There are now growing numbers of people who are going on raw food diets. Many of them simply want to lose a couple of inches off their waistlines, but others are making conscious efforts to eat only fresh, uncooked and unprocessed food. The underlying principle behind such diets is the belief that heat can destroy the essential enzymes that are normally found in food. These enzymes are said to speed up the body’s natural tendency to digest meals and absorb its nutrients. In other literature, it is said that cooking (or heating anything edible above 116°F) can eliminate the elemental life force in food.

In any case, raw food diets have been around for more than a century already, and many people have seen great benefits to practicing its dogma. One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding this practice is the thought that the raw food a person can eat is limited to fruits and certain vegetables only. That is not true at all. Aside from fruits and veggies, uncooked and unprocessed food can also come in the form of beans, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, sprouts, and even seaweeds. Certain kinds of natural preservation methods are also allowed in raw food diets like brining, drying, fermenting, soaking, sprouting and even organic salt curing.

Meat may also be on the menu as with the case of seafood like tuna, salmon, herring or other fish meat which can be prepared as sashimi, or cured in salt, or allowed to ferment with brine. Oysters have always been eaten raw, as well. Eggs that have been “prepared” but not cooked are considered as a protein or meat source too. Although eggs can be eaten raw, some can be prepared through aging and curing methods, as long as heat is not used. A good example of which would be century eggs. Carpaccio is a dish that is made from thinly sliced and/or pounded beef, veal or venison meat. And for the truly brave or those who are hankering for a taste of the exotic, there is raw horse meat that can be prepared as Basashi.

Now that the basics are defined, here are some essential tips if you are seriously thinking about trying raw food diets.

1. Always ask for the aid of your health care provider.

Your attending physician, a dietician, or a nutritionist can help you achieve good health while you are on this diet. Undeniably, raw food diets have many advantages like improving your skin, speeding up your digestion, lowering the risk of coronary disease and losing weight naturally. However, since meat is almost always out of the menu, essential minerals and vitamins like B12, calcium, iron and protein would be removed from the diet as well. This can lead to a steady loss of bone mass. Your health care provider can advise you as to what supplements and their corresponding dosages you should take to balance your diet out.

2. Buy the necessary equipment.

Going raw would also mean acquiring certain equipment so that you can prepare your food. Mason jars would be needed for sprouting grains, beans and legumes. These may also be needed for fermenting sprouted grains as well. A juice extractor will help you get the most nutrients from fruits and vegetables. A blender, chopper, or food processor will make food preparations so much easier.

3. Switch to raw food diets gradually.

Though it is commendable if you can switch from your conventional diet to raw foods at a blink of the eye, it would be better if you could introduce raw foods slowly in your daily meals. This is to make sure that your digestive system does not go into “shock” from the sudden change of food type. Also, some raw foods may take a certain getting used to, so try to be kind to your digestive system and take things one step at a time.