What’s the Deal with Raw Food?

When it comes to celebrity diets, we’ve pretty much heard everything. Existing on baby food? Impractical. The lunchbox diet? We’re still hungry. The master cleanse? Eh…are you out of your mind?

Yes, a lot of crazy eating habits come from Hollywood and most of the time, not only are they completely mental (seriously, who can function after a dinner of baby food?) they’re also unhealthy and, in most cases, not good for your body.

However, in terms of food, there is one interesting trend that has come from the A-list and the weird thing about it? Well…it’s not a diet, it’s actually good for you and starvation is not an option. Ladies, have you ever heard of the Raw Food Movement?

What is the Raw Food Movement?

The Raw Food Movement originated in Switzerland in the late eighteenth century and it is a way of eating that focusses on consuming food that is completely ‘raw.’ This means that food is uncooked, unprocessed and free from any kind of farming chemical.

The main thrust of the movement is that fresh food that hasn’t been cooked or processed contains more nutrients, enzymes and “life force” than food that has been subjected to modern farming practices.

By eating foods that still have some of this “life force” within them, your body absorbs more essential nutrients and as a result, it works better.

Raw Foodies believe that once a food is cooked above 40?C, the nutrients and enzymes are not as prominent and some of the “life force” begins to die. Therefore, if they do need to cook food, they do not cook it above 40?C,

Granted, it sounds a bit weird and strange but when you read up on the technicalities of it, the Raw Food Movement is basically about viewing your food as fuel and choosing to put the cleanest, most energy-efficient fuel into your vehicle. So no, your body isn’t a temple, but it is a brand-spanking new drop-top Mercedes.

What foods can I eat if I go raw?

The good news is that if you go raw, over twenty new food groups open up to you. Here’s a brief sample of some of the foods you can eat: fresh fruits and vegetables, leafy green vegetables, herbs, nuts, dried fruits, mushrooms, cacao (that’s chocolate ladies!), beans, grains, seeds, super foods, pulses, sea vegetables and spices.

What are the benefits of going raw?

There are dozens of benefits associated with raw living. Just check out some of the following:

• You will greatly lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and a host of other health issues.
• You’ll have absolute buckets of energy.
• You’ll have a much higher sex drive (ahem!).
• Your skin will literally glow with health and you are likely to look much younger than you actually are.
• You may find yourself needing less sleep (most people on a raw food only need about five hours, seriously!)
• You will shed any excess weight. Raw food works to get your body back to its natural state of being. By ditching all the preservatives and processed foods, you’ll lose those extra few pounds.
• Your body will absorb more nutrients – this is great for overall health. The appearance of your teeth, skin, hair and nails will improve.
• You’ll have a stronger immune system.

So ladies, what do you think? Would you ever go raw or do you love the Irish, spud-based diet too much?