, micro herbs, seaweeds – oh and of course, ginger and garlic, all of which are bursting with nutrients and add taste and flavour, bringing the vegetables, juices and sprouted foods to life, as long as you know what you’re doing.

Superfoods is a whole blog post in itself, but in short, the raw food world loves superfoods as theyare packed full of nutrients and enhance the flavours of the foods. Examples of superfoods include the starch Maca powder (a root from the Andes, said to give you additional energy and other benefits), protein from bee pollen, and sweet flavouring that you will find difficult to source but is well worth it such as Lacuma powder.

In the last decade raw food has exploded in our high streets and it’s now relatively easy to buy all kinds of raw ingredients in many supermarkets.

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And with these ingredients, you can prepare all kinds of delicious salads, cakes and gourmet dishes that would get away in any fine dining restaurant. There are gourmet raw food restaurants springing up all over the world, for instance, and one of my favourites: Pure Food and Winein NYC.

There are lots of health benefits to the raw food pyramid. For one it’s based on giving your body pure, water-based food that cleanses your body and fills it with nutrients. Given that the body is made up of 70% water, eating a diet that is also 70% water makes sense. Compare this to theMcDonald’s diet whichis the antithesis of a raw food diet, full ofprocessed sugarand devoid of nutrients that clogs the body and has led to many of the health issues we’re all very aware of.

In fact, when many people first transition to a raw food diet from a standard diet, they feel so amazing for the first few months (after they have detoxed), that they have to tell everyone and can come across as fanatical. There’s always a downside, though, and a strict raw food diet isn’t for everyone. The downside includes the fact that it:

Day Raw Food Diet

None of these obstacles are impossible to overcome, but like any change, if you’re on a standard diet, time poor or on a tight budget, it can be a difficulttransition; however it’s a transition I made and the key question is whether it was worth it?

When I first came across the Raw Food Diet, I was overwhelmed as all of the rules I had followed were being rewritten and I was hearing information about superfoods for the very time. However, intuitively, what I heardresonated with me and it was easier for me to transition to the Raw Food Pyramid at the time as, for I start, I was already living on a diet devoid of both meat and dairy.

At first, I was pretty strict as I learnt the new rules and experienced many of the benefits that I mention above. After a while, though, I evolved my diet to include influences from different nutritional theories, so today whilst Raw Foods make up a large proportion of my diet, I do eat plenty of other things that are suitable for me, and the lifestyle I lead. If the Raw Food Diet seems logical to you, as it did to me, and you’re keen to educate yourself and include raw foods, even as part of a short-term detox, then there are some thriving communities around that can support you with recipes and inspiration.

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People like Shazzie who’s book: ‘Detox Your World’ was a source or early inspiration for me, and of course, theKing of Living Foods, David Wolfe.

Why not show the world how much you love raw food, with this Raw Food T-shirt? Click on an image for more details. 🤍⚡️Following the raw vegan diet requires proper preparation to ensure you are still getting the vitamins and minerals your body requires. Adding supplements can help you avoid vitamin B12, vitamin D, or calcium deficiency.

While some people may choose to follow it for ethical or environmental reasons, most do it for its purported health benefits. These include weight loss, improved heart health and a lower risk of diabetes.

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Then it adds the concept or raw foodism, which dictates that foods should be eaten completely raw or heated at temperatures below 104–118°F (40–48°C).

The idea of eating only raw foods has existed since the middle of the nineteenth century when Presbyterian minister and dietary reformer Sylvester Graham promoted it as a way to avoid illness (1).

A raw vegan diet is generally rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains and legumes. It also tends to be naturally low in processed foods.

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Some proponents also believe that a raw vegan diet provides all the nutrients humans need — which is why supplements are often discouraged.

Summary A raw vegan diet consists of mostly unprocessed, plant-based foods that are either completely raw or heated at very low temperatures.

A raw vegan diet may improve heart health due to its focus on fruits and vegetables — both of which are consistently linked to lower blood pressures and a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke (

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This way of eating also includes plenty of nuts, seeds, sprouted whole grains and legumes. Studies show that these foods may improve blood cholesterol levels and further lower your risk of heart disease (

Observational studies report that vegans may have up to a 75% lower risk of developing high blood pressure and a 42% lower risk of dying from heart disease (

What’s more, several randomized controlled studies — the gold standard in scientific research — observe that vegan diets are particularly effective at reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol (

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Few studies have looked at the effect of raw vegan diets specifically. Yet, their high content of nutrient-rich plant foods may offer similar results — though more studies are needed.

Again, this may partly be due to its focus on fruits and vegetables, which are linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, this diet is rich in fiber — a nutrient linked to lower blood sugar levels and increased insulin sensitivity (

One recent review study linked vegetarian and vegan diets to a 12% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, with vegan diets being the most effective (

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What’s more, vegan diets contain good amounts of nuts, seeds, sprouted grains and legumes, which may further help lower blood sugar levels (

However, since they’re likely to include as much — if not more — nutrient- and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables compared to other types of vegan diets, similar benefits may be expected.

In one study, people following various raw diets for over 3.5 years lost around 22–26 pounds (10–12 kg). What’s more, the participants with the highest percentage of raw foods in their diet also had the lowest body mass indexes (BMIs) (22).

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In another study, people following a