Raw food diet - where to start? How to switch to a raw food diet? The right combination of foods for a raw foodist.

18/11/2015 14:35

A raw food diet is a philosophical way of life that can be achieved by people with a strong will and a clear mind. Not everyone can give up their usual dishes and put up with the constant hungry rumbling of their stomach.

So what exactly are raw foodists? People who have given up the pleasure of pampering themselves with delicious food or healthy and vibrant individuals? You will find answers to these questions in our article!

What is a raw food diet, and what types is it divided into?

A raw food diet is a nutritional system in which the basis of your diet is raw foods, without heat treatment (cooking, frying, baking, smoking, pasteurization).

Proponents of such nutrition argue that processing foods using the heat method is unnatural, because our ancestors ate exclusively raw, natural products.

Modern culinary innovations are a tribute to fashion, which does not benefit our body in any way - this is what adherents of a raw food diet believe.

A recognized fact why many people choose a raw food diet concerns vitamins and minerals. Heat treatment destroys most of the vitamins and beneficial microelements, while in raw food they remain intact and are better absorbed by the body.

The raw food diet system is divided into several types according to the acceptability of products:

Omnivorous raw food diet– the diet can include meat, fish, eggs, raw or dried.
Vegetarian raw food diet– consumption of meat and fish is prohibited; raw eggs and dairy products are allowed. This is the most common type of raw food diet in the world.
Vegan raw food diet– excludes foods of animal origin, including eggs, milk and dairy products. A vegan diet contains only raw plant foods.
Fruitarianism- this is nutrition from plant fruits - fruits, berries, nuts, fruit vegetables.

Raw food diet options also differ in diet planning methods:

Mixed– products are divided by composition, and products of similar composition are used at one meal – vegetables + vegetables, fruits + nuts, and so on.
Monotrophic– only 1 product without heat treatment is consumed at one meal.

Where to start - how to switch to a raw food diet correctly?

A raw food diet is not a diet, but a nutritional system in which you give up your usual foods and cook food using heat.

Important!

A sharp refusal from an established diet can negatively affect the body. Therefore, you should switch to a raw food diet smoothly and with the understanding that you really need it.

Avoid foods first industrial production, in the 2nd week - from red meat, in the 3rd - from white meat, in the 4th - from eggs, in the 5th - from fish, in the 6th - from milk and fermented milk products, from the 7th week - from cereals. Eat more raw food every week.
Keep a raw food diary, where you will write down all your feelings, thoughts, information about harmful and healthy foods, your goals (losing excess weight, getting healthier, and so on) and, of course, the results.
Plan your diet depending on the time of year. Summer and autumn are the most favorable periods for starting a raw food diet, because your diet will be dominated by fresh fruit and vegetables. In winter and spring, you can include in the menu products that are stored in the cellar (onions, carrots, potatoes, apples). In spring, you can add more greens to your diet.
An important factor when switching to a raw food diet is willpower. The main principle of this nutrition system is duration. If you wanted fried fish, then don't deny yourself once in pleasure. The rest of the time, eat on a raw food diet.

Benefits and harms

What are the benefits of a raw food diet?

Adherents of a raw food diet claim that by adhering to this nutritional system, you can cleanse the body of toxins, waste and other harmful substances. At the same time, you are adapting to a new way of life, becoming one step closer to natural, simple food.

Nutritionists include the following benefits of a raw food diet:

Developing immunity to colds.
Food endurance. If found in products harmful substances, the body senses them, neutralizes them and rejects them without consequences for the gastrointestinal tract and for health in general.
Losing body weight through eating healthy foods without heat treatment.
Increased energy, improved well-being, and the ability to lead an active lifestyle.
The body of raw foodists does not contain harmful trans fats and saturated fats, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart muscle. The risk of developing cardiovascular diseases is reduced.

The harm of a raw food diet

According to experts, a person eats fully if the body receives six elements daily - proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins and water. With a raw food diet, the body does not receive enough nutrients.

The disadvantages of a raw food diet include:

Lack of proteins. Some essential amino acids are found only in foods of animal origin. According to doctors, a lack of nutrients in the body of a raw foodist leads to a decrease in immunity.
Lack of B vitamins. Vitamins B12 and B2 are found in beef liver and in dairy products. They are important for proper metabolism and the full functioning of the central nervous system.
Deficiency of healthy plant foods in winter period. Raw food diet was founded in countries with hot and humid climate, Where all year round Residents have access to fruits and vegetables. But the winter period in our country is characterized by a minimum of fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as their dubious usefulness. Most often, greenhouse products contain many harmful chemical additives, which means they will no longer be useful.

Who is contraindicated for a raw food diet?

With diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (acids in fresh foods irritate the gastric mucosa).
In case of allergic reactions to certain products (nuts, citrus fruits, pollen).
In addition, experts do not recommend switching to a raw food diet before the age of 30. Before this age mark, some processes in the body are still actively forming, but after 30 years the body is already fully developed.
A raw food diet is also contraindicated for pregnant women, since good protein nutrition is important for the full development of the fetus.

Raw food diet rules and advice for beginners - what are the most common mistakes beginners make?

You already know that the transition to a raw food diet should be gradual so as not to injure the body. However, beginning raw foodists often make common mistakes at the beginning of their journey.

Mistakes of beginner raw foodists:

Lack of water. Many new raw foodists believe that they get enough water from plant foods, but this is not true. In addition to plant foods, a person should consume at least a little purified water in order to saturate the body with it.
Lack of green vegetation. There is a danger that raw foodists do not have enough animal protein. To compensate for this deficiency, you should eat greens (parsley, onions, dill, celery, nettles) and nuts.
Use in the diet vegetable oils, large quantity dried fruits, honey, canned, fermented foods. Oils are concentrated foods that contain a lot of fat. And fat disrupts metabolism and impairs performance digestive systems s. Dried fruits for raw foodists are acceptable in cases where raw food is temporarily unavailable (for example, on the road).
Overeating. Abuse of food leads to drowsiness, lethargy, lack of energy, and difficulty getting up in the morning. Over time, you need to reduce the amount you eat.

Raw food diet - creating the right menu for 7 days

Monday:

Breakfast. 2 bananas, 1 kiwi.
Dinner. Green buckwheat, salad from fresh cucumbers with tomato, onion and sweet pepper, seasoned olive oil cold pressed.
Afternoon snack. A handful of any raw nuts.
Dinner. 1 glass of vegetable smoothie (tomato, avocado, basil, herbs).

Tuesday:

Breakfast. 2 persimmons.
Dinner. Sprouted with tomato and onion, garlic, parsley.
Afternoon snack. Raw carrot cutlets.
Dinner. Salad of tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese.

Wednesday:

Breakfast. Fruit and vegetable smoothie.
Dinner. Pumpkin porridge with linseed oil and pumpkin seeds.
Afternoon snack. 2 apples.
Dinner. Squash caviar with rye flatbread.

Thursday:

Breakfast. 2 slices fresh melon.
Dinner. Vegetable cream soup (from onions, cauliflower, carrots, new peas and herbs).
Afternoon snack. Salad of fresh cabbage, cucumbers, herbs, seasoned with lemon juice and flaxseed oil.
Dinner. Sprouted wheat porridge with black currants.

Friday:

Breakfast. 1 glass of banana and strawberry smoothie.
Dinner. Pumpkin porridge with pine nuts, zucchini salad with herbs.
Afternoon snack. 2 oranges.
Dinner. Salad of arugula, cauliflower and tomato, with the addition of sesame seeds, seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil.

Saturday:

Breakfast. A handful of fresh strawberries.
Dinner. Sprouted chickpeas, salad of young zucchini and carrots in Korean.
Afternoon snack. Apples stuffed with dried fruits.
Dinner. Salad from seaweed, broccoli, onions, seasoned with lemon juice and flaxseed oil.

Sunday:

Breakfast. Smoothie made from kefir and blackcurrant.
Dinner. Gazpacho soup.
Afternoon snack. A handful of any nuts.
Dinner. from vegetables.

Raw food diet is a popular nutrition system today that does not leave anyone indifferent. Some consider the raw food diet to be a philosophical way of life, thanks to which you can lose weight, improve your health and prolong your life. Others do not share this optimism, believing that raw foodists are dooming themselves to a life of hand to mouth and causing irreparable damage to their health by refusing any processing of foods.

So who are raw foodists? Happy and energetic individuals or people who have deprived themselves of the pleasures of modern cooking? We will answer all your questions, and at the same time tell you what a raw food diet is for beginners.

What is a raw food diet?

Raw food diet is special system nutrition, which recommends eating exclusively plant-based foods, without heat treatment (no boiling, frying, baking, smoking or pasteurization).

It is worth saying that there are several types of raw food diet, for example:

1. Raw food diet is omnivorous. Allows the consumption of meat, fish and eggs, as well as any vegetables, fruits and herbs, exclusively in raw form.
2. Vegetarian raw food diet. Prohibits the consumption of fish and meat, but allows the inclusion of eggs and dairy products in the diet exclusively in raw form. By the way, a vegetarian raw food diet is the most common type of such nutrition in the world.
3. Raw vegan diet. With this approach to nutrition, any food of animal origin, including eggs and milk, is excluded from the diet. A vegan diet involves eating only plant foods.
4. Fruitarianism. This is one of the most in-depth forms of raw food diet, which involves eating plant fruits, in particular fruits, vegetables and fruits, nuts and berries.

The benefits of a raw food diet

People who are passionate about this approach to nutrition consider the heat treatment of foods to be unnatural, because our ancestors ate exclusively raw, natural products, which means that a raw food diet is a return to one’s natural beginning. Moreover, it has long been proven that heat treatment destroys a significant portion of vitamins and minerals, while in raw foods the beneficial substances are retained in full and are moreover better digested by the body.

But there are other, much more serious reasons to become a raw foodist. For example:

by eating exclusively raw plant foods, you can cleanse the body of waste, toxins and heavy metal salts;
raw foodists strengthen their immune system and develop resistance to infectious diseases;
by eliminating animal fats from the diet, a person loses weight naturally, which not only guarantees him slim figure, but also prevents the development of a number of serious diseases caused by overweight bodies;
avoidance of saturated fats and harmful trans fats has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, and therefore prevents a number of diseases of the cardiovascular system;
raw food diet improves body tone, increases performance, improves mood and reinforces the desire to lead healthy image life;
the so-called “food endurance” increases, thanks to which the body begins to better identify and, without harm to health, reject harmful substances present in foods.

The harm of a raw food diet

But there is another opinion, according to which eating only vegetables and fruits can cause irreparable harm health. It is known that proper human nutrition involves the consumption of 6 elements (fats, proteins and carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water). And with a raw food diet, a person is simply not able to receive all these elements in the volume he needs.

1. Lack of protein foods. You need to understand that some essential amino acids are present only in animal foods. According to doctors, when deprived of these products, a person weakens his immunity.

2. Lack of B vitamins. Experts point out that vitamins B2 and B12, important for the nervous system, are found in sufficient quantities only in milk and beef liver, and therefore depriving yourself of these products can disrupt the functioning of the central nervous system and proper metabolism.

3. Lack of healthy plant foods in winter. You need to understand that the raw food diet originated in hot countries where plant foods grow freely all year round. But the residents of our country will be able to eat natural products only 6-7 months a year, while the rest of the time they will have to buy overseas vegetables and fruits, not always good quality. It is no secret that products grown in greenhouses contain a lot of chemical additives. In this case, the benefits of a raw food diet can be reduced to zero.

Who is contraindicated for a raw food diet?

persons with gastrointestinal diseases (the acid present in raw foods greatly irritates the gastric mucosa);
allergic reactions for some products (citrus fruits, honey or nuts);
pregnancy (women during pregnancy need complete protein nutrition, which cannot be achieved without eating meat and offal);
Experts do not recommend switching to a raw food diet for people under 30 years of age, since before this age some processes in the body are still developing. And after 30 years the body is already fully developed;
persons over 70 years of age, whose body is in the process of withering, are not recommended to switch to a raw food diet;
People who are underweight, have recently undergone surgery, or suffer from anemia should also not switch to a raw food diet.

Read also:

Books on raw food diet

Before you become a raw foodist, it would be a good idea to read the beginner's guide. There are plenty of books on this topic on the Internet, but we would recommend you the following literature:

1. “Raw food diet. A guide for beginners" - author Sergei Zdravin.
2. “Eating Raw” - by Carol Ault.
3. “The China Study” - by Colin Campbell.
4. “Green for life. True story healing" - author Victoria Butenko.

How to switch to a raw food diet correctly

It is important to understand that a raw food diet is not a diet, but a lifestyle, and therefore, before you make changes to your diet, you should understand why you need it. By the way, most raw foodists agree that such food not only benefits the body, but is also a means of spiritual growth.

Only after fully realizing that a raw food diet is exactly your path can you proceed directly to the transition to eating plant foods. At the same time, remember that a sudden refusal of food that is familiar to you can negatively affect the condition of the body, and therefore you need to start with a gradual refusal of certain foods.

It looks like this:

Week 1: give up all industrially produced products (sausages, sausages, confectionery);
Week 2: eliminate red meat;
Week 3: Avoid white meat;
Week 4: eliminate eggs;
Week 5: give up fish;
Week 6: remove milk and dairy products from your diet;
Week 7: give up cereals.

At the same time, more and more plant foods should enter your diet every week.

You will need to keep a raw foodist diary to record your feelings, information about harmful products, as well as the goals you are trying to achieve through a raw food diet. A separate column in the diary should indicate the results of your work, which will motivate you to maintain the chosen nutrition system.

The most favorable times The years to start switching to a raw food diet will be summer and autumn, because during these periods there will be an abundance of all kinds of vegetables and fruits on your table. As for winter, during this period the basis of nutrition will be the products stored in your cellar (apples, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beets and onions). In the spring, your diet will include fresh herbs, Jerusalem artichoke and radishes.

And one more thing. An important factor in switching to a raw food diet should be willpower, without which it will not be possible to adhere to the chosen diet for a long time. That is, if you suddenly feel an uncontrollable urge to eat a piece of fried meat, do not deny yourself this, but such temptations should not become systemic.

Mistakes of beginner raw foodists

As we have already learned, a raw food diet must be approached gradually, week after week giving up certain foods. If you give up animal food in one fell swoop, there is a high risk of “relapse” and returning to your previous diet. But there are other mistakes that beginner raw foodists make.

1. Lack of water. Once they start eating a plant-based diet, some people find that they get enough water from green foods. Actually this is not true. Whatever your diet, you should drink at least 6-8 glasses of clean water a day.

2. Lack of greenery. When switching to a raw food diet, the risk of lack of animal protein in the body increases. To cope with this problem, you need to include greens (lettuce, parsley, dill, nettle and celery) in your diet more often, and also eat nuts.

3. Excessive consumption of vegetable oils, dried fruits and honey, fermented and canned food. Oils contain a lot of fat, which disrupts the digestion of food. Dried fruits and honey should also not be consumed constantly; you should switch to these products only when plant foods are not available.

4. Overeating. It should be remembered that if you eat too many vegetables and fruits, you risk experiencing lethargy and apathy, drowsiness and lack of energy. Over time, it will be necessary to reduce the amount of food consumed.

5. Absence physical activity. Raw vegetables and fruits by themselves will not strengthen your muscles or improve your body's health if you do not pay attention to it at the same time. physical exercise. Jogging in the morning, exercising or going to the gym should be regular to maintain your body healthy mind and strengthen muscles.

Raw food diet for weight loss

Switching to eating raw plant foods to get rid of extra pounds, has many advantages. Firstly, due to the large amount of fiber, the body is quickly cleansed of toxins and waste. Secondly, the absence of fats and carbohydrates in the diet allows you to quickly lose weight by spending own reserves fat Thirdly, with a raw food diet, the amount of food consumed is reduced. Uncooked food has a coarser consistency, which means more time and energy is spent on processing it. Finally, individuals who practice a raw food diet gain not only beautiful figure, but also activity and mental clarity.

Approximate daily diet for a raw foodist

45–50% raw fruits and berries;
30–40% raw vegetables;
10–15% legumes and grains;
5–10% nuts, seeds, dried fruits and honey;
1% vegetable oil, garlic and spices.

Sample menu for a raw foodist in summer

Cucumbers + radishes + parsley + dill + lettuce;
Nettle + tomatoes + dandelion leaves;
Carrots + cucumbers + leafy green vegetables;
Bell peppers + tomatoes + herbs;
White cabbage+ apples + peaches;
Carrot + cauliflower(broccoli) + peaches;
Plums + cabbage + apricots;
Several types of berries + cabbage;
Sweet apple + black currant + nectarines;
Zucchini + cabbage + cucumbers;
Zucchini + sour apple+ leafy greens.

Sample menu for a raw foodist in winter

Apple + carrots + celery root;
Carrots + cabbage + apple;
Apple + beets + prunes;
Carrots + cauliflower + garlic + beets;
Turnip + pumpkin + apple;
Broccoli + cauliflower;
Apple + dried apricots + radish (rutabaga).

In winter, you can include exotic vegetables and fruits in your diet, always in combination with familiar foods:

Orange (grapefruit) + banana + apple;
Carrots + Chinese cabbage + orange;
Apple + cabbage + orange;
Orange + carrots + seeds;
Sweet and sour apple + orange + dates;
Avocado + pistachios.

At the same time, you can prepare salads for breakfast with the addition of cold-pressed oil, adding if desired lemon juice, honey, apple cider vinegar, mustard powder or garlic.

By the way, any salad can be seasoned with nuts or seeds that have been previously soaked for 8 hours in water room temperature. Almonds and walnuts and pine nuts are best suited for this purpose, as well as pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

The raw food diet, a fashionable way of eating today, preaches the idea that food becomes dead when it is processed at high temperatures.

This means that raw foodists are the only category of people who fully enrich their body with useful substances by eating properly, in accordance with human nature.

Raw Food Diet Basics for Beginners

In traditional cooking, there are many ways to prepare food without using heat treatment by boiling, frying or baking. Since ancient times, the preparation of fruits, berries and mushrooms for the winter was carried out by pickling, pickling, and drying. Dried fish, salted lard, balyk, sauerkraut and cucumbers are popular foods ordinary person, which omnivorous raw foodists will not disdain. A raw food diet can also be vegetarian; G. Carringston was the first to scientifically prove the benefits of eating exclusively raw agricultural products.

Raw food diet - products

A raw food diet is a special way of eating in which the following foods are consumed:

NOT boiled.
NOT fried.
NOT smoked.
NOT baked.

At the same time, cold heat treatment is allowed, dried, dried and other methods of non-hot cooking are also allowed.

You can eat:

raw fruits and vegetables;
dried fruits, nuts, seeds and grains;
other products, depending on the form of raw food diet.

There is an opinion that a raw food diet is one of the strict forms of vegetarianism. This is an erroneous judgment, because there are different shapes raw food diet.

Stages of raw food diet

There are different stages (forms) of raw food diet:

Omnivore. Wide range food products are acceptable for an omnivorous raw food diet. The diet consists of vegetables and fruits. You can eat meat, fish, milk, eggs and seafood. Among the cooking methods, drying is appropriate.
Vegetarian. In addition to vegetables and fruits, raw food vegetarians can afford to drink eggs and milk, yogurt and other dairy products, the preparation of which does not require heat treatment. Meat and fish cannot be eaten.
Vegan. Vegans are people who eat absolutely nothing related to the animal world. You can't have milk - a calf could drink it. You can’t have an egg—every egg you drink could hatch into a chicken. Meat and fish are the flesh of living creatures just like us. You can't eat them either.
Carnivorous. This form, on the contrary, recreates the way cavemen fed. The basis of a carnivorous raw food diet is animal products, especially meat, fish and seafood. At the same time, vegetables are allowed, but are not predominant in the diet. This form of raw food diet has its place, but is not as popular as the vegetarian one.

Fruitarian. Raw foodists who practice this form of nutrition do not even eat vegetables, not to mention animal products. Raw fruits are the basis and only component of their diet.

Raw food diet: where to start?

Waking up with the decision to become a raw foodist and suddenly switching to a special diet is shock therapy for the body, which can have unpleasant consequences. Before switching to a raw food diet, ask yourself: “Why do I need this?” Answer options:

For company with a friend/boyfriend, so that there are more common topics.
Many people say it's great.
Raw food diet is trending.
I don’t understand why cook food, because you can not cook at all, but eat everything raw.
I need a raw food diet - that’s what my body wants.

All answers except the last one indicate the wrong approach. Give up the idea of becoming a raw foodist - it’s not your thing. And even if the answer “5” fully reflects your thoughts and state of mind, you should weigh the pros and cons many times. The transition to a raw food diet should not be carried out independently without a medical certificate: not every person is able to survive the transition to a raw food diet and this lifestyle.

Contraindications to switching to a raw food diet

You can't be a raw foodist:

People who want to become parents in the near or distant future. A raw food diet will not provide adequate nutrition to the reproductive cells, which can lead to infertility.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers whose milk reflects what they eat. The baby should receive all possible beneficial substances from milk, and the mother should help him with this.
Children and adolescents are growing organisms whose nutrition must be balanced. Raw food diet causes developmental delays, disruptions endocrine system and energy depletion.
Old people. The metabolism of older people is slow, so it will be difficult for their body to synthesize useful substances from exclusively raw foods.
Patients with stomach problems (gastritis, colitis, whose digestion of food is difficult).
Patients with tuberculosis, whose body should receive maximum quantity wholesome and healthy food, especially protein-containing products: meat, fish, seafood, milk.

A raw food diet is recommended for people over 40 who have high blood pressure, overweight or gout. They are prescribed a special short-term raw food diet.

How to switch to a raw food diet from a regular diet?

Becoming a raw foodist for a long time is a serious choice for which the body needs to be prepared. For a very long time and smoothly – at least one year – the average person’s body must switch to a raw food diet. The body will need this time to completely adapt to eating from a new source of energy - raw food. The most difficult period for a raw foodist is the first winter, so try to start preparing for a raw food diet in the spring, and start a new way of eating next summer, when a raw food diet will be a pleasant pleasure due to the abundance of vegetables and fruits.
Gradually, you need to remove smoked meats, meats and fish products, canned food and semi-finished products. Afterwards, you should limit yourself to flour and sweets, tea, coffee, alcohol, gradually removing these products from your diet.
Drink a lot of water. 2 liters is the minimum volume of liquid allowed when switching to a raw food diet. Do not overeat on fruits and vegetables containing fiber - the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract must be gradually accustomed to consumption raw vegetables and fruits.
Instead of the usual cereals, you can eat cereals and nuts, soaking them overnight in water. For example, oatmeal - left for 8 hours in water, in the company of dried fruits - is a completely decent raw foodist breakfast, not much different from everyday food. Fruit and vegetable salads– what is not tasty, familiar and healthy food from the point of view of a raw food diet? A lot of raw foodist dishes arouse the interest of the average person.

When eating a raw food diet, it is important to remember that the body, in addition to the vitamin-mineral complex, must receive sufficient, balanced amounts of proteins and carbohydrates. Meals per day can be from 2 to 6, depending on the individual needs of the body and the energy value of the products.

Switching to a raw food diet - possible consequences

There is no scientific or public consensus on the raw food diet. On the one hand, this is a natural (not distorted by civilization) way of feeding a person as a biological unit, which treats many diseases and helps improve the figure. On the other hand, it is a debilitating abuse of the body that can cause health problems.

Is a raw food diet healthy? Is it harmful? You should understand the experience of practicing raw foodists and medical experts.

The benefits of a raw food diet

People call for a raw food diet for two reasons: it is natural and it is healthy. It is natural for a person to eat a raw food diet, but not everyone is ready to decide on such a way of eating, losing in many ways compared to a raw foodist.

Raw food treatment. People often become raw foodists, having once switched to a similar diet in the fight against diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous or digestive systems. Taras Gavur, a practicing raw foodist from Kyiv, switched to a similar diet for at least five years. The impetus for this was problems with the gastrointestinal tract. He was bothered by sharp pains radiating to his spine. On the recommendation of doctors, he paid attention to his diet and completely abandoned fried foods, and within five years he became a raw foodist. Reason for choosing a diet young man became his wife. The girl got rid of asthma by practicing a raw food diet.

Human battery charge. Raw foodists recognize that they have an abundance of energy resources. They are ready not only to work actively, but are also able to anticipate certain life events. According to Artem Voloshchuk, a cook at a specific cafe for creative vegetarians, the feeling of a surge of energy does not evaporate even after a hard day at work. According to statistics, raw foodists sleep less than the average person by 2-4 hours a day. A short six (or less) hours are enough to completely restore human biological resources. A raw foodist is full of energy and ready to work after a deep, quiet short sleep. A raw food diet refreshes the mind, meaning it makes you work nervous system more intense and productive: thoughts are clear, the mind is enlightened and ready to make the right decisions.
Raw food diet for weight loss. The transition to a raw food diet causes a sharp weight loss due to a decrease in the amount of energy-rich foods available. Raw foodists cannot eat bread; they can eat porridge only if they are infused in cold water, meat and fish - only raw or dried (which not everyone can eat). Thus, very few high-calorie foods remain in the diet, which leads to the use of reserve resources (accumulated fats) to obtain energy for the day. For this reason, a raw food diet is sometimes prescribed in medicinal purposes as a temporary type of nutrition - diet. A constant raw food diet can become a habit for the body, which subsequently leads to weight regain.

The harm of a raw food diet

The picture of the raw food lifestyle would be more rosy if it did not cause health problems. Opponents of a raw food diet warn of irreversible negative consequences this method nutrition.

Raw food diet - the results of an experiment by a novice raw foodist

Avitaminosis. The period of transition to a special diet of raw foods is the most vulnerable to vitamin deficiency. An unbalanced diet causes insufficient intake of the vitamin-mineral complex into the body. The first symptoms of this are a feeling of numbness in the arms and legs, and a weak ability of the body to heal wounds. Raw foodist Yuri Volkov shares his impressions of a 3-month painful transition to a raw diet. Abdominal pain, constant loss of strength and weakness, aggravated allergic reactions - all this the person suffered during the crisis transition period.
Poisoning. If the combination of raw foods is incorrect, the food may not be digested at all. Try to follow the rules of nutrition so that everything is in order with digestion. The second cause of poisoning is substances and microorganisms found in products. Meat or fish may contain worm larvae; raw legumes themselves can produce toxic substances in the stomach. A plant protein found in many foods that can cause allergic reactions.
Aggression . The transition period to a raw food diet can result in a lack of multivitamins of group B. This is a consequence of a vegetarian or vegan raw food diet, in which meat and other animal products are not eaten. B-vitamins are responsible for the ability to control oneself - mental calm. Imbalance among raw foodists often manifests itself in those people who lead the opposite lifestyle.

Raw food diet - reviews from practicing raw foodists

Forced consistency. The diet of a raw foodist is very strict. You can't do this, you can't do that. What if someone sees it? My conscience will torture me! This is especially true for those who are surrounded by people practicing this lifestyle. Plays a significant role here public opinion. But it is important to remember that you became a raw foodist at the call of your body, and if at the call of the same body you want to deviate a little from the intended path, then you need it. You will come to your senses, admit it is a sin and return to a raw food diet. Voloshchuk Artem, a raw foodist whom we mentioned earlier, frankly says that this personal choice every thing he eats. And you are doing a raw food diet exclusively for yourself - you don’t care what others think. Even if you call yourself a raw foodist and adhere to a certain image food - no one has the right to reproach you for eating a roll of sushi or a piece of kebab. First of all, it is important to listen to your body, and not other people’s words.
Expensive. This criterion hits not the body, but the wallet. For a city dweller shopping in a supermarket, purchasing a month of raw food diet costs the same as 2 or 3 purchases for 30 days of regular food. The exception is land owners who always have vegetables and fruits on hand - it is cheaper for them to eat a raw food diet than to spend money on meat. Eating in a restaurant for a raw foodist is an unaffordable luxury. It's not even a matter of prices, but the availability of establishments, of which there are very few even in the capital.

Raw food diet - menu

We found out how useful it is to be a raw foodist and how harmful it is to become one. All that remains is to try to cook something from the kitchen of a raw foodist to experience the taste of dishes prepared without hot heat treatment.

Raw food diet: menu schedule for the week

There is no strict raw food diet schedule. This is a way of life that takes several years to achieve and live constantly. Try not to forget about the necessary intake of calories and vitamins into your body. For this purpose, you need to be able to correctly combine foods when eating a raw food diet. There are several rules for this:

Do not eat fat-containing foods (nuts, avocado, coconut) with sweet berries, dried fruits or fruits. A thoughtless combination of fat and sugar will result in fermentation in the stomach, minimizing the benefits of the foods eaten.
But sour fruits (orange) are an exception to the previous rule. Acid promotes the breakdown of fat, and such fruits contain less fructose than others.
In turn, sour foods (tomato, orange) should not be eaten with starchy foods (potatoes, banana). The carbohydrates that make up starch cannot be synthesized by saliva, which contains a lot of acid. It is better to avoid eating potatoes and tomatoes, and eat bananas with sweet fruits (mangoes, apples).
An abundance of fat can lead to digestive problems. Don't eat fatty foods with fatty foods - avoid combining any of these foods (nuts, coconut, avocado, vegetable oil).
Eat everything with greens - they are ready to be combined with any other food.
Eat fruits, sweet with sweet, sour with sour.
Eat vegetables only with vegetables.
Sprouts of grains or legumes, nuts soaked in water should be eaten as independent dishes, not combined with anything else.

Knowing the simple basics of combining products, you can create your own recipes.

Raw food diet, recipes

The raw food diet is interesting because of its inventive varieties of dishes. If you use a grinder kitchen appliances, you can prepare very tasty nutritional benefits.

Raw food diet - simple recipes for the first and second

Borsch. Even such a dish can be eaten by raw foodists, but it is prepared somewhat differently than we imagine. We chop the carrots and beets partly on a grater, partly in a blender. Celery and greens - cut as convenient for us. Mix everything, add salt (not table salt), spices and water. The first dish is ready. Please note that just enough water is needed to turn the thick mixture from a blender and coarsely chopped products into a slightly liquid dish, but not into slop.
As for the second courses, porridges of non-standard preparation predominate: cereals soaked in water, sprouted green sprouts of cereals and many other hearty foods. Vegetables, oils, and herbs are added to grains, turning them into worthy dishes that are pleasant to eat. For example, a salad of sprouted green buckwheat with cucumber, bell pepper and dill - varied, healthy and satisfying.

Raw food recipes for snacks

Almond cheese. Almond nuts in a volume of 2 glasses are poured a large number water and leave for 8 hours. After this, the swollen nuts are ground in a food processor, adding little by little mineral water(no more than 2 glasses). Lemon juice, crushed garlic and other seasonings are added to the mixture for taste. Place gauze folded in 3 layers into a deep plate. They pour out the pulp, tie the gauze scroll with a rope and hang it up, just like cheese. The bundle can hang indoors or outdoors moderate temperature air about 23 ° C.
Champignon mushrooms, which can be eaten even raw, can be marinated with green onions in lemon juice, salt and oil. Within 2 hours the dish is ready.

Raw food diet - sweets for every day and on holidays

Desserts are often based on nuts, dried fruits, bananas and other delicious foods. They are crushed, dried with dehydrate, laid in layers, mixed or frozen. The result is wonderful sweets: cakes, rolls, ice cream and other desserts.

Rafaelki. For 300 g kernels walnut take 250 g of liquid honey, 3 tsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon (or nutmeg, ginger - as you like). Crush the nuts in a blender and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Roll in sesame seeds or coconut flakes. The result is an energy-rich dish that contains proteins and fats, which is important for maintaining the vital functions of the body.

Drinks

Prepare drinks by mixing vegetables or fruits in a blender. For example, pumpkin, beets and apples in equal proportions or celery and banana are very tasty combinations. It's not hard to come up with own recipe drink If the juice or gruel turns out to be thick or concentrated, the mix is diluted with water.

Fresh fruits and berries are very tasty and healthy.

Raw food diet: before and after

Becoming a raw foodist is a person’s personal choice. This is not to say that it is irreversible, but this is often what happens. A raw food diet is becoming not only a way of eating, but also a way of life.

The worst thing about a raw food diet is the transition to a way of eating that can destroy the body. Therefore, you need to change the menu very slowly and unobtrusively. Adaptation of the body should occur from 1 to 5 years so as not to cause complications.

When eating food in correct sequence and with the necessary energy value, a raw food diet will not turn you into a living skeleton. A raw food diet can maintain a person’s normal weight and enrich him with essential substances.

The choice is yours.

Good day everyone! IN lately I didn’t talk about a raw food diet, unless I was lazy. This wave swept the entire West long ago and reached us a few years ago.

Raw foodists completely reject any heat treatment products, preferring to eat the gifts of Nature in their original form. Today I want to talk to you about proper nutrition on a raw food diet, how to stick to it and what it should be like.

Let's figure out what a proper raw food diet is. Nutrition, first of all, must be balanced. Many who hear about this type of nutrition for the first time mistakenly believe that a raw food diet is very bland, meager, boring and not tasty!

In fact, the taste fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits is so diverse and interesting that not only raw foodists can appreciate it. Still ordinary people, they hide this taste behind stewing, boiling and frying, thereby “killing” not only the beneficial elements, but also depriving them of their original taste.

A raw food diet (if, of course, it is followed correctly) already includes the basics proper nutrition. Avoiding starchy, sweet and fatty foods has a beneficial effect on your health and figure. People who choose this lifestyle note how much more cheerful and better they begin to feel after just a short time.

Lethargy, drowsiness or insomnia disappears, relieves nervous tension in the muscles. It’s just that many people don’t even realize how much food affects our well-being and appearance.

By eating fresh berries, nuts, seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables, we fill the body with essential microelements, nutrients and vitamins every day. But for a raw food diet to be truly beneficial, you need to eat right.

An example of a complete healthy raw food diet menu for 3 days

So how to eat? A raw food diet does not mean consuming just one type of fruit or vegetable. Below I will give a sample menu that will tell you how you can make your diet tasty, interesting and healthy.

Day one

Breakfast. Sprouted grains, 1 kiwi, 1 orange.

Snack. 2 bananas.

Dinner. Vegetable salad (cucumbers+tomatoes+greens), nuts.

Afternoon snack.

Dinner. Vegetable juice (tomato, carrot, pumpkin)

Day two

Breakfast. 1 kiwi, 1 orange, 1 banana

Snack. Apple and carrot puree

Dinner. Sea kale, pumpkin porridge with pine nuts and 1 teaspoon of flaxseed oil

Afternoon snack. Any dried fruits (no more than 50 g)

Dinner. Vegetable salad of arugula, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Day three

Breakfast. 2 apples and a handful of dried fruits

Snack. 0.5 avocado + glass of orange juice

Dinner. Cabbage salad with cucumbers, green buckwheat porridge with a spoon of olive oil.

Afternoon snack. Watermelon

Dinner. Raw vegetables and a handful of walnuts

This is just a sample menu that shows how varied and balanced a raw food diet can be. Show your imagination and you will get very tasty and interesting food. The more meager your menu is, the more temptations you will have to relapse and return to your previous type of diet. This should be especially taken into account by those people who are taking their first “raw food” steps.

Golden rules of raw foodism

Don't let yourself go hungry. Eat small meals at least four times a day. Beginners especially need to adhere to this rule, since due to hunger it will be easy to break down and snack on some junk food. Remember that a snack will protect you from breakdowns.
Never drink food, and you should stop drinking 30 minutes before meals. This will prevent excess gas formation and relieve discomfort.
Replace one snack with one glass of freshly squeezed juice or fruit drink.
Don't forget about the proteins. If you have eliminated meat, fish and eggs from your diet, then you need to very carefully monitor the amount of protein you consume, which you take from legumes, mushrooms or nuts. Remember that without protein it is not only possible beautiful body, but also good health.
If you buy nuts in a supermarket, be careful that they are not roasted, because this contradicts the basic law of a raw food diet.
Be sure to include grains in your diet. A new way of eating does not mean giving up cereals. In the evening, you can pour water over the sprouted seeds of green buckwheat and wheat. In the morning you will have a healthy, tasty and hearty breakfast. Diversify your menu with lentils, chickpeas, peas, beans, beans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and any nuts.
To feel comfortable throughout the day, you should not mix sugar and fat. Well, of course we're talking about not about candy eaten with a serving of pork. You should not eat sweet fruits (dates, dried apricots, etc.) with nuts and avocados.

If you want to switch to a new type of nutrition, but don't know where to start, take a look free materials Denis Terentyev, a raw foodist with five years of experience. In a concise and concise form, you will be taught the basic basics of a raw food diet and told how beneficial your new lifestyle will be for your health.

I hope I told you how to eat properly in order to stick to a raw food diet without harming your health? If you found this article useful, share the link with your friends!

They want to receive objective information. They start reading forums and blogs, weighing all the pros and cons, and most often these cons outweigh. Mainly out of fear. This fear is not even created by “trolls”, but by ordinary people who decide to experience such food for themselves. Their history is banally simple. They tried it, harmed their health and are now warning others.

When you start to “dig” deeper, it turns out that these dear gentlemen do not have even minimal knowledge in this topic. By switching to raw foods, people naively believe that nutritional rules are no longer required for them. Neglecting the principles of the correct combination of products and their sequence of consumption can harm your body. Even for raw foodists there are some reservations. Knowing them is the key to your health.

]]>The first sensations in the stomach after eating raw foods for a long time are really unpleasant. It seems that the stomach is full, but there is no usual heaviness. It’s no wonder – raw foods begin to intensively cleanse our body. They come out quickly, which is also quite unpleasant. Already at this stage, many people get scared and consider this an indication that nutrition should not be like this.

But what can we do? After all, the desire to become a raw foodist is still strong! And here, attention, you make a typical mistake (and to be honest, the author of these lines himself was no exception) - you begin to mix raw products in unimaginable proportions. By mixing fruits, nuts, vegetables and seeds in one meal, we again feel the familiar feeling of fullness. But in fact, this does not indicate satiety, but that the digestion process has slowed down and the products inside us have begun to not be digested, but just rot…

It turns out to be an interesting picture. It seems that you eat like a real raw foodist, only everything inside you is still rotting, as a result: you do not observe any improvement in your well-being, moreover, it becomes even worse, since the craving for the usual diet is felt more and more acutely every day - on the way...

To experience all the benefits healthy eating Several rules must be followed. It is about these rules, or rather about combination of products and the sequence of their use and will be discussed in this article.

Food combination rules for raw foodists

Rule one.

In order for food to be properly digested inside us, and not to rot and ferment, you must always adhere to the following simple rule: Never mix fats and sugar. To make the meaning of this rule as clear as possible, it is necessary to make some explanations and refer you, dear readers, to my previous articles. By sugar, I don’t mean those white pieces that most people put in tea and coffee.

This, unlike the sugar contained in fruits, in its natural form. Fat also should not be understood as what is contained under the skin of most animals and protects them from the cold... To a very first approximation, fat means nuts, avocado and coconut. About the raw food diet and nuts in more detail. To make this combination of products more clear, I suggest you look at the image:

Rule two.

If this is a secret for someone, then this or that type of food can be digested only in its own special environment of enzymes secreted by our stomach. By mixing several types of foods, you prevent them from being digested and absorbed - they come out undigested (this is in the best case). The thing is that enzymes compensate each other – neutralizing each other.

Never, under any circumstances, mix starch and acid. Let me explain again what I mean in these lengthy definitions. Starch refers to foods such as bananas, boiled potatoes and bread. Under acidity - sour fruits. Such as oranges, lemons, even tomatoes. The following image illustrates this rule for combining products:

Rule three.

It turns out that even products that are similar in composition can interfere with their own absorption. Never mix different types of fats (read nuts). This also includes such “perversions” as eating salads made from nuts and avocados, nuts and vegetable oils, nuts and coconuts, and other combinations of these products.

Not only is fat in itself a very difficult food to digest, but also mixing the latter in unimaginable proportions is a severe blow to the stomach... Let’s illustrate this rule for clarity:

One very important note. Ideally, each product should be consumed separately. But it's hard especially on early stages raw food diet. So, dear gentlemen, cheese-eaters, you are our ideal.]]>In order to eliminate most of the questions that may arise in your mind after reading the article, I will make a few clarifications. I don't see anything wrong with taking it in one go. different types fruit. But to be completely honest, here we must adhere to the principle of consistency of use - more on that below.

As you can see, the combination of greens and fruits that is used in the above rules does not contradict, and I still consider this the best food for raw foodists, especially in the early stages. And again I will raise the topic of dried fruits: I would avoid mixing them with any fruit, both sweet and sour...

The sequence of food consumption for a raw foodist

Now, as promised, a few words about consistency. In general, we successfully applied the rule of sequential consumption of foods even before the raw food diet. Its essence is very simple: you should eat food according to the principle “from liquid to solid.” First come the juicy ones (melon, ripe pears, fruit juices) then less juicy (vegetables, carrots, radishes), then dense (avocado), then very hard (nuts, seeds). For clarity, I suggest you look at the image:

As you can see, sour fruits should be consumed first. Vegetables and nuts can be swapped, since vegetables, due to their composition, are not subject to fermentation.

Following the principle of consistency, you can eat even incompatible types of foods in one meal. The main thing is that these products are arranged in the stomach in layers and in the correct sequence. As has long been proven, it is precisely this kind of digestion (in layers) that takes place.

Well, at the end, so to speak, to consolidate the material, a practical part.

INCORRECT SEQUENCE:

Nuts, then fruits;
- nuts, then starch;
- starch, then fruit;
- starch, then sour fruits;
- bananas, then sour fruits;
- dried fruits, then fruits.

Raw food diet, bread and potatoes. Two types of foods that make us sick // 12th February 2012 // 5
Raw food diet and nuts. Do raw foodists need them and what could be the consequences of overeating them // 23rd January 2012 // 3
Raw food diet and protein // 12th January 2012 // 10
Fasting and raw food diet, as well as false hunger and our fears // 11th December 2011 // 1
Raw food diet, if used incorrectly, destroys teeth. Calcium in the diet of a raw foodist // 20th November 2011 // 41

8 comments on this post

05/08/2012 | Alex

And at what interval should we consume all this? For example, I ate a couple of oranges, how long should I wait before I can eat bananas?

Answer 05/09/2012 | Chronicler

Half an hour is enough

Answer 05/27/2012 | Michael

What do sprouted grains belong to? What can you mix them with? Can you eat grains with honey?

Answer 05/28/2012 | Chronicler

Answer 05/28/2012 | Michael

Thank you, what can you do with honey? It doesn’t work with nuts, because... fats, but in itself - sugary))

Answer 05/29/2012 | Chronicler

This is where you didn’t quite understand me. Honey is not the sugar I'm talking about. Fruits contain slightly different sugars. Honey is fast carbohydrates. Personally, I love honey with nuts, albeit in small quantities.

Bravo, Chronicler! Sincerely.

Answer 02/27/2013 | Igor

Thank you for the article, it really helped me clarify some points!