Raw Food Diet

[Emily]

A friend has been talking about how great the raw food diet is that she's currently doing. I did a bit of research on the internet and found that some of the benefits are increased energy, clear skin, weight loss..
For those who haven't heard of the raw food diet, (from the quick searching I did on the net), it is pretty straight forward - you only eat raw foods, so mainly fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds (sprouted), non pasturized/homogenized dairy products (lots of 'nut' milks). Also, an important factor of the raw food diet, is that you cannot eat food that has been heated above 40 degrees.
I think the main point of the diet is that when you heat food, mainly vegetables, the heat denatures the enzymes in vegetables, enzymes help in food digestion and absorbing nutrients from food.

If anyone has done/is doing, or knows someone who has/is on the raw food diet, I'd love to know your experiences and if it is a viable/practical lifestyle change (i.e. If the health benefits outweigh all the food prep)

Here are some links:
Raw Food Diet - Foods to Eat and Avoid, Benefits, and More
Raw food diet

[Stoneville]

My daughter seems to be doing OK on a Raw Vegan diet, has swapped to mainly fruits though now. She drinks a lot of smoothies and creates a lot of very strange concoctions, costs a fair amount of money to do it though, as she only has organic fruit as well!!

I'd say you have to be very dedicated to keep going

[likefry]

It helps you lose weight because your body has to work more to breakdown uncooked food. Cooking helps to breakdown complex sugars and proteins in food so digestion is easier.

I saw this thing a while ago in new scientist. Two mice fed exactly the same weight of sweet potato but one cooked and the other not. The cooked sweet potato mouse gained weight and showed more signs on activity compared to the one eating non cooked food.

[DaveR6]

So where does sashimi and steak tartare fit in to this?

[Phildo]

So where does sashimi and steak tartare fit in to this?

And, bacon?

[Taz]

bacon as sold in the shops isnt a raw food....

the only problem with working away is that they totally refuse to serve me a raw steak.....have to have that at home....dog loves it..she just waits for the removal of the fat that she knows is coming her way

[Shaunor8]

Do you really eat raw steak? I don't mind rare, but raw? I dunno if I could do that.