What Is The Raw Food Diet?
Raw Food Diets can include...
 
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Fruits, leaves and vegetables… FRUIT IS ONE OF THE VERY BEST THINGS WE CAN GIVE OUR BODIES - DO EAT LOTS OF FRUIT - ALL THE FRUIT YOU DESIRE... crunchy juicy apples, pears, thirst-quenching sweet melons, mangoes, papayas, lemons and limes, strawberries, blackberries, goji berries, plump Medjool dates, persimmons (oh, persimmons.....) non-sweet fruits... avocados, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumber. Some fruits are particularly valuable for their raw fats. Avocados and olives are certainly a mainstay in my raw food diet (and I can tell you where to buy delicious truly raw olives...). Durian is a big treat (when I can get it). LEAVES... young spinach, rocket, lettuce, watercress... As they are, or in delicious juices and smoothies. VEGETABLES...sweet carrots, courgettes, crunchy red cabbage, sea vegetables... |
  
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Nuts and seeds… are an important and delicious part of my raw food diet. The very best way to eat nuts is fresh from the tree. If you don't have trees, make friends with someone who does. Fresh hazel/cob-nuts and soft walnuts in the Autumn are delicious. Second best is to buy in shells. Third best is pre-shelled. Unfortunately, many of the shelled nuts in supermarkets and health food shops have been steamed (eg cashews, macadamias) or boiled (eg brazils) so are not raw, in the same way a boiled carrot isn't raw. Pre-shelled nuts often available uncooked are hazel-nuts, walnuts and almonds (although unfortunately almonds are usually pasteurised in the US). Although nuts are generally dried to a temperature higher than what is normally considered as the 'raw' cut-off point, they are sometimes the nearest thing to completely fresh and raw that can be obtained. Although enzymes may have been destroyed in the drying process, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats should be relatively intact. To minimise the digestive problems some experience with nuts, avoid using them in the unnatural quantities some raw food recipes suggest. Eat only as many as you would use if you had to shell them yourself, and if they've been dried, soak for a few hours to rehydrate. Seeds such as sesame and flax can be sprouted, grown long for salads, or sprouted just a little for various raw food recipes, such as breads and crackers. And consider in-shell peanuts (monkeynuts)- technically legumes - but make sure they're labelled raw rather than roasted. They are truly raw as they will sprout, but, unlike other legumes, are best consumed in unsprouted state. |
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Grains… Although some'Natural Hygienists' (natural health advocates) believe that no grains should be consumed, raw or cooked, Dr Herbert W Shelton, a renowned Natural Hygienist, felt raw, sprouted grains have their place in the raw food diet, particularly for those in cooler climes, and I believe that raw, sprouted organic wheat is a good food for us. Many people with intolerances to cooked grains are fine with raw, sprouted, and for more information on why raw, sprouted wheat should not be blamed for the failings of its cooked counterpart, see my Blog article here Try sprouting other grains (availability does vary by locality), such as buckwheat and millet. John Robbins in 'Healthy at 100' describes how three of the world's longest-living cultures - the Abkhasians, Vilcambans and Hunza - all include whole grains in their diets. |
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Pulses… beautiful salads can be made with pulses, and, as with grains, these should always be soaked and sprouted. Most pulses can be sprouted (with the exception of kidney beans, which are toxic eaten raw - and, by the way, if a food can't be eaten raw then it shouldn't be eaten at all.) Sprouted pulses are a mainstay of the Hunza diet. When we sprout, we are setting into motion the process we observe in nature, when seeds sprout when exposed to water, light and air. |
AND...
Dehydrated food
Some raw fooders eat a little dehydrated food. For example, bread and crackers can be made by soaking/sprouting grains and seeds, pressing into dough, then placing in a ‘dehydrator’. This is a machine that dries food, mimicking the effects of a hot sun (when not available!). As the research from Arthur Baker et al suggests that it is at 118 F that nutrients in our food start to become damaged or destroyed, the dehydrator dial should be kept significantly lower than this. I recommend keeping the dial between 95 and 105 F, ie keeping the food around body temperature.
Dehydrated food can be quite a comfort for those in the early stages of raw, as it helps assuage longings for crunchy/stodgy foods left behind, BUT it should never become anything more than a minor part of the diet, as...our bodies very much need the water in our food!
Wine...?
Wine, although fermented, is technically raw as it is not heated. Many raw fooders drink wine at first, then find to their surprise that the desire for it goes after a while on a raw food diet. Beer and spirits aren't raw.
Dairy
Some raw fooders include raw (unpasteurised) dairy in their diet. Raw goats' milk for example does not carry the same health risks as pasteurised cows' milk. Myself - ideologically, I'm more committed raw than vegan, as, if I had the opportunity to eat, occasionally, a little feta cheese made from the milk of a well-cared-for hand-milked goat whose kid's needs had been met (and from a source that does not kill animals, eg male offspring, for meat!), I would certainly partake! But that scenario doesn't exist in Reading, UK.
Year 1 - raw, vegetarian (dairy once a month or so)
Year 2 - raw, almost-vegan (dairy twice in twelve months)
Year 3 - raw, vegan
Year 4 - raw vegetarian for two months, then after
concluding that there are no raw dairy
sources available to me that don't involve
killing...back to raw vegan!
Eggs?
I know of a few raw fooders who consume raw eggs.
Meat, fish?
A tiny minority do eat raw flesh. But raw foodists are generally vegan or vegetarian.
Supplements and 'superfoods'
With the possible/debatable exception of B12 in some cases, supplements and powdered 'superfoods' are generally unnecessary. Please - save your money.
Salt, vinegar, garlic, onions, hot spices, etc.
Natural Hygiene views all of these as toxic irritants. Do I ever consume them? Occasionally. Do they feature in my recipes? Occasionally. For those new to raw and for those who like to make raw dishes for others that taste a little like cooked food, judicious use of them can make a bridge between cooked food and the optimal raw food diet. But doing without them at all is certainly the healthiest scenario. I've minimised their use in my own 'transition food' recipes and recommend if you see them used in raw food recipes, omit, or at least halve the quantities listed.
Raw food diet and children
Please note that if you are considering bringing children up on a raw vegan (rather than raw vegetarian) diet you must research thoroughly.
I lack the direct experience (ie of bring up a child raw vegan from babyhood) to advise here, other than to say that when considering your children’s diet, please seek out those who have raised healthy raw vegan children (not just for a few months or years, but to teens at least) for information/support, and read extensively. In particular research Vitamin B12, and essential fatty acids. I do not have the authority to advise you on which course to take with your children. You must make your own decision as to whether you will bring your child up raw vegan unsupplemented, raw vegan supplemented, or implement a raw vegetarian diet.
‘But isn’t it boring – just eating raw food?’
Our culture encourages us to demand a complex menu, full of variety, with meals made out of all sorts of ingredients.
At times, I am quite happy munching from a pile of spinach, and my digestion feels happiest, and energy at its highest, after fruit, and simple salad meals. I believe the ultimate aim of the raw fooder should be to transition to a simpler way of eating and many long-term raw fooders are well-nourished on a simple diet of a surprisingly small number of foods (but then each food is whole, with everything in it intact).
However, the ‘ultimate’ raw diet is a big leap, at the beginning, for many people, after a lifetime of being accustomed to 'complex' meals. Also, many of us like to prepare food for non-raw people, who may be less ‘receptive’ to raw food if handed a bag of spinach…The good news is that the raw food diet can include what are often called ‘transition foods’(sometimes known as 'rawgourmet' foods); these are dishes that remind us a little of cooked food, but nourish our bodies, and taste so much better! In the early months, or even years, of raw, transition or 'imitation cooked foods', eaten occasionally, can be of great help in keeping us raw. They certainly helped me; including them in my diet significantly in the first year, and occasionally now, has ensured that I have never had any cravings for cooked food, and have stayed successfully raw.
BUT... 'transition foods' should nevertheless be made from RAW ingredients. The following are NOT 'transitional foods': maple syrup, soy sauces (eg nama shoyu), nutritional yeast, etc. They are made from cooked foods, processed and 0% raw. You will hear people say they're 'strictly raw'. They're not raw at all! (The shoyu is particularly unhealthy as it is so high in salt.) These 'foods' mask the taste of the pure food, perverting the taste buds, which, sadly, can have the effect of making truly raw food unadulterated with these substances taste bland, thereby keeping the 'transitioner' well and truly hooked on cooked food. For this reason I recommend never using these them; if you do see them in 'raw food'recipes, omit or make substitutes. Then you'll be able to make a dish that can truly impress your non-raw friends - one with raw ingredients! Do I ever eat these non-raw ingredients. Well, yes - ironically, when I go to 'raw food' restaurants, as their use at these establishments is so ubiquitous! But I recommend not keeping them in your store-cupboard at home.
A few examples of ‘transition foods’
(raw meals that look and remind us a little of cooked foods)
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The pictures show: a yellow pepper soup made with almond milk, tacos (delicious, although this 'raw gourmet' dish does require two days prep) flax crackers (excellent for those missing bread/biscuits), pate, and a tzatsiki that non-raw people can’t believe contains no dairy (it’s made with truly raw cashews). A raw muesli is followed by a cheesecake made with a cashew nut base and blueberry topping, a salad made with softened (massaged) kale and avocado, flax crackers with raw olives, wraps and raw lasagne.
In my first year of raw, I ate lots of ‘transition’ foods of the kind described above, still do sometimes, and my family loves them!
What should you eat? Just eat RAW!
There are ALL SORTS of raw food diet, and ALL of them can transform!
Although I have now moved towards a relatively simple high-fruit diet, let me stress that people have transformed their lives on all sorts of raw food diets. The diet that excited me when I came to raw and cured all sorts of health ailments that I'd (incorrectly) accepted as 'normal' was full of 'transition foods', and quite high fat in the form of nuts and seeds. This worked beautifully for me in the first year - the only reason I eat a little differently now is that the longer I've been raw the more the simpler my tastes have become (and the more passionate I've become about fruit!).
What's key is to kick out the baddies, the damaged food and move the raw food IN. You can then fine-tune your raw food diet in line with your individual preferences.
Be a Raw Food 'Independent'.
You'll become aware that people in the raw food world feel very strongly about what constitutes the ideal raw food diet. For example, you'll see high-fruiters and low-fruiters telling everyone their diet is best, and anyone following the other diet is doomed. Neither is true.
You'll hear people declare that certain (raw) foods are not 'optimal', but please be aware that judgements of this sort are subjective, and debatable. You'll even hear some people say that you shouldn't eat 'too much' fruit!! (If you have been concerned by statements of this sort - please, contact me!) If, once having made the life-transforming and positive decision to 'go raw', you then start fretting too much about what you're eating within your raw food diet, it may well make you make you miserable, which is NOT what eating raw is all about.
So, please, listen to the various 'gurus' and self-proclaimed 'experts' by all means, but, ultimately, ... sail free!
So what do I eat each day?
I follow a Natural Hygiene-oriented diet of lots of fruit (sweet and non-sweet), with vegetables (lots of leaves), nuts, seeds and sprouts. The fat content is around 15-20% by calories, but this is raw, plant fat. I include sprouted grains or pulses in my diet two or three times a week.
As many people have asked 'What do you eat each day?', here it is - a 'typical' day - very roughly...
- 6-am ish - juice (often a green juice), and sometimes fruit (although...when I first went raw I did cling to my trad non-raw breakfast for a while - I don't expect everyone to feel happy with so little when starting raw. Fruit is an ideal raw food breakfast, but for those who like the idea of something heavier, recipes can be found for 'raw porridge', 'raw muesli', and the like.)
- Mid-morning - fruit, either whole, or in a smoothie.
- Lunch - usually more fruit. I may also have some nuts or seeds (after the fruit's 'gone down').
- Evening - leaves (lots!) with fruit (sweet and/or non-sweet fruit, such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers)and fat (eg nuts, seeds, olives, avocado). Or perhaps romaine wraps - guacamole or almond butter, tomatoes. I may have Essene bread with a little mashed avocado and tomato.
Although my diet could fairly be described as Natural Hygiene-oriented, I do break the rules sometimes (in full knowledge of the attendant adverse consequences for my health!)and...take me to a raw food potluck and I'll probably eat anything in sight!
Enough about me. What do I recommend YOU eat? Answer - JUST EAT RAW!
As I've said previously, and cannot stress enough, the most important thing is to EAT RAW. Eat raw vegan, or raw vegetarian. Don't eat animals. Don't be taken in by those selling powders and potions who will try to persuade you there's something missing in the most nutrient-rich diet you've followed in your life to date!
As a rough rule of thumb, just make sure you're eating, each day, some
- FRUIT
- LEAVES
- FAT
One little warning - if you like to eat lots of fruit, don't eat it with, or just after, slower-to-digest food, such as nuts, grains or pulses, as if you do...blow-up and the 'six months' pregnant' look - only attractive on those who are six months' pregnant!
‘A few examples of ‘Fruit & Leaves’-style raw food
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The pictures show: courgette from my garden, spiralised (with raw olives), mango-raspberry salad, green juice (I also enjoy ‘green smoothies’), stuffed peppers, fruit kebabs and mango-tomato soup (courtesy of Dr Doug Graham).
Please note that the meals above still fall within the 'transition foods' category, that is, they are meals designed to look a little like the cooked foods we left behind. The best raw food diet of all is simply eating plant foods in their natural, whole state. I often ‘mono-eat’ fruit alone, and love rolls of lettuce filled with fruit, eg ripe banana – delicious!
Organic, no food miles, fresh!
Your best source of food is your own backyard (or, if you don't have one, ask for a patch on someone else's). I enjoy from my garden: strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, plums, grapes, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, butternut squash, hazelnuts, romaine lettuce, lollo rosso lettuce, lambs lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage, rocket, spring onions and herbs. I've also recently started blueberries, goji berries, a pear tree, an apple tree, a walnut, have two small fig trees, and a young olive tree. You don't have to be clever to grow these - believe me, I'm not. If you've never grown anything, start with romaine lettuces - they're very easy. And ask for a fruit tree or bush for your next birthday.
