- Think of raw food and the chances are you conjure up
images of bland vegetables and fruit. Yet as the raw-food diet hits an
all-time high of popularity in the US - with followers including Demi Moore,
Woody Harrelson and Robin Williams and raw-food restaurants opening on
East and West coasts - so it seems that more and more of us are turning
"raw" over here.
-
- The Fresh Network, an information resource group for
raw fooders in the UK, reports a recent increase in subscribers to its
magazine Get Fresh!, while London restaurants such as Heartstone and Vita
Organic are experiencing higher-volume sales of their raw-food dishes.
"We've been serving raw food for about two-and-a-half years, but in
the past few months, as more people are becoming aware of the 'raw' way
of eating, we've seen a huge increase in demand," says the manager
of Vita Organic, Lean Phong.
-
- But what does a raw-food diet actually consist of? Followers
of a 100 per cent raw-food diet eat only uncooked plant food, avoiding
animal flesh of any kind, and processed and refined foods such as dairy,
cereal grains, salt and sugar. "One might assume that a raw-food diet
can be limiting, but it doesn't have to be this way. Ideally, someone following
a raw diet will incorporate a wide variety of foods into their eating plan,
and despite popular perception, they don't just eat salads. Fruits and
vegetables, for example, can be combined to make juices and smoothies,
and although traditional cooking methods aren't used, food can be prepared
in a dehydrator, which circulates warm air to dry food rather than cook
it. Using this method, we even make things like raw pizza and raw noodles,"
says Phong.
-
- Advocates of the raw-food approach look back to the diets
of our ancestors and argue that we didn't evolve to eat cooked food. They
also point out that no other creature on the planet does so, and, given
that raw plant food is presented to us in abundance in nature, raw fooders
argue that our bodies recognise it as the food of choice, unlike cooked
food, which, they believe, is at odds with our genetic make-up. As early
as the 1930s, a study from the Institute of Clinical Chemistry in Lausanne,
France, showed that the body recognises cooked food as a harmful invader
and employs a process called digestive leucocytosis, where multiples of
white blood cells rush to either the mouth or the stomach, in an attempt
to get rid of the intruder. "The problem with this," says the
health and nutrition consultant Dr Gina Shaw, "is that when this defence
mechanism is happening three or more times a day, the rest of the body
is left undefended and the immune system is put under considerable strain."
-
- But is there any positive evidence that raw food is good
for us? Raw followers report everything from increased energy levels and
resistance to colds and flu, to clearer skin and healthier, glossier hair.
And, they say, this is largely due to the fact that the food they are eating
remains nutrient-rich, as vitamins and minerals haven't been destroyed
in the cooking process. What's more, raw plant foods contain compounds
such as carotenoids, flavonoids and pycnogenols, which research has repeatedly
highlighted as having health-enhancing properties.
-
- Another healthful aspect of the raw-food diet is enzyme
preservation. "Enzymes help you digest food, and they act as catalysts
for every metabolic reaction in the body. Without them, there can be no
cell division, energy production or brain activity. In addition, no vitamins
or hormones can do their work, nor can the immune system," says the
raw-food chef and co-author of Raw, Roxanne Klein. We know, however, that
cooking food above 48C (118F) destroys natural enzymes, forcing our bodies
to generate enough for digestion. According to Klein, this causes problems:
"The body cannot produce enzymes in perfect combinations to metabolise
foods as completely as those created by nature. This results in partially
digested fats, proteins and starches that can clog the body's intestinal
tract and arteries."
-
- But, for many, the very idea of eating nothing but uncooked
food leaves them cold. Another concern is that we simply don't have access
to an abundance of good quality, fresh fruits and vegetables in this country,
and what we do have is often picked when it's young and under-ripe. Then
there's the social aspect. Dining out with friends, where food is predominantly
cooked, can become tedious - or impossible.
-
- But the raw-food diet may have other, more tangible pitfalls
as far as health is concerned. "Eating only raw food can limit the
variety of foods you consume, which could lead to an imbalance of nutrients.
For example, starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread and potatoes
provide insoluble fibre, as opposed to the soluble fibre provided by fruit
and vegetables; plus, B vitamins, such as the thiamine and riboflavin needed
for metabolic pathways, may be lacking," says Dr Sarah Schenker of
the British Nutrition Foundation.
-
- And while followers of the diet believe that cooking
destroys nutrients, Dr Schenker refers to a recent study from the Institute
of Food Research in Norwich, which says that "cooking carrots actually
releases more of the antioxidant carotenoids that are present, so they
are better absorbed by the body when eaten."
-
- "It's also unlikely that raw-food dieters get sufficient
protein, as they avoid meat and fish, and probably avoid beans or pulses
that require cooking," warns Dr Schenker. While you might feel great
for a while, with insufficient protein the body could start to use up its
reserves - and then your health would inevitably begin to deteriorate.
-
- According to its advocates, though, a raw-food diet can
incorporate "superfoods" such as sprouts and wheatgrass, which
can make up for these nutritional shortfalls. "Sprouts are baby plants
in their prime," says the sprout and wheatgrass expert Steve Meyerowitz.
"At this stage of their growth, they have a greater concentration
of proteins, vitamins and minerals, RNA and DNA enzymes, bioflavonoids
and so on than at any other point, and all these nutrients exist in elemental
form, thus making them easily digestible." Meanwhile, a shot of fresh
wheatgrass is like a single complete supplement. As well as enzymes and
amino acids, it has all the B-group vitamins plus vitamins A, C, E and
K, and contains calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc
and selenium. "Wheatgrass also has up to 40 per cent protein by dry
matter content, mostly as polypeptides. Indeed, wheatgrass gives our bodies
all the raw materials to manufacture what it needs and balances its own
chemistry," says Meyerowitz.
-
- There is, however, a missing link in the raw-food diet:
vitamin B12 (found in meat, fish, eggs and milk), which is needed for the
formation of red blood cells and healthy nervous and cardiovascular systems.
"Up until recently, many of us have felt that additional supplementation
with sea vegetables or probiotic formulas was sufficient for protection
against B12 deficiency, but this does not seem to be the case," warns
the nutritionist Gabriel Cousins. In order to be a successful raw fooder,
supplementation with either an injection or a high dose oral administration
is advised.
-
- There is also a chance that raw fooders will develop
essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiencies. Without linoleic acid - which
the body does not produce itself and must obtain from diet - the body cannot
produce such important fatty acids as Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), which
is important for reducing cholesterol, boosting the immune system and preventing
skin problems such as eczema. To add insult to injury, many people - even
healthy raw fooders - also eat too many sugary foods, which inhibits the
conversion of linoleic acid to GLA.
-
- Also, while most raw foods - especially green plant foods
- are full of fibre, as well as enzyme-rich and nutrient-dense, raw fooders
should be aware that sugar from fruit can negate these properties by upsetting
blood-sugar levels. Moreover, many people like to juice their fruits and
vegetables; this removes the fibre that slows down the release of sugars
into the bloodstream. It is best, therefore, to drink green juices, which
aren't as high in natural sugars.
-
- Green juice also supports a slightly alkaline pH within
the body, which, according to Dr Robert Young, author of The pH Miracle,
is the single most important thing when it comes to health. The reality
today, however, is that many people are highly acidic. As a consequence,
bodily functions from the beating of the heart to the neural firing of
the brain are interrupted; if this process is left unchecked, body tissues
begin to decompose. According to Dr Young, the way to counteract this breakdown
in health is to eat the right balance of alkaline- and acid-forming foods.
This means that 80 per cent of our diet should be alkalising foods, such
as green vegetables, leaving a much smaller portion of acid-forming foods,
such as meat and grains, on our plates.
-
- Raw fooders, of course, have a head start here. "Those
who eat a raw-food diet, which is high in green plant food, have very clear
blood with a slightly alkaline pH and a low amount of fermentation,"
says the nutritional microscopist Catherine Daly. But not all raw fooders
necessarily have healthy blood. Indeed, continues Daly, "those who
eat a lot of fruit often have high levels of candida in the blood, while
those who eat a lot of nuts often have high mould content. Certainly, some
people on a raw-food diet can be considered to be unhealthy. It's important
to know what you're doing."
-
- "It's not advisable for people to eat nothing but
raw foods for long periods," adds the author and raw-food revolutionary
Leslie Kenton in her latest book, The Powerhouse Diet, "but an all-raw
diet can be a wonderful tool for short periods, especially if you are healing
something like cancer, Aids or depression."
-
- It's certainly true that raw foods are used in health
institutes and clinics all over the world to aid healing, and when it comes
to everyday life, there's little doubt that incorporating at least some
raw food into your diet is beneficial. So what better time to give it a
go than now, when local produce is starting to flood the farmers' markets
and it's too hot to turn on the oven?
-
- RAW FOR A DAY - WHAT YOU'LL BE EATING
-
- If you want to try it, there are a few things you need
to know. Choose a mix of carbohydrates and proteins, and foods with sufficient
energy content to meet your needs. Opt for local, seasonal, organic produce
where possible.
-
- Here are some recipe examples:
-
- Fresh fruit salad Mixed fruit topped with chopped almonds,
wheatgerm, pumpkin seeds and coconut cream.
-
- Mixed salad Various green leaves, peppers, tomatoes,
red onions, cauliflower florets and parsley, topped with sprouted lentils
and alfalfa.
-
- Thai lemon coconut soup 1 to 2 large squash, juiced Milk
of 1 coconut 1 to 4 lemons, juiced to taste 5 mushrooms, chopped 2 carrots,
sliced. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
-
- Water, fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies are suitable
drinks, while good snacks include vegetable sticks, fresh fruit, soaked
dried fruit and nuts.
-
- You can also make almond flax crackers, sunflower-seed
cheese, hummus, tahini milk, pine nut and herb p,tÈ, and nut and
seed butter. All you need is a blender.
-
- - For raw products, books, juicers and dehydrators, go
to www.fresh-network.com
-
- © 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/story.jsp?story=531234
|
