Health Benefits of the Raw Diet[Updated]

NOTE*****!!!! PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING!!

I want to make sure that everyone reading this hub is aware that I am in no way certified as a general practitioner or nutritionist or any other sort of medical advisor and that the content you read here is purely based on opinion and from experience on the diet.

I do not take any responsibility for your actions or for any illness or problems that you may receive starting this diet.

It is extremely important that you consult you family doctor or nutritionist before going into a diet like this to make sure you are healthy and up for the challenge.

Use common sense. If you find that there is a problem with the diet and that you don't feel well, stop the diet immediately and consult with your doctor. Thank you!

Why are you here? You know why...You are on this page to create a better you, whatever that means. Everyone has different motives to start a diet, however, I would prefer to call this a lifestyle rather than a diet.

Some people start diets to lose weight. Others start diets to improve overall health. This diet does both.

So what is the raw food diet? Great question! The raw food diet consists of eating foods that are in their natural, uncooked state.

More technically, this diet consists of foods that have been left unaltered (the way nature intended) or cooked to a temperature between 40 °C and 46 °C (between 104 °F and 115 °F). That range is the greatest range of heat you can achieve and maintain "raw food" status.

What is the difference between raw and cooked food? Another fantastic question!

The obvious difference between raw and cooked food is that one food is cooked while the other is not.

Nutritionally speaking, raw food are generally easier to digest because their enzymes have not been destroyed by heating. Raw foods also tend to hold a greater nutritional value than their cooked counterparts.

Their is, however, some controversy here. There are claims that some cooked foods do become more bioavailable ( nutrients are easier to access from the food). While these claims do appear to be true, this does not mean raw foods should be discounted as they do contain other very important nutrients and enzymes that are destroyed during heating and that help with the digestion of the food.

Ultimately, what it comes down to is how you feel on this diet and if it satisfies your nutritional needs.

How will this diet be any better than my current diet? You are on a roll, aren't you! That question is not easy to answer for a simple reason. Everyone is different.

Personally, I have had great success on this diet. I feel more energetic and my mind also processes information faster and I have had a great reduction in "brain fog."

This has been the best diet I have ever tried. It has officially become a part of my life and it is how I eat everyday. Will it do the same for you? I don't know.

You will have to try it for yourself (but before you do, please read the above if you haven't already. Consult a doctor first!). This diet requires a lot of self discipline since the first week or so is what I like to call "the craving nightmare."

Speaking of which...The first week on the diet will be the toughest. Your body will start eliminating the toxins that have built up for the x number of years you have been eating cooked.

It won't feel fantastic and you will probably feel week and groggy. You will almost feel sick. To go along with that, you will have some of the biggest cravings for sweets, carbohydrates, and meat you have ever had in your life.

It will be difficult, however, if you have the determination, you will get by the first week. After that, it becomes smooth sailing. The cravings subside and you get a greater appreciation for the food you eat.

On to the good stuff. Once you have completed your first week on the raw diet, you will automatically start seeing improvements in your physical, mental, and spiritual health.

I was never overweight, if anything, I was underweight. The raw diet helped me get to a more normal weight and now I weigh almost what you would call "average." Your skin will greatly improve.

It will glow and look extremely youthful and radiant ( again, this is based on personal experience). For this diet to work, you will have to make sure to do certain things perfectly. On the raw diet, it can be difficult to get your recommended caloric intake per day.

To make sure that you do, I recommend keeping a log of what you eat. A website that I recommend( and have no affiliation with) is called fitday.com. You can track your daily food intake and activities and it also breaks down the calories you took in for that day and the nutrients you absorbed.

It is a fantastic tool and I recommend it to anyone. Oh, did I mention that it was free to sign up? One specific nutrient you will have to keep an eye on is vitamin B12.

This is generally only found in animal meats and dairy products, however, it is now said to be found in bee pollen as well. There is also a specific dietary yeast that you can purchase that contains this vitamin.

If you cannot find a raw food to supplement your B12 intake, use supplements. Do some research on daily recommended dosage and you will now exactly what you need to get and how much. These supplements can be found at any nutrition store or pharmacy.

One thing I forgot to mention. Once you are on this diet, you will realize that you can intake a greater amount of food without feeling bloated or hungry. Don't worry. Your body can handle it .

Also, don't worry about weight gain. It probably won't occur, in fact, you will more than likely lose weight. Also, banana's are some of the most calorie rich and inexpensive fruits out there, so, if you haven't already, develop a sweet tooth for them. Just be careful. Too much of anything isn't good.

I generally stick to about 10 per day. You should supplement these bananas with other fruit that isn't sweet such as kiwi or nectarines. Better yet, eat some vegetables and lettuce.

One other thing I should mention is something called "food combining." Certain foods go good with some and bad with others. For example, you should never eat sweet fruit with sour fruit. You should also eat tomatoes separately from your other fruits. Melons should be eaten alone. You can get an in-depth look into this matter simply by "Googling" it.

Listen, I'm not going to lie to you. This diet is not easy to maintain at all during your first week, maybe even two. The main reason for this is cravings. You will have MASSIVE cravings for carbohydrates in the morning followed by carvings for protein in the afternoon and evening.

These are very difficult to avoid. You have to have the right motivation and be in the right mind set in order to keep yourself from succumbing. So, how do you avoid these foods?

Well, the simplest and most effective method would be to simply not buy them when you go to the grocery store. However, from experience, that is a lot easier said than done.

You will probably go to that grocery store and give yourself excuses. "Okay, I will start tomorrow". "It's my last time and this is just a goodbye meal". Believe me when I say this. It will not be your last time until you full commit!

I remember saying "this will be my last time" for 4 months at one point. If you cannot avoid buying non-raw foods from the grocery, you will make your life a living hell trying to stay on this diet.

Once you have got the grocery store down and out, it is now your responsibility to avoid eating out at any place that does not provide raw food. Here, your own motivation and determination comes in. There is nothing other than those two things that will prevent you from breaking your diet.

It simply comes down to will power. Don't worry. Once you get past 1-2 weeks, the cravings subside and it becomes a lot easier to eat raw.

You realize that you don't really want the food everyone else is eating and that you are perfectly fine on the raw diet. You appreciate the food you do eat a lot more and you find yourself more energetic.

You feel better. Again, if anything feels wrong, talk to your doctor. Use common sense and above all, care for yourself because their aren't many who put your ahead of themselves.

If you have gained enough insight into the raw diet and feel it is right for you and you have spoken to your doctor or nutritionist, then I wish you the best of luck!

Remember, the first week will be the toughest. It will probably be one of the toughest things you will pull through ever. All the more reason to keep going. One more thing to conquer.

Just remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that you will be rewarded for your hard work. If you have any other questions regarding this diet, please Google "raw diet" or something similar and you will more than likely find the information you are looking for.

There are experts in the field who have been doing this a lot longer than I have and they will likely be able to answer any questions that you may have in a far more precise and in depth manner than I could. If you cannot find anyone, then feel free to ask me anything. Just don't expect a professional medical answer.

I speak only from experience. Again, I wish you all the best of luck and health on this diet. I pray that everything goes well for all of you and that you find some sort of happiness on this diet. Thank you!