A raw food diet is when a person only eats things grown from the ground. This would include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. On a Vegan raw food diet a person would never eat anything from an animal. They also would never cook any food. This diet is one in which the stove and oven are rarely used.
People on the raw food diet eat uncooked and unprocessed foods. This means eating things which are grown from the ground. Many who eat raw foods will incorporate raw meats, but this is rare since uncooked meats do come with several health risks. With a raw food diet, nothing is ever cooked. Those following this type of diet believe cooking food takes out too many nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from the food. Every food is eaten in their natural state.
Advantages
There are several benefits to consuming a raw food diet. One is that the foods eaten are low in calories, fat, and sodium. There is a high fiber content in the food allowed on this diet. Since the foods in the raw food diet are high in fiber and low in calories, sodium, and fats, many people will lose weight, and tend to maintain a healthy weight on this type of diet. Another benefit of the raw food diet is the food will keep its water-soluble vitamins, like B and C, since there is no heating of the foods. Cooking lowers and sometimes takes away many of the vitamins and minerals in foods.
Disadvantages
Even though a raw food diet is healthy for people, there are some disadvantages to it. This diet excludes everything from animals, which means people do not get the proper amount of protein. Besides not getting enough protein, people will also get less calcium, iron, and vitamin B12 on the raw food diet. A typical person on this type of diet will need to take a daily supplement to get all the vitamins and minerals their body needs, and will not obtain through a raw food diet.
There are a few kitchen appliances people on the raw food diet can use to prepare their foods. People can use dehydrators, blenders, and food processors. These three appliances can give people a wider variety of what they eat. Food on this diet can be a bit on the warm side if the food does not go above 118 degrees.