Eating Raw Foods

krystalraven
krystalraven Posts: 50
in Food and Nutrition
OK, been having a look online and found some interesting information. Some sites claim that when you cook foods, you lose a lot of the nutrients and goodness found in the food. So...is eating raw foods good for you? And can you be healthy eating only raw foods long term and not cooking anything? Will be interested to hear your opinions!

Replies

  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    OK, been having a look online and found some interesting information. Some sites claim that when you cook foods, you lose a lot of the nutrients and goodness found in the food. So...is eating raw foods good for you? And can you be healthy eating only raw foods long term and not cooking anything? Will be interested to hear your opinions!

    I would eat raw fruit and veggies, not much else.
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
    Yes. I prefer raw eggs.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    I think the bigger question here is "is this sustainable for long term?" There is nothing wrong with a raw diet, nor is there anything wrong with cooking, baking, frying, etc. It's about balance and lifestyle.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    If you OVER cook veggies, you lose a lot of the nutrients. Many people overcook. Some nutrients are only made available to your body after the cooking process (like lycopene from tomatoes).

    If you like the veggies raw - enjoy. But if you don't, just aim to not over-cook them.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I wouldn't go down this route with meat / fish - just saying!
  • Aniretukato
    Aniretukato Posts: 2 Member
    Go for it... I tried a 80% raw food diet and lost a lot of weight.
  • kit_rose
    kit_rose Posts: 8 Member
    Yes, you do lose some nutrients when you cook, or process raw foods. Some foods though, such as meats and dairy, are best to be cooked enough to avoid contamination as they are not as "live" as plants when they are store bought.

    Example on cauliflower: (via Wikipedia)

    Boiling reduces the levels of these compounds, with losses of 20–30% after five minutes, 40–50% after ten minutes, and 75% after thirty minutes.[15] However, other preparation methods, such as steaming, microwaving, and stir frying, have no significant effect on the compounds.[15]

    Some disagree, as it is difficult to track the exact amount of nutrients absorbed, and will say that the digestive system will destroy a lot of compounds anyways. I have been eating 80% raw for over a year and have found many benefits including weightloss and increased energy, and I haven't caught a cold for over a year now..unusual for me, though not necessarily from eating raw.
    I say try it! Or if you are still on the fence, pick up some fresh-pressed juice or even packaged raw items and compare the nutrition fact labels directly :) you will notice a difference.
    When I went on an all-raw juice cleanse for a week, I had so much energy I was only able to sleep a few hours a night, AND I was working out on top of that. The cleanse I used was thejuicecleanse.ca

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