The Raw Food Diet is one of the most healthy dieting options as it consists primarily of fresh, preferably organic, fruits and vegetables. We have all heard the old adage: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Likewise, it appears that many people do quite well with 75 to 100% of food intake as raw fruits, nuts, vegetables, and other raw foods and food recipes. Such a diet does not have to be boring or bland either. An abundance of raw food recipes are available – from fruit smoothies and salads to raw pizza. Meat is not a common raw food ingredient, but Sushi recipes are an option for some. It’s also true that some ‘cheating’, is allowed, but cooked and raw foods should not be eaten at the same meal. Vitamin B12, copper, zinc  and a few other trace minerals can be difficult to get from eating mainly raw foods, so some dieters take low-dosage supplements for these nutrients.

Most people today eat a diet of mostly cooked food that is high in all kinds of food additives and fat. Cooked food in general takes a different digestive course through the body than raw food and is more likely to be stored as fat rather than be converted to energy. Fruits often take a central role in a raw food diet, as fruit is easy for the body to digest in raw form. The readily available energy from fruit tends to increase metabolism and therefore burn fat. Higher metabolism and increased energy levels is a main reason why raw dieting is effective. Portion size is also not as much of a worry as it is in other diets.

A raw food diet does often have some negative effects initially, Many dieters experience fluctuating energy levels, cooked food cravings, or weakness. Such symptoms occur largely because of the detoxifying effects of eating raw foods and are usually replaced after a week or two with an increase in metabolism and energy. Many raw dieters experience better sleep, better looking skin, and better focus and concentration as rewards for sticking to a raw diet through the initial detoxification and adjustment phase.