This week, I attempted to undergo the raw food diet for a total of one day. I was inspired to do this because one of my friends had gone raw for three months, which to me sounded impossible.
According to the BBC, being on a raw food diet means that you eat nothing which has been ‘refined, canned or chemically processed, and has not been heated above 48 degrees Celsius’.
Not cooking food means that the enzymes along with vitamins in the food will still be present when it is being eaten, which is important for all aspects of our bodily function.
Benefits of a raw food diet consist of acne clearing, more energy, and healthier nails/hair. However, this diet also causes issues in the sense that it is easy to lack in protein, iron and vitamin B12. Other issues can include the fact that you can’t eat your cheesy chips after a night out, but nonetheless I wanted to see whether this is an effective diet. And, if you’re wondering whether alcohol is raw, then wine drinkers are in luck. However, beer and getting smashed off liquors is not allowed.
I started breakfast off with any nuts and fruit that were available in my parents house. I was pretty lucky considering I was in a situation where I had not bought any of the food, because let’s be honest I wouldn’t be able to afford the ridiculous amount of dates I ate that morning. However, spending money was inevitable eventually.
I’m not really sure whether a raw food diet would be cheaper than a normal diet. Vegetables are extremely cheap, however fruits and nuts can be quite expensive. Having said this, constantly buying crisps, biscuits and other foods that aren’t raw could count as being quite pricey in the long term too, and are hardly healthy.
In terms of how I felt during the day, I actually felt good. Eating a lot is the key here. Just eat more fruit and veg than you think you need and you’ll be reaching a healthy amount of calories per day. You’re likely to bloat on this diet, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that you won’t get a ‘bikini body’.
One of the biggest issues of dieting is whether you can carry on with it for a long period of time. I definitely felt more confident that I could continuously eat raw food for a longer amount of time than just one day. It would be difficult, however not as difficult as last weeks liquid diet! As said before though, a big issue of the diet is to ensure enough protein, iron and vitamin B12. As a result, if you’re just looking to improve your eating habits, a good idea is to perhaps eat raw for half your day. This could make a big difference to your health as you swap processed and refined foods for natural ones.
In conclusion, with an organised plan for meals and snacks, a raw food diet seems like a conceivable one to go through without it being hugely detrimental to your health or your day to day functioning.