Raw Vegan Diet

It’s easy to make fun of the raw vegan diet when you hear about it initially. Even long-time vegetarians are often skeptical of this more strict approach to food, which can keep you from eating in restaurants and is a real challenge when traveling. Controversies about its overall health and practicality abound, but many adherents are passionate about its positive effects.

Eating raw means always indulging in fresh fruits and vegetables.

Raw veganism is exactly what it sounds like. One follows the vegan principles of not eating any food derived from animals, but then goes further by not cooking anything over 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Not all raw foodists are completely raw, but at least 75% of what they eat adheres to this definition.

The primary reason cited for adopting and maintaining a raw vegan diet is that it is the optimum way to stay healthy. The argument is that cooking plants destroys most of their nutritional value, including vitamins, minerals, protein and the enzymes needed for optimum digestion. Raw foodists report having excellent health and energy, far more than they enjoyed even as traditional vegans. Many find that they look and feel years younger, with brighter eyes, clearer skin and glossier hair. In fact, a number of raw foodists report that gray hair regains its natural color on the raw food diet, and is thicker and shinier than ever before.

A raw vegan diet can also be good for spiritual health. Many raw foodists practice yoga and are engaged with the yoga philosophy of a oneness with the earth. For those who believe that physical, mental and spiritual health are intrinsically connected, and that how we treat the earth is reflected in how we treat ourselves, eating raw can feel like the only way to live.

The raw food movement was done no favors by the episode of Sex and the City where the friends went to the trendy new raw restaurant and hated the food. In fact, the actual raw food restaurant in New York closed not many months after this episode aired. Raw food can take a lot of getting used to. For many, the pleasures associated with cooking and eating are the biggest losses. There is a lot to think about when trying to prepare raw food, because you really have to focus on getting your full complement of necessary nutrients. As well, culturally, it’s not the same thing to sit down to a bowl of salad as it is a roast dinner, or even a vegan stew. Those who love raw food say you quickly get used to and welcome the change, but you shouldn’t be surprised if your friends don’t want to come over to eat, and going out to other homes or restaurants becomes nearly impossible unless they are raw foodists as well.

Critics go beyond the lack of flavor in most raw meals to concerns about the diet’s health, especially for children. Some evidence suggests that cooking, while destroying some digestive enzymes, is still better for digestion overall and that this affects development. More studies need to be undertaken, but you should discuss raw food with your child’s pediatrician before making it the new family way of eating.

Furthermore, a woman planning to become pregnant should discuss her diet with the obstetrician. Again, there are not enough studies yet, but there are concerns that a raw vegan diet could be problematic for a developing fetus.

Most nutritionists and even Eastern doctors suggest that the raw food diet, while excellent at maintaining a healthful weight and keeping a number of diseases at bay, is a bit too extreme and potentially problematic. It’s very difficult to get your needed vitamin B12 and zinc eating raw; you have to take supplements. And cooking increases absorption of many important nutrients. Fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are healthful, but a balanced and reasonable way of eating is probably best for most.

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