Does a love of steak tartare and sushi make a raw food proponent? Not exactly. Also, while not all vegans eat exclusively raw, eating raw does mean being vegan. Confused? Raw foods are “living” foods: foods whose enzymes are shown to “die” or become inactive once cooked to a certain heat. The maximum heat not to exceed is debated in the raw food world, but ranges from 105°F to 120°F degrees. Raw foods preserve the vitamin and mineral content of food that is otherwise destroyed by cooking or processing, particularly water-soluble vitamins.
Types of Raw Foods
The premise of raw is to eat what nature has provided. "Typically a raw food diet consists of fruits, vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, sprouts and sprouted grains, along with sea vegetables," says Janee Kuta-Iliano, raw food chef and instructor, and founder of the raw community Alive One. There are various ways to prepare these foods, using soaking and sprouting methods, blending and puréeing, and dehydrating. "You can manipulate vegetables to simulate pasta, or process nuts and seeds into delicious pâtés or spreads for salads, sushi rolls or even lasagnas and tortas." Some kitchen equipment helps with more extravagant dishes (nut cheeses, banana ice cream and seed pâtés), but extra or elaborate kitchen equipment is definitely not essential to preparing delicious, beautiful raw cuisine. "It is certainly not a diet of deprivation, or just eating fruit and vegetables, although that is a large part of it," says Kuta-Iliano. "Some of my favorites are things like kale chips, flax crackers or raw granola bars and nut brittles."
Why a Raw Diet?
Raw advocates believe raw food keeps all the essential vitamins and minerals, which would otherwise be robbed through cooking and refining processes, intact. Few would argue against the need for people to eat more fresh fruits and veggies – and a raw food diet concentrates on just that. "Raw foods are fiber-rich, which can help improve digestion and regularity," says Kuta-Iliano. "Raw foods are full of flavor, so there is very little need for heavy additives like butter, salt or sugar, which are unhealthy in large amounts." Kuta-Iliano adds that people who incorporate raw foods into their diet report benefits for their skin and immune system, as well as relief from such conditions as digestive issues, chronic fatigue, depression and anxiety.
Proponents of a raw food diet advocate raw detox, or even simply replacing more of our meals with raw foods. "I notice that people think eating raw is an all or nothing situation," says Kuta-Iliano (pictured). "If a person added a salad to every meal they ate, they would already be eating 50 percent raw. I tell people all the time to just start adding in one raw dish a day." Her personal routine includes enjoying salads and starting her day with a blended fruit and vegetable smoothie. "Having that smoothie every morning really sets the nutritional tone of my day."
Others consume raw foods because of environmental reasons. When people reduce consumption of pre-packaged foods wrapped in boxes, cans and packaging, it reduces consumption of energy and resources. Additionally, composting is encouraged, as well as re-using things like nut and fruit pulps in desserts, such as cookies and pies. Many raw foodists turn to the dietary lifestyle for spiritual reasons, claiming raw fasts and detoxes create more of an awareness in our bodies and the universe. One food item used for illustrative purposes is the sunflower seed: what happens when a rinsed raw sunflower seed versus a toasted one is consumed? The raw one would be able to produce life while the toasted one would not, and advocates claim that life force is transferred to our bodies.
Whatever the reason for incorporating more raw foods into your diet, remember that variety can help you enjoy the change. "I personally try to make one new raw dish per week...If I prepare something new every week, I don't get so bored," says Kuta-Iliano. Regardless of what types of raw cuisine you try, remember that moderation is key. "I don't feel you wake up one day and say, 'I am going to eat an all raw diet'...I don't necessarily think eating all raw is the way to go for most of us anyhow," she says, pointing out that her palate came to prefer more raw and fresh foods after completing a 21-day cleansing program. "The process changed my internal chemistry to the point where my body only wanted to eat good foods most of the time."
