Raw Diets

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RAW DIETS

Source: Another list/not given

 

It seems that Americans will do anything to lose weight, whether

it's giving up sugar, fats, carbohydrates, meats or . well,

everything! A brand new diet trend asks us to take nearly every food

we normally eat out of our diets. Then, it goes a step further-

everything you eat has to be raw.

 

The Raw Diet, also known as the Garden Diet, is a raw-vegan diet.

That is, followers cannot eat meat or dairy. Unprocessed, preferably

organic, whole plant-based foods make up the diet. Fresh fruits and

vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, grains, legumes, dried fruits,

seaweeds, sun-dried fruits, other organic or natural foods which

have not been processed, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, and

purified water are the staples.

 

Reported raw food dieters Demi Moore, Alicia Silverstone, and Woody

Harrelson are front-runners of the new trend. And surprisingly,

there are already about 20 raw food restaurants in the United

States, including one five-star restaurant, Roxanne's in Lakespur,

California.

 

So why are people willing to restrict their diets so much? According

to www.thegardendiet.com, a web site devoted to advocating a raw

food diet, food loses important enzymes and nutrients when it

reaches between 105 and 118 degrees. To compensate for the lost

vitamins and minerals, people tend to overeat. Because the enzymes

in raw food make it easier to digest, when we consume cooked food

our bodies must work harder in order to produce extra digestive

enzymes to break down the food. This is why we feel so tired after a

big meal.

 

" Everything you need can be derived from this food. This was here

first. We've lived on this food since the Garden of Eden, " says

Juliano Brotman, a raw food restaurant owner. " I can't get sick,

can't get a cold or a sore throat. I experience no tiredness. I'm

like superhuman " , she says.

 

Besides weight-loss, supporters of the raw diet believe it has many

other significant health benefits. Followers attribute the diet with

helping them in battling and preventing cancer, overcoming

depression, acne, and chronic fatigue.

 

Nevertheless, some nutritionists are concerned that the restrictive

nature of the diet might limit nutrient intake. " People often think

that fruit and vegetables are better for you if they are raw, " Dr.

Sarah Schenker of the Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition

Foundationsays. " However, research has shown that some of the

phytochemicals present are more easily absorbed by the body when the

vegetable has been cooked or processed, for example, lycopene in

tomatoes and carotenoids in carrots. "

 

Healthy or not, the trend is undeniable. More and more people are

adopting raw food diets as a way of life. Many people are starting

to realize, whether they follow the raw diet or others, in order to

be healthy, you have to lead a healthy lifestyle. " All you have to

do is change your addictions, and you're a healthy person, " Brotman

says.