I think this should go here, as its a cuisine thread, but it may become a debate or humble opinion.
I just found this book in the library about raw foods by Ani Phyo.
Does anyone here do a raw foods diet? Is it good? it is healthy?
She seems to make it look like a lot of variety, but many things, especially things like ‘pasta’ or dough’ are made by dehydrating nuts and such.
I am curious, is it really beneficial?
Wikipedia has a pretty good article on Raw Foodism. It sounds like it might have some advantages, but many disadvantages, and in some cases serious malnutritive side effects -it’s kind of like any restrictive diet, there are tradeoffs. Does this Ani Phyo’s diet include Raw Meat, as well… dairy, legumes? How restrictive is it?
I don’t see how it could harm you if you were otherwise healthy. Sure you’d have to plan a bit to make sure you get your proper amount of protein and B12, but you could do it. It’d take a bit of planning.
I could never do it as it’d be too much planning and work. It’ll be interesting to hear from someone who did it. I read a book on it and it seems to indicate the worst part of it is from the withdrawl of certain things, like caffeine and sugars and their body has to adjust.
It’s generally a variant of veganism in which the idea is that nothing is cooked although dehydration at low heat is acceptable. The concept, that cooking destroys the activity of some foods enzymes which the body needs for digestion, is a bit goofy; the body makes the enzymes it needs. And cooking does increase the bioavailability of phytochemicals from some foods, such as carotene from a variety of yellow-orange and dark green leafy vegatables, and lycopenes from tomatoes. OTOH raw is a superior form for some other phytochemicals, such as those from some of the cruciferous veggies.
My wife brings home some food from a raw food place on occasion, and it is tasty, albeit not cheap. Some is a bit salty, but that is just how that cook prepared. Of course as with any vegan diet someone who really follows it (rather than doing it for a week or so, or for a meal here and there) needs to be thoughtful about getting adequate quality proteins and B vitamins. But overall no better or worse than any other vegan approach.
That said here is a specific article.
A raw food diet (low protein, low calorie) and endurance running (over 48 miles p[er week long term) were both associated with a decreased cancer risk relative to a non-obese sedentary Western diet group.
The idea that your body gets enzymes it needs from raw foods is silly, because the acidity of your stomach denatures most enzymes before they could get to the small intestine, which is where most actual absorption happens.
Can I point out that a LOT of raw legumes are actually toxic? A bite or two won’t kill you, but trying to eat them full time could make you very sick indeed. Quite a few plants toxins are inactivated by heat, gee, maybe that’s why we started cooking them? A few plants, such as where tapioca comes from, can be lethal in the raw state.
Raw veganism is, to my mind, one of the crazy extremes of eating. I won’t stop an adult from engaging in such things, and most likely wouldn’t say anything to their face, but that doesn’t change my opinion of it.
I am an uncookbook called RAW, featuring recipes from the food plan. Somehow, combining avocado, dates, and carob does not equal chocolate mousse to me.
(Anecdotal) My roommate was on a raw diet for about 6mos. and she loved it. She had a ridiculous amount of energy, lost 10-15lbs, really enjoyed learning new recipes, shopping for fresh ingredients, etc etc. She did not seem to suffer any side effects.
That said, she was constantly trying to get me to try her recipes and 95% of them were seriously disgusting. IMO of course 
Funny, I just listened to an NPR podcast (transcript here) that talked about raw food. Seems that it takes a LOT of raw food to replicate the calories that cooked food has:
From what I can tell, the raw food diet is an almost entirely whackaloon-based concept, which may happen to make people feel better because they wind up eating tons more fruits and vegetables than they otherwise would. There is no good reason to go to the inconvenience, social restriction, and nutritional risk of a raw diet - just eat lots more fruits and vegetables.
Whenever someone asks me about a IMNSHO “crank” diet, I always refer them to that site : http://www.beyondveg.com/
I don`t know much about raw diets but what I always thought was strange about them is the lack of meat. Between shell fish, ceviche, sushi, tartare, carpaccio, tiradito, kitfo, crudo… well I’d be a happy camper. Raw mushrooms and onions and other vegetables on the other hand don’t particularly excite me.
Not cooking any of your food seems kind of extreme, but ok. I just don’t get why it tends to attract vegans.
If you do go for it, make sure you actually get a lot of calories for your chow. One big, big issue is that you can easily lose net calories on some raw diets. Cooking things, like beans, is a huge energy step-up, IIRC. It’s one reason that early man needed meat badly: it was often the difference between life and death.
One of my friends is currently engaging in a raw food diet starting with a juice cleanse. Now, she’s vegan anyway so it’s less of a jump for her and she’s sent me some recipes that I’ve made and are very tasty (I have an guacamole stuffed portobello mushroom recipe that’s super tasty assuming you like guacamole and portobello mushroom).
That being said - it’s not something I would do - I think it would be quite difficult to get an adequate amount of nutrition from this type of diet.
I would suggest if you’re interested you could try a few things and see if you actually like them - if you would like me to post the mushroom thing, let me know.
There are some recipes that are really delicious, but they’re few and far between. A raw-food vendor is at my local farmer’s market. I like her mock tuna salad, coconut macaroons, and raw cheesecakes.
As far as I can undertand it Vegans and Raw Food people just hate food. My GF’s mum is vegan and I had to go to a raw food restaurant call SAF (in London) for her birthday. It was trully unremarkable, but all the vegan’s there loved it because they’ve fogotten what good food tastes like. Needless to say I won’t be going back, for the prices they charge you can get some astonishingly good food in London. Including vegetarian food.
If you like raw fruit and veg and you think it will be good for you by all means eat it, I certainly do, but why does that mean you can’t eat anything else?
Personnally (i’m vegan, not raw), i don’t see it as there are things i can’t eat, its more like there are things I don’t want to eat. I don’t feel like my diet is restricted, I eat exactly everything that I want to. Of course, what everyone wants to eat is different I suppose.
Anyway, there is a Raw restaurant here in the Twin Cities that I think is delicious called Ecopolitan.
This. Jeebus.
I think I’ve asked this even on this board before, but, I have NEVER gotten a straight answer to my primary question about the raw-food diet: If these precious enzymes are so friggin’ delicate that they can’t even survive a light steaming, how in the name of all that’s holy do they survive being dunked into a vat of hydrochloric acid (which is basically all your stomach really is)?!?
Enzymes are proteins. Proteins are denatured by acidity. Yes?
Bah. Humans are by nature omnivores. That’s why we have an omnivore’s digestive system (including a relatively powerful liver) and an omnivore’s dentition. I always tap my canines when people start going on and on about being vegan.
Raw foodies (and I have to agree with **Baboonanza **here) can keep their weird-ass fake “pasta” and ersatz “bread” and faux “lasagna.” I’m gonna eat real goddamn bread, and I’ll take a grilled steak to go with it, thankyouverymuch.
I think the Raw Food ism ish stuff is fine, but requires alot of prep and money and time. Eating healthy food is always more expensive. If you have something that has no staying power on your shelf, you’ve got alot of trips to the store and the rotting factor.
Also, if you have kids, it is more money, because kids are freakin’ vaccuums with food.
Ahh the mytical sanctimonius vegan, preaching to all those around him trying to force everyone to be vegan. Often cited, rarely seen.