Eating Raw Foods

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.

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.

I wouldn't go down this route with meat / fish - just saying!

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